Maddy says, "Los Angeles is for people who sleep."

If this is the case Madonna:

WHY...

1. VOGUING. She pirated this artform from the black gay ballroom and club scene. This was already huge in the New York/Tri-State black gay scene and made its way through most major U.S. metropolitan black gay scenes by the mid-'80s. I read in L.A. Weekly back in 2004 (in an article spotlighting the 30th Anniversary of the famous black gay nightclub Jewel's Catch One in L.A.) that she first got the inspiration for her song "Vogue" by seeing black gay dancers voguing inside of this L.A. nightspot in the late '80s (which, coincidentally, is the same building that housed her "Music" record release party in 2000).

2. KRUMPING. Now she's stealing from Black Los Angeles youth culture YET AGAIN some 15 or more years later. She's now incorporating clown dancing or "Krumping" into her upcoming tour. She already used it in her videos for "Hung Up" and "Sorry," but now she's going to go "all out" and "practice" the dance herself. Now I'm hearing people say that she's going to "revolutionize" the dance and "bring it to the masses."
Woman, I am 24-years-old and went to public school in South Central Los Angeles (home of the movie "Boyz N The Hood"). PEOPLE HAVE BEEN KRUMPING in South L.A. since 1994 when I was 12 years old. Tommy The Clown, the pioneer who originated this dance, used to perform it at kids birthday parties and various events around the community. He started the trend, NOT YOU. That dance comes from the black street culture of inner city L.A. (see the movie "RIZE" [2005] for more examples) and is an extension of the poplocking, Campbellocking or popping dances which ALSO came out of inner city black L.A. culture in the 1970s (ever saw the TV show "What's Happening!" with Re-Run?!)

YET she says in her song "I Love New York" that "LOS ANGELES is FOR PEOPLE WHO SLEEP"?! Really, Madonna? For people who sleep so much you sure do THIEVE a lot of f**king things from our city!

When I listen to COAD, I always always skip "I Love New York". How tacky to put down other cities as a way of giving props to another.

I'm sure she loves LA anyway.

btw, Rize was worth watching.

CinisterCee said:

madonna old' and uniqueless who cares what she's says!..i happend to love LA..well expect that is so bloody hot..

Los An-ge-les.... Isn't that where they Krump?

CinisterCee said:

no..but you get the best dope there..lol.

Madonna made her living off bein a culture vulture. Nothing new here.

However the several times I have been in NY, we tried to go clubbin late and only a few underground clubs (and Nells when it was cool) were open. NY, the city that nver sleeps my ass


[Edited 4/8/06 12:03pm]

What I find problematic about Madonna's legacy is this...

Madonna will TAKE something and then not give proper credit for LIFTING something that already had a life and doesn't put a new spin on it at all.

Being a Genius is being inspired by something and turning it around and taking it to a place where it HAS NOT been before. Not lifting it, putting a new face on it, then screaming to everyone that it's solely your own.

Madonna, however, is the female CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS of Popular Music.

BTW, if I sound extremely angry in my posts. I'm not. Just passionate.

I'm actually sipping some juice this afternoon relaxing.

LOL!

I don't think Madonna has ever claimed she invented neither voging or krumping.

Joshua23 said:

When interviewed she usually acknowledges her sources/inspirations.

CinisterCee said:

Tell a lot of her fans and common folk on the street.

See, the thing that gets me is that people will look at voguing and then see it as some "played out Madonna s**t." I still see people voguing in 2006 and the art has actually evolved into something that's very different from what Madonna mainstreamed in 1990. And Voguing is still very much a part of healthy and thriving black gay ballroom culture. It's not just on some hand gestures and miming. These kids nowadays are doing death drops, duckwalking, and its more wildly acrobatic than it was in the days of Paris Is Burning.

I don't want Krumping to suffer that same fate. It would be cool if she would acknowledge it was from the streets/underground and that she didn't "pioneer" it and it was known as common truth instead of she defining *it*, but the media has a tendency to overplay a lot of her "innovations" and accomplishments in popular culture.

