Urban

Message Bookmarked

Bookmark Removed

As in: music that black people like. Because that is what "urban" really means, isn't it? I despise the term even more than the ridiculous "emocore" tag. Why don't they just say hip-hop and R&B? It's not as if every body who lives in a city likes "urban" music and vice versa. They even use the term in Europe, it's all so stupid. Is it also racist because people are afraid to say "black" music?

― JoB, Thursday, 16 May 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Go to any major record store - the division between "white music" and "black music" is physically demonstrated in a way that's impossible to deny. It's totally ridiculous.

"Urban..." what kind of shit is that? Where's the "Suburban Music" section?

― Shaky Mo Collier, Thursday, 16 May 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Saying "urban" with the implied verbal quotes is hella "edgy".

― Sterling Clover, Thursday, 16 May 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

"urban" is also insidious for giving that radio programmers an easy way out into lumping r&b and rap into the same market...of course i don't need to tell anyone that the musical cross-polination thereof has yielded some great results here and there, but what this means for radio is that only the most hardcorest of hardcore 'urban' stations doesn't keep a playlist that's roughly 80% r&b (or r&b w/ a verse or two or rapping over it) and 20% straight up hip hop (outside of DJ sets and late night programming). so most of the time you gotta sit through 4 plays of goddamn Ashanti to hear your jam.

― al, Thursday, 16 May 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

The ridiculous thing is that hip hop journalists and DJs themselves have started to use the term "urban" as well to describe that weird "not R&B, not rap" genre of music that the US charts like so much. It's a stupid term, it's just intense laziness from all concerned, almost as bad as when HMV used to have a section called "Rap/Dance".

― Dom Passantino, Friday, 17 May 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

I actually thought that it just meant "urban". I heard DJ Shadow's Endtroducing... being called "urban classical" and I thought that was pretty appropriate. But yes, if it means "black" then it sure is a stupid term.

― Orange, Saturday, 18 May 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Ad seen on TV the other day:

"[some new comp], featuring all the latest urban artists: Britney Spears, [ect]". [housemates burst out laughing]

Should they have?

― Graham, Saturday, 18 May 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

suburban music = PUNK!!

― mark s, Saturday, 18 May 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Orange- there's a difference between urban (small "u") and Urban (capital "U"). "urban" basically means a bitty gritty, a bit street, a bit large coat. "Urban" means "Right, there's no guitars, and this isn't house".

― Dom Passantino, Saturday, 18 May 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

I think that "not rap/not r'n'b" thing is called New Jack Swing which must count as the only "all bad" genre I can think of. Wish-washy hogswash with no power to it at all. I know it isn't called that anymore but was there ever a good New Jack song?

― dog latin, Saturday, 18 May 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

"I know it isn't called that anymore but was there ever a good New Jack song? "

Surely you meant to say "was there ever a bad New Jack song?"

― Tim, Saturday, 18 May 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Dom Passantino: ah, I didn't know that. Thanks.

― Orange, suburbanite, Sunday, 19 May 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Contextual question: is using "urban" to mean, well, "urban" any worse than using "country" to mean, well, "country?"

― nabisco%%, Sunday, 19 May 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

You must be logged in to post. Please either login here, or if you are not registered, you may register here.