I'm sure you've heard this saying a million times, and if you had a dollar for all of those times, as well as I, we'd be in the South of France somewhere partying. Since we don't you are here, and so am I...(lmao..it's not that bad. Stop pouting.)
The following words I have for you today come from Lyor Cohen; the music mogul and the man who brought us Jay-Z, Ashanti, DMX, Bom Jovi, Ja Rule, and a host of others during his time at Def Jam Records. Now as the head of Warner Music Group, he's still flooding the music industry with quality.
"This generation is handicapped by the era of excess. I grew up in an era of love and swimming upstream, determined to prove people wrong. We had chips on our shoulders, like, 'We belong here.' But now it's the most popular, biggest segment of the industry. We've had a decade of private planes and Maybachs. That's not the era that I came from. The era I came from, I had zero expectation that I was going to make any money.
I was determined to prove to the gatekeepers of the industry that we had a place here and we weren't going to relinquish our opportunity. I never had to keep up with nobody because we were all on subways. So it was never like, "My subway is bigger and flyer than your subway." And there was a real fraternal order. We were backstage with Andy Warhol, Jean-Michel Basquiat, and Keith Haring, and we had zero f***ing money. But everybody wanted us in the VIP room because we were doing something that was so important to them. People understood that it wasn't if it was going to happen, it was when it was going to happen." (Lyor Cohen)
As I read this interview Cohen did with HipHopDX, I was taken aback. A lot of his sentiment I shared, and I felt I had to share it with you. I too look around and find myself, and you (even if you don't want to admit it) hampered by a generation of excess. Less is no longer more, and tact is unfamiliar. How shall we survive, I don't know. Devil's advocate I am not, although it's very fun, I am trying to be honest. Rockstar living has taken over. Everyone is a star in the making, are they not? Worth more than the whole; I support confidence, not overconfidence.
I wish I lived in the era that Cohen speaks of; where potential brought you attention, and substance reigned supreme. Can anyone tell me how to get there? Do I click my heels twice? I know this is not Kansas, but can I get it on 7th Ave (Harlem that is). If not, I guess for now I can dream. Will you dream with me, that is if you feel how I feel... My subway is not bigger than yours, neither is my wardrobe closet. As I told you before I am here for the regular Joe's and Josie's (politically correct). Embrace me.
"These words are a chance to be remembered and reprised." - Basquiat
Spread Love. Live Life. Be Inspired.
Proud supporter of The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society
*Interview courtesy of hiphopdx.com
I love this! The now generation is super obessed with living like a "rockstar" as you put it. There's so much more than just living for the material means.
Although they are talented, Soulja Boys and Wacka Flockas have forgotten about the true element of Hip-hop and what being talented means. But thats also shown on some of the artists Cohen "made".
My fave line "I wish I lived in the era that Cohen speaks of; where potential brought you attention, and substance reigned supreme."