Tuesday, June 27, 2006

"Robert Kelly is our pied piper."


The words of a Monrovian in his 40's, referring, of course, to R.Kelly. His friend said he preferred Willie Nelson, Merle Haggard, and Hank Williams. Can someone school me on this, did R.Kelly mention Liberia in a song lyric? That's what I heard.

Young people are crazy about 50 Cent to a degree that I would have a hard time overstating. Also big on the radio are Busta Rhymes, Mary J. Blige, Nelly, Usher, Sean Paul, and--although we have yet to hear him on the radio--Eminem posters are commonly seen in shop windows. Lots of new dancehall reggae comes out of cars and speakers on the street, and we have heard soca, even. (Editor's note: this website condemns soca.)

In our experience, Liberians tend to enjoy lots of 80's and 90's syrupy ballads from the US: Dolly Parton, Kenny Rogers, Luther Vandross, Celine Dion, and the like, as is their right.

4 Comments:

Blogger beckler said...

Apparently, there's a Kel's song called "peace" that mentions Liberia in passing along with a Somalia and Ethiopia

http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/rkelly/peace.html

I guess it's on either Happy People/U Saved Me (a double album which I own but have rarely listened to as almost every single song is an attempt to copy the success of step in the name of love)
as far as the Pied Piper, maybe you already know, but that is his nickname for himself from the Chocolate Factory album. He always gives himself nicknames and the latest seems to be "mr showbiz"

11:01 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

yeah, he calls himself the "pied piper of R&B" on the Chocolate Factory album . - Allen

4:05 PM  
Blogger Josh Nice said...

big omission: tupac. the late rapper is definately huge in liberia. his posters are everywhere, and he's often on the radio. yesterday i told someone i was from california, and he asked me if i knew tupac.

11:56 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

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10:29 AM  

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