Comments on: Oblique Brown http://sepiamutiny.com/blog/2006/07/06/oblique_brown/ All that flavorful brownness in one savory packet Sat, 30 Nov 2013 11:11:28 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: terence http://sepiamutiny.com/blog/2006/07/06/oblique_brown/comment-page-1/#comment-71394 terence Fri, 07 Jul 2006 23:17:40 +0000 http://sepiamutiny.com?p=3547#comment-71394 <p>himalayan project is definitely good. caught them live once in LA.</p> <blockquote>Good hip hop always goes back to its roots: empowerment of the urban underclass.</blockquote> <p>while i think this is true of how hip hop started, it can't be the only lens through which we look at the genre anymore. too many people making great music that doesn't stem from their "urban underclass" upbringing. or maybe that's just me being optimistic that we can get great hip hop through other avenues. i will say though, that the "empowerment of the urban underclass" is great fodder for the creation of great music.</p> <p>and though i'd tend to agree with that, i've recently paid more attention to the "storytelling" abilities of some MCs and that in and of itself is a gift. sometimes you don't need to have to "live" it to be able to paint a good picture of it lyrically a la a href ="http://www.ballerstatus.net/news/read/id/76159081/">this murs interview.</p> <blockquote>"'Pusherman' is not Curtis Mayfield's story, but he made it vivid," said Murs. "This album is more bluesy, more country and western -- not in sound, but in narrative. Country and western people tell you about their day, but with a twist. Johnny Cash is the perfect example: 'Folsom Prison Blues' is about being in jail for murder, but he never killed anybody; still, he makes you believe it. I can do that, because I've been in those situations." </blockquote> himalayan project is definitely good. caught them live once in LA.

Good hip hop always goes back to its roots: empowerment of the urban underclass.

while i think this is true of how hip hop started, it can’t be the only lens through which we look at the genre anymore. too many people making great music that doesn’t stem from their “urban underclass” upbringing. or maybe that’s just me being optimistic that we can get great hip hop through other avenues. i will say though, that the “empowerment of the urban underclass” is great fodder for the creation of great music.

and though i’d tend to agree with that, i’ve recently paid more attention to the “storytelling” abilities of some MCs and that in and of itself is a gift. sometimes you don’t need to have to “live” it to be able to paint a good picture of it lyrically a la a href =”http://www.ballerstatus.net/news/read/id/76159081/”>this murs interview.

“‘Pusherman’ is not Curtis Mayfield’s story, but he made it vivid,” said Murs. “This album is more bluesy, more country and western — not in sound, but in narrative. Country and western people tell you about their day, but with a twist. Johnny Cash is the perfect example: ‘Folsom Prison Blues’ is about being in jail for murder, but he never killed anybody; still, he makes you believe it. I can do that, because I’ve been in those situations.”
]]> By: Wantok http://sepiamutiny.com/blog/2006/07/06/oblique_brown/comment-page-1/#comment-71315 Wantok Fri, 07 Jul 2006 16:36:55 +0000 http://sepiamutiny.com?p=3547#comment-71315 <blockquote>Maybe more South Asians need to identify with the urban underclass to make better hip hop? I dunno.</blockquote> <p>Maybe they just need to identify with them selves. Rappers trying to identify with something they are'nt is never pretty. Vanilla Ice anyone? I got hooked on HP after someone on SM posted about them. Will definately get this album.</p> Maybe more South Asians need to identify with the urban underclass to make better hip hop? I dunno.

Maybe they just need to identify with them selves. Rappers trying to identify with something they are’nt is never pretty. Vanilla Ice anyone? I got hooked on HP after someone on SM posted about them. Will definately get this album.

]]> By: Shruti http://sepiamutiny.com/blog/2006/07/06/oblique_brown/comment-page-1/#comment-71310 Shruti Fri, 07 Jul 2006 16:05:51 +0000 http://sepiamutiny.com?p=3547#comment-71310 <p>Thanks Abhi. I liked them at Artwallah, and I'm going to pick up their CD at your recommendation. I wish there were more South Asian rappers that made conscious hip hop. Apart from the really cool stuff some London and New York desis are doing (mostly in electronica genres) we have too many mediocre DJs (read: engineering majors who need to blow off steam). We also have too many enterprising rappers from gated communities in Orange County whose misogyny is so stereotypical and overt it's not even worth dignifying with analysis, and whose lack of rhythm is embarassingly apparent as soon as you take the bhangra instrumental off. Good hip hop always goes back to its roots: empowerment of the urban underclass. Maybe more South Asians need to identify with the urban underclass to make better hip hop? I dunno.</p> Thanks Abhi. I liked them at Artwallah, and I’m going to pick up their CD at your recommendation. I wish there were more South Asian rappers that made conscious hip hop. Apart from the really cool stuff some London and New York desis are doing (mostly in electronica genres) we have too many mediocre DJs (read: engineering majors who need to blow off steam). We also have too many enterprising rappers from gated communities in Orange County whose misogyny is so stereotypical and overt it’s not even worth dignifying with analysis, and whose lack of rhythm is embarassingly apparent as soon as you take the bhangra instrumental off. Good hip hop always goes back to its roots: empowerment of the urban underclass. Maybe more South Asians need to identify with the urban underclass to make better hip hop? I dunno.

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