#Growns I had to do it. Often when retrospectives like our Bringing ’88 Back Series are constructed the content presented stays very close to the surface. In the world of music that means the “hits”, the popular wide-appealing tracks that don’t take much effort to remember. But then… then there’s the music that you know was definitely a part of that moment and time. These songs may not have made it to the top ten or even the top twenty but that doesn’t mean that they were any less impactful. In fact some songs like this cult classic from The World Class Wreckin’ Cru continued to have a place well after its time of initial release.
I don’t think that anyone could’ve predicted the movement that would become literally a seismic shift in music that would spring forth from this circle. People often like to point out the difference in look from The World Class Wreckin’ Cru here and NWA later. I like to counter that it’s called show business for a reason. You wear the uniform appropriate for the character you’re portraying. Think about when this group got started and who was hot then? But by the end of the ’80’s we know that not only was the look changing but so was the sound. Ride the wave. That’s all it is folks. Relative reality.
So on this Friday take a little time out to transport yourself back to a time when the party would break to slow it down. I’m old so I don’t know if that happens anymore 🙂 True confession the slow it down was my time. See while I was holding up the wall I was doing a scouting report. Once I heard the slow tempo I’d make a beeline, stop short of invading personal space, give the look with requisite hand extension. Oh sure I got turned down sometimes, but not every time. If I had an average approaching a Ted Williams .400 I figured that might be Hall of Fame worthy.
Ivan Orr is a multi-instrumentalist, composer, performer, and writer. A native of Charlottesville, Virginia Ivan was involved with the forming and nascent days of The Music Resource Center as its first Program Director. A graduate of Virginia Commonwealth University’s Department of Music, Ivan currently resides in Richmond, VA where he maintains an active performance and production schedule while serving as the Music Editor for Grown Folks Music, a position he has held since 2010.
