samwelbeckWhen I listen to the songs my children play I realise just how far apart we are musically. Ok there are some of 'the greats' they have come to appreciate, like Michael Jackson, Madonna and..... Michael Sembello (who?). But my children are still quite young and if they follow the pattern that I and most of my friends followed, there will come a time when they will choose their rebel anthems, the songs that will define their coming of age, their zits, their longing to be heard; their anger with the rigid and uncaring, unjust world they have been plunged into.
Since the beginning of popular music generations have claimed new sounds as their own and from these sounds have come heroes of that generation, giving birth to new rebellions. Elvis Presley was one of those who shocked parents with his electric guitar based RnB version of old traditional "white" rock and roll in the 50s. The 60s saw bands like Pink Floyd inspire new generations and the likes of Jimi Hendrix. The 70s had its own rebellious heroes too but it was in the 80s that my rebellious heroes first formed.
Public Enemy were an integral part of my upbringing. I was a typical black kid growing up in London. I longed to find "my place " in the world, to discover my roots and where I belonged. It was around that time that Spike Lee began to inspire a black pride with his movies, faces like Trevor McDonald were appearing on TV and a strange new music called rap began to make its way across the pond. My favourite group at the time was Cameo (Single Life, Candy) alongside the obvious others like MJ, Whitney Houston and all the other artists I had "borrowed" from my parents. One day my older sister brought home a 'tape' she had borrowed from a friend at school. She played it and my life changed in an instant. There was one track in particular that I just could not comprehend. I was excited, scared, bemused and exhilarated all at once. It was so raw. No fancy bass, no melody, no compromise. Just an amazing bedlam which shouted LISTEN TO ME!!!!! I had found my rebel music. This defined me. This spoke my language. And to make it better, my mother hated it, she could not understand it and that made it mine.
Public Enemy had a message. The lyrics were hard hitting, honest and dangerous. They were militant in their appearance and gave off a real image of strength of conviction. Like all rebel musicians of the past, they addressed the sentiments of a new generation and were like bullets to my otherwise "water like" pistol.
Over the next 4 years Chuck D, Flava Flav, professor Griff and the S1Ws adorned every spare inch of my bedroom walls, my school books, bag and clothes. I knew every lyric to "It Takes a Nation of Millions..." and then went looking for more. I found "Yo Bum Rush The Show" and memorised that. I was the first in line at our local record store when "Welcome to the Terrodome" the first single from "Fear of A Black Planet" was released.
I wonder what the rebel songs and artists will be of today? What songs, what artists will I turn my nose up at when my children blast it from the bedroom stereos? It doesn't look at the moment as if there is any real rebel music left? The issues of the day are not addressed anymore, unless you consider worrying that the evening may be so boring that you need Black Eyed Peas to tell you that "tonights gonna be a good night". Is rebel music dead?
What was the song that I heard that changed my musical life?
Public Enemy It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back public enemy Def Jam
Since the beginning of popular music generations have claimed new sounds as their own and from these sounds have come heroes of that generation, giving birth to new rebellions. Elvis Presley was one of those who shocked parents with his electric guitar based RnB version of old traditional "white" rock and roll in the 50s. The 60s saw bands like Pink Floyd inspire new generations and the likes of Jimi Hendrix. The 70s had its own rebellious heroes too but it was in the 80s that my rebellious heroes first formed.
Public Enemy were an integral part of my upbringing. I was a typical black kid growing up in London. I longed to find "my place " in the world, to discover my roots and where I belonged. It was around that time that Spike Lee began to inspire a black pride with his movies, faces like Trevor McDonald were appearing on TV and a strange new music called rap began to make its way across the pond. My favourite group at the time was Cameo (Single Life, Candy) alongside the obvious others like MJ, Whitney Houston and all the other artists I had "borrowed" from my parents. One day my older sister brought home a 'tape' she had borrowed from a friend at school. She played it and my life changed in an instant. There was one track in particular that I just could not comprehend. I was excited, scared, bemused and exhilarated all at once. It was so raw. No fancy bass, no melody, no compromise. Just an amazing bedlam which shouted LISTEN TO ME!!!!! I had found my rebel music. This defined me. This spoke my language. And to make it better, my mother hated it, she could not understand it and that made it mine.
Public Enemy had a message. The lyrics were hard hitting, honest and dangerous. They were militant in their appearance and gave off a real image of strength of conviction. Like all rebel musicians of the past, they addressed the sentiments of a new generation and were like bullets to my otherwise "water like" pistol.
Over the next 4 years Chuck D, Flava Flav, professor Griff and the S1Ws adorned every spare inch of my bedroom walls, my school books, bag and clothes. I knew every lyric to "It Takes a Nation of Millions..." and then went looking for more. I found "Yo Bum Rush The Show" and memorised that. I was the first in line at our local record store when "Welcome to the Terrodome" the first single from "Fear of A Black Planet" was released.
I wonder what the rebel songs and artists will be of today? What songs, what artists will I turn my nose up at when my children blast it from the bedroom stereos? It doesn't look at the moment as if there is any real rebel music left? The issues of the day are not addressed anymore, unless you consider worrying that the evening may be so boring that you need Black Eyed Peas to tell you that "tonights gonna be a good night". Is rebel music dead?
What was the song that I heard that changed my musical life?
Public Enemy It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back public enemy Def Jam
