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Finally after just say no to suround,compuer audio, processes musicetc Just say yes to rap. who else have the dough to by those bling bling recomended in sterophile.
Searching for odd connections in music: It’s a game that I play.
I write a bit about this in our April issue when I mention purchasing several new pop records (“Perhaps I’d be able to draw parallels between that music and the more underground stuff I typically enjoy”) and again when I mention purchasing several old classical titles (“Maybe I’d even find similarities between Jay-Z and Gesualdo”).
Lately, I’ve been listening to a lot of hip-hop. In our June issue, you’ll see that I write a bit about Drake, whose platinum album Take Care has been spending a lot of time on my turntable. Drake has led me in many other interesting directions, from Gil Scott-Heron and Marvin Gaye to SBTRKT, then to Lil Wayne and, most recently, Kendrick Lamar.
But Drake led me to Kendrick Lamar in a roundabout way. Lamar contributes an outstanding vocal track to Drake’s song “Buried Alive,” and, though I’ve listened to the song dozens of times, it hadn’t occurred to me that that voice belonged to Lamar until I read so in February/March issue of the Fader. That was this weekend. Today, after doing a quick Google search on Kendrick Lamar, I’ve learned that he delivered a new track, just this afternoon, from his upcoming album, to be released as a joint deal with Interscope, Dr. Dre’s Aftermath Entertainment, and the independent label, Top Dawg Entertainment.
Kendrick Lamar is about to blow up. The song is called “The Recipe,” and it features Dr. Dre and uses a sample from a strangely familiar song: Twin Sister’s “Meet the Frownies.”
I can’t even tell you how much fun this is for me. I love the connections! I also love the fact that the lines between electronic, pop, indie, and hip-hop are becoming increasingly blurred. This can only lead to excellent, innovative new music.
You can listen to both Kendrick Lamar’s “The Recipe” and Twin Sister’s “Meet the Frownies” at Stereogum.
Finally after just say no to suround,compuer audio, processes musicetc Just say yes to rap. who else have the dough to by those bling bling recomended in sterophile.
SM:
I have music in my collection from every conceivable genre of music...you name it.
Everything from Tunisian lounge jazz to Chinese pipa music and everything in between.
But no rap and hip hop. None.
Why? Forget the long explanations..it sucks.
Why does it suck?
99% of the "artists" do not play a single instrument.
It sounds like garbage.
How many well known live rap or hip hop albums are there? None.
Hio Hop has helped destroy one of the great bands of our time..u2.
Once they felt to the need to connect with out to stay in touch with the "street", their records have progessively gotten worse. This is difficult for me to say since they are dear to my heart.
Get out while you can. Don't participate in the trash culture of time. It is bringing down the country.
seriously, I am interested to know what could draw you in...
I am honestly open to hearing....
You say that rap has ties to the blues, jazz, soul, and rock..really? I think that is a huge stretch. Give any major rap star an instrument...any instrument...let's see what happens.
Has rap influenced many modern rock artists..yes, I agree.
I write off rap, precisely because it is NOT music. It is an obscene lowering of the lowest common denominator. Mechanical beats and talking.
If you are insinuating there are demographic reasons why I don't like rap and refuse to even acknowledge it as a musical form, you are wrong there. I am only a few years older than you, and very liberal poltically. My friends even call me "Lefty."
Lastly, I did not say OR mean rap is bringing down the country. I said our garbage culture is......which is includes reality tv, fox news, Hollywood movies, and the general celebration of stupidity.
Did you see the interview with Jimmy Iovine in this weeks Rolling Stone? He credits rap for destroying sound as we know it on commerical recordings. Home made records with zero dynamic range. This is from a guy who has become super wealthy selling rap records via Interscope Records. Nuff Said.
I think you should check out The Roots. Actually, you can watch them every week night on Jimmy Fallon's show. These guys all play instruments and they even use a Susaphone for the low bass. I'm not a hip hop die hard, but The Roots are one of the best live shows I've ever seen (especially when they cover bob dylan's masters of war).
