By "The Truth"
February 15, 2005
At this years Grammys we saw the legendary artist Ray Charles posthumously win eight trophies. We saw another 70-something celebrated artist, James Brown, perform with the Michael-Jackson-du-jour Usher. And we saw yet another 70+ artist, Loretta Lynn, pick up the Best Country Album statuette. This made me think: do you think we'll be seeing Britney Spears, The Killers, and Kanye West doing the same at the Grammys in 20 years? Will Maroon 5 be able to release a Genius Loves Company-ish duets album that will win Album of the Year in 2035? Why is it that artists who began their careers in the 60s, 70s, and 80s seem to experience better longevity than those that started out in the 90s and 00s?
Is it simply a talent issue? Are we more tolerable of junk nowadays? I know there are plenty of music industry naysayers who believe that almost everything that hits the record store shelves in recent years is pointless drivel. They call them manufactured-straight-off-the-assembly-line pop / r&b / rap stars if you will. However, I don't believe this is true. I think there are some truly talented artists that have come out since the start of the 21st century, but I'm still not sure they will be in the public eye in 30-40 years. I have come up with five major reasons for this for your consideration.
(1) There was a stronger sense of loyalty back then. In the 60s, you picked a favorite artist – be it The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Elvis, or Ray Charles – and you stuck with them. You couldn't wait for their new material to drop, year after year, decade after decade. Now it seems as soon as an artist gets to their second or third album, fans and music critics alike are turning their backs on them and complaining that the new album isn't as good as the last so they are "over" that particular artist.
(2) We love to kick them when they are down. We love to build celebrities up to gigantic proportions and then knock 'em down once a scandal or lawsuit arises. Artists like Ray Charles and James Brown are definitely not without their own sordid tales. Serious issues like drug problems, frequent womanizing, and tales of abuse have haunted them both. But this did not ruin their careers or diminish their popularity in any major way. However Christina Aguilera decides to adopt a sexy (some would say sleazy) new image and the backlash is felt across the nation. The girl definitely can sing but she is not well-liked personally so she is suppressed from becoming a true legend. Janet Jackson suffers a 10-second wardrobe malfunction and former fans are burning her latest album, "Damita Jo" in effigy. Janet may not have a strong singing voice but she is definitely a talented and sexy icon. But you would never know it now. Now she's a joke, a laughingstock, a scorned woman forced to wear a scarlet letter, nothing more than Jermaine Dupri's girlfriend. Madonna is now constantly berated for her praise of Kaballah so she too has been kicked off her precious pedestal.
(3) Hip-hop. Rap is not exactly a long-term career. No one wants to hear 40-years olds rhyming on stage. It's a shame too because pioneers like LL Cool J and Chuck D and The Beastie Boys are not ready to hang up their mics yet, but Soundscan sales dictate that they should. Artists that have attempted recent comebacks like Eric Sermon and Heavy D are told not to mention their age in interviews and press releases, and to try to emulate a younger sound in order to succeed. And they still don't. Don't get me wrong. Rap as a whole runs things right now. It is a multi-million dollar genre and it rules the charts. But even the current kings of hip-hop will not be running across the Grammy stage in 30 years. We know this. Will Ludacris be asked to come back and perform "Move Bitch"? Will 50 Cent be asked to organize a G-Unit reunion so that they can perform "Stunt 101"? I doubt it.
(4) Labels don't give many artists a chance to cultivate their talents like they did years ago. Perhaps if an artist like Raphael Saadiq wasn't dropped from their record company once their debut solo set didn't go platinum, we would have experienced more quality music from him down the line. Maybe if a genius like Prince wasn't told to stop releasing so many albums at once or risk being let go from Warner Bros. Records, we would have received countless other classic albums from him rather than suffering a five year drought between a subpar record like "Rave Un2 The Joy Fantastic" and his current set "Musicology". However, we'll never know. And we'll also never know what would have become of other artists that are dropped way before their time. Just think of all the good music we may have missed out on if Ahmet Ertegun had a shorter attention span with Ray Charles or if the aforementioned Warner Bros. wasn't willing to wait it out with Prince after his first two albums "For You" and "Prince" didn't garner accolades and sold-out shows like they would've liked. "1999", "Purple Rain" and "Sign O The Times" didn't come until much later on, we must remember this.
(5) Some artists just can't deal (or don't care to deal) with the pressures of the industry for very long. Take someone like D'Angelo. He is extremely talented but has only released 2 albums in the 10 years since he broke onto the scene. Granted, "Voodoo" alone could probably win him some awards in the future but who knows if we will ever see anything else from him. Most recently, his mug shot popped up online after he was picked up for a traffic violation and possession of drugs. An artist like D'Angelo or even a Lauryn Hill has trouble dealing with temptations in an often difficult and dangerous industry. Whether it is drugs, abusive relationships, or mental instability, becoming a celebrity and having to face the sudden onslaught of interviews, promotional tours, tabloids, and groupies is just too much for some people to handle. Unfortunately, we hear stories everyday of young girls like Britney Spears, Lindsay Lohan, and the Olsen twins facing adversity as a result of too much fame and subsequent partying. Eating disorders, alleged drug use, and multiple marriages at such a young age eventually deplete the reputation and performing ability of many. Granted, those girls were not exactly on the road to musical genius by any stretch of the imagination, but they are just three examples of what happens when fame gets to young people. Seven years ago, Lauryn Hill seemed a shoe-in for legend in the making. She actually was on the road to musical genius. Since then, she has only gotten press for having breakdowns on MTV and in front of the Vatican.
It makes me scared to think of what will happen when all of the true musical pioneers have finally left us. Luckily, Rock n' roll is still pretty young (it's only 50) so several of the original players are still alive. But once they are all gone, who will we be honoring at award shows of the future? The parameters to which someone will be considered a legend will probably need to be loosened up a bit. Otherwise, there will be no one that can merit a speech as long as we'll soon give James Brown, Stevie Wonder, and Quincy Jones after they leave the Earth.
It would be really sad if this generation does not produce any real legends. Unfortunately, if we continue in the same direction with which we have become accustomed, this may happen. I do think artists like Alicia Keys and John Legend have a chance of sticking around. They are both talented individuals who release classic material. Also, the 90s introduced us to Mary J. Blige, a remarkable talent who will undoubtedly be honored in the next thirty or so years. But how many others are there like them right now? Not many. Brandy, Monica, Ashanti, Mya and countless others have all tried to be "the new Mary" but none of them really has what it takes. So who will be receiving the lifetime achievement awards at the 2035 Grammys? Jennifer Lopez accompanied by her 17th husband suffering through another Spanish duet performed completely off-key? Michael Jackson live via satellite from San Quentin State Prison? Or maybe it will be James Brown. After all, he seems to be outliving all of us. Why shouldn't he reach 100 years old? But instead of obsessing about the future, I think we should pay attention to the here and now and try to do what we all can to make sure we produce more legends than one-hit wonders or studio-only singers from here on out. Work it out people.
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