How do you know if someone really loves you?
Bet I caught your attention huh? Truth is, even I don’t really know how to answer that question. Take me for instance. I only commit to long term relationships. I don’t believe in flings or one night stands. And yet, I always find myself asking the same question. Does he really love me?
Women who are in committed relationships are of a different breed. We all fit a pattern. Loyal, trusting and hopeful; which can sometimes be translated to afraid of abandonment, stupid and naïve as well. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not bashing my own species, I’m just pointing out the fact that when a woman is committed to one man, and builds her hopes and dreams around that man, it’s pretty much a 50-50 situation. Either you reach your objective (marriage) or he screws you over. Can anyone really tell where their relationship is going? Are there tell-tale signs that tell you for certain that he is eventually going to marry you or is he just another ex in the process? Put aside the obvious signs that he’s not the one and you’ll find yourselves as clueless as the rest of the women riding on the carousel of self-delusion.
If you reached the point in your relationship where he’s already talking about caterers and discussing future kid’s names, you can actually start breathing again and stop panicking. But what if the relationship is just boyfriend-girlfriend status for as long as you can remember, do you still stay? Or do you prepare yourselves for the inevitable?
Anyone who said that love was as easy as falling into it and getting married afterwards had to be seriously high. You can learn to build jet fighters or an earthquake proof home, but no one can teach you how to fall in love and stay in love long enough for you to actually feel happy. Not in this lifetime anyway.
I used to believe in soul mates. I was a hopeless romantic. I’ve since adapted a very different view on love. No matter how much you sacrifice or put effort in a relationship, nothing is guaranteed. Not even when you stayed by his side during the hard times and revelled in his joy during his triumphs, the sad fact is that if he wants to leave, he will. And nothing you say or do, can prevent it. I’m not giving a pessimistic view on love, I’m just telling it as it is. Women who invest in long term relationships have more to lose. And though we tell ourselves, the next guy that comes along will just be a casual thing; we get sucked into the ‘this-could-be-the-guy’ fantasy slash vortex. We can’t help it; it’s in our genetic make-up. Others may find it endearing, I find it to be a cruel joke.
I sometimes feel jealous that other women can just have casual, non-committed relationships and not worry about where the relationship is going when I can’t be with a guy who won’t commit. They seem to be having so much fun. Everything is in the moment kinda thing; it’s all flirting and games. But I can’t help but feel that maybe those women were once, the long term commitment types that had given up on their quest to find The One. I certainly have hopes, I want to be married, have kids; you know the whole package, but there’s always that nagging feeling that, that may not be my calling.
It’s sad to even think about stuff like that, I know. But it’s always a little easier when you can prepare yourself for the blow to your belief system than getting a surprise attack 10 years down the road, right? So guys, if you really feel there’s no future for the one you’re with, do us a favour and tell us so we can move on alright? Stringing us along for the ride is just plain cruel. The faster you realise that she may not be wife material, the sooner she’ll start to pick herself up and get on with her life.
So if you feel like the passion is dying between you two (or whatever other reasons men give when they want out), just stop the carousel ride, treat her to a cotton candy and tell her it’s over. You'd be doing her a favour. Trust me.
Thursday, September 13, 2007
Losing Faith
It’s fairly easy to lose your faith. To get it back again? Is of course much harder.
When something bad happens, it’s always easier to blame God. It’s because we can’t see Him yet we know He is responsible for us being here. So who better to blame than the one who put us in such predicaments? When we lose our way, we ask, “Why? Why me?” but we rarely notice the little things that we have and take for granted. The fact that we can walk, talk, earn a living, see, touch, feel; the list is endless. I for one have asked the same question. I have in many different episodes of my life, felt hopelessness and defeat. Sometimes, I feel like I was the one abandoned and forgotten. That I had somehow fallen out of His book of mercy. But there are times that I feel grateful, just to be alive. To be human. To know things that others don’t and to experience life at its lowest and greatest moments.
