When I first started writing rhymes, I wasn’t trying to write hit records. I was a shy Catholic school kid, just writing to express myself. As soon as a company said, 'Yo D, we need a hit record,' my thought pattern completely changed. I felt the only way I could get rid of the pressure was to drink.
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Celebrities Listening to Music on Headphones: French actress Maria Schneider, Nov. 30, 1970.
(Dove/Hulton Archive/Getty Images)
Thursday - May 24, 2018 Thu - 05/24/18
rantnrave:// Lots of talk about words this week. KENDRICK LAMAR invites a white fan to rap "M.A.A.D CITY" onstage with him, and then he (gently) and his audience (not so gently) and a good chunk of TWITTER (do you have to ask?) turn on her when she repeatedly raps a certain word that white people, as a rule, should not ever say, under any circumstance. Is it weird that a rapper can say a word and a fan can buy it, stream it, memorize it but not sing along with it? Yes, it's a little weird. But hello, America. What's a lot weird, and a lot ugly, is the history behind that word, the weight it carries, the hatred it conveys. The black rapper who uses it is drawing on that history and grappling with it. The white fan who hears it owes it to the culture to respect all of that and to not repeat the slur. Is that so hard to do? Is it asking too much? It's 2018. This isn't new information. And it isn't complicated. But a secondary question has been raised. Was it unfair of Lamar to invite a young white fan, who probably has never stood on a stage in front of an audience like that, to join him on that exact song and expect her to know exactly what to do in that moment, and to know how not to be awkward? Valid question. (And while we're here: Should we be talking about the fact that the next song Lamar played uses a five-letter slur for women in its title?) RITA ORA, meanwhile, was pressured into sort of apologizing for her own song because of a couple loaded words and phrases that turned her all-star update on "I KISSED A GIRL" into a cultural offense. She'll think twice before she tries singing about red wine or her open-mindedness again. Or before she tries telling the world that a party song about her own experience could be an anthem for a community of women of which she isn't a part. Because that's where she really went wrong. "GIRLS" is a kinda catchy pop song that could have been a harmless album track (if album tracks exist anymore; do they?). But as a single with a purported mission, it was a fast fail. Context matters... It can take a village to produce a great song. "THE MIDDLE" required one sample of a medieval axe, three waves of producers and 14 would-be singers. "DON'T STOP BELIEVIN'" drew on years of memories of the sights and smells of rock clubs up and down SUNSET BOULEVARD. I'll never get sick of first-hand accounts of the very real process behind the fairy-dust magic that is pop. MusicSet: "Behind the Song, Vol. 7"... Trumpet debt forgiven... RIP GLENN SNODDY.
- Matty Karas, curator
stereophonic
The Fader
How a simple tracksuit ushered in the rebirth of grime
by Dan Hancox
A pivotal moment came when Skepta made being “dressed like I just come from P.E.” the pinnacle of cool again.
Billboard
Why Sony Bought Bulk of EMI Before It Had To - And What Competitors Could Win By Objecting To the Deal
by Ed Christman
Sony Corp. had until the end of August to put together a deal to buy Mubadala's stake in EMI Music Publishing, but it jumped the gun and paid handsomely, this week announcing it would snap up 90 percent of EMI at a price that values the whole publishing unit at $4.75 billion, more than double its price in 2012. Why would Sony press fast-forward? There are several reasons.
BuzzFeed
The Boy Band Is Back
by Sandi Rankaduwa
Refreshingly diverse all-male musical groups like PrettyMuch and Brockhampton are expanding what it means to be an American boy band.
REDEF
REDEF MusicSET: Behind the Song, Vol. 7
by MusicREDEF
It can take a village to produce a great song. "The Middle" required one sample of a medieval axe, three waves of producers and 14 would-be singers. "Don't Stop Believin'" synthesized years of memories of the sights and smells of rock clubs up and down Sunset Boulevard. The stories of how these and other classics came together, straight from the source.
The Outline
A billionaire and an indie superstar walk into a bar
by Jeremy Gordon
Why is the relationship between Grimes and Elon Musk so fascinating?
Complex
Bhad Bhabie Isn’t Going Anywhere
by Meaghan Garvey
Introduced to the world as an inescapable meme, Danielle Bregoli was only supposed to have 15 minutes of fame. But reborn as Bhad Bhabie, the 15-year-old rapper is letting the world know that she's got more time on the clock.
