Is music fading as a storytelling avenue among black people?

[richardmurray]

In modernity, music is still loved by many and will always be, but has music's place as a cornerstone of black storytelling, changed?

https://aalbc.com/tc/events/event/208-kwl-live-qa-music-love-and-storytelling-with-xio-axelrod-02272025/

 

[ProfD]

IMO, storytelling in music has been gone for a long time.

 

The times we live in have a huge effect on songwriting  & music.

 

Storytelling through music has taken a back seat to making people move.  Hip-Hop still has MCs who can be storytellers.

 

Otherwise, Popular music usually caters to younger people. Their experiences & points of reference may not facilitate storytelling in their music. At least not anything older folks can relate.

 

Hip-Hop is the final frontier where storytelling is still viable. Gotta dig to find it tho.

[aka Contrarian]

The melodic love ballads of my 1950s era, particularly the lyrics which were so exquisite in telling the stories of love lost, - and sometimes found, are something I still hold near and dear.

 Whether it's Frank Sinatra lying awake in the wee small hours of the morning, being "there if only she would call,", or Sarah Vaughn confessing to being "Misty, just holding you near" or the Platters assuring that they "only have eyes for you", this music never fails to bring a wistful smile to my face.

 

Yeah, those were the days. How could you not be entranced by a husky voice caressing poignant lyrics like:"I get along without you very well...Of course I do...Except when soft rains fall...and drift from leaves then I recall...the thrill of being sheltered in your arms...Of course, I do...But I get along without you very well..."  or - "Your lips were like a red and ruby chalice, warmer than a summer night. The moon was like an alabaster palace rising to its snowy heights.  Each star its own aurora borealis, suddenly the sky turned bright. I could see the midnight sun!", -  a melodic tribute to a love connection...

Later, of course, there were plenty of R&B story tellers in the person of male groups like The Temptations singing about "Papa" being a "Rollin Stone", or Marvin Gaye, asking "What's Goin' On?"  or Prince relating the "Sign of the Times".

But even they are now relegated to "oldies but goodies" broadcasts that are few and far between. 

None the less, the Blues are still holding forth, thanks to every hoarse ol hoot who ever picked up a guitar to strum his mournful tale about "dat low down woman who done me wrong". 

 

Sigh. I agree, however, with ProfD that all these classic mini-operas will sadly fade into the dusty archives of bygone music. Gone. But, hopefully, not totally forgotten.

[Delano]

There are still stories about love and life.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Pioneer1]

I remember when rappers like NWA and Geto Boys used to tell stories in their rhymes.
That kind of when out in the mid to late 90s.
Biggie was one of the last major rap artists to incorporate story telling in his music.

[richardmurray]

Thank you all:) 

@ProfD @aka Contrarian @Pioneer1 

your all correct that the commercial aspect of the music industry has pushed music to be leisurely heard or commonly known that fits the high frequency rate of modern communication plus the boring , as in grinded in not dull, nature of modern communication

While @Delano you are also correct and they concur that while one may have to be more an aficianado or put more work into the quality in which they listen, storytelling will never be completely dead in music and modern artists are still making storytelling songs with the same intention of those musicians in the past who told stories that opened imaginations with a tempo.