Poll: What's your opinion on Rap and Hip Hop?

[Apretentiousname]

Part of my frustration towards rap/hip hop comes from the people who listen to it. Why do fans of this genre like to turn up the volume (or bass) really fucking loud and roll down their car windows? Hey assholes, not everyone likes to listen to the same shit as you! Knock it off!

Well, you wouldn't hear the people who don't play it that load and roll down their windows would you? As usual, only extremists are noticed by the general public. I'm not saying there aren't plenty of people turning it up, but there is no shortage of people who aren't.

I like the odd artist, like Kanye West, Eminem and B.O.B, a few of their songs actually mean something, which usually wins my respect when it comes to musicians.
Artists that are like, "Yo dawg, move out the way *****, I slap some hoes" don't deserve the fame they get.

Once again, I will mention 2pac. Though it is true he had a songs about him thuggin, many, many of his songs were about life in the ghetto and him speaking for poor and disadvantaged people.



Here is one of his most famous positive songs, a large hit. One of his bigger ones.

Is it music? It's...something. It's definitely something at least in the vicinity of music. It's not my cup of tea but I still prefer it over Country and many other things. The gangsta rap scene bothers me though. There's nothing glamorous about pointless violence, objectifying women and wearing twelve pounds of jewelry around your neck. I realize that might be stepping on some cultural lines, and if it offends you, I'm sorry, but I don't see how that message helps anyone.

...Really? I thought having twelve pounds of jewelry around my neck would be pretty awesome.

Edit: Also, before posting something along the lines of "rap is not music from a technical standpoint" please refer to my previous posts. Also, the same before stating how it requires no talent, gangsta rap is all shit, or that rap isn't poetry or clever in any shape or form.

 

[B-Rye]

Any mainstream hip-hop/rap post-2003 is just absolutely terrible. Rarely is there anything that is lyrically or melodically iconic. These days its just a bunch of puppets who have the misfortune to let the record companies have too much control over their music. It is all so uninspired that there is a trend of artists who either A) sample already established songs, B) rely on auto-tuning nearly 100% of the time, C) do not have any rhythm (if they rap), or D) all of the above.

You have to go to the indie/underground to find anything worth listening to. This is where you can find people who experiment and see what can really be done with the genre. Does each experiment work? Hell no, but at least it has more soul than the crap most people allow themselves to be spoonfed. Example of an indie, Blue Scholars; I don't listen to them much but when I do it is always a pleasure.

Just about anything pre-2003 is decent, if not good. Of course not all of it was gold but pre-2003 was hip-hop/rap's golden age simply due to the artists that were still alive back then.

Modern lyrical content, at least what gets radio play, does not paint a picture of a genre worth defending. Mine is bigger/better than yours, expensive fashion, jewelery, violence, drugs, mysogony basically sums it up.

Granted sometimes mainstream artists have songs that are about the things in this world worth fighting for on their CDs. Family, love, enjoying life without it being at the expense of another, true respect (not respect that is feigned out of fear), etc. These just don't get radio play. If people want a change in how hip-hop/rap is perceived by the world then call your local hip-hop/rap radio station and request these kinds of songs. (And pull your pants up, no one wants to see your ugly-ass draws)

I will admit my views are biased on account of me being a metal head, in case my avatar wasn't enough of an indication.

Gorillaz are a prime example of how experimentation with the genre can pay off or blow up in your face, but at least they are not simply going for mass-appeal. It just happens naturally.

When you get into the music business and have the prospect of contracts you have a few options: more creative control = less money, less creative control = more money. That's how the record companies work in a nutshell.

 

[superbatranger]

There are some artists in this genre that I can listen to, and there are those I wouldn't touch with a 10-foot pole. It's the same in all music.

 

[Daverson]

It's terrible. But, that said, I think probably 99 out of 100 songs that play on the radio these days are terrible.

 

[Madara XIII]

That depends. There are alot of good rap songs that have a meaningful message, but the vulgarity of some songs just turns me away from it and the overcliche'd "I grew up in the hood, you don't know how tough my life is, look at me now I'm rich and famous" UGH that has been used so many dam times it's just AAAAAAAAAAAGH frustrating.

It's like a brokenheart song for country music
or like I hate my life in a rock song.

It's over used and sometimes doesn't need to be sung

 

[joystickjunki3]

Honestly, I love rap. Actual rap, just to be clear; so not most of what hip hop consists of today.

But I really don't like the culture that has been spawned from rap and hip hop. It's ridiculously hyper-masculine, sexist, and just down right embarrassing a lot of the time. And to a degree, it's also a little racist.

