bubble gum pop

On Monday's class you talked about how bubble gum pop is music that makes the radio because it has a catchy beat. Even though this music has really no meaning to it, people seem to like it. Do you think these type of songs like mmmbop represent American music in a positive way? I mean I have heard a countless number of people say that rap/hip hop is garbage although a lot of it uses instrumentals, beats, and has meaning to the lyrics. If people can say this about hip hop then should there be more criticism on songs like mmmbop?

hip-hop/rap

I absolutely love hip-hop and rap, which actually doesn't get as much respect as it deserves. After the guest lecture from Billy Drease Williams (and I wish all the people that bash hip-hop could have heard him) I feel he brought up some strong points about hip-hop/rap as an art. Many people think hip-hop is garbage, that there are no instrumental elements or components, but I disagree. Billy Drease Williams, for example creates his own beats, so why can't beats be considered an instrumental component? In order to create beats one must still learn to use an instrument (or in this case whatever equipment used to produce beats), practice, master it, and have an ear for a special sound and creativity in order to create that sound. To me this idea deserves the same respect as someone who can play an instrument. Hip-hop and rap also require an artist to write their own lyrics (hopefully, but there are many artists from other genres that don't write their own music who still receive more respect than hip-hop artists), and of course sing or rap. In Billy Drease Williams case, he even produces his own videos, and has created art work to illustrate those videos. I think their are a lot of components and elements of hip-hop that are undermined and go without notice. It truly takes a talented and creative person to be a hip-hop/rap ARTIST. =]

Minority guiding the Majority

With context to Dreases presentation and his look on artistic expressions in the hip hop and music world in todays age. When he described the stories of him accepting he may never make it big but still held onto his ownership of his music is rare for many artists. Many compromise along the way to make it big or to have moderate success in some way of television or radio exposure across the country. but with not only in Dreases case but with other artists as well in other genres that constantly progress or hold onto the values of what they feel is their music. their words and music personify a feeling that would want to share and its unique to them. Like      Drease other bands like the Black Keys who are known for their rough and tough grit and grime sound of two guys on Guitar and Drums mixing not only classic and forgotten blues of past generations but other elements of Rhythm and Blues with the feedback of Jimi Hendrix playing up to elven on every song. they also produced a Rap album with collaboration with Hip Hop Artists like Mos Deff, Q-Tip, Nicole Wray, and several members of the Wu Tang Clan. This just goes to show all musical styles can be made to co-exist and work together to make more unique sounds and styles for the masses and players to enjoy.

Parental Discretion Advised

Personally, I wouldn't consider myself someone who listens to the Hip Hop music on the radio today. I don't have any desire to listen to music about slapping hoes, banging for money, and shooting people down on the streets. It's not that I am personally offended by the way women are portrayed in some hip hop music, even though any other person has every right to feel offense, but it's the fact that I would not want to support any artist that thinks that passing lyrics such as "got her on her knees, the same knees that she be prayin' on" is in any way an accurate portrayal of music. Yes, freedom of speech allots these songs to be produced and played on the radio and so forth, but music was an escape for everyone. Why would someone want to escape into a world of guns, violence, and objectification of women? I know that I don't understand it, but a lot of people buy into it. This shows that for some reason, this subdivision of Hip Hop, which is a vastly different style from the roots of Hip Hop (which mostly focused on social commentary and naming grievances), people are focusing less on the meaning behind the lyrics. People, being (a) the rapper- because there are a lot of other issues to write about other than sex, money, and drugs, and (b) the audience- no matter what, people know that these lyrics are offensive, and they just don't care. People will listen to this stuff, memorize the lyrics, fully know their meaning, and they have no problem with saying that their favorite song is something called "p*ssy, money, weed." I don't know, I just think it's a little disheartening to see music, something that hold so much importance on the meaning and the message, take this type of downturn. It was refreshing to hear Billy Drease Williams' work in class on Monday because it showed me that the original style of Hip Hop is not dead; it is just masked by the chart topping, radio raiding rap singles that evince the wrong messages.