I’ve been through hardships and yet I’m still here. A little stronger and a little wiser. Experience has taught me that we are destined to face obstacles; some easier to overcome and others just require time, patience and faith to see us through. How do you cope by losing a loved one? Or losing your job? Two very different situations differentiated only by the magnitude of sadness felt. Some people I know see other people’s situation as trivial compared to their own pain and suffering. But I always say, “Pain is pain” no one can say how insignificant the other person’s situation is, because though we like to believe it; we DON’T really know how it feels. At least not how the other person perceives it.
As humans, we often wonder why we never get what we want. More money, nicer clothes, a better looking husband, a normal family; things that we dream about almost everyday. We convince ourselves that once we get what we want, we’ll be happy. But is that really true? Will we ever really be satisfied once we get what we want? Or will we move on to other obsessions? A rich person will always feel like he’s not rich enough. A pretty girl will always feel like she isn’t pretty enough. We’re always pitting our short comings with other people’s achievements. That’s human. And it’s almost understandable. But when it becomes a reason for us to feel bitter about our lives, it’s an unnecessary and endless mental turmoil we put ourselves in. And for what?
Why do we ask questions that have no definite answers? Because we love to think that our problems are too much to bear. That our lives are so unbearable at times. Well, maybe sometimes it is. But while feeling sad about it is acceptable, losing faith is just borderline depression. What ever it is, we need to see the bigger picture. That no matter how shitty things get, someone else on this planet have even bigger problems. Sure, you don’t get to eat at some fancy place as often as your friends but some people don’t get to eat until a big crate falls from the sky. So, you do the math. How many times have you stopped to think about other people less fortunate than you? Things aren’t always as bad. We have our good days and our bad ones; but we have so much more than most. So don’t beat yourself up over the small stuff, be thankful for the great things you have that others can only dream of. Only then you’ll start to realise how damn lucky you really are.
When something bad happens, it’s always easier to blame God. It’s because we can’t see Him yet we know He is responsible for us being here. So who better to blame than the one who put us in such predicaments? When we lose our way, we ask, “Why? Why me?” but we rarely notice the little things that we have and take for granted. The fact that we can walk, talk, earn a living, see, touch, feel; the list is endless. I for one have asked the same question. I have in many different episodes of my life, felt hopelessness and defeat. Sometimes, I feel like I was the one abandoned and forgotten. That I had somehow fallen out of His book of mercy. But there are times that I feel grateful, just to be alive. To be human. To know things that others don’t and to experience life at its lowest and greatest moments.
I’ve been through hardships and yet I’m still here. A little stronger and a little wiser. Experience has taught me that we are destined to face obstacles; some easier to overcome and others just require time, patience and faith to see us through. How do you cope by losing a loved one? Or losing your job? Two very different situations differentiated only by the magnitude of sadness felt. Some people I know see other people’s situation as trivial compared to their own pain and suffering. But I always say, “Pain is pain” no one can say how insignificant the other person’s situation is, because though we like to believe it; we DON’T really know how it feels. At least not how the other person perceives it.
As humans, we often wonder why we never get what we want. More money, nicer clothes, a better looking husband, a normal family; things that we dream about almost everyday. We convince ourselves that once we get what we want, we’ll be happy. But is that really true? Will we ever really be satisfied once we get what we want? Or will we move on to other obsessions? A rich person will always feel like he’s not rich enough. A pretty girl will always feel like she isn’t pretty enough. We’re always pitting our short comings with other people’s achievements. That’s human. And it’s almost understandable. But when it becomes a reason for us to feel bitter about our lives, it’s an unnecessary and endless mental turmoil we put ourselves in. And for what?
Why do we ask questions that have no definite answers? Because we love to think that our problems are too much to bear. That our lives are so unbearable at times. Well, maybe sometimes it is. But while feeling sad about it is acceptable, losing faith is just borderline depression. What ever it is, we need to see the bigger picture. That no matter how shitty things get, someone else on this planet have even bigger problems. Sure, you don’t get to eat at some fancy place as often as your friends but some people don’t get to eat until a big crate falls from the sky. So, you do the math. How many times have you stopped to think about other people less fortunate than you? Things aren’t always as bad. We have our good days and our bad ones; but we have so much more than most. So don’t beat yourself up over the small stuff, be thankful for the great things you have that others can only dream of. Only then you’ll start to realise how damn lucky you really are.
