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Popular music is objectively untrue and helps to maim the consciousness of those
exposed to it (150) Theodor W. Adorno,Introduction To The Sociology of Music |
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Adorno’s insight blatantly condemns the music industry for manufacturing pop music that
contributes to the loss of individual identity in mass society. Critics of pop music,
including Adorno, disregard pop, stating that it is vulgar and passive while simultaneously
praising art music because it requires active listening and enlightens the listener. I will
argue that pop music affects a major portion of society contributing to the loss of individual
identity and that a minor portion of society preserves their identity by challenging the norms
and resisting the dominant popular music. First, I will distinguish between the major and
minor audiences of music. Following the distinction, I will analyze how pop music not only
idealizes material values; and to a lesser extent, requires passive listening. More
importantly, however, I will exhibit how the music industry forces artists to either focus on
commerce or creativity. During the following discussion, I will be drawing heavily upon the
works of two rap groups; the New York based rappers, Puff Daddy and Mase, and the California
based rapper, Ras Kass.
Although it is largely the middle and upper class that consume popular music, it is the lower class that usually creates the music. Manuel’s Popular Musics of the Non-Western World defines Western societies popular music based on its core components noting that, “1) It is primarily urban... 2) it is performed by professional but not very highly trained musicians...3) it bears a stylistic relationship to the art music of its culture, but a lower degree of sophistication” (Manuel 2). Furthermore, Manuel indicates that a lumpen proletariat, or the impoverished lower class, is largely responsible for the development of new musical forms. Hip-Hop music fits Manuel’s definition perfectly. A poverty-stricken and disenfranchised social class in the urban ghettos of New York created hip-hop. Pop rap music - or hip-pop - bears a “stylistic relationship” to conventional hip-hop by incorporating samples, a strong bass line, and rhyming as opposed to singing on the beat. However, the criticism of hip-pop is that it requires a “lower degree of sophistication” because of the familiarity of the samples, simplistic rhyme structure, and the repeated subject matters centering on women, money, cars and clothes. Rappers’ Puff Daddy and Mase embody the commercial aspects of hip-pop music. The two rose to popularity in 1996 with their single “Can’t Nobody Hold Me Down” a reworking of Grandmaster Flash’s classic ghetto anthem “The Message”. The two were subject to harsh criticism for what could not be regarded as sampling, but rather as blatant copying of the original version because they used the beat without altering it, and then proceeded to use the same chorus. Critics claim that neither Puff nor Mase have “skills” or lyrical aptitude and that their music is stolen from the original artists resulting is a watered down version of the original. In 1997, Sean “Puffy” Combs would again reach the top of the pop music charts with a song dedicated to his late best friend The Notorious B.I.G. The tribute song was a reworking of the Police’s classic song “Every Breath You Take” and would go on to be one of the most commercially successful songs of all time. Upon his arrival in rap music, Ras Kass was instantly labeled a savior to the West Coast rap scene that had taken a slight dive with the decline of gangster rap music. Ras Kass was far from a gangster rapper; his songs chose to enlighten listeners on subjects such as history and science. Ras reached critical acclaim with the song “The Nature of the Threat” appearing on his debut cd. The song was a history lesson that didn’t conform to industry standards because of its lack of chorus, bridge or any repetition, and its eight-minute length. His solo release Soul On Ice performed poorly commercially though it was hailed as a classic by the underground rap music audience. This past year, Ras Kass released his sophomore album Rassassination in an attempt to please both commercial and underground fans without selling-out. The division between pop music and underground music is a division between major and minor groups of listeners. In a study conducted in 1990, David Riseman focused on the listening habits of teenagers. He distinguished that there were two groups of listeners: a majority group and a minority group. The major group was the audience for large radio stations and the well-known ‘name’ bands. The members of the majority group are passive listeners that were “not very concerned about how music was produced and their listening habits were fairly indiscriminate” (Negus 12). The minority group developed a critical and questioning posture becoming discriminating active listeners. They preferred to analyze and study primarily underground music, while refuting the big name acts branding them as “sell-outs”. In rap terminology, the minor group of fans like their music “raw” – uncommercialized, unadvertised and lacking gimmicks. The division into major and minor groups of artists is significant when analyzing the values they idealize. The major group tends to value material objects as well as having power over these items. Puff and Mase personify the aspirations for money; women and cars on Mase’s “Feel So Good”. During the bridge in the song, Mase engages in a call in response with an audience asking: |
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Do Mase got the ladies? (Yeah, yeah!) Do Puff drive Mercedes? (Yeah, yeah!) Take hits from the eighties? (Yeah, yeah!) But do it sound so crazy? (Yeah, yeah!) |
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Mase values his “ladies”, his “Mercedes” and is even proud of his lack of originality.
