Smart...But Sad

This is brought to you today by Rickey Ray's Whiskey & Beauty Supply

Rickey says "If we ain't got it, don't worry about it".

Now...for my two piece and a pepper.

This past Sunday, we witnessed a good old fashioned bit of comedy in light of the death of one of the industry's greats. Said comedy was The Grammys. And if it wasn't supposed to be funny, then they didn't do it right. I laughed when I wasn't clapping for and singing with Adele.

One of the smaller bits of amusement came from Lady Gaga. She was actually quiet for a change. But she had on a hair net and had a scepter. I'm yet confuddled. Even when being mild, she finds something at Hobby Lobby to make an ensemble. Go figure.

Now...the biggest bit of hilarity is ol' Onika.

Ol' Onika. If SHE didn't go far left Sunday!

I had to go get me some vinegar and a Tramadol.

I didn't see this on the red carpet. When I saw her seated, I thought she was rocking a Raid Riding Hood thing, but remarked about how nice it was to see her face relatively normal and the lacefront not AS nuts. Something should have told me that I was about to be shocked.

And then..the gotdamn..performance.

That was the third time in one month that I've been speechless. Two reasons were due to deaths. I guess this was a death too. The death of my soul.

LL hyped us up by saying that we'd be talmbout this performance for a while. I knew right then that I wasn't going to recover. As I sat in Twitterjail, I was flustered that I wasn't able to ask what all the hell was afoot.

***Let me go on record by saying that Verdine is the only person who's allowed to levitate on stage***

When she was done...I couldn't really move. I didn't know what to say.

Was she nuts?

Did she mean to do that?

Why was the gate left open?

What kind of toothpaste does Cee-Lo use?

I felt like that was the most intelligently sad performance I've ever seen. And I have seen some sad shit.

Though I am first to admit that I'm not the biggest fan of Nicki's..let alone rap and hip-hop, I do enjoy good music. In essence, I am a fan of anything that sounds great. I heard the boom-ba-doom-boom super bass and I liked Roman getting his revenge, but I just look at her as an act.

A mighty damn good one, might I add.

Nicki made sure that Monday morning, you made sure to talk about what she did. She'll be topic of conversation for the next 5-7 business days as I await my Old Navy order. I mean...she is very smart. Very wise. You may not be able to get past the voice modulations and the Barbie references, but you have to admit that in this industry, Ol' Onika is a smart one.

The industry in itself no longer places full attention (and monties) on the talented. I mean, the ones who are JUST talented. You have to be something else. Gone are the days of the crooner who looks like a melted gargoyle but sounded like heaven. The big girl belters are wearing smaller belts now. American Idol is picking the best singing sob story and show producers value the better ratings over the better singers. The Voice picked the greater voice, but how many voices got sent home because they weren't...it?

The new industry needs something to hold your attention. Yeah, we flock to Jill. Ledisi has all talmbout looking at "my fayce". I mean, we have our cult favorites...but that's not what the industry wants. Everything comes down to numbers and dollars. The songwriters want someone to take their song, make it AWESOME and thus pay off their bills. "Their" being the writers and the producers. The artist gets like $40.

Nicki is what we have to deal with now. The industry wants MONSTER success with the appeal that gets you on BET, MTV and Fuse. They need someone with talent and a hell of a act to get tickets sold, albums moved, and pictures snapped. At the height of female rap, those ladies didn't just rhyme, they WRECKED! These ladies told you not to call them a bitch or a ho. They talked about sex. They were super sonic. They were in the middle. And they so happened to have an appeal about them...but the skills were major. Raunchy did happen, and it was shonuff memorable, but the skills were still there. Outrageous was optional, as these women could rap about a trip to Target and you'd be like "OOOOOOO".

Not saying that Nicki isn't talented. Not saying that at all. What I am saying is that the industry is creating these monsters. You can't spit some bars and get signed unless you have something to market. Getting on the stage, rocking the mic and exercising the Art of the Satdown doesn't always work. Yes, Adele's live performances involve her, a mic, four or five background singers and that's it. She commands your attention, sells millions, wins awards and gets ratings.

But you have to remember that she's not a US act.

What Adele does is not new. It's just rare right now. To be a talented singer, not half (or completely) nekkid, not dancing, and not pushing a gimmick is a shock. You need levitation, epileptic lights and a felt costume.

In short...Nicki is not a fool by a longshot. Her latest..uh...performance..may have been on the uber extra level. It's likely to offend (if it hasn't already) and it is sad she even needs to do it. It's sad that rappers and singers even need that type of tomfoolery. I couldn't tell you one lyric from "Roman's Holiday". But I can tell you she was barefoot in a blonde lacefront and levitated.

Sad.

But smart.

She is capturing almost as many headlines, if not more than damn near everyone else from Grammy night.

~Fin