After Puff Daddy recently called upon artists to “step up and be better leaders” following the decision not to indict New York City police officer Daniel Pantaleo in the death of Eric Garner, The Roots drummer Questlove has become the latest artist to speak out on social media.
Questlove took to Instagram yesterday (December 4) to challenge artists to “be a voice of the times that we live in.”
After stating that the culture needs new Bob Dylans, new Public Enemys and that we need to be more “community minded,” the Philadelphia native affirmed that more artists need to construct records with “spirit in them” and “songs with solutions.”
“I urge and challenge musicians and artists alike to push themselves to be a voice of the times that we live in,” Questlove wrote. “I know that many see what happened to Dixie Chicks’ #NatalieMaines @mainesmusic (she bravely expressed her opinion/dismay on the Bush administration declaring war & was unjustly targeted….while in hindsight being CORRECT) suddenly there was an onslaught of radio silence from artists across the board (correction not everyone was silent, but the silence was deafening) although I’m kinda/sorta addressing the hip hop nation I really apply this challenge to ALL artists. We need new Dylans. New Public Enemys. New Simones. New De La Roachas. New ideas! But it just doesn’t stop there!! We need outlets (hello #ClearChannel #RadioOne #Vh1) to balance the system. Yeah I’m just as guilty of feeling the high of all that I despise (“Devil’s Pie” D’angelo) but the reason why this nation seems to be moving 3 steps ahead in some areas…..but then 7 steps backwards in every area is a lack of balance.
“I’m not saying every song gotta be “Fight The Power” but in times like these we need to be more community minded (taking a wild guess that “urban radio’s” format didn’t change much from the pre program stuff (using that word *politely*) we’ve been hearing for years,” Questlove’s post continues. “& when I say challenge I don’t mean breathless race to the finish on who makes the more banging “Fuck Tha Police” sequel. I mean real stories. Real narratives. Songs with spirit in them. Songs with solutions. Songs with questions. Protest songs don’t have to be boring or non danceable or ready made for the next Olympics. They just have to speak truth. I laugh & have fun w “Bitch You Guessed It” like everyone else. But my soul is aching man. Seriously just ONE or Two songs that change the course. This is something I feel the need and urgency to put out there. #EricGarner #MikeBrown #JusticeForAll #FeedMySoul #HandsUpDontShoot #ICantBreathe”
RELATED: Puff Daddy Says Artists Need To “Step Up And Be Better Leaders”
wtf is a song going to do ???
Ladies and gentlemen, ignorance at its finest. I’m sure Marvin Gaye shared your sentiments.
Na but yo moma did CRAKER BLACKPOWER!
Why haven’t The Roots came out with a song protesting all the lynchings of young black males? Because Questlove is a fucking hypocrite, who criticizes real hip hop, yet rides the dicks of Jay Z and Puff Daddy.
Sorry Questlove, hip hop started out in the streets, no in your rich ass private school.
Have you listened to a Roots album? Every album talks about the stuff you said they don’t talk about.
YOOOU SIR WOOOOOOOOON FOR THE DUMBEST INTERPRETING OF THE DAY!!!WIIIIIIIINEEEEEER!!!!LEEEEETS SPIIIIIN THE WHEEEEEL!!Because they
re not going to release a `panic song` made in 2 days just to jump on the bandwagons of all these hypocrits rappers making shitty songs that sound like a remixversion of nicky minaj`s starship for the sake of it.Cant you see what he`s saying?More Dylans?More Public Enemy`s?Cant you read?He`s basically sayin make BETTER MUSIC DUMBO!!!!And that isnt done in 2 days and his statement is proven by all these newly releasedprotestsongs!oooooooooh SHIIIIIIIT!!!DID I JUST OOOOOOWN THIS CLOWN?!?THANK YOU THANK YOU YOURE ALL TO KIND!!!FIRST I WANNA THANK JESUS FOR THE SUPPORT!AND LETS NOT FORGET MY DAWG tigerking79 FOR MAKING THIS POSSIBLE!!THIS IS FOR YOU!!!SALUUUUTE!!OOOOOOH ALMOST FORGOT!!!YOU THOUGHT I DID DIDNT YOY?!HA!I CANT FORGET TO THANK A VERY SPECIAL LADY IN MY LIFE,AND THAT IS tigerking79 MOTHER!!I JUST WANT TO THANK YOU FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY HEART FOR BENDIN OVER FOR THAT CHIMP WHO SADLY WAS DIAGNOZED BRAINDEAD!BUT SOME GOOD ALWAYS COME OUT OF SOMETHING BAD AND THATS MY BOY tigerking79 WHO I DEEPLY RESPECT FOR MAKIN THIS HAPPEN!!OOOOOH SNAAAAAAP!LOG OFF!!LOG OFF!!KEYBOARDWARRIORS COMIN!!HIDE!!HIDE!!!UNDER THE COUCH!UNDER THE COUCH!!
