'The Hand that Rocks the Cradle, Rules the World'; Sex-Appeal-Commercialism Vs 'Speak-The-Truth-About-Your-Hood' (Substance) in Rap music.

So Nicki Minaj's video for 'Anaconda' has just come out, and i watched it and i got angry, then i thought about it, then i got angry some more. There has been a lot of buzz about this music video on twitter and i got curious. Well, curiosity did kill the cat this time. All i saw was ASS-ASS and more ASS and it sickened me. And to make matters worse, the song was just bad. Dont get me wrong, i have mad respect for Nicki that she has been able to do her and still get this far. And i also get that  she was trying to employ the 'Curvy is Beautiful' slogan in her song and all that jazz but there was definitely a better way of glorifying the female body than 'My anaconda dont want none if you aint got buns, hun'. By now you know where I am going with this and if you have concluded that my opinion is biased because 'Im a girl',  or 'I'm Jelous' or 'I'm a hater' then let me stop you right here. Goodbye. But if you can handle the truth, continue reading.  

Many female rappers (and musicians) have been known to use their sexuality to make it in the business claiming that it's the only way to gain fame and fans in this testosterone-driven industry. Come on ladies,  Queen Latifah, Missy and many others made big money with their clothes on. Rapping about big behinds, big penis', money in the bank and 'how he wants it' shouldn't be what puts bread and butter on your table.  I mean you cry in your lyrics for respect when you are busy flaunting your barely covered bodies on national television and singing/rapping obscenities that could make your own ears bleed. You get angry when someone calls you a 'bitch' in real life, but use the same word in your songs like your mama gave you that name. Check yourselves and the dictionaries that you can afford to buy. Respect, nudity and profanity dont fall under the same category of words to be used in the same sentence. It might look like im coming down hard (which i am) on female rappers, but the hand that rocks the cradle rules the world you know.

I am all for femininity, gender equality and being able to do what men can do but does that mean that if male rappers start jumping off 12-story buildings, female rappers should do to. Because that's what people mean when they say that if 'male rappers rap about p$*&y, money and weed, then female rappers can.' Frankly that's just mediocre. Okay. Yes, its your body. Fine. We have freedom of choice on whether to continue watching or switch of the television. YAAAY, for freedom of choice, yes? I 'totally agree' with your excuses to make you look like the good guys who are doing what they want in the name of entertainment but something needs to change because what you are doing and what you should be doing are on total opposite ends of the spectrum. We have become victims of this virus called sex appeal commercialism that's spreading faster than Ebola ever could. Basically a marketing ploy by big entertainment companies to exploit us, keep us hostage and manipulate us to thinking that we like it. All in the name of entertainment.

Old school rap music was all about what was going on in the community. It was about struggle and enlightenment, freedom and truth, pride and vision. It could resonate with anyone in the same situation, miles away. The music spoke from the heart and didn't have the over-exaggerations that we have today. It had substance. It had power. Rap music now has the wrong kind of power on our over-sexualised societies. If we leave all that power to ASS then surely the next generations will be adversely affected. Rap has taken the route that commercial songs have taken and frankly i am a lot disappointed. I do understand that evolution in music has to happen especially due to the introduction of new technologies, but this kind of evolution has taken a step too far. In the wrong direction.

One thing i have learnt from my years in music education (and generally, common sense) that humans can be conditioned to change. Take for example peer pressure in all age groups. If you are constantly around people who are doing something different from what you are used to doing, sooner or later you will begin doing those things. Constant exposure to a particular behavior becomes more appealing as days go by. Its basic human nature. So why not use that to your advantage Femcee's and make songs that everyone can appreciate and doesn't leave us squirmish in our chairs or embarassed when we are with our children/parents. 

To all Femcee's upcoming or otherwise in it already: cliché or not, the change begins with you.

From a very worried Musician and Music lover.

Happy reading!

Esther xx

Is Sauti Sol's "NISHIKE" Too Sexy for Telly?

  "Dont gain the world and lose your soul, wisdom is better than silver or gold" 

-Bob Marley

Lemme begin by saying that i am a die-hard fan of Sauti Sols so its only right if i did my first post about them.

I remember the first time i watched the 'Nishike' video. The urge to go drink a couple of glasses of cold water or even take a few cold showers was too real. Rewinding and replaying the video was what i did those first couple of minutes not quite believing what i was seeing. From Biens bodyrolls to Mudigi's pull-up antics not forgetting Polycarp's on the floor endeavours and Chimano's on the car 'threesome' (for luck of a better word), this video was nothing but HOT! They dared to be different and it paid off with more than 700,000 views since they released it.

Frankly speaking, i am glad that they decided to do something out of the box and out of the norm. The band of 4 have released hit after hit, winning the hearts of many Kenyans and it was about time they stepped up to the plate and showed us why we love them so much.  For the first time, i felt like the Kenyan Music industry was going somewhere. Somewhere where recognition on a global platform and rubbing shoulders with the giants of global entertainment is bound to happen.

Old news, new news, the video left us feeling some type of way but the music was nothing short of revolutionary.  So much controversy revolved around the video that most people failed to realize the song that was underneath it. A love song for the lovers 'Nishike' fused Sauti Sol's charm with Kagwe Mungai's prowess and the collaboration was amazing. From most people that i have talked to about the song and the views on YouTube, its clear that people think that the song is too western and lacks that Kenyan signature. They might have their reasons for thinking that but i actually believe the opposite.

We are so fixated on our beliefs and opinions that we refuse to be open-minded when it comes to our music and artists. Its no wonder that most artists are afraid of making music that incooperates various styles of music from around the global for fear of back-lash and being accused of 'trying to copy the West'.  They then risk having songs that sound the same and end up compromising their artistry.  It becomes ridiculous after a while and kills moral for any upcoming artist who wants to take that daring step and break the boundaries that we have set for ourselves and pursue their global vision. I believe that its possible to 'sound kenyan' and still 'sound global' at the same time.

Back to the matter at hand, Is it too sexy for telly? i dont think so. It might be uncomfortable to watch with children around or even make you feel squirmish, but what isn't this days. Take for example all those Jamaican and American music videos that have half- naked girls and shirtless men gyrating to lewd lyrics and making suggestive gestures and still get airtime on our television stations. And what about those the Durex adverts with funny sounds and insinuating words during commercials. Why cant we extend the same open-mindedness and courtesy to our local artists?

To Sauti Sol, Keep on keeping on. To me, you are the epitome of what a Kenyan artist should be. Fearless and lovable with a bit of charm and daring attitude to be different from the rest. I salute you and your efforts.

Just a fans' opinion.
Happy Reading!
Esther xx