Yo man...I gotta speak on this...
I'ma put this in a few different places to MAKE SURE people read it cause it's really getting a bit ridiculous to me.
I was at an event last night that made me really ask this question:
WHY CAN'T PEOPLE HAVE THEIR OWN DAMN STYLE?!
I ask this as a concerned artist. All around.
The way I dress...the way I talk...music I listen to...music I make...
All of those things, I feel are forms of self expression.
Bruce Lee said "I can do all kinds of fancy moves, and be cocky...But to express myself honestly, and truly...well...that my friend, is really hard to do."
I think there's a bit of a deficiency in that department in some people. I don't want to say it's some kind of global conspiracy, but it's happening quite a lot.
I was at an event last night that was cool...in so far as it was a good event.
But there was a lot of people trying to be "cool"...very hipster, en vogue stylishness going on.
The biggest thing in fashion now is the 80's style. I can dig it, I grew up in the 80's. Hell, next time I get my hair cut, I plan on getting a part in my fade like I used to do back in the day!
But it was a bit ridiculous. Everyone there looked like they came out of 1987. Some of them even looked like they were in costume. Some of it wasn't even entirely "cool" looking...it was just as 80's as it could possibly be.
I mean damn, can you bring a style back and add your OWN flavor? A new millinuem flavor even?!
Maybe some of them were doing their own style with it and I just didn't notice. But good lord...EVERYONE was from 20 years ago!
And today I was hit up from a lot of so called producers here on Mysapce. Dudes making Hip Hop beats. 3 of them today all sounded like Dilla.
I LOVE Dilla to death (
no pun intended).
But got damn! How much can a person steal the semi-off snare, or the Donuts style chopping and looping of soul songs?! I mean JESUS!
You know how you can honor and emulate Dilla the most?
BY GETTING YOUR OWN GOT DAMN STYLE! THAT is what he did. He said, I'ma come with a NEW style. THAT is what made him so influential!
My friends clown me sometimes because maybe I seem to purposely do things differently or think differently about things. Of course balance needs to be struck. Go off on the road less traveled and you might wind up lost.
But I do remember a point and time where sounding or being like someone, especially with regards to music, was an absolute no-no. Come out sounding JUST like anyone else and you are getting clowned.
And people now don't seem to realize that copy-catin will get you lost in the shuffle.
I recently came to realize that I really pay attention to girls with their own styles too.
I was with a female friend of mine at a function and we were both analyzing the girls on the scene. One of them was a girl wearing jeans, a black sweater, and she had a black purse and some black kind of heels.
Minimalist...but plain.
She asked what I thought of her. First impression: boring, conservative, safe. She was kinda cute, but her apperance and outward expression was boring.
My friend...she agreed.
Then there was another girl. Nice colorful blue and yellow dress. She had a nice figure, and the back was out on her dress. That was sexy to me. It wasn't revealing cleavage. Her leg wasn't out. It just showed her back, a very overlooked, yet sensual, part of the body.
She stood out. Why? Cause she didn't blend in.
Now I know some may say "Hance who are you to talk? You be wearin hella baggy pants, t-shirts and stuff, so how you gonna be judgemental like that when others can do that to you?"
Well a few things:
1. I can wear plain shit and STILL stand out. I make sure of it
2. I say (just like the Plain Jane might say) that if someone sees me that way and they don't want to get to know me because of what they percieve, then so be it. I can't change who I am in order to GET noticed. There has to be a point where I feel comfortable and like what I'm wearing and not worry about what others think. So if Plain Jane wears her solid, minimalist style, do it. Whatever makes her happy. Cause THAT is what's most important.
So, when you get your own style you have to do it and be comfortable in it, not doing it just to get noticed. It has to be the honest YOU.
3. Expressing yourself is EXPENSIVE! Don't trip! Finding the right lcothes and all that...man, sometimes you gotta go to some lengths!
So in conclusion everyone, I would like to reiterate what my good friend and hero Petey Green said: "Be yourself".
And stop biting styles!
Peep the video.
Peace