Progression

After taking a look at what the original sound of hip hop was and realizing how different a style it is from then to now it is interesting to see if those who were a fan of the "old school" style are disappointed or happy with the progression and change it has made over the years. It also raises the question of whether or not the various artists appreciate the stylistic change or not as well.

Drease and Hip-hop

People say that Hip-Hop and Rap is not music because there are no instruments, but as was discussed in lecture their voice is the instrument. Hip-hop is very much a form of musical expression and artistic culture. But not all hip-hop artists are real artists. The true artists are ones like Billy Drease Williams. He raps what he feels and stays true to himself. After years of hard work he still has not made it as a huge success, but he never gives up because he loves what he does and knows his music is better than a lot of the junk played out there. In his guest lecture Drease said that whenever he would play his music for a record label they would ask him who he sounds like and they would end up not signing him because he doesn't sound like anyone on out there. I think that's rediculous that they want artists to sound alike. Drease has his own style and if they gave him a chance I think he could go far.

hip-hop music

Actually I did not have good image about hip-hop music, I was thinking most of hip-hop music is just noisy and only about money and violence. But after Billy Drease Williams lecture, I noticed hip-hop music also has artistic aspect and I was really touched by that lecture. Probably many people have dirty image about hip-hop music like me, but I think this kind of stereotype is should be removed. We have to understand hip-hop music is developing and has artistic aspect like Drease's music.

Drease

Billy Drease Williams guest lecture on Monday exemplified his courage and determination to excel in a difficult field of work. Working on a low budget and out of his own pocket it amazes me that Drease, while being a husband and father, has the time to produce and perform low budget music videos. Although very different from mainstream hip-hop Drease chooses to rap about real life situation without the use of profanity. He is self made and in my opinion, we could all learn from Dreases determination; starting out small and striving to be all he can be while keeping his beliefs at the forefront.

Hip Hop as a Rape Culture

Ashley Judd's comments about hip hop as a rape culture caused a lot of controversy and were thought to have racial undertones because of hip hop being a predominately African American genre. She then apologized for her comments saying they were a general statement about how popular rap today promotes misogyny. Should she have apologized? Mainstream hip hop does promote misogyny and objectifies women. Obviously not all hip hop is misogynistic but much of popular hip hop revolves around violence. How has this de evolution of hip hop start? Has popular hip hop ever been considered "clean" or at least not so violent?

C.R.E.A.M. (Cash Rules Everything Around Me)

Since the birth of hip-hop, the genre has slowly become more and more commercialized. Originally, rappers used the genres popularity to address social issues, such as "C.R.E.A.M" by Wu-Tang Clan and post-humorous releases by Tupac Shakur such as "Changes" and "Ghetto Gospel," both recorded in 1992. More modern rappers, most notably Lil Wayne, Drake, and Nikki Minaj do not address social issues like the earlier MC's used to. These 3 rappers continue to top the charts but only really rap about their fame and money. I'm not trying to say that there are not rappers that do ddress social issues now-a-days, it's just not as prominent among the "top" MC's of today as it was in the late 80's and 90's. It seems that rappers are more concerned with clubs and money than bringing the issues that plague the streets where they grew up to the attention of the world. It really seems that Wu-Tang Clan was right, cash does really rule everything around us.

Are we really that surprised?

Hip Hop and even rap has changed dramatically over time. There is no going around that. Sure now rap is all about money, drugs, and bitches, but honestly, are we surprised? Many people seem shocked that it has come to this, but why? We saw bands like the Beach Boys steal music to make hits, we saw bands from the 80s fit a cliche mold of dancing and singing (aka the pop start), we saw MTV change from a video channel to a reality channel, and now Hip Hop turning into music about partying and nothing real. Rather than complain about how our world changes in a way that makes all music and pretty much all aspects of our life cookie cutter, why don't we ask why. I am most definitely glad we have people who decide to break the mold like Drease and Immortal Technique (who by the way is not suitable for children to listen to considering he swears a lot and talks about gang rape, I saw that in a previous post). The ones who go out of the box makes society realise that there is more than what is played constantly on the radio, and that there is more than what mainstream is providing. An ideal world would have many more of these artists, but unfortunately that is unrealistic. Why? Because it doesn't make money. WHY DOESN'T IT MAKE MONEY? Why is it that our world is willing to buy music that contains really dumb lyrics as suppose to an intellectual rapping or singing about real issues. Its a mystery.

