Gangsta rap is by far the most influential and important music genre of the past 25 years
- Thread starter BreakfastMan
- Start date
Which is inconsequential to the larger discussion about whether gangsta rap has been influential or not. A discussion which BreakfastMan has pretty much cornered, because gangsta rap has been so influential that the only similar example we have is Jazz in the 1920's and 1930's. Jazz just like gangsta rap started out as a type of music created and played by people who were pre-dominantly colored and of low socioeconomic status, but went on to fundamentally change the shape of all western music (let it sink in that Jazz was the dominant inspiration for rock'n'roll some 60 years after it was introduced in the 1890's).Vendor-Lazarus said:
Gangsta rap has so far had a very similar trajectory. Just consider that mega stars like Jay Z and Kanye West and their music both have very clear roots in gangsta rap. This isn't about whether you think lyrics about selling drugs, shooting people and doing bitches are good or wholesome, it is about the degree to which mainstream music has taken on the musical properties of gangsta rap, which is to an almost overwhelming degree.
For the record, I also listen to some very hard black and death metal, that doesn't mean I sympathize with the ideas of satanism, human sacrifice, cannibalism or endless war. Those are just the trappings of the genres. So just like I can listen to Amon Amarth or Marduk without necessarily paying much attention to the lyrics, I can listen to Nas or NWA without necessarily thinking their lyrics are morally upstanding or guidelines on what to think about social issues.
They're not even second best band of the 80s...CyanCat47 said:
Equal second belongs to Simple Minds and Duran Duran, heathen.
At least members (okay, mostly just Simon Le Bon) of Duran Duran can dance. Not shuffle about gormlessly.
Fite me.
You motherfuckers, forgetting about New Order and Depeche Mode. Not to even mention Genesis, The Talking Heads, Sisters of Mercy, and The Cure.Addendum_Forthcoming said:
Depeche Mode is pretty good. But The Cure? If I want punk, I'll listen to real punk.BreakfastMan said:You motherfuckers, forgetting about New Order and Depeche Mode. Not to even mention Genesis, The Talking Heads, Sisters of Mercy, and The Cure.
That's it! That's the last straw! PISTOLS AT DAWN ************, LET'S GO!Addendum_Forthcoming said:Depeche Mode is pretty good. But The Cure? If I want punk, I'll listen to real punk.BreakfastMan said:You motherfuckers, forgetting about New Order and Depeche Mode. Not to even mention Genesis, The Talking Heads, Sisters of Mercy, and The Cure.
In this case though, it is positive. Gangsta rap was the point where hip hop really came into it's own as a genre, similar to what the British Invasion did for Rock.RedRockRun said:Agreed, but something being influential doesn't imply it's positive.
Yeah, I don?t see any hidden gangsta rap tapes in MGSV. But anyways, I?ve always considered rap more like poetry with a beat than actual music. Back in the day we had actual actual black musicians like Louis Armstrong, BB King, Robert Johnson, Sammy Davis, Muddy Waters, Hendrix, etc. I still grew up listening to a lot of rap, especially Wutang but there?s no denying that musically it?s kinda insulting to anyone who?s spent years learning it to hear rap being considered a new benchmark. I guess it?s a sign of the times.Addendum_Forthcoming said:
That is because MGSV takes place before gangsta rap became a thing, dude. It would feel real out for 2pac to show up in a game set in the mid 80's.hanselthecaretaker said:
BreakfastMan said:
I was being mostly facetious, but ftr MGSV?s timeline took place before Take On Me was even released, so incongruence doesn?t seem to matter anyways haha.
As poetry - yes, The Doors have nothing on 2pac.BreakfastMan said:
As music however, rap music as a whole has nothing on The Doors.
And The Doors aren't even near the pinnacle of rock music, as 2pac is for rap.
But if we're talking about musical versus cultural influence here, one word - Jazz.
Gangsta rap did lead influence in the right and wrong ways. I'll give credit to people like NWA, 2PAC, Biggie, Ghetto Bois, and certain others. It's too bad you dumb jackasses that missed the point entirely of songs and only went for the superficial violence, or thought they were or wanted be "hardcore" regardless if they were from the hood or not. The fact that there several rap artists that only took the superficial elements or were part of the misaimed fandom to begin with, was not helping matters either, as they were running the asylum. That is not the fault of those setting a trend, but it's annoying to still see people miss the point of their songs, or only listen just to the violence only.
