A lot of good points have been made in this thread on both sides tbh (and I have dapped accordingly).
I don't have a dog in this fight cause I don't like Bruno and never have, his whole sound/aesthetic is annoying to me and always has been. BUT, I don't see how you can fault a man for doing music in the style he's most comfortable with and grew up around. The genres he's "copying" now are the same ones who influenced him as a youth. So he should just what, not make music? Bite another, unfamiliar genre's style, fake it and flop?
On the other hand, I also think it's stupid to act shocked and outraged when black people - who have seen their culture stolen and repacked WITHOUT proper credit or even royalties for DECADES - get mad when they feel like they're seeing it happen all over again. Are they right in this instance? Not really, but their concerns are not without merit.
Like I said, I don't like Bruno but I do feel like he is 100% THE WORST example to use for this argument because he is CONSTANTLY giving praise and credit - by NAME! not just vaguely referencing genres or eras like a lot of folks do - where it's due. What the hell more do you want??? And if the answer is you'd rather he just not exist then SAY THAT.
This post.
Im confused. Is this nikka NOT supposed to make the type of music he’s been a fan of since a kid? Is he only supposed to make Hawaiian or Phillipino music or some shyt? Im one of the FIRST people to call out culture vultures n shyt but its not like this dude is running around disrespecting legends, not giving props, or only has white people in his videos. This nikka dont run around acting like he created the shyt. Or none of that. See. This is the problem I have with social media. People yell some shyt loud enough and have the gift of gab and a bunch of gullible ass people follow behind it acting like they “woke” but be the most sleep muthafukkas out there. U ask em some shyt about something important and what’s REALLY affecting us as a people and what THEY are doing to help change it and its all crickets. The issue is not really Bruno himself. Its the system around Bruno but u can’t attack Bruno for that shyt. There’s a bigger picture yet people always wanna go for the easy targets.
This post.
Where's the line between cultural appreciation and cultural appropriation? And what about cultural acceptance? I mean if Bruno Mars is making new jack swing music and is winning grammy and billboard awards, then that would mean that black people as consumers have accepted him and the black musicians/artists have allowed him into that space as well. How much responsibility are we supposed to be putting on ourselves for assisting Bruno's rise to fame? Or is this all white people's fault?
This post.
Notice that it's a global thing.
Everybody is involved in making an artist pop and their records hit. If you remove any factor: the artist, the fans, the influences, those who opened doors, for them, the labels, their connections, who discovered them, etc. then you don't have the success. If
any of those pieces weren't there - then they wouldn't be who they are. It takes a perfect storm to be on that stage.
That's just life. That's just facts. Anybody really trying to debate this?
Get real.
I hate to go here, but some folks wouldn't be happy unless they're in Bruno's spot. Same folks probably have their own complaints about other black artists.
If you hate it so much, take your shot and see if you're chosen. Only time anybody knows they "have" what it takes is when they get there.
nikka Alicia wasnt ANYTHING like Lauryn Hill. And Lauryn Hill stopped making her own shyt. Her life got in the way. There was other brown skin female singers out at the time. Do u even remember that era? What a dumb ass comparison.
ya nikkas is fukking miserable on this site i swear
