Since The Grammys were going on against a Carolina game and The Wire, I’m just watching it now.  In fact, I’m not really watching it.  I just heard Kanye cut up, and you can’t miss a good Kanye cut up.
Well, he didn’t cut up.  He just punked the Grammys in a way never done.  He actually got them to cut the music off.  Never mind that he rambled about other stuff that it’s his own fault they cut the music on.  Then he started talking about his mother.  Yeah, Kanye, that’s on you.
But calmly saying “it would be in good taste to stop the music” did the trick.  Nice and gangster, my man.
I gotta say this for Kanye–if I were him, I’d probably behave the same way.  I can’t think of another rap superstar that’s more of a self-made phenomenon.  None ever.  I mean, this image he’s got is carefuly crafted according to a template never seen before.  He’s not a pretty boy.  He’s not an absolute beast on the mic.  He’s just off on something else, and he’s pushed it so hard that it’s irrepressible.  Oh, and he’s a musical genius.  That certainly helps.
But he only got here by demanding attention.  Even though he no longer has to do that, I can understand how he’s stuck in that groove.  I should hate him, and he gets on my nerves.  But if I said I had anything less than the utmost respect for the way he’s made his career, I’d be lying.
Also–Kanye said that he did Graduation as a way to cross genres and show that hip hop still has that fire.  While I, like eauhellzgnaw, don’t like the notion that you have to “transcend” hip hop to really show people you’re talented, I do think hip hop has gotten to into itself.  Chuck D makes the point that rap is the only music made from music, constructed from what’s already been out there.  Not inspired by it, but literally constructed from it.
But in the post-sampling, keyboard/computer era, cats are making more stuff up themselves.  That’s cool, but their influences are more narrow.  Early producers didn’t grow up with hip hop because there was no hip hop.  They had broader frames of reference.  Now?  Not so much.
Just something worth thinking about.
Wire recap later today.  Yes, actually on a Monday!