Hope To Make Money And Chill With Honeys 24
Hope is a good thing. It gives us a reason to fight. It offers comfort in times of despair, but most of all it grants us the chance to dream and more often than not, to dream big. Religion exists because of hope. Religion offers hope for a better after life compared to life on earth, which can be quite dreadful for some people living in hopelessly impoverished areas of the world. Hope has led to many dashed dreams and far fewer fulfilled ones, but regardless, hope is a vital pillar of life.
Monday night I played in the intramural soccer league championship and leading up to the game, all I could think about was winning. I wanted that victory and my roommate wanted it ten times more than I did. Hoping for success stokes the fires of our ambition. My brother’s back has caused him nagging pain for over a year now and positive thinking and hope for a pain free day pushes him to seek more treatment and therapy. Without the hope that things will get better, what is the point of fighting to see another sunrise?
Hope is great. Hope gives us purpose in life. The music industry should be thankful for hope because it can thrive on hope alone. The endless supply of aspiring artists keeps record companies and talent scouts very busy. These amateurs are toiling away in dingy nightclubs - that can be oh so fun – with shitty acoustics and all the artists are just hoping for a break, a contract and some financial security.
On a brief vacation in Nashville – the hub for country music - most of the people I met were trying to strike it rich through the music scene. They were working and hoping for a chance at stardom and it appears that this phenomenon is even worse in Los Angeles. “I’m an actor, a model, a producer, artist or musician,” all seem to add up as the only professions available in LA. Swingers used this premise as a comedic springboard throughout the movie because Los Angeles is the mecca for aspiring ‘stars.’
Cypress Hill recounts the feeling of being an aspiring artist and hoping to make it big in the song Rock Superstar, “I remember the days when I was a young kid growing up, looking in the mirror, dreaming about blowin’ up the rock crowds. Make money. Chill with the honeys. Sign autographs and whatever the people want from me.” This group whom also blessed us with Insane in the Brain and Dr. Greenthumb, eloquently deconstructs the pursuit of musical fame and the necessary sacrifices. “You wanna be a rock superstar in the biz, and take shit from people who don’t know what it is, I wish it was all fun and games, but the price of fame is high.” The song’s lyrics alone are incredible, the beat is also completely energizing and it is very relevant to the idea of hope. Towards the end of the song Cypress Hill describes the dangers of the music industry with the lyrics, “Let me explain what happens to these stars and their big brains, first they get played like all damn day, long you sell everything will be ok, then you get dissed by the media and fans, things never stay the same way then began, I heard that some never get fooled to the fullest, that’s why fools end up dining on a bullet.” The final line can be either metaphorical, the death of a career, or literal in the case of Tupac, Biggie and Cobain (a little too ironic), but the lyrics maintain a strength, poignancy and honesty throughout the song about the highs and lows of the music industry.
The music industry exploits artists attempting to earn success because a group must sign to a label, maintain an independent sound and receive adequate radio time, which all requires plenty of talent, hustle, patience and even more good fortune. The supply of artists is far greater than the demand for artists so the power will likely remain with the record companies and give them the ability to pick and choose new talent. “So You Wanna Be A Rock In Roll Star,” written by Jacob Slitcher (recommended by DJ Otterpop three and a half years ago) provides the reader with an in depth view of the nuances of the music industry. Slitcher is the Harvard educated drummer for Semisonic. The band is known for the hit song Closing Time, which was released in 1998. Semisonic’s record went double platinum and they held onto their mainstream popularity for only a year or two beyond the hit in 1998.
The book gives an intimate peak into the workings of the industry and helps us as consumers – or other aspiring artists – to gain insight into a business that is known for eating up music talent. From paying off debts to the record company, to photo shoots and creating music videos, Slichter’s story is both entertaining and informative as he depicts an artist hoping then attaining temporary music success.
We work hard in school and life to minimize the need to hope. But no matter what we do, the endless process of hoping is always intrinsically intertwined with life itself. Hoping for love, hoping for a new job, hoping to make money and chill with honeys, hoping for endless happiness and of course peace on earth are all part of a life experience. So for those hoping to be recognized for their musical talent, read Slichter’s book, listen to Cypress Hill and prepare yourself for a demanding industry ruled by business magnates and luck. From religious beliefs, intramural soccer games, blowin’ up the rock crowds, success and trying to graduate from college, here’s to hoping.
