Saturday, December 14, 2019

Weekend Post

I love this. A rapper hearing Frank Sinatra for the first time. Check out his reaction.  I don't want to say anything more than that. 

43 comments :

Arlen Peters said...

"Old school music ... they used a lot of instruments!" Wow, what a review! It would be like a young filmmaker, whose world is only Marvel Films, discovering Billy Wilder and "Sunset Blvd." for the first time: "Wow, old black and white film ... and they didn't blow anything up and no o9ne had superpowers ... I like it."

Paul Gottlieb said...

There are several Youtube channels where young African Americans listen to and react to music from outside their comfort zone. I really enjoy them. Their openness to new musical experience reminds me that I should open up my own ears once in a while and quit making categorical statements like "I don't like rap!" These kids have a real feel for musical quality, even when it comes from far outside their daily experience.

ventucky said...

Curiously, this rappers name is missing from this post, and from the actual youtube feed. I find it interesting that twice he made the comment that they used a lot of instruments. In the history of music, Under My Skin is pretty normal in that regard. Somehow I feel that musicians his age, not necessarily rappers, would not find the musical arrangement unusual. Take it for what it is worth.

Anonymous said...

Musicians using actual instruments and singers actually singing. My god my world has just melted

Mike Barer said...

"Wow, so that's what that melody thing is!" Realfunny video, glad he was interested in expanding his horizons!!

Michael Hagerty said...

LOVE this!

Jeff Boice said...

Not surprising that he likes Sinatra's vibe. Now if he had liked Perry Como- that would be surprising.

gottacook said...

It's the "cool vibe" that he's reacting to the most - and that's attributable to Nelson Riddle's orchestra (and his arrangement) at least as much as to Sinatra. It swings! I doubt he'd have appreciated (for instance) "It Was a Very Good Year" even though it was sung just as well.

Buttermilk Sky said...

This song was considered borderline obscene when Cole Porter wrote it. I think he'd be thrilled that it moves a member of a generation used to much franker forms of expression. And maybe we'll see something like big band hip-hop.

No said...

Ain't gonna watch it.

I know it's probably meant well, but this is racial primitivism under the guise of enlightenment. I've seen this many times before--older generations exposing the (always) black hip-hop youth to music genres of earlier years, like rock and jazz, that they had never heard before, as if they are converting the savages. "Let's see how the natives respond!"

Sorry, can't watch it or condone it. It may be, in principle, in the service of a greater good to get teenagers raised on nihilistic crap to find deeper meaning in music, but this spectacle isn't the way to go about it.

How about investing in public education and supporting affirmative action instead.

D McEwan said...

Hilarious. "They used a lot of instruments." Wait till he sees an orchestra.

Matching pitches? What's that about? And more than one pitch in the same song? That's wicked, man.

So THAT'S what a "melody" is! Wow. Is there anything else with a melody?

VincentS said...

Good one, Ken. Thanks. I guess Sinatra is for the ages. BTW-His birthday and mine are two days apart, so thanks for the birthday present!

Paul Gottlieb said...

TO Frank Beans: I understand the point you are trying to make, but you are making it at the wrong time. These Youtube channels belong to the young African Americans who appear on them, and no wise old white mentor is teaching them about great music, they are doing it themselves, with their open ears and curiosity. I only wish that older white people--like me--showed the same open-mindedness and sense of musical adventure

JerseyJen said...

Lighten up. I’m sure you can find white kids on YouTube doing the same thing. Nobody is exploiting this kid. This is his own YouTube channel and he probably has tons of followers.

JerseyJen said...

One more thing.... the house grandfather recommended Sinatra to his grandson. He is hardly being exploited

MikeKPa. said...

He put out one of the best Christmas albums ever. He owns Mistletoe & Holly and I'll Be Home for Christmas much like Nat King Cole owns The Christmas Song and O Holy Night.

Groucho said...

Um, who said he was a rapper?

Ron Rettig said...

I wonder what he thinks of Der Bingle & Bowie?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?

Cap'n Bob said...

Ring a ding ding.

Anonymous said...


