Rap

[ElMarko]

Oooookay, lets get this thing started.

I would like to put in a vote for a particular kind of rap/ghetto music being the worst music of all time. Specifically, its the songs which seems to go something like

When did this kind of thing become ok?

It's not muisic. Music works with melody and harmony. Shouting over a drum beat doesn't count, even if it rhymes.

[AFPheonix]

So spoken word jazz is right out, too?

[Rapscallion]

even if it rhymes.

It only gets to rhyming couplets. That's no skill - that's kindergarten stuff.

Rapscallion

[MadMike]

It's not muisic. Music works with melody and harmony. Shouting over a drum beat doesn't count, even if it rhymes.

Thank you. I've been saying the same thing myself for years. Decades, even.

[Boozy]

There is a lot of really great rap and hip-hop out there. I suspect that the popular stuff that most people are familiar with is the stuff that gets played on MTV...and the stuff that gets played on MTV involves a lot of semi-clothed women and offensive lyrics.

I listen to all kinds of music, and the rap I listen to is just flat-out poetry, with innovative rhythm and interesting bass lines. Rap and hip-hop grew out of R&B, which grew out of blues. And American blues is easily the most influential form of music of the 20th century.

Music can't exist in a vacuum. People will experiment, and a lot of garbage will be composed and performed, and a lot of that will be solely made for commercial purposes. But that doesn't mean there aren't some gifted rap artists out there.

[Dreamstalker]

Some of the best rappers I have EVER heard have been on the street corners. Not some large stadium or club; just guys on the street, making it up as it comes to them. Totally amazing.

Yup. There are a few street performers around here (homeless and not) that can just come up with stuff on the fly (and it will actually have a melody, which is nice). Those guys I'll give at least a little money to. A friend calls it "happy rap"

[linguist]

Thank you. I've been saying the same thing myself for years. Decades, even.

but by that argument, the same could be said for metal. if shouting over a drumbeat is not music, how is that any different from screaming over a distorted guitar?

[Dragonlover]

I am a metalhead. However, I cannot stand it when you can't tell what the vocalist is singing because they're growling/shouting or whatever. This is why I listen to power/classic rock and metal, you'll never hear Brucey growling.

As for the rap thing... meh, really not my cup of tea, but I will agree that it's downgraded in recent years compared to the earlier stuff. About the only rapper that I think people will still listen to in 10 years is Eminem, because he has something to say beyond 'pimps, bitches and ho's'.

Dragonlover

[powerboy]

I used to listen to the old school rap. I would also listen to Country and Rock & oldies and Jazz. I hate the newer Rap that is out there. I want to be able to drive around without hearing crap bumping from car stereos.

[Gawdzillers]

Rap began as a way for the black community to have a voice - like punk rock.
Soon it just became offensive for the sake of being offensive - like punk rock.
Sometimes, it's offensive to draw attention, and then they actually have a message - like punk rock.

[tropicsgoddess]

Can't spell crap without rap.

I listen to rap, but not as much as I used to. There's little to no substance in the songs these days.

[AFPheonix]

I did hear this the other day, it was pretty funny. Actually, not a bad parody, usually these suck:

http://www.godtube.com/view_video.ph...a27a0c99bff671

[CancelMyService]

Man, I don't mean to be stirring the pot but some of you need to step back and realize how mind numbingly racist some of you sounded in this thread. From what I've gleaned by reading all 3 pages is that this rap fad is a just a bunch of clicks and whistles that requires no musical talent, and was designed by black folks as a way to annoy people by making cars vibrate. Unless of course it's Eminem, then that's ok (btw, there's probably no one in rap who has more songs that are anti-woman than him and thats from someone who generally enjoys his music).

Just sayin, dismissing rap as a musical genre due to what you hear on MTV is like dismissing rock due to what's being put out by the latest American Idol reject. There's good rap to be heard out there, but you won't find it on the local Top 40 station or on rotation on MTV/BET/etc. One of my all time pet peeves is people who get all passive aggresive about rap and cherry pick the worst possible examples to back their cases up. I could start a thread saying metal sucks and use 90s era Metallica as proof, but that would hardly be a fair example.

Some of the most amazing things I've heard/seen musically was watching guys (black and white) have rap contests in my graphic arts class in high school. You can't tell me that someone who can freestyle for 5-10 minutes solid doesn't have some talent. Just because it's not the music you relate to or grew up with doesn't make it any less valid.

[Boozy]

Well said, CancelMyService.

[ArenaBoy]

Man, I don't mean to be stirring the pot but some of you need to step back and realize how mind numbingly racist some of you sounded in this thread.

Racist/racism: noun. The belief that all members of each race possess characteristics or abilities specific to that race, esp. so as to distinguish it as inferior or superior to another race or races.
• prejudice, discrimination, or antagonism directed against someone of a different race based on such a belief

Odd, I read through the thread three times and the only mention of blacks I see was in Gawdziller's post and it wasn't even racist. The only thing I complained about was how a group of people who live in my county (3rd or 4th richest in the US) act like they're from the street which they're not due to their more opulent display of wealth. But just saying rap is bad equals to one being racist is short sighted and stupid. Also, here's a refresher on what true racism is. Again, just because saying rap is crap means that it makes them a racist is stupid and a pathetic excuse.

From what I've gleaned by reading all 3 pages is that this rap fad is a just a bunch of clicks and whistles that requires no musical talent.

And it is. All it is rhyming couplets. I can write rhyming couplets but you don't see me with a record deal. Writing a rhyming couplet and playing an instrument and being able to write songs with it is a huge difference. HUGE. That's all rap is. Just rhyming couplets.

and was designed by black folks as a way to annoy people by making cars vibrate.

Point out where someone, ANYONE was saying it. Please, point it out.