Literature Review Task
NME Magazine 2009
The NME is a well known, popular music magazine mainly due to the easy format and interesting topics. Each issue follows the same format starting with the contents page demonstrating the main parts of the magazine. This includes what bands are featured and what page, general music news, the newest up and coming bands, album reviews, live performances and main feature. This is what I am going to be focusing on in this review as I have found the main feature the most interesting.
The article gives a brief over-view to its readers about Dizzee Rascal’s harsh life growing up in the east-end of London, and his epic journey to the top where he stands comfortably with 3 number 1 hit singles in a row, 3 albums and a great deal of money. However these 3 numbers 1’s where all done independently which is an amazing achievement for a solo artist in Britain of his age. Dizzee Rascal has also picked up a large number of awards on his way including several NME awards, Mercury prize, GQ Award for solo artist of the year and so on. Yet although all of these things are good and I could continue to write about its highlights, I am writing about how it disappoints me.
Dizzee Rascal used to be quite an influence on my life as his lyrics could be related to and had meaning behind them. His underground music was undoubtedly the best at the time and earned a lot of respect for himself in the underground grime music scene. Admittedly he would not be able to achieve much money or fame through this but everyone knew him as a cool, true to his roots guy. And now, (as it mentions in page 7) he turns up an hour and a half late for a photo shoot and this interview, storms in exclaiming “Where’s my f**king name then,” only shakes a couple of his fans hands and strolls on. Whereas before this so called ‘fame and glory’ came to him, he what take time out to talk to people and have a drink with his fans. His music also now has taken a bad turn which apparently is what the public want with no meaningful lyrics or, what my friends and I believe, nowhere near as good beats or tunes.
I believe this is relevant to the course because it shows what can happen to you if you make it in the industry. Also shows that if you do want to make you will have to produce music that the majority of the public want to hear even if it is simple and boring for you. Yet most importantly that anyone can make no matter who you are or where you come from.
