> There is also a 'hierarchy,' if you will in the underground scene. Within
> any underground scene or movement, there is in itself a "mainstream
> underground" and an "underground underground," isn't there?
I'm glad someone brought this up. I agree with Elson on this, because it's
something I've observed since I started getting deeper into music and I
think it ultimately hurts the music. Within the music genres we discuss
(hip-hop, jungle, acid jazz, funk) the scene always is split between the
"underground underground" of dj's, writers, and people working in record
shops and companies, and the "mainstream undergound" of the people who
keep them in business, the clubbers and record/cd buyers. Many, but not
all, of the people I've met from the first category seem to have a
condescending attitude towards the other people. I've seen it manifested
in dj's not wanting to tell people what they're playing, writers bragging
about promos others can't get, and record store workers cracking on people
who came into the stores and a) ask for something that's "old" or b) can't
quite name the song that they're looking for and not telling them about
certain records so their dj friends will get them first.
Lately, I've stopped going out to clubs and the shops here because of
attitude I've encountered here: the dj's know me (and always ask me to
show up) but clearly act like I can't know as much about music as they do,
and the shops act like they can't get the items I want, even when I know
they can. So I've started getting my records from other places, making my
own tapes, and throwing my own mini-parties for friends tired of the BS
too. I think many time, dj's/writers/etc assume that if you're not a dj
then you don't really know your stuff, which is REAL ignorant. I might not
have a gig or know about the latest white labels, but that doesn't mean I
should be treated like a wet food stamp, to quote Biz Markie.
Anthony