Tuesday, September 4, 2007
Hip Hop is Dead - III
The death of Hip Hop gigs. This has been one of the biggest contributing factors as to why many acts are either disbanded, moved on to pursue other music related jobs or still pushing the dream but at a much smaller scale than before i.e. gone independent.
Many believe that it's the gig goers who are to blame, but one must remember the golden rule that the customer is always right. Here's the thing; an average entrance fee for a Hip Hop gig is about RM30 inclusive of a soft drink, and you have about 4-5 acts performing for the day. The show starts at about 2 or 3pm and the opening act is usually a newcomer. Fine. As the show progresses, you see people start getting antsy, walking about the premise, talking, basically not really interested in the performances. Why? Because most acts can't be bothered to even practise; to put on a decent half an hour set. Then they blame the crowd for not understanding the concept of a gig.
I've seen a few shows this year, a gig or two. Some were mediocre, some were commendable and then there are the ones that made me feel that I had wasted my time being there. Come on; let's look at it from the perspective of the audience shall we? I paid to get in, I expected to have a good time, enjoy good music and in my own way; support the local Hip Hop scene. But what I get in return is one act after another looking pretty lost most of the time, forgetting lyrics, have missing group members, and have no intention to interact with the audience whatsoever during their set. So I feel sort of cheated, and I leave with no intention of memorising the names of the groups I just saw because I just wasted what would have been a pretty interesting Saturday.
Okay, then there are groups or acts that actually DO practise, who do put in an effort to not look like a bunch of people who just finalised their set for the day the night before. They actually do take the time to make their own medleys, decide to do more of their own songs than cover versions and come show time; they bring their A game. You see it, you enjoy it, and you REMEMBER them. Because it was just that memorable. But then when the show ends, the organisers come up and tell the acts that the ticket sales weren't as good as expected so, here's your share. The acts then fell cheated, that all their hard work which took place weeks before was for a mere RM200. They leave with no intention of performing for any gigs in the near future because it's just not worth putting so much effort into.
Then there's the reasonable organisers (what the scene lacks nowadays). The ones who charge a decent entrance fee (about RM15-20), and is located within an accessible area, who scheduled a good line up and actually took the time to source out a deejay to entertain the crowd in between sets. When it's time to open the gates, the crowd starts coming in. An hour later nearing show time, the head count is not getting anywhere near promising. The organiser starts getting nervous; this does not look good. But the show must go on, with or without the estimated turnout. When the gig's over, the organiser expresses that there will no intention to organise another gig in the near future because the overhead cost is too much to bear, and the turnout barely covered his expenses for the day.
Three different scenarios; but all of them contributing to the demise of Hip Hop gigs here in KL. First off, organisers need to learn that promotion is crucial in ensuring the gig that's about to take place reaches the ears of its targeted audience. It doesn't matter how it's done; via flyers, SMS, online, mass emailing, bottom line it needs to be promoted at the very least a month before the event. Give the audience time to actually clear their schedule, gather their friends and make plans to go together but more importantly; to set aside what would be their expenses for the said date. If all this is taken into consideration, there is no need to charge a bomb for the ticket. Even if you charge at RM15 per person, if the event is promoted well enough; you'll definitely earn back your capital plus some extra to motivate you to plan the next gig soon.
