Ask 411 Music 02.23.09: Nativa American, Ludacris, and John Lennon

Posted by Joshua George on 02.23.2009

Reader Mail, Bribes, Assassinations, Oh My!

Who doesn't love a good read? If you have a laptop, you might even be able to check this out while you're on the shitter. Either way, I'm glad you're here so let's get started. Reader mail is something I'm used to getting at this point. At least from Eric Whitesides. All of the rest of you are either too lazy, or extremely vague. I'd like to include a snippet of Eric's e-mail to me from this week for you to enjoy or flame in the comments this week. Also, if you want to have your questions answered or your reader mail published in the column, all you have to do is SEND THEM IN NOW!

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From Eric Whitesides,

In your column three weeks ago, you mentioned that you felt the Beatles were overrated, which at first I was in denial, being a big fan, but realizing after thinking about it, you are right, except I would not have them as the no 1 most overrated band/artist. They did revolutionize music to a certain extent in the late 60's with albums like Sgt Peppers and The White album. To be completely honest, they are a perfect example of quitting on top. I was thinking about the 1960's and all of the amazing acts that came out of it. Hendrix, The Who, The Stones to name a few, but I thought I would mention some lesser known bands that I enjoy more than alot of Beatles material, not necessarily saying they are better, but here it is .

1. The Zombies
2. Jefferson Airplane
3. Pink Floyd
4. The Animals
5. Velvet Underground

I only put sixties bands, because I was tying it in with the same time period. But I would make the argument that the wrestling term, "way over" goes with anything in the entertainment industry. If people are buying records, concert tickets and merchandise, naturally the company is going to put over that band/artist. Its unfortunate that many bands/artists have internal problems within the band, drug problems and other things that keep them for finding their true potential.

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Eric, I have to say that I think you hit the nail pretty much on the head. I think I listed them as my personal number one because all my life all I've heard in the music schools is "OMGZ T3h Beatles..." and it gets old. Let's be honest and say that they did a good job, perhaps even a great job and came up with some decent (I'll even agree with good) songs. Sure they helped revolutionize music, I was just pointing out that they alone did not revolutionize music at the time. I do agree that they definitely quit on top. What a way to go. Unfortunately now we have them split up doing shows still and also going crazy, a la Kanye West with YouTube Videos:



Just in case you didn't see the Kanye West video to which I am referring, let's watch that too:



Wow... those crazy-ass musicians today. Seriously... you're getting paid HOW MUCH to act like that? Come. The-fuck. On.

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Are you getting tired of reading questions from Eric Whitesides? Too bad for you... if you would send me YOUR questions, maybe I could answer them instead. All you have to do to get a question answered is SEND THEM IN NOW! Don't bitch about reading one person's questions all the time if you aren't sending any in. Do me a solid and SEND THEM IN NOW!

It's time for....

Joshua's Rant of the Week

Does it seem to anyone else that music is never going to truly be new at this point? Sometimes, it seems to me like we've gone to the ends of the earth and back now with vocal and electronic techniques (read my autotune/vocorder rant from last week). What now? Music is completely cyclical right now. Have you noticed that the songs are all about the same subjects and nine times out of ten that's some random controversial or expected topic at the time: money, drugs, sex, love, etc. Maybe I'm just getting old (at the ripe young age of 27, I hope not) but it just seems like no one can come up with something new, great, and entertaining now.

Every artist these days (seemingly) is using samples of older songs. They're buying the copyrights to the old songs that are expiring, and then re-making them. How about the fucking rap industry where you can have 1,000 versions of the same song with different people, call it a "remix" and sell it as your own. How many remixes are there right now of DJ Khaled's "I'm So Hood"? What about Lil' Wayne's "A Milli" (which by the way is a song I fucking despise to the core no matter how much I actually like Weezy)? Trust me, the joke has been played out that there's a Milli remixes of "A Milli" and not just for some stupid reason. Literally, just searching for "A Milli Remix" gave me a playlist of 19 videos on the HD Youtube site. I know there are more than that, but that illustrates my point. Come on people, let's put out original material.

