2008 Woodie Awards
The Streets Educate us on Rap Music
Nicole D'Andrea
Issue date: 10/13/04 Section: Arts & Entertainment
When most people think of rap music, they think of a stereotype. A rapper is usually a relatively jacked African American male between the ages of 18 and 26 who is wearing an outfit including the dreaded "bling" that is worth more than what most people have in their savings accounts. These men are usually surrounded by scantily clad gyrating women, who serve absolutely no purpose except to be objects, similar to the Bentley that the rapper is leaning on.
The Streets is the antithesis of this stereotype - a single rapper comprised of a white male from England named Mike Skinner who is immensely popular on this side of the pond.
The only other white rapper on the American market is the infamous Eminem, famous only due to controversy, because, apparently, lyrics about beating up women greatly appeal to white suburban males who hate their lives, and who are also Em's biggest audience. He isn't particularly talented because he is too concerned with pissing people off and outing as many celebrities as possible, instead of displaying any real emotion.
Skinner, although not exactly role model material either, doesn't want his next girlfriend to die in a car crash. What is also important to note about The Streets is that much of the music is a social commentary about British culture, although any semi-intelligent Eminem fan could argue that Em's "Sing For the Moment" is a social commentary about American culture. At least The Streets didn't have to use the beat from an Aerosmith song, but came up with one himself.
Skinner grew up in Birmingham and in North London, making his first tracks when he was 15. He attempts to add a social commentary to garage 2-step movement, in which the beats are simple, usually machine-produced and loud, and demand the listener's attention. During the late 1990's, he tried to start his own record label, which fell through, and started to send off his own tracks while working dead-end jobs in the fast food industry.
The Streets is the antithesis of this stereotype - a single rapper comprised of a white male from England named Mike Skinner who is immensely popular on this side of the pond.
The only other white rapper on the American market is the infamous Eminem, famous only due to controversy, because, apparently, lyrics about beating up women greatly appeal to white suburban males who hate their lives, and who are also Em's biggest audience. He isn't particularly talented because he is too concerned with pissing people off and outing as many celebrities as possible, instead of displaying any real emotion.
Skinner, although not exactly role model material either, doesn't want his next girlfriend to die in a car crash. What is also important to note about The Streets is that much of the music is a social commentary about British culture, although any semi-intelligent Eminem fan could argue that Em's "Sing For the Moment" is a social commentary about American culture. At least The Streets didn't have to use the beat from an Aerosmith song, but came up with one himself.
Skinner grew up in Birmingham and in North London, making his first tracks when he was 15. He attempts to add a social commentary to garage 2-step movement, in which the beats are simple, usually machine-produced and loud, and demand the listener's attention. During the late 1990's, he tried to start his own record label, which fell through, and started to send off his own tracks while working dead-end jobs in the fast food industry.