MickyDolenz said:

TonyVanDam said:

THAT^ is not a good excuse anymore. There are affordable smartphones that can be used to download AND save music.

You're one of those people who assume that everyone has money to throw away on cell phones and internet service and think everyone knows how to use these things or even wants one. My mother doesn't even know how to use a cassette player other than the one in her car where you just stick the tape in and it starts playing automatically. I've never owned a cell phone and don't know how to use one. I just use a pay phone if I need to use one outside of the house. I don't download and to me, if it's not on a record, tape, or a CD, then I don't bother with it. I have a stereo with a receiver, cassette deck, turntable, CD, equalizer, and real speakers and not tiny computer speakers. I still buy records and own 8-tracks. I don't get the point of putting songs on a computer or one of those ipod things, but whatever floats your boat.

1. at&t goPhones are now available as smartphones. the at&t Fusion 2 is only $99.

2. If I've learn anything about life after 9/11, it's that you need a cell phone. And lets not forget that most pay phones no long exist. So if you don't have a cell phone to make a 911 call, you're screwed.

Terrib3Towel said:

The way mjscarousal talks you'd think she'd be at least be 40, but she's just 20 or 21 like me.

We all know that music is subjective, but the cool thing to do around the org is to bitch about how good music used to be and how "real" artists don't get the respect they need and blah blah blah. It's like a fetish to these people.

I've been here for a little over a year now and these type of threads pop up every other day. You'd think they would get tired of talking about he same thing over and over, but NOPE.

No, that used to be the cool thing to do around here. Now the cool thing to do around here is to put blinders on and act as if nothing has changed for the worst at all and justify it by saying there's just as much good music as there used to be but now you have to "search" for it as if that's how it should be. You may have had to search for good music your entire lifetime but I never had to search for it and that's the whole point right there. The fact that you have to search for it to begin with is totally ass backwards.

No, the cool thing to do around here these days is to not want people to bitch about it so things will stay the same. Things have never changed by people keeping their mouths shut. And the org of a year ago is a totally different place than what it was a few years ago. Most of the cool folks have left because it has become so boring over here. Hell, the front page of this section looks liked a thugged out version of the Mousekateers.

TonyVanDam said:

1. at&t goPhones are now available as smartphones. the at&t Fusion 2 is only $99.

2. If I've learn anything about life after 9/11, it's that you need a cell phone. And lets not forget that most pay phones no long exist. So if you don't have a cell phone to make a 911 call, you're screwed.

You don't need a cell phone. You want a cell phone. Folks lived without it for thousands of years. All you need to live is food, shelter, and water. There's still many people in the world that still live a traditional life without frivolous modern things and they're doing just fine without cell phones. The only problem they might have is western folks calling them "primative" and trying to convert them into modern "civilized" people or trying to take whatever little land they have left to make into resorts or whatever. I guess next you're going to say the Amish need to own a car instead of a horse carriage.

MickyDolenz said:

TonyVanDam said:

1. at&t goPhones are now available as smartphones. the at&t Fusion 2 is only $99.

2. If I've learn anything about life after 9/11, it's that you need a cell phone. And lets not forget that most pay phones no long exist. So if you don't have a cell phone to make a 911 call, you're screwed.

You don't need a cell phone. You want a cell phone. Folks lived without it for thousands of years. All you need to live is food, shelter, and water. There's still many people in the world that still live a traditional life without frivolous modern things and they're doing just fine without cell phones. The only problem they might have is western folks calling them "primative" and trying to convert them into modern "civilized" people or trying to take whatever little land they have left to make into resorts or whatever. I guess next you're going to say the Amish need to own a car instead of a horse carriage.

At least I use my phone to make calls. But these kids today want to use the phone to type and send text messages. Now what kind of bullshit is THAT?!?

