I’ll always owe my friend Rod a debt of gratitude for introducing me to hip-hop at an early age.  Back in 1981, Larry, Rod and I used to hang out in Rod’s basement and listen to records.  It was then that he introduced me to old school rap like The Sugarhill Gang, Kurtis Blow, Afrika Bambaataa, Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five, and many other groups.  When we weren’t listening to rap we were spinning Go-Go records by the likes of Trouble Funk, E.U. (Experience Unlimited) and Chuck Brown and the Soul Searchers; funk records by bands like Slave, Parliament/Funkadelic, Prince and The Bar-Kays; or soul from the likes of Marvin Gaye, Al Green, Luther Vandross, Teddy Pendergrass and even a pre-Ghostbusters Ray Parker, Jr. In turn, Larry and I turned Rod on to arena rock like Rush, Pink Floyd, Genesis, Scorpions and The Police among others.  I still remember creating fake radio shows for our fictional radio station WROD with it’s tagline of “Funk, Soul, Rock, Rooooooolllllll”, and it was around this time that Larry and I began creating fake bands, something that I know was hatched out of the music we were all listening to collectively.  Whether we were white or black was irrelevant.  We bonded over music and we all dreamed of being a rap, funk or rock star.

I just finished reading “The Tanning of America” by Steve Stoute (Gotham Books, 2011).  In “Tanning”, Steve talks about how hip-hop culture transcended music to create a new consumer mindset – a mindset that is not black or white, but tan.  Stoute, who began his career in music as a road manager for Kid N’ Play and worked his way up to Executive Vice President of Interscope Geffen A&M Records, left the music industry in 1999 to enter the world of advertising and is now the founder and CEO of Translation, a leading brand marketing company.

In his book, Stoute traces the rise of hip-hop from it’s birthplace in the rec room of a Bronx apartment building to it’s effect on the election of President Barack Obama, showing along the way how it’s influence on youth worldwide created the first generation of consumers with the same “mental complexion.”  He explains how hip-hop as a musical form created a new language or set of “codes” that redefined urban culture as the embodiment of cool, and how understanding the culture, mind-set and “codes” of these millenial consumers can lead to success for any brand.

While some of Stoute’s claims may at times seem to over-inflate rap’s influence (NWA’s co-opting of the Raiders attire led to an increase in NFL licensing and merchandise revenues from $300 million annually to $3 Billion), his book clearly shows how hip-hop culture has influenced consumer taste across the entire socio-economic spectrum.   Throughout the book Stoute talks about how he realized what a mobilizing force rap music could be for a consumer company if they knew how to stay “on the right side of cool.”  Whether it was the effect of Run-DMC’s “My Adidas” on the fortune of that brand or the way LL Cool J’s early adoption of brands like Kangol, Le Coq Sportif and Sergio Valente created new markets for those brands, it’s clear that when a brand is embraced by a hip-hop artist there is a direct, and more often that not, positive effect on it’s bottom line.  While some may dismiss rap because of it’s overt brand-name-checking and emphasis on money, consumerism and “bling”, Stoute points to the universal themes of “aspiration”, “credibility” and “authenticity” in explaining why rap resonates with consumers no matter their socioeconomic status.  When discussing it with Jay-Z he got this response,

“…he pointed out that many of the rock musicians had come from sustainable backgrounds, seeking acclaim for their talent and a level of cool that playing music gave them.  For rappers coming out of the projects, getting paid and bettering yourself is part of gaining credibility.  Jay reminded me also that it’s not selling out when a kid in the projects sees a guy rapping about Sprite or the Gap because they know he’ll be getting the money and that feeds his or her own aspiration.  It’s not that being acknowledged for talent and great work isn’t desirable, but getting paid trumps those goals.”

