Aging and its effect on your musical judgment/tastes.

manguino

Pressure Makes Diamonds
ill o.g.
Battle Points: 7
the whole talk about contemporary rap being all about nonesense, dancing, and making money needs to just stop- these people forgot about all the party-hearty, hotel-motel-holiday-inn, ladies-what's-your-zodiac-sign stuff? and if they're not that old, they might remember the ugly-people-be-quiet, Brenda-got-a-big-ol-butt, let's-do-the-dance-called-the-Pee-Wee-Herman days. the most annoying thing about people who talk this "back in the day" shit is how limited their awareness of history seems.

and i'm not sure how much this has to do with aging as it has to do with people's actual interest in hip hop. if people dont already realize, theres a whole world of rap music out there right now -- its really not a-few-good-tracks-per-year genre. seriously, it's impossible to keep up with all of it, mixtapes, leaks, singles and a lot of it is gold.

hip hop's been killing it for 30 steady years. "hip hop is dead" dudes looking at the top 40 and hating the entire genre based on it need to forget about what's hot on billboard/BET/clubs. hip hop has survived without these venues.

LOL this isn't even aimed at anyone on this forum, just venting a little
 

skidflow

Boom Bap is precious art
ill o.g.
Battle Points: 214
the whole talk about contemporary rap being all about nonesense, dancing, and making money needs to just stop- these people forgot about all the party-hearty, hotel-motel-holiday-inn, ladies-what's-your-zodiac-sign stuff? and if they're not that old, they might remember the ugly-people-be-quiet, Brenda-got-a-big-ol-butt, let's-do-the-dance-called-the-Pee-Wee-Herman days. the most annoying thing about people who talk this "back in the day" shit is how limited their awareness of history seems.
No one could hate on this material now or even then because it was ORIGINAL. There was no one around to diss it but my parents who were Motown heads....and white people did'nt like it to much back then either...atleast in the states anyway. The game is what it is now and I have come to except that. HIP HOP LIVES!
 

Sucio

Old and dirty...
ill o.g.
Battle Points: 304
Hip-hop is alive and well...as a whole..

Hip-hop as we loved it back in the day? Not so much.....


I tell ya, though...hip-hop is big big big big business...
 

MadScientist

Geniuz
ill o.g.
Battle Points: 20
I agree with God ... I think it's about not falling for the gimmicks anymore ... where as most youth will still fall for it. They are the ones that are supporting it. I don't see a 30 year old man calling his local radio station or MTV to request his favorite video / song. But to be successful in this industry, I think we still need to be in tune with what the youth likes, which is a double edge sword.
 

God

Creator of the Universe
ill o.g.
This post wasn't intended as a "hip-hop is dead" thread. Nor was it meant as a thread specifically stating that the music of yesteryear is somehow better than the music of today. I disagree with the latter on the basis that music is subjective and most people generally have a bias for the music of their youth.

My intent was to understand if other people, as they got older - experienced a judgmental shift in their taste. Apparently, this answer was in the affirmative.

My initial thought was to identify the errors caused by age in selecting new musical trends by somehow being aware of it, and then making up for that fact by questioning myself in a better manner when I am making a musical judgment. I expressed this M.O. in my Lady Gaga example.

Being in tune with the youth of today, which is the target demographic, is paramount. If not, you have to invest time, money and energy in a person to whom you have to delegate that responsibility - which is a hassle in itself.

Obviously, hip-hop music of all forms will exist at all times. I am obviously speaking about commercial trends not the underground scene. But remember, the next major commercial act generally comes from an underground trend.
 

LDB

Banned
ill o.g.
Battle Points: 73
This is a good topic. I am 28. I think it varies. As for me, it's a habit to follow the trend of mainstream music because it's also part of my side job since I DJ too and that's pretty much all I listen to. I don't really have anything bad to say about today's music. I never do because I'm very open minded and will listen to anything new. If an 8 year old kid tells me to check out this song that Miley Cyrus did, I'll be like, "Sure lets hear it." But ofcourse, I have an outstanding collection of music from different genres and time frame too that I listen to from time to time depending on my mood. But I prefer listening to fresh new music because I get tired of listening to the same old stuff. It helps me keep my mind fresh as far music making goes.