Honestly, I don't need another wave of gangsta rap. Today's rap ain't much better, in the main stream. I always tell people, if you only listen to what's on the radio or TV, you are doing it wrong. There are so many options online that are better than most of the mainstream.
Honestly, I don't need another wave of gangsta rap. Today's rap ain't much better, in the main stream. I always tell people, if you only listen to what's on the radio or TV, you are doing it wrong. There are so many options online that are better than most of the mainstream.
Before I answer, I'd like to know if this is a serious topic. Because as being "apart of 'them'", I have some honest opinions about this.
Pretty sure it's a wild west threat that was resurrected and bleached for Off topic.ObsidianJones said:
I've never been to the wild west, so I really don't know how to take that info. so, I'm just going to put my opinion down and it might matter, it might not. But thanks for the info, Ninja-est of all Ponies.Silentpony said:
I think Gangsta rap is very influential. It isn't positive always, but no medium has pure positive examples. I can't think of any genre that was so defining of a race... possibly ever? And given that a small number of the songs were about how it's horrible that we must resort to becoming a criminal to live in a society that won't give others a fair shot, the majority was a mafia fantasy that people bought into.
I remember how hip-hop was shaping up in the early 1990's. And it made me very joyful.
We had artists like Joe Public who brought out hits like Joe Public's "Live and Learn" [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TbMKTZbUxzI].
"Mary, Mary, Mary, it's quite contrary
Yo', how did you earn your dough
You didn't finish school, you ain't got no job
But to the human eye it's pretty simple
You're always talkin' about what you want is respect
But never thinkin' about the little boy you neglect
Spendin' his formative years in a livin' hell
Not realizin' one day he'd end up in jail
Now on the other hand
There's Dan my man
Who planned a scam and I'll be damned
It was the ultimate flim flam
He was sayin' that it was easy as pie
But little did Dan know he was about to die" (source [https://genius.com/Joe-public-live-and-learn-lyrics])
Yo', how did you earn your dough
You didn't finish school, you ain't got no job
But to the human eye it's pretty simple
You're always talkin' about what you want is respect
But never thinkin' about the little boy you neglect
Spendin' his formative years in a livin' hell
Not realizin' one day he'd end up in jail
Now on the other hand
There's Dan my man
Who planned a scam and I'll be damned
It was the ultimate flim flam
He was sayin' that it was easy as pie
But little did Dan know he was about to die" (source [https://genius.com/Joe-public-live-and-learn-lyrics])
Arrested Development's "Mama's Always Onstage" [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a8BB3wEutdg]
Brand new mama, I understand
It's hard as hell being a young mother and
You need support your conscious told you not to abort
So to your child you're a hero of some sort
But, hey, the worst is over
You're ready to do this
I got faith and your baby renewed this
Faith that everything will be fine
Now an adult, no more youth time
[Anytime you need help sister]
We'll be there just give us a ring
We will help you raise that king
Word to the mother cause it's a black thing
I respect you in a strong way
Super late nights cause your baby slept all day
But mama don't sleep, your life's a turning page (https://genius.com/Arrested-development-mamas-always-on-stage-lyricssource[/url
It's hard as hell being a young mother and
You need support your conscious told you not to abort
So to your child you're a hero of some sort
But, hey, the worst is over
You're ready to do this
I got faith and your baby renewed this
Faith that everything will be fine
Now an adult, no more youth time
[Anytime you need help sister]
We'll be there just give us a ring
We will help you raise that king
Word to the mother cause it's a black thing
I respect you in a strong way
Super late nights cause your baby slept all day
But mama don't sleep, your life's a turning page (https://genius.com/Arrested-development-mamas-always-on-stage-lyricssource[/url
Digable Planet's "Cool Like that (Rebirth of Slick)" [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cM4kqL13jGM]
"We like the breeze flow straight out of our lids
Them they got moved by these hard-rock Brooklyn kids
Us floor rush when the DJ's booming classics
You, dig the crew on the fattest hip-hop records
He touch the kinks and sinks into the sounds
She frequents the fattest joints caught underground
Our funk zooms like you hit the Mary Jane
They flock to booms man boogie had to change
Who freaks the clips with mad amount percussion
Where kinky hair goes to unthought-of dimensions
Why's it so fly cause hip-hop kept some drama
When Butterfly rocked his light blue-suede Pumas
What by the cut we push it off the corner
How was the buzz entire hip hop era
