Your Opinions/Views on rap music

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Originally Posted by kash

did those blues singers talk about abortion??

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They sung about absolutely everything... no jobs, no money, no food, no clothes, women, children, sex, alcohol, drugs - you name it!, it's the depression era, nobody to steal a car from, nobody to heist, nobody had anything! why do you think it's called 'blues'.

The big difference is that's all they knew, most of them couldn't read or write, no such thing as 'check me out I'm down on my luck, had a tough break, can write and have an attitude - sign me up'. most of the music wasn't even recorded, it's amazing any of the recordings ever survived at all. If you think any rapper is having a hard time out of life, check his bank statements!. The major difference between reality and pseudo hardship is the fact that they put their own music to their lyrics, Jug bands used a tin drum, a piece of rope and a stick as an instrument to accompany the message, they were making merry from their hardship whilst realizing their situation.

Reading some of your quoted rap lyrics (good they may be) just proves the point that an education has been delivered to the composers, wether it be later in life or in childhood, during the depression food was considered a luxury before education.

Kash - I applaud your passion for rap but It's actually quite sad that someone's trying to fool listeners with so much attempted poetry like 'They tampered with the holy scriptures and then fed it to the masses', then tries to be with the genre with one 'tryna' to keep the fans happy - transparently false, you couldn't get any clearer!. Rap at one time meant something, when it became commercial (a long time ago) it lost all it's roots no matter how clever the lyrics, ask anyone with an unbiased music knowledge where the true roots lie.

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Originally Posted by DCDayDreamer

They sung about absolutely everything... no jobs, no money, no food, no clothes, women, children, sex, alcohol, drugs - you name it!, it's the depression era, nobody to steal a car from, nobody to heist, nobody had anything! why do you think it's called 'blues'.

The big difference is that's all they knew, most of them couldn't read or write, no such thing as 'check me out I'm down on my luck, had a tough break, can write and have an attitude - sign me up'. most of the music wasn't even recorded, it's amazing any of the recordings ever survived at all. If you think any rapper is having a hard time out of life, check his bank statements!. The major difference between reality and pseudo hardship is the fact that they put their own music to their lyrics, Jug bands used a tin drum, a piece of rope and a stick as an instrument to accompany the message, they were making merry from their hardship whilst realizing their situation.

Reading some of your quoted rap lyrics (good they may be) just proves the point that an education has been delivered to the composers, wether it be later in life or in childhood, during the depression food was considered a luxury before education.

Kash - I applaud your passion for rap but It's actually quite sad that someone's trying to fool listeners with so much attempted poetry like 'They tampered with the holy scriptures and then fed it to the masses', then tries to be with the genre with one 'tryna' to keep the fans happy - transparently false, you couldn't get any clearer!. Rap at one time meant something, when it became commercial (a long time ago) it lost all it's roots no matter how clever the lyrics, ask anyone with an unbiased music knowledge where the true roots lie.

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I know where the true roots of rap music lies. It's the child of funk/soul and blues. But just because the man says "tryna" doesn't mean he's trying to keep fans happy. This is the way he was brought up. I'm sure you have met intelligent people that use some slang. I know I have. I use the word tryna for Gods sake. I would say something like, "I'm tryna do this please leave me alone." I don't see anything wrong with that. You're just trying to be nit-picky to a prove a point. Look at the overall content of the verse and the lyricism and creativity it took to make it. I seriously doubt that was fabricated bullshit. And just because rap talks about those same topics don't make it unoriginal. Every genre talks about those things. So I guess that makes every verse written since the blues unoriginal? And just for the record those lyrics I posted aren't by any commercially known artists, they are people like you and me. Actually some of them still live in the ghetto believe it or not. You see, I listen to a lot of underground artists who are not commercially accepted and can barely break 9,000 record sales. <i> If </i> that. It's obvious you have a negative bias towards rap

I myself don't agree with the commercial rap music of today. I don't listen to people like Chingy, 50 Cent, Eminem, Mike Jones, Lil' Jon, etc. I listen to the older artists such as KRS-One, Rakim, Just-Ice, Kool G Rap, Nas, etc. And yes rap has been pimped by the industry to an endless extent.

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ow if you want to know somthing that really pisses me off... its EMO. At least Rap bitches with a nice beat... Emo just sucks

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you know emo does suck

I completely agree with Kash.