Now, acts need to brush up on their stage persona. It's not just about memorising lyrics or when you're suppose to back up during the songs, but its also about being energetic, looking alive up there on stage. Create an interesting set that requires a bit of choreography (no, not dancing in synch, more on stage placement when the main MC takes the mic), even with limited space, make the effort to ask the organiser if you'll have room to move or if you need to be on the dance floor when its your turn, will there be feedback from the monitors? There's so much that can be taken into consideration to ensure a good performance, if only some people would only take the time to do a little research. About forgetting your lyrics, we all do that. It's only human. But with regular practise before shows you eliminate that possibility. And even if it does happen, don't immediately freeze and look bewildered all of a sudden; be quick to cover up your mistake and try to get back into the next line that follows. A good tip: It's good to have everyone know each other's parts, this way when someone forgets, someone else can always take over the line, and this also helps when one of your group members is sick or absent so the flow of the show is not interrupted. The most important thing to remember is that for the brief 30 minutes or so, you OWN that stage so make the most of it.
Once all the factors above fall into place, you'll start to notice more and more people coming to gigs again. It'll take a little time to regain the trust and support of the gig goers, but in time they'll start to pick up where they left off. No one wants to pay to see a showcase of people who seem to not know what they're doing, and to pay that much; is just not helping the scene to create an outlet for kids to go enjoy good local Hip Hop acts in action. So to tackle the problem, one has to dissect all factors involved. I hope we'll start to see the rebirth of great gigs again, 'cause it's always great to see home-grown talent showcase their music. Now THAT makes for a pretty interesting Saturday.
Many believe that it's the gig goers who are to blame, but one must remember the golden rule that the customer is always right. Here's the thing; an average entrance fee for a Hip Hop gig is about RM30 inclusive of a soft drink, and you have about 4-5 acts performing for the day. The show starts at about 2 or 3pm and the opening act is usually a newcomer. Fine. As the show progresses, you see people start getting antsy, walking about the premise, talking, basically not really interested in the performances. Why? Because most acts can't be bothered to even practise; to put on a decent half an hour set. Then they blame the crowd for not understanding the concept of a gig.
I've seen a few shows this year, a gig or two. Some were mediocre, some were commendable and then there are the ones that made me feel that I had wasted my time being there. Come on; let's look at it from the perspective of the audience shall we? I paid to get in, I expected to have a good time, enjoy good music and in my own way; support the local Hip Hop scene. But what I get in return is one act after another looking pretty lost most of the time, forgetting lyrics, have missing group members, and have no intention to interact with the audience whatsoever during their set. So I feel sort of cheated, and I leave with no intention of memorising the names of the groups I just saw because I just wasted what would have been a pretty interesting Saturday.
Okay, then there are groups or acts that actually DO practise, who do put in an effort to not look like a bunch of people who just finalised their set for the day the night before. They actually do take the time to make their own medleys, decide to do more of their own songs than cover versions and come show time; they bring their A game. You see it, you enjoy it, and you REMEMBER them. Because it was just that memorable. But then when the show ends, the organisers come up and tell the acts that the ticket sales weren't as good as expected so, here's your share. The acts then fell cheated, that all their hard work which took place weeks before was for a mere RM200. They leave with no intention of performing for any gigs in the near future because it's just not worth putting so much effort into.
Then there's the reasonable organisers (what the scene lacks nowadays). The ones who charge a decent entrance fee (about RM15-20), and is located within an accessible area, who scheduled a good line up and actually took the time to source out a deejay to entertain the crowd in between sets. When it's time to open the gates, the crowd starts coming in. An hour later nearing show time, the head count is not getting anywhere near promising. The organiser starts getting nervous; this does not look good. But the show must go on, with or without the estimated turnout. When the gig's over, the organiser expresses that there will no intention to organise another gig in the near future because the overhead cost is too much to bear, and the turnout barely covered his expenses for the day.
Three different scenarios; but all of them contributing to the demise of Hip Hop gigs here in KL. First off, organisers need to learn that promotion is crucial in ensuring the gig that's about to take place reaches the ears of its targeted audience. It doesn't matter how it's done; via flyers, SMS, online, mass emailing, bottom line it needs to be promoted at the very least a month before the event. Give the audience time to actually clear their schedule, gather their friends and make plans to go together but more importantly; to set aside what would be their expenses for the said date. If all this is taken into consideration, there is no need to charge a bomb for the ticket. Even if you charge at RM15 per person, if the event is promoted well enough; you'll definitely earn back your capital plus some extra to motivate you to plan the next gig soon.
