Tolerable Rap/Hip-Hop

[ChromeAlchemist]

Rap has six basic themes prevalent in its songs. The first, best, and most important is also the least-used: "I have a message and I want/need to say it." Truly meaningful raps are a wonderful thing, and I love them just as much as I love my jazz and rock.

The other five are much more common and reserved for the hacks popular 'artists' you see today. And they're as follows.

1. I'm a gangsta.
2. I'm a playa.
3. I'm rich.
4. Everybody do this dance.
5. Let's get promiscuous.

To most rappers, these themes are like scrabble tiles: The more of them you incorporate, the better you are. And if you use all five, then you win fifty points. Of course, 'points' is gangsta code for 'kilos'.

I still feel I should stress the fact that most of that is true in the mainstream (I did notice you said popular, but still), which, like every other genre in the mainstream, is now a business, and they go with what sells (like idiot rappers talking about how many cars they have on their first track). In underground hip hop, most of that is actually pretty rare. So really, it's not most rappers as it is most mainstream rappers. I'm almost confident enough to say for every mainstream rapper who raps like that, I can find three or four who don't.

I'll allow some of the early rappers, and some of them today, they rapped/rap about what they know. When rappers like Tupac and Biggie did their "I'm rich" songs, it was in celebration, and it inspired many to do the same so they could enjoy such a lifestyle, but now...

Rap = Lyrics. It is not a genre
Hip-Hop = The genre itself. Rap is a lyrical form oft' times used in hip-hop.
EDIT: Sorry. That was overly angry of me. Hip-Hop (or the ignorance thereof) is one of the only things that gets me going here on the 'Pist anymore.

*teary eyed* Oh my god...if you were here right now, I'd kiss you and tell you to bear my children (feeling uncomfortable yet? Smashing). It's frustrating how much I have to stress that point out all the time.

 

[UAProxy]

I still feel I should stress the fact that most of that is true in the mainstream (I did notice you said popular, but still), which, like every other genre in the mainstream, is now a business, and they go with what sells (like idiot rappers talking about how many cars they have on their first track). In underground hip hop, most of that is actually pretty rare. So really, it's not most rappers as it is most mainstream rappers. I'm almost confident enough to say for every mainstream rapper who raps like that, I can find three or four who don't.

I'll allow some of the early rappers, and some of them today, they rapped/rap about what they know. When rappers like Tupac and Biggie did their "I'm rich" songs, it was in celebration, and it inspired many to do the same so they could enjoy such a lifestyle, but now...

Oh, I agree completely. I'm more wagging my finger at mainstream rappers instead of the genre itself. Like any form of art, music has two main branches: The idiots who are widely-known and enforce the stereotype for a given genre, and people who actually see and use their art form as a way of expression. And though they always outnumber the former, the latter always seem much scarcer.

 

[Skuffyshootster]

That girl is poison!


I win the thread.

 

[Captain Bork]

rap from before 2000 was pretty good. after that it went down the crap-tube.

 

[TheRundownRabbit]

Uhh, DMX, anyone

 

[Contun]

Beastie Boys are the only rap group I listen to...

 

[willic767]

I hate rap and hip hop i like inde,old,and rock

 

[Sieg The Bum]

I don't listen to too much rap.
But I have found that I really like Deltron 3030.
It's good music to study with.

 

[Sonicron]

Probably won't be of much use (lyrics-wise) to most people here since it's German, but the video is fun and the flow feels juuuuust right. From a simpler time, when Rap wasn't all about guns and whores... presenting:

Spoiler: Sleepwalker feat. Hamburg Allstars - Vorsprechtermin

 

[Minjoltr]

Eminem and MC Frontalot (what I can find without spending monies), particularly
I like bits of all sorts of rap but generally not much by any one artist.

 

[JimmerDunda]

Akon.

Thread over.

 

[AbsoluteVirtue18]

I mainly listen to metal nowadays, but I still listen to early 90's hip hop. You know, back when everyone was trying to kill each other. Ah, those were the good old days. I also like the RZA.

 

[Generic-man]

He's already been mentioned but I must say MC Frontalot. Optimus Rhyme is pretty cool too.

 

[JC175]

Look up Fcbfabric and Reindeer. They're ridiculously obscure, but quite good.

 

[Xanadu84]

There's a difference between just Rap/Hip Hop and Gangsta Rap. The first is just a taste in music style. The second is downright poisonous 99.9 percent of the time.

 

[Infallible Fail]

I love almost all music, rap and hip hop included. Pretty much as long as it has a good "flow" and beat I don't mind how weak the lyrics are. Or that the rapper in question sounds like a 9 year old girl on her first period.

 

[Nexus424]

I can hardly listen to mainstream rap created after 2000. I like either old school stuff or off-collar.

 

[General Ken8]

Flobots are pretty good
i'm not into all of the violin stuff, but they have some good lyrics and songs

 

[Low Key]

My music collection is mostly comprised of rap, but I doubt anyone will have heard of the rappers I listen to.

 

[YYZed]

I didnt see it on the front page and im going really gonna be sad if no one mentioned KID CUDI!!!

his album just came out September 15th and its amazing:


other rap artists i enjoy:

-Kid Cudi (mentioned above) - above song is SoundTrack 2 My Life
-Bike For Three! - All There Is to Say About Love
-Tech N9ne - Constantly Dirty
-Aesop Rock (hate him or love him) - Daylight
-Jedi Mind Tricks - Uncommon Valor: A Vietnam Story
-Public Enemy - Bring The Noise
-Geto Boys - My Mind Is Playin' Tricks On Me