Hip-Hop and Rap: What are your thoughts?

[lwm3398]

so no, i dont hate rap and hip hop. i DESPISE it. the whole culture it sparked is SO asinine and testosterone driven it makes me sick.

Point of this thread: Get the word out that that opinion is misinformed.

Spoiler: Click on me.

Meaningful enough for you? How about this?


Or perhaps this?

I have to agree that what you've talked about is way more common than it should be, but you need to take a few minutes to actually look for the good stuff, you'll find it. By the way, fans of the hip-hop genre, you have no reason to not own at least half of Atmosphere's discography.

NO. GODDAM. EXCUSE.

 

[Ashcrexl]

i don't have any major problem with these genres, i just find most rap and hip-hop incredibly boring. the exact same 5 second loop for 3 and a half minutes straight with lyrics that are usually generic and predictable as hell. there are exceptions of course, Handlebars being a notable one, but mostly, i just fall asleep listening to rap/hip-hop.

so i am of the opinion they make great background tracks to action in movies and such but absolutely horrid radio choices, as sitting in a vehicle is already boring enough.

 

[Teh Ty]

Like all kinds of music, it has some good music, and some of it is just horrible. I mean, there are some rappers that will go down as great musicians, like tupac, or biggie smalls, and there are some rappers that shouldn;t exist, like ICP or others like that.
I personally don;t like it, but not all of it is bad.

 

[Voodoomancer]

I have nothing much against it but I have zero interest in it.

Spoiler: ...with the occasional exception.

 

[ReaperzXIII]

I prefer it to rock, soft rock I like but proper metal just sounds like a bunch on shouting and screaming to me, I like the beats of hip hop and rap, I agree that the lyrics don't have a real meaning all the time, but thats alright for me I don't always need to be listening to philosophical or problems all the time. J Cole is a good rapper if you are looking for a guy with a message behind his music.

 

[The Clitosaurus]

My tastes in hiphop and rap are, unfortunately, limited to the more mainstream fringes; Beastie Boys, NWA and the like.

However, i've heard that the collective OFWGKTA have been making waves as of late. I figure anyone already immersed in the genre knew about them many moons ago, but for anyone not so clued up, they're a pretty interesting listen, if you maintain an open mind.

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

 

[pulse2]

I'm curious, because I've always wondered what people think of a genre shrouded in misconception with few ambassadors that don't make it look like something other than a batch of drunk chauvinists. Don't be fooled though, there's a lot of good stuff hiding in there. Give it a chance, you might be surprised like I was when I started to look into the genre. Atmosphere is really good, as is K'naan, so look them up if you can.

If you've got videos of "good ambassadors" throw them up. I'd like to think I've got a good taste in hip-hop, but I'm always looking for new stuff to change my taste.

So, what are your thoughts? Good, bad, or something in between?

The Roots
Mos Def
The Fugees
Dead Prez
Jurassic 5
Handsome Boy Modeling School

As close to the opposite of Li'l Wayne and Linkin Park as it gets.

That's the way I'm impressed!

 

[Grabbin Keelz]

I'm sure there is good hip-hop rap out there, it's just that all of it I hear is shit. I went back to Eminem and started to appreciate what rap was even about, and that was just Eminem.

 

[EightGaugeHippo]

I can actually listen to some rap without wanting to destroy my ears... (considering i'm a "metal head" and all)
But I prefer hip hop, old skoo hip hop though. Its just more fun to listen to.
New Hip hop sucks a big fat donkeysickle.

 

[Dash-X]

Personally, I think it is art. There are a number of artists whose work I like (most of whom fall into the "old-school" category).

Ultimately, I feel that it is a destructive element to our culture, and (at least these days) is quite exploitative. Also, many of the artists these days take themselves too goddamn seriously.

 

[commodore96]

Like all music it depends on the artist. I like a lot of it, but I mean for every MURS we have a Jeremiah.
It is like that for all music genre though there are always some great and some that should be buried 10ft under so their CDs never get out.

 

[SageRuffin]

Hip-hop culture is by the people for the people. You may not be too fond of the emcee aspects of the culture, but that doesn't mean you can't enjoy everything else (graffiti, breaking [shorthand for break-dancing], turntablism, and beat-boxing [though the last one's a toss-up]).