*CAUTION* long winded rant ahead.

okay. where did those glorious days of rap go? days where you had to have a purpose behind your rhymes? days where songs like "tears" by wu-tang clan and "california love" by tupac were topping the charts. not songs with lines like "shes so sweet make her wanna lick the rapper" were leading to a-list stars like ashley judd wanting to call hip-hop a rape culture. the talent level and the complexity of the rhymes coming out of main stream media is of such a poor quality that its disgusting. artists like drease amd immortal technique are keeping the original meaning of rap and hip-hop back to the ears of the younger children. is there an open market for those who want to make hip-hop more than a "rape" culture?

Billy Drease Williams

So after Edreys came on Monday I did a lot of research on him. I was extremely intrigued by his talents and how realistic he was as an artist. He has his own website http://www.dtr45.com/billydrease/, he does everything on his own, he has extremely good morals and cares about his family so much and his music means the world to him as well. What surprised me the most was that he has been in this game for 10 years and still won't give up while being comfortable with the fact that he might never make big in the celebrity world. That is true dedication, that is a true artist in my opinion. Which really made me think, what makes a rap or hip-hop artist a "true" artist? And why won't record labels sign Billy Drease Williams? Why is it that artists that degrade and belittle others get the most positive attention and those musical artists that could have a positive influence receive no attention at all?

The Game

This weeks discussions on hip hop have been very interesting. I forgot that we had a guest speaker coming in on monday. I was glad we did because it was a very interesting presentation. Billy Drease Williams was a great speaker. He kept me interested all the way through his presentation. I became even more interested when he started to play his music videos. If he did not tell us that his videos were shot with a very low budget, I would have never thought that. I liked the idea that he presents himself as a role model and does not curse in any of his songs. This is something that you do not see everyday in most artists. I started thinking about what he said about the Ashley Judd comment and I agree with him. I did not see anything wrong with it. Some rap music does demean women and look at them as just an object. I do listen to some rap and I can say that this is a reoccuring event in some artists lyrics. Thats why I really liked Billy Drease Williams lyrics because they actually have meaning. I would definately like to see him perform live someday.

Hiphop!

Over the past two lectures, I feel that I have learned more about Hip-hip and it's culture.In today's class, I have learned that hip hop is not just a genre of music but embodies 3 aspects: Graffiti, Dance and Music,Dress and Speech. I feel that hip hop has a deep meaning and through these 3 aspects, the message that hip hop was trying to bring across was conveyed to the audience.

Although hip hop started off as an outlet for artist to express their views on social political issues, it has now evolved into something more mainstream. In the guest lecture on Monday, Billy Drease Williams mentioned about a comment that Ashley Judd has made about the hip-hop culture. Although many people were unhappy with her comment, I find that what the issue that she has raised is indeed a pressing issue. Most hip hop artistes do use many vulgar language and raps about violence and sexual stereotypes. Even some of their music videos objectify women and reinforce sexual stereotypes. I am glad to know that there are still artists out there like Billy Drease Williams who raps about current issues and their own beliefs. But due to the many other hip hop songs that we are exposed to, our perception of hip hip has changed and we ourselves gain stereotype about the hip hop culture.

I believe that not only the hip hop culture has changed their lyrics as time goes by, Many popular music now has the same problem. At which point of time did lyrics in music start to change and become music that portrays violence and stereotypes in the lyrics? Many popular songs talks about partying and clubbing. Is that because it is the main culture of the society now? Or does it act as a form of escape music for people?

Dancing with the devil...

