Poll: Rap, Because its about gangsters and hoes.

[Fidelias]

I don't like the style of music that rap is. Also, about 9 out of 10 rap songs that I hear on the radio either talk about violent cravings, "hoes", and drugs. If I were to hear an actual good rap song, then fine, but I've yet to hear one yet.

 

[Okuu_Fusion]

I prefer rap from the 80's and early 90's... Nobody in particular though. Im sure theres good stuff nowadays, but so far all I've heard is shit... Maybe im not looking hard enough...

 

[lacktheknack]

I love rap that DOESN'T focus on those things. I tend to enjoy rap that focuses on social justice and responsibility.

I think you'd like Blue Scholars. Ever heard of 'em?

Nope. Inform me.

These guys.

I'm in love.

I don't like the style of music that rap is. Also, about 9 out of 10 rap songs that I hear on the radio either talk about violent cravings, "hoes", and drugs. If I were to hear an actual good rap song, then fine, but I've yet to hear one yet.

Try "Airplanes" by B.o.B (even though it's really ironic, at least it's ten times better than any other rap on the radio).

 

[Snarky Username]

I think that it shouldn't be considered a musical genre because it has more merits as poetry than music. Well, it does when it's not about gangsters and hoes.

One thing I've always wondered. When you're talking about women, is it spelled ho or hoe?

 

[clipse15]

For me, i legitimately love rap. But when it comes to my taste in rap, lyrics are the NUMBER ONE thing for me (then beat, then video, but i wont go into those aspects now). I just really dont like the whole materialistic/ringtone rap that we hear today about money, cars, bitches, drugs, clubbing, etc. I need rap with more substance and that is more conscious. The rappers/MCs that do it for me today are Lupe Fiasco (best lyricist in the game right now), Common, Mos Def, Talib Kweli, Nas, The RZA, The GZA, Gang Starr, Jay-z (he really is good, but i pick and choose with his stuff alot), MF Doom, Immortal Technique, Cool Kids (not the most conscious, but they have really clever wordplay), Mike Shinoda, Kanye West (when he's not being an asshole and is not chasing radio), and many others i cant name off right now lol. For old skool, i go with Wu-tang, NWA, Tupac, Bigge, Snoop Dog, Ice Cube, Dr. Dre, Nate Dog, Public Enemy, Busta Rhymes (he was soo raw and unique back in the 90s), ludacris (i respect his stuff now, but not as much as his old skool stuff), and others. But yeah....today, all were mostly left with is just garbage like Plies, 50 cent, Wayne (truthful i dont really hate him, but his NOTTTT "the greatest rapper alive". that shit is self-proclaimed and stupid ppl bought into it), Drake (he can flow, but lyrically, his a nobody and a wayne clone in my opinion) Lil boosie, Soulja Bitc....i mean boy (outside of his ONE HIT WONDER "crank that soulja boy", he's trash, he needs to just stick with dancing. Hes like the MC hammer of our generation in my opinion), nelly, Dolla, T-pain (ok he's not really rap, but i hateeeeeeee him with a passion, he fucking single handedly killed auto-tune. I miss the days when it was kool. Daft Punk anyone?), DJ Khaled (again not a rapper but A FAILURE OF A HYPE MAN. he just fucks up every song he's in with his voice, OMGGGGGGG, when i hear one of his songs i just go "SHUT THE FUCK UPPPPP" when he talks), Mims, Jibbs, And manyyyyyyyy more wack-ass Rappers/MCs (if you can call them that >___>).

So bottom line, i love rap/hip hop, but am just veryyyyyy picky nowadays with all the garbage thats out today. And with all the trash out there, am not surprised that most ppl hate it or dont even give it a chance when ppl show them good, lyrical competent rap.

Im quoting this post only because for the first time I see someone respecting how good Busta Rhymes used to be back in the day. He was such an amazing Lyricist and was so full of energy

 

[Funkiest Monkey]

It's alright. I do enjoy Rap and Hip Hop occasionally, but not much.

 

[WolfThomas]

I was a fan of Aussie Hiphop, in particular Hilltop Hood's "The Calling" and "The Hard Road" are really good and buck the trend of "hos, drugs and guns". However most of the recent stuff (including their "State of the Art") I don't like. The Herd are pretty good too.

But yeah Aussie Hiphop I like because its a lot more irreverant and laid back, it doesn't take itself seriously.

