文：雷希爾•泰斯法瑪裡阿姆（Rahiel Tesfamariam）
翻譯：Badthriller
難以相信世界已經失去邁克爾•傑克遜（Michael Jackson）這麼久了。“流行音樂之王”在 3年前的週一死于醫生康納德•莫里（Conrad Murray）過量注射的處方藥，莫里後因“過失殺人罪”被判處4年有期徒刑。
每一代人都會遇到這樣的時刻，當喜愛的公眾人物離我們而去，這份回憶常常會永遠銘刻在我們的記憶中。無論過多久，你回頭看時都會清楚記得自己何時何地得到的消息，你會想問如果重來一次，結局會否一樣。對於我們很多人，邁克爾•傑克遜之死是改變大局的時刻之一。
仿佛那些時刻越來越常發生，尤其在黑人音樂世界裡。但真正的悲劇是，我們失去的不僅僅是這些喜愛的藝術家，還有我們的文化。
就在今年，我們失去了埃塔•詹姆斯（Etta James）、唐•科尼利爾斯（Don Cornelius）、唐娜•薩默（Donna Summer）和惠特尼•休斯頓（Whitney Houston）等音樂傳奇。在這裡，華盛頓人為失去把首都置於國家文化雷達上的“Go-Go樂教父”查克•布朗（Chuck “Godfather of Go-Go” Brown）而哀悼。
看看我們是如何讓往昔重現的。圖派克（Tupac）在柯契拉音樂節（Coachella）上復活、傳聞會拍惠特尼•休斯頓的傳記片、獨缺邁克爾的傑克遜兄弟們在16個城市巡演。但這從來不一樣。每次有人離去，公眾的文藝想像和我們全人類的一部分就隨之而去。
雖然沒有忘記留在我們中的跨代偉大，但我還是忍不住關心起黑人娛樂界來。我們並不處于文化的乾旱期，但今天的很多音樂不像過去的那些有同樣的靈魂律動了。
我的失望很大源于商業化的嘻哈（Hip Hop）。我很難過自己的侄女在她們每天聽的都市廣播電臺上沒有和“發展受阻”組合（Arrested Development）說的關于兄弟們“不尊敬我的黑皇后，摸著襠部很下流”（disrespecting my black queen, holding their crotches and being obscene）所相對應的東西。新一代的“難民營”組合（Fugees）和“探索部落”組合（A Tribe Called Quest）在哪兒？即使在R&B領域 —— 除了有唱《鬼混》（Knockin the Boots）的H-Town組合，還有唱愛一個人愛到《路之盡頭》（End of the Road）或《水枯石爛》（Water Runs Dry）的“大人小孩雙拍檔”組合（Boyz II Men）。有了更好的平衡，我們就能照菜單選擇音樂。
史蒂夫•哈維（Steve Harvey）在《喜劇之王》（The Original Kings of Comedy）裡闡明瞭這種觀點。他說“地球風與火”樂隊（Earth, Wind and Fire）問的是“介意我看你雙眼直到迷離和謙卑嗎？”，而今天的藝人問的是“誰開槍打了你？”蘭尼•威廉姆斯（Lenny Williams）哭著唱“因為我愛你”，而今天藝人的音樂裡處處是性，完全缺愛。
就像食物，我們今天消費的音樂經過先進科技加工，遠非有機或自產。商業、合成的音樂製作已經糟糕到連傑斯（Jay-Z）這樣的主流藝人都喊《自動調音去死》（Death of Auto-Tune），對把自動調音技術發揚光大的T-Pain批判和挑戰。
藝人不是破壞文化完整性的元兇。公司運作下的這個行業裡沒有投入資金創作像“地球風與火”樂隊的《愛之假日》（Love's Holiday）這樣的經典音樂，而是緊跟消費者潮流想獲得最大關注。現在這已經是公式了。藝人被要求多棲交融以可持續發展 —— 即使最終傷的是文化。說唱歌手妮琪•米娜（Nicki Minaj）就是很好的例子，俗套的音樂加上性感的招牌，結果就是贏了個盆滿缽滿。她的單曲《星河艦隊》（Starships）剛在公告牌100熱曲榜上榜就排名第9，盡管歌曲就像雜志寫的“偏離‘闊少’廠牌（Young Money）說唱歌手的聲音”。
有了那樣的成功，什麼才能打動現在藝人像邁克爾•傑克遜那樣帶著全球性眼光去追求音樂？《顫栗》（Thriller）背後的天才跨越了分隔我們的每一道人為界限。幾乎沒有藝人能把一個國家的文化像邁克爾那樣普及開來。他有他的過錯，但他讓美國在世界眼中看起來很美好。他讓我們作為美國人也感覺很棒。
這不是要忽視像蕾安娜（Rihanna）這樣的藝人在全球也很有知名度，但不只是邁克爾的音樂全球流行，他服務的激情也是，MJ是一個公僕。很難想像像蕾安娜和碧昂絲（Beyonce）這樣的當代藝人能做出像擁有邁克爾慈善誠心的《天下一家》（We Are The World）之類的歌曲。不是說邁克爾那經歷了民權和?權主義運動的嬰兒潮一代和我這似乎更以自我為中心和唯物主義的一代有多麼天差地別。自私的藝術滲透進了我們當代的文化土壤，因為我們太多人把自由視為理所當然，沒有責任感去為大家服務。
我們不能把邁克爾或這樣的藝術家帶回來，但我們能寄希望於生活在一個世界，讓藝人明白成為有史以來最偉大要做得更多而不只是音樂，還要通過永遠改變人類去感動大眾。最後，我們的文化會變得多繁榮取決於我們有多關心鄰居的幸福和世界的需求。
Michael Jackson’s death, like those of the great artists before and since, results in a greater loss for black music
By Rahiel Tesfamariam
It’s hard to believe that so much time has passed since the world lost Michael Jackson. The “King of Pop” died three years ago Monday from an overdose of prescription drugs administered to him by his doctor, Conrad Murray, who was later found guilty of involuntary manslaughter and sentenced to four years in jail.