Hip Hop music today has definitely taken its genre to a whole new level. One very influential artist is Immortal Technique. His song "Dance with the Devil" tells a story of young aspiring gang member who has to earn his respect through acts of violence, and drug dealing. The lyrics are very gruesome and grotesque and follows a very scary/eerie beat. One of the most horrific parts of the song is "...but only the devil responded, cause god wasn't there and right then he knew what it was to be empty and cold and so he jumped off the roof and died with no soul they say death take you to a better place but I doubt it after that they killed his mother, and never spoke about it and listen cause the story that I'm telling is true cuz I was there with Billy Jacobs and I raped his mom to and now the devil follows me everywhere that I go infact I'm sure he's standing among one of you at my shows..." The only reason I feel the need to post this is because I feel like Immortal Technique should not be judge on his lyrics at all. He is just expressing his emotions through his lyrics and music. Today a lot of rappers talk but have nothing to back it up. Immortal Technique and other rappers such as Tupac, and Notorious BIG had rough lives and found ways to tell their stories in their own ways. So before people begin to blame Rap/Hip-hop music, they should take in to consideration that some artist's write these songs to raise awareness like we discussed in class. As disgusting and horrific these lyrics above may be to many of you reading this post, it is reality and things like this go on every single day. In no way shape or form does Immortal Technique state in his song that any of this is acceptable. It clearly states towards the end of the song "So when the devil wants to dance with you, you better say never because the dance with the devil might last you forever." He was just being real, he felt there was no need to sugarcoat anything, it is what it is.

Sources: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0dRgYd5Mxs0&feature=related

Rap and Race

As a fan of Hip-Hop it has always puzzled me as to why race played such a large role in the genre. Yes, it is very true that Hip-Hop and rap were created by African Americans as a platform to speak about the everyday struggles they faced. However, when white artists began to try and start a career in the genre they are often ridiculed as being "fake" or not being as talented as many of their black counterparts. I am a fan of many different hip hop artists, black or white, and I have never felt the need to bring race into the discussion of talent. What do you think is the basis behind the involvement of race in the hip hop genre? Furthermore, and slightly off topic, but why is it that many talented artists such as our guest speaker Mr. Billy Drease Williams, fail to make it big while rapping with substance, yet people such as Gucci Mane and Waka Flaka can make a song repeating the same chorus over and over and make millions of dollars? Does this say something about us as listeners or something about the industry? Or both?

Fake Ghetto

It was interesting to learn that the early performers of hip hop came from very run down areas of New York City. Their music was a way to bring the issues faced by people in these areas to the forefront. It's ironic that many hip hop artists today use the idea of the ghetto to make themselves look bad a** or tough. These artists may not even have come from run down areas but they use the persona to appear like "true gangsters". It's unfortunate that hip hop has evolved this way.

Set back in time?

Rap music came from original African American roots. Storytelling with a rhythm is basically what rap music started off as is. It is pretty upsetting that what started as a way of celebrating their roots, has now given off such a bad image with mainstream rap. A majority of mainstream rap/hip hop now talks about pretty offending things. It is sad because of that music, it gives a bad image to African Americans. Isn't it weird how rap started off as a way for African Americans to relate t o their ancestors, and now rap music basically fits all the stereotypes that African Americans have tried so hard to get away from? African Americans were once mocked for using poor grammar and being overly sexual. Now, the mainstream music really goes into those stereotypes. There is an awful lot of music that talks about sex, and women, and use words like "da" and even the N word. These are all things that African Americans wanted to get away from. Their rights were fought for and so I don't understand why they would do this. Do you think that this mainstream music sets African Americans back in their progress int he world? I feel as if it is just giving them the image they fought so hard to not have. It is pretty sad. There is nothing wrong with hip hop/rap , but I just think there is something wrong with the music that is constantly played. Why would America want to hear this?

Ashley Judd's Statement

I am not so sure that her statement could be held against her. I believe you have to find true hip hop or rap on your own these days. Most mainstream hip hop and rap do degrate women and is consisted of personal gain or loss. While hip hop (when started and some underground hio hop) are concentrated on more social issues. Some may talk about their childhood in the ghetto or about the gang culture. Or even when Eminem response to FCC for censoring his music.

Hip Hop the modern day soundtrack to misogyny?

