Tuesday
Oct302007
To Listen to the Radio, You'd Think Black Men and Women Were at War: "The Way We Were"
Tuesday, October 30, 2007 at 12:57AM Gina, The Blogmother
On Sunday on the way to brunch ( y'all touch and agree that these gingerbread pancakes don't get me to backsliding.. not to mention that I recently discovered migas) I digress. So anyways I was on my way to brunch on Sunday blowing by all the hip hop radio stations when I had to go back because for about 5 seconds I thought I was listening to Whitney Houston. Not "The Greatest Love of All" Whitney, but maybe "The Preacher's Wife" version of Whitney. At this point I will take any version of Whitney to get away from all of this horse whining that is assaulting my ears on the airwaves. Vibrato is nice, on occasion, not for the entire song.
Well anyway even a curmudgeon like myself had to bop my head a couple of times to this song and it gave me a serious case of "guy on the brain," but by the end of the song I recognized the voice as Alicia Keyes singing her single "No One" Notice in the video how she is basically fully clothed. She isn't talking about some man doing her wrong. Oh this reminds me of the olden days when listening to the radio didn't sound like Black men and women were at war with each other.
Y'all remember Boyz II Men from back in the day? New Edition ( before we knew Bobby was crazy) Even *cough* Michael Jackson*cough*. Remember pre-crack Whitney, pre-breakdown Mariah, post "Good Times" Janet and Anita Baker? Who are the top African American female acts today? If they can manage to make it into the rotation what are they singing about?
I went on over to Billboard to see which Black women have the top singles out right now. Well if you count Rihanna and her duet with Ne-yo and Alicia Keyes that makes two. Guess who is number 1? Well none other than Mr. 17 year old "Superman Dat Ho'," Souljah Boy. Click here for ONE definition of the phrase "Superman Dat ho'" Keyshia Cole brings up the rear of the top 20 with her song about leaving a man alone. Rihanna is talking about hating that she loves you. The only one with a song that doesn't sound like we are at war is Alicia Keyes'. So in the name of love, peace, and hair grease I had to share this one with my readers.
Warning: Before you listen to this song, you should know that it is the type that will run repeatedly in your head over and over again. Don't say I didn't tell you. If you close your eyes when it first comes on I swear she sounds like Whitney Houston when she doesn't feel like singing.
Well anyway even a curmudgeon like myself had to bop my head a couple of times to this song and it gave me a serious case of "guy on the brain," but by the end of the song I recognized the voice as Alicia Keyes singing her single "No One" Notice in the video how she is basically fully clothed. She isn't talking about some man doing her wrong. Oh this reminds me of the olden days when listening to the radio didn't sound like Black men and women were at war with each other.
Y'all remember Boyz II Men from back in the day? New Edition ( before we knew Bobby was crazy) Even *cough* Michael Jackson*cough*. Remember pre-crack Whitney, pre-breakdown Mariah, post "Good Times" Janet and Anita Baker? Who are the top African American female acts today? If they can manage to make it into the rotation what are they singing about?
I went on over to Billboard to see which Black women have the top singles out right now. Well if you count Rihanna and her duet with Ne-yo and Alicia Keyes that makes two. Guess who is number 1? Well none other than Mr. 17 year old "Superman Dat Ho'," Souljah Boy. Click here for ONE definition of the phrase "Superman Dat ho'" Keyshia Cole brings up the rear of the top 20 with her song about leaving a man alone. Rihanna is talking about hating that she loves you. The only one with a song that doesn't sound like we are at war is Alicia Keyes'. So in the name of love, peace, and hair grease I had to share this one with my readers.
Warning: Before you listen to this song, you should know that it is the type that will run repeatedly in your head over and over again. Don't say I didn't tell you. If you close your eyes when it first comes on I swear she sounds like Whitney Houston when she doesn't feel like singing.
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Reader Comments (19)
Okay, you said what I have been feeling. I like Alicia Keys. I choose her any day over rolling on the floor lap dancing Beyonce any day.
Vocally speaking, Alicia is overrated. For me, her voice sounds like someone is taking their nails and scratching down a chalkboard. Would the music industry tolerate this from Jill Scott or India Aire???
I stopped listening to Black radio over a decade ago.... I also keep commercial Pop radio to a minimum... I have to admit that I tend to listen to the so-called "White" stations when I do listen.
I listen to public/community radio as an alternative.
As for Alicia Keys... she's pretty good... (great when compared to the weak talent of her peers). Without the backdrop of such poor talent, she would probably be about average. I was once crazy about that woman....Even met her in person a few years back. But to me her star has faded a little in the last few years.
Alicia's a fairly good singer, but her songs are more "pop", geared towards sales... a lot of her songs don't allow her to really stretch...vocally or instrumentally. I have a few unreleased Alicia tracks.... and she shows she has chops. But you won't really hear her pushing her voice to the limit on any of her commercial releases (her albums are geared towards the teen crowd).
Unfortunately she falls into the Hip Hop R&B camp. That's why I was never able to fully embrace her style. Too commercial... & overall too cookie cutter. If you've heard one you've heard them all.
There are only a handful of female artists of today's "R&B" generation that I can stand listening to...Irie, Lalah Hathaway, & Leela James come to mind.
My music collection is almost exclusively 60's, 70's, and 80's (Jazz, Blues, R&B/Soul, & a little Rock).
