RIP “Mystique”

Times change.  Technology changes.  People change.  Everything changes.  For some its a good thing.  Evolution is a part of the living process.  You aren’t the same person you were 10 years ago, right?  For some its bad.  People clinging on the what used to be, whether its music, movies, or just everyday life in general.  The one thing I can actually say thing I’m upset about as far as change, is the “mystique” of an artist.  With facebook fan pages, twitter, message boards, myspace, and personal websites, that mystique factor of someone is gone now.  I used to think a long time ago that Rakim would sit in a hidden temple somewhere in the Tibet mountain range with master Buddah Monk Shin Yu Kahn and would write rhymes on dead sea scrolls with an oversized paintbrush in one hand and in the other he’s keeping the planets aligned right there in the palm of his hand.

But now?

@Rakim is chilling in house with my dog sparky*

*for the unfunny or too serious, this is a fictional tweet…laugh bitches

I think the whole “artist accessible” stuff has made music as a whole worse.  Now instead of relying on talent, the artist can win with charisma.  If the artist either is the “everyday” guy or girl, or is the goofball always making themselves look bad (trust me people, its intentional about 75% of the time) or just seem like they are bigger than what they are, that would generate not only *maybe* more sales, but it would definitely spark an interest from people who either never heard of them or was on the fence about them.  I think this would work for an artist who isn’t mainstream…yet.  Or for those who really don’t want that type of fame.  Take Phonte of LB/FE fame.  That’s one of the few people that when I do log in to twitter, I’m looking to see if he posted anything.  Then he isn’t just posting every ten to fifteen minutes.  That’s how I feel it should work.

(The Ocho is a different story, dude’s just awesome all around…hey you gonna let me like my Bengals, OK!!!!!)

But now its definitely not like how it was.  I like the whole accessible thing to a point.  Maybe that’s why I don’t log into twitter much.  Maybe that’s why I don’t have a myspace page anymore.  I mostly use facebook to keep up with family and certain friends (the ‘hide’ button kicks ass!!!).  Gone are the days of eagerly awaiting to see your favorite artist pop up on Mtv unexpectedly and announcing the release date of a new album or tour.  No more buying an album from one artist only to see that another one of your faves is on there, too.  They tweet about it before heading to the studio.  The mystique of entertainment is gone.  Save for a few.  The thing about the few though are the ones that are the megastars.  Their everywhere anyway…