Actress Ashley Judd created quite an uproar with her statement "As far as I’m concerned, most rap and hip-hop music — with it’s rape culture and insanely abusive lyrics and depictions of girls and women as ‘ho’s’ — is the contemporary soundtrack of misogyny". I can see that the statement could be controversial because it kind of lumps all rap and hip hop music together. I would be quicker to agree with the statement if she would have distinguished " most MAINSTREAM rap and hip-hop music..." I think this statement has a lot of truth to it. The lyrics of many popular rap songs are extremely degrading to women. Mainstream hip hop artists take it a step further with their music videos. The girls in them are depicted as nothing more than objects of sexual desire. I think that a handful of popular hip hop artists give the genre a bad reputation. Billy Drease Williams proved in class on Monday that there are rap artists that do not conform to this vulgar, misogynistic norm. Unfortunately, sex sells very well and many popular rap artists are cashing in on it and degrading women in the process.

Is Hip Hop making rape hip?

I recently read up on Ashley Judd's accusations, that Adrese mentioned in class, about Hip Hop culture objectifying women and promoting a rape culture. It turns out that Judd is a humanitarian who is an ambassador for the "Youth AIDS" orgnaization that promotes AIDS awareness. After recieving violent threats as well as sexual threats she proceeded to make an apology to the hip hop community. The article i read ( http://www.allvoices.com/contributed-news/8768388-ashley-judd-caves-to-hiphop-death-threats ) actually agreed with Adrese in that the journalist felt it was weak of her to back down and retract her statement which was for the most part accurate. I can understand why some hip hop artists who's music has a more positive inspirational vibe would feel stereotyped, but truth be told for the most part her accusations were spot on for main stream Hip Hop culture. In another class I'm taking we recently discussed Latino masculinity, and one point that was made by the professor was that in Hip Hop, males who promote the stereotype of having a large "sexual organ" are only harming themselves. Does anyone else think that this also promotes a rapist image?

Greatness arise from the unexpected...

First off I want to say that Edreys' lecture on Monday was very inspirational. He is very talented and I really hope that he gets more recognition in the near future. He is the prime example of greatness arising from the unexpected. Nowadays, people think that the only things Buffalo have to offer is just buffalo wings and the Sabers. But who would ever thought that Buffalo can also offer a myriad of musical talents that is comparable to many mainstream artists?...Not a lot. From today's lecture we learned that hip-hop originated from the Bronx. Talented people are everywhere but they can't be found that easily. Sometimes you have to go to the least expected places to find great talents. One thing that I really like about Edreys' music is how he chooses not to use any profanity within his music. Hip-hop often carry the stereotypes of the use of profanity and the subject often revolves around sex, drug and money. Edreys definitely showed us that that is not that case. Hip-hop can be profanity free and can be about inspirations and goals instead of sex, drugs and money. I really respect what he does and I'm glad that we have people like him to show what true hip-hop is.

Billy Drease Williams

In Mondays class Billy Drease Willams brought up a few strong points about who he is as a rapper and as a person. Billy brought up that as a rapper his music does not take off and sell as quickly as other popular rappers because his music does not fit inside of the mainstream box of rap music. Billy's raps contain metaphors on life and do not contain foolish rimes on women and chains. I respect Billy a lot for not only persevering in the rap game, but donating his time to help out impoverished kids in local schools in Buffalo. Although Billy does not have the fame and fortune as a rapper, he still is a great role model.

...

On Monday I really enjoyed guest lecture by Billy Drease Williams. I can see the passion for what he is doing. In my opinion, his songs are meaningful and expresses a lot of different feelings. It is hard to believe that he was rejected many times. As far as I am concerned, it just shows that, as he mentioned, he sounds like himself, not like anybody else. At the same time I understood that it is hard or even impossible to be yourself in music business. Producers are looking for entertainment, not talent. For example, my friend, who has phenomenal voice, was trying to get into American Idol and was rejected, which is unbelievable. I guess, you have to be shocking, have some sad story about you or look hollywoodish to interest people.

Billy Drease Williams

This is a comment not a question.

