I don't think he's a moron, he just pretty clearly doesn't listen to hip-hop outside of what's super popular so I find his opinions on it hard to take seriously.
Like if you want to bitch about what kind of hip-hop makes it to the pop charts specifically, sure, I guess, but genuine genre representation on the pop charts is at an all time low in general, and going after someone like Silento is just low hanging fruit (which again I don't inherently have a problem with, hell it's half of what I watch him for, but it makes him hard to take seriously as a critic in that specific instance). Even dudes that are regionally very popular (YG for instance) have trouble cracking the Hot 100, and if they do, it's usually not very high.
As for Jeremih, he's generally considered one of the best R&B singers alive. I don't even like him that much, that's just consensus opinion. He is also widely acknowledged to have a thing where his most accessible songs tend to be his worst so I guess I shouldn't be surprised but, idk, it bothers me when people don't even bother to look up what other people might think or why. Even, I dunno, "Birthday Sex" isn't a bad song, it's just sort of vapid (like many pop songs are).
He does the same thing with Lil Wayne where, if he understands the man's vast impact on the genre, he never talks about it and usually just jokes about him resembling a reptile (which to be fair, he sort of does).
That latter part is fair—it makes an alarming amount of sense to me that a perfectly capable musician's worst material would get pushed for their singles work if it were more commercial—but the first is not, given that he's given the caveat many times that he is explicitly talking about what happens on the charts rather than what's going on beneath and beyond them. When he says that hip-hop is in dire straits, the clear message is that he is either referring to the pop charts point-blank or primarily focusing on their status as a symptom. Which, in the latter case, may or may not be fair, but it's not quite the same thing as *only* listening to pop-rap and declaring the genre dead.
It's also kind of an esoteric point if you're just getting into his work, but he's explained his beef with how Jeremih presents himself on his singles and his problems with things like the production on "Birthday Sex" before, in detail.
Speaking of rap on the pop charts, I am honestly kinda surprised Todd didn't put at least "Alright" on his last top list, considering how much he liked "Swimming Pools (Drank)".
Incidentally, he also used to be fine with Lil Wayne, but the quality drop-off and increasing grossness lead to a rising tide of gila monster jokes.
^ How far did it chart?
He tends to use single songs as placeholders for more of an artist's work if they rank high enough, particularly with artists who have a lot of good work that didn't chart or charted fairly low.
seriously listen to "10,000 Bars" sometime you have an hour to waste it's one of his first notable artistic accomplishments and parts of it are just disgusting.
I said that because I knew you weren't wrong but the fact that his bars suck now makes the gross stuff decidedly less excusable, even if it really wasn't actually excusable in the first place.
You know, I wonder if there aren't people out there who go after Danny Brown the way that people go after Lil Wayne. I feel like the difference is in the fact that Danny's clearly entering this character and presenting something so extreme and wacky that it's hard to take seriously where Wayne's stuff feels either like a front or sincerely sleazy, but aside from popularity I am sure there are people who don't take that difference into account.
I'm aware. But he isn't exactly obscure. You don't need to be Chris Brown (to name someone genuinely repulsive and exceedingly famous) to get the wrong kind of attention.
that happened years ago, he's put out like 15 projects of varying quality since then.
It's what made the rockists notice Wayne and start making jokes about him in the first place.
(Todd isn't a rockist, of course. I'm just speaking generally.)
I don't think you're using "rockist" correctly here. Being a rockist doesn't have to be about rock, even if it generally is.
Yeah, my bad.
My point was more that particular project got him attention from a lot of people who didn't know who he was, most of them being the type of people to not look too kindly on musicians like him in the first place. That attention continues to unfortunately hound him to some degree.
When I think of rockism in hip-hop, I think people who either put inordinate value on street cred or idolise technical virtuosity and "serious rappers" talking about "serious topics."
...are you defending Jeremih on the basis of album material or something? Because *nothing* I have heard of his has ever remotely impressed me.
I'm not saying he has any deep, strong understanding of modern hip-hop and R&B here. I'm just saying you're doing that genre snob thing where you treat someone like a moron for not sharing your opinions without actually explaining them. It's not appealing.
I sympathise with Jane here, although what you say is valid. I'm not into hip-hop or R&B, but random critics attempting to analyse heavy metal is often a groanfest. Often for the same reasons uninitiated critique of other genres is: the music is not being analysed on the basis of its own appeals or the objectives of the genre.
Like, in a pop song, you generally don't want much divergence from the essential structure any given song lays out for itself, right? A part of the pop music experience is structural, because it's a social genre that wants to embed a summary of itself in the mind of listeners and get people singing along. A pop song that's too structurally complex risks failure in pop music terms, even if it's brilliant by another set of musical standards. In heavy metal, though, playing it loose with song structure is an appeal because heavy metal is the epic fantasy of music (whatever the tone of the specific subgenre might be), so going off the rails is often going to be viewed sympathetically.
This is particularly frustrating because the previous decade never ultimately made good on the heavy metal revival thing outside of bands that were already well established. Metal clubs/metal nights at clubs still play fucking Trivium, as though their half-arsed Metallica imitation wasn't old when it was new.