P.S.
I wish I would have gotten a warning about "Supermanning". I was dumb enough to click on the link for the explanation.
Vile!
I was somehow expecting something a little more innocent.
But I guess I should not have expected anything less from Hip Hop or the degenerate & toxic Black sub-culture that it feeds. Of course the good Professor would say that Hip Hop has no impact on the youth.... and that the White man is to blame.
I am still afraid to click the link. It may further piss me off.
I usually listen to music when I'm driving, but I have the little guy with me, so mostly I plug my iPod into this little thingy my dh got for me. That way I can play my nice 'clean' songs and we sing along at the top of our lungs. I doubt there's anything on my iPod that's less than 15 years old, and most of my music is 30 years old.
The first time I heard Alicia Keys singing was in France, and I stopped in my tracks... even before seeing what she looked like I instantly loved what I was hearing.
Alicia actually is extremely talented, but as someone mentioned before, it's not her 'talent' that her handlers are interested in selling. So America has lost out big time.
America has been crushed into the same, predictable mold that they make for no-talent african american female strippers - oops I mean singers.
She is not a good enough singer to do traditional R&B singing and dancing acts. But when she sits at her piano and plays and sings live, it's amazing...
I pretty much disinterested in everything else that Alicia has put out since. It's beneath her.
With her piano, songwriting, beauty, and voice, she should have been as memorable a superstar as Barbara Streisand -- but she will be forgotten the moment her looks begin to fade, just like all of the other cookie cutter black female stars of late.
Oops I mean "Alicia" has been crushed in the American mold...
Question, why do people describe the commercial pap (Souljah Boy) as "Hip-Hop"?
Is it out of laziness (well, the white folks on TV call it that), or out of indifference ("I don't care..it's not Mighty Clouds of Joy or Luther, so I could care less what's called. It's all bad".)?
We took our kids to see KRS-One, LadyBug (Formerly of Digable Planets), other acts at a free concert in Brooklyn back in August.
Our daughter always asked, why she isn't allowed to watch the "Hip-Hop" on BET. We took her to this concert to answer her question; "Because", we said, "BET doesn't show Hip-Hop; this WAS Hip-Hop you're seeing on the stage tonight." When asked why we said "was" (and my wife and I disagree on this issue), I told our 8 y/o that the way I saw it, Hip-Hop died in the late 90s when record companies learned they can make by selling more rap where everyone sounds the same, talks nasty, and disrespects girls. You always had guys like that in the early days, but at least there was balance and alternatives.
Anyway, it just bugs me like nails on chalk board end when people use the term, Hip-Hop to describe the music we see on MTV and BET. That music and their videos portray the AMERICAN pathologies; not the Hip-Hop culture.
In addition, I do not like Alicia's current style of dress. I like her original style. I guess she is going Beyonce on us. Sigh.
Sidebar: See how Beyonce has messed up the game!!!!
Good observations about the brothers vs sisters themes in our recent music.
I also appreciate your sharing of the Alicia Keys video. I hadn't heard this song yet. I'm a fan of Alicia Keys because of her musical skills (beyond her vocals) and her attitude towards people and life.
peace, Villager
Gina, you been tagged. Read my blog to find out what this means.
attorneymom don't be tagging me and bringing that chain mail foolishness over here talking about "if you don't send this email to six people, you will DIE!"
It is not a chain letter. I do not do those things. Don and DJ Black Adam tagged me. So I tagged you and 6 others.
Hey this is an interesting item Gina. Isnt it interesting how that a lot of things in the media are designed to either cause a rift, or split the black family. There are so few songs that talk about getting married and having kids. I know that this is not for everyone, and those who can make it out here without marriage I applaud you. But it would be nice to hear songs that are old and middle school. Its just sad that the record companies are so willing to throw out the theme of love in music and bring out themes that are far less flattering for the sisters and inspire foolishness in the brothers. Most distasteful
Its not just the media that makes this riff. Black men and women do it too.
If you talk about advocating for a Black male its annoying to some Black women.
If you talk about advocating for Black women, Black men take it as anti-Black man.
We should be advocating for each other. And no, I'm not talking about the content of blogs I mean in life.
Symphony, I concur.
Hey all,
Much like the_angry_independent, I'm lucky enough to to have a very good public radio station in may area that plays a decent mix of music. It's not perfect but it's a little something so that when I turn of my iPod, I don't have to be subjected to the foolishness on the commercial parts of the the dial.
But I do wonder, as Shemekia Copeland sings, 'who stole my radio' and how do we get it back?
Radio ownership is very consolidated these days, much like tv, however the advertisers are still very local. And scattered. What would you all suggest as a game plan for getting the hateful nonsense off the radio as well?
Newbatgirl,
You are right, most of radio commericals are local... and might respond quicker than television would.
I remember a huge outcry in New York City against a racist song on Hot 97(google it for the whole story). It was racist against asians and I believe that it did get yanked.
Damnit Gina, I'm an AKA, I don't own any red!!! -lol- I meant to buy something red this weekend, but forgot. Would really bright pink do instead?
"Attitude/drama songs" are popular all over music. I equate Billboard Top 40 and R&B charts with "club music". They aren't dancing to wedding songs in the clubs.
If there is an upbeat "love" song with dance rhythms it will be played. No one could escape Rihanna's "Umbrella" unless they don't have a radio or TV.