Today in class, Billy Drease Williams talked about his hip hop career. He mentioned how he approaches hip hop with a different style in that his work is not like a "gangster rapper." I really liked the videos he showed us and his approach to the genre. I personally do not like much of the newer gangster rap because I can not relate to most of it. To me, all this mainstream rap is a bunch of artists saying the same thing (money, drugs, gang banging, sex, etc...) with different words and beats, however I do like the beats of some of the music. I liked how he was able to present him self well in his videos along with the lyrics (no profanity). I also liked how he is standing by his own image , by creating inspiring lyrics that kids and other fans can look up to. He said he was not going to change his rapping style just to make a ton of money, which takes a lot for someone with his talent. Overall, I thought what he showed us today was impressive, especially his approach to hip hop.

MTV

MTV is an important part of music history. It opened the door for tons of artists by showing their music videos on television. It also helped to break the color barrier in the music industry by showing black artists videos. Most notably starting with Michael Jackson's "Billie Jean" MTV broke the color barrier. It's sad how MTV has changed now. As it started with the video, "Video Killed the Radio Star", music videos have now been killed by reality tv. It seems like MTV should change its name because it stands for Music Televion, but there is no music on it. I read people now call it Missing Televisiont Videos.

I wonder if a television channel similar to MTV would have been popular say in the 1950's and 1960's. Was there something culturally about the 1980's that would have made this type of expressive channel more popular than in the past? Did shows that showcased artists (like the Ed Sullivan show) play the role of MTV in the early days of television?

music TV Progression or regression?

As MTV began boradcasting, they were all about promoting music. Later on they designated another chanel to do so (MTV2) and moved on to more realility based tv. In the 80's music/video industry was booming. And today the reality tv industry is moving. It is not the music that these channels such as MTV or VH1 are advertising. They are following the trend. Today's trend is reality tv and 16 year old mothers (or so it seems according to MTV). Do you think it's ok to be recognized as the MUSIC NETWORK and promote everything but music?

MTV A Dying Breed

Like what Joe said in class today, I remember coming home from school and watching TRL. It is weird watching it then and how much it has changed. I uesed to love waiting for the number one video and seeing who would be appearing on the show that day. I always wanted to go to time square and see the show being filmed and possibly be on it. I never would of thought that it would of changed into what it has today. Do you think that it changed for better or worse? Do you think it would still be popular today if it was the way it originally was?

MTV...

I mentioned today that other television channels play more music than MTV. Since we were talking specifically about MTV, which is understandable due to its undeniable significance, I began wondering about other channels (more specifically BET). Though I am not necessarily a huge fan of the music that is played on this channel, I wanted to see what they were about considering it is "Black Entertainment Television". What I found is that it began with African Americans as the target audience. This seems obvious, but what I really thought was interesting was that it was created by lobbyist who wanted to reach black audiences in 1980, and music videos by black artists were played (there were no threats needed). It is clear though that seeing white people is rare on that channel; also while doing research I saw that many people asked why Hendrix isn't even played, even though he is black. I guess my question(s) would be, what makes a music channel respectable in the eyes of a viewer? What sacrifices do these channels have to make in order to maintain viewers (does Hendrix have to be ignored because he really isn't hip hop or the same genres as other artists played)? And why is this double standard acceptable considering we criticize MTV for not originally playing Michael Jackson?

Mtv

The network title of Mtv really does not mean all that much anymore. Tune to it at nearly any point during the day and music is nearly nowhere to be found on the stations schedule. While this is most likely due in part to the target audiences lost in interest with music videos the real question may be when and why may this have happened? Also it seemed as if today in class there were a number of people who would like to see some music videos on the channel which make me wonder, should the network reconsider their decision?

The Decline of MTV

It is obvious that in recent years MTV has turned into a reality television station as appossed to a music station. This change can be chalked up to wanting to stay popular with the public oppinion as well as a quest for ratings. My question is why do you think MTV made such a drastic change while other designated stations have stuck to what they were origionally created for?

MTV

MTV changed the way that music was disseminated when it was introduced in 1981. The video based TV station was a huge hit and every teenager watched it on a regular basis. MTV also broke the color barrier by showing music videos of artists such as Michael Jackson and Tina Turner. My question is in recent years MTV has become less popular especially with younger teenagers today, why do you think that?