The real problem that I think we're starting to see (and this is especially in the rap and rock industry) is that you start out unknown, and unheard and you have to work your way to the top. Most people love you and when you're working like that, it really gives you the sense of accomplishment that keeps you striving to succeed in your industry. Once these groups finally hit it big, they're forgetting what it was like when they were selling their own demos out of their trunk hoping to sell that one hot demo to the one right person at the exact right minute. They used to do it for the love of doing it, not the money it made. Once you make it your job, you're not able to love it like that anymore, once you bring sex into an equation, it changes everything. I know you're saying that instead of sex I should say money, but let's be honest it's about the money... AND sex, right?

Now you're never spending a night alone, you're rolling in a car you used to only dream of being able to own with rims that make the block light up and tints that make your interior dark as night. Who cares about the love of the music? Let's just keep doing whatever makes us money. Hey, I heard P Didaddyuff sample a song in his music and he's rich. I think we should do that too. Hey, that Lil' Weezayneungmoney is collaborating with everyone and he's rich, sign me up for some collabs. What about Jayzova? What is he doing? Maybe we should do that too, because he's rich and he's bangin Beyonshafiercee. WAKE THE FUCK UP!

Remember what it used to be like to have to sing your way to the top and be THE BEST because of who you WERE, not because you were who the LABEL wanted you to be. I'd love to start hearing some real vocals (NOT autotuned), great original lyrics, and a bangin' original beat that doesn't have to be choskrewizzled to replace a lack of true musical talent. Don't get me wrong, there are some songs that are great when done that way, and there are some pretty awesome songs that utilize the auto-tuner function, but to those who didn't use to use them and are doing it now... stop. Do you. Please. Let's bring music back to life instead of driving it into the ground.

The End. Don't we all feel better now? Tell me how you feel in the comments below :)

If there's something in particular that really pisses you off in the music industry, SEND THEM IN NOW!

From Eric Whitesides,

It seems that alot of critics, sportscasters, analysts and magazine reporters are usually given special incentives by the industry they cover. For example, a movie critic will get first hand closeness with many movie studio bosses and starlets, often getting major perks, like free autographs or free tickets for their spouses or other gifts, creating possibly a conflict of interest for just simply reporting or analzing their work. Do you think that in the music industry gives incentives to music critiquers to give them a better rating in their magazine, thus selling more merchandise?

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Yes Yes and Yes. Especially true in the Hollywood and music industry, the business is all about who you know, who the person you know knows, and who they know also. Networking is key. There isn't a chance that critics out there aren't sent things to keep their kids or spouses or whomever they choose happy so that they can get better ratings. Unfortunately, even though the commenters seem to think so, 411Mania writers aren't able to have such special perks, but I'm sure the people that are out there writing for the big magazines and reporting for the big network television stations are getting so many perks that it's not even funny. It's just smart business to control your own media. If you keep letting the right people in for free to the right events at the right time, or letting the right person's son get into the right place at the right time... you're golden. Consider that a definitive and resounding YES!

If you want to have your questions answered, it's easy. The best way to do it is to SEND YOUR QUESTIONS IN NOW!

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Let's take a second for:


An Open Apology

I'd like to take this time to make a public and open apology to Ludacris. I reviewed your CD entitled Theater of the Mind back on November 24, 2008. (Read that here.) I just wanted to apologize publicly and out here in front of the 30+ people that told me I was an idiot and an asshole for giving you a 5.5 because I've decided recently to go back and listen to the album again. This time, I will admit, I did my best to get past the shittyish beats on over half of the tracks and just listen to your lyrics. I realized that the lyrics are much better than I gave you credit for then, though I did say the lyrics were the better part of the album. As a result of this decision I have decided to change my rating (here, because I can't change it there now.) to a 7.5 out of 10.

The lyrics really were pretty spot on and I still hated a lot of the beats, so I can't go above that, but I wanted all of you flamingly angry commenters out there to be soothed that I have seen the light at least a little in your opinion. Thanks for taking the time to listen. I really appreciate it when you're all there for me. And now...