TonyVanDam said:

MickyDolenz said:

You don't need a cell phone. You want a cell phone. Folks lived without it for thousands of years. All you need to live is food, shelter, and water. There's still many people in the world that still live a traditional life without frivolous modern things and they're doing just fine without cell phones. The only problem they might have is western folks calling them "primative" and trying to convert them into modern "civilized" people or trying to take whatever little land they have left to make into resorts or whatever. I guess next you're going to say the Amish need to own a car instead of a horse carriage.

At least I use my phone to make calls. But these kids today want to use the phone to type and send text messages. Now what kind of bullshit is THAT?!?

That is the stupidest shit I've ever seen in my life. Why in the HELL would someone want to peck in a message on a little small device when they can just dial the damn number and actually talk? And then the damn fools can't drive for playing with the little bullshit.

TonyVanDam said:

At least I use my phone to make calls. But these kids today want to use the phone to type and send text messages. Now what kind of bullshit is THAT?!?

Because they missed the Morse Code/telegraph days and figured that was better.

vainandy said:

JoeTyler said:

we'll that's true

but I stick to my guns:

50s/60s/early-70s folks bitched about completely DIFFERENT/RADICAL/ALIEN/SCARY late-70s/early-80s new music

late-70s/80s/ealy-90s folks bitch about a DUMB/WATERED DOWN 00s version of the music they liked (like!)

[Edited 10/31/12 9:28am]

Oh, my favorite is the "people bitched about rock and roll in the 1950s" arguement as if it's the same thing as folks bitching today. They will do anything in their power to not accept the fact that today's music actually IS bullshit. They conveniently leave out the fact that the people bitched back then for racist reasons and were saying "that black rhythmic jungle music was the work of the devil and will cause corruption". Hell, I started bitching when it stopped being that "black rhythmic jungle music". And if it's the work of the devil, then corrupt me honey! The nastier the better! Ain't nobody never heard Andy bitch about profanity...ever.

.

.

man, they HAVE to talk about the 50s because they don't know the TRUTH

there's no chance in hell that someone would make me BELIEVE that acts like One Direction, Rihanna, Usher, Chris Brown, Pitbull, Ke$ha, Beyoncé, Katie Perry, her mother, etc are "good" just because "people always hated new music/genres"

B-U-L-L-S-H-I-T

JoeTyler said:

vainandy said:

Oh, my favorite is the "people bitched about rock and roll in the 1950s" arguement as if it's the same thing as folks bitching today. They will do anything in their power to not accept the fact that today's music actually IS bullshit. They conveniently leave out the fact that the people bitched back then for racist reasons and were saying "that black rhythmic jungle music was the work of the devil and will cause corruption". Hell, I started bitching when it stopped being that "black rhythmic jungle music". And if it's the work of the devil, then corrupt me honey! The nastier the better! Ain't nobody never heard Andy bitch about profanity...ever.

.

.

man, they HAVE to talk about the 50s because they don't know the TRUTH

there's no chance in hell that someone would make me BELIEVE that acts like One Direction, Rihanna, Usher, Chris Brown, Pitbull, Ke$ha, Beyoncé, Katie Perry, her mother, etc are "good" just because "people always hated new music/genres"

B-U-L-L-S-H-I-T

And as someone said there was always bullshit acts in every degree. It was just easy to weed the bad ones out.

Timmy84 said:

JoeTyler said:

man, they HAVE to talk about the 50s because they don't know the TRUTH

there's no chance in hell that someone would make me BELIEVE that acts like One Direction, Rihanna, Usher, Chris Brown, Pitbull, Ke$ha, Beyoncé, Katie Perry, her mother, etc are "good" just because "people always hated new music/genres"

B-U-L-L-S-H-I-T

And as someone said there was always bullshit acts in every degree. It was just easy to weed the bad ones out.

and I wanna know why

why does bad music sell more now than ever? W-H-Y?

what's going on?

lol

JoeTyler said:

Timmy84 said:

And as someone said there was always bullshit acts in every degree. It was just easy to weed the bad ones out.

and I wanna know why

why does bad music sell more now than ever? W-H-Y?

what's going on?

lol

lol because they just do. One Twinkrection are like the new Bay City Rollers or something. Bad music always sold. But I guess it depends on people's opinion on whose music is bad.