instead of challenging rappers to make protest songs, you need to hit the street and protest, help register people to vote, explain the need for people to vote, advocate less violence in our community, express to the youth the importance of a solid education or trade and the need for many of people in our community to stop embracing a culture of crime and violence.
many of you rappers are so corny – wack ass tweets and songs. do something!!!!
Dude works nightly for one of the biggest shows in the United States. You really think he has time to stand on the streets every day?
LEEEEETS ROOOOOOOOLL THE DIIIIIIICEEE!!DING DING DING NEWBLITZ 3 STRIKE 7!!Preach it quest!!Make REAL music thats makin a difference,and look at how all these “great inspirational conscious rappers” SUDDENLY flocks to the studio to make “real music” about ferguson,eric garner,mike brown situations to make a dolla out of it,when in truth the songs says ABSOLUTLEY NOTHING NEW that matters other than throwing fuel to the fire.YOOOOOOOOU IN THE DENIMSHORTS AND THE BEIGE SHIRT JUST WOOOOOOOOOOON!ROOOOOYAAAL FLUUUUSH! DID I HEAR BAAAD PROMOTING?!?SCUMBAGS!!!!NEEEEEEWSFLASH ROUND 6!!STRIKE 8!!! EXCLUSIVE!!DING DING DING!!!And just when you thought they couldnt behave ANY worse,they use all the bad tension surrounding the awful state of the culture to diss eachother over skincolour to score some cred in the community trying to win some fans, over what must be the oldest question in mankinds history,SKINCOLOUR IN HIP HOP!!GET OVER IT!!!!DID I HEAR STUUUUUUUPID?!!!?GROOOOOW UP!!YOURE ONLY SETTING THE CULTURE BACK WITH YOUR IGNORANCE!!!UUUUUHHH OOOOOH!!!WHO SAID THAT?!?EMBARASSING!!!SHUT UP!!NEEEEWSATTAAAACK!!ROUND 3!!SLAAAAAAMDUUUUUUCK!!!Start makin some good music and maybe somebody will care about you!!!KNOCKOUTNEWS!10-9-8-7 AAAND HE
S UP AGAIN!!!AND WHERE THE FUCK IS BIEBER?DONT SEE HIM ANYWHERE SHEDDING LIGHT OVER THIS!!YOU HEARD IT HERE FIRST!!!!!YOU WITH THE MUSTACHE AND THE GREEN PANTS JUUUUUST GOT A FREEEEE ROOOOOOLL!!!BLACK 21!!!!!JUUST IIIN!!Banks just got told by IGGYS publicity agent that IGGY SADLY COULDNT ATTEND THE PROTESTS BECAUSE SHE was to busy being the spokesperson in a mosque for the BLACK SUPREMACY gathering!!!KNOCKOUTNEWSBLITZ!!!CAAAN SOOOMEBOOODY LOAN ME A DOOOOOOOLAAAAAR?!?DOLLAR….DOLLAR….DOLLAR…I challenge you to get a haircut, Nappy!