>Maybe Michael Jackson could be considered the black male equivalent of >Shania Twain? Except he's neither especialy black or especially male. >A couple of years ago, at the height of his popularity, we had a >discussion about him where I work. The white folks claimed he was black. >The black folks swore he was white. >Mike Woods Hah!! Exactly, no one wants to claim his Royal Wackness. But he, nevertheless, must be accounted for. Actually, the person who--for me, anyway--seems to have inherited Mike's ability to negatively influence an entire field of music is Dr. Dre. On a smaller scale--but aren't all scales smaller than Jacko's?--Dr. Dre took the dissonance, freneticism, and chaos of those early NWA and Ice Cube records (and rap, in general), the funk references which already abounded, and made them easier on the ears. Whether he was pandering to a white audience or not can be argued, but clearly his slower, more reductive take on rap music--not to mention its yawningly predictable themes of gangsta-ism--sold millions--and continues to influence the genre. And, in my estimation, to the genre's detriment. It's no wonder that people can't stand rap these days, it's all about conservative market shares and appealing to stable demographics. I even wonder if albums like 3 Feet High and Rising, Paul's Boutique, or even It Takes a Nation of Millions would be able to find an audience these days? Hypothetically, of course. Lance . . .