Was fresh and fat since they started saying outtie
Cause funks made fat from right beneath my hoodie
The poobah of the styles like Miles and shit
Like sixties funky worms with waves and perms
Just sendin' chunky rhythms right down ya block
We be to rap what key be to lock"(source [https://genius.com/Digable-planets-rebirth-of-slick-cool-like-dat-lyrics])
Them they got moved by these hard-rock Brooklyn kids
Us floor rush when the DJ's booming classics
You, dig the crew on the fattest hip-hop records
He touch the kinks and sinks into the sounds
She frequents the fattest joints caught underground
Our funk zooms like you hit the Mary Jane
They flock to booms man boogie had to change
Who freaks the clips with mad amount percussion
Where kinky hair goes to unthought-of dimensions
Why's it so fly cause hip-hop kept some drama
When Butterfly rocked his light blue-suede Pumas
What by the cut we push it off the corner
How was the buzz entire hip hop era
Was fresh and fat since they started saying outtie
Cause funks made fat from right beneath my hoodie
The poobah of the styles like Miles and shit
Like sixties funky worms with waves and perms
Just sendin' chunky rhythms right down ya block
We be to rap what key be to lock"(source [https://genius.com/Digable-planets-rebirth-of-slick-cool-like-dat-lyrics])
A Tribe Called Quest, Del tha Funky Homosapien, De La Soul, Heavy D, Queen Latifah, Fresh Prince and DJ Jazzy Jeff... There was talent all through out that 90's that if they weren't spitting out positivity, they were spitting out fun.
But then the switch came. Gangsta rap was getting more play. And at the time, I just thought that's the way the wind was blowing. When in essence, no. That's the way music executives set up industrial fans and told you it was a Chinook from the mountains...
Talent nowadays are talking about how they would come in trying to make a album about positivity, and Record Execs telling them "Right now would be the perfect time, you should do like the raunchiest Too Short album ever ? the album cover, the songs, just do a dirty fuckin? Too Short album" [https://hiphopdx.com/news/id.18861/title.too-short-says-there-was-an-industry-wide-plot-to-shut-down-conscious-hip-hop#]. Businesses learning that they could use gangsta rap to sell failing brands like Malt Liquor to blacks and latinos [https://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2015/04/breaking-ad-when-hip-hop-first-went-corporate/390930/]... A movement was bought and sold by execs and monguls from starving 'artists' so ready to sell out that didn't care what happened to everyone else.
And by corporate decisions was the next era of the Black Community not only shaped, but defined. Positivity is forgotten. Investing in yourself is laughed at. The influence is nothing to be lauded. The only people who find singing about getting theirs by any means necessary never dodged bullets. And how do we know this? The second Biggie was shot, every radio station was saying "We need to end this violence, y'all!". Like it just wasn't promoted during that broadcast day with some of the songs you put out?
Hip Hop was an art form. I can still listen to the songs I put up and the bands I mentioned. Gangsta rap is an exercise in the gullibility of the masses. I have no time for it.
Hm, in my country gangsta rap nowadays is about rape, antisemitism, drugs and killing. It gets the highest awards we have lying around. Guess what country that might be. Even though the Jew-thing gives it away.
I have the feeling that gangsta rap is highly specific to its country of origin. "Sandneger" here are hating Jews. And Christians. And Atheists. And non-"sandneger". whereas plain "nigguhs" hate just everything except for themselves. Doesn't this summirize all of gangsta rap, anyway? Hate? Talking about lyrics only. I actually really like battle rap and got to appreciate the general genre through this. But gangsta rap is so fucking predictable that it's become the pop of rap. It's prap or just plain crap. It's boring, it's full of hate, the muppets representing it are disgusting, it officially has become overrated, and I don't like it.
Maybe gangsta rap was pretty important, but nowadays it's in a dead-end and that since at least 9 years. At least it is here.
I have the feeling that gangsta rap is highly specific to its country of origin. "Sandneger" here are hating Jews. And Christians. And Atheists. And non-"sandneger". whereas plain "nigguhs" hate just everything except for themselves. Doesn't this summirize all of gangsta rap, anyway? Hate? Talking about lyrics only. I actually really like battle rap and got to appreciate the general genre through this. But gangsta rap is so fucking predictable that it's become the pop of rap. It's prap or just plain crap. It's boring, it's full of hate, the muppets representing it are disgusting, it officially has become overrated, and I don't like it.
Maybe gangsta rap was pretty important, but nowadays it's in a dead-end and that since at least 9 years. At least it is here.