U2 Recording video with Mary J

[angelordevil]

I’ll be honest: most rap/hip-hop I hear bothers me greatly—to the point where I wonder how it possibly gets played on the radio. I think it’s the “ass and tits” thing I have trouble with--the downright demeaning of women in many cases. I cringe at the possibility of young kids hearing this. Kanye West seems to be a rare exception to much of this, which is refreshing. We also have rapper in Canada known as K-OS who seems to have an equally impressive social conscience.

Soul/R&B is another category, as mentioned. I appreciate the vocal capabilities of many soul artists, but it’s not really my thing.

Having different tastes in music is a great thing--this is a forum, not a bore ‘em. However, calling people a “smartass” (or worse), and calling their favourite music “shit” is uncalled for.

 

[JMScoopy]

And this despite the fact I like apples.

Me too, i was just using it as an example. I was eating a bowl of applesauce so it was the 1st thing on my mind. I guess i should've picked something i dont like, like spinach or something

 

[Earnie Shavers]

I’ll be honest: most rap/hip-hop I hear bothers me greatly—to the point where I wonder how it possibly gets played on the radio. I think it’s the “ass and tits” thing I have trouble with--the downright demeaning of women in many cases. I cringe at the possibility of young kids hearing this. Kanye West seems to be a rare exception to much of this, which is refreshing. We also have rapper in Canada known as K-OS who seems to have an equally impressive social conscience.

Soul/R&B is another category, as mentioned. I appreciate the vocal capabilities of many soul artists, but it’s not really my thing.

Having different tastes in music is a great thing--this is a forum, not a bore ‘em. However, calling people a “smartass” (or worse), and calling their favourite music “shit” is uncalled for.

"Most hip-hop seems to be"
"Kanye West is a rare exception"....

I think most people on here who get their backs up over comments that put all of hip-hop down do so because we are keenly aware that, like most genres of music really, the very very worst of hip-hop is what gets the most radio airing. Kanye West isn't an exception, except on the radio. "Ass and Tits" don't feature in any of the hip-hop I listen to, and I probably own about 50-60 odd albums that most definitely fall under the rap/hiphop genre. If you write all of hip-hop off because of 50 Cent, you are doing the same as putting down any music that features a guitar simply because you hate Nickelback.

I completely understand why someone only subjected to radio/MTV hip-hop detests the whole genre. Open up a 50 Cent bashing thread and I'm in there by the third post and joining in. The guy is fucking terrible, as is just about all of the genre as featured on MTV. It IS a genre suffering badly from only having one style/image/demographic represented. There IS a very very different side and sound to rap/hiphop out there. Very creative, very musical, very clever.

 

[AtomicBono]

"Most hip-hop seems to be"
"Kanye West is a rare exception"....

I think most people on here who get their backs up over comments that put all of hip-hop down do so because we are keenly aware that, like most genres of music really, the very very worst of hip-hop is what gets the most radio airing. Kanye West isn't an exception, except on the radio. "Ass and Tits" don't feature in any of the hip-hop I listen to, and I probably own about 50-60 odd albums that most definitely fall under the rap/hiphop genre. If you write all of hip-hop off because of 50 Cent, you are doing the same as putting down any music that features a guitar simply because you hate Nickelback.

I completely understand why someone only subjected to radio/MTV hip-hop detests the whole genre. Open up a 50 Cent bashing thread and I'm in there by the third post and joining in. The guy is fucking terrible, as is just about all of the genre as featured on MTV. It IS a genre suffering badly from only having one style/image/demographic represented. There IS a very very different side and sound to rap/hiphop out there. Very creative, very musical, very clever.

I think you're my new favourite person.

Just thought I'd let you know.

 

[XHendrix24]

I definitely posted more-or-less the exact same thing at the bottom of page 2.

But hopefully people will listen this time. Nice analysis, Earnie.

 

[MrBrau1]

Mary's version of One is better than U2's.