Frederick96 said:

A lot of R&B artists are on the pop chart.........Usher, Chris Brown, Rihanna, Trey Songs, Miguel, Frank Ocean, Brandy, Ne yo......all of these and more are all on the hot 100 on the Billboard charts.

But just like there are some country artists that are on the country chart only...same applies to R&B. But R&B does well on the chart....all the artists in the Top 20 of the R&B charts have been on the Hot 100.

But as far as R&B declining....oh yes. Most artists have changed to be more hip hop oriented. Because straight R&B will get no airplay or sales

Wholeheartedly agree with u. Sadly, Rap was the ruin of R&B and Hip Hop didn't do it any favors either. Some R&B infused with Hip Hop can be appealing tho. And a Diva is NOT "a female version of a HUST-LA!" A "diva" is a woman who worked her tail off to get where she is and who still keeps her crown. Madonna or Tina Turner would be considered true divas. Incidentally, Tina Turner has always scored big on the Pop chart too, so let us not bring race into this faulty equation. It's not about race anymore. It's about shitty music that keeps making shitty performers filthy rich and sadly, it's only getting worse. Whatever happened to the Deborah Cox's and the Boyz to Men's? (The REAL talented R&B singers?) How did THEY get replaced so quickly and Rihanna? Who told HER she could SING? RiDICULOUS!!! The consumer keeps these NO-TALENTS on the rise and no one else. Boycott their downloads and CD's and see where they are in another month. It's time 2 bring back REAL R&B. Jill Scott knows how 2 do it and so does Ms. Badu and Chaka. Okay...I'm done. This industry infuritates me to no end.

[Edited 10/31/12 16:52pm]

[Edited 10/31/12 17:01pm]

Timmy84 said:

JoeTyler said:

and I wanna know why

why does bad music sell more now than ever? W-H-Y?

what's going on?

lol

lol because they just do. One Twinkrection are like the new Bay City Rollers or something. Bad music always sold. But I guess it depends on people's opinion on whose music is bad.

blame it on the parents

parents need to stop giving money to their kids so they can't download/buy bullshit 00s music

it's a wrap.....a wrap that began wrapping up 25 years ago

I want to share something w/this forum.....just for tonight

I've written a book about this entire subject, and how culture has been destroyed....

I'm in the process of having this book published, and by next year it will be available to purchase

see, allot of damage has been done to culture, to consciousness,

2 generations have been robbed of what is their right but don't realize it....

for me a generation doesn't run every 20 years, it runs ever ten years

but the time a kid reaches 10 years old, he/she's personality and outlook on life has already been shaped by what they've been exposed to since infancy, even while they existed in the mother's womb....

REAL R&B was weeded out a quarter century ago......

I would like to post an excerpt of what I wrote in this book if that's cool

duccichucka said:

ISF said:

Hello all

In the commercial music we hear today, there is virtually no R&B. Most songs sung by a black person are considered R&B, it seems. If the same song is given to Miley Cyrus it is considered pop.

Since the 50s through till about 2004 or so we heard black artists releasing music that related to the music before. It had it roots in blues/R&b/gospel/soul etc. Rock & Roll to Motown to Minneapolis sound to hip hop to the funk of James Brown etc. They were all very different, but they had some of the same origins.

Now the ''R&B'' we hear is nothing but a singer, usually black, singing or rapping over a euro-dance/techno/house beat. This is saddening.

I know you do hear the odd R&B song on radio (Love On Top, Pretty Wings etc.) but few!

This is why I do not listen to radio or watch music TV anymore, Youtube got what I need

Nobody does any homework 'round here so lemme do it:

I chose a random year and trust me - I could argue that half of the songs

listed here absolutely suck hirsute testicles.

#1 R&B Singles 1975

Kung Fu Fighting? Really, you declining of mainstream R&B music apologists?

So lay back, guys! R&B mainstream music is not declining. Taste has changed,

that's all!