Every generation has its moments when a beloved public figure is taken from us. It’s a memory that often is forever etched in our memories. No matter how much time has passed, you can look back and remember exactly where you were when you got the news that made you question if things would ever be the same again. For many of us, Michael Jackson’s death was one of those game-changing moments in time.
It feels like those moments are happening more and more often, especially in the world of black music. But the real tragedy is that we’re not just losing these beloved artists. We’re also losing our culture.
In the last year alone, we’ve lost musical legends like Etta James, Don Cornelius, Donna Summer and, of course, Whitney Houston. Locally, Washingtonians mourned the loss of Chuck “Godfather of Go-Go” Brown who put the nation’s capital on the country’s cultural radar.
Look at how we try to revive the past. It returns in the form of a resurrected Tupac at Coachella, rumors of a Whitney Houston biopic, and the Jackson brothers going on a 16-city tour without their brother Michael. But it’s never the same. With each death, a piece of the public’s artistic imagination and inevitably who we are as a people passes away with it.
While not dismissing the cross-generational greatness that remains in our midst, I can’t help but be concerned for the state of black entertainment. We’re far from a cultural drought, but much of today’s music doesn’t pulsate with the same soul that eras past did.
Much of my disappointment stems from commercial hip-hop. I'm saddened that my nieces don't have an equivalent to Arrested Development rapping about brothas “disrespecting my black queen, holding their crotches and being obscene” on the urban radio stations they listen to daily. Where are the Fugees and Tribe Called Quest for the new generation? Even in the R&B realm — for every H-Town that talked about “Knockin the Boots,” there remained a Boyz II Men that sang about loving someone until the “End of the Road” or the “Water Runs Dry.” There was greater balance, and as a result, we could choose our music a la carte.
Steve Harvey drove this point home in “The Original Kings of Comedy,” when he talked about the difference between Earth, Wind and Fire asking “would you mind if I looked in your eyes till I'm hypnotized and I lose my pride?” and today’s artists asking “who shot ya?” The difference between Lenny Williams crying his way through “Cause I Love You” and today’s artists making music saturated with sex but completely devoid of love.
Much like our food, the music we consume today is engineered through very advanced technology and far from anything organic or homegrown. The commercial, synthetic production of music has gotten so bad that a mainstream artist such as Jay-Z felt the need to call for the “Death of Auto-Tune” as a critique of and challenge to individuals like T-Pain, who popularized the audio-engineering technology.
The artists aren’t the primary ones to blame for this compromise of cultural integrity. The corporate-driven industry isn’t as invested in making timeless music like EWF’s “Love’s Holiday”as it is in keeping up with consumer trends for the purpose of having mass appeal. It’s down to a formula now. Artists are required to have pop crossover in order to be sustainable — even if the culture suffers as a result. Rapper Nicki Minaj is a good example of how a formulaic sound and a sex-driven brand will prosper against all odds. Her crossover single “Starships” debuted at No. 9 on the Billboard Hot 100, even though it was, as the magaizine noted, “a departure in sound for the Young Money rapper”.
With that level of calculated success, what will challenge this generation of artists to pursue music with the same global vision that Michael Jackson had? The genius behind “Thriller” crossed every human boundary that divides us. Very few artists can popularize a nation’s culture in the ways in which Michael did. He had his faults (many of them), but he made America look good in the eyes of the world. And he made us, as Americans, feel good about ourselves.
This isn’t to ignore the fact that artists like Rihanna have similar global appeal. But it wasn’t just Michael’s music that was global in scope; his passion for service was as well. MJ was a servant. It’s hard to imagine contemporary artists like Rihanna and Beyonce offering the equivalent to “We Are the World” with the sincerity that Michael’s charity work had. But that may not be a statement about them as much as it is about the difference between Michael’s baby boomer generation, which lived through the civil rights and Black Power movements, versus my generation, which seemingly has a much more self-centered and materialistic strand running through it. Selfish artistry permeates our contemporary cultural landscape because so many of us have taken our freedoms for granted and don’t feel a sense of obligation to live out a life of service.