The New Yorker
Why Are Pop Stars Trying to Be Performance Artists?
by Amanda Petrusich
Amanda Petrusich traces the influence of performance art on contemporary pop music and its unexpected adoption by stars such as Kanye West, Lady Gaga, Jay-Z, and A$AP Rocky.
The New York Times
Popcast: Pursuing R. Kelly: The Reporter Who Never Gave Up
by Jon Caramanica and Jim DeRogatis
For two decades, accusations of sexual impropriety have been leveled at the R&B superstar. And Jim DeRogatis has been covering the story.
Variety
Fired MusiCares Exec Accuses Grammy Chief of Steering Money From Charity to Cover Shortfall
by Jem Aswad
A 25-year veteran of the Recording Academy’s philanthropic arm also claims harassment and wrongful termination in a scathing letter to trustee board.
The Ringer
Wussy's American Gothic
by Adam Nayman
The Ohio band has been quietly crafting one of the great rock catalogs of the decade. But their latest album, ‘What Heaven Is Like,’ is too good to be kept secret.
quadraphonic
NME
How the kids got smooth: the rise of Schmaltzcore
by Jordan Bassett
There's a new wave of crooners bringing soft-pop to adoring adolescent fans. They may sound like Jamie Cullum, but scratch the surface and you'll discover a very mild-mannered teenage riot.
Mixmag
How the music industry condones a culture of excessive substance use
by Nina Posner
Drugs, alcohol, and nightlife have a long and complicated relationship, but we need to be doing more to prevent substance abuse.
Men's Health
Darryl 'D.M.C.' McDaniels: Admitting Mental Health Issues Isn't Soft — It's Powerful
by Darryl McDaniels
The Run-D.M.C. rapper opens up about mental illness, addiction, and recovery.
The New York Times
Clairo’s ‘Pretty Girl’ Went Viral. Then She Had to Prove Herself.
by Joe Coscarelli
The 19-year-old bedroom pop singer and songwriter is getting an early taste of fame - and the hardships that come with it.
MusicAlly
Should Spotify windfall lead majors to cancel unrecouped debts for legacy artists?
by Stuart Dredge
Musician Tom Gray of British band Gomez - currently firing up crowds on the 20th anniversary tour celebrating their 'Bring It On' album - has an idea for major labels about how to follow up their windfalls from Spotify's public listing.
Complex
Growing Up With Aubrey: A Recovering Stan on Life After a Decade With Drake
by Kiana Fitzgerald
Drake, the superstar rapper, wasn’t always a superstar. In this essay, one writer delves into how she and the Toronto MC have grown-both together and apart over the past decade.
The Canadian Press
Taylor Swift is doing more to stop scalpers than Ontario’s new ticket act: experts
by David Friend
Swift’s team is undertaking an experiment that lists her tickets on Ticketmaster near prices they believe the market demands - much higher than what it usually costs to see a stadium concert.
Refinery29
Why Amanda Palmer Wrote A Song Called "Mr. Weinstein Will See You Now"
by Rebecca Farley
"This is such a difficult topic to attack as a songwriter without being corny or sentimental," Palmer says.
SPIN
Wynton Marsalis Responds to Rap Criticism Controversy With 2200-Word Statement
by Winston Cook-Wilson
In a lengthy Facebook post, virtuoso trumpet player, composer, and self-appointed gatekeeper of jazz music Wynton Marsalis has responded to criticism over the comments he made about rap music during an interview with The Washington Post. The most incendiary moment in the Post discussion was Marsalis arguing that hip-hop was "more damaging than a statue of Robert E. Lee."
Rolling Stone
BTS' 'Love Yourself: Tear': Inside the K-Pop Sensations' New LP
by Elias Leight
Songwriters, producers explain the process behind the million-selling group's latest.
MUSIC OF THE DAY
YouTube
"Mr. Weinstein Will See You Now"
Amanda Palmer & Jasmine Power
“REDEF is dedicated to my mother, who nurtured and encouraged my interest in everything and slightly regrets the day she taught me to always ask ‘why?’”
@JasonHirschhorn


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