What really amazes me is that most of the crowd I DJ for are young professionals ages between 25-35 years of age. I'll throw on artists like Soulja Boy and Lady Gaga on my set and surprisingly people seem to like it. I know people who thinks Soulja Boy's music is garbage and stuff. But..... when they're at the bar or club and hears that garbage music, they magically know the entire verse and chorus for that song. Funny huh? It must be the mixure of alcohol. Yea, maybe its the alcohol that impaired their judgement lol.

However, I do believe that my opinion will eventually change as I age. I can sometime feel the affect kicking in when I DJ. Especially when I'm in the middle of my set, my mind goes blank and I'm thinking to myself, "Damn... what am I going to play next?" Maybe I'm starting to lose my mojo slowly lol.

I feel u and I'm older than u......keyword....PLAYLIST....I use Virtual DJ so I use it with ease....I think u use Serato so I don't know if u can make a play list with it. I have 3 play list that I pool from, Dirty south, Nu Skool hip hop and RnB. I have 15 hours worth of songs in my dirty south play list and 6 to 10 in my RnB and Nu Skool hip hop play lists. Those play list take a lot of the guess work out when it comes to choosing what to play next! I know u can use playlist in Serato Itch...maybe u can also use play list in Serato 1.9.....I'll have to ask one of my homies.
 

KurtisRich

Pussy Monster
ill o.g.
Battle Points: 13
LDB - Yea I use Serato and I also have a bunch of playlist that I've organized from the year to genre to club bangers also. I'm always trying to reorganize everything also. Sometimes I think I should just limit the songs I'm going to play. I get lost in my own music at times lol. It's not like back then where I know what crate I'm going to bring to rock the party. I kinda miss digging through the crates to play records sweatin and shit lol. But those days r gone. Those days I consider my "Prime" - Nowadays I'm like... "Whatever" lol - Give me the place, the time, and the money and I'm there lol.
 

Relic

Voice of Illmuzik Radio
ill o.g.
Battle Points: 83
But wait....
Im old and love these guys!!!!
To me they got "it" hiphop wise.
http://www.myspace.com/thecoolkids
Check out pennies official music video..
scroll down to the first vid thing..



Anyway to me I think they are in touch with the vibe.
Simple beats ok, vibe str8, they str8.
 

KurtisRich

Pussy Monster
ill o.g.
Battle Points: 13
Oh I know this one does not have anything to do with Music. But I would like to state that aging DOES affect on how people think about fashion. I think music and fashion goes so well together and both can relate.

As for me, I like to follow fashion trends on what's hot and what's not but I only wear things that is appropiate for my age. I was talking to an old co-worker of mine who is about 15-20 years older than I am about fashion the other day. He's more of a rocker type dude but he's cool as shit. He tells me that back then at one point, they didn't let him wear tight pants to school and he had to fight for his rights to wear tight pants. Which makes me think of how it was during the 90's when baggy pants was starting to get a buzz in the fashion trend. You couldn't wear baggy pants to some schools either and they would make you go home to change. My parents, aunts, uncles, grand parents, etc. DID NOT like baggy pants either and during that time, it was the "HOTT" shit among youths my age ranging from 12-25 years of age. That was the trend during that time.

Now that we're in the newer age, 2009, alot of youths today are wearing tight pants. Not only that the wear tight pants, but they are sagging it too lol. Many people around my age (I'm 28 BTW) HATES that style. I have no problem with it because I am into fashion and I keep up with the trends as well, but they HATE it when they see people wear tight pants just like how our folks hated us when they see us wore baggy pants.

I understand that some people are still "STUCK" in the 90's wearing baggy pants and all. But all I'm saying is some people are comfortable wearing what they wear and is used to being in a certain comfort zone. It's just like music. Some people are still "STUCK" on what they grew up listening to and they can't accept the fact that everything is changing around them.
 

Shonsteez

Gurpologist
ill o.g.
Battle Points: 33
In regards to fashion, and I suppose even music tho I think its largely a personality trait that lends itself to what you like or dont like as well.

Becuz you could easily not like a particular style of pants or some shit simply becuz its not your style and doesn't fit your personality. So if you tend to be a person that isn't that inclined to buy the new tight jeans that are popular, that doesn't exactly make you an individual that makes choices influenced by your age, but age can certainly play a role fasho.

