What happened to good music?

I have been looking for a new CD worth reviewing for about three weeks now and I can’t find one I would be willing to give a good write-up.

All the mainstream rap I’ve found is redundant and monosyllabic.

The music that is trying to replace what we used to call “rock” is either noise pollution caused by the repetitive beating on instruments accompanied by unrecognizable vocals, or it’s this whinny new age Emo trash which keeps teenagers covered in black make-up and bad attitudes.

What happened to producing music that means something?

I have been reduced to buying CDs that came out five years ago.

I thought I came upon a goldmine when I found Blackilicious and Jurassic 5, then I found out neither one of them has released an album since 2003. Then, J5 turned around and released what I believe is the worst album they’ve ever made.

Is it the attitude of Americans? Do we have nothing to say anymore? Have we all been herded as sheep into easily accessible shopping malls where anything record companies mass produce is bought as quick as it is stocked for so long as we don’t demand music worth listening to?

Am I missing out on some sort of underground stream of music everyone is downloading onto their iPods? I haven’t gone out and purchased the most recent attempt at keeping American youth indoors and plugged into the Internet where we can watch and document their every move.

Someone fill me in. Because, as it stands, there are only two real explanations.

Either musicians have been bought and sold from one major record label to another so many times they have become secluded and detached from reality.

They will say whatever is on the prompter so they can get paid, and who cares what unoriginal and redundant stolen beat will be added to it later?

Or, I have just reached that age where I am too old to connect with the youth who are the more informed demographic that music is aimed at.