As was Johnny Cash's version.

Deal with it.

It's akin to Aretha stealing "Respect" from Otis Redding.

 

[If you shout...]

Mary's version of One is better than U2's.

As was Johnny Cash's version.

Deal with it.

It's akin to Aretha stealing "Respect" from Otis Redding.

It kills me to say that I agree with this.

 

[AtomicBono]

Oh please. As if all hip-hop is like that. Just because that's what they play on MTV doesn't mean it's representative of the best music in the genre. That's just like having only heard bands like Simple Plan and Linkin Park on the radio and assuming that all white people music is people singing poorly and whining angstily about how their lives are SO TERRIBLE and how they're SO SAD about the fact that girls don't like them. There's more to hip-hop than what's played on MTV. I really don't see how people don't get that by now.

And I'm not even commenting on that last sentence.

I think you're my new favourite person.

Just thought I'd let you know.

 

[dudeman]

If you write all of hip-hop off because of 50 Cent, you are doing the same as putting down any music that features a guitar simply because you hate Nickelback.


the thing about that is this little story:
the first time i heard nickelback i had one of those episodes where you throw up a little in your mouth and then have to swallow it back down...youknow what i mean? and then you have that burning, acrid taste in your mouth all day long...totally sucked.

anyway, the point is, it made me so sick to hear the beautiful guitar perverted in such an awful way that i was tempted to smash all my guitars and cds featuring guitar based music. to ease my pain, i thought i would listen to some non-guitar based music to get through the immediate terror of the episode.
so i put on KID A by radiohead.

3 songs in and i pulled the cd out and winged it across the room.

then i put on 'the bends' and voila! everything levelled out, peace and harmony back to the universe.

 

[XHendrix24]

I think you're my new favourite person.

Just thought I'd let you know.

Better.

 

[MrBrau1]

It kills me to say that I agree with this.

Why?

It's a testament to the power of the song.

U2's ultimate strength has proved to be their songwriting. Reinvention, innovation, blah, blah, blah.

It's songs.

As much as people here think anyone and his mother can write a good song, they can't.

A hip/hop artist and a country artist recording the same song, and providing the same emotional touches.

The fact Mary and Johnny improved on One isn't a dig at U2.

It's the biggest compliment.

 

[kafrun]

Better.

's your avatar. Err is my hero

 

[Yahweh]

I didnt particularly think Johnnys version of One was anything special but I have nothing against people doing remakes of songs.

 

[XHendrix24]

's your avatar. Err is my hero

Best show ever.

 

[doctorwho]

Mary's version of One is better than U2's.

As was Johnny Cash's version.

Deal with it.

It's akin to Aretha stealing "Respect" from Otis Redding.

No, I would never say that Blige's or Cash's version of "One" is better. I really like U2's version - a LOT. I think Bono's vocals in that song are the amongst the best he's ever done (with that scratchy pleading and beautiful falsetto).

But Cash brought a hint of the "preacherman" country style to the song. And Blige brings R&B flavor. It's just a different interpretation. Not better to me and I won't "deal with it". But I also won't say it's bad.

 

[cypress]

People hate hip-hop/rap because it should have died years ago, just like disco did. MTV was a huge force in the music industry in the early 90's and almost single-handedly kept the genre alive and eventually pre-packaged it for kids. Rap is nothing but urban poetry to the same tired beat. Hip-hop is just a recycled version of disco. There's nothing original anymore out of the genre. It needs to die a painful death. In fact it needed to die 15 years ago. That's not being "narrow-minded", that's just a sad fact of the music industry. Being narrow-minded is closing your mind to the fact that that entire genre is worn out and has been for a long time.

I don't like MJB's music. That said, she adds a lot to One and I will interested in the outcome of the video.

As far as "U2 doing a hip-hop album", I doubt it will be Larry mouthing beats into a mic or the Edge playing the turntables or Bono doing gangsta rap along the ellipse. It will be something funky with a definate U2 sound to it. I think it could be very interesting if they decide to go that route, much like the Pop/Zooropa era.