Now, acts need to brush up on their stage persona. It's not just about memorising lyrics or when you're suppose to back up during the songs, but its also about being energetic, looking alive up there on stage. Create an interesting set that requires a bit of choreography (no, not dancing in synch, more on stage placement when the main MC takes the mic), even with limited space, make the effort to ask the organiser if you'll have room to move or if you need to be on the dance floor when its your turn, will there be feedback from the monitors? There's so much that can be taken into consideration to ensure a good performance, if only some people would only take the time to do a little research. About forgetting your lyrics, we all do that. It's only human. But with regular practise before shows you eliminate that possibility. And even if it does happen, don't immediately freeze and look bewildered all of a sudden; be quick to cover up your mistake and try to get back into the next line that follows. A good tip: It's good to have everyone know each other's parts, this way when someone forgets, someone else can always take over the line, and this also helps when one of your group members is sick or absent so the flow of the show is not interrupted. The most important thing to remember is that for the brief 30 minutes or so, you OWN that stage so make the most of it.
Once all the factors above fall into place, you'll start to notice more and more people coming to gigs again. It'll take a little time to regain the trust and support of the gig goers, but in time they'll start to pick up where they left off. No one wants to pay to see a showcase of people who seem to not know what they're doing, and to pay that much; is just not helping the scene to create an outlet for kids to go enjoy good local Hip Hop acts in action. So to tackle the problem, one has to dissect all factors involved. I hope we'll start to see the rebirth of great gigs again, 'cause it's always great to see home-grown talent showcase their music. Now THAT makes for a pretty interesting Saturday.
Hip Hop is Dead – II
The internet trap. That's what I call it when Hip Hop acts who are adamant in making their music, videos and even themselves so accessible to the outside world. Before you make any judgements, hear me out. I'm all for self-promotion because let's face it, even signed artiste can't fully rely on their PR team to market their product, which eventually leads to the dragged out process of living out their contracts until its termination date due to poor album sales. So the next best thing is to promote your product online, right?
It has its pros and cons. You'd definitely have a wider audience, and if you start linking your website diligently enough, hell even the whole world or someone in a foreign country would eventually know who you are. That's the big picture. Let's scale it down a bit and you'll see what that actually means here in Malaysia. You've got your songs online; maybe a track or two, then you upload your videos--okay, that's fine, then you're replying every single comment or questions posted. So how does that make you exclusive enough to actually be an artiste?
What people don't see is that, when you are so easily accessible it leaves little to the imagination. It takes out all the anticipation of actually meeting and seeing you perform live in person. When the lines between fans and friends are blurred, you risk devaluing yourselves as artiste. Ever wonder why some artiste are paid a bomb for performing for shows and others are paid not even close to what's considered as minimum? It's because they market their exclusivity and people are more than willing to pay for their presence and their live performance because they value these artiste taking the time and the effort to come and put on a good show. Let's look at this at a simpler perspective. Why would someone have to pay to see you perform live when they already know where you hang out every day that they can actually pull up a chair and start chatting about your songs?
I understand the need to maintain a close relationship with your fans, but I also truly believe that when you regard yourself as an artiste who makes an album, markets it, go for interviews and shows etc., you are also obligated to keep a certain amount of distance from your fans because you are in the business of selling your product; so if you're so easy to attain, where is the value in it? It would be nice to have fans who feel close to you because you know you'll have a 100% support from them, but the truth is that it's not really your fans that matter in this industry; it's the mass.
Like it or not, it's the radio listeners who go out and buy albums, it's also these people who'd pay to see you perform because they're curious enough to find out if you're as good as you sound on the air. And it's these people who will determine if you make it or break it in this industry.
