http://youtu.be/7JNi1UXCktA
This is "Karmin," a duet out of Boston. They've been blowing up on YouTube over the past couple of months because of the videos they've been putting out featuring hip-hop covers of today's hottest songs. In the above video they're covering Chris Brown's hit "Look at Me Now," which also featured Busta Rhymes & Lil Wayne. Now, I'll give credit where credit is due ... because of the lyrical difficulty in this song, it is one hell of an achievement to be able to perform it, but there are underlying problems that exist here. Problems I believe most would rather not address because it would make them feel uncomfortable.
But me ... I don't suffer from any such affliction. Having said that ... Room: I'd like to introduce you to the elephant that you all seem to be ignoring.
Stevie Wonder wasn't good enough to be at the Royal Wedding, but his music was, as long as it was coming out of George Michael's mouth. This couple here, while cute & talented are on Ellen BLOWING UP off of Chris Brown's "Look at Me Now." I guess Breezy, Busta & Weezy aren't good enough for Ellen ... But their music is.
But me ... I don't suffer from any such affliction. Having said that ... Room: I'd like to introduce you to the elephant that you all seem to be ignoring.
Stevie Wonder wasn't good enough to be at the Royal Wedding, but his music was, as long as it was coming out of George Michael's mouth. This couple here, while cute & talented are on Ellen BLOWING UP off of Chris Brown's "Look at Me Now." I guess Breezy, Busta & Weezy aren't good enough for Ellen ... But their music is.
What REALLY has me upset about this (YES ... I GENUINELY PISSED) is that Ellen is asking this chick when she started rapping! ANYBODY can spit what they hear in their headphones, but that doesn't make you what you're spitting. I'll give her... singer. I'll give her "artist," but "RAPPER" ... Nah. Spit something original and we'll consider it.
Now I suppose I'd be wrong for saying that this couple is capitalizing on both their whiteness and black music? But is that not what it is?
I've stated they're talented - without a doubt, but would they be on Ellen if they had put up any original content on YouTube? In fact, if you peep their YouTube channel (Karmincovers), you'll find that they have videos covering songs by Ke$ha, Katy Perry & Lady GaGa as well ... but what is getting them recognized? The Hip-Hop covers ... Period.
IF THEY got paid for performing Brown's song, I wonder if Brown, Diplo, Jean Baptiste, Ryan Buendia, Lil Wayne and Busta Rhymes (the writers of the song) caught a check too. Research provided by a close friend would lead me to believe so ... But I just don't know for sure. Did the writers/artists named above make more from the use of their song than the "artists" who are using it as a catapult to fame?
This couple has a gimmick which fits right into the "disposable music" society America has become. I'd like to see what they could accomplish on their own steam instead of jock riding Hip-Hop to fame.
It bothers me when I see "other" people caking off and getting all kinds of opportunities off of OUR people's work. This reminds me of how back in the 50's through the 70's when "other" artists would blow up off of music they "covered" and the original artists got nothing.
Artists like Little Richard, Little Walter, Muddy Watters, Chuck Berry ... Hell, if Elvis is "the King" then the Jazz singers and musicians he stole from were GODS.
Also please note again, I did acknowledge that this couple is talented. The girl does have skills. But it's not the product of their "original" talents that got them on Ellen and national radio, it's their uncanny ability to translate and perform music that you would not expect them to be able to.
Now if they come up with fire equally as hot as what they're covering, then that's different. It's as different as Vanilla Ice & Eminem. To be more specific, Vanilla Ice was a gimmick. Eminem is the truth. Eminem's earlier songs had a similar flow to that of Treach from Naughty by Nature, but that's because he idolized Treach. However, no matter how much he idolized Treach, he didn't come out and blow up doing a cover of "O.P.P." or "Hip Hop Hooray."
I actually think that it's cute to see this couple cover Hip Hop songs, but if they're going to use that to get into the game and make a name for themselves and then put Hip Hop back on the shelf like it was a toy they no longer have a need to play with, then that's just flat out wrong.
Be true to the game or switch lanes & do your own original thing!
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