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chiquiliquis · May 13, 2004, 22:01

If it makes you move, it's good...

I don't know where the whole culture thing came from. Except people get caught up in trying to define something as fluid and changing as music with the best (and often narrow) terms they have.

IE: Somebody made a remark about US artists incorporating latin beats. Part of me wants to say J-Lo and Enrique are about as latin as a siberian husky (same goes for their music--sound-in random husky bark). I even find my stomach churning when I hear people talk about the "latinization" of music in America... you might even catch me arguing, "'Jenny from the block' is equivalent to the commercial prostitution of a deep and rich Cuban musical tradition"...

BUT, then I think to myself... WTF mate...?! Traditions change, as do cultures... why would I expect music to stay static? I'm not obliged to buy Jenny's album... and never will. Thank God for consumer sovereignty. Do I think she should be banned from mixing latin sounds with hip hop and R&B. Who cares?

I don't think anyone here was trying to argue that Japanese should be prohibitted from borrowing/acculturating/incorporating sounds from a tradition other than their own. I understood the question to be: do you like it? (which the original poster answered, clearly).

I love good "J-hop/rap"... DJ Krush, DJ Watarai, DJ Hasebe... they all do great work with a lot of great vocalists. One of my favorite Japanese rap songs is a Watarai remix of Misia's "Tsutsumi Komu You Ni", with freestyle-ish vocals by Muro; it is the best of two worlds... Misia, with her awesome range, and Muro supporting the heavy beats. Krush has done fabulous work with "Tha Blue Herb"... "Chie No Wa" comes to mind (among othere songs)... Hasebe has done work with M-Flo, Shakkazombie, Crystal Kay, YMO (for cryin' out loud), Bonnie Pink... and even Ayumi Hamasaki (WTF?).

Granted... 90% of J rap and J hop is like a party in your mouth, where everyone's passed out in their own vomit. But when J artists are good, they can be really good. It is just a matter of finding the right stuff.

May 13, 2004, 22:01	#33
chiquiliquis tokyo dancer Join Date: May 9, 2004 Location: Setagaya, Tokyo Posts: 160	Meh... If it makes you move, it's good... I don't know where the whole culture thing came from. Except people get caught up in trying to define something as fluid and changing as music with the best (and often narrow) terms they have. IE: Somebody made a remark about US artists incorporating latin beats. Part of me wants to say J-Lo and Enrique are about as latin as a siberian husky (same goes for their music--sound-in random husky bark). I even find my stomach churning when I hear people talk about the "latinization" of music in America... you might even catch me arguing, "'Jenny from the block' is equivalent to the commercial prostitution of a deep and rich Cuban musical tradition"... BUT, then I think to myself... WTF mate...?! Traditions change, as do cultures... why would I expect music to stay static? I'm not obliged to buy Jenny's album... and never will. Thank God for consumer sovereignty. Do I think she should be banned from mixing latin sounds with hip hop and R&B. Who cares? I don't think anyone here was trying to argue that Japanese should be prohibitted from borrowing/acculturating/incorporating sounds from a tradition other than their own. I understood the question to be: do you like it? (which the original poster answered, clearly). I love good "J-hop/rap"... DJ Krush, DJ Watarai, DJ Hasebe... they all do great work with a lot of great vocalists. One of my favorite Japanese rap songs is a Watarai remix of Misia's "Tsutsumi Komu You Ni", with freestyle-ish vocals by Muro; it is the best of two worlds... Misia, with her awesome range, and Muro supporting the heavy beats. Krush has done fabulous work with "Tha Blue Herb"... "Chie No Wa" comes to mind (among othere songs)... Hasebe has done work with M-Flo, Shakkazombie, Crystal Kay, YMO (for cryin' out loud), Bonnie Pink... and even Ayumi Hamasaki (WTF?). Granted... 90% of J rap and J hop is like a party in your mouth, where everyone's passed out in their own vomit. But when J artists are good, they can be really good. It is just a matter of finding the right stuff.