I once heard a
rumor that the M in MTV stood for music…weird???
I remember a time when a music video, a good one at that,
was readily available for ones visual pleasure, sort of like how reality shows
currently are today. It’s many people to blame for this musical shift, though
to narrow it down, I believe fingers should be directed towards two.
The People...
In this century we as people have been programmed to focus
into the lives of the rich and famous, with adoration, envy, and curiosity. As
far as in entertainment our satisfaction does not rest with a great song by a
favorite artist of ours, and so we seek to get to know them (or at least try
to) on a personal level. This very mentality creates a problem. Yes I think in terms of a fan its great knowing your favorite artist
beyond their craft. For example, those who follow a particular musician on
Twitter who occasionally posts funny tweets, shows a natural side to them that
may not get expressed in song, making that fan fall in love even more with the
music they make and a dimension of the person they are. The bad is that where
there’s people who like to laugh, its people who love drama (some more than
others) the premise in which reality shows run off of. I wouldn’t call myself a
fan of reality TV (though curiosity is something else) but, the way a radio
station may play songs you dislike in rotation until you like it, is how these
shows are being aired until you watch it. Another example, you look at “Love &
Hip Hop: Atlanta” a show that had really nothing to do with Hip Hop at all but that
many tuned into regardless featured rapper Lil’ Scrappy who we knew as Lil’
Jon’s protégé during the early 2000’s, where everyone from all over was
throwing up that downward peace sign with a thumb in between to rep "The A" was
viewed in a different way on the show, as a beloved son (by a mother whose
parenting skills ill let you be the judge of), a hothead always ready to fight,
and a man not sure about wanting to be in a committed relationship. Even though
fans got to see a different side to Scrappy throughout the show, his music is
what made people care to watch in the first place.
The Artists
With CD’s slowly joining their technology challenged
companions due to MP3 player devices; sales (at least in Hip Hop) have
suffered. Artists are making less money and days as we know it of seeing an
over the top million dollar (im guessing) music video like Jay-Z’s ‘Big Pimpin”
or Ja-Rule’s – “Holla Holla” are over. I used to believe that lack of album
sales were the fault of the people, which it is in some aspects but more so
with the label and the artist. I believe that many artists got too comfortable
and began disappointing fans with half ass video’s of them posing and rapping
in front of a camera to half ass done songs they entitled as singles and
ultimately eradicating any cinematic theme, plot, or story to it. 106&Park,
a show on BET taken from MTV’s TRL used to be one of my favorite shows back
when it started in 2000. Since the departure of AJ & Free and now even
Terrance & Rocsi it’s definitely fallen off, but back then it was something
me and many friends of mine looked forward to watching. It seemed like artists
cared back then about putting together a quality video so they could get that
#1 spot on the countdown, now they just don’t view it as important. I believe
it can be costly to put together a quality video but its necessary in order to
keep fans interested.
My Outlook
Today videos haven't totally vanished, and plays in the
early AM on MTV, and MTV2 has their weekly Sunday “Sucker Free Countdown” for
the hottest Hip Hop videos, but up and coming artists have been hit hard. A few
years ago BET created an outlet for up and comers to shine especially in Hip
Hop. You had “NEXT” which came on at a certain time airing video’s from unknown
artists, many unsigned, others signed but just trying to get their break (I believe I saw Shyne’s “Bad Boy” record on there) and
then they had Rap City which I loved mainly for the booth sessions. Even BET’s
uncut, as nasty to some as it may have been, it was a way for unknown artists
to get some shine by baiting viewers with the rear of a half naked woman’s oscillating
behind, whether it helped them or not ill let you decide.
I miss the way music videos used to be and am tired of
reality shows being in place of them. Although I guess it had its time because
now when a new video is out we don’t need to wait to see it on TV and can just
catch it on the web. What I do wish is that artists had that mentality Michael
Jackson (yes I know he’s not Hip Hop) had who was ahead of his time when he
shot the thriller video, and not comparing any rapper to the King of Pop or a video such as thriller but he
felt it was necessary to shoot a great video, a mini movie if you will, with a
cinematic plot and story line, a video that still leaves many who’ve viewed it
many times before in awe, and first timers disappointed at its ending and in
want of more, an emotion many don’t get when videos come out of the
genre of Hip Hop
Alano
Exactly.....you can only see music videos if you pay for music video channels.Tv programs live BET and MTV barely play music videos but they did back in the day.Where are the music videos,lol/
ReplyDeleteOk seriously get out of my head. I was literally just thinking the same thing like two days ago. I woke up at like 4 in the morning, put on mtv or vh1 ( I forget)and thought, wow I havent seen one of these in a while ( referring to a music video). I've grown so accustomed to seeing reality shows on these stations I forgot they were created to be about the music. You need to add Flavor Flav to the list of ppl you blame. He's the one that basically started this whole reality tv frenzy on these stations lol.
ReplyDeleteMTV: Hits, VH1: Soul, Fuse, MTV: Tres and Mun2 are among the few networks that regularly air new (and old) music videos. Unfortunately, none of them are available without cable and new customers usually have to go out of their way to find these networks instead of turning to more familiar channels like MTV 2 and BET. I agree with Alano's point; reality tv shows have pervaded network programming in part because people are focusing on the drama concerning the personal lives of music artists. It is natural for an avid fan to be curious about the artists they admire. Knowledge of an artist sometimes provides context for a produced work, which in turn allows fans to develop a deeper appreciation for an artist's music. Think of musicians/artists like Frank Ocean who actually wrote a letter to fans earlier this year partly for the sake of clarifying the meaning behind some of the records included on his recent album.
ReplyDeleteThis consumer obsession with drama, however, stems beyond the desire for just context. I admire artists who, like yourself, recognize this phenomenon (or issue, depending on your POV). Look again to Frank Ocean, an artist who strongly believes in promoting his art over his personal life. Despite much of the attention he received after releasing his open letter, Ocean remained tight-lipped about any personal details that didn't pertain to his music. Preferring to "let the music speak for itself", Ocean recognized the importance of "reclusiveness", a healthy disconnect from the drama that detracts attention from the art.
Consumers/fans need to make a conscious choice to stop supporting the drama. Reality tv shows, gossip magazines and other mediums of ( ) only exist because there are people willing to watch and buy them. Let representatives from the stations know what you think about their programming; stop watching the shows you disrespect; organize with other people who think the way you do. It takes collective action (or agreement) to change a culture, and if you change the culture, you change the game.
Correction to above post: 'Think of artists like Frank Ocean, a musician who actually wrote a letter to fans earlier this year partly for the sake of clarifying the meaning behind some of the records included on his album.'
ReplyDelete