The Music Industry and Black Men

I was listening to New Edition, one of their songs, "You're Not My King Of Girl" and perhaps I don't have a wide range of music knowledge now but I am somewhat certain that songs these days don't really talk about finding a sophisticated type partner or having some type of class or redeemable qualities. The most popular songs are really just about fucking and how wet their genitals are or what not.

Usually when I get in these moments of listening to certain songs I start researching or snooping around about the current state of these particular artists.

New Edition seems to be doing okay but my search somehow led me to a group called "The Temptations."



Um, yes, they all look so handsome, especially the one towards the lower rightside...



I've heard the name before but really knew nothing about them.

Anyways, reading into more about the members I found that only one member is still alive today, Otis. The other memebers died years ago but in tragic ways.

One of them committed suicide, another died from drug overdose, another was taken over by alcohol, and others met their fate due to health issues.

I'm often interested in reading or seeing what life was like for Black Men who were considered "famous" in the Era of "in your face" racism.

(Well, that and also homosexuality too. Hey Tevin Campbell... He was actually singing all those songs to me.)


I remember taking an Uber maybe like 5 months ago and the driver was an older Black man and I sorted started a conversation with him about what life was like when he was much younger. I was being mighty nosy about how Blacks were treated in that time period (40' through the 60's.)

If I'm not mistaken, I think that may be the Sam Cooke era too. I was listening to his song, "A Change Is Gone Come" and it does something to me. Pretty sad song.

Anywho, Black Men seem to have shifted in the music industry. I couldn't find any songs condemning homosexuality or anything like I hear some of these modern "rappers" talking about. Sure, the older singers talked about heterosexual relationships and stuff but they never had songs that were so focused on downing Black Men or singling out men for liking other men and not having 7 baby mama etc...

I do like how some of the older music talks about struggles and complications in life but reading about the darker aspects of the music industry and the Black men who have died from a number of terrible issues behind the scenes makes me ponder about a lot of things, not just the drugs, racism, and violence but also the alleged and possible sexual advances on these men by the higher ups just to get their foot in the door.

 

Yeah, I see a whole lot of stuff the stupid artists like DaBaby would call a "gay agenda" or men trying to be women. I like the freedom of style and expression back then. My how times have changed.