One Mook's Opinion
As I was falling asleep last night, something finally clicked: Skrillex is to music what LeBron James is to basketball. The reason Skrillex is so widely loved and hated is akin to LeBron James "taking his talents to South Beach". If you don't follow basketball, allow me to wax poetic for a moment about LeBron James...
LeBron James was drafted by his hometown team. He was supposed to stay in Cleveland, and deliver a championship to the Cavaliers. His signature dunks and highlight reel antics rallied the people of Cleveland around him. James, along with a crew of D-League castaways and the All-Stars of 1996, gave the mighty Spurs a run for their money in the 2007 NBA Finals. However, it became clear that James was frustrated by his surroundings, despite almost single-handedly delivering a title to Cleveland. When LeBron James became a free agent, he left Cleveland for Miami, leaving a wake of misunderstanding behind him. Why did "The Chosen One" leave?
That brings me back to Skrillex, also known as Sonny Moore. Moore was in an emo band that I never listened to (because I have taste), but that doesn't matter. From First To Last wasn't expected to be good - just like the Cavaliers. It was okay for Sonny Moore to wallow around in screamo bullshit, because that's what he was supposed to do. (I'm mean really, just look at the guy. By all appearances, he belongs in a mall food court with a Hot Topic bag.) Then one day, Moore grew tired of his surroundings and "took his talents to South Beach", for lack of a better term. In just one year, Skrillex became synonymous with dubstep. Then he won some Grammy's. That's enough to make you tilt your head sideways and say, "...the f**k?"
Basketball purists are a lot like music purists - whenever someone changes something radically, they get up in arms. Skrillex radically changed the formula of what dubstep was supposed to be. It wasn't as if Skrillex was the first person to make insane wobble bass that sounded like space alien music. Skrillex just happened to be doing it better, with a more melodic take on everything. He brought a real music background to dubstep, and in doing so changed the formula of what dubstep was supposed to be. Because of Skrillex, other dubstep DJ's began to attempt to replicate his sound. Unfortunately, music is a delicate dance, and attempting to replicate someone else's music can often prove disastrous.
Similarly, LeBron James (along with Wade and Bosh) changed the formula of basketball. Never before had three players united in their prime with the goal of taking over basketball. (Celtics fans can argue this point in regards to Garnett, Pierce and Allen - but anyone that doesn't bleed green knows the the Miami trio easily overpowers the Boston trio.) When James came together with Wade and Bosh, their level of talent was undeniable, but it made people uncomfortable. Basketball pundits claimed the small market teams wouldn't be able to compete. ESPN editors and writers acted as if basketball armageddon was upon us.
In the same way Skrillex spawned less talented copycats, the power move of leaving your small market team for a big city soon became the basketball norm. Soon, Carmelo Anthony was asking to leave Denver for the lights of New York City. Amare Stoudemire and his coffee-filter knees joined forces with him, and the hope was to draw a third superstar to the Knicks. Just like Skrillex's numerous copycats, they lacked the sheer level of talent, and bowed out early. Their shortcomings soon became the central focus of discussion. Stoudemire is the defensive equivalent of a red carpet in the paint, and Anthony can only create shots for himself - not his teammates. (We can also point out Deron Williams to the Nets and Chris Paul to the Clippers as other examples of superstar get-togethers that haven't exhibited the same level of talent as the original. I'll hold judgement on this issue until we see where Dwight Howard lands.) The only saving grace in New York was an unlikely character named Jeremy Lin. Lin represents the old school. Jump-shooting, bounce passes and layups. He's the underdog. People love him.
Skrillex and LeBron James both represent what purists love to hate: Change in a dynamic and in-your-face way. Nothing is subtle about Skrillex or LeBron. They even have similar styling cues. Skrillex is known for his "Skrillex haircut" and nerdy glasses. LeBron's hairline is quickly becoming a reverse Skrillex haircut, but not by choice - and his token accessory is his headband. Skrillex is going to crowdsurf on a raft, and you'll love it whether you like it or not. LeBron is going to dramatically toss chalk dust into the air, spreading his arms like some new age basketball Messiah. It's dramatic. It's attention seeking. Purists hate it all.
In every interview I have ever read with Skrillex, he seems taken aback that people don't like him. Just by working in this industry, I've run into Sonny Moore a few times, and as much as I hate to say it - he's a really nice guy. In a music landscape littered with egomaniacal production geniuses, Moore is humble. His personality is friendly, his demeanor is controlled, and he's intelligent. Similarly, LeBron James is a likable character. Yes, he has the ego that comes with being a 6'8", 245 pound freak of nature athlete with a net worth somewhere around a bajillion dollars - but he's not outwardly arrogant. So why are these two men so loved and hated?
It all boils down to something Moore touched on during Grammy night: Electronic music purists recognize that Moore is getting recognition for something he has little to do with. Daft Punk, Justice and many others have been making amazing electronic music for the better part of 35 years now. Dubstep was a product of the Croydon guys in England almost a decade ago. The little electronic music most of the public is aware of comes in the form of David Guetta.
LeBron James is in a similar position. He's not the first player to make highlight reel dunks his signature. Dominique Wilkins was "The Human Highlight Reel" before the modern era of Blake Griffin, LeBron James, and the recent crop of freak athletes. LeBron and Skrillex simply drew attention to something that was already there. It is their hype and name recognition that draws people into what they do. Their sheer talent is undeniable, but it's not the first time talent has happened in their respective industries. Skrillex is responsible for bringing hundreds of thousands of people to electronic music. He is the catalyst for other artists to gain recognition. Skrillex never asked to be "The Chosen One" (see what I did there LeBron?) - he was just thrust into the spotlight. LeBron is also the unwilling-to-bend superstar. He even echoed this sentiment in his famous, "Rise" video.
To be a Skrillex fan is to be a LeBron fan. You have to love the spectacle of it all. Personally, I'm a little more old school. I'm a Jeremy Lin guy. I like the screen and roll. I like the back door bounce pass. I appreciate a 15-foot pull up jump shot. It's more elegant. It takes vision. It's subtle. But it still works.
Is Skrillex the anti-Christ of electronic music? No. He's just Skrillex. You might not love what he does, but at the end of the day, he breathed life into a genre of music that I have loved since I was 12 years old. In time, I think we'll likely see Skrillex in the same light we see LeBron James: A benchmark of dramatic change. Grammy night 2012 was the night electronic music became viable in the mainstream, and we have Skrillex to thank for that.
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