The mass are the ones with the buying power, and that is a fact. Your friends are more likely to ask for a free copy. And being friends, you pass not one; but a few to people who already know who you are, and what your music represents. What I'm saying may be harsh for some to swallow, but the fact remains that some are being paid more than others for shows and appearances because they know exclusivity sells. Try and back up a little, keep them wondering what your next step is. Never discuss who you 're going to feature next and never disclose your concept, songs or lyrics with people other than your group members or those directly involved in the album; and as the anticipation builds up, you'll be surprised at how many people are actually talking about the album that isn't even out yet.
It's true that we live in an age of progressive technology and making full use of it is the sensible thing to do. It's also true that many big names in the industry have fully utilised the net as a means of updating their fans on what's lined up in their schedules. But when one becomes too comfortable with the response they get online, there's always the danger of becoming complacent and not seeing the greater need to reach out to the mass audience; the people who actually seek out for albums. And when that happens, you're left disappointed that the sales did not go as planned or that most of your shows are only attended by the same crowd which translates to not having your music reach the major local buyers and listeners.
Again, I'm stressing the point that I'm not writing this to pinpoint an individual or group, but I see more and more Hip Hop artiste going down the same route and it's become very evident that we're missing the bigger picture here. When you regard the internet as a means to promote yourself as an artiste, you must be prepared to face the repercussions of it as well. Having said that, using the internet as a means to update your fan base is fine, having a 30 second fade in and fade out of your songs is still acceptable, but don't lay out every single thing that you have hoping to receive the same response when your album is out there in stores, because that's just not going to happen. Like everything else, use the internet in moderation. Because too much of a good thing, is sometimes more damaging than you think.
Author's note: If you happen to come across the XXL World magazine Jan/Feb issue, check out the article entitled 'New World'.
It has its pros and cons. You'd definitely have a wider audience, and if you start linking your website diligently enough, hell even the whole world or someone in a foreign country would eventually know who you are. That's the big picture. Let's scale it down a bit and you'll see what that actually means here in Malaysia. You've got your songs online; maybe a track or two, then you upload your videos--okay, that's fine, then you're replying every single comment or questions posted. So how does that make you exclusive enough to actually be an artiste?
What people don't see is that, when you are so easily accessible it leaves little to the imagination. It takes out all the anticipation of actually meeting and seeing you perform live in person. When the lines between fans and friends are blurred, you risk devaluing yourselves as artiste. Ever wonder why some artiste are paid a bomb for performing for shows and others are paid not even close to what's considered as minimum? It's because they market their exclusivity and people are more than willing to pay for their presence and their live performance because they value these artiste taking the time and the effort to come and put on a good show. Let's look at this at a simpler perspective. Why would someone have to pay to see you perform live when they already know where you hang out every day that they can actually pull up a chair and start chatting about your songs?
I understand the need to maintain a close relationship with your fans, but I also truly believe that when you regard yourself as an artiste who makes an album, markets it, go for interviews and shows etc., you are also obligated to keep a certain amount of distance from your fans because you are in the business of selling your product; so if you're so easy to attain, where is the value in it? It would be nice to have fans who feel close to you because you know you'll have a 100% support from them, but the truth is that it's not really your fans that matter in this industry; it's the mass.
Like it or not, it's the radio listeners who go out and buy albums, it's also these people who'd pay to see you perform because they're curious enough to find out if you're as good as you sound on the air. And it's these people who will determine if you make it or break it in this industry.
The mass are the ones with the buying power, and that is a fact. Your friends are more likely to ask for a free copy. And being friends, you pass not one; but a few to people who already know who you are, and what your music represents. What I'm saying may be harsh for some to swallow, but the fact remains that some are being paid more than others for shows and appearances because they know exclusivity sells. Try and back up a little, keep them wondering what your next step is. Never discuss who you 're going to feature next and never disclose your concept, songs or lyrics with people other than your group members or those directly involved in the album; and as the anticipation builds up, you'll be surprised at how many people are actually talking about the album that isn't even out yet.
