The Experienced Listener Say, “PLAY THE D*MN SONG!”, 12/22/2015

So I’m sitting in my car the other day listening to the local old school and R&B station--- not the new one that plays old school Hip Hop, one of the other two anti-rap stations.  One of my favorite songs from the 2000s comes on:  “Love of My Life” by Erykah Badu, featuring the world renowned word poet formerly-known as Common Sense.

I’m enjoying the nostalgia, nodding my head to jog my memory of the song’s lyrics; the words come back, so I’m kinda murmuring along with it.  Thinking about this Erykah Baduish-type young lady I know; wondering if I’m more the Andre 3000, the Common, or the Jay Electronica in the equation.  Erykah says, “Feels like I’ve sampled true love”, so I’m getting ready to hear Common do his thing.  The beat changes on schedule--- drums, flutes, bass… where da rapper at???

…Yup.  This is the ‘Old School/R&B Station’, so there’s no rap allowed.  Even on songs with a rapper on it.

Now, this is not a new thing, I’ve noticed it happening for years.  But this time, and because it was this particular song--- a song about a woman’s love affair with Hip Hop--- I just couldn’t let it ride.  So now, I’m gon speak:

If a song features rap, and a station wants to be anti-rap, then that station should not be allowed to play the song… period.  If a station has to cut a substantial portion of a song out in order to play it--- if that station’s listening audience isn’t mature enough to sit through a single verse of lyrics from a rapper like COMMON, the rapper who got invited to perform at the WHITE HOUSE--- then the song shouldn’t be played on the station.  At all. 

I HATE when I hear geriatrics and Sunday morning 2-hour saints say stuff like, “Hey that’s a catchy song there!  Now if they could just take that ol’ rap out of it…”  NO.  You’re freaking 50, 60, 70 years old!  If you can’t tolerate a simple blend of musical styles that complement each other by NOW, then take the whoooole song off your prescription medicine playlist.  The whole thing.

‘You know how much it sucks to hear “I Like the Way You Move” by OutKast… WITHOUT OUTKAST ON IT!?!  And Big Boi, I hear you--- Sleepy Brown is a part of OutKast.  But I promise, a hook, a bridge, and some ad libs do not a song make.  If they can’t play the whole song, they shouldn’t be able to play the song at all.  There should be no liking of moves on that station.  They even cut Andre 3000 from “Green Light” by John Legend!

It’s a little bigger than a few radio stations being anti-rap though.  My thing is, musicians go into a studio with a vision, and they create art.  That art isn’t meant to be altered according to preferences (apart from EQ adjustments on one’s playback device of choice).  Like, imagine if you painted a picture of New York City, and then somebody came along and erased (can you erase paint?) all the brownstone apartments because they don’t like brownstone apartments.  …But it’s YOUR ART and that’s what YOU SAW!  If they don’t like it, then they should move on to other paintings instead of altering yours, right? 

Now, if an artist is that much about pop appeal, I can understand them doing alternate versions of songs for different audiences.  But seriously… this was “Love of My Life”.  A song about a Hip Hop love affair.  …How you gon cut the most Hip Hop part out of a song about a Hip Hop love affair?  That’s just petty.

You wanna know what else?  This same station plays:  “Come Close” by Common, “Juicy” by the Notorious B.I.G., and “Keep Your Head Up” by Tupac.  …Word!  What the freak, yo!? 

All or nothing, that’s all I’m saying.  All or nothing.  Next time I turn on the radio, and a R&B song gets to the rap part… there better be a rap part.  The world has been notified.