 

[zatzie zombie num666]

most rap and hip hop suks giant dinosaur balls but some is great personly i love skip hop

 

[zatzie zombie num666]

i agre skip hop is the shit
err opps i thort i quoted someone :S

 

[Scizophrenic Llama]

I rarely listen to rap simply because I like things to be a lot more technical on the musical side of things, but if I do-- It needs to have some lyrical substance.


I'm not going to go out looking for rap to listen to though, progressive rock/metal is my bread and butter and I generally don't stray too far from it.

 

[Nickolai77]

Well, first off i will say i am sure there are a number of talented and skilled rappers who can make good music.

But personally i'm just not that interested in the genre. Most rap is too vocal dependant and not enough thought put into the instumentals.[footnote]yes i am sure there are exceptions, but i am speaking in general terms[/footnote] Secondly, i've never really found Rap that interesting. This may be in part to do with the boring instumentals, but for me what the song is about has to interest me.

I listen to a lot of power and prog metal because, due to it's influense from classical fantasy, history, christian and pagan mythology etc, the songs are usually quite interesting. One of my favourite songs is from a pagan metal band called Eluviete, who did a song called Omnos, a song about love and shame, sung in 4th century Gallic. It's simply a facinating song.

Rap music is just too "down to earth" for my tastes...my entertainment has to serve as form of escapism from this world and into a different one, and metal does that well.

 

[Kurokami]

Now the title of this form is what I usually see on the Escapist. I have been here for less than a year. ( I think ) Now I on the other hand like a lot of rap. Not the shit like Little Wain and or Drake. I personally hate those rappers with a passion because its where people get the generalization that rap is only about gangsters, hoes, cash, and sex. Yet a lot of rap is about deeper pain like Rehab, Fort minor and some of Eminem. Now I am not trying to say O RAPZZ IZ DE SHIZZ. No I actually like a lot of metal. Yet this is what I am wondering Do you think all rap is about gangsters and hoes and ect or just because you don't like the Genera, or is it something else?

(Also please don't think this is a mad rant or anything I am just curious)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QUEO9Mfmn4M

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0i8Oy2l0cjo

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0i8Oy2l0cjo

Freakin' Awesome!

 

[Daipire]

TodayMost people here will acknowledge that rap was at least defendable... what, 10 years ago?

I present you, dear Aby_Z, Vanilla Ice.

 

[Doctor Pealz]

I dislike the general message of most rap. it comes off as arrogantly saying "I'm better than you". Some of eminems earlier stuff is alright, more heartfelt or meaningful than "Mah bitches be bigger than yo bitches". maybe i'm prejudiced though I was born a metal head. I feel rap can be very repetitive too.

 

[Cowabungaa]

Pah! Proper hip-hop is not about gangsters, it's about motherfucking blímps:
Awwww yeeeaaah!

*ahem*

Anyway, as said before, it's just another case of stereotyping. Most popular hip-hop is all about that crap, thus people associate all hip-hop with that.

As for myself, I usually don't really like rapping. As a vocal style it just doesn't really link with me. However, I do enjoy the more relaxed kind of hip-hop without rapping, like the Samurai Champloo soundtrack:
Mellows me out, great background music.

 

[Iron Mal]

Just one? I'm a rap fan, so although I know I'm going to have an advantage over you on this, but before thinking about it I'd be prepared to say I can think of... 10? Hmm...



Damn, you are so right! Not only are all of those songs by black gangbangers, they're all about guns, bitches and bling!

Oh wait... Sorry, I forgot that was just a stereotype. Still, we've all got to hate something unreasonably, right?

I'm sorry to disappoint but of your 10 I have still only heard of one (Eminem), also, I acknowledged that not all rap artists and songs fall within the stereotype (apparantly you didn't bother reading my post that well) but just saying 'that's just a stereotype, so it must be wrong' doesn't hold much weight with me.

Many stereotypes are based on observations and trends (and as such, have elements of truth to them), so it's not hating on something unreasonably, you just disagree with my reasons (which are also based on observation).

Not all rappers are gangbangers and not all songs are about guns, bling and bitches (I believe I already said this in my last post but I'll repeat myself just for you), but a large number of them are, and a large number of the people who listen to it also seem to think along these lines (and sadly, it is often the worst members of a group that we will judge them by).

 

[lwm3398]

In my experience, white rap/hip-hop is better than black. Not racist or anything, it just seems like it.