Monday night I played in the intramural soccer league championship and leading up to the game, all I could think about was winning. I wanted that victory and my roommate wanted it ten times more than I did. Hoping for success stokes the fires of our ambition. My brother’s back has caused him nagging pain for over a year now and positive thinking and hope for a pain free day pushes him to seek more treatment and therapy. Without the hope that things will get better, what is the point of fighting to see another sunrise?
Hope is great. Hope gives us purpose in life. The music industry should be thankful for hope because it can thrive on hope alone. The endless supply of aspiring artists keeps record companies and talent scouts very busy. These amateurs are toiling away in dingy nightclubs - that can be oh so fun – with shitty acoustics and all the artists are just hoping for a break, a contract and some financial security.
On a brief vacation in Nashville – the hub for country music - most of the people I met were trying to strike it rich through the music scene. They were working and hoping for a chance at stardom and it appears that this phenomenon is even worse in Los Angeles. “I’m an actor, a model, a producer, artist or musician,” all seem to add up as the only professions available in LA. Swingers used this premise as a comedic springboard throughout the movie because Los Angeles is the mecca for aspiring ‘stars.’
Cypress Hill recounts the feeling of being an aspiring artist and hoping to make it big in the song Rock Superstar, “I remember the days when I was a young kid growing up, looking in the mirror, dreaming about blowin’ up the rock crowds. Make money. Chill with the honeys. Sign autographs and whatever the people want from me.” This group whom also blessed us with Insane in the Brain and Dr. Greenthumb, eloquently deconstructs the pursuit of musical fame and the necessary sacrifices. “You wanna be a rock superstar in the biz, and take shit from people who don’t know what it is, I wish it was all fun and games, but the price of fame is high.” The song’s lyrics alone are incredible, the beat is also completely energizing and it is very relevant to the idea of hope. Towards the end of the song Cypress Hill describes the dangers of the music industry with the lyrics, “Let me explain what happens to these stars and their big brains, first they get played like all damn day, long you sell everything will be ok, then you get dissed by the media and fans, things never stay the same way then began, I heard that some never get fooled to the fullest, that’s why fools end up dining on a bullet.” The final line can be either metaphorical, the death of a career, or literal in the case of Tupac, Biggie and Cobain (a little too ironic), but the lyrics maintain a strength, poignancy and honesty throughout the song about the highs and lows of the music industry.
The music industry exploits artists attempting to earn success because a group must sign to a label, maintain an independent sound and receive adequate radio time, which all requires plenty of talent, hustle, patience and even more good fortune. The supply of artists is far greater than the demand for artists so the power will likely remain with the record companies and give them the ability to pick and choose new talent. “So You Wanna Be A Rock In Roll Star,” written by Jacob Slitcher (recommended by DJ Otterpop three and a half years ago) provides the reader with an in depth view of the nuances of the music industry. Slitcher is the Harvard educated drummer for Semisonic. The band is known for the hit song Closing Time, which was released in 1998. Semisonic’s record went double platinum and they held onto their mainstream popularity for only a year or two beyond the hit in 1998.
The book gives an intimate peak into the workings of the industry and helps us as consumers – or other aspiring artists – to gain insight into a business that is known for eating up music talent. From paying off debts to the record company, to photo shoots and creating music videos, Slichter’s story is both entertaining and informative as he depicts an artist hoping then attaining temporary music success.
We work hard in school and life to minimize the need to hope. But no matter what we do, the endless process of hoping is always intrinsically intertwined with life itself. Hoping for love, hoping for a new job, hoping to make money and chill with honeys, hoping for endless happiness and of course peace on earth are all part of a life experience. So for those hoping to be recognized for their musical talent, read Slichter’s book, listen to Cypress Hill and prepare yourself for a demanding industry ruled by business magnates and luck. From religious beliefs, intramural soccer games, blowin’ up the rock crowds, success and trying to graduate from college, here’s to hoping.
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