I would say that the appeal of metal as a whole is even harder to define than that, because of how big and diverse that tent is now. Stoner doom bears no resemblance to power metal, and so progressive thrash to funk-metal and so forth. Death metal can be very structurally rigorous, just not in a pop way; and conversely, there are sub-styles of black and doom metal where the minimalism and primitivity is half the charm. And the lyrics are a whole other matter...
I digress. I am being pedantic again. Your point in itself is correct.
When I think of rockism in hip-hop, I think people who either put inordinate value on street cred or idolise technical virtuosity and "serious rappers" talking about "serious topics."
My point is that Todd isn't a rockist and certainly not a hip-hop rockist. He's a poptimist.
Which is fine like 99% of the time because he usually reviews pop music where that critical position is actually useful. It doesn't work with hip-hop though! They're just not compatible, the musical principles involved are totally different.
Anyway I don't know why everyone is being so defensive?? I like Todd, and honestly I feel a little sorry for him because he seems to get so much shit from everyone (I still don't like most Youtube critics but I'd never harass them on twitter which apparently happens to him a lot).
Also Lady-Miss Kier made fun of him once which has kinda completely tanked my opinion of Deee-Lite as a group.
I would say that the appeal of metal as a whole is even harder to define than that, because of how big and diverse that tent is now. Stoner doom bears no resemblance to power metal, and so progressive thrash to funk-metal and so forth. Death metal can be very structurally rigorous, just not in a pop way; and conversely, there are sub-styles of black and doom metal where the minimalism and primitivity is half the charm. And the lyrics are a whole other matter...
I digress. I am being pedantic again. Your point in itself is correct.
I agree with that and forgive your pedantry, particularly because metal basically demands it after a certain point.
@Jane: I'm sorry for being defensive. I just feel a little weird about the position you're taking because, while I have no perspective on the R&B thing and thus can't say anything on the matter, and I know significantly less about hip-hop than you do, I feel like you get a little presumptuous when critics talk about the genre and express opinions about it that you either don't agree with or are framed in a way that you don't like.
I'm also not sure how you're defining "poptimist" here. I mean, one can be a poptimist in relation to hip-hop: It's simply a simply a matter of being an anti-rockist, which is to say, someone who rejects the authenticity argument and embraces what is popular as equally worthy of appraisal to what is "uncommercial." With respect to hip-hop and rap, I'm not sure how that's an inherently bad position. I mean, I take issue with aspects of the approach as a whole—I really don't think that reviewing major label pop albums side by side with very obscure independent works with identical criteria necessarily does either any favours, even if it does reflect how people listen to music to some degree—but I'm not sure how it's any less suited to hip-hop than, say, rock music, or electronic dance music.
@Jane: I'm sorry for being defensive. I just feel a little weird about the position you're taking because, while I have no perspective on the R&B thing and thus can't say anything on the matter, and I know significantly less about hip-hop than you do, I feel like you get a little presumptuous when critics talk about the genre and express opinions about it that you either don't agree with or are framed in a way that you don't like.
that is because hip-hop is one of the three genre-groups that critics like to shoot off about despite not understanding (the other two are country and metal. Electronica gets this too but for different reasons).
It doesn't help that it's really easy to "not understand" hip-hop. Anyone who has ever levied criticism about eg. lack of melody in the genre doesn't understand hip-hop. Anyone who's ever called a rap "not music" doesn't understand it either. If you said the second thing about a rock or pop tune you'd be laughed at.
I'm also not sure how you're defining "poptimist" here. I mean, one can be a poptimist in relation to hip-hop: It's simply a simply a matter of being an anti-rockist, which is to say, someone who rejects the authenticity argument and embraces what is popular as equally worthy of appraisal to what is "uncommercial."
Ignoring the entirety of the genre outside of what is the most mainstream possible iteration of it is in my view a poptimist line of thought.
Example: If someone doesn't understand Lil Wayne's impact on the genre, they don't understand the genre. You don't have to like him or even respect him, but it's like trying to deny that, I don't know, Nirvana was influential, if you treat Lil Wayne as a joke you're automatically revealing yourself as not being qualified to talk about what you're talking about in a serious context.
The reason I don't care that Todd does that is because Youtube videos in which a person gets exaggeratedly angry about music they don't like is not "a serious context". It's entertainment with some degree of critical underpinning but not a ton and not consistently. I've already said three times that I don't actually have a serious problem with Todd, but everyone insists in carrying on as though I did anyway.
You are the end result of a “would you push the button” prompt where the prompt was “you have unlimited godlike powers but you appear to all and sundry to be an impetuous child” – Zero, 2022
I wonder why Phelous transitioned from focusing on bad horror movies to focusing on bad Disney knockoffs.
You are the end result of a “would you push the button” prompt where the prompt was “you have unlimited godlike powers but you appear to all and sundry to be an impetuous child” – Zero, 2022
Not that I'm complaining, these are more entertaining anyways.
