|
tastes and life values than that of the Xers.
Generation X, generally speaking, are people born
between 1963 – 1976. These are children of the 70s
that were teenagers during the 80s and are
generally painted as a generation that is overshadowed by
the previous
generation–The Baby Boomers. This overshadowing is said to
have produced a generation characterized as
indifferent, alienated, overeducated and underachieving. They
were too young to march against Vietnam, in middle or early
high school during Reganomics, and the first to drink
Starbucks as young professionals. They are the original
“slackers”.
Genration Y for all intents and purposes, ranges from
the high school class of 2000 to the class of 2006
(people who are currently in high school or younger are dubbed
the iGeneration, for obvious reasons). They are the younger
brothers and sisters of Generation X and are characterized as
being a derivative of Generation X. Meaning, for example,
whereas the advent of video games were integral for both Gen X
and Gen Y—Gen X is “Atari” while Gen Y is “Playstation”.
But there exists a bridge-generation. This generation feels
that it is both a part of and independent of
Generations X and Y. Generation XY, or the
XY Cusp Generation, are people born between 1977 – 1981,
an interesting overlap of the two previously discussed
cohorts. To crystallize this duality using the video game
analogy, Generation XY dabbled with Atari and
Playstation, but was defined by “Nintendo”.
(Incidentally, you might know the XY Cusp Generation by
another name—The MTV Generation.)
So how does Food and Liquor fit into this
generational discussion? Well here it is: Food &
Liquor is the personification of the XY Cusp Generation in
that it features standards of hip hop that appeal to both Gen
X and Gen Y. A blend like this could only be created and
executed by a XY Cusper, which Lupe is, since he was born in
1981.
Lyrically, the album takes Generation X back to a time when
they used to have to constantly press the rewind button.
Generation X’s emcees were so lyrically dense, insightful, and
intricate that a listener could not just give an album a
cursory run-through and understand what the album was about or
the message that the emcee and the music was trying to
communicate. The Xers grew up with the likes of Rakim, Big
Daddy Kane, Nas, and Brand Nubian. Suffice to say that
Generation X is about lyrics and emceeing.
Conversely, Generation Y has grown up in a time in music where
the importance of the emcee – and emceeing – is not as widely
accepted. Generation Y’s formative years occurred during a
time in music where Jay-Z was unequivocally crowned the
“Greatest of All Time” (a huge gaff on the hip hop community’s
part for letting that slide for so long) and Kanye West (as an
emcee) was not far behind. (In full disclosure, Kanye’s debut
The College Dropout was probably the first album by an
XY Cusper, as he was born in 1977.)
The acceptance of the diminished role of the emcee isn’t
necessarily a slight by any means towards Gen Y, rather, it
demonstrates how the ear of the hip hop masses has changed,
how it is different. We can blame the XY Cuspers and
Genration X for this, for it was these two that ushered in and
accepted the commercialization of Puffy’s “I just want to make
you dance” music as something that was hip hop to the core.
The fact is, this was rap music at its finest.
Similar to how Gen Y is defined as an offshoot/derivative of
Gen X, a shift away from the emcee towards the producer (the
“super producer” to be exact) to produce these “make you
dance” beats can be seen as an offshoot of the hip hop ear.
Whereas Gen X was slaves to the emcee, Gen Y are slaves to
Just Blaze, Kanye West, and Pharrell. Again, not a
slight, because these artists are masters at their craft and
deserve respect.
XY Cuspers are defined by such an ambiguous existence. They
can either be an ambassador or a walking contradiction. They
can relate to Generations X or Y one day and feel alienated by
them the next. For example, as an XY Cusper myself, I can
frequently recollect instances where my Gen X peers were make
sweeping generalizations about Gen Y like, “Man, the
shorties are crazy these days!” or make more personal
social observations like, “Damn, my little cousin be
wildin’ out!” Hell, during my senior year in college
I could barely carry on a conversation with a freshman/Gen Yer—on
any topic, let alone music—because our palettes and life
values were just so different. This was not the case when I
was a freshman as I could easily relate to people 4 or 5 years
my senior.
Give em gum, give em guns,
get em young, giv em fun
But if they aint givin it up, then they aint gettin none
-“American Terrorist”, track 13
As a Cusper, however, there are times where I can relate to
the plight of Gen Y and in some cases have disdain for Gen X’s
rigidity. Take for instance my opinions on Food & Liquor
versus how the rest of the Musicologists view the album.
By and large the consensus is “The album is dope, but it’s not
a classic. Dudes like Nas were way ahead of him at his age.” I
am both in agreement and frustrated with these assessments.
In situations like these I almost feel that it is my duty to
play one of my XY Cusper roles and be the ambassador for both
generations.
Things just changed in society in such a short period of
time—maybe just three or four years—to the point where the
generational gap, between people who were roughly the same
age, seemed almost as wide as the gap between
father and son. A lot of innocence was lost, and the music
reflected that. (I don’t know what it was………the rise of the
internet…..9/11……too much gun play in the lyrics….”gangsta”
rap…I really couldn’t tell you.)
I can tell you this though. The rift that occurred between
these two groups created a new generation—the XY Cusp
Generation—a generation that feels like it is a part of both
bookend-generations, but paradoxically, part of neither. This
is the paradox of Food & Liquor—as stated in the albums
intro—the good and the bad, or in this case one generation vs.
the other. Neither generation is necessarily “good” or “bad”
or "better" or "worse”—just vastly different.
Lupe effortlessly connects X and Y In one fell swoop. Food
& Liquor contains the sharp lyrics that Generation X can
appreciate with the Jay-Z/Kanye delivery and production that
Gen Y can easily digest. All while capturing the social ills
that run across all three generations.
A travelin’ band of misfits and outcasts,
Nod they heads from Misfits to Outkast.
A lot of scars, they did this without pads,
A lot of hearts who did this without dads.
One’s father was filthy rich
Two was middle class, and one was homeless.s
And then the paralyzed girl in the wheelchair
Who just liked to watch, and that was the whole clique.
-“Kick, Push II”, track 15
The album is the perfect generational bridge in that it
seamlessly unites these two generations in a way that only XY
Cuspers can unite the two generations. An album that has this
kind of social import is worthy of “classic” status.
-The Working Class Hero
workingclasshero@thisisrealmusic.com |