Whether you agree with Stoute or not really isn’t important when you stop to consider how much race relations have changed in America over the past 30 to 40 years since rap emerged as an art form, and “The Tanning of America” makes a strong case for rap’s influence on those changes.  I know rap had an effect on me, because as a white suburban kid listening to Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five I was given a guided tour of the Bronx streets in songs like “The Message” and it was a revelation.  Having moved a lot as a child, I witnessed first-hand many examples of both overt and subtle racism, and while I was acutely aware of how race could be an issue for many people, it was never an issue for me.  Let’s face it growing up in the suburbs is very homogeneous, and I had little opportunity to interact with African Americans.  Music often bridged that gap and I think helped open my mind to different cultures, races, etc.  I guess that’s why I so loved those hours spent spinning records in my friend Rod’s basement.  As I said before, music bonded us together and was a way for us to translate those things about our upbringings that may have seemed different, but were in the end so similar.  It was indeed a “tanning” moment for both of us.  As I read this book I couldn’t help but think back to those times, and how music has continued to effect change and bring together generations of kids.  I know Hip-hop played a role in changing the way I think about race and what it was all about to be an American, and I hope it continues to do so for future generations.

Of course, “The Tanning of America” is also about how marketers can reach new consumers, and while you may think, “why would I want to read a book about using music to market brands?  Let me assure you that there are lessons to be learned here as well.  ”Tanning” is a book about how an upstart musical style created on the streets of America changed the conversation not just about race, but also about how changing demographics and thinking continue to effect the new economy, a global economy that is fed by multicultural consumers who are attuned to how brands interact with them.  Let’s face it, music and marketing are inextricably connected, more so now than ever, and regardless of how you feel about that connection understanding why it exists and how powerful it can be is important to anyone who follows or wishes to be part of the music industry.  I know “The Tanning of America” gave me a new perspective on the subject, and I hope it will for you too.

So pick up a copy of “The Tanning of America”, give it a read, and get yourself a new “mental complexion.”

Visit The Tanning Effect blog.

Watch Steve talk about his book.

Follow Steve on Twitter.

I was looking forward to reading this book for 2 reasons;  one, because I’m an unabashed fan of Guns N’ Roses, and two because I thought it might shed some light on Steven Adler’s ouster from the band at the height of their fame.  It did, but it lost me along the way.

First of all, if you’re a fan of stories about the debauched life of a rock star and that’s all you care about, this is the book for you.  Mr. Adler clearly enjoyed all of the perks of his rock star status, indulging in copious amounts of groupies, booze and drugs.  Now I’ll be the first to admit that I get a vicarious thrill in reading about rock stars indulgent lifestyles, but even I have a limit.  I mean, do I really need a blow-by-blow (pun intended) retelling of the bukkake party Adler and Nikki Six had with some groupies one night?  I’m no prude, but c’mon dude have you ever heard of the maxim, less is more?  Adler’s contention is that he’s telling you all of this in an effort to come clean, and that to do so he needs to be completely honest no matter the cost, but after a while it simply comes off as boasting and you realize that there is a fine line between titilllating and skeevy.

Now I’m sure you’re all thinking, but isn’t that what Guns N’ Roses were all about?  Excess?  And you’d be right.  I’ll be the first to admit that one of the primary reasons I was initially drawn to GNR was that their bad boy image didn’t seem manufactured, it was real, and clearly I wasn’t duped.  The guys in GNR are NOT up-standing citizens, and Adler does give us an unvarnished look at some of the machinations that go on when you’re part of a band as big as GNR.   Unlike the Rolling Stones, who Keith Richards in his book “Life” described as being slavish to their music in their early days, GNR seemed propelled more by attitude and a shared disdain for hard work.  These guys didn’t care to fit in or play the game, and that’s what Adler points out was their greatest strength.  They were real, and scumbags or not, fans gravitated to it.

While their fans adulation may have grown with every hit, it’s pretty clear that success did not breed mutual admiration and respect within the band.  Adler clearly has a love/hate relationship with Axl Rose, and felt betrayed by his boyhood friend Slash when he was kicked out of the band.  While I don’t doubt that money destroyed this band like it has many others, what the book does make me doubt is that the members of GNR were ever really that close, excluding of course Adler and Slash.  Izzy is described as aloof and a loner, Axl is painted as a megomaniacal tyrant, Slash is best friend and traitor, and Duff…well he just seems to be drunk most of the time.  It’s sad actually, but not entirely surprising.  What is it they always say, familiarity breeds contempt?  GNR clearly came together because they jammed and partied in the same circles, and unlike a lot of bands on the strip back in the 80′s realized that they didn’t have to put on a show, they were the show.  My memories of the two times I saw them are still tinged with the overriding feeling of anarchy and violence.  I was a suburban kid and to me this was as exhilarating as it was foreign.  Hell, it really was the circus coming to town.

