I have this theory that everyone learns the truth eventually… some earlier than others… but eventually you’ll learn it, reality will klap you hard if you dwell in ignorance too long…
That was a snippet of a conversation with QL on the fact that music nowadays is screwing up kids to think that bling bling and low morals and SEX all the time, instant gratification is the way life should be lived… Whatever happened to the 90′s angst-ridden, fight-the-power lyrics and music? Even the R&B love everyone, life-is-so-fragile stuff was better than today’s crap…
Radiohead, Rage Against the Machine, Alanis Morisette (got married, lost it), Jewel (Her old stuff, before she sold out), Nirvana, Smashing Pumpkins, Boyz II Men, Mariah Carey (Before she became a Ho), NOFX, The Offspring, Propaghandi, Megadeth, Live, Lauryn Hill, The Fugees, 2Pac, Notorious BIG (his old stuff’s good, but he probably started this current no-moral trend along with 2 Pac)…
Our Generation got traded truth and now all that’s being dealt is Bullshit, Ignorance and a Culture marinated in Self-gratification. You better watch your kids/nephews/nieces closely… in the current atmosphere they’re bound to get fucked up in so many ways unless they’re grounded properly… this shit is hard to do.
The Weekend was Brilliant, I Love Jo’Burg… I don’t know what it is… when I was there this weekend, I just felt ONE with the concrete and Steel. The only thing beating it was the company, Saturday night in particular… brilliant.. started with a quick supper and run-around Fordsburg square and calling various people asking if they up for a night-out with a lonely Blogger from Durban.. anyway, Saaleha obliged constituting a coven of half blogger, half-normal people to convene for this Coffee and Conversation.
So we ended up at an obsucre Little coffe shop called Soulsa, where 5 of us rattled the night away on caffeine and this really cool Almond-yoghurt phyllo pastry with seasonal fruit dessert… Amazing Stuff… conversation went from Jacob Zuma to the Culture of Small Towns like Azaadville Shareef (hehe) and Laudium and everything else in between, also a little bit of analysis on blogging, and how people find time to do it. I’m still trying to answer that one. The time flew from 8:30pm Coffee & Phyllo to 1am Cappuccino and Strawberry and Mint water (another WOW! item on the menu and its free)…
For all the other bloggers who couldn’t make it… you better make it next time, because a night out like this where we connect with people we only ever connect with on an intellectual or emotional level is seriosuly enlightening. Sheer Brilliance. I was reminded by MJ that I shoulda invited him as he woulda came with me on my bus ride… Next time Bro :) Don’t worry.. I’ll keep you in mind :P
Btw, I’m blogging at Muslim Movie Reviews, check out my post on the movie “Gangster No.1″… more movie reviews to come!
UPDATE: I’ve committed a travesty by not mentioning The Constant Traveller (see the 1st Comment), whom I must say I had an Excellent Akhalwaya’s filled lunch with on Saturday… those WITS Specials Rule! Convo was on how we’re gonna Guerilla market the struggle for Palestine.. Lotsa idea’s, let’s hope they materialise!
Peace,
M.
dude, you cut me deep!
such an awesome akhals lunch and i dont even get a mention:(
but saaleha and queenie both do:p
Sounds like you had alot of gun. Johannesburg rocks there is no city like it. Ill definately be at the next blog meet if i can, sounds like fun.
K
i dont think u being fair to the current generation of music lovers Mak – they have some pretty good artists with pretty stong messages like…ummm….like…ummm…wait, gimme a sec….there has to be one dammit!
u sounded like u had a whirlwind of a time in Joburg…good stuff man! btw, why on a bus??????????? i mean WHY?
The bus was because of two things in particular… cost… Mango was coming out more expensive than kulula… the whole trip cost me R300 return on the bus… plus they played some aweosome movies (i was surprised) and I got to read my book which I never find time to do! So there :) It pays to Plan.
Peace,
M.
P.S. as to the music… my point exactly.
ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh now i see:)))))
and the car was not an option why again? cost? but the comfort?
comfort vs cost, comfort vs cost, comfort vs cost………
PS: Glad u enjoyed the book:))))))
on the music nowadays: its not that the good stuff has dissapeared. there are still good artists, good music, good content out there. its just that the other – superficial, low-moral stuff, is what gets the most publicity and play on the commercial radio and tv stations.
we do have to be very careful about what kids listen to and see. unfortunately, that kind of ‘entertainment’ (the kind with low/no morals) is so prevalent in today’s media (tv, radio, film, advertising, etc)…so, its not a case of banning tv or something like that. rather teach them the fundamentals, restrict them from what they (and us too, in many cases) shouldn’t see, and trust that they’ll have a strong enough foundation to spot the wrongs and turn away from them when they have to face it on their own.
about something else you mentioned, very briefly:
i don’t think its fair to say that Tupac “probably started this current no-moral trend”…if you listen to his songs – not the violent ones (which aren’t *that* common, if you actually look at his larger body of work) – you’ll see that he very much had morals, and a good cause – good causes. its just the image that was presented of him in the media at the time which may have caused people to have a certain idea about who he was.
