Do You Miss the Music?

As I sit here listening to the 90’s station on Pandora, I am quickly transported back to a time where music really was good.

The fattest ass or the prettiest faces weren’t the main contributors in selling music or making it. The work these days has been drowned by sex and social media antics. As I listen to “Creep” by TLC in the background I remember how this was my first CD and the amount of times I played it. Ah the days of playing a CD all the way through? Now the CD is the single.

Growing up, music has always been a major part of my life. If it wasn’t my mother cleaning our home listening to Shirley Murdock it was my uncle bopping his head to Kool Moe Dee while watching Video Music Box. All the greatest memories of my life are tied to it.

It is so unfortunate that young-adults today won’t get to experience the greatness of what music used to be. The ability to get access to information in the blink of eye creates an unrealistic expectation on everything else. We are now trained to want the music now instead of allowing the art time to create.

The music we hear today are recycled beats, with a dance, and hooks that get stuck in our heads. I question myself while listening to it. Do I really like it or have I just heard enough times that I am forced to?

I feel my generation are the last to know and appreciate really good music. The listening ear today has no education or concern of where the music even comes from. These kids don’t even know the obvious sample when it’s played.

It is a shame because that is one the best parts of listening to music. The mere fact that an artist can take old music and make new music is amazing. The blueprint is an education you can’t buy.

The days of waiting for the DJ’s to break new records are over. Now we have Twitter and Facebook. When I was a teen the DJ’s made careers. Hot 97 had all the underground exclusives. At that time it was a true need for radio. Even that has taking a backseat to the “we want it now” way of the world.

When Flex dropped a new record everyone would stop and take in the epic moment. The bombs would drop along with the rush of energy the music gave you once it hit your ears.

That record was always the topic of conversation at high school lunch tables across the country. Video killed the radio star and now YouTube killed the video show. The importance of the top ten countdown is over. Oh how I miss shows like “Planet Groove”, “Video Soul”, and the original “Rap City”.

These shows allowed these artist to sing live and really let their talents shine through. Now we have 15 second clips on instagram showing fancy clothes, money, and drug abuse. “Pop Molly I’m Sweating! Woo!” Look how the mighty have fallen?

Today’s music has become an overall popularity contest and if you dare think outside the box you are crucified. How dare you say you don’t like Beyoncé? To hell with you and your listening ear! This is complete nonsense to me. I long for the days of musical conversation when people didn’t call you a hater and was open to an opposed opinion.

Today we have followers to whatever media says is hot. It hasn’t been the people’s choice in some time.

I wish I could be transported back just for a few minutes just to relive some of those moments. One of my favorite musical memories was when “Ready to Die” dropped. My mother said I couldn’t have it due to its content but I would tell her she didn’t understand.  BIG was a storyteller. He had a way of painting lyrical pictures of Brooklyn that you just wanted to hear more of.

My cousin ended up buying it and I listened to every track quietly. I soaked in all the words and the beats. This by far one of hip hop’s best moments for me. I was sad when he died and I still hurt knowing that had he lived music would be a lot better.

I miss those days and the music. Do you miss the music?

xoxo

Jersey