Is Rap art?

[Panken]

Ok, I made an "Are video games art" thread and it got a good response. However in the thread there seemed to be a small battle about Hip Hop being art. So, I wanted to see what people thought about that.

Here is my take on the subject.

Rock has many different sub-genres: Alternative, Death Metal, Soft Rock, etc...and Rap has many different sub genres: hip hop, gangster rap, rock-rap, etc...

"But Panken, why do you keep saying rap and hip hop, are they not interchangeable?"

No, they are not. Hip hop and rap are worlds different from each other, its like comparing the Beatles to Cradle of Filth. Gangster rap is very intense like Lil' John, Lil' Wayne, and Luda. Hip hop is more mellow, like Common, De La Soul, and, more recently, Dan Le Sac vs. Scroobius Pip. Alot of G-rap is about being a gangster, and alot of hip hop is about something more important.

So, what is art when it comes to music? Well, music is made to either evoke feelings or convey a message. This may be hard to beleive for some of you, judging by the favorite band topic alot of you dislike/hate rap, but hip hop has messages. Don't believe me, look at the lyrics for this song. Its called "Tommy C" by Dan le Sac vs. Scroobius Pip.

http://lyricwiki.org/Dan_Le_Sac_Vs_Scroobius_Pip:Tommy_C

If you took the time to read that then you know that the lyrics are strong and actually make you think. To me that is art. Most all of Lesac v Pip's songs are like that and are beautiful pieces of art.

When it comes to G-rap, I see them as musicians, not artist.

Ok, now that is done (and for those of you who read it i thank you) what do YOU think?

 

[Mertruve]

If it's good, yes. Duh.

 

[teisjm]

Rap is art the same way other genres of mysic is art, and the same way writing is art (there's more focus on the text than the music in rap compared to lots of other genres)

Also, i thought hip-hop was sortof the root of the sub-culture, which primarily consisted of (when it started) rap, dj'ing, grafitti and break-dance. I might be wrong but i'm pretty sure i've read this somewhere in a book about hip-hop.

 

[thiosk]

I guess I'm to old to consider it art, I think its trash.

But my great great grandparents thought jazz was trash, and jazz is most assuredly art, so its a never-ending vicious cycle of old people hating new music.

But I'd like to see someone justify "The shit is bananas" or "thong song" as art.

"Who let the dogs out?"

And what was that song in the 90s where he raps the procedure for free-basing cocaine?

 

[nathan-dts]

Rap CAN be art, but the majority of rap that talks about getting laid and popping caps in asses is not art.

 

[ArcWinter]

If you have a rap song, and it is about shooting people, gaining money or influence, or engaging in promiscuous activities with women, then I do not wish to hear it.

Rap, essentially, is a stream of words over a beat (or at least less music than other genres).
If the words are hard to hear, overdone, or simply boring, then the beat must become more interesting, which would interfere with the words, and might even change the genre.

As art, I'd say it's like some modern art. It's stark and new, but not elaborate enough to be actually considered "art".
So, no. But it's close.

 

[Cheesebob]

Yes.

Poetry = Art

Rap = Poetry over a beat

Thus:

Rap = Art

 

[-Seraph-]

Sure why not

 

[Xvito]

Rap CAN be art, but the majority of rap that talks about getting laid and popping caps in asses is not art.

The majority of rap isn't rap...

 

[Shamanic Enzan]

Yes. You don't have to like it for it to be art

 

[BBQ Platypus]

If it's music, it's art, since music is an art form. Not all of it is GOOD art, but it all is art from a purely technical perspective.

Now, I tend to think that (from a less technical perspective) it's art if it actually is trying to say something meaningful. From that perspective, Public Enemy is art and Soulja Boy is not. Basically, it doesn't matter what kind of music it is as long as it's good.

 

[chronobreak]

Of course rap is art, no matter the subject content. I use it express a lot of pent up things I can't exactly say outright.

By the way, here's my music video, warning for graphic images and language: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IObykt39Xsc

A lot of people will say that that isn't art, because of the subject matter, but I produced it, made the beat, wrote it, and put a lot of work into it. To me, that's art.

 

[Sronpop]

I don't really consider Dan le Sac to be hip hop, its more post-techno, modern, stuff. Rap can be aren't just 99.9% of it isn't

 

[ChromeAlchemist]

-snip-

OP, Me love you long time. You will find though that your opinion is going to be in the stark minority though.

Rap that isn't mainstream = Art

Rap that is = Not

Mainstream Rap not only lost artistic merit in general, but it also lost two of the four main elements of hip hop, which was Rapping, graffiti, DJ-ing, Break-dancing. The mainstream rap industry is like any other mainstream music industry that has gained popularity: Hollow.

I usually challenge people to show me a rap artist that is universally considered to be garbage, and for every one of those artists I can find two who's music is poetic or skilled in nature. You can find some artists out there that are seriously talented and gifted when it comes to lyricism.

Either way, I'm glad this is about, keep it up.

P.S. And while we're here, I may as well post some lyrics from a favourite group of mine.

http://www.lyricstime.com/cunninlynguists-the-gates-lyrics.html

And can I just say that anyone who is judging rap by what you hear on T.V. should re-evaluate the genre by listening to some of the best the underground has to offer. Mainstream hip-hop doesn't represent hip hop as a whole.

 

[The Infamous Scamola]

Some is, some isn't. You could say the same thing for any genre though.

 

[Nargleblarg]

Beating hookers and strippers with chairs/pool cues/bottles etc. and singing about it....I guess it's dark and graphic art.

 

[TaborMallory]

All music is its own form of art. The thing that seperates rap/hip-hop from nice art are the subjects they tend to sing about, the time and effort they put into it, and the main goal of recording their music.

 

[KeyMaster45]

Here's my beef with the music industry today in general.

Every song I hear has something to do with some poor schmuk losing his girlfriend, his job, how much his life sucks, how much he loves certain body parts, etc. Its all the same, and so many of them all have that low depressing beat to them, I'm actually quite thrilled when a song with an upbeat tune comes on the radio. Despite though, if you listen to the lyrics its the same depressing bullshit set to a different beat.

I listen to music to be happy, not feel like life is shitty that's why more and more I turn to classic orchestra music, and hell even some game soundtracks, because they have no words to them just beautiful soothing tunes.

I'll cite the webster's definition of art for this next bit
Art: the conscious use of skill and creative imagination especially in the production of aesthetic objects ; also : works so produced

By that definition all forms of music are Art, but to call something Art is subjective. Look at some modern paintings that people say "show the frustration of the artist" or some other deep notion like that. If its just paint spattered on a canvas I'll look at it and say "Hey, my cousin did that in her pre-school finger painting last week."

For something to be Art it has to move the observer's heart in such a way that they somehow feel complete when in its presence. Art has to connect with its audience in order to be meaningful. True, we give artists, of any medium, credit for great creations. It is we, their audience though that turn it into Art.