I love you Isa . . .

But I'mma have to kick your ass! Isa wrote a long ass entry about how the Grammy's have gone downhill because of hip-hop. She knows very well that I can't help but comment (acutally, i was gonna comment on her site, but my response got a little long).

Of course there's a lot of bad hip-hop out there - just like there's a lot of bad country, rock, jazz, etc. The problem is stupid "short" kids (ages 13-18) control album sales, making the bad hip-hop mainstream. I hate 50 Cent as much as the next one, but for every 50 Cent, there's a Common who's not gettin airplay. For every Black Eyed Peas (YUCKO), there's a really talented group like De La Soul. Did you check out those albums? What about Talib Kweli? The Roots? Little Brother? Slum Village? Prolly not. Too busy watchin the shit on MTV I guess (mind you, MTV2 is ok when it's playing music).

And what in God's green earth does Isa know about what's musically challenging? Does she currently play an instrument (and trumpet in high school sooooo does not count)? Sing (besides in her truck)? Make beats? Write music? Write lyrics? Ad lib? Rap? NO? EXACTLY!!!

It's easy to criticize when you have absolutely little or NO musical talent to speak of. Meanwhile, Kanye, Mariah and John Legend all use and PLAY instruments (right now and not 10 years ago). They all write and compose most if not all of their music, which is rare in today's music industry. They're all trained musicians. Mariah has one of the most beautiful voices on the planet - and so does John Legend. Kanye is really at the top of the rap game. In fact, Isa, you made me burn a copy of his last album for you!

Is Isa saying that country music, which is her fave, is more musically challenging? I hope not. If she knew anything about music, she'd know that country has the same musical composition as most R&B/hip-hop songs because they're both born out of gospel and blues. Hell, there was a time when both country and R&B artists would record the same songs at the same time, then sell the songs to their audiences. Country just uses lame instruments like banjos and steel guitars. Hip-hop is more percussion oriented. So please don't fool yourself into thinking one is musically superior over the other, especially when they're so similar.

As for the vocabulary, Isa is not one to talk! She's the same person who uses me as her personal dictionary. It's not that the vocabulary is middle-school level. It's that SHE doesn't understand the thought behind the word combos. For cryin out loud! Every other country song talks about a Ford pick-up. Does that require a vast vocabulary? Is that original?

Isa's problem with hip-hop stems from the fact that she doesn't identify with the experiences in the music. It must be a black thing (so kidding). I'm NOT sayin that she has to like hip-hop. People like what they like. I AM sayin don't talk shit about my music because you don't get it. Just say you don't get it and move on!

As for the Grammy's, I will not watch them because the show is long and boring. I do hope that Mariah, John and Kanye all win something. Hell, if Kanye doesn't win, he'll riot. Also, I hope Gwen Stefani loses because she's played and so are those beats she bought from Pharrel that he clearly used 5 years ago on Britney Spears and Noreaga. As for Bruce Springsteen, I hope he wins the folk category and shows the grammy audience that you're never too old to rock 'n roll! Ha!

I know I come across as knowing everything (which I do), but I really know music. Nothing annoys me more than people who talk shit about hip-hop music, especially because I love it (and ALL music) so much. So, if you're gonna hate on my music, you need to step your game up, bitches!

Having said all that, I love Isa!!! I'll also drop-kick her the next time she talks about my music.