Do you believe that rap music is ignorant?
I have always listened to rap music but now I'm starting to trail off because i am tired of the constant word BITCHES being thrown around like its nothing. I also think it is sad it the only thing you can rap about is pussy,money, and weed. Its a very bad influence especially on teens. Its probably why there is a high pregnancy right in america, rappers telling girls to "pop yo pussy for a real *****", I am a teen myself i hate ignorance and i hate seeing the influence that SOME rap does to young boys. Anyone disagree???
Why do people hate the 'pop music' that plays on the radio so much?
Don't get me wrong, I completely understand when someone doesn't like the genre of music, but I feel like most people I see griping about the music on the radio, they're complaining about like Justin Bieber, Taylor Swift, or other pop artists like that. But it's not just that music playing on the radio? I hear Fall Out Boy(at least their new song), Imagine Dragons, and other artists like that all the time (more often than I hear any of the above, actually), and I remember how for awhile a few songs by Young the Giant, and Mumfords & Sons got really popular on the radio and I feel like the radio finds new artists like that a lot, and maybe they only play a few songs by each of those artists, but its not just the audio-tuned stuff being played. And can I just mention Same Love by Macklemore? Like I don't care what your music preference is, you have to admit that having a legit pro-gay song on the radio is a huge deal and a big step for us. I could probably mention a lot of songs in the past few years playing on the radio that weren't nearly as bad as what people are claiming about all the songs on the radio. I guess I'm just trying to understand. What do YOU think about the music playing on the radio, (and I mean ALL the music on the radio). Sometimes I feel like people only say they hate radio music because they think its "cool" or "sets them apart from the crowd." In case you were wondering- I am a 16 year old girl. My music taste ranges from One Direction to Red(hard rock) to Ludovico Einaudi(a composer). I like a ton of underground music, it's just that when it comes down to riding in the car with my friends, I enjoy radio music as well.
Who is Ziggy Stardust who was cited as featured in Macklemore's song "And We Danced"?
I love the way people jump in and give answers that are not relevant!Macklemore’s track “And We Danced” does indeed feature an “artist” called Ziggy Stardust, but certainly not the one that others refer to. Undoubtedly, the “artist” has taken (stolen) the name from David Bowie’s alter ego. The song goes on to be a big hit all around the world, featuring this unknown singer.All the evidence points to the singer being his brother Tim Haggerty. The original release of this track was under Macklemore’s pseudonym of Raven Bowie featuring Ziggy Stardust in 2011.Only 123 people liked that post!!! At that time very few people knew about Macklemore. They even made a promotional video:It looks a bit like Macklemore, but not quite!He also appears in the video as the lead singer of the rock band (around the 4:00 minute mark). Macklemore also appears in the scene in a silver outfit.This is my opinion. Back in 2011 the budget for recording a song and making a video was very low - and Macklemore got friends and family involved in making and promoting his music. His brother sings and performs on the video. Ryan Lewis was the director. I also believe that parts of the song/video are tributes to 70s/80s artists. The 80s style rock band and Dave Lee Roth style. The pronunciation of “dance” in the song and other factors suggests a tribute to Men Without Hats (Safety Dance) , Macklemore’s Limahl style wig and 70s/80s Bowie style catsuit worn by him (and his brother). The latter, I suspect, is the true reason for the song being credited to Ziggy.Like most of Macklemore’s songs, the video should not be taken too seriously. He is a talented rapper that has resurrected the art of rap story telling. He has a sense of humour that comes through in both his rap and his videos.Finally, to all the David Bowie fans that are offended by the use of the Ziggy Stardust name. Get over it. The Spiders from Mars was in 1972. That was 46 years ago!
If you had to pick three songs to represent your generation, what would they be?
I was born in 1995 so I’ll pick three songs I think represent Millennials well.No Church in the Wild by Kanye, Jay Z, and Frank Ocean-Touches on God, religion, nihilism, secularism, and monogamy. The message critiques certain ideas traditionally promoted by many organized religions.Single Ladies by Beyonce- a huge cultural phenomenon. It’s arguably the modern day equivalent of Aretha Franklin’s Respect. There is a strong message of female self-empowerment.Alright by Kendrick Lamar-It brilliantly encapsulates the frustration that African Americans such as myself face regarding police brutality and systemic inequality while still retaining and hope in a higher power as well as the ability of the black community to once again triumph in the face of oppression.Honorable Mentions:Same Love by Macklemore, Ryan Lewis, and Miranda Lambert- A powerful song that many LBGT people could relate to. It advocated for the acceptance of the community and was well-written with a strong hook.Payphone by Maroon 5- It’s upbeat and very bombastic sounding, but the message is one of disillusionment. I think it’s a song that taps into a lot of my generation’s frustration in regards to finding happiness in romantic relationships.
How does a song become a gay anthem?
