It's all very dumb
I saw a new video last night on 106 & Park. It was Pharrell and Gwen Stefani's new song "Can I Have It Like That." I'm wondering if I missed something, but I swear that all Gwen said was, "You got it like that" again and again. She didn't even sing those words, and she got a credit and a large spot in the video. Why? Any chick could have said that, and many talented singers have done more than that for no credit at all. Let's compare the work that Gwen did on "Can I Have It Like That" to all the work that Kelis did for Pharrell back in the day. I'm not saying he owes her anything, I mean he did write nearly every song Kelis has ever sang. But the point is that artists do more than what Stefani did on tracks and you have to search for hours just to find their name. I don't have a point, because it's obvious that Stefani is getting more credit than deserved because she's super-famous.
I just can't figure out why Stefani is considered to be so hip hop. She makes pop music, and she's clearly getting attention and airplay on hip-hop stations because of her association w/ Pharrell and others. And which hip-hop heads are requesting "Hollaback Girl"? What the fuck does that EVEN MEAN??!! That's like some shit you'd see on a poster in Tokyo, written by a hip-hop fan who speaks some English, but doesn't get the slang. In that scenario it's cute. I think Pharrell has to share some of the blame for this. He produced the track and co-signed on the whole thing, as if he knows what it means. [But seriously, if you love hip hop and you've requested "Hollaback Girl," you owe the rest of us an explanation. Please respond below.]
If we're drafting pop stars into the hip-hop community then I'd like to bring Madonna over. We'll get her a makeover and tell her to stop dancing like a drunken sorority girl. I miss Madonna! In exchange we'll garauntee airplay on urban radio and inclusion in BET events. Plus a VIBE cover like Stefani's. BTW Madonna's new video is pretty-damn hot.
PS: Pharrell's rapping disturbs me. He doesn't even have to write hot rhymes, he can trade beats for verses, or just promise a rapper a discount. All he needs is a flow, and despite all the time he's spent producing the illest rappers in the game, this dude still sucks. He's clearly a lost cause. Hate! Hate! Hate! I'm listening to "She Wants to Move" from the NERD album right now, and like Will Smith told Kevin James in Hitch "This is where you live, Pharrell."
posted by Atsui_Gal @ 9:21 AM
2 Comments:
You must have been asleep and missed the evolution. I personally began to notice it taking shape one sad day when I was driving my car and scanning radio stations to return to the one "hip hop" station in Triad at the time. To my surprise, it was Britney Spears singing! Since this was the only "hip hop" station, my safety net, I had no where else to turn. I was appalled by this, but it didn't end here. I began to hear people speak of the hottest new song thanks to the Neptunes. Since her, there has been the Backstreet Boys, Justin Timberlake, and Gwen...
I am sure that it will not end here. I sensed it was a problem when these artist began being played on urban night. I even started to question my own open mindedness. Don't get me wrong. I find the songs catchy, but I do recognize that they are not hip hop. Everything has a time and a place. Aren't there enough stations dedicated to pop?
I think it is a new genre that has begun. I was actually at a reception last night and I asked a girl what kind of music she liked. She responded with "hip hoppy pop." I think there is your answer right there. Perhaps they should have an award for hip hop as well as hip hoppy pop. Clearly, they are two different types of music. My friend was DJing the event and didn't have a large variety of CD's. He asked me to bring a few and then said he wanted to play some hip hop. I handed him The Game, Kanye West, Common, and Nas. He looked them over, put them to the side, and never opened the cases...
Soemone needs to make a clear definition. I remember when Juvenile first came out and he won best R&B or some shit like that for "Ha". First of all, that shit sucked. Secondly...in what record store would I fine that under R&B?
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