Black v. White Music

I was shocked to learn that MTV refused to play music by black musicians, even with Michael Jackson's popularity. Playing Michael Jackson would only have helped the network so why is it that this amount of blatant racism was occurring and acceptable? Today there are genres that are predominately one race, like hip hop for African American musicians but there is more cross over and popular music relies heavily on rap. Was it that even as far into the 80s there was still the divide between "black music" and "white music"? "White music" being the mainstream?

I want my MTV

MTV started as a channel purely for music. It was a station that promoted new artists, and gave people the thing they wanted to see most- their favorite artists performing their favorite songs in music videos. This was a revolutionary approach in the music industry- mass visual production. However, as the years went on the ratio of music videos to other programs significantly decreased, to the point where today programs called Sixteen and Pregnant and Disaster Date are taking over where TRL used to air. Why do you think, besides the increased popularity of YouTube, it is not custom for a channel short for Music Television to virtually air no music? Should the channel change its name because of false advertising?

MTV then and now

MTV in the 80's was strictly music television. With the turn of the millennium the name MTV has taken on newer meaning due to its infiltration of reality TV. Alike artists in the music industry is it possible for a music station to "sell out"? Do you think MTV's shift to reality TV and away from music videos was a mainstream effort that brought more attention and popularity to the station, or did it ultimately diminish its reputation?

MTV.

MTV has played a big role in creating music superstars by playing artistes' music videos on television. Because of MTV, music have turned into something more visual and is not just about music anymore. What is the significance that MTV have on the music videos at that time? Did music videos evolve into something that is more complex (e,g: Michael Jackson's "Thriller", a music video that seems like a movie)?

MTV have now changed its direction and plays more reality TV shows rather than music videos. Most of the reality TV shows aired are trashy (at least to me), and it seems to me that MTV have lost it's uniqueness. Although they have separate channels just for music videos, I feel that the public image of MTV has definitely changed. Has MTV become a channel that have negative influence on the youth?

pirating

Pirating was the illegal copying of commercial recordings by consumers with cassette tape decks in the 80's. This is similar to many of todays ways of stealing music such as limewire. How did this affect the music industry and artists in the 80's, and were consequences taken back then like they are today?

Michael Jackson

Today in class we learned that early MTV played no music videos with African Americans, and refused to play Michael Jackson's "The Making of Michael Jackson’s Thriller-60 minute home video" despite the fact that it sold 350,000 copies in the first three months. Finally after threats from Columbia Records to ban their white rock groups from performing on MTV, Michael Jackson's video was aired. How did Michael Jackson's collaboration of different genres of music such as R&B and Rock, and MTV's airing of his video's contribute to the integration of races within our culture? What did this do for African American musicians to follow?

80's

the reason i did not want to comment on the topic of the 80's in mondays class was not to step on anyones feet when i say things such as i feel the 80's and early 70's is the cause of the falsity of music i see it as fake and unreal no real emotion or sentiment. im not saying music with a message went and died out but was buried by the industry it created. when you start to define music to certain people and target a single audience to maximize profits and not tend to the artists ambitions. they tell the man with the guitar in his hand what to play and not to when music should be a free expression and not so one sided. we can see the effects already in everyday when bands come and go there are no names out today that you can faithfully say they have staying power like so many greats that get casted aside for a face and not the voice or talent that it takes to preform day in and day out not for just a video and mouth the words the best you can. next time you want  to make watch a music video just go to a mirror play the song and you mouth the words its the same effect just your not wearing a one piece jump suit and spandex

What is a video for?

As we saw in class, MTV really started the idea of artists creating videos for their songs. With this new channel, the artists could easily promote their songs with videos that would be memorable. However, I have came across multiple videos by bands way before the time of MTV. I know the Beatles have a few videos out there, such as a video for "Something", and I guess even David Bowie has a few videos. What was the point of these artists making the videos back then when they did not have such an easy accessible place to play them such as MTV? How did people see these videos? The videos made when MTV came about and on have had a pretty specific point to them...to make the band commercially successful. These artists wanted to be remembered and known with their risky, or elaborate videos. It also makes me wonder what the point of some videos are now a days. It now seems like just a place to show off the awesome bodies and sexuality of musical artists. It seems as if music videos used to be just an art form, then basically to commercials, now I don't even know what their point is. But, it seems like music videos are and have been a very popular idea, and I really do hope they never die out. I also just hope they can go back to having some sort of meaning, and being more than just a long dance scene.

media changes and artists

today we discussed about the change of MTV. At first MTV was broadcasting lots of music videos but recently the contents of MTV are varying, reality shows and funny shows like jackass, and the importance of music video decreased. I think it is because the power of TV is getting weaker due to the appearance of the internet. Is the music videos still important for artists? What do you think is the most appropriate way to promote artists in this internet era?