As long as the song is celebratory of being unique, and proud of your individual expression, and/or sexuality it will have potential to become a gay anthem. Obvious choices for Gay Men are “It’s Raining Men”, “I Am What I Am”, “”I Will Survive”, “I’m Coming Out”, and Freddie Mercury’s “Living On My Own” (oddly haven’t seen this mentioned on most lists). Sometimes it is a song about female empowerment such as “Sisters (Are Doing It For Themselves)” which appeals to both sexes, as well as oppressed communities. The main requirement is a powerful and glamorous female vocalist such as Cher, Madonna, Diana Ross, or more recently Lady Gaga. If the singer is either gay themselves, or ambiguous in lyrics about gender that’s helpful such as Boy George singing “Do You Really Wanna Hurt Me? , Bronski Beat’s “Smalltown Boy”, or even Melissa Etheridge with “Like The Way I Do”. Here is a fun video with just 10 choices in various genres including a Transgender anthem, and Macklemore’s “Same Love”:According to Popular Music, a music journal, the song most commonly identified as a gay anthem is "I Will Survive" by Gloria Gaynor. The song is described as "a classic emblem of gay culture in the post-Stonewall and AIDS eras and arguably disco’s greatest anthem." UK LGBT rights charity Stonewall named Christina Aguilera's "Beautiful" the most empowering song of the 2000s decade for LGBT people,Diana Ross's "I'm Coming Out", ABBA's "Dancing Queen", Madonna's "Vogue" , Lady Gaga's "Born This Way", Panic! at the Disco's "Girls / Girls / Boys", Hayley Kiyoko's "Girls Like Girls", Macklemore's "Same Love", The Village People's "Y.M.C.A.", and Katy Perry's "Firework" are also widely regarded as gay anthems.For the older crowd, there is also “Over The Rainbow” by Judy Garland, and just about anything by Liza Minnelli. An anthem usually has something to say about surviving oppression, or celebrating your own community such as “We Are Family” by Sister Sledge.
Who is the most impressive famous person alive today to you and why?
Thats easy.Dawood Ibrahim.He is the richest gangster today. Only Pablo Escobar was ever richer than him (and he is dead).Dawood has escaped from the police and the law, despite the fact that the law of a country of 1.4 Billion people has been searching for him.Mr. Ibrahim is also a great inspiration to the youth of south west asia. Inspired by Dawood, teens set off to join underworld, stopped by copsHe’s only 5 foot 4 and yet he has achieved so much in life. And he is over 60 years old, so for most of his life he has been free and happy doing exactly what he wants to do.He is a master of his own free will. Despite being 63 years old, and commiting crimes for almost 40 years straight, he has always lived a happy comfortable life.Bollywood actors try to copy him all the time.He is the pride of my parents country for me. By the time he gets caught it would already be too late because he will be close to his death bed, he has already enjoyed life to its fullest and at the expense of others.We always will remember dawood, but no one will remember his victims.
Why do many white people like rap music?
Because liking good rap music isn’t a racial thing; it’s a liking good music thing. Sometimes liking it a lot. Sometimes to the point of making it. Like Four Fists, here (aka P.O.S. & Astronautilis).And these guys have been working together for years - something I mention because I wanted an excuse to post what is one of my favorite songs in any genre, period.This past weekend, I took a thirteen hour road trip with my partner, who is originally from India (she spent just about half of her 51 years in Mumbai), her daughter, who is of Indian heritage, but grew up in the U.S., and her daughter’s boyfriend who is African-American (they’re both in their early 20s) - and I’m not only white, I’m also, in the opinion of some, not exactly young (I’m 57).And we all greatly enjoyed listening to, and usually singing along with, songs that ranged from the Beatles, to Pink Floyd, to Queen (Bohemian Rhapsody), to Deep Purple (Smoke on the Water - which the aforementioned boyfriend suggested just putting on repeat), to 80s and 90s pop and rock (Green Day, Abba — don’t judge ….), Macklemore (Thrift Shop; ditto ….), Drake (I like the one where he’s going to teach his girlfriend how to whistle the theme song from Andy Griffith — though I was kind of dozing at that point, and might not have caught all the lyrical nuance ….).And beyond that, per the general Desi-ness (Indian-ness) mentioned above - we of course had representation from Hindi/Bollywood songs - as well as some U.S. based Hindi-English fusion —- because mom and daughter are both dancers, and dance (mom), or have (daughter) in Bollywood / Fusion dance groups.Like this.Rap, like Rock (and various aspects of blues, hip-hop, various international genres, etc.) have become truly universalized and globalized in recent decades. You know - exactly like everything and everyone else.It’s a genuinely global world these days - and we’re all richer for it - especially when it comes to music, I’d say.
Teens: do you listen to "old music"?
I have a very wide range of music I like. I'm pretty fond of "old misic" but honestly, music doesn't have an expectation date. I like everything from Huey Lewis and the news, INXS, John Melloncamp, Robert Palmer to dub step and horror core. BQ: last song you listened to? Mine is Simply Irrisistable by Robert Palmer, awesome song.