As for me, I love hip-hop culture. Some of it's bad, yes, but some more of it is good, and I eagerly embrace it as a part of my life. :3

 

[dmase]

I used to only like metal, rock, and that whole scene. I could say the type of rock I liked was pretty deverse. I never really gave hip hop or rap a chance but now i'm trying my best to catch up, here is a song a lot of people have probably heard but I love it.


kid cudi is awesome

 

[SageRuffin]

hip and rap: oh look some people using crap around them to rhyme... oh look a song about bitches and hos. oh this ones about drugs. another about bitches and hos. THIS ones about some stupid thing where they repeat the same lines over and over... i could write better lyrics in my sleep. one about losing your man...girl...(insert person here)... one about a man BEATING a girl... oh hey an abusive girl. drugs. bitches and hos. getting drunk. getting drunk. getting drunk. getting drunk. getting CRUNK. bad english, bad english, bad english, bad english... gang sign gang sign gang sign.

so no, i dont hate rap and hip hop. i DESPISE it. the whole culture it sparked is SO asinine and testosterone driven it makes me sick.

Sounds like someone's only ever listened to two, maybe three hip-hop songs in their life.

or someone who grew up watching nothing but mtv music videos. you didnt even comment on the asinine culture it sparked. and the bad english.

Some of us, such as myself, happen to like that "asinine" culture, thank you. And bad English is only laziness and making yourself look like a jackass, not a fault of the culture itself.

So... yeah. I can go on, but I've a feeling you'll only read and not comprehend, so I'm not gonna waste either of our's time.

 

[DelphiSantano]

Honestly, I can't stand it and will turn it off or move away wherever possible.
Most, if not all, of it, I do not consider music.

 

[siahsargus]

Let me put it this way...

The absolute worst stuff from the 80's is better than all of the rap and hip hop in the world combined.

Unless we are talking the stuff Wierd Al does. I like him.

Can we say NOSTALGIA FILTER. Keep an open mind. Music didn't peak at the precise moment you were most vulnerable to sappy love songs. I'm just here for the music.

 

[Griff Morivan]

...This thread is enough to make me lose faith in this forum. I hate metalheads who have never (or will never) give Rap and Hip Hop a chance. And generally, I agree. Mainstream is fucking terrible. And so is Mainstream Rock, you pretentious shits.

Seriously, this is one of my biggest rubs among my gamer friends. Is that, frankly, none of you know what you're talking about when it comes to music or movies. You just assume that if it doesn't tie in with, or cross reference well with video games, it's simply not worth the effort. Which is bull. Most of the gamers I know only like slasher movies because they're so much like video games. Or they only listen to metal because more often than not, the psycho shredder scenes in a video game use metal.

Atmosphere is an outstanding example for setting you shut in's right. Though, if you want to pair it with video games (because lord knows, a lot of you are too scared to stick more than a toe out of the boat) go look up Forever Famicom and Mega Ran.

...

This thread made me really freakin' mad.

 

[AgDr_ODST]

I judge both genres on a case by case basis sometimes I go song to song others artist to artist...only some songs(or no songs) by 1 artist may be good while may love another artists entire back catalogue of tracks

 

[Rafe]

Old school rap is decent. Hip-hop is where its at though. N.W.A, A tribe Called Quest and Q-tip are what I'd define as amazing jazz influenced hip-hop, one of my favourite genres. These kids today don't know what good rap/hip-hop is etc.

 

[Goldenkitten01]

Like some have said there have been a few songs out there I've found ok but those are the exceptions rather than the rule.

Rap/Hip-hop can be good when it stops being juvenile and addresses other topics than the usual gangs, guns, and hoes. As someone who, you know, actually aged past 12-years-old listening to that just makes me roll my eyes. Of course an equal amount falls flat because its the same bass beats over and over, good rap doesn't just have unique lyrical material but also has some skill, whether that be the speed-cadence of the lyricist or the grooving beat of the tempo itself.

I'm not so dense as to proclaim that any genre is universally bad, that's just close-minded and foolish since it can keep you from experiencing some genuinely interesting things. But it's not a genre I actively enjoy on a frequent basis.