Don’t Judge An Album By It’s Cover

Lately, and I highly doubt you’ll disagree, the topic on everyone’s mind seems to be something negative. In the midst of the recent terror attacks across the globe, natural disasters or the immigration issue I have been thinking… well about thinking itself. What do I mean by this? Well what’s been on my mind is not all about the events that have occurred over the past few weeks but people’s reactions to such things. Social media is the big one, everyone has a voice and now, annoyingly, everyone is an expert, weather you share articles from ‘the anti-media’ about American corruption or ‘fun facts about terrorism’ from BuzzFeed it is very easy to get a gist of peoples thinking based on your Facebook feed.

That got me thinking about what influenced peoples thinking, moving away from articles shared on social platforms, what really influences the way people see the world and its people. So I turned the question on myself, what gave me the outlook I hold dear today? What major influence in my life lead to me (100% not a brag, just thoughts) to be the accepting and fairly peaceful person I try to be today?

Now you probably don’t know what I look like let alone my interests outside of here, so bit of Sam 101. I love gangster films, hats and most importantly I am a lifelong ‘Hip Hop Head’ (or hip hop enthusiast). This was what got me really ticking, if Hip Hop music is my biggest influence and I consider myself to be accepting and peaceful then why does the music I love so much automatically spring up in people’s minds as vulgar, disrespectful to women and driven by cash & bling? Why do wonderful artists like J Dilla and Mos Def get grouped in with gun wheelding gangsters? (even UK artists get stereotyped too)

When it boils down to it its ignorance, it is exactly the same as me refusing to listen to The Beatles or Elton John because it’s ‘not my thing’. Both these artists have made beautiful, socially driven music that I love, so why can’t you listen to a hip hop album with the same expectation. Positive artists like De La Soul, Brother Ali and Common (obviously check them out if you haven’t) have been doing this for years, just in a different way, instead of Guitars and high notes it’s wordplay and drum beats. What people may not realise that Hip Hop is one of the only genres of music that is based on every other form, the possibilities are endless, beats and songs are built on soul, jazz and funk records dating well past the 60’s.

Now obviously I know a lot of people will say that’s all well and good but what about the artists that aren’t quite as PC. Now im not trying to say that Biggie or The Wu Tang Clan are hugging and picking daisies in their songs but the key thing I feel is that it is not promotional, its reflective. These artists are doing what every other artist does and speaks on what they know, telling their story. Ask any of them and they will not tell you to pick up a gun and start shooting, they will say that’s what they were forced into due to their environment. This reaches further and some choose to comment on subjects they are not used to but concerned or motivated by to create knowledge and change, a cracking example being a Harlem native creating a commentary on the drug cartel problems in south america. I don’t want to preach to much but tell me if you disagree with a word this man says, because this was the song that set me off on this weeks (extensive) rant..

I hope this has made you think about the way you judge music as a whole, you may just not like the sound of it and that’s fine, that’s how music is supposed to work!

The Christmas Ads Are Coming To Town

It seems every year I have barely had time to take off my Halloween mask or put out my bonfire before I am learning how cheap I can buy 2 bottles of cava from the local co-op. So the question at hand is why everyone feels the need to start their festive season in the late days of October?

I think about this every time the new John Lewis advert surfaces and shuts down the country faster than any Kardashian behind could dream of. But does this really capture the spirit of everyone’s favourite holiday? The answer, sadly, is no. Because these adverts often do not capture the real reason everyone counts down the days until the 25^th. Instead they are forcing you to think of what really matters, the spending! Think about it, how early you think about buying countless presents for loved ones, friends, your boss, your dog, your boss’s dog? Now compare that too when you feel like you can enjoy your Christmas stress free?

The problem is in the ads. By letting the adverts define when our Christmas begins we are at risk of everyone’s favourite holiday (I know its mine) becoming what Easter or valentines day are already, a purely consumer based affair.

Brands like Sainbury’s and John Lewis’s ads always try and pull on the heartstrings by basing their campaigns around the values of Christmas that stand within all western participators. Themes never travel too far from  family values and bringing everyone together as one. Please. They use these values and distort them into a situation where people feel that the trick to achieving this idealistic holiday is by the quality of your products and everything that comes with them.

The truth is Christmas is not about what you have, it is about what you do with what you do have. You do not need those fancy sparkling Rudolf decorations or the parsnips that cost and extra £3 because of a sprinkling of rosemary to have an enjoyable 25th.

But saying all this, I would watch ‘The Man On The Moon’ a million times over to not have Kerry Katona try and sell me a festive take on frozen sausage rolls! let us never forget..