Buttermilk Sky12/14/2019 9:50 AM
“This song was considered borderline obscene when Cole Porter wrote it.“

Quite right - Ring Lardner (1885-1933), an otherwise wise humorist, and part-time lyricist
-for Jerome Kern and Vincent Youmans, among others-
spent much of his declining years writing a Radio column for The New Yorker,
in which he infamously attacked the alleged inadequacy and indecency of 1930s lyrics.


This all led to a public feud with Rudy Vallee
and a column of Lardner Night and Day Parodies

1. Night and day under the rind of me
There's an Oh, such a zeal for spooning, ru'ning the mind of me.
2. Night and day under the peel o' me
There's a hert that will dree if ye think aucht but a' weel o' me.
3. Night and day under the fleece of me
There's an Oh, such a flaming furneth burneth the grease of me.
4. Night and day under the bark of me
There's an Oh, such a mob of microbes making a park of me.
5. Night and day under my dermis, dear,
There's a spot just as hot as coffee kept in a thermos, dear.
6, Night and day under my cuticle
There's a love all for you so true it never would do to kill.
7. Night and day under my tegument
There's a voice telling me I'm he, the good little egg you meant.

Anonymous said...

The odds are that this is not the first time he heard the song.
He heard it, must have liked it and thought to do this quite clever video.
Good on him.

sanford said...

Like a couple of others I think Mr Bean is wrong in his reaction. Hope he reconsiders and watches the video. Of course it is just not young black kids that don't know this music. Most young kids don't have a clue about early rock n roll, much less singers like Sinatra, Tony Bennett etc. And god for bid they watch a black and white movie

VP81955 said...

"You mean he didn't use Auto-Tone?"

blogward said...

This young, hip guy might not now be surprised to learn about Sinatra's staunch support for black musicians and entertainers from early in his career.

Jeff Maxwell said...

I love the kid. Rap or no rap, he’s a musician. Took him only seconds to feel the voice of the music, Frank’s vibe and genius. Too bad they could’t do what they do together. Bet they’d rock.

Anne said...


I loved that he was conducting the orchestra! I wonder is he a classical musician by training. Or his grandfather is Quincy Jones? Maybe great grandfather.

Anyway, great video! Although now I have the Cole Porter soundtrack tattooed on my brain for the whole day.

Andrew said...

@Frank Beans
I hate to break it to you, but you're the only one who is racist in your reaction. Completely condescending, while you pretend to be virtuous. And then you say we should "support affirmative action." How ironic. The young man in this video doesn't need affirmative action. He's doing just fine without your help.

No said...

I went back on my word and gave the video a chance, and it lived up to everything I said it would be, essentially leering primitivism. They are absolutely nothing but condescending.

If you don't agree with me, I can respect it, but at least please hear this, if nothing else: These videos are not being made by or for black people, they are entertainment for white people. "Let's see if we can get the young black hip-hopper to respond to real music! Pass the popcorn dear!"

I'm a non-guilty white guy, and am not some kind of PC social justice warrior who gets off on self-righteous tirades, I really don't. I've been a reader and commenter here for years, and I love comedy. No one needs to tell me to "lighten up". But I'm sorry, this video trend is at best misguided.

Please think about why you like watching this stuff.

No said...

Ah yes, Andrew, liberals are the real racists. I've never heard that one before. Go back to sleep bloke.

Andrew said...

"These videos are not being made by or for black people, they are entertainment for white people. "Let's see if we can get the young black hip-hopper to respond to real music! Pass the popcorn dear!""

Which is why I think that your perspective is racist. Who are you to presume or judge this young man's motives? You are basically saying that he has no agency or initiative of his own. In your mind this young man barely exists, but other forces are acting upon him. This is what I consider racist.

The young man is the actual source of the video. Making it was his own idea, for whatever audience he chooses in his own mind. He did the video because a family member - not white society - recommended he listen to Sinatra. He recorded his reaction. (There are thousands of reaction videos on YouTube.) You are saying none of that counts, that you know better than he does why the video is being made and who his audience is. Your attitude is one of superiority, as if you understand his own creation better than he does. And you are basing this solely on his race.

Anonymous said...

@Frank beans:
If you don't agree with me, I can respect it, but at least please hear this, if nothing else: These videos are not being made by or for black people, they are entertainment for white people.

