Hip-Hop and Rap: What are your thoughts?

[lwm3398]

I'm curious, because I've always wondered what people think of a genre shrouded in misconception with few ambassadors that don't make it look like something other than a batch of drunk chauvinists. Don't be fooled though, there's a lot of good stuff hiding in there. Give it a chance, you might be surprised like I was when I started to look into the genre. Atmosphere is really good, as is K'naan, so look them up if you can.

If you've got videos of "good ambassadors" throw them up. I'd like to think I've got a good taste in hip-hop, but I'm always looking for new stuff to change my taste.

So, what are your thoughts? Good, bad, or something in between?

EDIT: By the way, by asking people to post videos, I was hoping a few people might watch them before they posted, just to have a bit more background information before giving any thoughts. So, please look through the thread before posting.

Just a suggestion, though.

 

[Tsaba]

Can't spell crap without the rap.

In all seriousness, some of it is good.... some of it.... I'd rather not comment.

 

[OldKingClancy]

I'm not a big fan of either but my view is this.

Rap - Nursery rhymes with swearing and references to money, guns and bitches.

Hip-Hop - An actual music genre, personal I consider Hip-Hop to have a few good songs and it is essential rap without the chauvinistic wankers
E.G. - Rapper's Delight by The Suger Hill Gang despite having rapping is a Hip-Hop song.

 

[BanthaFodder]

I personally can't stand it...
I admit that there is SOME good rap, but that's few and far between.
My iPod's full of Beatles, AC/DC, Rolling Stones, Aerosmith, The Who, Chuck Berry, Wierd Al, and all that.

 

[Nuuu]

i dont mind hip-hop, but most of the raps i hear, i just don't like. The meanings of most raps i don't like, and i don't find them that catchy either. I also don't like heavy/death metal.

 

[SomethingUnrelated]

I'm getting increasingly into both, especially the older stuff. I used to have an unreserved hate for both, that wasn't really founded on much, but now I've opened myself up to it, it's not all that bad.

 

[thirion1850]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ow-B_R9urM0

Underground hip-hop.

I dunno, sounds good to me. Or, wait, were you thinking of some Soulja Boi crap when you asked?

 

[lwm3398]

Hip-Hop - An actual music genre, personal I consider Hip-Hop to have a few good songs and it is essential rap without the chauvinistic wankers.

I agree. I've always felt that hip-hop is a song with rapping that has an actual band of instruments to back it up. Rap is something entirely made of commercialism and electronic beats.

Hip-hop, in my opinion, is also much more lyrically "worth it" to listen to. As in, hip-hop songs are more likely to have a point, message, or even symbolism.

 

[funguy2121]

I'm curious, because I've always wondered what people think of a genre shrouded in misconception with few ambassadors that don't make it look like something other than a batch of drunk chauvinists. Don't be fooled though, there's a lot of good stuff hiding in there. Give it a chance, you might be surprised like I was when I started to look into the genre. Atmosphere is really good, as is K'naan, so look them up if you can.

If you've got videos of "good ambassadors" throw them up. I'd like to think I've got a good taste in hip-hop, but I'm always looking for new stuff to change my taste.

So, what are your thoughts? Good, bad, or something in between?

The Roots
Mos Def
The Fugees
Dead Prez
Jurassic 5
Handsome Boy Modeling School

As close to the opposite of Li'l Wayne and Linkin Park as it gets.

 

[lwm3398]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ow-B_R9urM0

Underground hip-hop.

I dunno, sounds good to me. Or, wait, were you thinking of some Soulja Boi crap when you asked?

Soulja Boi isn't underground. He's more mainstream than a salmon in mating season. I mean songs that are actually "underground," as in, not commonly heard. That song is beautiful, by the way.

 

[Macgyvercas]

Let me put it this way...

The absolute worst stuff from the 80's is better than all of the rap and hip hop in the world combined.

Unless we are talking the stuff Wierd Al does. I like him.

 

[Wierdguy]

Music is like candy - you just throw away the (w)rappers

 

[Dr. wonderful]

There are a lot of good songs, it just very, very hard to find.

Oh and Rap takes steals too many songs from old singers.

Hip hop is at least original.

 

[thirion1850]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ow-B_R9urM0

Underground hip-hop.

I dunno, sounds good to me. Or, wait, were you thinking of some Soulja Boi crap when you asked?

Soulja Boi isn't underground. He's more mainstream than a salmon in mating season. I mean songs that are actually "underground," as in, not commonly heard. That song is beautiful, by the way.

Oh, I know he isn't. It's just he's the denominator of what rap and hip-hop is judged by lately, so it seems. The gangsta wankers so to say. Really quite a shame, as artists that are underground get to be heard far less over the crap said wankers produce.

 

[Artina89]

I am not a fan of either genre. The closest I have come to liking a rap/hip hop song is


(I would put the official music video, but VEVO won't let us grubby Brits watch it. Stupid VEVO) I don't know why I don't like rap or hip hop, neither genre appeals to me, thats all.

 

[lwm3398]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ow-B_R9urM0

Underground hip-hop.

I dunno, sounds good to me. Or, wait, were you thinking of some Soulja Boi crap when you asked?

Soulja Boi isn't underground. He's more mainstream than a salmon in mating season. I mean songs that are actually "underground," as in, not commonly heard. That song is beautiful, by the way.

Oh, I know he isn't. It's just he's the denominator of what rap and hip-hop is judged by lately, so it seems. The gangsta wankers so to say. Really quite a shame, as artists that are underground get to be heard far less.

Exactly. The people who actually have something to say (K'naan, mentioned above, is a Somalian immigrant with the stories to match the scars) are the ones who aren't heard in favor of "***** I GOT MONEY."

 

[Mike Laserbeam]

I like Hip-Hop and Rap. I don't like some of the themes, but I like the music if it's good.

This'll be the third time I've embedded this song on The 'scapist.
But this to me, this is good music.

 

[Je Suis Ubermonkey]

I respect Eminem for rapping about something more meaningful than 'gettin' wit da hoes', but rap and hip-hop just aren't my thing.

However, chap-hop...

Why rap when you can rhyme rhythmically to a banjolele beat?

 

[Glerken]

I recommend checking out the Blue Scholars, they're pretty great.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=En8DwCeKa6M

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wz79goWQrYU&feature=related

 

[staika]

I never really liked either to be honest. I guess the main reason is the whole rapping part, it's more like talking than actual singing and I just don't really like it. I guess that's just the metal head in me talking seeing as the metal world and the hip hop/rap world are in a cold war of sorts, well at least the metal world thinks so.