You must of fell and bumped your damn head. No taste has not changed, the

music has. If you are blind to that fact then it's a you problem not a me problem.

Those songs are classics and identifiable by anyone that has an ear for music and

i was a kid in elementary school at the time.

And as for your Kung Fu Fighting rant, i have a friend that fronts a regional band

in the south. The band plays the best of the 70's and 80's music. The band played

my city for the 4th of July. Kung Fu Fighting was one of the songs played and no

one was sitting down. Mind you the ratio of whites to blacks in the audience was

70:30

[Edited 10/31/12 19:45pm]

Scorp said:

it's a wrap.....a wrap that began wrapping up 25 years ago

I want to share something w/this forum.....just for tonight

I've written a book about this entire subject, and how culture has been destroyed....

I'm in the process of having this book published, and by next year it will be available to purchase

see, allot of damage has been done to culture, to consciousness,

2 generations have been robbed of what is their right but don't realize it....

for me a generation doesn't run every 20 years, it runs ever ten years

but the time a kid reaches 10 years old, he/she's personality and outlook on life has already been shaped by what they've been exposed to since infancy, even while they existed in the mother's womb....

REAL R&B was weeded out a quarter century ago......

I would like to post an excerpt of what I wrote in this book if that's cool

I agree that it started it's decline 25 years ago. 27 to be exact.

You've sparked my interest though so go ahead and post your excerpt. From the looks of the other thread titles in this section of the org, at least it will be one thing that's interesting around here.

phunkdaddy said:

duccichucka said:

Nobody does any homework 'round here so lemme do it:

I chose a random year and trust me - I could argue that half of the songs

listed here absolutely suck hirsute testicles.

#1 R&B Singles 1975

Kung Fu Fighting? Really, you declining of mainstream R&B music apologists?

So lay back, guys! R&B mainstream music is not declining. Taste has changed,

that's all!

You must of fell and bumped your damn head. No taste has not changed, the

music has. If you are blind to that fact then it's a you problem not a me problem.

Those songs are classics and identifiable by anyone that has an ear for music and

i was a kid in elementary school at the time.

And as for your Kung Fu Fighting rant, i have a friend that fronts a regional band

in the south. The band plays the best of the 70's and 80's music. The band played

my city for the 4th of July. Kung Fu Fighting was one of the songs played and no

one was sitting down. Mind you the ratio of whites to blacks in the audience was

70:30

[Edited 10/31/12 19:45pm]

Agree!

JoeTyler said:

Timmy84 said:

And as someone said there was always bullshit acts in every degree. It was just easy to weed the bad ones out.

and I wanna know why

why does bad music sell more now than ever? W-H-Y?

what's going on?

lol

1. Either the music industry worldwide are guilty for lowing the standards.

OR

2. The musical elders (especially Michael/Prince/Madonna) are at fault for making the standards too damn high.

[Edited 11/1/12 12:47pm]

R&B music was at its highest point,creatively,in the 70s.Its decline began in the late 80s,imo.

phunkdaddy said:

duccichucka said:

Nobody does any homework 'round here so lemme do it:

I chose a random year and trust me - I could argue that half of the songs

listed here absolutely suck hirsute testicles.

#1 R&B Singles 1975

Kung Fu Fighting? Really, you declining of mainstream R&B music apologists?

So lay back, guys! R&B mainstream music is not declining. Taste has changed,

that's all!

You must of fell and bumped your damn head. No taste has not changed, the

music has. If you are blind to that fact then it's a you problem not a me problem.

Those songs are classics and identifiable by anyone that has an ear for music and

i was a kid in elementary school at the time.