It's true that we live in an age of progressive technology and making full use of it is the sensible thing to do. It's also true that many big names in the industry have fully utilised the net as a means of updating their fans on what's lined up in their schedules. But when one becomes too comfortable with the response they get online, there's always the danger of becoming complacent and not seeing the greater need to reach out to the mass audience; the people who actually seek out for albums. And when that happens, you're left disappointed that the sales did not go as planned or that most of your shows are only attended by the same crowd which translates to not having your music reach the major local buyers and listeners.
Again, I'm stressing the point that I'm not writing this to pinpoint an individual or group, but I see more and more Hip Hop artiste going down the same route and it's become very evident that we're missing the bigger picture here. When you regard the internet as a means to promote yourself as an artiste, you must be prepared to face the repercussions of it as well. Having said that, using the internet as a means to update your fan base is fine, having a 30 second fade in and fade out of your songs is still acceptable, but don't lay out every single thing that you have hoping to receive the same response when your album is out there in stores, because that's just not going to happen. Like everything else, use the internet in moderation. Because too much of a good thing, is sometimes more damaging than you think.
Author's note: If you happen to come across the XXL World magazine Jan/Feb issue, check out the article entitled 'New World'.
Hip Hop is Dead - I
The hip hop community here in has dwindled down dramatically nowadays. No longer does one get to actually hear good quality albums out in the market, nor healthy competition amongst the once prominent players of the industry. What happened to the days of weekend gigs, online freestyle face-offs and beef spat out in lyrics on released and unreleased tracks? Do we have to face the fact that Malaysian Hip Hop is actually dead? Forget rave album reviews, or showcases featuring Hip Hop artiste, I'd gladly see just one local act on TV talking about their upcoming show in the near future, because that can only be perceived as Hip Hop still having a place in our local music scene.
Don't get me wrong. There are those who are still pushing their own album, still driven with motivation to get their stuff on the airwaves, and even though we hear so little of them, I have the utmost respect for these rare groups of people. It's sad when I think of the hardship we had to go through once; having literally no money to even go for our own shows, not getting royalties from our album sales and having to travel out of state with shared expanses among us just so we could perform at a gig. Years later as the industry began accepting Hip Hop music as a means of generating lucrative revenue, groups began to emerge and fight for a chance to cut an album, to get sponsors and endorsement deals and even travel abroad to perform Somehow what we and our predecessors before us went through; felt worthwhile. That it took years of frustration and disappointments to build a foundation for the next generation to carry on the fight.
Sadly, that couldn't be farther than the truth. More and more groups are secluding themselves from the 'mainstream' acts. Everyone wants to be dubbed 'unique'. Now music actually had to be branded a certain way or type and not seen as universal anymore. Its okay when you differentiate your sound or techniques, but to totally sever yourselves from the genre by disassociation or by certain level of 'whackness'; is what kills the scene itself.
Back then, when one mentions 'beef', it is often because competition was fierce and everyone had something relevant to say. You'd patiently wait to hear your rival's comeback and plan to execute the next attack with fiercer words. You'd know which lines were bitten and who said what first. Even the fiercest competitors had some level of respect for one another. Often unspoken; but understood. So note to self and everyone out there: Be professional rivals and not personal ones.
It's good to know that nowadays creativity plays an important role in music production, concept and even lyrics. Where Hip Hop is concerned, we can say that our scene is more developed than most Asian countries, but it's also true that we have reached a state where the scene itself is stagnant and is no longer progressing anymore. It's definitely evident when you see more and more different genres being showcased nationwide nowadays and Hip Hop artiste are seen as yesterday's news, so organisers aren't even bothered to slot in artiste from this genre into their programme, but I think the problem is more deeply rooted than that.
We lack unity, and that's the underlying issue. Many don't or refuse to understand that the Hip Hop scene is so niche that it's almost impossible to see really prolific acts that in a span of a year or so ago were just about everywhere; as often nowadays. Some have just stopped altogether, concentrating on more stable ways of securing income or have opt to produce or arrange rather than putting out an album. I don't blame them, because it is true that each artiste has a limited lifespan to excel in this industry, and with this brand of music; the lifespan is even shorter than other genres. Making the most of it while you still can is one option, but the social responsibility to educate and inform the newcomers is the other and more critical duty. And that is where we have failed miserably.