 

[JMScoopy]

People hate hip-hop/rap because it should have died years ago, just like disco did. MTV was a huge force in the music industry in the early 90's and almost single-handedly kept the genre alive and eventually pre-packaged it for kids. Rap is nothing but urban poetry to the same tired beat. Hip-hop is just a recycled version of disco. There's nothing original anymore out of the genre. It needs to die a painful death. In fact it needed to die 15 years ago. That's not being "narrow-minded", that's just a sad fact of the music industry. Being narrow-minded is closing your mind to the fact that that entire genre is worn out and has been for a long time.

Theres nothing i hate more (well there is ) than being woken up at 3:00 in the morning cause some asshole has to ride around in their stupid car blasting that rap shit so loud it rattles their car and my windows. also, when i was in the dorms in college, i had the shit forced on me day in and day out. it seems when people listen to rap, they cant listen to it at a normal volume level, it has to be so anyone within a 500 yard (meter) radius can hear it.

 

[Earnie Shavers]

lol... comparing disco to hip-hop.

 

[kafrun]

Best show ever.

EVER

 

[kafrun]

If you write all of hip-hop off because of 50 Cent, you are doing the same as putting down any music that features a guitar simply because you hate Nickelback.

and an Amen!

 

[Sunny69]

Just like a country fan that really digs U2's Wander on the Johnny Cash tribute, I thought U2 with Mary was a refreshing take from a different musical angle on an awseome rock song. Way to go for taking a chance and going against the grain - this is why U2 rocks....On the "Rocks" note, I can't believe how good "Electric Co" still sounds live on the Vertigo tour.

 

[martha]

Bono doing gangsta rap

Ok, now I'm 100% behind a U2 rap record. I wanna hear and see this.

 

[u2granny]

Ok, now I'm 100% behind a U2 rap record. I wanna hear and see this.

Word.

 

[chickadee]

She's a song-murderer, that woman.

 

[trevster2k]

You know that somewhere out there on the web, there is a Mary J Blige forum screaming how MJB should never have performed with U2 and she is lowering her standards or that her version is much better than the U2 original.

 

[JMScoopy]

You know that somewhere out there on the web, there is a Mary J Blige forum screaming how MJB should never have performed with U2 and she is lowering her standards or that her version is much better than the U2 original.

mary j blige has a forum?!

 

[martha]

mary j blige has a forum?!

You really don't know much about music in general do you?

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

For shame



You people make me laugh.

Don't you realize how much you sound like your parents? The same comments that many of you are making about rap & hip-hop are the exact same thing they said about your precious rock and roll back in the 50s and 60s. That it's just noise? That there's no musical quality to it? That it's nothing but sex and drugs? That it will never last?

Let's get one thing straight... rap has been in the mainstream for over 20 years now. This is not disco. It's not going anywhere, it's here to stay. Don't like it? Fine... I'm sure there's plenty of people out there who still feel that rock & roll is music from the devil. Simply put, don't listen to it.

First off, Mary J. Blige is not a rap artist. She's not even "hip-hop." She's an R&B singer... an Aretha Franklin or Marvin Gaye, not a Run DMC or Kurtis Blow. Has she worked with rap artists? Yes... so have numerous other artists from other genres. She's more soul than beats. One would never say that a singer like Joss Stone was hip hop or rap, despite the fact that they sing in a similar way. Gee I wonder why?

And all these black, female singers all sound the same, it's so unoriginal and repetative.

Ahh yes, that's why.

You don't have to like Mary J. Blige's version of One. That's fine. I like it, but my opinion doesn't matter. And not liking rap or hip hop or r&b or disco or country or polka doesn't make you close minded. Comments like the one I quoted do.

 

[U2Man]

In fact, Headache, some of them are sounding more like their grandparents

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

In fact, Headache, some of them are sounding more like their grandparents

touche'