I'd hate to look at an encyclopedia in the future and on the face of Krumping is that of Madonna's. When mine own eyes know of something completely different. I'm a History major for Pete's sake[!], and a stickler for the truest interpretation. Lord knows common folk don't even attribute Voguing to black gay subculture anymore unless you're culturally aware and have done some individual research.

JANFAN4L said:

I could go 4 a lemonade now ...

I know alot of people think Madonna invented voguing but I doubt anyone believe's she started krumping. Krumping was already apart of pop culture before Madonna featured it in "Hung Up". She didn't pick up on the trend first this time.

Joshua23 said:

Also true. Plus, Rize was way more exposed than Paris Is Burning.

JANFAN4L said:

How very Led Zeppelin of her.


tA

Tribal Disorder

http://www.soundclick.com...dID=182431

I overheard Madonna's mind....I 'm gonna do 3121's "LOVE" in my show...it sounds like something I've recorded...and I always keep up on what the little one does.

theAudience said:

How very Elvis of her.

Paris Is Burning.

i LOVE this movie, does n e one know the song thats playin on the boombox when venus is on the boardwalk?

Relax, y'all.

Yes, Maddie repeatedly takes stuff that ain't hers and doesn't give proper credit, but she's just trying to stir up some light-hearted crap here. She disses London, too, in the song, and she's gone on and on in the past about how much she loves everything British. Heck, she's even lived there now for years.

She's just playing around.
[Edited 4/8/06 19:52pm]

Moonwalkbjrain said:

I remember the scene, but can't immediately think of the song. I'll try to watch it andgetback to you.

JANFAN4L said:

You're absolutely right about Voguing. It's a GORGEOUS artform, and people see it as a played out fad largely because of Madonna. Yet the moves now are stunning -- and literally so acrobatically daring that some dancers actually hurt themselves innovating new moves.

Have you seen the independent movie "How Do I Look?" It's basically a modern "Paris is Burning," and showcases many of the newer houses and notable individuals in the Ballroom Community. I can't find it anywhere, though.

I was wondering how she was gonna perform this song on a tour, since she basically disses every place except NY.

Silly thing is, if she loves NY so much, why isnt she living there???

Can someone define what Krumping is? I see it and it doesn't look distinctive enough to me to attach a name to it. It's just dancing... or am I looking at crap people?

Ellie said:

Not sure exactly what you're looking for but here are a few explanations...

Tommy's website: http://www.tommytheclown.com/about.html
Documentary movie Rize: http://www.davidlachapell...film.shtml
Tavis Smiley interview: http://www.pbs.org/kcet/t...621.html#2
N.Y. Times article: http://www.nytimes.com/20...yt&emc=rss

...of its background and reason for being.


tA

Tribal Disorder

http://www.soundclick.com...dID=182431

I think maybe you need to calm down a bit. I dont think madonna would live in LA off and on for 20 years if she hated it. Shes just basically trying to say that no where makes her feel more alive than New York, doesnt mean she doesnt get other things from other cities.

As for taking stuff from street culture, all mainstream pop artists do this. Does everyone associate MJ with the moonwalk, as if he invented it?? Of course they do. All she does is bring popular trends to the foreground , she never goes around saying i invented this shit, she just likes the look of something and uses it in her work. It doesn't make her a genius, but its hardly a crime, and it hardly makes her entire 25 year career artistically void. Her ability to consume and move onto the next, and incorporate everything in her work making it unique to her, is her talent. If it was that fucking easy everyone would do it, but they dont so she must be doing something of substance behind it all.

Tom said:

I guess it sounded better than as a song title than "I Love My Castle" or whatever.

Love your Chorita Chen sig!

Tom said:

I wonder about that, too. She didn't mention she doesn't like Chicago, though, so it won't be a problem when she performs it here.

Lammastide said:

I haven't seen the film yet but I read that it is available on DVD at the film's official website :: http://www.howdoilooknyc.org/

Also, if anyone wants to learn more about the history of VOGUING and the ballroom/house scene of today check out this very informative webpage...

http://jasmynecannick.typ...e_mes.html