This comment pretty much coincides with what I just said tho:
KurtisRich said:
I understand that some people are still "STUCK" in the 90's wearing baggy pants and all. But all I'm saying is some people are comfortable wearing what they wear and is used to being in a certain comfort zone. It's just like music. Some people are still "STUCK" on what they grew up listening to and they can't accept the fact that everything is changing around them.
 

Sucio

Old and dirty...
ill o.g.
Battle Points: 304
Oh I know this one does not have anything to do with Music. But I would like to state that aging DOES affect on how people think about fashion. I think music and fashion goes so well together and both can relate.

As for me, I like to follow fashion trends on what's hot and what's not but I only wear things that is appropiate for my age. I was talking to an old co-worker of mine who is about 15-20 years older than I am about fashion the other day. He's more of a rocker type dude but he's cool as shit. He tells me that back then at one point, they didn't let him wear tight pants to school and he had to fight for his rights to wear tight pants. Which makes me think of how it was during the 90's when baggy pants was starting to get a buzz in the fashion trend. You couldn't wear baggy pants to some schools either and they would make you go home to change. My parents, aunts, uncles, grand parents, etc. DID NOT like baggy pants either and during that time, it was the "HOTT" shit among youths my age ranging from 12-25 years of age. That was the trend during that time.

Now that we're in the newer age, 2009, alot of youths today are wearing tight pants. Not only that the wear tight pants, but they are sagging it too lol. Many people around my age (I'm 28 BTW) HATES that style. I have no problem with it because I am into fashion and I keep up with the trends as well, but they HATE it when they see people wear tight pants just like how our folks hated us when they see us wore baggy pants.

I understand that some people are still "STUCK" in the 90's wearing baggy pants and all. But all I'm saying is some people are comfortable wearing what they wear and is used to being in a certain comfort zone. It's just like music. Some people are still "STUCK" on what they grew up listening to and they can't accept the fact that everything is changing around them.

I love you.
 

Relic

Voice of Illmuzik Radio
ill o.g.
Battle Points: 83
Okay call me old but firstly throughout time if your underwear was showing thats comedy. Not baggy but your ass is hanging out thats comedy, especially if you have to literally hold your pants up as you walk...come on now..thats fuckin comedy!
THEN , I was there when the skin tight 80's sperm killing jeans were in, it was good when they left lol.
But WHY would you have the combo of skin tight jeans on a guy with his ass hanging out LOL?
This, to me , is PURE comedy or pure gayness.. Im sorry but to me without a second glance that ish looks gay period!
Now I understand that my grandparents thought you should wear the waistline of your pants up around your armpits and all that and styles change but honestly...Ass hanging out??? On on men???
HoooooMooooo
Im not saying that Im not stuck in the 90's its true we do get stuck on ish, but I see kids in my hood wearing that shit and my first thought is damn that lil highschool dude is gay? Already? I had no idea.. But then maybe he isnt, then I see another kid who def IS wearing the same shit and I wonder.. hhhmmmmm I wonder.
Not all the kids are wearing this shit, some just wear reg clothes and I give props to them.
 

God

Creator of the Universe
ill o.g.
Okay call me old but firstly throughout time if your underwear was showing thats comedy. Not baggy but your ass is hanging out thats comedy, especially if you have to literally hold your pants up as you walk...come on now..thats fuckin comedy!
THEN , I was there when the skin tight 80's sperm killing jeans were in, it was good when they left lol.
But WHY would you have the combo of skin tight jeans on a guy with his ass hanging out LOL?
This, to me , is PURE comedy or pure gayness.. Im sorry but to me without a second glance that ish looks gay period!
Now I understand that my grandparents thought you should wear the waistline of your pants up around your armpits and all that and styles change but honestly...Ass hanging out??? On on men???
HoooooMooooo
Im not saying that Im not stuck in the 90's its true we do get stuck on ish, but I see kids in my hood wearing that shit and my first thought is damn that lil highschool dude is gay? Already? I had no idea.. But then maybe he isnt, then I see another kid who def IS wearing the same shit and I wonder.. hhhmmmmm I wonder.
Not all the kids are wearing this shit, some just wear reg clothes and I give props to them.