Rap is like a medium, if you will, no different than an artist's canvas. Of course, not just anybody could produce a stunning art piece. The same applies to Rap. For instance, try comparing the lyrics from tracks by people like Public Enemy, NWA, or Tupac to people like G-Unit, Cash Money, or Nelly. The latter are the ones who are destroying the art form by trying to appeal to middle-class White suburban teenagers (no offense to any middle-class White suburban teenagers). Since they are the most 'popular' of the genre (mainstream+commercial), it gives people the idea that that is what Rap is. But it's not. Rap is not about bitches, money, and cars. All of these fake rappers like 50 Cent are nothing more than a voice over a trendy beat. Rap has become so mainstream that most songs are judged by their beats. Real rappers like Common Sense, Mos Def, and maybe even KRS One go almost completely ignored by the general media. They just aren't 'trendy' enough.

But then again, there are a few rappers who don't have serious lyrics (Snoop Dogg [not his new shit kthx], Eminem, Biggie) yet they somehow manage to make good music. I guess it all depends on delivery.

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Originally Posted by kash

But just because the man says "tryna" doesn't mean he's trying to keep fans happy. This is the way he was brought up. I'm sure you have met intelligent people that use some slang. I know I have. I use the word tryna for Gods sake. I would say something like, "I'm tryna do this please leave me alone." I don't see anything wrong with that. You're just trying to be nit-picky to a prove a point. Look at the overall content of the verse and the lyricism and creativity it took to make it. I seriously doubt that was fabricated bullshit.

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You started a topic about opinions/views on rap music and then posted the lyrics, I gave my opinion/view on them, it's obvious an intellectual wrote them, but without a couple of slang words the whole thing wouldn't fit in with the genre, it'd just be too clever for it's own good.

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Originally Posted by krowstrife

you know emo does suck

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I really wish there were no posts with any 'emo' reference purely because it's trendy.

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Originally Posted by p4ch3c0

The latter are the ones who are destroying the art form by trying to appeal to middle-class White suburban teenagers (no offense to any middle-class White suburban teenagers).

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That's where the money is so they exploit it, most genres are exploited in the same way, then the stereotype is born and the 'real' music gets lost in the commercial bandwagon.

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Originally Posted by p4ch3c0

But then again, there are a few rappers who don't have serious lyrics (Snoop Dogg [not his new shit kthx], Eminem, Biggie) yet they somehow manage to make good music. I guess it all depends on delivery.

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Just take a once popular or obscure backing track and throw your rap on top - easy money!. They haven't made good music at all - someone else has done the hard work for them.

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Originally Posted by DCDayDreamer

Just take a once popular or obscure backing track and throw your rap on top - easy money!. They haven't made good music at all - someone else has done the hard work for them.

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Not true. Yes, many songs use beats from old songs, but most songs don't. But even if a song uses a sample from another song, that doesn't mean the artist jacked somebody else's work. As I said before, nowadays people only listen to the beat of a rap song, instead of the lyrics, which is what really matters. But sometimes songs with unimportant lyrics are considered good songs. The way the rapper rhymes and flows is a huge factor which dictates whether the song is 'good' or not.

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Originally Posted by p4ch3c0

But even if a song uses a sample from another song, that doesn't mean the artist jacked somebody else's work.

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Of course it does, taking anything from someone else's work is 'jacking', it just shows they have an ear for music but don't have the creative talent to make their own. Lyrics they may be good at but accompanying music - they just follow the well trodden path.

emo's suck,
goth's suck.

my opinion on rap:
only 2 good songs 1) Baby Got Back, and 2) Let's Get it Started or Let's get Retarded

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Originally Posted by DCDayDreamer

Of course it does, taking anything from someone else's work is 'jacking', it just shows they have an ear for music but don't have the creative talent to make their own. Lyrics they may be good at but accompanying music - they just follow the well trodden path.

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Some producers use the sampler as a xerox machine but it's also an instrument in its own right. Many producers use it just to sample sound bites from the radio, tv, etc to add a new element to the song. RZA for example, uses tons of Kung Fu samples in his music but his beats are original.

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Originally Posted by xuphorz

emo's suck,
goth's suck.

my opinion on rap:
only 2 good songs 1) Baby Got Back, and 2) Let's Get it Started or Let's get Retarded

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and whats special about these songs?

Hip Hop is a culture? I can't believe some of you guys buy that c'rap! Sure it's an urban culture just like so many others: goths, skaters, otakus, surfers, etc Just because it's easy for some kid to pick up a can of spray and do some rubbish shit on the walls and call it art I call it vandalism, or do some corny rhymes and express themselves through very pre-defined patterns it doesn't make it/them superior in any way. Teens in general don't think for themselves and have no real taste in music most just follows fashions or are influenced by their relatives/friends.

I sincerely doubt that most rappers believe in it, it's a nice thing to say to the media gives them some credits.

Timbaland does nice beats tho but I find all the pseudo culture very silly back in the 70's and 80's they may have had some genuine intentions but today no! You asked what was our opinion so don't bitch if you don't agree with it. Try rapping your disappointment instead.