Whatever Happened to the Blues?

"Has hip hop and rap taken over? "Whatever happened to the Blues?
To start things off, this is my personal opinion from being a musician. I don't claim to be a great player, but an experienced one. (You can judge for yourself by clicking here

or simply look under triond's list of content by me (keyboardologist).

It seems to me that rap and hip hop have made their way into a lot of formerly "traditional" styles of music, such as rock, R&B, funk, and EVEN COUNTRY! Now, I know that music changes over the years, for instance: Pearl Jam or Eve 6 probably wouldn't go over too well in James Brown's time. (I Feel Good knowing that). (Get it?). I think it's unfortunately becoming a reality that musicians are forgetting the early stuff. Just because it's "old school," doesn't make it bad.

It's like Mike Tyson. He may not be the number one boxer today, but I would be pretty sure the average guy wouldn't last long in the ring with him. The same goes for music. Take a piano player like Art Tatum. He was so good, he was often accused of sounding like there were two sets of hands playing. Even some of today's best players can't play Art Tatum's stuff. In fact, a lot of really good players today, haven't even heard of him.(If you really like jazz piano he's the man).

I'm shocked at how many people (especially kids), don't know-and don't care about where the music they listen to came from. For example, what we would call "classical" music Bach and Mozart would have most likely considered "hip" in their day. ( Those two would have been the "hippest"). Then you have rag time and jazz, which were borrowed from classical; blues and swing borowed from jazz; country, rock, funk, and disco borrowed from blues. How did rap get in there? I would think rap is more like
poetry or a writing style than music.

Whatever happened to straight forward blues? Or straight forward rock and roll; or sraight forward country. (And so on).
Then there is the lifestyle associated with the music. Just because a person listens to classical, doesn't mean they have to be an "Ivy League snob." If a person listens to hip hop and rap, does that mean they have to become a violent, drive- by shooting thug? I don't think so. How about country? Does that mean you are automatically a redneck; or you have to be a drunk; or drive a beat up truck. Does that mean that you live on a farm?(I know people who wouldn' know what a tractor even looks like). If you are a rock listener, does that make you a drug addict just because you like Pink Floydd?
Whatever happened to the blues? Three chords, a good beat, and raw instruments like piano, guitar, organ, and maybe a little clav thrown in?

Let' appreciate the art of the many forms of music, and not the lifestyle attached to it. I hope I struck a note here.