RockNRoll Induction Ceremony

[Rick Lee]

Beasty Boys play their own instruments, write their own songs and have a great sense of humor. Not my cup of tea, but they get tons more credit in my book than some rapper who screams obscenities and general vitriol into a mic, backed up by a bad drum machine and high sqealy note on a keyboard.

[notfarnow]

Originally posted by Rick Lee
Beasty Boys play their own instruments, write their own songs and have a great sense of humor. Not my cup of tea, but they get tons more credit in my book than some rapper who screams obscenities and general vitriol into a mic, backed up by a bad drum machine and high sqealy note on a keyboard.

+1

So then, would you go as far as to say that TALENTED rappers like the Beastie Boys might deserve a R&R HoF induction?

[JavaBrewer]

I don't think anyone is arguing that point Rick. The same can be said for a slew of bands from every genre. We're (well I am) saying that there are some really talented folks making rap that deserve kudos they recieve. Just cause I don't listen to it does not make it bad.

[Rick Lee]

What makes a band worthy of HOF status to me is if their music is timeless and they influenced a lot of others. Does anyone listen to their old Leif Garrett and Shaun Cassidy records nowadays? Were they ever even converted to CD? Is anyone ever gonna listen to Britney Spears CD's in 20 yrs.? Doubt it.

[Racerbvd]

Originally posted by Jeff Higgins
Exactly. Why not have a rap hall of fame? Like in the east wing of San Quentin or something. Or maybe at some morgue, as fast as those geniuses seem to want to kill each other. There are country, gospel, rock, and others that stand alone; why not rap? Oh wait - maybe rap can't quite do that...

They do, it is called Prison . I'm sorry, you can not compare that crap to R&B, Rock n Roll or any real music!! Blasting bass and scratching albums while yelling kill whitey is not music, or an art, it is just plain crap . That being said, I had the opportunity to handle limp biscuit when they 1st started, since I didn't like it then, still don't and had no place to put them, we told them we couldn't help them. Yes, I could have made a lot of money, but I have to like & believe in a product , and I didn't like it then, and I don't like it now. I still have a demo tape somewhere I think.

[Rick Lee]

Byron, we need to hang out sometime.

[Racerbvd]

Originally posted by Rick Lee
Byron, we need to hang out sometime.

Sounds good to me

[azasadny]

Originally posted by Rick Lee
Byron, we need to hang out sometime.

Me too!!

[targa911S]

Originally posted by Rick Lee
What the hell does rap have to do with music or art? Well, maybe it has something in common with modern art, but neither are art.

Sorry Rick but that sounds like musical discrimination. What if the Elvis fans said that about The Beatles?

[Jeff Higgins]

Originally posted by notfarnow
Then what about the blues? All kinds of bluesmen in the HOF.

Too much overlap between Blues, Rock & Roll, R&B & rap to start excluding, IMO.

"The Blues had a baby, and they called him 'Rock'n'Roll'."

Muddy Waters

There is no similar connection between rap and rock, or rap and any other kind of music for that matter. Rock draws influences from virtually every genre of music extant; the blues, jazz, country, gospel, big band, folk, just to name a few. It's hardly surprising that many artists cross over into, and are recognized for their performances in, several of these genres. Rap is notably been left out. Now they are scraping for credibility and acceptance by latching onto some one else's gig. Why rock? Why not country? Rap is just about as closely related to country as it is to rock, which is to say it ain't even close.

So what is that bull***** they do with a turntable and some one else's LP's? You know, where they scratch and squeal it back and forth? Who are the aknowlegded masters of that "instrument"? I mean rock has Hendrix, Page, Clapton; Moon, Bonham, Bruford; Squire, Flea, Entwistle, Lake; Wakeman, Emerson; timeless heroes of their chosen instrument. Who would go into the rap hall of fame as the best record scratcher?

[Shuie]

'License To Ill' is one of the best selling albums of all time. I say the Beastie Boys get a pass since every sample on that album is from a song written by a band thats already in the HOF.

OMG. Who cares? Its not like there is any legitimacy associated with the R&R Hall of Fame anymore anyway.

[Rick Lee]

Originally posted by targa911S
Sorry Rick but that sounds like musical discrimination. What if the Elvis fans said that about The Beatles?

Yup, it sure is discrimination and that's how I choose my music. The difference it that 40-50 yrs. later people still listen to Elvis and the Beatles. I listen to the Beatles almost every day in my iPod. I was never an Elvis fan but the man was a pioneer whose music is timeless and who others still try to emulate. Tell me kids will be listening to Ice Cube in 20-30 yrs. and there will be Snoop Dogg tribute bands then. No chance. I can't imagine what rap inspires people to reach for. It's certainly no good for learning an instrument, since it's just drum machines and computers and turntables.

[MichiganMat]

If all you're hearing is computers and drum machines you're missing out on 90% of the story. The 80s were full of funk and r&b, the 90's had lots of jazz infusions and African drums, as of 2000 krunk from Atlanta has its own style, Wu-Tang pratically pioneered an entire NY style, Kanye has been a hit-making pop-God, the list just goes on and on.

