R&B Legend Gladys Knight doesn't like rap music. While promoting her role in the new Tyler Perry film 'I Can Do Bad All By Myself' the 'Heard it Through the Grapevine' singer took the time to voice her disdain for rap, claiming that the music has negatively impacted the black community due to its vulgar and disrespectful vocabulary.
"It's been bad, in my opinion, as far as the quality of the music and the stories that they tell. It's one thing to be raw about your history, but they took it to another level and it became vulgar," Knight said.
In addition to finding rap generally distasteful due to its lyrical content, Knight also criticized the quality of the musicianship, contending that hip hop has never "elevated our industry musically."Her main concern, however, is the effect of the music on the black community. "It definitely has not elevated us as African-Americans, because we show disrespect for our partners, men and women," Knight explained. "I believe we have lowered our self-esteem with these performances and presentations."
The legendary vocalist has been sampled by Wu-Tang Clan, Lauryn Hill, Ice Cube and Big Daddy Kane, and is currently prepping a European tour in October.
It's unfortunate that such an influential artist has so narrow a view of an entire genre. Seems kind of cynical to have accepted checks from rap artists for sample clearance, then years later condemn them for not "elevating our industry musically."
Reader Comments(1 of 1)
lllovelucyat 9-17-2009
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largo161at 9-17-2009
Gladys Knight didn't write any of the songs sampled by the artists you mention and she doesn't own the masters. I don't think she's collecting any checks.
jenniferfwalat 9-18-2009
Great point largo161. I think that almost all of us born before 1970 approx. don't 'get' rap as a genre anyway - remember great soul music. I think we know where Gladys is coming from when she talks about the negative lyrics of some of the songs of this genre. I am sure most of us would reject any lyrics of a racist or sexist nature in any form of entertainment be it rock, pop, opera, art, film or television. I don't think Gladys means to put down this style of music per se which is preferred by young people, but she is right in saying that negative and hateful lyrics do not elevate the African-American community. I believe they bring down all of humanity.
timeflys3000at 9-17-2009
Well, then where's the good elevating view of the genre?
timeflys3000at 9-17-2009
Well, then where's the good, elevating, wide view of the genre?
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soulpip1at 9-21-2009
OK! This is the Empress of Soul(more than Diva or Queen of) She is the top of the music industry, and WE ALL KNOW she is right. She didn't say all of hip/hop just the ones that vulgar and demeaning. She is a grandmother and I damn sho wouldn't play some of that stuff to mine, and neither would these rappers. This is what the hip/hop needs. Someone who not afraid to speak their point and give a lil' whooping to these rappers, they should take it in stride, and try to do better about really uplifting our community. I hold the record companies responsible for this, they could care less about what the community hears, just as long as they hear cla-ching! Cash rolling in. It's all about they money. Empress Gladys has been in this business over 50 years and still is a staple in the music, where will some of these rappers be in say 5 to 10 years.
However, I must say that I listen to some of this music myself and I would not think about playing for my Mom or Grandma and that's the way some think. The public likes it, cool, to each his/her own. I think we should be careful about what we put out there too. And remember we might have kids of our own, little girls who rappers call vulgar names never thought that they could be talking about their own. Explain that to your 16year old daughter, that daddy called ladies hoes and bitches. THINK ABOUT IT!
kpitt1204at 10-05-2009
Unfortunately rap/hip hop has been givein a bad name. In most genres of music, there has been music that was negative lyrically, but times have changed and what seemed so shocking back in the day hardly raises and eyebrow today. I think that some rap/hip hop music is good for the soul, but the heads of the companies and radio stations porgram what they want the people to hear, so positive music is not what is being fed to the audience. The audience is hungry for new music, and like a person who has been deprived of food, he or she will eat garbage if it is thrown on the table for them, so people eat up the musical garbage that the powers to be "allow" us to hear. I hope that Gladys (like I know her - LOL) gets to hear some positive music so that she can be more rounded. This would be a great time for a rapper to collaborate with her to help change the status and opinions!
kpitt1204at 10-05-2009
......"raises AN eyebrow..." Forgive my typing errors. I hit send before I proofread what I wrote. Trust me when I say that I can spell and use grammar correctly, but I know that I am not the best at typing.