mensa22-blog

[mensa22-blog]

How do musical artists tell an authentic story? Artists can present A story with a beginning middle and end is not always the type of story musical artists tell.  Art can often tell a story that represents a snapshot in time. For example older hip hop fans and artists view hip hop as storytelling in terms of beginning to end and establishing a setting and plot, usually from real life experiences to establish authenticity.

  El Segundo and A Tribe Called Quest Dynamics

 Stories can be told in music using the beginning middle and end structure i formerly mentioned. “Left My Wallet In El Segundo” by Tribe Called Quest is an example of this structure. The song is the make believe account of a road trip to the city of El Segundo located in LA county California. Q-Tip, the main story teller raps in the opening lines, “My mother went away for a month-long trip, Her and some friends on an ocean liner ship”. Q tip uses an amount  of detail in story and dialogue that takes a not so common situation and brings the relatable relation between Q tip and Ali to the forefront.

Excerpt from an Ali Shaheed interview conducted via Wax Politics. “On ‘Left My Wallet in El Segundo,’ when I heard the title, I was like, “What the hell does that mean?” [laughs] But it was never about that. People could’ve gotten lost on it, but I never did because the lyrics of the song described our relationship. Even though the title was foreign, the body of the song wasn’t foreign, so it all made sense in a very strange way to me, and that’s Q-Tip’s genius.”                                          

 G Herbo: The Treacherous War

 G Herbo is often esteemed as one of the best lyricists of the new generation of rap. He displays an ability to capture a situation and it’s dynamics without describing in excessive detail. His song On The Corner is an example painting an evocative picture of the block lifestyle, dealing drugs and engaging in gang warfare. “My momma told me, baby, please stay off that corner. Yeah, it's crazy, she knew why the police stayed on that corner, Cause shorty'nem they was out there totin' them heats up on that corner.” Herb

He used to trap and cop them grams from a connect with her

A lil down b****, he think she a rider. But she think he a provider, He keeps her dipped in designer. Control is a song about a female who would be considered a gold-digger. Control is a story told in a sort of reverse method of left my wallet in El Segundo, Q tips story is told with emphasis on imagery and dialogue and those aspects bring out the dynamic between Q tip and Ali Shaheed in the story. Control on the other hand tells the story through analyzing the dynamic. Lyrics posted below Herb’s story lacks the rich detail of Left My Wallet In El Segundo, but piles on aspects make the dynamic in the story increasingly complex. Because Herb is speaking on a topic somewhat relatable or at least close enough to the listener to have some outside interaction with it, the story can be consumed and the imagery and other details can be drawn by the listener through prior knowledge and outside sources specifically social media with “socialites” and internet celebrities who are seen as successful with little known about their sources of income.

 In states with different hoes but she couldn't tell when I laid next to her

 She used to be my homie though

Now act like she don't know me though

 She say she ain't gave a nigga her heart who ain't damage it

  Moody Attire and Genuine Cool

Moody attire aka Big Gucci Moody. Moody attire is a rap artist out of NYC. He is cool. Similar to G Herbo’s “Control” women his main source of income is unclear. Naturally one would assume rapping but generally speaking artist popularity has an impact on money made. Either way his music makes it clear he makes and spends large amounts of money. “What ya doing How ya doing All i get is guap and my clothes is foreign”. To peek at his instagram corroborates these lyrics and the assertion that he is indeed leaving the not quite lavish but nevertheless ostentatious lifestyle. Moody attire is somewhat a mystery, with a percentage of his instagram posts not containing his face, just designer garments, jewelry, or drug paraphernalia and a google of his name leaving you with soundcloud posts, a tumblr account with common contents of his instagram, and an indiscriminate youtube playlist of seven songs from Lil Wayne Bob Marley Nirvana and others. Even his race is a mystery, he could pass for any number of races that are not white, but based off of a few posts it seems he is muslim as far as religion goes. What he does give us lends his music credibility and generates authenticity and interest for Moody but by the same token the lifestyle being lived could be a letdown.

   Chris Brown Antics = Interest Generation

Chris Brown has been one of the most polarizing artists to sing since his start around 2005. First coming on the scene as sweet country singing teen with a twang and a faith. Chris Brown has since manifest as one of the more aberrant celebrities of our time. Since first appearing with a buzzcut Brown has had plenty of notable and eccentric hairstyles include a rainbow dyed fade with a part in the side. The Dennis Rodman of R&B as far as hair goes. Likely known but Brown has an extensive with a capital e background of legal troubles. This history includes a fresh restraining order by Karrueche his on and off girlfriend and a very infamous domestic assault incident involving then girlfriend and now lingering love interest Rihanna. There is definitely an argument to be made that his antics have positively impacted his popularity. With 5 of 7 albums with sales data available going at least Platinum, 3 of those 5 going double platinum. Brown’s lowest grossing release was 2009’s Graffiti which reached silver certification. However March 2009 was the time of charge for the Rihanna assault. Graffiti releasing December 2009 was his lowest gross a counter argument alleging his antics are negative for sales. Regardless it seems apparent Chris Brown equals interest.

 (via https://soundcloud.com/a-tribe-called-quest-official/i-left-my-wallet-in-el-segundo?utm_source=soundcloud&utm_campaign=wtshare&utm_medium=Tumblr&utm_content=https%3A//soundcloud.com/a-tribe-called-quest-official/i-left-my-wallet-in-el-segundo)

(via https://soundcloud.com/kaytaughtyou/lil-herb-ft-lil-durk-kd-young?utm_source=soundcloud&utm_campaign=wtshare&utm_medium=Tumblr&utm_content=https%3A//soundcloud.com/kaytaughtyou/lil-herb-ft-lil-durk-kd-young)

(via https://soundcloud.com/realfinesseking/lil-herb-mamma-im-sorry?utm_source=soundcloud&utm_campaign=wtshare&utm_medium=Tumblr&utm_content=https%3A//soundcloud.com/realfinesseking/lil-herb-mamma-im-sorry)

Artists Telling Their Stories : Songs To Listen To

Drake - The Language

Chief Keef - Oh Lawd

Lil Uzi Vert - Erase Your Social

Future - No Charge

Drake - Passionfruit

Beyonce - Sorry

Lil Durk - Better

Edai - Hate On Me