Style-wise, I detest the preachiness. Lose the pulpit. Worse, the endless talk is artless and the endless rhyme schemes are monotonous, regressive, and oh so stupid. There are whole genres built on people who lack a sopranos pipes, who mouth their lyrics through wet, husky, even goofy-sounding voices. With all that historical and creative latitude, these rap clowns still manage to chew up words and spit them out in a haze of soulless digitized noise. Not even their super-computers can clean up and make out words they mouth - which may not be an altogether bad thing.
Rap was once fun, silly, cool even. Now, these jokers are afraid to smile, to appear 'palatable', 'mainstream', friendly or appealing, or even sound like educated people ! It seems the backlash against them is spreading to minority communities too, who for so long offered them a socio-cultural refuge against the big, bad Establishment. Now, years in, with a whole generation of young persons mired in me-first know-nothing-ism, finally, they are beginning to slowly distance themselves.
Remove your blazer, unbutton that top button, loosen up your tie, take a seat, grab a drink and relax.
I don't take rap seriously. I listen to it because it's fun to party to, it helps me let lose, and generally it's the only music I have in common with friends. (this is probably why I despise most underground rap... that shit pisses me off)
I don't think rap sucks. I think bad rap sucks, and unfortunately that's what has made its way to the mainstream.
I'd recommend k-Os (who has a better singing voice than rapping voice) and Gnarls Barkley (same deal). Another possible would be Subtle, though I can't speak for the quality of their albums, I did enjoy a couple tracks I heard.
Mainstream rap not only sucks, it rims, teabags, and felches. I wouldn't waste my time listening to 99% of it. Obviously there are exceptions, but it's just not interesting in general.
It's like everything else though. If you thought Maroon 5, James Blunt, and Daniel Powter were the greatest representatives of pop, then you'd write it off too.
"I know that human beings and fish can co-exist peacefully"
Originally posted by Borachon: It's like everything else though. If you thought Maroon 5, James Blunt, and Daniel Powter were the greatest representatives of pop, then you'd write it off too.
This is very true, the thing is I find it harder to find good rap than to find good pop for some reason.
Originally posted by Borachon: It's like everything else though. If you thought Maroon 5, James Blunt, and Daniel Powter were the greatest representatives of pop, then you'd write it off too.
This is very true, the thing is I find it harder to find good rap than to find good pop for some reason.
I think that is because, both lyrically and musically, rap operates within much narrower confines than pop. Personally I find so much of the lyrical content of rap off-putting due to its repetitiveness, aggression and self-centeredness. Which is too bad, because while I dig the musical production and beats of some songs, I am way turned off by the vocals. Musically, rap has evolved from the days of Grandmaster Flash, Run DMC, Public Enemy, et al; lyrically not so much. Put me in the "embarrassing dad" category if you wish, but I call 'em like I hear 'em.
Perhaps rap is just something that wasn't meant to last. Being narrower in scope, it was just destined to run out of ideas at some point. We'll probably continue to get some great rap here and there for a few more years, but eventually... kapoot. Of course, some of the aesthetics of rap will show up in music forever, but as a genre it will disperse and evaporate... kinda like disco.
Perhaps rap is just something that wasn't meant to last. Being narrower in scope, it was just destined to run out of ideas at some point. We'll probably continue to get some great rap here and there for a few more years, but eventually... kapoot. Of course, some of the aesthetics of rap will show up in music forever, but as a genre it will disperse and evaporate... kinda like disco.
It seems that music genres other than pop diseappear by transforming into pop. Exemple: punk is dead and is now pop-punk. Hip-hop is dead and is now kind of rap-pop bling bling i-have-nothing-to-do-and-all-my-songs-talks-about-sex-,cars-and-alcool. Punk and hip-hop exists when it means destroy everything (punk) and fuck racists (rap). And now rock is becoming indie-pop, and that scares me a little bit. Mainstream rock is pop-rock or pop-metal, like disturbed, seether, etc. So the mainstream music becomes bad pop, but there is a lot of great music out of the mainstream and in any music style.