We can’t bring Michael or any of these artists who have passed back. But we can hope to live in a world where entertainers understand that being the greatest of all time is about much more than just music; it’s also about touching humanity in a way that forever changes people. In the end, how much our culture thrives will depend on how concerned we are about the welfare of our neighbor and the needs of our world.
It’s hard to believe that so much time has passed since the world lost Michael Jackson. The “King of Pop” died three years ago Monday from an overdose of prescription drugs administered to him by his doctor, Conrad Murray, who was later found guilty of involuntary manslaughter and sentenced to four years in jail.
Every generation has its moments when a beloved public figure is taken from us. It’s a memory that often is forever etched in our memories. No matter how much time has passed, you can look back and remember exactly where you were when you got the news that made you question if things would ever be the same again. For many of us, Michael Jackson’s death was one of those game-changing moments in time.
It feels like those moments are happening more and more often, especially in the world of black music. But the real tragedy is that we’re not just losing these beloved artists. We’re also losing our culture.
In the last year alone, we’ve lost musical legends like Etta James, Don Cornelius, Donna Summer and, of course, Whitney Houston. Locally, Washingtonians mourned the loss of Chuck “Godfather of Go-Go” Brown who put the nation’s capital on the country’s cultural radar.
Look at how we try to revive the past. It returns in the form of a resurrected Tupac at Coachella, rumors of a Whitney Houston biopic, and the Jackson brothers going on a 16-city tour without their brother Michael. But it’s never the same. With each death, a piece of the public’s artistic imagination and inevitably who we are as a people passes away with it.
While not dismissing the cross-generational greatness that remains in our midst, I can’t help but be concerned for the state of black entertainment. We’re far from a cultural drought, but much of today’s music doesn’t pulsate with the same soul that eras past did.
Much of my disappointment stems from commercial hip-hop. I'm saddened that my nieces don't have an equivalent to Arrested Development rapping about brothas “disrespecting my black queen, holding their crotches and being obscene” on the urban radio stations they listen to daily. Where are the Fugees and Tribe Called Quest for the new generation? Even in the R&B realm — for every H-Town that talked about “Knockin the Boots,” there remained a Boyz II Men that sang about loving someone until the “End of the Road” or the “Water Runs Dry.” There was greater balance, and as a result, we could choose our music a la carte.
Steve Harvey drove this point home in “The Original Kings of Comedy,” when he talked about the difference between Earth, Wind and Fire asking “would you mind if I looked in your eyes till I'm hypnotized and I lose my pride?” and today’s artists asking “who shot ya?” The difference between Lenny Williams crying his way through “Cause I Love You” and today’s artists making music saturated with sex but completely devoid of love.
Much like our food, the music we consume today is engineered through very advanced technology and far from anything organic or homegrown. The commercial, synthetic production of music has gotten so bad that a mainstream artist such as Jay-Z felt the need to call for the “Death of Auto-Tune” as a critique of and challenge to individuals like T-Pain, who popularized the audio-engineering technology.
The artists aren’t the primary ones to blame for this compromise of cultural integrity. The corporate-driven industry isn’t as invested in making timeless music like EWF’s “Love’s Holiday”as it is in keeping up with consumer trends for the purpose of having mass appeal. It’s down to a formula now. Artists are required to have pop crossover in order to be sustainable — even if the culture suffers as a result. Rapper Nicki Minaj is a good example of how a formulaic sound and a sex-driven brand will prosper against all odds. Her crossover single “Starships” debuted at No. 9 on the Billboard Hot 100, even though it was, as the magaizine noted, “a departure in sound for the Young Money rapper”.
With that level of calculated success, what will challenge this generation of artists to pursue music with the same global vision that Michael Jackson had? The genius behind “Thriller” crossed every human boundary that divides us. Very few artists can popularize a nation’s culture in the ways in which Michael did. He had his faults (many of them), but he made America look good in the eyes of the world. And he made us, as Americans, feel good about ourselves.
This isn’t to ignore the fact that artists like Rihanna have similar global appeal. But it wasn’t just Michael’s music that was global in scope; his passion for service was as well. MJ was a servant. It’s hard to imagine contemporary artists like Rihanna and Beyonce offering the equivalent to “We Are the World” with the sincerity that Michael’s charity work had. But that may not be a statement about them as much as it is about the difference between Michael’s baby boomer generation, which lived through the civil rights and Black Power movements, versus my generation, which seemingly has a much more self-centered and materialistic strand running through it. Selfish artistry permeates our contemporary cultural landscape because so many of us have taken our freedoms for granted and don’t feel a sense of obligation to live out a life of service.
We can’t bring Michael or any of these artists who have passed back. But we can hope to live in a world where entertainers understand that being the greatest of all time is about much more than just music; it’s also about touching humanity in a way that forever changes people. In the end, how much our culture thrives will depend on how concerned we are about the welfare of our neighbor and the needs of our world.
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