Mos Def - Rock N Roll

Originally posted by Bierbommetje
Ok, so Steve Marriott shouldnt be credited for writing the vocal melody to "Whole Lotta Love"?

Willie Dixon shouldn't be credited for lyrics Led Zeppelin stole?

Bert Jansch shouldnt be credited for basicely writing the guitarparts in "Black Mountain Side"?

Howlin' Wolf shouldnt even be mentioned in the credits of "How Many More Times", basicely a slightly altered version of "How Many More Years", recorded almost two decades earlier?

The band Spirit shouldnt be mentioned in the credits of Stairway To Heaven?

Ok, then.

Way to miss my point.

My point was: People act as if all preceding musicians should be given definite credit for everything done after. The fact is, Led Zeppelin were an innovative band all their own, and there's no reason that older musicians should get credit just because they're older.

If there are things they actually deserve credit for, fine. Not everything Zeppelin did was a result of them.

-AC

I misunderstood your question, sorry (and suffered a slight case of dyslexia on top of that). I agree with your point. Bands shouldnt have to credit all of their influences or preceeding artists who are remotely in their genre if nothing is close to being ripped off. Mos Def would have been more right then wrong if he'd mentioned Zep in the song, though (not saying he's right in deviding black and white music).

im not getting hung up on color. his question is about a song he perceives as racial (really more stereotypical) in regards to music. All im saying is that, i dont think his original objective, was to say blacks are better than whites. You only need to listen to the man's music, why would he come out and do something like that. And im not saying that other rock bands havent done unique things in their own right, or all bands need to give credit where credit is due, I thought that was his intention with the song. I dont really mind Led Zepplin or Korn or any of the bands mentioned, but my opinion dosent competely coincide with his. The only thing that bothers me is that certain music, mainly rock and rap, is attributed to certain races, and its more of a stereotypical thing then a racial thing. The stereotypical black person listens to rap, the stereotypical white person listens to rock.

Originally posted by Mugen
im not getting hung up on color. his question is about a song he perceives as racial (really more stereotypical) in regards to music. All im saying is that, i dont think his original objective, was to say blacks are better than whites. You only need to listen to the man's music, why would he come out and do something like that. And im not saying that other rock bands havent done unique things in their own right, or all bands need to give credit where credit is due, I thought that was his intention with the song. I dont really mind Led Zepplin or Korn or any of the bands mentioned, but my opinion dosent competely coincide with his. The only thing that bothers me is that certain music, mainly rock and rap, is attributed to certain races, and its more of a stereotypical thing then a racial thing. The stereotypical black person listens to rap, the stereotypical white person listens to rock.

I like Mos Def, I think he's excellent, but what he's saying is a bit off point.

That's not the bands' faults, though, the stereotypes. It's people.

-AC