And as for your Kung Fu Fighting rant, i have a friend that fronts a regional band

in the south. The band plays the best of the 70's and 80's music. The band played

my city for the 4th of July. Kung Fu Fighting was one of the songs played and no

one was sitting down. Mind you the ratio of whites to blacks in the audience was

70:30

"Kung Fu Fighting" is a CLASSIC compared to the crappy stuff that passes for R&B these days.Some of the greatest R&B songs of all time were released in 1975:

"Supernatural Thing" by Ben E.King

"Games People Play (They Just Can't Stop It)" by the Spinners

"Sweet Thing" by Rufus and Chaka Khan

"I Love Music" by the Ojays

"Shining Star" by Earth Wind and Fire

I could go on and on,but you get the point I challenge anyone to name a current R&B song that is as good as the five songs I listed above.Yes,I know it's all subjective,but still....

SoulAlive said:

phunkdaddy said:

You must of fell and bumped your damn head. No taste has not changed, the

music has. If you are blind to that fact then it's a you problem not a me problem.

Those songs are classics and identifiable by anyone that has an ear for music and

i was a kid in elementary school at the time.

And as for your Kung Fu Fighting rant, i have a friend that fronts a regional band

in the south. The band plays the best of the 70's and 80's music. The band played

my city for the 4th of July. Kung Fu Fighting was one of the songs played and no

one was sitting down. Mind you the ratio of whites to blacks in the audience was

70:30

"Kung Fu Fighting" is a CLASSIC compared to the crappy stuff that passes for R&B these days.Some of the greatest R&B songs of all time were released in 1975:

"Supernatural Thing" by Ben E.King

"Games People Play (They Just Can't Stop It)" by the Spinners

"Sweet Thing" by Rufus and Chaka Khan

"I Love Music" by the Ojays

"Shining Star" by Earth Wind and Fire

I could go on and on,but you get the point I challenge anyone to name a current R&B song that is as good as the five songs I listed above.Yes,I know it's all subjective,but still....

That fact isnt subjective though

SoulAlive said:

R&B music was at its highest point,creatively,in the 70s.Its decline began in the late 80s,imo.

IMO? That ain't an opinion, you are stating the truth! A lot of folks just can't accept it though because the truth hurts.

SoulAlive said:

phunkdaddy said:

You must of fell and bumped your damn head. No taste has not changed, the

music has. If you are blind to that fact then it's a you problem not a me problem.

Those songs are classics and identifiable by anyone that has an ear for music and

i was a kid in elementary school at the time.

And as for your Kung Fu Fighting rant, i have a friend that fronts a regional band

in the south. The band plays the best of the 70's and 80's music. The band played

my city for the 4th of July. Kung Fu Fighting was one of the songs played and no

one was sitting down. Mind you the ratio of whites to blacks in the audience was

70:30

"Kung Fu Fighting" is a CLASSIC compared to the crappy stuff that passes for R&B these days.Some of the greatest R&B songs of all time were released in 1975:

"Supernatural Thing" by Ben E.King

"Games People Play (They Just Can't Stop It)" by the Spinners

"Sweet Thing" by Rufus and Chaka Khan

"I Love Music" by the Ojays

"Shining Star" by Earth Wind and Fire

I could go on and on,but you get the point I challenge anyone to name a current R&B song that is as good as the five songs I listed above.Yes,I know it's all subjective,but still....

Of course there were some bad songs in those days but they were minimal compared

to today. You would be hardpresed to find a bad song on this list and if so you

could count it on one hand. Can't believe dude went there.

SoulAlive said:

phunkdaddy said:

You must of fell and bumped your damn head. No taste has not changed, the

music has. If you are blind to that fact then it's a you problem not a me problem.

Those songs are classics and identifiable by anyone that has an ear for music and

i was a kid in elementary school at the time.

And as for your Kung Fu Fighting rant, i have a friend that fronts a regional band

in the south. The band plays the best of the 70's and 80's music. The band played

my city for the 4th of July. Kung Fu Fighting was one of the songs played and no

one was sitting down. Mind you the ratio of whites to blacks in the audience was

70:30

"Kung Fu Fighting" is a CLASSIC compared to the crappy stuff that passes for R&B these days.Some of the greatest R&B songs of all time were released in 1975:

"Supernatural Thing" by Ben E.King

"Games People Play (They Just Can't Stop It)" by the Spinners

"Sweet Thing" by Rufus and Chaka Khan

"I Love Music" by the Ojays

"Shining Star" by Earth Wind and Fire

I could go on and on,but you get the point I challenge anyone to name a current R&B song that is as good as the five songs I listed above.Yes,I know it's all subjective,but still....

