He is especially adept at untangling the attitudes behind the musicians and their fans. On vexed subjects such as the blatant sexism of certain hip-hop acts, he can argue the case from three sides.Īs a historian, Sanneh does remarkable work summarizing popular music from the past 50 years, sketching in the deeper roots. Sanneh enjoys all seven genres and lends an honest ear to each example cited, whether popular or obscure. That revelation seems to underpin his thoughtful analysis. As his interests widened, he became aware that music can bring us together but also tear us apart. He was drawn to the rude tribalism of punk but was also pulled along by hip-hop’s popularity through his school years.
Sanneh is the son of Gambian and South African immigrants and a child of the ‘80s. He’s putting forth an (not the) account, organized according to the “names we give to communities of musicians and listeners.” Genres have porous boundaries and contested definitions, but our thoughts stumble without the aid of categories and Sanneh’s categories make sense. A History indicates the author’s postmodern modesty. Major Labels’ subtitle sets out Sanneh’s objective and methodology: A History of Popular Music in Seven Genres-Rock, R&B, Country, Punk, Hip-Hop, Dance, Pop. For Sanneh, if music exists, it’s worthy of consideration, analysis and fair play. He’s not a polemical critic insisting on “one way to rock” (to quote an ‘80s tune) or a gold standard by which all music is measured. Knowledgeable about many aspects of music and the cultures that give it context and meaning, Sanneh transcended his subcultural passions without losing enthusiasm for the influences that shaped him.
Kalefa Sanneh is the ideal critic to write Major Labels: A History of Popular Music in Seven Genres.
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