What’s sad is when the circus ends, and above all, “My Appetite for Destruction” is the story of Adler’s descent into drugs and alcohol following his ouster from the band in 1990.  He regularly refers to the natural high he received from playing live with GNR and writes about how he filled that void with drugs as soon as the tours ended.  His drug abuse is legendary, and despite seizures, strokes, open abscesses, and OD’s too numerous to count, he continued to “party” (his words not mine).

It’s clear that Adler recognizes the destruction he wreaked not only on himself, but also on his friends and loved ones.  What’s not clear is how remorseful he is for it.  In the beginning of the book he writes,

“But people love train wrecks.  They just can’t look away from the ODs, lawsuits, prison terms, rehabs, reality shows, meltdowns, and more ODs.  So before one or all of the above happens again, I want to set the record straight.  And I’m finally sober enough and angry enough to do it right.”

Angry enough?  Angry about what?  Didn’t you do everyone of those things you just described?  So doesn’t that make you a walking cliche?  If you’re going to be part of a band that espouses excess, and then you’re going to personally prescribe to an excessive lifestyle, and then write a book to capitalize on it, can you really be angry at anyone for watching the whole debacle unfold?

And what about his fans?  Adler professes love for them every chance he gets, but it often seems he craves their adulation like he does drugs.  Does he really appreciate them or just their unconditional love?  In the end, I susppect the latter, after all they don’t expect an apology, they like him to be a train wreck.

But what really bothered me was what he wrote at the end of the book,

“Keeping it real means admitting, at the beginning and end of my story, that I’ve been a selfish asshole.  No apologies.  And although I’ve learned to be less selfish, I realize you’ve got to please yourself in life.  I hate people who go around figuring out how to sacrifice and please others.  They usually just end up pissing off the ones they want to please.  I say please yourself, and you’ll please others.”

While I agree that you have to like yourself to be truly happy, I don’t agree that self comes before all else.  After all, Adler’s own friends and loved ones sacrificed their own happiness on many occasions to care for him and make sure he didn’t die.  They did it because they cared about him, and while I don’t think anyone should spend the rest of their lives apologizing for their past deeds, I do think that to be forgiven one has to do more than just ask for it, they have to earn it.  I hope Adler takes the time to do both.  Sadly this book didn’t leave me confident he will.

Music Lit 101 is a new feature here on the Figment News blog.  We’ll be writing about some of our favorite books on music and giving you some quick insights into why we thought each were a good read.  We welcome your reviews, so if you’ve read one of the books we’re highlighting please leave a comment below.  Likewise, we’d love to hear about any of the music-related books that you’ve read of late, so drop us a line or leave a comment below if you’ve got a good one to share.

“Life” by Keith Richards with James Fox (Little, Brown and Company 2010), is a fascinating read.  We all know about “Keef’s” excesses over the years, but what really shows in this book is his incredible love of music.  To Richards, music is what fuels him, and when he talks about it his prose changes from esoteric “Keefisms” to clear insightful explanations of his craft.  Whether he’s talking about his guitar style or his songwriting process it’s those moments that make “Life” shine.

Unfortunately, a lot of the advanced press on the book focused on his jabs at Mick Jagger, and while there are definitely jabs (he claims Jagger suffers from LVS.  Lead Vocalist Syndrome”), he also describes Jagger as his brother and is quick to point out his talents as a front man, songwriter and business man.   Where the two seem to differ though is over how important it is to remain loyal to the basic blues-based rock n’ roll that is the foundation of the Stones’ sound.  Richards clearly feels Jagger’s solo forays into pop and dance music were not a a sound move (pun intended), and an even worse betrayal was Jagger’s need to distance himself from the Rolling Stones while doing it.  Why distance yourself from the Rolling Stones when the Stones were and are as relevant as ever.   Sure Richard’s tunnel vision (or narcissism) doesn’t take into account whether his years as a junkie may have distanced Jagger from the Stones at the time, but whether you agree with him or not, you can’t help but marvel at how passionate this man is about a band he’s been a part of for almost 50 years.

To Keith Richards, the Stones and their music are his “life”, and what a life it is.