Well, I first became familiar with him when he was a guest on James and Mike Mondays. He has a TV Tropes page with more info on him, but the reason I think he's a dick is because he's devoted a lot of YouTube time to ranting about Anita Sarkeesian and Zoe Quinn.
Something I brought up in my personal thread without mentioning AOS by name: he did make a video ranting about a Cammy cosplayer being told by hotel staff to either cover up her legs or leave the premises and how this was more evidence that "SJWs" were ruining everything for everybody. On THAT...he's not completely wrong, in this case? I mean, Cammy's outfit doesn't show any of her naughty bits, and the cosplayer's version was exactly like the video game character's. I think it's stupid that somebody would complain about it and ask hotel staff to step in, but it doesn't fill me with frothing rage like it apparently does him.
True, probably not worth bringing up. But I was kind of wondering what it might say about AVGN that he and Mike Matei would hang out with this guy, and whether "guilt by association" is fair.
On the other hand, one of the videos where he appears with them features a whole ton of internet critics at a con trying to beat Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde, including Spoony. And I know for a fact that Spoony is the complete opposite of AOS; he's been very anti-GamerGate (and anti-people-who-are-like-GamerGaters) for a while now. So who knows.
I saw the original and it didn't make me feel very bad or anything; I mean, everybody's mileage varies. That said, I'm still a fan until James does something to make me hate him. (The Ghostbusters thing didn't do that, btw. It wasn't as if he threw a tantrum or said that he wasn't gonna see the movie because "girls suck". He was perfectly calm throughout. Sure, people can speculate on his reasons for not seeing the film, but at the end of the day that's all it is, just speculation. I also have a hard time believing that he has some sort of problem with female protagonists when he cited "The Force Awakens" as an example of doing things right, after the stupid portion of the internet got their collective shorts in a knot over Rey.)
I think AVGN is kind of a has-been at this point, but that's just me.
Well, I like his old stuff, with a favourite being the Ninja Gaiden video. The newer stuff is more hit and miss (I did not care for the Toxic Crusaders video at all and felt that the movie was just mediocre), but I don't think he's jumped the shark just yet; his latest video, for Paperboy, was pretty damn funny IMHO.
I admittedly know little about James Rolfe aside from the fact that his style and subject matter is really not for me. Which is probably all that I really need to know. There are riff reviewers whose work I enjoy, but I have always found analytical stuff much more edifying, and those who lean more comedic whose work I do enjoy tend to have at least some technical critique or loosely informative aspect to their work.
I've kind of grown out of him, so to speak, but still follow him off-and-on since he's got a likable personality when not playing a character, and he was one of my gateways to more analytical hot takes on media. I can still get behind ranty criticism with technical or personal or informative bends to them, but unfortunately, the sort of pseudo-stream-of-consciousness rantings and ramblings are now easily and populated by mean-spirited folk that I'd really rather not seek out.
You are the end result of a “would you push the button” prompt where the prompt was “you have unlimited godlike powers but you appear to all and sundry to be an impetuous child” – Zero, 2022
So, Andre the Black Nerd reviewed the new Ghostbusters.
Basically his opinions are:
-So Okay It's Average
-Kate McKinnon is one of the bright spots
-It's really not the kind of thing people should spend there time having nasty, heated arguments over because it's far from the most important thing going on right now.
EDIT: -Oh yes, also: he really would have preferred it if it were set in the same universe as the original movie with a story like "There hasn't been a ghost problem for the last 30 years or so, but all of a sudden there is again so we need Ghostbusters again." But at the end of the day it's not a dealbreaker for him.
-Everybody should do what they want to do: see it if you want to, don't if you don't.
Comments
It's also kind of an esoteric point if you're just getting into his work, but he's explained his beef with how Jeremih presents himself on his singles and his problems with things like the production on "Birthday Sex" before, in detail.
^ How far did it chart?
He tends to use single songs as placeholders for more of an artist's work if they rank high enough, particularly with artists who have a lot of good work that didn't chart or charted fairly low.
Still, that song will be remembered long after most of what charted above it is forgotten.
I'm aware. But he isn't exactly obscure. You don't need to be Chris Brown (to name someone genuinely repulsive and exceedingly famous) to get the wrong kind of attention.
I don't think you're using "rockist" correctly here. Being a rockist doesn't have to be about rock, even if it generally is.
When I think of rockism in hip-hop, I think people who either put inordinate value on street cred or idolise technical virtuosity and "serious rappers" talking about "serious topics."
I digress. I am being pedantic again. Your point in itself is correct.
I'm also not sure how you're defining "poptimist" here. I mean, one can be a poptimist in relation to hip-hop: It's simply a simply a matter of being an anti-rockist, which is to say, someone who rejects the authenticity argument and embraces what is popular as equally worthy of appraisal to what is "uncommercial." With respect to hip-hop and rap, I'm not sure how that's an inherently bad position. I mean, I take issue with aspects of the approach as a whole—I really don't think that reviewing major label pop albums side by side with very obscure independent works with identical criteria necessarily does either any favours, even if it does reflect how people listen to music to some degree—but I'm not sure how it's any less suited to hip-hop than, say, rock music, or electronic dance music.