Incredible how so many people can team up and write-off an entire genre which is still alive kicking today. To answer the brilliantly-stated question “Does rap suck or what?” I will say “or what.” I feel compelled enough to respond to almost every single post on here in the contrary but someone wise once told me that there are some things that you should just not respond to. I don’t know, I will think about it some more and maybe reconsider.
I would say it depends on who you're listening to. For the most part, rap you hear on the radio was made to sell to those who have no idea what rap is to be about. There is no feeling & very little talent involved. They rap about jewelry & women, with the occasional "it's hard to live in the ghetto" song. That's it. Many rappers "sell out" because there is more money when you get your videos on Mtv & music played on the local radio station. Their main fanbase is Suburban America, those who have no idea what it's really like to be broke.
Underground rappers are the ones I tend to listen to. Scarface hasn't sold out. He doesn't rap on "bling" or "hoes" He has songs with real depth & meaning, such as: 'Win, Lose or Draw', 'What Can I Do', 'Inbetween Us', 'I Seen a Man Die', 'On My Block', & more. This is a rapper who hasn't sold out & I buy each of his albums before I've even heard a single song off of it because I'm never disapointed in Scarface. Brotha Lynch Hung is another that continues to deliver. His raps tend to be a tad violent at times, but recently, he's lightened up on the "horse head in the bed" talk. Celly Cel is the closest I come to "feel good" rap. His 'It's Goin' Down' (the original & the remix) & What you N*ggas thought are the baddest raps you can get your hands on! Then there's E-40 & Twista, the speed that these guys can rap is amazing! At the same time, they have songs with heart.
So, while mainstream rappers stink like the dumpster behind a fast food joint, the underground & "unpopular" rappers are still delivering the controversial content that made rap big in the first place.
"I can't live the buttoned down life like all of you! I want it all: the terrifying lows, the dizzying highs, the creamy middles! Sure, I might offend a few of the blue-noses with my cocky stride and musky odor - oh, I'll never be the darling of the so-called 'City Fathers' who cluck their tongues, stroke their beards, and talk about what's to be done with this Monkey_Boy?!"
You couldn't pay me to listen to E-40. And Buck 65 has a song about Pan's Cock (yes I realise it's a metaphor, but c'mon). And underground rap (of the indie sort) comes off as if they were trying way too hard to have diverse flows and use big words (which they generally wind up using in the wrong context).... I just don't get it (although I like Atmosphere and the Roots a lot).
Mainstream rap is what I love. I hate a lot of it, but TI, Jeezy, Rick Ross, Clipse... well, that's about it. But, I love those four.
Why do you guys expect rap music to have so much depth? Why does it need to have depth? It's rap music... I want it to be lyrics about bitches, killing, cars and drugs set to a good beat. I want to get drunk as fuck and high as hell while partying to a dude talking about drinking 40s and smoking blunts.
Incredible how so many people can team up and write-off an entire genre which is still alive kicking today
To be fair, I'd say the same of country. In fact, I've had people tell me that it's impossible to say you never (or could never) like a country song, but I disagree (I'm referring to "new" country here, as some of the old stuff is quite good). How can I say that? Because when the qualities I enjoy in music, such as abstract lyrics, unconventional instrumentation, surprising turns, unique (if not trained) vocals, appear in a song by a country artist, they are then tagged as no longer being country (by country music lovers). By modern definition, country music requires common chord progressions, overly literal lyrics, and that freaking steel guitar just when you know it's coming. Hence, I think one can dismiss a genre regardless of how long it thrives (not saying it isn't for anybody, just not me).
Okay, what was the subject, rap? Yes. While I cannot give the same rationale for not liking rap (since I don't know that much about it), I can only guess why none of it ever catches my ear: I relate to none of it! I grew up in rural America, don't care about bling, and although it works for some people, a catchy beat doesn't hold my attention. I guess it doesn't suck for everybody, but I just don't get it.
Originally posted by Jglass: Why do you guys expect rap music to have so much depth? Why does it need to have depth? It's rap music... I want it to be lyrics about bitches, killing, cars and drugs set to a good beat. I want to get drunk as fuck and high as hell while partying to a dude talking about drinking 40s and smoking blunts.
If you want lyrical depth, go read some poetry.
