The genre Neil Young said is “going to keep music alive”
Neil Young’s willingness to embrace innovation while staying true to his unique artistic vision is undoubtedly significant. Throughout his extensive career, he has continually pushed musical boundaries, exploring new sounds and styles while maintaining an unmistakable authenticity. This versatility and commitment to artistic integrity have earned him widespread acclaim and solidified his status as one of the most influential and enduring figures in rock music history.
One area that Young hasn’t incorporated into his own style is hip-hop, but it’s a genre that he respects greatly. During the early 1990s, rap music had significantly evolved from its novelty beginnings. It had grown into a method of communication which provided a voice to the voiceless, telling crucial stories that were previously left untold.
Many rock ‘n’ roll purists, such as Keith Richards, have spoken of their hatred for hip-hop, with The Rolling Stones guitarist once declaring: “Rap — so many words, so little said. What rap did that was impressive was to show there are so many tone-deaf people out there. All they need is a drum beat and somebody yelling over it, and they’re happy. There’s an enormous market for people who can’t tell one note from another.”
However, for Young, who holds a strong interest in wordplay and the lyrical aspect of songwriting, the emergence of hip-hop presented an intriguing opportunity which he believed would transform music for the better.
During an interview with Rolling Stone in 1993, Young proudly declared, “I love rap!” before singling out Ice-T as a particular favourite from the scene. Furthermore, the Canadian singer-songwriter also hit out at the critics of the genre, explaining how they’d have likely had an issue with Bob Dylan when he first emerged.
He continued: “It’s speaking to the people on the streets. It’s a whole new way of communicating that’s so open to saying exactly what the hell’s on people’s minds in a clever way, a way that you can listen to and move your body to. Similar to, like, ‘Subterranean Homesick Blues.’ Dylan is early rap. What the hell’s the difference?”
Young concluded: “This is the shit that’s going to keep music alive – don’t close it off because you don’t understand it.”
While many musical predictions can come back to make the perpetrator look stupid after the passing of 30 years, Young was proved astute in making the prophecy. In recent years, members of the hip-hop community have been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, which further proves its credentials as a serious musical genre.
Although rappers aren’t as musically inclined in a traditional sense and may not be able to play instruments, they make up for these inadequacies with qualities elsewhere. If everybody was graced with the same set of skills, then the musical landscape would be a monotonous sea of beige, and its constant evolution is vital to keeping the art form fresh.
