STUDIO83

"Y'all pushin. You're pushin, pushin. Just relax. Relax. Pushing it. It'll go up by itself. Don't put nothin' in it, unless you feel it... Let's do it again please." - Nina Simone as she stops the band in her version of "I Shall Be Released"

Good day all

This past weekend I came across a young rapper. I can't remember what his name was because that is the impression he left with me. I only speak of him because he said to me: "Jay Z is a better rapper than Nas." Now, this opinion wasn't expressed in naivety by this young man, he said it matter of factly and proceeded to try and argue his case. I personally didn't hear much of what he had to say because it was downright ignorant. He explained and justified and threw words upon words at me trying to make his statement seem plausible - but all he said was...nothing.

But wait, there's more... I played some Wutang Clan, the Wutang Forever double disc. The young rapper said that he didn't know what Wutang were talking about and that clicked the circle into place. He was unapologetically the new generation and was not willing to go anywhere but forward. I looked into this boy's eyes and he honestly didn't see why he had to listen to anything other than Wiz Khalifa (whom he thinks is one of the best rappers) and the like. (He also opted to sit and listen to Wiz from his phone while Wutang was on)

This is when I thought about musical wisdom and the invisible existence of it. I say it exists invisibly because it has always 'gone without saying' - You won't know where you're going until you know where you've been. This young man didn't know hip hop and the veterans and renegades that made it what it is today, but he wants to take hip hop to another level. My question for him is, how can you take hip hop to the next level if you don't know hip hop?

The music I listen to and the artists I love don't claim to be self-made, they don't miss an opportunity to let you know who inspired them to create whatever album they've just dropped. I remember when Alicia Keys released As I am, when she was interviewed, she told the interviewer that she used to jog with her earphones blasting Lauryn Hill's Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, and that's where she got her inspiration. The inspiration of those that did it before, paved the musical path, that is what affords musical wisdom.

I don't pretend to know everything, I actually love that I don't (Every day is an opportunity to see and hear something brand new), all I know is that I love music with all my heart. Music makes me fall in love every day. Music runs through me like a river, beating each limb into movement. Every day, I want to learn more as a music lover because I want that musical wisdom - but I won't force it.