A friend and I traveled to Nashville on my suggestion; he's a big country music fan.
Little did we know that the Country Music Association festival was going on. After spending $120 for scalped tickets, we spent Saturday and Sunday night at LP stadium watching Country's biggest stars. As much as i am not a fan of modern Country, i have to admit that they give their all and are excellent musicians.
However, what i enjoyed most was developing as thesis about how the culture around Country musicians is the same as Hip Hop,
Evidence?
1. The majority of songs are written about how tough they are, that they have street cred. In interviews with the male performers, no less than five of them said they were normal guys who "fished and hunted."
2. They have embraced a word that was originally pejorative (hillbilly, redneck)and now use it as a badge of honor.
3. Where the hip hop community is loyal to their 'hood, Country music stars are loyal to the United Sates and its troops. This is not to say that others are not, but it is so prevalent in Country music it is hard to tell if it is sincere.
Of course, i find it funny to no end in seeing these commonalities in what on the surface appears disparate.
And, Hootie is now a country music star. Go figure.
