Why don’t we have a major Hip Hop Hall of Fame ceremony?
November 20, 2022 § Leave a comment
This year’s Rock and Roll Hall of Fame ceremony did not disappoint per usual. So many talented people were celebrated like Pat Benatar, Duran Duran, Lionel Richie, Eurythmics, Jimmy Iovine, JUDAS PRIEST—and rightfully so. They are exceptional musicians and iconic members of the music industry today. But, categorizing all of those acts as rock, I think , is doing a disservice to each genre that should have its own big celebration.
Hear me out.
Isn’t it about time for a big Hip Hop Hall of Fame ceremony of its own? There are so many deserving artists in that category that would be great to see honored in a similar way but more nuanced acts might get overlooked in this genre bending show’s format. Like all of the artists Eminem listed in his award acceptance speech. Salt-N-Pepa—who’ve influenced so many—deserve an award celebration too.
Whatever the formula for deciding who is rock and who isn’t is leaving A LOT of deserving artists out.
Will Link Wray ever be honored for his contributions to rock? His power-chord is widely credited with influencing some of rock’s most distinct sounds.
According to his biography “Wray was the creator of the power-chord and was one of the first musicians to experiment with both distortion and the burning fuzz-tone guitar sound in his instrumental recordings; his harsh and raw, yet potent and effective simple guitar style inspired such rock music genres as heavy metal, punk, thrash, and alternative rock.”
He deserves a nod, but bigger contemporary acts overshadow his historical contributions to the genre.
I love hip-hop, country, pop, R&B—all of those genres and believe they ALL deserve deeper dives into their musical histories. Each contain unique musical legacies and worthy contributors that are overlooked in the mixed event.
If you really want to diversify the show, bring more genre specific hall of fame ceremonies to the stage and our screens. Broaden our musical horizons with more in depth shows celebrating each of those genres. Rock and most of the other genres are made all around the world. The artists deserve to be honored by their respective schools of sound. And we, the masses, would benefit from more music celebrated on the stage and our small screens.
Beats Music: The Latest In Music Pairing Technology
January 20, 2014 § Leave a comment
photo credit: sarmaaye.com
Beats by Dre has been working on a new music service that launches tomorrow (Tuesday, January 21) and it stands to rival the services of Spotify and paid music pairing by Pandora.
I love everything out of the veteran rap star’s headphone empire, so I can’t wait to see what his team has done in terms of advancing music algorithms.
Beats Music Technology
According to Wired, “Your age is especially important to Beats Music. Tell it when you were born, and it figures out when you were in high school. The music of your youth — the stuff that was popular when you first got a Walkman or an iPod, the band that made it big when you got your driver’s license, the record that was all over MTV just before your freshman year of college — is the music with the strongest memories for you. It’s a fixed point in time that’s the most culturally and musically relevant to you. And it’s being crunched by the company’s algorithm.”
If that’s the case, I can’t wait to test out its 80’s pop mix.
“Things are coming together magnificently. #BeatsMusic is blowing my mind right now. Its personalized recommendations are perfect,” says Arjan Writes the Head of Pop/Dance Programming at Beats Music.
Give me some Exposé and Taylor Dane, OKAY? In the meantime, do follow all that is relevant to the Beats crew on Twitter.
Have a happy Monday, my babies!
MERRY CHRISTMAS!
November 30, 2011 § Leave a comment
I know it’s a bit early, but the sooner I tell you – the more you can enjoy it right? So, Meeeeeeeeeerry Christmas…
Ronny Morris Talks About the Future of Music
March 9, 2011 § Leave a comment
Who is Morris Music?
Growing in the industry
“We are a very creative group people, who are constantly sharing ideas” says Morris. “We grow with the success of our artists. We ask ourselves where music can fit a niche, who can be touched by the music we promote, and where certain music has not yet touched ground.”
He goes on, “We are passionate about creating win/win situations and feel it’s about the experience, not just quick decisions.”
The label actively recruits new talent. Morris plans to attend the 2010 SXSW Music and Media Conference in Austin to look for emerging artists.
“The artists and the clients we serve are the foundation of our success, and we grow with them. We believe in the quality of music that we deliver, and are always looking for new artists that share that ideal with us.”
Morris on music today
“The music industry is a very exciting place to be right now. The rules have changed. There are a lot of new companies emerging with new approaches to the business, Live Nation being an example, and the industry is rearranging itself.”
Live Nation emerged in 2005 as a start up music label that teamed with Ticketmaster. It has since become one of the largest promotion houses in the country.
“From the business side, we are exploring different avenues to create revenue from the music that we sell. No one can depend on CD and download sales” he confesses. “The live scene is a good alternative, but live shows are not a total resolution. Touring costs, and the audience has to be there, which can be difficult for emerging artists.”
Since 2001, the music industry has taken huge losses due to piracy and peer to peer sharing sites like Kazaa and Napster.
According to ZDNet “the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI) reports 2.8 million pirated CD-R discs were seized in the United States last year.”
“So many people in music have been laid off as well, which is troubling, but it opens the doors for new collaboration, especially for us independents. New creative partnerships are emerging, and we all have the opportunity to learn from each other and gain from each others’ experience.”
“Even when it’s winter, a wise farmer plans for spring!”
Getting inspired
“Everything about music inspires me. There are simple lyric ideas that pop up in my mind, or a melody line that I think of when I’m riding across town on my bike. There is text that is born from outrage or sadness, or something in my environment shifting.”
He continues, “Recording is a fantastic and nerve-wracking part of music creation, like a chef working on a meal that he’s really excited about. Sometimes you leave feeling tired and used, but can’t wait to come back into the studio the next day, and I think that’s inspirational.”
Morris writes music that is featured on TV shows “The Ghost Whisperer” and “Brothers and Sisters”.
His collaboration with Swedish producer, Adam Kviman, earned him Hollywood Music in Media’s Best Production / Producer of the Year award – making it his second consecutive HMM award win.
“Music is a lifesaver, and I can’t say enough about it. People make love to music, dance to music, get aggressive to music, and cry with music. It’s in delivery rooms when people are born and can be heard at funerals. We are even healed by music. I don’t think it gets enough credit.”
Having integrity
“It’s important to me that music is treated with integrity and an honest approach” says Morris. “A lot of today’s releases and international shows like American Idol dilute the significance that so many of us in the field dedicate ourselves to, and I think it’s unfortunate to twist a gorgeous, emotive medium into something so cheap. I think music has to come from the heart. No one wants it to be an empty package in a fast-food wrapper.”
Morris Music currently represents six recording artists locally and internationally. Its headquarters are in Santa Monica, California with satellite offices in the UK and Seattle. More Morris Music news can be found on their Facebook fan page.
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