I don't see anything wrong with "Kung Fu Fighting". It just simply reflects the era it was recorded in and Kung Fu was very popular in the 1970s. There's nothing wrong with a song reflecting the era because styles change and it's fun to look back sometimes and see the past styles. But of course, a lot of folks wouldn't know about that these days because there hasn't been a real style change in R&B music since the mid 1990s which is the longest in music history that I've ever seen without a style change because styles used to change every five years or so. But then again, when a cheap product is being made, the ones in control aren't going to promote anything different.

I've always hated the term "dated" because every song sounds like the era it was recorded in. But like I said before, when you go so long without ever having a style change like they have these days, no new songs are ever going to sound "dated" because styles never changed.

.

.

.

[Edited 11/1/12 16:16pm]

phunkdaddy said:

SoulAlive said:

"Kung Fu Fighting" is a CLASSIC compared to the crappy stuff that passes for R&B these days.Some of the greatest R&B songs of all time were released in 1975:

"Supernatural Thing" by Ben E.King

"Games People Play (They Just Can't Stop It)" by the Spinners

"Sweet Thing" by Rufus and Chaka Khan

"I Love Music" by the Ojays

"Shining Star" by Earth Wind and Fire

I could go on and on,but you get the point I challenge anyone to name a current R&B song that is as good as the five songs I listed above.Yes,I know it's all subjective,but still....

Of course there were some bad songs in those days but they were minimal compared

to today. You would be hardpresed to find a bad song on this list and if so you

could count it on one hand. Can't believe dude went there.

Of course every era has had some horrible songs. Hell, "You Light Up My Life" was recorded in the 1970s so yeah, no one has ever disputed that. But most of the songs were good back then. But nowadays, NONE of the songs are good. That's the difference. The music world today is ass backwards.

And yes, I know "You Light Up My Life" was not an R&B song but I honestly couldn't think of a horrible R&B song from that era right off the top of my head. I'm sure I could find some but I'd have to....."search for them".

.

.

.

[Edited 11/1/12 16:09pm]

SoulAlive said:

phunkdaddy said:

You must of fell and bumped your damn head. No taste has not changed, the

music has. If you are blind to that fact then it's a you problem not a me problem.

Those songs are classics and identifiable by anyone that has an ear for music and

i was a kid in elementary school at the time.

And as for your Kung Fu Fighting rant, i have a friend that fronts a regional band

in the south. The band plays the best of the 70's and 80's music. The band played

my city for the 4th of July. Kung Fu Fighting was one of the songs played and no

one was sitting down. Mind you the ratio of whites to blacks in the audience was

70:30

"Kung Fu Fighting" is a CLASSIC compared to the crappy stuff that passes for R&B these days.Some of the greatest R&B songs of all time were released in 1975:

"Supernatural Thing" by Ben E.King

"Games People Play (They Just Can't Stop It)" by the Spinners

"Sweet Thing" by Rufus and Chaka Khan

"I Love Music" by the Ojays

"Shining Star" by Earth Wind and Fire

I could go on and on,but you get the point I challenge anyone to name a current R&B song that is as good as the five songs I listed above.Yes,I know it's all subjective,but still....

You said it yourself, music is SUBJECTIVE. If I say I like Nicki Minaj more than I do Rufus, it's MY opinion. NOTHING you say will change that. (which I don't, I'm just making a point)

The problem here is that you guys don't respect others' opinions if it differs from your's.

That's actually the root of a lot of problems in the world today.

vainandy said:

Scorp said:

it's a wrap.....a wrap that began wrapping up 25 years ago

I want to share something w/this forum.....just for tonight

I've written a book about this entire subject, and how culture has been destroyed....