I'd be curious to know how you know it was made by white people.
And i didn't see anything on the video or the accompanying text that said, "Only white people can watch. No black people allowed to watch."

But maybe I missed it.

Katie Gof. said...

Thanks for sharing this Ken! I have shared this with my dad who is about your age, and he really enjoyed it. I am very disappointed in the amount of commenters here on your page degrading this young man for his commentary on the music. It's okay for people to discover new things. I'm not sure why he needs to be bashed for appreciating it for its fundamentals. Instead, be happy that someone is stepping outside their comfort zone and appreciating something you already know to be quality.

Tom said...

I have done no looking for any, but I wonder if there are similar channels of Baby Boomer white people listening to rap. For example, I had never heard of Juice WRLD until after he died (despite the fact that he and my daughter went to high school together), but the other day I listened to his song "Lucid Dreams." And then I listened to it again. And then I listened to the whole album. It's fantastic. Here's to keeping an open mind....

McAlvie said...

I don't see it as "oh, hip hop discovers real music." It reminds me of my own reaction when discovering a new artist, or re-discovering an artist (I had a short term obsession with Springstein's recent album. I admit I don't have that reaction often when I hear new music, but I suspect that has more to do with my lack of exposure to the best of new music. We've discussed the sad decline of terrestrial radio before, so I won't belabor it; but it is where I used to discover new to me music back in the day. There were so many genres of music represented back then, including jazz, classical, country, pop and easy listening. Today every station sounds the same, but back then it was a really great way to accidentally discover all kinds of new music and I was just as likely to hear Frank Sinatra as I was Frankie Valli, or Elvis Presley/Elvis Costello.

Anonymous said...

There are a TON of these sorts of videos out there - the genre is REACTION VID, and have fun rabbit holing on down with whatever is your favorite genre of music/TV/film/videogame to watch people of all types taping their first time experiencing your favorite.

ClioD

Mac Cheese said...

Hey Frank Beans, don't know if you're serious or a troll. But there are tons of these reaction videos that include kids/teens of ALL colors. But see what you want to see to fit your agenda, bro.

Unknown said...

Why do I care what some guy I don't know, isn't famous, thinks about Sinatra?
This falls under the "turn camera on, and watch people makes fools out of themselves", a.k.a "Jay Walking" on tonight show, "Lie Witness News" on Kimmel, "Man on the street" segments on all talk shows.
People watch because so many like train wrecks, they slow down for car accidents, watch 3 stooges, etc. I don't think race has anything to do with it, just a fish out of water comedy. I think I saw old people listening to rap or heavy metal to get their reaction.

Stephen Robinson said...

I personally enjoy reaction videos. I know it might be in vogue to knock the Internet but I appreciate a form where people are sharing their experiences/feelings with others.

Jahn Ghalt said...

This young man is far more open to musical experience than I was at that age (and certainly younger - as a teen before 1979). In my circle, Sinatra was "out" - so much so, than we never gave him a chance - and not so hard, given that we had "easy listening stations".

I am sorely tempted to go to the site and comment with some classics by Miles, 'Trane, Bird, Monk....

(and so easy these days with a YouTube search)

No said...

Clearly what I have said has touched a nerve. I honestly wasn't expecting that response to this extent.

I'll just say that I've been a reader of this blog for over five years, and have utmost respect for Ken, and am not a disruptive troll. I hope that I can have an opinion, even if it is unpopular, in the context of a community that is built around a subject of interest.

Jee Jay said...

In related news:
a remix of a Judy Garland record just made it onto the Billboard Top Ten dance chart --

billboard.com/articles/business/chart-beat/8546348/judy-garland-earns-first-top-10-hit-since-1945

Andrew said...

I appreciate that, Frank. But a response like this - "Ah yes, Andrew, liberals are the real racists. I've never heard that one before. Go back to sleep bloke." - is the very definition of trolling. An unpopular opinion is one thing. Contempt for your fellow commenters is another.

Krazy Kasem said...

a remix of a Judy Garland record just made it onto the Billboard Top Ten dance chart


Or, Hollywood P.R. department promotes biopic by targeting an easy-to-crack Billboard sub-chart