"Bruno Mars is not really black, but he wants to take the music that black people created. Bruno Mars wants to recreate the New Jack Swing and not give credit to the people that really created it. Bruno Mars is a culture vulture who the white people seem to like. Bruno Mars is someone that white people really like, because he can traverse different genres and give white people what they want to see."
These were some of the things that were said during Youtube's critically acclaimed, but disgruntled web series, "The GrapeVine." This is a web series that explores African American issues in pop culture, music and everything else that is anti-black.
One of the The GrapeVine's guests, Seren Sensei, who has been a Bruno Mars hater for quite some time, has said boldly that, "Bruno Mars just takes pre-existing work. He recreates and extrapolates things that have already been created before. He does covers or is the wedding singer that you hire, to do covers for Michael Jackson or Prince. He doe not have his own style. He is unoriginal."
I like the bold person that she is, but she is just another person apart of the so called, "black culture," that is criticizing someone who transcends music beyond a mere demographic. Bruno Mars is a cultural phenomenon that gets any ethnicity or nationality rocking to his music. It is vivacious, invigorating and inspiring.
Bruno Mars captivates the world, one lyric and one dance at a time
Bruno Mars is very talented with a high vocal range, a myriad of dancing skills and a funk that just cannot be taught. I always told some of my constituents that when I see him, I see Michael. I see the pop that he brings, the pizazz, the charisma, the flare that cannot be denied.
But despite all of these characteristics, I do not consider him to be the greatest artist in today's time. He is not my favorite artist in the world. He is talented, but I do not think his latest album, "24K Magic" was not that good to me. But I am a hip-hop/rap enthusiast over pop/r&b.
There is some truth to Sensei's story. She goes on to elaborate that Mars did not deserve to win six Grammy's in one night. But I think that is more of an indictment on the Academy Association than Mars. The Academy has been unwoken, and out of touch with hip-hop, r&b and soul music for quite some time.
They do not really know what good music is. We see people who win Grammy's for Rap Album, Record of the Year, or Song of the Year, and they are not even listed in the right category. They come off as pop. But it is something that the "white people" love.
I have seen my favorite artist, my idol, Drake only nab three Grammy's in his music career and Bruno got six in one night. What kind of BS is that????
The academy association has the same writers and enthusiasts who are entrenched in their ways of how they view music. And I think they need to look at it from a different vantage point, or give the vantage point to someone who is more qualified. I think that it would create much more suspense, clarity and relief.
My articulation and criticism of the Grammy's association does not excuse the narrow-minded African Americans who disrespects Bruno's music. We are the reason why we cannot have nice things.
We need to accept the way music is. Music is flamboyant, transcending and fluent. There is no label as it pertains to music. It is like opening up a box of chocolates or Pandora's box. You never know what you are going to get.
We cannot have our cake and eat it too.
Us as African Americans, must be able to accept that artists need to change their style, bend cultures and break barriers, in order to become and remain relevant. You cannot criticize us for making the music you wanted us to make and then criticize us for making music, that appeases to a different audience that you have hated for years.
Bruno Mars is a phenomenal artist, who should be appreciated as such. Even greats like Stevie Wonder called the dubbing of Bruno Mars culturally appropriating black music, "BS." I just think it is distasteful.
Whether people want to believe it or not, Bruno Mars has respect for the music that he is creating. He credits the greats before him, for allowing to be inspired to make great music. But it is still not enough for the Black community.
When are we going to realize that it is ok, if someone who does not look like us, can make great awesome music that we can dance to. Music is about compassion, vulnerability and being real.
If a filipina, puerto-rican man can sing and enrich music into my soul, then so be it. As long as it is great music, who cares who made it?!? Who cares what their skin color or ethnicity is?
We can have great things, but we choose not to, because of our own reservations.
