Guest Lecture Series, Vol. II: Between Rock and a Hood Place: In Defense of Nu Metal

By A Man Called Srao

@AManCalledSrao

I’m not sure why I love heavy music. I think it has something to do with how I was relentlessly tortured by a bully when I was 12. The 2001-2002 school year was a very formative one. I got my first full-sized electric guitar, played in my first rock band, and got picked on so much I spat on the kid’s leg before a fight almost broke out (no lie). It was a year that kicked off with 9/11, but looking at everything that happened the months after in my state-ranked middle school in suburban Connecticut, I think everybody’s way of coping with that tragedy was to just avoid it as much as possible. It took a lot of time for us to understand the full impact that day was going to have on everything. I still don’t think that anybody can truly have perspective on it, seeing as how we still live in its shadow. But in the twilight of that tragedy and the beginning of my adolescence, I blasted Korn at my speakers’ highest levels just to give some credo to my rage. 

That’s probably why people are continually drawn to heavy music in all its forms. From dark classical music to crunk to speed metal, some people just have something to get off their chest and use this type of music to exorcise demons – whether in the moshpit or their living rooms. At the age of 22, I still feel like one of these people. This is all despite going to a good college, getting a fulfilling post-graduation job in a shitty economy, and – most importantly – developing quite a broad palate of musical tastes since high school that is reflected in the music I’ve made (no samples yet, sorry).

To continue Between Rock and a Hood Place hit the jump.

I feel guilty every time I listen Korn, Sevendust, or any of the other nu metal superstars. I’m not sure why, except that, well…most of it sucks. It’s redundant, there’s no dynamic contrast, the guitar and bass riffs blast you to the point that their subterranean frequencies numb you to anything within a normal 6-string’s range*, and the drums are basically just heavy-handed versions of what any skilled DJ could produce in seconds. And that’s saying nothing of the lyrical content, the depravity of which is best captured by lyrics like “I did it all for the nookie” and “I’m just a crazy motherfucker/living it up, not giving a fuck.” Biggie and 2Pac were probably rolling in their freshly-filled graves.

Still, I feel like this is important music. It was maybe the first time that the visceral aggression of rock music and the syncopated beats and lyrical styles of hip-hop were put together into a commercially successful vehicle. The mixing of two traditions also brought together visibly different people, and we saw some of the first examples of popular groups with members from different racial backgrounds (ethnicities that, most importantly, were not forced into a niche market or completely whitewashed). Like many great trends, this got beaten to death and the music faded out into an oblivion that the genre’s seminal bands, many of whom are still kicking around today, may never return to.

Assuming I have Wordsmith’s permission (and this blog’s readers’ tacit approval to keep writing), I will write more about how this genre provided a brief flashpoint from which rock and hip-hop continued to evolve and awkwardly yet beautifully cross paths. In those future posts, I also want to explore how gender, race, and socioeconomic status play into the genre’s life. While this genre will always be held as a caricature of a bygone era, I truly believe that there’s something to be learned. What do you all think? Are there any nu-metalheads still rocking in secret? If so, come out of the shadows!

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A Man Called Srao is a Philadelphia-based writer, musician, sometime-stand-up-comedian, and imitation-professional. Srao will drop some knowledge on us every once in a while. So listen up, and check back for more installments. Keep up with Srao @AManCalledSrao or sameer.krishna.rao@gmail.com.


Do you have something to say about Hip Hop, race, class, gender, sexuality, popular culture, music? Submit a piece for The Lesson's Guest Lecture Series to wordsmith.thelesson@gmail.com.

*If that actually happens, call a doctor immediately