Missing: One Original Hip-Hop Group.

I found myself in a startling predicament yesterday. I, an out-and-proud music snob, uttered the phrase, “They ruined Give It Up by KC and The Sunshine Band!”

I was responding, of course, to the audio-assault that is the new direction that will.i.am has decided upon for the Black Eyed Peas, and their unfortunately-titled track Love U Long Time. Not content with sampling the above mentioned ‘Sunshine’, both will.i.am and Fergie (which baffles me as she can really sing!) are auto-tuned to unrecognisable levels chanting to each other that they’ll ‘love them long time’.

What happened to the innovative, multicultural group of ‘Behind The Front’ and ‘Bridging The Gap’? The one that used to use their music as a social commentary, instead of promoting binge-drinking and “freaky-deeky” girls. I used to place the blame squarely on Fergie. I envisioned a modern-day Yoko Ono whose hooks of ‘let’s get retarded’ grated on my ears like nails on a chalkboard, but now I see that it is really will.i.am to blame.

At first I couldn’t bear to think that the man behind the brilliant verse on Joints and Jams could be responsible for the current heavily sampled, heavily auto-tuned soundscape of 2010, but I see now that he is simply a product of his own drive for innovation. By his desire to create and produce cutting edge tracks for the masses, he has become a parody of his former self. I can’t help but think about what would happen if 1999’s idealistic, urban hippie Will met today’s pseudo-robot incarnation.

I’m just thankful he’s withholding the demos he cut with Michael Jackson. If I were to hear an MJ5000 instead of a human voice, I’d lose all hope in music.

-Paige Richards

8 Mar 2011, 3:47pm Blog Street by admin
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