"The Artistic Integrity
Pursuing the path of education of the youth towards a collective musical state of transcendence, this post will yet again involve sweet tunes in a manner. But implied in the foregoing sentence, on this occasion the song will serve as a mere soundtrack for the plot, however with themes conjoined.
Never will I ever utter never to myself/
fall in love with defeat, throw my endeavors on a shelf/
The song is called “The artistic integrity”, an old tune from Wale’s critically acclaimed 2008 mixtape called “The Mixtape About Nothing”. If you have slept on this one, go get it now. The entire tape samples heavily from the sit-com Seinfeld, and is quite easily enjoyable for both fans of the show and people who have yet to be blessed by its timeless ability to invoke laughter and joy. But background-info aside, the subject of the song is the reason it’s a part of this blurb, as the artistic integrity is as important to the multi-millionaire hip hop artist as it is to a small-time kidult with big dreams. The concept can be interpreted in quite a few ways, but to me it’s always been about the individual and personal demons one has to fight in order to achieve the self-realization that surpasses physical sensation. Integrity is usually conveyed as a term that is quite unfriendly when it comes to a concise definition, yet somehow we all understand what it means, and how we all should sanctify it as a matter of individual essence.
And individual essence is pretty much one of the main aspects of today’s game. This we can see personified in Lil B and Lady Gaga, two famous artists I find hard to support, but even harder to disrespect, as they beyond doubt stay true to their school. Internet has provided us with an overflow of information, and the selling points of yesterday are the norm of today. This evolution could be debated as to whether it’s healthy, but it certainly makes for an interesting change. Reaching out and supplying a fan base with your product has never been easier, but maintaining and staying relevant has however taken the back seat for fast-blaze celebrity status. To quote a man that’s been in the wind lately, and mastered the art of trending to artisan level, Kanye West says “We can’t all be American idols, but you could at least grab a camera and shoot a viral”. You could say whatever you want about him, whether you feel sorry for poor Taylor for selling double-platinum the following week or for him being a sample-abusing douche, but he is basically THE concept I’m trying to render.
All in all, I feel the evolution of things considered have deployed additional lanes for talented individuals to rise to stardom, and rightfully take a place in the category of “successful”, while the bar for talent obviously has been lowered somewhat to accommodate the massive increase in power-hungry individuals. In my eyes this is a welcome change, as I’d take quantity over quality, seeing that the things I find appealing are so diverse that I’d most likely walk around hungry for cultural stimulus otherwise. Somehow I feel the distance between the Nat King Cole’s, Beach Boys, Beastie Boys and Lauryn Hill’s will happen with longer intervals, as the unhealthy concept of power-house conglomerates has started emerging (Young Money, G.O.O.D. Music to a certain degree) and leaving the ancient balance between record labels with marketing possibilities and artists with a product in a new position. I believe the next five years will be quite defining for the market, as many seem to predict the downfall of the money-hungry suit-goliaths, while others debate whether they really are relevant or not.
But predictions and utopian/dystopian futures aside, I feel truly blessed being surrounded by so many talented folks, being it photography, film, music, writing, fashion, art or basically any other cultural form of expression. It’s pretty interesting experiencing firsthand the movements of the game in Norway, and it’s certainly an honor to be an “acquaintance” of this blog’s owner (Ass-licking shout-out, what up?) and several other persons that don’t need mentioning, but I suspect they will understand who they are. The future belongs to the young ones, and sleeping on our privilege and possibility to make a change can’t really be tolerated, as there really is no reason to live just to get by. We all dream of bigger things, and living like you’re planning to do something else then what you’re aspiring to is probably going to offer you little else than sad thoughts and an afterlife of remorse. I can’t really force you to pursue your dreams (hive mind á la the Zergs would be nice), but I’m quite sure there is something to it, whatever it is. You owe it to yourself to be bigger than you are right now, regardless of the amount of success and power you currently possess. I’m one of those individuals that can’t wait to become a retired old schmuck, but it’s unforgivable to not make the most out of the hours until said thing happens. The pain of pursuing is temporary, and to quote Allan R. Bevere; “We don’t remember days, we remember moments.”
Make sure your moments are hella awesome.
Sensei Rydis aims big, you owe yourself as much too."
Whats your say in this?
