One of the uncomfortable consequences of being into rap music, for me anyway, is finding the appropriate terminology to use to discuss it with people outside the culture’s inner circle. When people at work ask me what type of music I like I tend to say “whatever, I’m open” or some other crowd pleaser. Which is true to a certain extent, but what I really want to say, what would come out of me naturally, if I was talking to people around the way for instance, is something more like “I listen to hip-hop, the good shit, you heard that new Krs-One song?” Buck 65 has the same problems. Probably worse for him I suspect. He also compares listening to popular music today to appreciating the work of Nazi propagandistas, which I thought was a good way to point out the discrepancy between appreciating something and just naturally liking something. Link (via 15min)
SSv: Does that feel unfair in a way that some people won’t ever enjoy your music because it’s under a label, or they assume that all they talk about are all of those things?
Buck 65: Well, yes. And that’s specifically why I’ve had this kind of trouble with the genre or even the word. It’s kind of an unfair thing for me, because I think everyone would agree that your average person who knows nothing about hip-hop – the only stuff they get to see is the stuff that is cliched or something, the worst stuff. And so that becomes what it is for them. If they say, “I don’t like hip-hop because of all that dirty stuff” or “I don’t like the language and the way women are treated,” that becomes a reflection on me. It’s not fair because my record doesn’t really have that kind of stuff whatsoever.
But also, it’s the kind of stuff where I could get embarrassed because I don’t want people thinking I’m that type of guy. It’s always so tough when you’re meeting your new girlfriend’s parents, and they find out you’re a rapper. And the first thing running through your mind is “Oh God, maybe they think I’m a pimp.” I wouldn’t want my girlfriend’s parents to think that. It sounds silly, but when you think about the way that people think and the limited exposure people have to things, it’s kind of crazy. But it’s realistic. That’s the way it is, especially when people have a distaste for it.
