Questlove is offering up some alternative insight when it comes to Rich Homie Quan’s epic non-performance of Biggie’s “Get Money” verse at the 2016 VH1 Hip Hop Honor’s. In an Instagram post about the matter, Questlove gets into some meta level metaphorical wordplay and describes our lack of musical discernment as failing and as the blame.
“I don’t blame RHQ. I blame us. I don’t mean shame on radio & media programmers either for these diminished returns. I literally mean you and I. We are to blame. We watch what we eat (well “some of us 😏) but won’t treat the music we consume like we do food. You need BALANCE! If you haven’t made a playlist for about 20-50 people in your lifetime (mixtape/spotify/tidal/apple/etc) then you failed hip hop culture. –not sayin you gotta be all deep making Dilla b side Japanese import levels of stuff. But something as simple as “La Di Da Di” can easily be forgotten in these days & times. YOU gotta pay it forward!”
The post goes on to describe how America has created a culture where we toss things and in and out of rotation, that we are missing the art that is put in front of us. He also made a poignant point about who we call our entertainers now:
“We have no more singing groups or bands or crews w major record deals. (if you can barely count 10 fingers worth of worthy acts that give you the chills in 2016?) You in trouble. The#CultOfPersonality stage of entertainment started in 96, & some 20 years later we got more famous people than we have those that effect us.”
This topic suggests entertainment now is fleeting and talentless is a constant Twitter discussion amongst the listeners, but more and more of our legendary figures are getting more direct on the topic.
With this recent blooper caught live and during such a pivotal moment, is Questlove justified in blaming us, enabling the artists who we give life for such a devastating blow to hip-hop? Should consumers be taking in their music like they do their diets, searching for organic stickers and gourmet recipes? According to Questlove, if we don’t “balance this intake” we are in grave danger. Catch his full statement below.