Is Rap art?

[ace_of_something]

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)

That is probably my favorite typo ever.

Of course it's Art. Just because you don't like it, it isn't complex enough, or the subject matter is stupid doesn't mean it's not art.

That being said I dislike about 95% of rap.

 

[Panken]

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

He describes himself as being in the hip hop genre.

Public Enemy is art and Soulja Boy is not.

Agreed.

 

[ChromeAlchemist]

All music is art, it's just most Rap is bad art.

And when you say most Rap, you mean...

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

I hope that 99.9% isn't what you hear on television, because that is two of a large library of sub-genres, one that I'm sure goes into double figures.

 

[TMAN10112]

Rap and it's various sub-genres definitly can be art (not counting most of the mainstream). Even I take a break from my usual metal & hard rock dominated playlists to lisen to a bit of the good stuff.


P.S. Lets not forget about Nerdcore.

 

[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)

That is probably my favorite typo ever.

Of course it's Art. Just because you don't like it, it isn't complex enough, or the subject matter is stupid doesn't mean it's not art.

That being said I dislike about 95% of rap.

Dunno if the middle statement was ment for me, but i like rap, and rap can sure as hell be complex, those tightly woven non-forced multi-rhymes, and has potential for really complex lyrics, cause of the big amount of text, though some rappers usually just repeat big guns/cars/money/tits over and over, which i personally think is kinda shallow.

Yes rap suffers severely under Sturgeons Law.

 

[MasterSqueak]

Rap is art. Bad art, but art.

EDIT: Well, I guess only "gangsta yo poppin capz in homies" rap is bad. Everything else is okay.

 

[L33tsauce_Marty]

Yes.

Poetry = Art

Rap = Poetry over a beat

Thus:

Rap = Art

Arguably poetry, I still don't think it's there yet.

 

[Cpt_Oblivious]

Hell No.

 

[ace_of_something]

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)

That is probably my favorite typo ever.

Of course it's Art. Just because you don't like it, it isn't complex enough, or the subject matter is stupid doesn't mean it's not art.

That being said I dislike about 95% of rap.

Dunno if the middle statement was ment for me, but i like rap, and rap can sure as hell be complex, those tightly woven non-forced multi-rhymes, and has potential for really complex lyrics, cause of the big amount of text, though some rappers usually just repeat big guns/cars/money/tits over and over, which i personally think is kinda shallow.

Yes rap suffers severely under Sturgeons Law.

Really just the beginning was for you I should've made a line or something.

I realize that I mostly just talk about guns, cars, money, d&d, and tits with my friends. I think the d&d is what makes me deep, unlike rappers.

What is Sturgeons Law?

 

[black lincon]

If I get the chance I'll link up a thread about Hip-Hip that I made, it gives a better explanation than this. Also Rap is the singing portion of hip-hop, gangster rap refers to lyrics that focus on "thug life". and all hip-hop is music, it's just that most gangster rap has been bad since the early 90's.

 

[EeveeElectro]

For me, poetry and meaningful lyrics are art.
Now, let's look at an example

Spoiler: Crank dat soulja boy indeed!

Lyrics to Crank Dat Soulja Boy :
(Yoooouuuu!)
Soulja boy I tell 'em
Hey I got a new dance fo you all called the soulja boy
(Yoooouuuu!)
You gotta punch then crank back three times from left to right
(Aaaaaaaahhhhhhhh yeeeeaaaah!)

