We Look at Rap Wrong

What exactly did Will.I.Am say that was upsetting?

I try to keep my mouth shut.

I don’t mind running it when it comes to Arsenal, Atlanta United, or the ways that big business and their army of lobbies control government. But when it comes to music, I try to keep quiet.

Mostly because people ain’t really trying to hear it but also because I think I said it all. Scroll through my profile. Tons of stuff. Touched on everything music related. So I thought.

I haven’t.

So I’m on Twitter, I don’t scroll, the first three posts had something to do with Will. I. Am. Will. I. Am? He’s trending because why? Is it some Jill Scott type business? Is he still alive?

Then I read a headline:

“It Doesn’t Take Much Skill to Make Today’s Rap.”

I emoji shrugged. Then I read the pro arguments and the con arguments. I ain’t agree with neither. I think the reason that I disagreed with most people’s premise is because I don’t agree with how people view Rap. So I’m going to make it sweet and simple and be out.

I was never a fan of the Black Eyed Peas. Dancing Black Eyed Peas. Fergie Black Eyed Peas. No Black Eyed Peas. Their music never resonated with me. Neither did their image. Neither did their packaging. Nothing.

Let me get that out the way.

I know. They are talented. I’ve heard that Will. I. Am is a great producer. That’s what I heard. But hey, some people like Kuding. Some like Chai. Who am I to argue with a person’s taste?

But a large part of the cons were directed at Will. Now…don’t get me wrong, The Honorable Elijah Muhammad teaches us that it’s important to pay attention to the messenger. I get that. But he was talking about something different (because he also teaches us that even a child can teach us the truth).

Whether Will is qualified to speak on what is quality and what is not is neither here nor there. What he said was right and exact. I wrote about some of that on my Kanye piece. Ease is what produces growth. Ease produced punk. Ease is what produced house music. Ease isn’t bad. But let’s look at his full statement:

What’s the number-one sport on the planet? Soccer, because anyone can play it. The problem with hip-hop is everybody could do it. It doesn’t take much fucking skill right now to make hip-hop. It’s become the lowest-hanging fruit. It’s no longer about Rakim-level, Nas-level, not the deep, metaphorical simile shit. Out of respect for the Nases of the world, let’s not call it hip-hop. Let’s say that’s rap. Will. I. Am

First of all, everyone thinks they can play soccer…until they try to play it. So let’s get that out of the way first. Try running top speed kicking a ball in front of you without looking down while people are chasing you OR try curling a ball thirty yards to land at the foot of another person , do either of those and get back to me. If anyone could play the sport then soccer players wouldn’t be some of the best paid athletes in the world.

If your premise is incorrect, then your conclusion is incorrect.

But I digress.

We already talked about what can or can not be classified as Rap before, therefor, we ain’t barking up that tree. This ain’t the 1830s nor is it a Western. The tree we’re going to bark up is the one that encourages artists to have less talent.

This is not a pejorative. When I say ‘less talent’ I mean that it takes a great amount of skill, practice, and thought to come up with that “deep, metaphorical simile shit” that Will is talking about.

You would say y’all killed me
Sucker free, no shuckin’ me, I don’t jive turkey
Say “Happy Thanksgiving,” shit sound like a murder to me
Smoke free, all of y’all callin’ out toll free
Label rob you for millions yet you wanna put a hole in me
Sugar free, seasoned but I’m salt free Jay Z, What’s Free

There’s some thought put in that above. And, while I’m sure it takes thought to write “Drip Too Hard,” I doubt that Lil Baby had to take to Twitter to explain his lyrics. And, I don’t know my brother Lil Baby’s life but I doubt that he had to battle every rapper in his neighborhood, go on the road opening for people, etc, etc.

The reality is this — like the soccer explanation above, skills costs. And, while the point of technological advancements were not to cut jobs, that has been the reality — and it applies to all fields. Want to test it? Go on Instagram and put in a hashtag for DJ and watch how many people pop up. How many DJs do you think existed twenty years ago?

The less skills that it takes to carry out a function, the lower the pay can be. Where a DJ once had to carry crates, and crates of albums, turntables, which required one, sometimes two or three people, now a person just shows up with a laptop. Two jobs eliminated.

Rappers haven’t NEEDED DJ’s for eons and if they have one, they pay for them out of their pocket. In fact, any person that the said Rapper brings along, is the Rapper’s responsibility. No more Gangstarr. No more Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince. Hell, no more Run DMC (even though Jam Master Jay’s name wasn’t in the group, he was the center piece). And the list goes on.

Rap hasn’t been about Hip-Hop for at least a generation now. If you need a quick refresher, Rappers were support for the DJ, the DJ was playing music for Dancers. Lyrics became more complex over time but the focus was still…the DJ. It hasn’t been like that for a LONG TIME.

What we’re talking about is the Music Industry. And when you talk about the Music Industry we have to talk about the bottom line. The same way that most places of employment are either going the contractor or part-time route, Record Labels are more profitable taking on artists with very little skills.

Recently there was an article in Billboard regarding acts who have emerged from Soundcloud and various online places but have never performed a day in their life. Said article goes on to say that record labels are sending these artists on college tours to develop their chops…what’s also important to mention is the same article made it a point to say that these artists were under 360 deals…that means the labels are getting paid for those performances (they tried to say that Motown also developed artists and all that but ah…that was on Motown’s payroll).

So I don’t have a problem with what Will. I. Am said in theory. He’s partially correct and he’s done well for himself branching out into all kinds of endeavors — all of which, have been afforded him because of his music career. But what he’s knows and ain’t saying and what continues to go unsaid is what Billy told “The Kid” in Purple Rain, “This is a bitness, and you ain’t too far gone to see that yet.”

Let’s stop conflating the argument into Hip-Hop versus Rap or ‘Real’ Rap vs ‘Mumble’ Rap and keep the finger pointed in the right direction — at the mothafuckas that benefit from us being divided and at each other’s throat — these damn Labels.

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