HAD A DISCUSSION WITH SOME OF MY PEOPLES ACROSS THE COUNTRY ABOUT THE CURRENT STATE OF RAP AND THE BAY AREA'S POSITION.
WE CAN ALL AGREE THE ORIGINS OF RAP BEGAN WITH BLACKS AND RICANS IN NEW YORK, WHICH MAKES IT A BLACK AND LATINO ART FORM. OVER TIME, THE CULTURE HAS SPREAD AND EVOLVED AND REACHED THE MAINSTREAM WHICH IS GREAT. THIS IS WHERE THEY CLAIM THE PROBLEM BEGINS FOR THE BAY. DURING THE GOLDEN AGE OF THE BAY, (1985-LATE 90'S) WHEN THE BAY WAS SELLING AND GETTING SHINE BLACKS AND LATINOS WERE IN CONTROL OF THE CULTURE. HE SAID IN THE LAST 10 OR SO YEARS, A LOT OF PEOPLE IN THE BAY AREA SCENE WHO ARE SO-CALLED "FACTORS" ARE NOT BLACK OR LATINO. BEYOND THAT, THEY ARE NOT A TRUE PART OF THE CULTURE. HE SAID THAT THE BLACKS AND LATINOS WHO MAKE THE RECORDS HAVE TO GET APPROVAL AND BACKING FROM PEOPLE WHO ARENT PART OF THE CULTURE. HE GAVE AN EXAMPLE OF COUNTRY MUSIC:
HOW WOULD IT LOOK IF GARTH BROOKS HAD TO SUBMIT HIS RECORDS TO A BLACK MAN IN THE GHETTO? A BLACK MAN MAY TELL GARTH BROOKS THAT HE NEEDS TO MAKE CHANGES THAT WOULDNT BE RELEVENT TO THE COUNTRY MUSIC CULTURE BECAUSE HE ISN'T IN TOUCH WITH THINGS. A BLACK MAN DOESNT KNOW WHAT A COUNTRY MUSIC FAN WANTS OR WHATS HOT IN THE WORLD OF COUNTRY, BECAUSE HE IS NOT A PART OF THE CULTURE. WHO IS YOUR PROMINENT BLACK OR LATINO DECISION MAKER IN THE BAY AREA MUSIC SCENE? DO YOU HAVE ONE? HE SAID THATS THE PROBLEM IN THE BAY.
HE SAID THAT IF YOU LOOK LOOK AT THE SOUTH, THE EAST, AND MIDWEST, THE PEOPLE WHO MAKE THE MUSIC AND PUT IT OUT ARE 90% OF THE TIME BLACK OR LATINO. OBVIOUSLY RECORD EXECS AND PEOPLE HIGHER UP AT LABELS ARE OF OTHER RACES. BUT HE MEANT ON MORE OF A LOCAL LEVEL. BLACKS AND LATINOS RUN THE MUSIC SCENE ON A LOCAL LEVEL IN ALMOST EVERY MAJOR MARKET IN THE COUNTRY. HE SAID THE BAY HAS TOO MANY PEOPLE RUNNING THINGS WHO ARENT PART OF THE CULTURE...
WHAT DO YOU GUYS THINK ABOUT WHAT HE SAID????
WE CAN ALL AGREE THE ORIGINS OF RAP BEGAN WITH BLACKS AND RICANS IN NEW YORK, WHICH MAKES IT A BLACK AND LATINO ART FORM. OVER TIME, THE CULTURE HAS SPREAD AND EVOLVED AND REACHED THE MAINSTREAM WHICH IS GREAT. THIS IS WHERE THEY CLAIM THE PROBLEM BEGINS FOR THE BAY. DURING THE GOLDEN AGE OF THE BAY, (1985-LATE 90'S) WHEN THE BAY WAS SELLING AND GETTING SHINE BLACKS AND LATINOS WERE IN CONTROL OF THE CULTURE. HE SAID IN THE LAST 10 OR SO YEARS, A LOT OF PEOPLE IN THE BAY AREA SCENE WHO ARE SO-CALLED "FACTORS" ARE NOT BLACK OR LATINO. BEYOND THAT, THEY ARE NOT A TRUE PART OF THE CULTURE. HE SAID THAT THE BLACKS AND LATINOS WHO MAKE THE RECORDS HAVE TO GET APPROVAL AND BACKING FROM PEOPLE WHO ARENT PART OF THE CULTURE. HE GAVE AN EXAMPLE OF COUNTRY MUSIC:
HOW WOULD IT LOOK IF GARTH BROOKS HAD TO SUBMIT HIS RECORDS TO A BLACK MAN IN THE GHETTO? A BLACK MAN MAY TELL GARTH BROOKS THAT HE NEEDS TO MAKE CHANGES THAT WOULDNT BE RELEVENT TO THE COUNTRY MUSIC CULTURE BECAUSE HE ISN'T IN TOUCH WITH THINGS. A BLACK MAN DOESNT KNOW WHAT A COUNTRY MUSIC FAN WANTS OR WHATS HOT IN THE WORLD OF COUNTRY, BECAUSE HE IS NOT A PART OF THE CULTURE. WHO IS YOUR PROMINENT BLACK OR LATINO DECISION MAKER IN THE BAY AREA MUSIC SCENE? DO YOU HAVE ONE? HE SAID THATS THE PROBLEM IN THE BAY.
HE SAID THAT IF YOU LOOK LOOK AT THE SOUTH, THE EAST, AND MIDWEST, THE PEOPLE WHO MAKE THE MUSIC AND PUT IT OUT ARE 90% OF THE TIME BLACK OR LATINO. OBVIOUSLY RECORD EXECS AND PEOPLE HIGHER UP AT LABELS ARE OF OTHER RACES. BUT HE MEANT ON MORE OF A LOCAL LEVEL. BLACKS AND LATINOS RUN THE MUSIC SCENE ON A LOCAL LEVEL IN ALMOST EVERY MAJOR MARKET IN THE COUNTRY. HE SAID THE BAY HAS TOO MANY PEOPLE RUNNING THINGS WHO ARENT PART OF THE CULTURE...
WHAT DO YOU GUYS THINK ABOUT WHAT HE SAID????