 

[The Diabolical Biz]

Only thing I can add is that is based in anti melodic and extremely repetitive musical theory. From a musical standpoint it is basically reducing the music down to the lowest common denominator.

I disagree completely.

I've heard a bunch of Hip Hop albums that are just as interesting musically as they are lyrically.

J Dilla's Donuts is an excellent example of this.

As a music genre it isn't my thing. I enjoy music with meaning and unique sounds to it. Rap and hip hop seems to lack both of these things. Also, the people I have met who are into rap are complete pricks (no offence to you sir). So it fails badly in my books, but it is still music, technically.

No offence, but you obviously haven't listened to a lot of hip-hop/rap, because good rap songs, not sh*tty mainstream garbage, often have some of the deepest, and most moving lyrics of any genre I've listened to (And I like almost all genres, barring Dub-Step, so I don't say this lightly).

Yeah, it's my favourite genre, my favourite album is Illmatic, and my favourite artist...well, it fluctuates. Been listening to a lot of Gang Starr and Mos Def recently, although NaS is way up there. Also Scarface

Been waiting on this thread for a while

 

[Atmos Duality]

I have looked for pleasant-sounding rap/hip-hop but most of the stuff I hear is just obnoxious bleating about a variety of topics either cliche', hateful, or altogether stupid.

It's not the genre that bothers me (I can find plenty of examples of songs I despise on the same principles in other genres); it's the content. I respect the skill it takes to keep the rhythm and rhyme, but I don't respect the message most of these artists push.

I guess you can say that I don't find most of the genre entertaining nor artistic.

 

[The Diabolical Biz]

The other thing people forget is that Rap songs often tell great stories, case in point:


Music videos great too. For anyone interested by the sheer awesomes of that, there's a sequel, with a brilliant intro. No video, but well worth a listen:


Happy listening folks

 

[Zorg Machine]

I like some of Eminem's stuff and Lil Wayne.
I fu**ing hate almost all metal bands and I don't understand why everyone here likes it so much.

 

[TheRightToArmBears]

There's some great stuff, but most of it is crappy. Aside from crazy 80's gangster rap I don't enjoy the angrier stuff, but the more chilled out stuff (like Atmosphere. I love Atmosphere!) can be great.

Of all of it though, I'd say Dan Le Sac vs Scroobius Pip is probably my favourite, but that is largely more spoken word poetry; it's far removed from the likes of Eminem and Jay Z (who's not actually that bad, at times).

 

[Feneture]

I don't see why some people stereotype hip-hop / rap music as all being racist, abusive music with no meaningful lyrics involved etc..

This song from one of my favourite groups speaks for itself, and if you don't even give it a chance then shame on you!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=asV8RIA5moo

 

[Srdjan]

I use to listen some rap when I was younger. Today I don't really like it.

 

[Fellwarden]

I make sure to stay clear of it. I don't mind it as long as I don't have to listen to it, and there are a few songs that I like in the genre. I believe that every genre has good music, but in some genres, such as rap and such, it's harder to find the good stuff.

 

[Apretentiousname]

I have looked for pleasant-sounding rap/hip-hop but most of the stuff I hear is just obnoxious bleating about a variety of topics either cliche', hateful, or altogether stupid.

It's not the genre that bothers me (I can find plenty of examples of songs I despise on the same principles in other genres); it's the content. I respect the skill it takes to keep the rhythm and rhyme, but I don't respect the message most of these artists push.

I guess you can say that I don't find most of the genre entertaining nor artistic.

The message? The message is just as real as one any other artists push. Most Metal bands and the like don't scream, rasp, etc, etc about anything at all? Rock is commonly about cheesy love stuff or drugs and it's only a diamond in the rough that has deep metaphors or some such things. You must think all genre's are obnoxious bleating about cliche'd hateful or stupiid stuff.

And also, with rap there are just as many songs less about the message and more about the story. Let's take a couple of famous songs for example, Stan by Eminem and Today Was a Good Day by Ice Cube. Both are vivid image provoking songs about a in the case of Stan an obsessive fan and in the case of TWAGD it's just a chill rapping about a good day. If you find stories boring then you would be bored with everything, from books to TV shows to plots in games, to maybe even your own life.

 

[Bored Tomatoe]

I'm warming up to it surprisingly... Any recommendations?

 

[bak00777]

its not music, music should require atleast one instrument(besides vocals if you can even call what they are doing vocals) playing. All i hear is a beat box, usually done by a computer, and a untalented person talking.

 

[MikailCaboose]

While I don't really like it that much, I will admit that I did really like MadWorld's soundtrack...