You just don't like the hustle music you've probably heard booming out of beatup nasty hoopties. That music is crap, the Jessica Simpson's of hiphop. I bet if someone played some quality hiphop that even you would find yourself exclaiming "Oh shnizzap!".

[K. Roman]

Michigan Mat you have some good taste in Hip Hop...Visit my label when you get a chance. Rick Lee sounds like a fun guy to hang out with.

www.lookrecords.com

[89911]

Man this sound like an argument amongt middle age white guys. Do any of you have teenagers or friends that do? Rock is slowly dieing, like it or not. I am convinced that kids will strive toward music that their parents do not like or understand. Frankly, I would worry if my kids where really into old Styx albums. And as far as just listening to old music, like classic rock, I'd rather listen to bad talk radio. Sure maybe an old song every now and then, How many time can you listen to the same song? For some, I guess forever.

[KFC911]

Originally posted by 89911
Man this sound like an argument amongt middle age white guys. Do any of you have teenagers or friends that do? Rock is slowly dieing, like it or not.....

Like there is any other type of argument here ....queue up Pete Townshend: "Long live rock!..." I haven't listened to the radio much in over 20 years, but rock is still very much alive. cRAP will have the same legacy as disco imo...no, I DON'T get it!

ps: I've got lots of friends with kids (teenagers - early 20s) that are also talented musicians...they love the same stuff that I do !

[89911]

I can say that I am open to almost any music. On my iPod, my collection goes from Beatles, old LL Cool J, MC 900 ft Jesus (anyone now him?), Kraftwerk, RadioHead, Neil Young, Stevie Ray Vaugh, Social Distortion, Beastie Boys (Paul's Boutique), and on and on. I actually turned away from classic rock in high school, shunning the Bob Segers and Bruce Springsteens for Elvis Costello, and The Clash. I purposely give every music a chance to see if I like it. Some that I may not initially pick up, I am introduced by my 14 year old daughter (Black Eyed Peas), and find that I can appreciate it. I guess if I'm asked what "type" of music I like, I would say anything that appeals to me and isn't overplayed. Too much going on not to give everything a chance.

[Jeff Higgins]

"Hey hey, my my, rock and roll will never die; there's more to the picture than meets the eye..."

Neil Young

Rock has outlived one other shallow flash in the pan called "disco". It will outlive this one, too. When there is no talent, no lasting artistic merit behind a genre of music, it simply cannot survive beyond the first generation that adopts it.

You guys arguing the merits of rap, touting it as the heir apparent to rock and roll, sound the same as all those pin heads from the '70's that were dancing in leisure suits and platform shoes. Hell, even the Bee Gees sang and played instruments. All these rap "artists" seem to manage is cussing a blue streak, beating on the walls and furniture, and scratching old LP's. They can't even shoot well enough to hit each other most of the time.

I have two teenage boys that are, like most teenage boys, very much into the music of their generation. It's still called rock and roll, and there are some damn fine bands out there today. I admittedly pretty well skipped the '80's and 90's musically, but the new stuff coming out now is really quite good. We actually share a lot of our music between us; they introduce me to the new stuff, I introduce them to the classics.

Their take on rap? It's for losers and gangsta wannabes. They laugh out loud at the middle class white boys with their hats on backwards, cruising down the road in some crapped out old Monte Carlo, leaning on their right elbow damn near in the passenger seat, with the gangsta crap booming out through the windows. They think it's funnier than hell that daddy's little princess is listening to music calling her a "ho" in her Civic on the way to shopping at Nordstrom's. If you run in these circles, with their aspirations, then maybe to you rock is dying. Out in the real world, however, it is thriving.

[notfarnow]

Originally posted by Rick Lee
The difference it that 40-50 yrs. later people still listen to Elvis and the Beatles. I listen to the Beatles almost every day in my iPod. I was never an Elvis fan but the man was a pioneer whose music is timeless and who others still try to emulate.

Agreed 100%

Originally posted by Rick Lee
Tell me kids will be listening to Ice Cube in 20-30 yrs. and there will be Snoop Dogg tribute bands then. No chance. I can't imagine what rap inspires people to reach for. It's certainly no good for learning an instrument, since it's just drum machines and computers and turntables.

This is where you lose me. No one thinks $schitty rap ought to be included, any more than $chitty R&R. I don't think Snoop Dog deserves a spot in the R&R HoF any more than Glass Tiger.

I don't like disco and I don't consider it "real" Rock & Roll, but I don't question the Bee Gees' induction. Disco was a spawn of r&r, and despite A LOT of bad disco, there was some notable stuff that has held up to the test of time.

And yeah, I think people will be listening to good rap 20 years from now. License to Ill was released in '86. I still listen to it, and I have Beastie Boys Check Your Head in the 10 disc changer along with the Beatles, Johnny Cash, John Lee Hooker, Neil Young, Dylan, Canned Heat etc etc.

[KFC911]

Originally posted by Jeff Higgins
[B..... All these rap "artists" seem to manage is cussing a blue streak, beating on the walls and furniture, and scratching old LP's. They can't even shoot well enough to hit each other most of the time.... [/B]

While I don't think we can help with their "music" (and I hesitate to use that term), the least we could do is start an "Accuracy for Rappers" support group