[Chorus: x2]
Soulja Boy Off In This Hoe
Watch me Crank It
Watch me Roll
Watch me Crank Dat Soulja Boy
Then Super Man Dat Hoe
Now, Watch me You...
(Crank Dat Soulja Boy)
Now, Watch me You...
(Crank Dat Soulja Boy)
Now, Watch me You...
(Crank Dat Soulja Boy)
Now, Watch me You...
(Crank Dat Soulja Boy)

[Verse 1:]
Soulja Boy Off In This Hoe
Watch me Lean And Watch Me Rock?
Super Man Dat Hoe
Then Watch me Crank Dat Robocop?
Super Fresh, Now Watch Me Jock
Jocking On Them Haterz Man
When I Do Dat Soulja Boy
I Lean To The Left And Crank Dat Dance
(Now You)
I'm Jocking On Yo ***** Ass
And If We Get The Fightin
Then I'm Cocking On Your *****
You Catch Me At Yo Local Party
Yes I Crank It Everyday
Haterz Get Mad Cause
"I Got Me some Bathing Apes"

[Chorus x2]

[Verse 2:]
I'm bouncin' on my toe
Watch me super soak dat oh
I'ma pass it to Arab
And he's gon' crank it up fo' sho'

Haterz wanna be me
Soulja Boy, I'm the man
They be lookin' at my neck
Sayin' it's the Rubberband Man, man
Watch me do it, watch me do it
Dance, dance
Let get to it, let get to it

Nope, you can't do it like me
Doe, so don't do it like me
Folk, I see you tryna do it like me
Man that damn was ugly

[Chorus x2]

I'm To Clean Off In This Hoe
Watch Me Crank And
Watch Me Roll
Watch Me Crank Dat Roosevelt
Then Super soak That Hoe,
Super Soak That Hoe [x9]
I'm to Fresh Off In This *****
Watch Me Show
Now Watch Me Gig
Watch Me Crank My Shoulder Work
And Superman That *****,
Superman That *****,
Superman That *****,
Superman That *****,
Superman that *****

A fine work of art, I'm sure you'll agree.

 

[zauxz]

When the rapper is trying to tell something, deliver a message, it is art. ( for example Flipsyde - Happy Birthday)

But if the rapper is talking about his cars, bitches and golden teeth, it is not. ( for example Lil' Johns/ Soulja boys/ whatevers work)

Altho i am not a big fan of rap, so im the wrong person to judge.

And by saying im not a big fan i mean that i never listen to it.

 

[goatzilla8463]

I hate rap but if you consider it to be art, it's art to you.

Everyone is entitled to an opinion... except Gordon Brown.

 

[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)

That is probably my favorite typo ever.

Of course it's Art. Just because you don't like it, it isn't complex enough, or the subject matter is stupid doesn't mean it's not art.

That being said I dislike about 95% of rap.

Dunno if the middle statement was ment for me, but i like rap, and rap can sure as hell be complex, those tightly woven non-forced multi-rhymes, and has potential for really complex lyrics, cause of the big amount of text, though some rappers usually just repeat big guns/cars/money/tits over and over, which i personally think is kinda shallow.

Yes rap suffers severely under Sturgeons Law.

Really just the beginning was for you I should've made a line or something.

I realize that I mostly just talk about guns, cars, money, d&d, and tits with my friends. I think the d&d is what makes me deep, unlike some rappers.

fixed

What is Sturgeons Law?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sturgeon's_law related to the last point of your previous post.

 

[PTSpyder]

Rap can be art, but almost always this is not the case.

 

[DrScoobs]

most of the time, no. some of the time when it is actually good, yes

 

[isay]

The Lil' Jon and Lazytown mash up was the pinnacle of modern art.
But seriously every genre of music has its extremes that an individual will/won't like; for me De La Soul, A Tribe Called Quest, Tupac (Brenda's Got a Baby) and Lupe Fiasco (Little Soldier) and a lot of the UK's grime acts (e.g. Reach-Skrein)prove that the genre can rise above the misogynism and condoning of crime that it is known for.
BUT in my opinion it is pulled down by those like teh Ying-Yang Twins and G-unit. Its still music (pretty good too) but far from art.

 

[DuncanRR]

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

...Damn... thanks for the link. I took a listen to the song as a read along with the lyrics, and that made it's theme even more powerful.

On topic: Art is too broad a concept to easily define. I don't think Soulja Boy's music is art, but I don't think Picasso's cubism is art either.