First of all, different genres need to be assessed on different criteria. Saying that rap is bad singing and is based around repetative beats is not only wrong, but missing the point. It would be like criticising Mozart for his lack of guitar solos. Good rap is all about flow, complex rhymes, clever word play and storytelling ability. If you think that DJing is easy or boring, then look at this
documentary on why you are wrong. Oh yea, and rap groups are increasingly using live bands.
These guys currently work as Jimmy Fallon's house band.
Secondly, I realise, that songs primarily concerned with the issues of young, lower class black men are unlikely to strike a chord with those who frequent a videogames forum. I mean that would be like expecting Jay Z to be a big fan of Grizzly Bear.
Oh wait. You can enjoy a peice of music regardless of subject matter. I don't see anyone complaining about, say, Nick Cave writing an a whole album of songs about murdering people, Big Black writing an album called "Songs About Fucking" or the Velvet Underground writing songs about taking lots of drugs. But somehow, when its in a rap song, it becomes offensive. I personally find, for example, NWA quite a refreshing change from all the angsty white guy music I listen to.
Oh yea, and I almost feel it goes without saying that nowhere near as much rap as most people claim is about "guns, bitches and bling", at least not the sort of rap that anyone actually into rap listens to. The first rap group that I got into (I'll admit, maybe 3 or 4 years ago, I would been on the side of the majority of this thread) was
De La Soul, as their whole aestetic was the complete opposite to what I learned to expect from rap, with a jazz influenced sound and raps about everything from awkward first loves to surreal walks in the park, talking to animals. I sortof started at the left-field and worked my way right.
To summarise, there is a large amount of rap that is not about "guns, bitches and bling" and even if it is, that doesn't mean that its necessarily bad.
Thirdly, Sturgeons Law. Yea, there is a fairly large amount of rap which is shit. On the other hand, there is a large amount of any genre which is shit. Judging rap by 50 Cent is like judging fantasy novels by Stephanie Mayer, they may be popular (although, I don't really know anyone that listens to 50 Cent any more), but don't let them taint the genre as a whole.
Oh, and lastly, can people please stop saying that all good rap was released in the 80s/90s and since then its been crap, especially if you are going to hold up the Sugarhill Gang, MC Hammer or Vanilla Ice as your examples. Have you listened to the fish verse of Rappers Delight? I forgive you for missing it, because its about 6 minutes into that song, but its one of the most baffling things ever committed to tape. Even though they allegedly coined the term "rap", they were by no means the first rap group. They were a largely manufactured group, to wring money out of rising rap scene. MC Hammer and Vanilla Ice released one decent song each, both of rap over barely edited samples of Superfreak and Under Pressure respectively and don't hold a candle to other rappers or groups of that era: Run DMC, Public Enemy, De La Soul, Eric B and Rakim, Beastie Boys, Boogie Down Productions, etc.
There's been plenty of good rap this side of the millenium. 5 of Metacritics
Top 15 albums are rap, 10 of the top 50. And that doesn't take into account some worthy underground records that people here have recommended (Sage Francis' Personal Journals, Aesop Rock's Labour Days), but which didn't make it onto the metacritic rankings. While we may not have quite had something as good as say, Public Enemy's It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back, Beastie Boys' Pauls Boutique or De La Soul's 3 Feet High and Rising, we have had OutKast's Stankonia, Dizzee Rascal's Boy in da Corner, Jay Z's the Blueprint, Kanye West's Late Registration and College Dropout, The Roots' Phrenology and Im sure plenty others which I have missed.