Perhaps, it “sounds so crazy” to Mase because he is acknowledging that his music is not
creative and that it takes away from the growth of the art form, yet it remains widely
popular.
Ras Kass and Mase’s aspirations are clearly not the same. Ras is the voice for the minor audience refuting the need of women and money, as well as copying music. Striving for respect from his peers more than critical acclaim, fame, or wealth, on “Realishymn” Ras defiantly yells: |
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*** a platinum plaque! All I want is a *** dap And enough snaps to put clothes on my daughter’s back |
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Ras clearly does not want the “platinum plaque” that indicates the positive reception of his
music to the mainstream audience. Instead, he wishes to walk down the street and receive a
“dap” (a form of handshake) in approval to the type of music he makes. Respect is of primary
concern and money is only a means to provide for the betterment of his daughter. Ras Kass
is altruistic; he makes music out of a love for it and is not concerned about his own
prosperity.
As Riseman indicates in his study of the major and minor listening groups, the major group tends to be conformist passive listeners while the minor group is usually hip and active. Musicologist Theodor W. Adorno in Introduction to the Sociology of Music, argues that popular music is responsible for contributing to social passivity. Popular music requires little effort and thus audiences tend to regress “to a “child-like” state and were thus easily manipulated by the adult authority of capitalist corporations and fascist states” (Negus 10). The chorus is emphasized in a pop song because it is catchy and the listener is able to identify with the song after one listen. This is important because they can then go into a record store and buy the single from only knowing the hook. The emphasis on the chorus results in a lack of importance on the lyrics. Often times in pop songs they aren’t necessary to understand the meaning of the song. This is the case in Puff Daddy’s “Been Around the World”, Puff brags that: |
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I was in one bedroom, dreamin of a million (yeah) Now I’m in beach houses, cream to the ceilin (that’s right) I was a gentleman, livin in tenements Now I’m swimmin in, all the women that be tens (hoo) Went from Bad Boys to the Crushed Linen Men Now my dividends be the new Benjamins (uh-huh) Hoes of all complexions, I like cinnamon |
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Puff is not being clever by using a new way to say the same message in every couplet, but
rather it shows that there isn’t much of a message to communicate. The opening lyric
focuses on Puff going from rags to riches. He goes from being poor and having dreams to
having “cream” – meaning money. On the following couplet, Puff says that he was poor, but
now he has women. Then he raps that he was poor and bad, but now he wears nice clothes
because he has “Benjamin’s” – rap terminology for a hundred-dollar bill because Benjamin
Franklin appears on it. On each and every couplet, Puff mentions that he was poor! The
standardization and repetition do not require any attention from the listener because Puff
is mentioning the same thing. In this way, Puff, Mase, or any rapper under the Bad Boy
stable’s lyrics appear interchangeable because they are essentially the same.
Ras Kass strives to be unique and different from his peers and take rap and hip-hop to a new level on every endeavor. However, with the popularity of artists such as Puff and Mase, he questions if the audience is receptive to enriching the art form. On “Realishymn” Ras theorizes: |
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So I write truly fat *** for the core audience But sometimes I wonder does it really exist Cause true lyricists in hip-hop Joe Public be dissin **** don’t relate Elevatin is treated like elevator music Cause **** don’t listen! |
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Ras admits that he is discouraged at the current situation in rap. He believes that the
passive majority will ignore his attempts to do something creative and innovative in order
to “elevate” the music. It is a tragedy because while Ras Kass’s “core audience” praises
him for his creativity, they do not support the project by purchasing the music, leaving
him to wonder if his real fans even exist. He is in a bind, realizing that if his “art
music” doesn’t sell enough, he will have to conform somewhat in order to continue to make
music.
