Check out this LA Times story highlighting the decline of “bling” in hip-hop, highlighting Common and his non-bling style.
“I think it’s great that [bling] is gone,” he said. “That really didn’t exemplify style. It was just like, ‘I have the money to buy this.’ And that ain’t what style’s about. . . . I think good style is about having an eye for quality things and putting them together so they have a feel and integrity and flavor.”
Which leads me to what was so immediately annoying/upsetting when we saw the cover to the new XXL in anticipation of the article on Mos Def. I won’t even comment on his name placement on the cover. -_-
If you missed it, check out a reaction on Maurice Garland’s site: Still Standing or Standing Still? The article highlights the drastic change of what Atlanta has exported as hip-hop over the past 11 years, but also what I think is relevant is that XXL really missed the boat on the “Bling is Dead” memo. “Icey City?” Really? check the times ya’ll. (But still check out the Mos article… at least at a newsstand!)
