Do they really “only feel you when you pass away?” - Isaiah Rashad
I write this in the wake of the multifaceted, cultural icon, Prince’s unexpected death. As purple tears rain down from the endless amount of Prince fans, I can’t help but look back on the great artists that we have lost throughout the years, especially this year. From David Bowie to Phife Dawg to Prince, 2016 has been a sad year for the music industry and pop culture. With that being said, I would like to reflect on how much these and the rest of the many artists that we listen to sacrifice for us.
Music is something that we all rely on heavily on a daily basis. In fact, many of us would categorize music as our main source of motivation to get through each day, whether the day is good or bad. By constantly singing, dancing and finding inspiration through songs, it is no secret that many of us appreciate the music that each artist supplies us with. However we often forget to appreciate the artist that made the songs that we listen to each day. These artists dedicate their lives to music and sacrifice so much for us. Their music helps shape our lives.
Sure you could say these artists are living the American dream because they are millionaires and they are getting paid to do something they love, but it is much more than that. At the end of the day, most successful artists spend more than half their lives creating music, and for what? For fame? For compensation? The real answer is for our entertainment. I refuse to believe that their only goal in creating music is for fame and compensation. They dedicate and sacrifice most of their lives for our pleasure and enjoyment and we should all appreciate their efforts to do so.
Aside from the actual creation of their music, we should all appreciate every artist for their creativity and constant dedication they put into trying to please us. It's frustrating to see many people forget to appreciate artists when they are alive. Many people, especially the younger generation, do not appreciate artists until they have passed away. When they finally realize that they are gone, they let the world know by posting how they felt about them on Twitter. I guess the Chattanooga rapper, Isaiah Rashad was right when he said, "they only feel you when you pass away?”
Although it is okay to post when artists pass away, we could avoid the late realization of the artists greatness by just truly appreciating them when they are alive. So the next time you are listening to music on your favorite Pandora station,or next year at The Grammys when they display the tribute slideshow of all the artists that have passed away within the year, take a second to remember what they have sacrificed for us. What I am trying to instill in everyone that is reading this is to not only appreciate music, appreciate the artist before they're gone.
