Musicians who had their heyday in the late 20th century should embrace modern music on a cultural basis rather than condemn it for being different than personal tastes.
In a recent interview with the New York Daily News, The Rolling Stones’ guitarist and general rock icon Keith Richards, 71, denounced rap music by labeling its followers as “tone-deaf.” Of course, this isn’t the first time an antiquated rock star condemned the currently prominent genre. In fact, along with Richards, many rock stars past their creative primes — including Gene Simmons, Morrissey, Sebastian Bach and others — have thrown their two cents in about a genre they neither pioneered nor took part in (nor enjoyed, for that matter).
Obviously, everybody is entitled to their own opinion, and that’s understandable. I’d be out of a job if that were not the case. But for someone to oversimplify the entirety of hip-hop, or any other genre in the same fashion, as merely “a drum beat with someone yelling over it” without any further redeeming qualities is ignorant in the purest sense of the word.
Although this might be a complementary description for Death Grips, for someone who played and composed music for such a long time, Richards either has a.) become jaded to modern, non-rock music or b.) a minimal breadth of knowledge toward hip-hop.
Since the inception of hip-hop in the 1970s, there have always been rappers who have progressed the genre from its percussive, sample-based origins. For Richards to reduce Kendrick Lamar, J. Cole or A Tribe Called Quest to drums and yelling is like claiming that Neutral Milk Hotel is just a few guitar chords and nasal singing. Hip-hop has never been about the complexity of the music but rather the emotions and purpose behind it. Having helped write an array of high-energy songs like “Can’t Get No (Satisfaction),” “It’s Only Rock and Roll” and “Can’t You Hear Me Knocking,” Richards, along with other aging rock stars, should at least understand the appeal of hip-hop to people who want start it up, regardless of whether they like it themselves or not.
Furthermore, for as many old rock stars who think rap is pointless, there have been just as many to embrace the musical approach. In this year alone, ex-Beatle Paul McCartney, 73, helped produce two Kanye West songs and Rod Stewart, 70, belted the hook on A$AP Rocky’s grandiose single “Everyday.” Had these two established, respected rock stars seen more artistic expression in the music than drumbeats and inane vocals?
Before his unfortunate death, Lou Reed, whose most widely-known album, The Velvet Underground & Nico, debuted in 1967, posted a praiseworthy review of West’s 2013 project “Yeezus,” summarizing it as “majestic and inspiring” on his blog. Yes, Lou Reed had a blog.
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And, even as far back as hip-hop’s beginnings, rock and rap musicians have blended their styles with principal examples being Aerosmith and Run-D.M.C.’s 1975 remix of “Walk This Way,” Anthrax and Public Enemy’s 1987 song “Bring the Noise” and, more recently, MGMT and Ratatat lending their sound to Kid Cudi’s 2009 album “Man On the Moon.”
When it comes down to it, Keith Richards plays a minimal role in my life and I could not care less about his opinions of rap. I didn’t write this column to be a hip-hop apologist because there’s hardly any threat to it. However, his and others' ignorant views are somewhat alarming to how we view different forms of music. Few genres exist that have no redeeming qualities or not even one classic album, so to dismiss something without first investing time in its peak artistic examples is unfair and lazy.
Nobody likes the guy at a party who reminisces about how great high school was. As much as you want to live in the past, it will eventually become boring and you’ll wonder why you’re so out of touch with the world. As Bob Dylan, whose rapid vocal delivery is considered to be a predecessor to rapping, once said, “he not busy being born is busy dying.”
I think that’s applicable here.
Luke Furman is a sophomore studying journalism and a reporter for The Post. How do you feel about rock and rap crossovers? Tweet him @LukeFurmanOU or email him at lf491413@ohio.edu.