Relic, that just implies the intent that you are reactionary to new fashion just like our parents and their parents. Modern art and music, along with fashion, are in constant flux. If you attempt to empathize with someone who's 20 or 18 about their musical judgment, they will most likely feel EXACTLY the same way you felt (broadly) about the styles and fashions that were in vogue when you were in your early twenties.

In the music business, if you fail to empathize or at least hearken back to your days as a teenager just to listen to music in its proper context as a person in your target demographic would, you fail to be a successful tastemaker.

Change and new stuff is GOOD. I bet you like cats like The Cool Kids or Hollywood Holt because they bring back some of the Eric B. & Rakim or Slick Rick attitude that you may have liked (I don't know.)

What's interesting about The Cool Kids is that they represent a further segmentation in the hiphop market, which is similar to the way rock segmented into smaller and smaller niches. For example who ever thought there was going to be a durable market for "hipster hiphop?" The seeds were there when hipsters started listening to a couple underground cats, but will it really go to the "next level?"

Look out for some hip-pop already being programmed into former "Light Rock" stations or AOR. I would bet money Puffy is looking to expand the hip-pop market in this way. Look for the poppier 1990's Biggie tracks on the same station as Rob Thomas, Pink and Nickelback.

I digress, but I generally agree with your judgment, Relic.
 

Relic

Voice of Illmuzik Radio
ill o.g.
Battle Points: 83
lol, well I'll get behind the mohawks cats(everyone from 7-17) are rockin cause I cant say anything about it when we had a generation of cats who put steps in they hightop fades!
We had some funky ass hairstyles in the day.
I agree tho, we all become our parents and grandparents, even when we were young we used to laugh and say how committed to hiphop we were and that we would be old saying, (in old ass man voice) "THAT aint rap music! You young wipper snappers dont know what rap music IS! RUN-DMC, Beastie Boys, now THAT was real rap music! All this noise you youngsters...etc etc.." And we would laugh our ass of over it. Even we I see cats from then now we still laugh about it because thats exactly whats happened.
We knew it..lol
But I do try and stay open to new stuff though, admittedly though, everything "New" sounds the same as all the other "new" stuff.
 
On this subject.....

I first got into hiphop because I liked the beats, I never really payed too much attention to the lyrics in the beginning. I liked it because it was different to all the rock crap( i considered it noise then) that dominated the airwaves back then.
At the same time I was also into the underound uk dance music scene, because it was different and I liked it.
I really liked the way great drum breaks were re flipped into some dope hip hop beats.
I liked the turntablism and scratching, all these things hit a nerve with me and I was hooked.
At no point was I ever guided in my love of hiphop because it was the fashionable thing to do.
My love of it grew when I started to actually listen to the lyrics and could hear stories of struggle against the odds to succeed. I heard stories from the streets. It was a message I learned a lot from, and felt a kinship with.
Hiphop became popular during the so called golden era of hiphop, which helped hiphop greatly in spreading the culture worldwide, but then slowely but surely, hiphop became a stereotype of itself. The emphasis of it became sex drugs and violence(the same old technique used in films and on tv) simply because thats what sells.
The content became watered down and meaningless, the point was lost.
Thats my personal hiphop journey, the things that I lked about hiphop are no more.
I dont seek to be fashionable, I dont seek acceptance from my peers(although maybe I once did),
I seek to be original and unique, I dont want to be pigeonholed.
I want to bring to the world something new, to be enjoyed for its merit.
The world is full of people trying to be someone else, and all to seek acceptance from their peers, maybe we need to try to be ourselves, and not just jumping from bandwagon to bandwagon trying to fit in.

Just getting some shit off my chest there. Some opinionated bollocks, just take with a pinch of salt.
 

Sucio

Old and dirty...
ill o.g.
Battle Points: 304
I've seen the change in the hip-hop culture, and even though I may not seem to conform to the new culture, I appreciate it's growth and transformation. I don't really understand on why people wear the clothes they do, but that is solely based on comfort. For hip-hop to continue to flourish, the people collectively have to back it up and support it. If the hip-hop culture becomes divided, the culture will suffer.

I'm getting old, but if you wanna sell beats or drop an album that will get good reviews all around, you must conform to what is relevant today. That's what I've been trying to accomplish this year. I've been listening to more mainstream music today, just trying to get a feel of what's relevant today. Maybe some of you guys should do the same, that's if you want to really make money in this business.
 
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