...and they are not in anyway shape or form strictly a rap or hip hop band.
They have backed many soul, r&b, and rock singers.
Their fabulous record with John Legend is anything but hip hop.
SM...please don't stop listening to the records that provide you with entertainment. I would never dream of telling you what to listen to, no more than I would want you to tell me what to listen to. Dance away.
What my main point was is that 99% of the readership at Stereophile do not want to read about rap or hip hop. That is the truth.
I don't want to read about references to "geniuses" (god what a joke) like Jay Z, Kanye West, or anybody else from that world. Just like readers do not want to see reviews of Kia's or Smartcars in magazines that cover high performance cars. Nobody wants read reviews of McDonalds or Wendy's in gourmet food magazines.
...I was being sarcastic, albeit unsuccesfully, with my Madness rant.
You are a serious young fellow, loosen up and you will get to that endzone!
Honestly, and all kidding aside, I enjoy your monthly column. What a breath of fresh air from reading 65 year old reviewers wax poetic about soundstaging and other cliches. Please keep it up.
However, I stand by what I said that nobody wants to read about rap or hip hop.
Dare to take a poll??????
What a breath of fresh air from reading 65 year old reviewers wax poetic about soundstaging and other cliches.
Hey, I resemble that remark!
John Atkinson
Editor, Stereophile
You are not quite there yet JA!!!!
As a side note, I don't think people realize how much physical work you do, with measuements, moving around huge heavy amps, speakers, cables.
Holy crap those comments made my brain sad..
Anyway, thank you Stephen for continuing to post about all the kinds of music that gets you excited..It usually gets me excited and then the next thing I know I've got records coming in the mail from bands I'd never heard of before reading about them here..So keep it up!! :-D
Nice post, Stephen. Thanks for including all types of styles of music in your columns. It's especially refreshing to hear you describe how you make connections to different types of music. It's a satisfying feeling to be able to accomplish this.
In a previous column you wrote a thougtful article about Mercury Rev. I went out and bought the album and was surprised to be able to connect hints of my favorite group "The Band" in Mercury Rev's music. Upon further examination, Levon Helm and Garth Hudson actually performed on the album! It is most gratifying to listen to a new piece of music and have the ability to mentally trace back or even discover influences from the past. Keep up the great column.
SM-
I religiously read your articles and enjoy your honesty when it comes to music. I haven't been on a while hence me not seeing this article on Kendrick Lamar, it really peeked my interest and I decided to finally add my 2 cents. I am an avid music lover whether it be jazz, classic rock or opera. However, rap/r&b music is my favorite. I knew beforehand that my genre of music is not very well liked by most audiophiles, especially my Dad who passed down the love of music to me. However, after explaining that rap is not just a rhyme over drums and samples he began to respect why the genre appealed to me.
I enjoy all music and if I was close minded like some of the folks who commented on this article I probably would be asking why you only talk about these old bands and out dated music. Everyone has their own opinion and are entitled but in all honesty, dont bash something you dont like or say it isnt music. If you dont like it you dont like it.
I am an avid Stereophile reader and am part of the pecentage that would love to see you write more about hip hop records/artists. It actually made me feel a lot better that just because rap is my favorite genre of music that I can still be considered an audiophile.
Drake..has lost some appeal to me and I am a fan of his first album Thank Me Later and his mixtape So Far Gone. So Far Gone probably wont make your turntable since it was never made into a record but if youre bored and want to listen to some mp3s I really suggest listening to So Far Gone..it may be Drakes best work to date.
There are great hip hop artists out there that actually make good music despite some of the Sterephile readers thoughts..The Roots who have been out for quite sometime have been putting out great music for more than a decade. There last album Undun was as close to a hip hop masterpiece as you can get. There are quite a few more and I'd be more than happy to send or suggest you if you would like. The least I can do after you've done so much for me musically.
Best,
Quite possibly the only reader you have who listens to rap/hip hop music :)