…Of Art and Entertainment

August 2nd, 2010 | By Yesi

The age old argument of keeping the integrity of the Art versus providing entertainment is very well discussed in this article  by Bill Lasarow.  He says,

 ”Simply put, when aesthetic purpose precedes exposure and sales, art plays the upper hand. When reversed, it’s about entertainment (…) I’ve often said in casual conversation that entertainment is for the folks who, when they get home from work, need to lie down and get their minds off of things. Art is for the folks who, at the end of the day, want to get their eyes and mind more fully engaged and stimulated.”

 
I don’t think it is as cut and dry as Bill puts it. I believe what the audience wants is somewhere in the middle… a thoroughly entertaining experience that is also artistically engaging. In hip-hop, this means make-them-dance-and-make-them-think. The mastery and delivery of this concept is what makes a timeless Hip-hop artist. Needless to say, it is not as easy as it seems.
In this era of Hip-hop, few venture to create records that can make you dance (or nod your head) and think. Songs have become Niche. You have the club-banger, the song for the ladies, the street joint, and the mellow-cruising-in-my-ride track. On a larger scale, some rappers veer towards commercial success and produce a more pop sound, whereas others opt for more conscious rap. For the former, get people’s attention, but are inevitably soon forgotten. The latter rarely ever getting any critical acclaim because frankly, few are paying attention to their craft.
Examples are unfortunately rare. In my opinion, no single hip-hop record had done it more thoroughly than Lauryn Hill’s “Mis-education of Lauryn Hill”… with numerous chart topping singles that exemplify this concept; “(Doo Woop) That Thing”, “Ex Factor” , “Everything is Everything” etc. Kanye West “College Dropout” is also a good example with singles like “Jesus Walks” and “All Falls Down.”

Art, and enjoyment of it, is subjective. As artists, we must remember that in order to make fully memorable work, we need to present our craft in a context that will engage the audience;  Artistic and entertaining.

Yesi

The Pencil

July 26th, 2010 | By Yesi

Last year, i read “The Alchemist”, by Paulo Coelho and was greatly moved and inspired by the story. I have been trying to digest as much material by the author ever since.

The below is an excerpt from his book, “The Flowing River” that was posted on his blog. http://paulocoelhoblog.com . Enjoy.

Yesi

THE STORY OF THE PENCIL

A boy was watching his grandmother write a letter. At one point he asked:

‘Are you writing a story about what we’ve done? Is it a story about me?’
His grandmother stopped writing her letter and said to her grandson:
I am writing about you, actually, but more important than the words is the pencil I’m using. I hope you will be like this pencil when you grow up.’

Intrigued, the boy looked at the pencil. It didn’t seem very special.
‘But it’s just like any other pencil I’ve ever seen!’

‘That depends on how you look at things. It has five qualities which, if you manage to hang on them, will make you a person who is always at peace with the world.’

‘First quality: you are capable of great things, but you must never forget that there is a hand guiding your steps. We call that hand God, and He always guides us according to His will.’
‘Second quality: now and then, I have to stop writing and use a sharpner. That makes the pencil suffer a little, but afterwards, he’s much sharper. So you, too, must learn to bear certain pains and sorrows, because they will make you a better person.
‘Third quality: the pencil always allows us to use an eraser to rub out any mistakes. This means that correcting something we did is not necessarily a bad thing; it helps to keep us on the road to justice.’
‘Fourth quality: what really matters in a pencil is not its wooden exterior, but the graphite inside. So always pay attention to what is happening inside you.’
‘Finally, the pencil’s fifth quality: it always leaves a mark. in just the same way, you should know that everything you do in life will leave a mark, so try to be conscious of that in your every action’