I read poetry every day. The thing is, hip-hop partially came out of another movement, and that was beat poetry. It's a poem, spoken over often minimal music. That's the whole point of the genre, hip-hop is poetry.
I guess for a straight-edge like me, the lyrics are far too offensive. Seriously, if every other word I can understand is composed of four letters, I'm turning it off. I think hip-hop has turned into a very corporate driven, materialistic entity that promotes violence and even homophobia. I just saw a documentary on the subject a few weeks ago, made by someone who enjoys this type of music, and even he admitted that rap lyrics are abysmal.
I generally don't like rap, but I saw the band Subtle open for TVOR recently, and they were awesome. Subtle is fronted by a white rapper (aka Dose), but he's f'in awesome (yes, he's pretty fly for a white guy). There's a lot of stuff going on with the music, too. His rhymes are complex and heady, but oh, so catchy and hooky. It's the closest thing to rap that I've liked, since 2 Live Crew (but, hey, I was like 12 back then).
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quote:
I'm looking for Russian Militant Black Metal. Semi-good production is a plus, as are clean vocals (if kept to a minimum). Also looking for vocals in Russian. Basically like a Russian version of Absurd...
It's rap music... I want it to be lyrics about bitches, killing, cars and drugs set to a good beat.
Problems: 1) reinforcing negative racial stereotypes 2) boring 3) maybe I am getting old, but I've heard so much repetition of this crap that all I can conclude is 4) boring.
quote:
I want to get drunk as fuck and high as hell while partying to a dude talking about drinking 40s and smoking blunts.
How beautiful is youth! how bright it gleams with its illusions, aspirations, dreams! Book of Beginnings, Story without End, Each maid a heroine, and each man a friend!
Originally posted by m. clayton: I am way turned off by the vocals. Musically, rap has evolved from the days of Grandmaster Flash, Run DMC, Public Enemy, et al; lyrically not so much. Put me in the "embarrassing dad" category if you wish, but I call 'em like I hear 'em.
I can understand your sentiment, but again, like I said earlier, I think if you generalise you definitely won't find what your looking for.
You say that rap is a let down lyrically, but you could say the same about most other genres. How many truly great lyricists are there in pop/rock/indie/alternative/whatever? The majority of lyrics and themes are recycled. "I love her". "I can't have her". "I've lost her". "Now I'm depressed". Yawn.
There are plenty of brilliant lyricists in the rap game. For example, Vinnie Paz of Jedi Mind Tricks. Shadow Business, Uncommon Valor and Razorblade Salvation from last year's Servants In Heaven, Kings In Hell, were all lyrically head and shoulders above anything else I heard last year.
Again though, if you only listen to mainstream rap, it's easy to get the impression that rap has nothing to offer lyrically.
"I know that human beings and fish can co-exist peacefully"
Originally posted by Borachon: There are plenty of brilliant lyricists in the rap game. For example, Vinnie Paz of Jedi Mind Tricks. Shadow Business, Uncommon Valor and Razorblade Salvation from last year's Servants In Heaven, Kings In Hell, were all lyrically head and shoulders above anything else I heard last year.
Alright, I'll give you that one. Anything so obviously Wu influenced is gonna be sick, and I've been in love w/ JMT since my bro got me listening about 4 years ago.
Originally posted by m. clayton: I am way turned off by the vocals. Musically, rap has evolved from the days of Grandmaster Flash, Run DMC, Public Enemy, et al; lyrically not so much. Put me in the "embarrassing dad" category if you wish, but I call 'em like I hear 'em.
I can understand your sentiment, but again, like I said earlier, I think if you generalise you definitely won't find what your looking for.
You say that rap is a let down lyrically, but you could say the same about most other genres. How many truly great lyricists are there in pop/rock/indie/alternative/whatever? The majority of lyrics and themes are recycled. "I love her". "I can't have her". "I've lost her". "Now I'm depressed". Yawn.
This may seem like a double standard, but with most music I can let the guitars/electronics/stupid twee indie pop instrumentation and the singer's voice just wash over me and worry about the lyrics later or not at all. Rap doesn't allow that with its up-front vocal mixing, often minimal backing and blaring obscenities.
