The Rock Star is dead

Besides Keith Richards falling out of a hammock in his usual drunken Quaalude induced stupor a few years ago, there is nobody taking the reigns in 72 hour, cocaine, hotel-room carnage.

The alpha male front-man of today’s popular bands are post-pubescent, pale-faced, eye-liner pretty boys whose balls are held so tight by their super-conglomerate record label's hands that they cant help but sing two octaves higher than any man whose name isn’t Prince or Aaron Neville ever should.

The almost godlike status of previous rock-stars upheld their image by face-melting solos and live jam sessions while managing to stand on their feet with enough alcohol and cat tranquilizer to take down an elephant.

Today’s musicians and pop stars are too busy with their manicures and personal clothing lines to write a masterpiece on acid.

Besides that, mainstream “music” has undoubtedly shifted towards rap and hip-hop. I use “music” in quotes because as far as I can remember music is defined as pleasant sounds from musical instruments played with skill along with melodic, in-tune singing. Granted at the onset of hip-hop, rappers had a credible sense of timing, were understandable and lyrics were generally about bettering their surroundings and making something out of themselves.

In recent years however, people have forgotten about the message music is supposed bring to the people. For generations music has been a political and social outlet for forward thinking and awareness.

It is inevitable for fans to believe in what is being said, and brainwashing the masses to believe 24-inch rims, bling-bling, Hummers, Chrystal, hustling and booty is the key to life’s happiness, can be detrimental to an entire generation’s motivational and moral drive.

Music has truly become an industry, driven by what little profit is left from record sales. Selling mostly sex instead of talent, music has become more of a spectacle than an auditory experience. A visual aid is needed to sell the music, not the music itself.