Article Dopeness: Is America's 'Race Music' Past Hurting Janelle Monae?

Today, my good friend tweeted this to me and I'm glad she did! This article sheds a light on the inner workings of the music industry. While most of what they discuss in this article should not come as a surprise, it was refreshing to read such a well articulated article about it. From the article:

Kitschy, socially conscious singer and songwriter Janelle Monae has all the tools for a successful debut music career--interesting and dynamic production, a melodic singing voice, an interesting look, a new dance--and one of hip-hop's heavy hitters (Big Boi, of Outkast fame) as her mentor and co-collaborator. So why hasn't her new single torn up the airwaves? Is it because the world isn't ready for Monae's tuxedoed swagger and retro-meets-R&B supersonic sound? Or is it the music industry's stubborn adherence to narrowly defined genres, coupled with monopolization of the airwaves?

Read the rest here.

Laterz!