I'm in the process of having this book published, and by next year it will be available to purchase

see, allot of damage has been done to culture, to consciousness,

2 generations have been robbed of what is their right but don't realize it....

for me a generation doesn't run every 20 years, it runs ever ten years

but the time a kid reaches 10 years old, he/she's personality and outlook on life has already been shaped by what they've been exposed to since infancy, even while they existed in the mother's womb....

REAL R&B was weeded out a quarter century ago......

I would like to post an excerpt of what I wrote in this book if that's cool

I agree that it started it's decline 25 years ago. 27 to be exact.

You've sparked my interest though so go ahead and post your excerpt. From the looks of the other thread titles in this section of the org, at least it will be one thing that's interesting around here.

great point....

1985 marked the watershed mark for the music industry, and I honestly believe the recording of WE ARE THE WORLD by USA FOR AFRICA marked the industry's apex, the culmination

1986 marked the transition from the rule to the exception

and 1987 introduced a movment that would begin to bring forth music's decline

here's the excerpt from the book I'm having published

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Those artists who shed the blood, the sweat, and the tear in creating the very music which has been exploited by the establishment within this framework were totally phased out from the landscape only after record labels under which this exceptional music was crafted sold those rights to major conglomerates for profit; a system of exclusion made possible because the majority of the artists associated with music’s golden era never owned their own song rights nor did they receive the royalties deserved. Artists possessing true music ability were replaced by those who carried the image necessary to project during the age of video

Thus image perspective supplanted talent perspective. Sampling ran amuck throughout the industry which has led to stagnant creativity across the board; reaching the point where the samples are being sampled. Creativity stifled because artists during this period were separated from interacting with culture but tabbed into its virtue to propel their careers. We can go down the line. Just about every artist during the associated with the Pop Ascension who achieved multi-platinum status throughout the decade featured sampling in their work.

These artists know the majority of the audience who supported their efforts wouldn’t realize the fact they were sampling and whose music they were sampling from.

The first artist who won the right to earn royalties for their music being sampled was Rick James after he sued MC Hammer for copyright infringement.

Sampling has led to the attitude of taking the road less travel, but what you give is what you receive, and if you take shortcuts to this process, you’re going to shortcut yourself in the long run.

Without receiving just due, real R&B expression (cultivated by the spirituals) has proven to sustain the very existence of the recording industry because its influence has been interpreted by those representing identifiable genres of music.

The contradictions present within the Pop Ascension caused the artists associated with it to draw back towards the golden era for inspiration for this was the period where culture flourished. They were forced to do so. The Ascension created a void that proved detrimental because the artists of the moment were not allowed to truly cultivate their talents. They had to manufacture hits rather than produce them. They didn’t have the resources to create their own music; they had to RECREATE music from the past.

The industry knew the golden era produced better music compared to that associated with the Pop Ascension, so it had to differentiate the current generation of artists from those who represented the past glory. Thus, the establishment within the industry designated the terms OLD SCHOOL for yesterday’s artists and NEW SCHOOL for the present day artists. This happened so the present day could establish an identity for themselves in contrast to their counterparts, even when the music of yesterday was being sampled to sustain the industry.

This proved counterproductive as the Ascension has created a generational divide in the process, creating a wedge between adults and our youth. There used to be a time where parents and children used to enjoy listening to the same music as one. That’s not the case anymore as this wedge started in the late 1980’s. The ascension created another layer of division between the sexes as songs became more antagonistic and cynical. Songs centered on love gave way to sexual exploitation.

When a culture is stripped from a people and their community, the generation of youth who follows a period of exploitation responds by creating a sub-culture to function within the very system that has excluded them. To create a sub-culture and make it stand out, the youth exhibit more aggressive behavior and ways of expression. They compensate by taking this action.

Within the realm of music, this need to “compensate” led to more aggressive lyrical content featured in our music, particularly hip-hop. Those who have been neglected are screaming out, crying for their voices to be heard. They are rebelling, but never given the proper context to understand who they need to be rebelling against and how to do so without reinforcing negative connotation that creates more damage rather than identifying the root of the problem.

