The State of Freestyle?

So, its 2010!  The likes of Lady GaGa, Fergie, Black Eye Peas and Yes Adam Lambert rule the world.  Pop Music has never been so flamboyant and mainstream then ever before.  But what is Pop Music?  Pop Music years ago was mainly your top 40 hits and anything that remotely sounded like R&B, Rap, Club Music, etc was not considered that and treated under its own flag.

But twenty something odd years later, the media, society or whatever you want to call it has also decided to put it all under one umbrella called, “Pop Music.”  Lets throw out calling rap, club or rock.  Now, you have lil wayne and Jay-Z trying to incorporate guitar in their music and The Black Eyed Peas forgetting all together their hard core roots and now just simply taking 80’s 808 beats and calling it the “new” pop hip-hop. 

Where am I going with this?  What about Freestyle Music?  Today’s artists are quick to sample and mix all different forms of music but when will Freestyle get its due return?  Take the new song by Lady Gaga and Beyonce.  If my ears do not mistake me, there are alot of freestyle effects and samples in that track! 

Freestyle Venues across the country are no longer the average night club or corner bar.  We are selling out stadiums in major cities with 10k plus audiences.  Just in the next 2 months, there will major concerts in Miami, Orlando and several in the NJ/NYC area!  So, again, I pose the question, “What is the state of freestyle?” 

Has this genre reached its peak?  Will it never come back in full?  When I say “come back,” I have to be realistic.  I don’t expect the sounds of 1988 or 1992 to blast on mainstream radio again (its outdated, I get that); however, when are we going to pay homage and respect to the movement that inspired dance and POP radio from 1984-1992? 

When will VH1 put together a “Behind The Music?”  They put one for almost every genre.  I heard that they were talking about doing a special on “Polka” music.  Come on now??!!  Marc Anthony, Frankie J, La India, Tony Moran and Little Louie Vega to name a few all started in this genre and have made it BIG.  When I say made it BIG, they are wealthy successful people.  No doubt, they worked hard and have earned where they are at today but I always say, “don’t forget where it all started.”  Hermanos, time to step up and use your clout and power to promote it.  There is no one better to do this then Marc Anthony.  What he could do for freestyle today?? OMG!  We don’t expect a freestyle track but just some type of public acknowledgement ona national level.  Next time he wins a grammy a simple, “Thank you for all of my freestyle friends who gave me my start, etc etc etc…”

I am happy to see our genre return to national sold out stadiums but will it end here?  Have we peaked out once again?  Whether that truth is the fact, I know that we will continue to keep it alive and no matter if the song is 2o years old or 40 years old, these beats, tracks, jams and memories will never be outdated or die!!