Music and The Corona Virus Pandemic.
Chopped and screwed
chopped and screwed is a style of remixing of hip-hop music through the slowing of the tempo, created by DJ Screw in the 1990s. Also known as slowed and thrown, chopped and screwed was developed in the Houston hip-hop scene. Chopped and screwed music is achieved by lowering the tempo to 60 quarter notes beats per minute. The making of this music style also involves applying music mixing techniques such as record scratching, beat skipping, and other sound effects. On the other hand, slowed and reverb is for sure a deracination of the chopped and screwed music. Slowed and reverb has gained popularity among white teens who offer credit to an artist known as Slater. This trend has not gone well with the Houstonians who feel their original art has been plagiarised. Yes, the comedian is right, a white man is trying to get credit for a Blackmans job.
Coronavirus pandemic
The music industry has been adversely affected by the coronavirus pandemic. Music is a broad sector, and apart from the celebrity artists we know, several other people also depend on music for livelihood. These include people such as promoters, bookers, directors, deejays, et-cetra. On the onset of the coronavirus pandemic in March, the music industry went to zero income and is expected to stay that way for at least a year. A majority of independently owned venues, bookers, and promoters anticipate a full closure (“NPR Choice Page”). The primary income source for musicians has been touring and live performances, however since the pandemic hit, there have been attempts to use online concerts as an alternative even though it is underwhelming in terms of income. To ensure the survival of the music industry, the government must step up and provide incentives and tax holidays to the industry’s stakeholders.
“NPR Choice Page.” Npr.Org, 2020, https://www.npr.org/sections/coronavirus-live-updates/2020/06/09/873196748/americas-independent-music-venues-could-close-soon-due-to-coronavirus. Accessed 29 Aug 2020.