When a Trio Falls Does It Make a Sound?

Yes. My favourite British rap group, The Manor, announced their retirement from the game and it delivered a shockwave which resonated throughout the trio’s small but passionately supportive fan base. It was surreal, I didn’t think it would feel so tragic but it genuinely left a strong scent of loss and reminiscence in the air as people’s own personal memories and moments involving the group and their music began flooding onto social media. Curiously, in my cynical head the alarm bells began to ring and my journalistic radar started whirring as I first thought this could be a genius plot and a cunning publicity stunt or it could just be another grave reminder of how cut-throat this particular art form really can be. The rap game has the cruel power to construct and combine individuals, peoples and nations but also to destroy and divide them with a relentless ruthlessness. From a pedestal I’ve observed the plight of The Manor among other favoured artists of mine and I’ve noticed that their authenticity and the quality of the actual music will very quickly secure them a small but tight-knit community of fans, followers and well-wishers. The second stage comes after they’ve released a few projects and they realise they might want to take this seriously so they seek management, gigs in places further afield and a low budget Simon Cowell type figure to guide them towards the success that they’re convinced their endeavours will bring them. The young artists will be vibrant and confident and will foxtrot around the periphery of the industry without really being able to pass the more significant stumbling blocks in the way. The most insurmountable sleeping policeman in the British urban music industry appears to be the fierce tug of war that takes place between authenticity and appeasement.

We can count the number of British urban artists that ‘made it’ in the last 10 years on one hand, I would argue that we can count the ones who succeeded without having to compromise their sound or their image on a few fingers. The head honchos in this industry are somewhat like coroners, they play a vital role in understanding the demise of certain artists and they also love placing people into boxes. It is easier for a label to churn out the same humdrum mediocre mainstream magnolia music than it is for them to invest in something risky but really real. Most lyrical content in popular music is aspiring at most, the things that these artists make reference to in the songs are often fabricated to elevate their own status in the mind of the listener. Therefore, it is rare to find music of substance where the average young Brit can identify with what is being said; Context is another authentic artist and in his ‘should-have-been’ hit song ‘Small Town Lad Sentiments’ featuring Mike Skinner he raps:

‘You play tunes of US rap and grime you can’t even relate to’

The female demographic essentially dictates what kind of music is made and played because the artists want to gain popularity by having DJ’s play their tracks on radio and importantly, in clubs. The DJ’s will only play the songs if it gets people (mainly ladies) dancing and enjoying themselves; therefore naturally, the type of music which would cater for this would typically involve addictive beats, catchy hooks and basic, easily remembered lyrical content usually including instructions on how to dance to that particular song (see Twerking). It is the aforementioned type of music which drowns the airwaves and saturates our eardrums so much that we buy it in order to achieve the feeling it gave us in the club or at that party, from our own personal mobile phones and MP3 players. The significance for the culture is even greater because it undermines the importance of authenticity and creates a ‘YOLO’ (*sighs*) mentality whereby the temporary enjoyment of the product is paramount but its production, its substance and its longevity are irrelevant. Great music used to be timeless, now it is as disposable as it has ever been; meaning the labels and their artists are under more pressure which when cracked either results in a surrender to the system or a tearful farewell, as was the case with my beloved band from South London. 

There is no doubt in my mind that there are 100’s of The Manors and Contexts up and down the country with great, authentic music but the nation is deaf to their talent because the industry simply doesn’t provide the vehicle nor the platform for them to accelerate and elevate. Music is a mirror as when it is done properly it is a reflection of the reality that exists for the creator, so when these real authentic artists eventually retire from their posts it is a loss to the community of fans who support them but crucially, to the art-form itself. When a trio like The Manor falls, yes it does make a sound, it does send out shockwaves but ironically, it is the silence that is most deafening.