Motown Or Hip Hop?, page 1

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ATS Members have flagged this thread 3 times

Topic started on 3-9-2012 @ 12:05 AM by Alxandro

So which type of music has done and contributed more to our American culture?

My vote goes to Motown.

As a young skinny Hispanic kid, my first exposure to Motown was back in the late 60's.
It was the pop music of the day and it was everywhere, you would hear and recognize certain songs no matter where you would go.
But my first time I experienced a real connection with this type of music came in the very early 70's.

My parents were hosting a party, the house was extremely crowded and everyone was dancing to the sounds traditional Mexican music.
I wasn't really into music at that time but I knew repition of any kind was extremely annoying.
So it didn't take long for the constant and repetitive oompa-pa oompa-pa beat and the accordian sound of Mexican Ranchero music to wear me out.
And wear me out it did.
So I took refuge in an isolated room just to get away from it all.
We had moved some of the furniture from the rest of the house in to this small room just to make room for the party, and in this room was our brand new stereo console, much like the one pictured here.

It had the top of the line black and white CRT in the center, a turn table on the left and an AM FM radio solid state stereo on the right side.
Btw, the term "Solid State" is actually a precursor to the term "High Tech" both used to describe the top of line technology of its time, and both now obsolete, but I digress.

Anyway, I plugged in the console and started fumbling with the big stereo knobs, dials and switches.
Wasn't long before I got the white noise sound of static as I turned the dial between stations looking for something interesting that would catch my ears.

And then I found it.

That's when I was introduced to the hypnotic bass line and the accompanying high hat..

om Boom> . . . . .

YouTube Link

Then came the strings and later the trumpet, and don't forget the funky guitar track.

I had never experienced anything like this before and it was welcome change from the Mexican music from just a few minute before.
It was like I was along for the ride, not knowing where I was going, but it was all good.

After several minutes, it was almost like I was meditating as I kept getting onto the song.
The first time I had ever made a connection with music of any kind.

Then, came the powerful vocals, and BAMM!

"It was the third of September."
The day I'll always remember, yes I will.."

I was floored as I listened to the lyrics and the rest of the song.

Looking back, that was a truly memorable night for me that I remember as a kid.
Never really made a connection with any hip-hop song, ever.

Given the true racial tension of the time, Motown was still able to produce true American classics that have stood the test of time, which is how good music is always measured.
So my vote goes to Motown.

What do you guys and gals think?

Thanks for your time.

Alx

reply posted on 3-9-2012 @ 12:30 AM by Frankenchrist

If you look at in longevity.

Hip Hop is it.

Motown is pretty much dead. And has been dead for quite a while.

Real Hip Hop is still very much alive with underground artists.

But with that being said.

I don't think we would have Hip Hop with out Motown.

reply posted on 3-9-2012 @ 12:51 AM by RobertF

I don't have the answer to your question, but I just spent the last eleven minutes in aural bliss..thank you for the link.

reply posted on 3-9-2012 @ 02:53 AM by wingsfan

I really agree and appreciate this post. Motown is something the world would do better to bring back, though any further thoughts I have on the issue will be conceived the wrong way, so I'll shut up about that. When Motown music died Motown died. Everyone loved this era, why was it thrown under the rug soo urgently??

reply posted on 3-9-2012 @ 03:47 AM by Vicker

I'd have to go with hip hop as well. Just because one came first doesn't make it more important. A lot of hip hop can actually shock me with the sheer vocal talent some people have.

reply posted on 3-9-2012 @ 05:34 AM by IrVulture

I feel blessed to have grown up in the Motown era!

That was truly the golden age of music....

Sly and the Family Stone:

YouTube Link

And another Temptations song that couldn't be more relevant today:

YouTube Link

edit on 3-9-2012 by IrVulture because: ETA: Ball of confusion

reply posted on 3-9-2012 @ 11:05 AM by Alxandro

reply to post by Frankenchrist

Sure Motown may have passed on, but the music still lives, even after all these years.
It's not uncommon to walk into some establishment and hear a familiar Motown classic playing in the background.
These are songs that are immediately recognizable, and there are many of them.
I can't say the same for many of the hip hop songs.

reply posted on 3-9-2012 @ 11:10 AM by Alxandro

Originally posted by wingsfan
Motown is something the world would do better to bring back, though any further thoughts I have on the issue will be conceived the wrong way, so I'll shut up about that.

No room for political correctness here and no need to shut up, please share your thoughts.
Interested to know what you feel.

reply posted on 3-9-2012 @ 07:09 PM by wingsfan

reply to post by Alxandro

Just the standard diatribe on new music and perhaps a delve into it's social symptoms. There's already too many post like that.

reply posted on 3-9-2012 @ 11:46 PM by Texan123

reply to post by Vicker

If every single Hip Hop "Artist" where required to write there own music, melody and hook, there would be no hip hop.

reply posted on 4-9-2012 @ 01:01 AM by BigBrotherDarkness

Motown, because it's actual music; and not a corporate commercial directed at a specific ethnic group like Hip Hop is. The Supremes never said buy anything. Now adays it's nothing but sponsoring Escalades, 40oz's, etc. If I were in the targeted group I'd be up in arms at what these corporate "spokesmen" are actually preaching to my brothers and sisters; because under lying the commercial the message is rarely positive. People are living a stereo-type and don't even know it.

reply posted on 4-9-2012 @ 01:10 AM by MidnightSunshine

edit on 4-9-2012 by MidnightSunshine because: (no reason given)

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