Video Killed the Radio Star

When MTV first came on the air it was a unique and promising tool for the distribution of music and promotion of artists. However, fast forward to the present day and MTV basically cycles through a series of different "reality shows" 24 hours a day. My question is what influenced the gradual phasing out of music from "Music Television", and furthermore what were some societal factors that could have influenced this change?

MTV? How about RTV??

When we compare the original MTV to the MTV that we currently have now its totally two different things. When MTV was first aired it held its name, it was truly MUSIC television. They played music videos of popular songs and promoted many artists. But now all we see on MTV is a bunch of reality shows like Jersey Shore, Teen Mom, 16 and Pregnant, MADE, etc. The musical aspect has virtually gone down the drain over the years. Yes there are separate channels that still shows music videos and such but its not what it used to be anymore. Since MTV has taken such a major change through the years do you think we can still call MTV, MTV anymore? It seems like we should rename it as RTV (Reality Television).

The Rise of Music Videos

In the 80's, music videos became popularized with the rise of MTV. Music videos were a new and exciting way to showcase an artist's music and quickly became extremely popular among teens and young adults. Although music videos are a great way for an artist to spread it's music to a larger audience, I wonder if there are consequences to having video associated with music. The production associated with some music videos is so vast that the music can become secondary to the video. I think this is especially apparent in many modern rap videos. These music videos commonly have expensive sports cars, yachts, mansions, and gold jewelery. I feel like all of these things can act to divert attention away from the music. My question is, do you think that high production music videos take away from the music? Why or why not? Do you think that these videos are artistic and add to the music, or do they just attempt to captivate their audience by using outrageous images?

Music Television

Today in class we discussed the difference between what you and I think of when we hear 'MTV' vs what out parents might think of when they hear 'MTV.' In the 1980's, MTV was actually all about the music. I found this really great website that represents what MTV was like in the 1980's: http://www.liketotally80s.com/80s-mtv.html, stating that "...it did have tons of music videos, awesome VJs and music news unavailable anywhere else."

Now anyone today that would go to their TV and turn on MTV, there is a very high percentage that what you turn on is going to be some reality show thats really actually scripted and is used for pure useless entertainment. Don't get me wrong, I watch these shows on MTV and find some of them extremely entertaining, but for something called Music Television (MTV), I have to say it really has nothing to do with the music anymore which is sad. So my question is, what provoked this huge change in MTV to progress from the 80s, to 90s and now to move so far away from what they originally started with?

back to the 80'S!!!!

I must say my favorite decade was hands down the 80's!! I love everything about this time era. The music was amazing and I love the style and boldness! Madonna is insane in everyway, her outfits and the way she expresses her sexuality is very entertaining. She reminds me of the modern day Lady Gaga, the was she always takes everyone by surprise! Another artisit who set the pace was Michael Jackson. An amazing preformer who was so compeltely talented. Every song a hit and so gifted in dancing and singing. The 80's was an incredable time for music. I will continue to listen to the 80's for years to come!

Madonna

When I am thinking about Madonna, I also think about the influence she does for other women. Personally, I do not think she is the best example. Even though she is a very successful business woman, in my opinion, she is kind of trashy. However, at the same time she is encouraging older women to stay young which is not a bad thing. 

Michael Jackson

Growing up I never really paid too much attention to Michael Jackson. I know he was the "best" pop artist, or at least according to many people. Aside from his music, he did have a lot going for him, good and bad. I do not know very much about him outside of his music besides all the rumors about how he did inappropriate things. As an African American he seemed to have things pretty good, at least from what I know. My question is why did he change his skin color? I would assume there is more to it than he just did not want to be black.