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A Matter of Taste

© Paul Landkamer

I don't expect my wife to like G.S. Megaphone, Chasing Furies, Adam Again and Benjamin Gate. She doesn't demand that I like Air Supply, Amy Grant or her other soft and lite pop music. My parents don't demand I listen to their show tunes or Steve and Edie Gourmet and I don't shove Audio Adrenaline or Skillet on them. My daughter likes Grammatrain, Ginny Owens and Newsboys, but not particularly Zilch, Waterdeep and Chevelle. I like all of those listed in my daughter's sentence, but not particularly her Ceili Rain. Our taste in music doesn't indicate broad or narrow-mindedness, political correctness, nor social developmental deficiencies. It's simply our taste in music. A sister shouldn't give a brother a hard time over his taste in music. You might be wondering what motivated me to write this.

In an interview aired 14 September, 2002 on the Weekend 22 countdown show, a member of Out of Eden (and a sister in Christ) said or agreed that the reason hip-hop/rap/urban music isn't accepted is because of racism. Not accepted as well as it should be? --Out of Eden was on a nationally-broadcasted show, and their music gets lots of air-time. To me, that's "accepted". Nobody in the studio argued her statement. I, however, beg to differ.

I don't like hip-hop/rap/urban music, but I don't really believe it's due to any conscious or subconscious racism. If racism was the driving force behind musical tastes I should love country, Southern Gospel and thrash metal. I don't. Some of the things I don't feel obligated to appreciate about hip-hop/rap/urban music are the associated angry attitudes and the lazy abuse of English as a language. I honestly believe I'm not the only one who holds this opinion.

I cannot appreciate anger in any form, whether a sneer, gesture or tone of voice. Anger, as well as I can determine, isn't a race-thing. It's a self-control thing. When I hear the speech usually associated with rap-like music, I also get irritated. It's a thing I've come to associate with the gang-oriented mentality and anger. Whether good or bad things are being said, that in-your-face attitude bugs me. It's not a race-thing.

Neither anger nor misuse of language are racial traits. I shouldn't be accused of racism if I don't want to subject myself to anger. If I elect not to listen to or buy the music of chronic language abusers, it's not racism. Buying it would only be encouragement. So don't get in my face with what comes across as a bad attitude and don't slaughter the language. That way, I might give the music another chance.