Anger, when misdirected turns into perpetual cycles of detrimental behavior, fighting against itself, affecting the community at large. This is the course Hip-Hop has travelled, especially the brand the music industry has exploited commercially. The void left behind the Pop Ascension’s grasp has created hostility and the lyrical content has reflected that. The term “Keeping It Real” came to be for this reason.

for you see.......it's all an ILLUSION

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Terrib3Towel said:

SoulAlive said:

"Kung Fu Fighting" is a CLASSIC compared to the crappy stuff that passes for R&B these days.Some of the greatest R&B songs of all time were released in 1975:

"Supernatural Thing" by Ben E.King

"Games People Play (They Just Can't Stop It)" by the Spinners

"Sweet Thing" by Rufus and Chaka Khan

"I Love Music" by the Ojays

"Shining Star" by Earth Wind and Fire

I could go on and on,but you get the point I challenge anyone to name a current R&B song that is as good as the five songs I listed above.Yes,I know it's all subjective,but still....

You said it yourself, music is SUBJECTIVE. If I say I like Nicki Minaj more than I do Rufus, it's MY opinion. NOTHING you say will change that. (which I don't, I'm just making a point)

The problem here is that you guys don't respect others' opinions if it differs from your's.

That's actually the root of a lot of problems in the world today.

Not true. If i'm not mistaken you're one of the posters who criticized Indie Arie

in a thread a couple of months ago. Although i disagreed with you it was your

right to say it. A lot of people don't like artists the same. If Mariah Carey comes

out with a new song that is watered down craptastically with a flavor of the month

rapper it's gonna get criticized period although folks know it's her MO.

I find it ironic that people want to go on a withhunt and complain about folks who

have a disdain for most of today's music but you have people that complain that

all a lot of orgers here wanna talk about is classic r&b but yet when you look at

the majority of threads here it's about pop artists current and classic. Double

standard imo.

phunkdaddy said:

SoulAlive said:

"Kung Fu Fighting" is a CLASSIC compared to the crappy stuff that passes for R&B these days.Some of the greatest R&B songs of all time were released in 1975:

"Supernatural Thing" by Ben E.King

"Games People Play (They Just Can't Stop It)" by the Spinners

"Sweet Thing" by Rufus and Chaka Khan

"I Love Music" by the Ojays

"Shining Star" by Earth Wind and Fire

I could go on and on,but you get the point I challenge anyone to name a current R&B song that is as good as the five songs I listed above.Yes,I know it's all subjective,but still....

Of course there were some bad songs in those days but they were minimal compared

to today. You would be hardpresed to find a bad song on this list and if so you

could count it on one hand. Can't believe dude went there.

Exactly every era has some bad songs,but I think we had more "good" songs back then.The good stuff was dominating the charts,too.

Terrib3Towel said:

SoulAlive said:

"Kung Fu Fighting" is a CLASSIC compared to the crappy stuff that passes for R&B these days.Some of the greatest R&B songs of all time were released in 1975:

"Supernatural Thing" by Ben E.King

"Games People Play (They Just Can't Stop It)" by the Spinners

"Sweet Thing" by Rufus and Chaka Khan

"I Love Music" by the Ojays

"Shining Star" by Earth Wind and Fire

I could go on and on,but you get the point I challenge anyone to name a current R&B song that is as good as the five songs I listed above.Yes,I know it's all subjective,but still....

You said it yourself, music is SUBJECTIVE. If I say I like Nicki Minaj more than I do Rufus, it's MY opinion. NOTHING you say will change that. (which I don't, I'm just making a point)

The problem here is that you guys don't respect others' opinions if it differs from your's.

That's actually the root of a lot of problems in the world today.

I respect your opinion,I respect all opinions but I stand behind MY opinion that music was better back in the day.I grew up in the 70s.I was "spoiled" by amazing music and I refuse to settle for anything less