HOLLYWOOD—HELLO AMERICA! One of our most prolific musicians, Roberta Flack, speaks out about the music being touted today. A singer, as well as, a composer, she is deeply troubled with the direction in which many of our musicians are headed. “How can you inspire or send healing or positive messages to your audience, when you can’t understand what they are saying! Of course, every generation embraces their own ideas in music and art, but unfortunately, what is being slapped in the face of our nation today, is total crap.”
Flack does agree, however, that it is preferable that many of these rap performers are in a recording studio rather than on the corner intimidating the neighborhood where they are possibly from. “The image,” she believes, “doesn’t do anything to improve the dark and criminal posture that blacks and Latinos, continue to have, internationally. And sadly, they have influenced very seriously, millions of young kids, who don’t know any better.”
Ms. Flack noted that the political climate and the state of the economy have affected whatever is produced in this country, creatively. “Much of the music lyrics you hear are filled with bad, even insulting language, about women and everything our communities represent. There was a time when you could turn on the radio, listen to a song, and find yourself humming it for days, after. And this was right across the board—young and old, alike. This doesn’t happen anymore. We are so polarized amongst ourselves, nothing computes between us, except resentment and suspicion. That is so sad.”
Of course, the recording industry is on its knees, Roberta admits. “It’s really all about the Internet,” she contends. “Music is being produced and sold from a computer—of course, there are some advantages, as far as artist control, but it is also an open door for a lot of garbage being pushed out there, as well. Every Tom, Dick and Harry is out there, selling their poorly produced wares on the street corners of America, trying to become so-called stars. There are very few standards of quality, just verbal trash and disconnected sounds, imitating music, invading our lives.”
Even though flack feels distressed with the current state of the music world, she does, however, believe that eventually, things across the board in the artistic world will change. “It always, does,” she admits. “People, eventually, will get sick and tired of things as they are. We are really about ‘change’ and sometimes, it introduces some very unattractive results, but often it leads to something legitimate. And we are desperately in need of that change or transition now. The American people, as well as, the world are crying for something in which they can hold on to with excitement and pride. We can only hope, and this is what I’m banking on.”
