Blurring The Lines

Bud Light and Lime, a combination you thought you'd never see, right? The two just don't seem like they'd go together, but it's been done anyway. The same can be said for Hip-Hop and Rock 'n Roll. The two opposing genres are suddenly clashing as more and more bands team up with rap artists. But this scene kid isn't convinced the taste is all that sweet.

It seems like rapper Lil' Wayne is popping up all over the alternative rock scene lately. Late last year he did a guest vocal on "Tiffany Blews," a track off Fall Out Boy's latest album Folie a Deux. And now the rock-stars are paying back the favor as they will be appearing on Wayne's upcoming record Rebirth.

The Rap 'n Roll collaboration doesn't stop there though. Lil' Wayne has decided to take Gym Class Heroes out on tour with him this spring. It seems fitting as Gym Class Heroes are some sort of hybrid mix of Hip-Hop and rock. I mean, they're well known around the alternative rock scene. They have a guitarist, bassist, drummer and a rapping lead singer. Odd. They've played the Warped Tour, supported acts such as The Starting Line and the All-American Rejects and have gotten every suburban white kid at a show to throw his or her middle finger up in the air.

It just doesn't seem like it fits together all that well. Now, while I did enjoy watching all the 12 year-olds 

acting "hood" at last year's Warped Tour during the Gym Class set, I'm still not convinced it's what the scene needs to survive. What ever happened to the days of punk bands playing their shows in kid's basements and backyards? (cough cough, Fall Out Boy - Dead on Arrival)

Maybe it's just me getting older and having some nostalgia for the original records and songs that changed my life, but it seems that the Hollywood influence of someone like Lil' Wayne on the alternative scene will do nothing but turn us into a corporate trend. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy "Tiffany Blews," but I'd much rather pump "Calm Before The Storm" through the speakers of my stock Honda Accord (that's right, stock - no wing on the trunk or rims).

But I guess complaining isn't going to get us anywhere, huh? So let's crack open a cold one and try to enjoy the music. Bud Light Lime? No thanks, I'll stick to an original. Toss me a Sam Adams.