The music industries sole concern is to make money. The lack of financial support given to an artist like Ras Kass means that he will “have to be content to succumb to the commercial sausage machine, and be compensated with cash” (Negus 41). The noun “sausage” suggests artificial qualities and junk that appear in a food that appears to be 100% meat. The survival of an underground artist such as Ras Kass dictates that he must appear to maintain his underground stature, but also he must be able to incorporate “junk” into his music. Writer Nelson George, recognizes the commercial sausage syndrome in the music industry. George finds it troubling because he sees how the “social and political possibilities... were destroyed when subject to commercial packaging and corporate promotion mechanisms” (Negus 41). George indicates that issues such as the civil rights struggle, the need of economic independence, and even the importance of family values were stripped from rhythm and blues music and the same is true for rap. The inspirational messages are removed because they do not sell. Compromise is needed in order to achieve commercial success in the music industry while adhering to one’s own beliefs. One must balance commerce and creativity carefully, to not avoid being labeled as a “sell-out” by the underground and minor community. Regardless if the intent of the artist is to make money, they must still adopt a capitalist attitude if they are to be given the opportunity to make music. Some may argue that Puff and Mase have made the balance of commerce and creativity because they preach a message that encourages their listeners to make money. The song title alone of “It’s all About the Benjamin’s” indicates that the sole concern of both Puff and Mase is to make money. Those who support Puff and Mase may argue that impoverished fans of the group are instructed on how to make it in a capitalist society. They may point to the fact that both rose to success from humble beginnings and thus are an inspiration to the youth. However, Mase proceeds to alienate those immersed in poverty in his hit song Feels So Good. Mase, who rose above his economic troubles to become a rich rap star, ignores his past and raps that “I don’t understand the language of people with short money”. This lyric suggests an elitism of Mase as he ignores those that do not have the amount of money he does. But it doesn’t really matter what he says because the intended passive audience is likely to overlook it in favor of the catchy chorus that follows the line. Mase and Puff instruct their audience to forget about their individuality if it could mean poverty; they urge them to join mass society that values' commercialism over ideals. Ras Kass never urges his audiences to conform to the norms of society. He indicates the allure of riches has tried to persuade him, but that he resists these temptations. Late in the song Realishymn Ras demonstrates this view of commerce when he articulates, |
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Have you ever seen this socioeconomic guillotine rip A nigga’s hopes and dreams? And now I’m led to believe that life is all about C.R.E.A.M I’m living life idealistically principle over profit But realistically good intentions are microscopic to fat pockets |
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Ras is clearly not aiming to write a catchy jingle to be sung by pop audiences. He chooses
words that fully describe his intended meaning such as “socioeconomic”. The choice of
polysyllabic words is significant because pop songs rely on common monosyllabic words that
are easy to remember and thus catchy. C.R.E.A.M., an acronym for “Cash Rules Everything
Around Me”, shows that Ras recognizes the need of financial independence in a capitalist
society. Ras urges his listeners to live by their ideals and maintain individual identity,
even though the real world may not reward the viewpoint financially.
Popular music is an arena of negotiation (Manuel 8). One must decode the ideologies to find the root of the music. Although, the hip-hop of Puff and Mase can easily be boxed into a category of hip-pop for idealizing capitalistic material values and aspiring to reach monetary success over creativity, it is unfair to say that this music must come to a cease. Pop music becomes popular because it is fun; by taking elements from the underground and minor group of listeners it can be exploitative; but if applied with creativity and used with consciousness, it can become a powerful expression of identity and an avenue to express the daily struggles in life. However, pop music is seldom used in this manner. The task is almost always left to underground artists such as Ras Kass to “elevate” and enlighten listeners and urge them to seek individual identity. |