I admit--I'm now more a spectator than a participator. But with 14 years of being in the industry, I think I speak for myself and my peers who still in our small ways contribute to the scene when I say we all love the music and what it represents. We've all experienced and cherished our journeys from hopeful kids to more informed adults, and how this music and the surrounding factors affect us as a person. But I'm just saddened that at this day in age, so many choose to look backwards and not towards the betterment of the scene as a whole. Maybe we all need a paradigm shift on how we think and act, maybe it's as simple as remembering how good we had it once ,and strive to rebuild it all over again. For the love of the music and what it means to each and every one of us, something needs to change.
Don't get me wrong. There are those who are still pushing their own album, still driven with motivation to get their stuff on the airwaves, and even though we hear so little of them, I have the utmost respect for these rare groups of people. It's sad when I think of the hardship we had to go through once; having literally no money to even go for our own shows, not getting royalties from our album sales and having to travel out of state with shared expanses among us just so we could perform at a gig. Years later as the industry began accepting Hip Hop music as a means of generating lucrative revenue, groups began to emerge and fight for a chance to cut an album, to get sponsors and endorsement deals and even travel abroad to perform Somehow what we and our predecessors before us went through; felt worthwhile. That it took years of frustration and disappointments to build a foundation for the next generation to carry on the fight.
Sadly, that couldn't be farther than the truth. More and more groups are secluding themselves from the 'mainstream' acts. Everyone wants to be dubbed 'unique'. Now music actually had to be branded a certain way or type and not seen as universal anymore. Its okay when you differentiate your sound or techniques, but to totally sever yourselves from the genre by disassociation or by certain level of 'whackness'; is what kills the scene itself.
Back then, when one mentions 'beef', it is often because competition was fierce and everyone had something relevant to say. You'd patiently wait to hear your rival's comeback and plan to execute the next attack with fiercer words. You'd know which lines were bitten and who said what first. Even the fiercest competitors had some level of respect for one another. Often unspoken; but understood. So note to self and everyone out there: Be professional rivals and not personal ones.
It's good to know that nowadays creativity plays an important role in music production, concept and even lyrics. Where Hip Hop is concerned, we can say that our scene is more developed than most Asian countries, but it's also true that we have reached a state where the scene itself is stagnant and is no longer progressing anymore. It's definitely evident when you see more and more different genres being showcased nationwide nowadays and Hip Hop artiste are seen as yesterday's news, so organisers aren't even bothered to slot in artiste from this genre into their programme, but I think the problem is more deeply rooted than that.
We lack unity, and that's the underlying issue. Many don't or refuse to understand that the Hip Hop scene is so niche that it's almost impossible to see really prolific acts that in a span of a year or so ago were just about everywhere; as often nowadays. Some have just stopped altogether, concentrating on more stable ways of securing income or have opt to produce or arrange rather than putting out an album. I don't blame them, because it is true that each artiste has a limited lifespan to excel in this industry, and with this brand of music; the lifespan is even shorter than other genres. Making the most of it while you still can is one option, but the social responsibility to educate and inform the newcomers is the other and more critical duty. And that is where we have failed miserably.
I admit--I'm now more a spectator than a participator. But with 14 years of being in the industry, I think I speak for myself and my peers who still in our small ways contribute to the scene when I say we all love the music and what it represents. We've all experienced and cherished our journeys from hopeful kids to more informed adults, and how this music and the surrounding factors affect us as a person. But I'm just saddened that at this day in age, so many choose to look backwards and not towards the betterment of the scene as a whole. Maybe we all need a paradigm shift on how we think and act, maybe it's as simple as remembering how good we had it once ,and strive to rebuild it all over again. For the love of the music and what it means to each and every one of us, something needs to change.
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