Mainstream vs. Underground

Dear Robert:

I enjoyed your post, “Mainstream vs. Underground," because I think it is very relevant to the music culture we see in American society today.

One sentence you wrote that stands out for me is: "There is no greater tragedy than turning on the radio, tuning it to the local hip-hop station, and listening to the awful excuse for music that comes out of the speakers " I think this is completely true because it seems like every artist in the genre, including some of the founding artists, are degenerating to nearly a complete reliance on artificial means of creating music.

Another sentence that I was interested in was: "There are so many great artists and groups just waiting to make it big, yet they may never be discovered because society is so deeply enthralled in the garbage that is mainstream hip hop." This stood out for me because I think it is a problem that for the most part we are satisfied with mediocrity and don’t like to question the popular opinion.

Your post reminds me of pretty much every time I turn on the radio. It is a sad fact. I also agree that “underground” music is the truest music. Thanks for your writing. I look forward to seeing what you write next, because I think you have a very enlightened perspective on popular culture, especially when it comes to music.

Dear Gibbins,

I feel your pain. There is almost nothing worse then turning on the radio and hearing T-Pain or Black Eyed Peas pathetic attemps at making music. I would hardly call the music that is on the radio now days "Hip-Hop". Artists theses days are becoming too obsessed with money and fame. All of this is distracting them from the real purpose of making music.

Underground artists tend to be the best there is. Check out my post about Auto Tune and Hip-Hop.

I think that the reason for the major music trend right now is because of a change in our mainstream media. They go hand in hand. When our media portrays a simple and unsophisticated world then our music will also portray those qualities. For example, if our media constantly shows us simple minded reality T.V. characters than we are more likely to be simple minded. This ongoing cycle results in music listeners wanting simple music. I am not saying that its necessarily bad that during the modern day we can find everything more easily because if we can find information more easily then we can obtain more knowledge. However, this newly found convenience in our society results in an over simplification of entertainment; music being one of the victims to this oversimplification.

I think the reason that there is such a prominent underground culture in the modern day is because many people are looking for more meaning in their entertainment then the mainstream can provide for them. I really hope that more and more people will listen to underground music but this will require more media attention and less obligation for normality. If we could remove "hipster" stereotypes and negative connotations toward the underground then I think we could see the two extremes become one homogenous entertainment world.