A lot of the posthumously-released work, including the documentary “Resurrection”, give a much more balanced view of the person he really was.
On a related note, one of the members of his group converted to Islam a few years ago, and talks about his experiences in the following video: http://www.islamicmedia.com.au/napoleon.php
Salaams :)
I agree on the Tupac thing… I mean you need only look at songs like Mama, and Changes and you can see his good side. But, Songs like “Toss It Up” and “Hit ‘em Up.. and “Hit em Up 2″ are not very wholesome by any standards. What I can say is his good side compared to current hip hop stars is that he once said that the gold chains he wears was a form of dissent against those who oppressed his people… before they were chained as slaves “But now look at what chains we’re wearing.” That was a far more refreshing look than the current bling Bling consumption mind-set.
I got some of Napolean’s stuff… He’s cool, he does some good stuff. I did hear an interview where he said he’s quitting music because it is against Islam… I had to disagree with him there… Look at Yusuf Islam and Dawud Wharnsby Ali, You can use your talents for good. In fact I got a whole Muslim Hip Hop CD from the States.. let me know , I’ll hook you up :)
As to the Music today… guys like Linkin Park are cool, good lyrics. But I can’t find anyone with the kind of stuff that came out of the 90′s… only linkin park comes close.
Peace,
M.
hey…
so i finally located your blogs…(via saaleha and a round-about of other ways but i got here)…
great stuff…will visit again soon…
it was good meeting u lot last week…
and the strawberry/mint/H2O infusion was definitely a find…
:)
Walaikum salaam
You have a point, yes…nowadays i do take offence to those kinda songs. At the same time though, you have to realise it was his art -his expression of his life, his upbringing, his environment, his ideas.
Thats not to make excuses – because i don’t think anyone, no matter what kinda environment they came from – should be promoting such negative values. But i’m saying that there’s good and bad – there were different sides to him, and that was reflected in the stuff that he expressed via his work.
i remember that quote – the one about gold chains – from somewhere. what interview was it in?
heard an interview of his from 1992 or 93, talking about where his name comes from – and what it represents – and thats also a great symbolic aspect which i think many people don’t know about.
you know, i don’t listen to much hip hop these days – but the one artist i do feel has a lot of depth and is worth checking out form time to time is Nas. of course, he does have songs where the ego element of hip hop is quite evident – but i think, just like Tupac, its one of the sides to his personality. we can take in the sides we want, and leave the rest. pretty much the same with any advice that people give us: take what you think will benefit you, and leave the rest.
sure, i’d like to hear the CD. should be interesting. i’m gonna be in Dbn for a little while from next week Friday, and staying quite close to you i think – so lemme know.
as for what’s out now vs the 90s, what is it exactly that you’re looking for?
incidentally, i was just thinking about groups like Oasis – who are still around of course (though i don’t listen to their new stuff much cos i was never an official album-buying fan) ; and The Cranberries too. I think the lead singer from there was supposed to be doing a solo album not too long ago. maybe check for that – because i think with these 90s artists, some of them still do put out stuff – put it goes largely un-noticed, because their ‘time’ has passed, in the arena of what’s popular at the moment. But then again, trends come back around – so u never know, maybe there’ll be a resurgence in that kinda music and u’ll get what you wanted :)
don’t know exactly what it is you mean – but one group i really really like is Lifehouse. i try not to get too into the publicity, interviews and videos that are out for them (and other groups/artists) – so my impressions, for the most part i hope, are based almost totally on the music – and not on their public image or their standing in the world of entertainment.
i hear Staind is also quite good – but i’ve heard very little of their music. i love “Blurry” by Puddle of Mudd as well…for sentimental reasons, but also just cos i love the song.
anyway, happy hunting :)
hey salaams…
i got held back at a family reunion, but sounds like i definitely missed out!!!
next time, inshallah!
i was once told that when the time comes and we can actually recognise music thats in a classical realm, it probably means that we’re getting old :P
Ref back to Zees tag on seven of the best in music, i think we managed to pull together quite an interesting bag of stuff :)))
kimya – hopefully next time! :)
Anyhow Dreamlife… I totally agree, Nas Rules with some of his stuff… there are others who do some really good stuff as well… check out Immortal Technique for instance, the guy is hard core and wise beyond his years.
but as with everything, take whats good and leave whats bad, how else are we gonna grow? :)
Good blog
Music life morals people sex money violence career goals love friends superfecial-beauty (Plastic Surgery) Clubs drugs PSP etc etc. its a whirl wind of potentially “life ending” scenario’s. My point is can you stop it? Is it possible? I just found out 2 girls who i think world off (younger “friends”) acted as part time big brother while on campus, only to find out this weekend, one is a perpetual dater (never a week without a man) the 2nd who me got gang respect for is going out with some christian white dude. Dont get me wrong I’m not playing hate or judging, it was a shock and its a checkpoint of reality for the average Muslim youngsters! Their choice or the world influence its all the same. Can we do anything about it? American advertiser have begun growing a moral backbone (even if it maybe cause its kitch at mo).
O and I was part of the strawberry water crew, awesome chat! we do it again sometime!
Great post will be coming back thats for sure.
@Tourism: Thanks! hope you do come back.