THE DEATH OF THE GRAMMYS...A Revolution through Art!

Kendrick Lamar delivered what is now one of the most controversial performances ever at the 2016 Grammys, creating one of the most beautiful moments in music history. There were pyrotechnics both of the actual kind and of the emotional sort. But what was Kendrick saying?

At the start of the performance he came out in chains along with fellow inmate as the band crooned while locked in cages. Every jerk and twitch of his body matched the rhythm and beat of the music.

In front of a massive bonfire, Lamar turned the performance into a powerful message. Starting with the lyrics of “Alright” a song written as a part of the Black Lives Matter movement. As the portrayal showed celebration of who they are, there was undoubtedly a double meaning as fire can mean both love and hate, life and death, peace and war, after all it is a duality.

It was like the spirit of the underground burst through and took control of every word, phrase and movement, the man was a beast! No apologies!  And like all big things going on in the world…there was a piece of the Caribbean in the mix!

His name’s Assassin and this is the verse that had the audience of the Grammys gasping in horror!

            

Assassin

          

“Ah say them treat we like ah slave cuz we black

We feel whole heap ah pain cuz we black

And what we say, them put we in ah chain cuz we black

And watch here now, we gold chain full ah rocks

You nuh see the wip leave scar pon we back

But now we have ah big wip park pon the block

Them ah say we doom from the start cuz we black

But remember this, every race start from the black”

But allow me to digress for a moment…there seem to be a pattern here.

Join me for a quick flashback will you…

Beyonce made a bold statement at the 2016 Superbowl through her performance of “Formation”. Coming on the heel of the 50^th anniversary of The Black Panther Party, the performance paid tribute to the Panthers, as Beyonce and her dancers could be seen wearing black leather and sporting natural hairstyles...I think it was the day that white Americans realised Beyonce was...wait for it...black!

I may know what you’re thinking right now, I’m supposed to be talking about #allthingsunderground …but the message that is being sent right now has been in the making for years, mainstream music wasn’t protesting but the underground music scene has always been. We all know mainstream artists are censored, once you’re mainstream you have to follow strict orders, that’s why so many artists practice their craft under the radar. They get to keep their identity, but these recent activities are creating a change within some mainstream artists. They're starting to speak up and reclaim their identity.

So I’m asking you now…do you think that there could possibly be a gorilla movement through music? Could it be a revolution through the arts?

Take a look at Kendrick’s performance, and tell me if you think there could be something happening under the radar, or do you think it’s just another protest that will soon be long forgotten?

"If there is something to be changed in this world, then it can only happen through music."

                                                                                                                - Jimmy Hendrix

INSIDE THE OUTSIDE...

Ever wondered what happened in the underground? What type of artist exist below the radar? What their work may look like, or sound like and have we ever been secretly acquainted through a piece of art or a passing tune? Well U-13 may just be able to satisfy your curiosity. You see, there's a lot of musicians and singers out there, that aren't being given the chance to express their creativity. They are the ones that you would not hear on the radio (despite having potentially great sounds), instead, they're the ones you hear of in a whisper, a distant conversation, because someone had the opportunity to experience their work. Underground artists are the ones standing on the outside of what is considered popular or mainstream and U-13 wants to explore the outside a little, so...

I ask your permission to take you inside the outside, a place I like to call...

Don't take the word underground literally, it's not like you're going to pass through secret tunnels, blindfolded with crazy passwords like..."Tupac is Alive," or, "Free Buju," I kinda like that second one though. Anyways... It's rhythm, words, art, culture, history, love, movement, music, vibes and energy. It's about creative expression, representing yourself and never apologising for it...yeah..that's what the underground is.

U-13 is a place where anything can happen, anything can be said, anything can be done, anything can be expressed. It’s a place where we’re gonna put the attention on the art, the lyrics, the melody and the experience. It's time to think outside the box...hell let's get rid of the box altogether!

Within the walls of the U-13, creators are celebrated, whether it’s music, art, poetry or reviews on radical performances both locally and internationally. It just doesn't matter who you are, where you're from, as long as you have the talent, the passion, the drive, the message and the product, trust me, I'll be watching...closely.

I just realised how weird that sounds...but, what the hell, I'm leaving it in. Where were we? Right...

Now that I’ve told you a little bit about my intentions, let me give you a hint of what to expect…next week!

I'll be discussing the unfortunate passing of the Grammys in a review of the ground-breaking performance by Kendrick Lamar this year. Lamar is an underground Hip Hop/Rap artist that has managed to cross over to mainstream, but even as he made the transition, he remained consistent in his musical messages. Kendrick Lamar never changed his style and remained true to his original sound.

Kendrick Lamar at the 2016 Grammy Awards

Every week Underground13 is going to review and highlight music, whether locally or internationally…it could be anybody…who knows? It's going to be exciting and a little crazy...let's make some memories, while having fun! Let's learn about each other, explore different sounds, open up our minds to more than what is just given to us, there's an entire community out there, just waiting for the right time.