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Who wants to hear something new???


Things You Should Hear

Let's see what I can come up with this time.

1. First thing I'd like to do is post this video and answer an e-mailer's question at the same time. Nicholas Land, you were asking the title to this song. The fact is man, the name of the group and the title from what I can tell by their user page hereis on the page with the video. Here is Nativa American - "world the GOD":


2. Here's an example of people using old songs to make money today. Unfortunately for my previous rant I actually like this. Thanks to Kayla for sending me Katy Perry - "Use Your Love":


3. Another video/song that will prove my point from the rant but again I like is Lil' Mama - "A Milli Remix'":


4. I can't get enough of this kid and I want to share him with the world. Bo Burnham - "My Whole Family...":


5. Let's do something nice for Eric. Here's The Zombies - "She's Not There":


6. And finally, this is one of my favorite rap songs right now and by a very underrated artist in my opinion. Krizz Kaliko - "Anxiety":


If you'd like me to post your band or a band that you particularly love, all you have to do is Send me the YouTube link NOW! I'd like to start including some of your personal bands clips, or other bands that you think people should be hearing.

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Again to you Eric Whitesides,

If John Lennon was not assassinated, do you think that he would embrace the music of today? Would he colaborate in the fashion, that a Bono has, with the newer generation of fans, or do you think that he would be like McCartney, around it, but not exactly in it?

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I definitely think that John Lennon would have been more likely to be like Bono. Then again, the hard part about this question is that Lennon really loved and had a passion for the music. So the real issue here is, would the lights and glitz and glamour and pressure and money get to Lennon so much that he would break down if he was IN the industry still today? I like to think that given his rebellious nature, he would've been sticking right there along with the bands of today, still evolving his music and still appealing to a fairly young AND older crowd. Of course he would have had appeal to an older crowd, but given his ability to create music that was ever-changing I think he could've kept up with the times and done it WITHOUT the use of an autotuner or sampling.

This is my personal opinion. I think you should share yours in the comments. I'm interested in hearing what all of you think about this one.

Remember, if you want to ask me any questions yourself, all you have to do is take your questions and SEND THEM IN NOW!

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Let's knock one more question out and then I'm gonna go hang out with my friends and play some drums for RUSH - "YYZ" on Rock Band 2. And if you want to have YOUR questions answered in this column, all you have to do is SEND THEM IN NOW!

Big welcome goes out to new reader Lexibug and I'd love to get some more questions in this column! Let's get some questions readers... I need em and you have em. So give em to me.

From Lexibug,

Given the difficult times, how is it possible that artists such as Britney Spears for example can get away with charging such ridiculous prices for concert tickets

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You know, I've often wondered that same question myself. I think the primary reason is that when you make your own world like the infamous Britney Spears does you can do whatever you want. Consider the fact that Madonna who is overrated in my book (read my first edition of Ask 411 Music) could probably charge three to five hundred dollars for her concert tickets and there would STILL be people that are so devoted they would make it work. As much as musicians try not to get those "psycho fanboys and girls", they need those people because of ticket prices. It doesn't help that Ticketmaster and TicketsNOW! are having their whole scalping issues right now because that, of course, makes us wonder just who IS setting these fucking prices so high, and who the fuck do they think they are? To be honest you know, I'm not sure if Britney has any say in what the ticket prices are either... I'm sure she could stand up if they were too high and make them lower them, but who knows. The big thing here is that Britney made herself as a sweet, young, innocent teen sensation, then got sexy and dirty (much like Christina Aguilera) and then allowed herself to just go fucking batshit crazy (a la Kanye West) and documented so much of it through tabloids and videos until she finally mounted her own comeback. Talk about letting the right people into the right places and the right times. Everyone loves to see the downfall of an artist and I'm afraid that Joaquin Phoenix is too late trying to let his life fall apart in the public eye as a "project"... Britney played that card and the whole world bit on it. That's why they can charge so much to see her. They played every. card. right. Hopefully that answered your question and we can see more questions from you in the future!

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Peace!