solacevip said:
I will admit something...deep in the pages of this forum. I was born in 1972 and I used to listen to Hip Hop.......and Hip Hop only. RUN DMC, Public Enemy, De La Soul, Tribe Called Quest, Big Daddy Kane, EPMD, Leaders of the New School, Eric B and Rakim......the list goes on.
In high school.....I knew of U2 and my friends had Boy, October, War, and Unforgettable Fire.......but I wasn't into U2 at all. One evening....my first time getting drunk......I sat with some headphones and listened to "Running to Stand Still" and I was converted and baptized into the echos and sounds of U2's music. I was converted. I started to like U2....and being a dude of colour, I kept it quiet to the knowledge of my other black friends that I liked a white band. I used to joke with some of my friends that I would come out of the closet about my adoration for U2.........um....um....(thinking of something absurd at the time).......I would come out of the closet the day Public Enemy opens for U2...
.....and to my f*cking surprise it happened......
My black friends had much more respect for U2 because of this musical venture. In my mind and in my own life, U2 and PE together made myself and others in my life that music can be without colour and race and stereotypes.
That being said. I am fully out of the closet with my adoration of U2. After seeing U2 21 times and 11 Vertigo shows.....it's safe to say where my dedication lies.
I'm not in the Hip-Hop game anymore. I seek my younger brothers to find me Hip-Hop tracks that are good. 50cent doesn't do it for me.......although much respect to the New School of Rappers out there. There are some good tracks and some crappy tracks out there by the New School Rappers in my opinion.
That being said.....I love Kanye....and for U2 to pick him up as an opener is just as brilliant as getting Damian Marley. My only regret on this Vertigo tour is not getting to see Kanye. I saw Kings of Leon (didn't like), Dashboard Confessional (didn't like), Damian Marley (loved), Keane (love them dudes), and Institute (meh).
I love the rap/rock combination going on.....from Jay-Z/Linkin Park to Rage Against the Machine (did they open for U2?), to the Gorillaz.....music is constantly changing.
Bono said in the MTV video vangard award acceptance speech that MTV has allowed Rock to rub up against Pop to rub up against R&B.....
Music....is music....is music........as Bob Marley said, "One good thing about music....when it hits you, you feel no pain!"
We may agree and disagree on many likes and dislikes of songs and artists.....but I trust U2's judgement in getting their opening acts.
I wish I could see Kanye open.
P.S. Cleveland part of my site will be finished soon.....just too busy.
COEXIST!
My vote for Interference "General Tour Discussion" Post Of The Year!
I want to add to this story, insofar as I can as being a part of this Interferencer's life for the last 4 years.
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Just ask - how could two people from such widely divergent backgrounds, come together and be practically best friends? We met in the parking lot of a U2 concert in 2001 - he heard my system booming the U2 tunes, saw my Ontario licence plates, and just had to find out who that was from his home province blaring the good....
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It didnt matter that I was white, came from some small island off the coast of eastern Canada - when he walked over I dont think either of us thought - oh great - a hip hopper, I wonder if he's a "real U2 fan" or oh no - a rocker - I wonder if he's "liberal" or whatever...it was just
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Funny thing about me and solacevip - I'm 2 years older, but was deeeep into the old school around the same time...all those acts he listed...lined my shelves Eric B & Rakim, Grandmaster Flash, Boogie Down Productions etc etc....ALONG with Joy Division, The Cure, The Smiths, U2, Killing Joke, Siouxie and the Banshees, Billy Idol, Bruce Springsteen, Patti LaBelle, Louis Armstrong, The Beatles, The Kinks, Shabba Ranks, Cocoa Tea, Bob Marley, Peter Tosh, Bunny Wailer, Farley Jackmaster Funk, M.A.R.R.S. ETC ETC ETC - no this isnt a look-how-much-cool-music-i-love shopping list, I could open a record store with the true love for musical diversity that runs through my blood..
Because MUSIC....is music....is music....
Hip hop lost me when it went bling bling - the only hip hop I listen to now is whatever my kids are into because some of it needs to be screened for young ears...and that which has remained concious and socially relevant I can still appreciate. To be perfectly honest Im not a huge fan of Kanye's, but, I can get down with my kids or at a party when it comes on, I can do my thing to their Black Eyed Peas CD, still bustamove...lol...
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But one thing I DO appreciate - is a good live act, no matter the genre...ok heavy thrash metal excepted...and so far, Kanye's getting rave reviews for his LIVE performance....so while I might not actually buy his CD, I will likely enjoy seeing him live - now who does that remind you of?? Plenty of people didn't immediately latch onto U2 as a result of hearing a studio recording of War - but then when they saw the tour or watched Under A Blood Red Sky - they were converted....all I know is, the man has something to say, and thats more than can be said for most of the shit on MTV nowadays - ANY genre.
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I feel extremely lucky to have been exposed to so much music - if I had to imagine life without knowing all the genres I love and have a different life experience associated with each one...I just can't imagine it...music has made life so interesting and varied for me and I probably haven't even scratched the surface of what I'll like next month, or next year...
MUSIC!!!