quote:

Originally posted by Mike:
I would say that about 80% of rap is that way, but that is just from personal experience. Not so much the 48 tracks, but I think that in order to be a rapper you have to be pretentious.

I beg to differ. Looking even in the commercial sphere, two of the most charismatic and successful MCs successfully avoided pretension for the most part: Biggie and Jay-Z... no, not 'Pac. That was one pretentious-ass mutha.

th eonly rappers that are pretensious are thw ones that are paid to be or have to be to get paid.lets face it being a "character" will make it easier to get seen.There is no doubt that there are tons of rappers and musicians in general that are only in it for the money.Just look at 50 cent...how many times have u hear his name without hearing someone reference being shot 9 times.Especially when he wason the rise...not so much now, but it sure helped.

We may well differ in our definitions of the word "pretentious." And therein lies the confusion.

quote:

Originally posted by merqury:
two of the most charismatic and successful MCs successfully avoided pretension for the most part: Biggie and Jay-Z...

Doesn't Jay-Z keep saying he's Jahova?

How is "Big Pimpin'" not pretentious?

"greatest rapper alive" stated by jay-z numerous times on numerous albums after big's death.

quote:

Originally posted by Mike:
How is "Big Pimpin'" not pretentious?

like i said earlier,

quote:

We may well differ in our definitions of the word "pretentious." And therein lies the confusion.

By pretentious, I meant the bullshit, faux-intellectual airs put on by often-ignorant rappers claiming to "be on some knowledge shit." Kanye, Nas, and 'Pac are just a few examples.

Jay's definitely intelligent with his wordplay (as was Big), but he is fully aware that he makes unsubstantial-but-enjoyable music (as is the case with most modern, commercial hip-hop).

By pretentious, I mean this "Look at my car with 'dubs,' look at this girl's booty, look at my necklace, look at my money, I am the best thing to ever happen to rap" kind of rap.

EDIT: I forgot to include the "Look at how 'hard' I am" rap. "I'll bust a cap in yo' ass if you say somethin'"

"No wonder people don't like hip hop. They don't know anything about it. Here are a few amazing rappers/groups with tons of originality: Zion I, Sole, Edan, Cannibal Ox, Guru/Gang Starr, El-P, Aesop Rock, Outkast, Arecee, Alias, Binary Star, Talib Kweli, 7l & Esoteric, Wiley, Curse (the German rapper), Mr. Lif, The Perceptionists, earlier Aphrodelics, Murs, The Pharcyde, Crown City Rockers, Living Legends, Cage, Brother Ali, Mos Def, Supastition, Pharoahe Monch/Organized Konfusion, Cee-lo, Gift of Gab/Blackalicious, Slick Rick, K-os, Hieroglyphics, Atmosphere, Truth Enola, RJD2, 2Pac, Masta Ace, People Under the Stairs, Heiku D'Etat, Pete Rock, and J-Live. Do people only know what they see on TV and hear on the radio? Even Aesop Rock is on TV now. Good luck finding good music..."


i love the list but how can u leave out the legendary Kool keith or one of my personal favorates mc paul barman. i dont know if u heard him but its halarios and dope.

also i just wanted to comment about how imprezu 21 definatly dosent ever post way to much
(sarcasm) obviosly
but he knows his shit
anyway anyone heard deisal truckers just wondering if it was good and i heard rza might do a new cuban linx is this true

thanks.
I hate mc paul barman.I threw away his album after 3-4 listens.Just a shade above wierd al.barely.

Diesel truckers is cool.Its not great but a fan will enjoy it.Kool keith and kutmasta kurt?You should have an idea of what it "should" sound like.

Kool keith is a legend, no doubt.

Jay-Z
Puff Daddy

I don't like Eminem. Sorry folks, I just don't like him.

MIKE JONES. Never heard a more obnoxious "Musician" (he's not a musician) in my life. He's just SO ridiculously terrible it makes me sick.

I noticed that Non Phixion is conspicious by their abscence in the paragraph of indie hip hop artists too.

I've pretty much stopped listening to hip hop because there's a ceiling to it even in the indie scene. Aren't like half of the artists cutting off of the indie rock fabric anyways?

That is the funniest but also the most brutally honest post I have seen in ages.

quote:

Originally posted by Carlito's Way:
That is the funniest but also the most brutally honest post I have seen in ages.

What's brutally honest about it?

quote:

Originally posted by merqury:

By pretentious, I meant the bullshit, faux-intellectual airs put on by often-ignorant rappers claiming to "be on some knowledge shit." Kanye, Nas, and 'Pac are just a few examples.

merqury... I'd really hate to disagree with you on this one, but I don't think Tupac was pretentious in your sense of the word pretentious. He is far far far from being a faux-intellectual on some "knowledge shit". I don't know if that would be an accurate description of Tupac. As an MC he was just plain storytelling the thug life, and a thug he really was. His messages on political, economic and racial equality (or inequality) are justified because he experienced them firsthand. So how have you arrived at the conclusion that he was pretentious? Is it the way he carried himself? I believe that before you had labelled him pretentious as a gangsta rapper, perhaps you should have looked into Tupac's history first.

You're right. I was a little glib in lumping him in with Nas & Co. While I respected his storytelling, etc. I was also left cold by him capaigning furiously against certain phenomena, only to encourage them later.

I guess I meant to call him a charlatan, and not "pretentious." However, even so, I don't think he was as much a charlatan as a man who'd changed his outlook on life. After he linked up with Death Row, certain things simply weren't much of a priority anymore. It's that simple, I guess.

So yeah, my bad.

50 Cent
Chingy
Nelly

Those 3 in particular get on my nerves more then any other but the are lots of similar artists i wish would just go already...

quote:

Originally posted by Mike:
EDIT: I forgot to include the "Look at how 'hard' I am" rap. "I'll bust a cap in yo' ass if you say somethin'"

I'm not an expert on the subject, but the majority of rap songs, to my knowledge, would fit perfectly into that category. I mean, it could be the most lyrical song or whatever, and then boom, the rapper utters something like that. It's weird, really, but I guess it has something do to with the whole "I grew up in a ghetto and I'm dead poor and need to defend my territory" thing.