White rappers usually have a whole different style than black rappers. It's just a different flavor. I couldn't tell you how or why, but I think it is. It depends on what you like better, just like everything else.

 

[clipse15]

For me, i legitimately love rap. But when it comes to my taste in rap, lyrics are the NUMBER ONE thing for me (then beat, then video, but i wont go into those aspects now). I just really dont like the whole materialistic/ringtone rap that we hear today about money, cars, bitches, drugs, clubbing, etc. I need rap with more substance and that is more conscious. The rappers/MCs that do it for me today are Lupe Fiasco (best lyricist in the game right now), Common, Mos Def, Talib Kweli, Nas, The RZA, The GZA, Gang Starr, Jay-z (he really is good, but i pick and choose with his stuff alot), MF Doom, Immortal Technique, Cool Kids (not the most conscious, but they have really clever wordplay), Mike Shinoda, Kanye West (when he's not being an asshole and is not chasing radio), and many others i cant name off right now lol. For old skool, i go with Wu-tang, NWA, Tupac, Bigge, Snoop Dog, Ice Cube, Dr. Dre, Nate Dog, Public Enemy, Busta Rhymes (he was soo raw and unique back in the 90s), ludacris (i respect his stuff now, but not as much as his old skool stuff), and others. But yeah....today, all were mostly left with is just garbage like Plies, 50 cent, Wayne (truthful i dont really hate him, but his NOTTTT "the greatest rapper alive". that shit is self-proclaimed and stupid ppl bought into it), Drake (he can flow, but lyrically, his a nobody and a wayne clone in my opinion) Lil boosie, Soulja Bitc....i mean boy (outside of his ONE HIT WONDER "crank that soulja boy", he's trash, he needs to just stick with dancing. Hes like the MC hammer of our generation in my opinion), nelly, Dolla, T-pain (ok he's not really rap, but i hateeeeeeee him with a passion, he fucking single handedly killed auto-tune. I miss the days when it was kool. Daft Punk anyone?), DJ Khaled (again not a rapper but A FAILURE OF A HYPE MAN. he just fucks up every song he's in with his voice, OMGGGGGGG, when i hear one of his songs i just go "SHUT THE FUCK UPPPPP" when he talks), Mims, Jibbs, And manyyyyyyyy more wack-ass Rappers/MCs (if you can call them that >___>).

So bottom line, i love rap/hip hop, but am just veryyyyyy picky nowadays with all the garbage thats out today. And with all the trash out there, am not surprised that most ppl hate it or dont even give it a chance when ppl show them good, lyrical competent rap.

Im quoting this post only because for the first time I see someone respecting how good Busta Rhymes used to be back in the day. He was such an amazing Lyricist and was so full of energy

Thx for acknowledging my thoughts on Busta Rhymes. But im just curious, from what u posted is it safe to say that u didnt care for/agree with what the rest of post said?? 0__o

no no i was just tired when i posted it so i couldnt go in depth into your post. I am a HUGE Wu-Tang Clan fan. I got to see the RZA and the GZA live and it was awesome. I also love MF DOOM and i agree with your opinion about Lil Wayne. I believe he does have the potential to be a really strong rapper because of the way he structures his rhymes. I dont think he's good but if you listen to the outkast song (OutKast is also amazing) Hollywood Divorce with Lil Wayne I believe that that is one of his strongest songs.

 

[The Diabolical Biz]

I've never really listened to rap, thus I have no real idea what it's about. If someone would kindly recommend some of the best I would listen to it and give a verdict, but as of now I am completely ignorant to the genre.

The undenyable classic albums of the genre are:

Public Enemy - It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back (was in Rolling Stones top 100 albums of all time) and Fear of a Black Planet. Public Enemy are noisy and political, generally considered the best
Run DMC - Raising Hell, generally considered the first classic rap album, contains Tricky and Walk this Way.
De La Soul - 3 Feet High and Rising, left feild rap, often called "hippy rap", totally different from any rap stereotypes people have, funny and sweet, my first favourite rap album


Some more recent classics
Jay Z - The Blueprint, basically does classic rap the best, very well produced
The Roots - Phrenology, I think the first rap band to use entirely live instrumentation these guys are currently Jimmy Fallon's house band
OutKast - Stankonia, a strange beast, unclassifiable almost.

You simply cannot make a best albums list for hip-hop and not include Illmatic, otherwise known as the Hip-Hop bible.