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Tonight I will be heading to NYC to check out what might possibly be one of the best Metal shows of 2008, Neurosis and Mastodon. Having missed the last two times that Mastodon played in Toronto out of sheer ignorance and poverty, I knew that if I didn’t go see them play I would be kicking myself for the rest of the year. Since none of my friends nor NYC acquaintances share the same passion for Metal that I do, I will be heading to Brooklyn alone, so if this ends up being my last post you know what happened……
No seriously, I have been going to punk and metal concerts for over a decade. Not as much as I would like, but I try to go when I can. I have written previously at Blogher about my interest in the black representation in the alternative music scene, (most notably, metal) and some of the women that are (hopefully) are paving the way for the next generation to get loud, excited and involved in the genre that I have been passionate about since I was a kid. I’ve written about this before on Blogher here.
For some reason I happened to come across a post today about the metal band that African-American actress Jada Pinkett Smith fronts, Wicked Wisdom that fellow Blogher CE Nordette Adams wrote in November of 2006. Before I begin, let me say that I have heard some tracks from the band, and while they aren’t bad, they aren’t my cup of tea. I personally prefer harder, more hyper-white angry boy-masculine stuff, but regardless, they are a really good band and she is no fool. I have a feeling that if she knew she sucked, she wouldn’t be doing it. And that type of metal is taken so seriously by fans that Sharon Osbourne who tapped the band to appear on the second stage of Ozzfest a couple back, wouldn’t gave given them the coveted spot.
In Nordette’s post, she expresses her dismay over something that is written on the band’s MySpace page which was This ain’t no R&B Shit. Her argument is threefold: 1. The presence of the slogan is a sign of disrespect for a musical genre that is steeped in African-American culture; 2.The perceived ignorance of Pinkett Smith’s knowledge about the history of rock; and 3. A sign that Ms. Pinkett Smith has some personal issues that she is using this particular musical genre to work out. Obviously I vehemently disagree with Nordette’s post, but I did find it extremely interesting, as even though it probably didn’t mean to, it raised some interesting questions about identity and musical tastes.
While I can completely understand Nordette’s stance about the offending statement that introduces Wicked Wisdom’s site, I think that what the band was trying to do was to say that they are not playing the “stereotypical” genres of music that it is thought that black folks should be playing. That when the music hits you when you check out their page, it ain’t going to be no R&B. They are acknowledging the surprise that probably greeted them during Ozzfest (apparently it took awhile for the fans to warm up to them) and to folks that see a young pretty black girl and figure that she is going to be on some Mariah Carey shit. That’s not it, and I think that’s what the band was trying to say. Maybe not well, but hey…..
Since I remain a rarity at metal / rock shows, I have always wondered why there aren’t more black folks into the heavier genres of music. After all, if you grew up in the ‘70’s and ‘80’s (especially moi, since there were no mainstream ‘urban’ radio stations in Canada until the late ‘90’s) there is a good chance that you grew up listening to some straight up Rock n’ Roll.
But there is such a cultural component to what we listen to, as we use music to identify who we are, which has always bothered me. As a kid I was drawn to groups like Public Enemy because I liked their lyrics of black empowerment. I was also drawn to Judas Priest because I loved their rapid-fire playing and the energy that pounded it’s way out of my crappy Radio Shack speakers – not because I hated myself, hated my blackness or was particularly angry at society. The energy is addictive, the aggression makes me feel powerful – even
