L Boogie, excuse me, Ms. Hill dropped her new single Neurotic Society (Compulsory Mix), on May 4th. After signing an alleged $1 million contract with Sony, the Queen has made it clear that she was on a deadline and was rushed to get the single out to the public. Of course there's been talk about her financial debt and the possible need for her to rush into a contract in order to pay it off blah blah blah. Scratch all of that! "See Lauryn is only human..." so why is the focus on her financial issues? Whether her single was forced or not, the content and her lyrical flow on this track is a reflection of her magnifying intellect and ability to flow without having to use fill-in words. What Lauryn renders in her music, was the very essence of 90s hip hop (or shall I say is, because the music lives on). When an artist stepped to the mic, you knew they had something to say. They were poets with a message & a funky vibe, and if they bragged, it was to brag about their lyrical competence. This is almost non-existent among artists today. I'm not encouraging anyone to become pseudo intellectuals by sprinkling their lyrics with philosophical facts, but I would like them to acknowledge the importance of keeping it real with their audience. The motto now-a-days is "Turn down For what?!" To Have fun, bask in the moment, live fast, die young yea yea yea, I get that. There's nothing wrong with enjoying life. But what ever happened to thinking?! Too much for you all? Okay, well what ever happened to observing the world around us, analyzing the systematic strategy enforced to keep people blind to the psychological warfare used to keep us stagnant and complacent. Still too much? Okay, check this out, if music can move a people, artists have a responsibility to keep an audience engaged and informed, and not moved by getting high off mollies, going to strip clubs, bragging about living grandiose lifestyles while poverty is a major issue around the world. Am I getting too serious for yall? Perhaps. But it all makes sense. Hip Hop used to be revolutionary & fun at the same time, it gave us a sense of pride, confidence, creativity it made us laugh & dance. It left a mark and changed our culture so when the 80s and 90s babies refer back to old hits, it puts us in a state of nostalgia. But today all music has done, is given us a reason to become self-indulgent, individualistic and numb to the issues in society.
As Lauryn expresses her concern on this track, it is a clear indication that she has been paying attention on her down time. Listen closely, as she drops knowledge regarding our reckless addictive society. Welcome back Ms. Hill.
Here's a note from the songstress:
Here is a link to a piece that I was ‘required’ to release immediately, by virtue of the impending legal deadline. I love being able to reach people directly, but in an ideal scenario, I would not have to rush the release of new music… but the message is still there. In light of Wednesday’s tragic loss (of former label mate Chris Kelly), I am even more pressed to YELL this to a multitude that may not understand the cost of allowing today’s unhealthy paradigms to remain unchecked!
- MLH
