Brutal Honesty

For a while now I have written blogs about honesty in music.  This week I got a shock when a review I did on an rapper's CD led to his quitting.  Yes you read that right, I made him quit.  The CD was good as far as recording quality but it lacked substance, originality, and passion.  Since I started reviewing CD's for Faygoluvers.net I have prided myself on giving brutally honest reviews.  I have done a few negative reviews in the past and had artists take my criticism to heart and change the way they do things.  I have also had artists disregard my opinion totally.  But never have I had someone quit.  I have said in the past that any artist in any genre needs to surround themselves with people who will tell them the truth.  People who will tell them when what they are doing is not good or needs improvement.  So many rappers surround themselves with yes men.  People who refuse to tell them what they are doing might need work for fear of losing their friendship.  So it came as little suprise that this review was so hurtful the guy quit.  I hope he takes it in stride, modifies what he is doing, and comes back to prove me wrong.

I do not review albums this way to be cruel or force people to stop being creative.  I do it because without that brutal honesty the whole genre suffers and gets a bad name.  I am trying to make the overall acceptance of the music more common.  There are a ton of talented artists in Horror Core that are often overlooked or lumped in with the unimaginative and uncreative masses in the genre.  I have reviewed so many artists who deserve to "make it" but are not even given a glance because they are Horror Core.  I will never back down from the standards I have set for music.  I will always be as honest as I can in my opinions.  But at the same time they are just that, my opinions.  I do not expect everyone to agree with me, heck I expect at least 90% of people to have a different opinion.  I always welcome comment, opinions, and feedback.

Scottie D over at Faygoluvers appreciates my honesty as do many big name artists in the Underground.  That is why I will never comprimise that position.  If we as fans, reviewers, and artists set a higher standard for our craft we can make positive changes.  We can make our genre more accepted.  If no one speaks up nothing changes.  Sure 1 man can't changes the world but no man speaking up cannot change anything.

MMFWFL,

Juggalotus