What do you think of rap?

[Heronblade]

The emotion conveyed by the score of a particular musical piece is the biggest factor in terms of whether or not I enjoy it, shortly followed by the content of the lyrics. The... vibe I get from nearly every single rap music piece I have ever heard has been decidedly negative, and the lyrics tend to be even worse. I have no patience for egotistical foul mouthed assholes in my day to day life, and zero desire to listen to one brag about some aspect of his life in a singsong voice.

There are rap songs out there that do not meet the prior description, and I would describe a few of those as being at least fairly good, but finding them is like wading through a lake of sewage.

 

[zumbledum]

Personally, I fucking love it, lots of styles, really clever wordplay. Listen to Wu Tang Clan, NWA, Gambino, Kanye West, Biggie, 2pac. I know that a lot of people in the nerd community shun it though, and I don't really know why.

So, I'm asking you now; do you listen to rap? If not, why not?

there is rap that is clever and skill full and good. but there is a shit metric ton of crap rap for every ounce of good rap that tends to drown it out , some neanderthal eating a microphone and grunting "huh yeah 1 time bitches bling huh 1 time" never in the history of human creation has a sub genre been so overwhelmed by style over substance. though i do admit aside from the avalanche of crap there is also some stuff thats good. cant say it makes it onto my playlists but when my friends play some of the good stuff i enjoy it well enough.

 

[ThreeName]

Metal and Rock has just as many songs about the glorification of fame and materials. But there's other stuff out there. Same as you admitted about rap.

Except, you know, they don't. I think you're confusing rules and exceptions: In rap, making a song that is not about fame/money/bitches is the exception, while in metal (rock to a lesser extent, I suppose?) it tends to be the rule.

Metal culture and rap culture are actually quite different, and the majority of the music is representative of that culture. And that's why a lot of people really do not like rap.

 

[San Martin]

Since this is a videogame site, I'm guessing that some of you might know what I mean when I say I got into rap because I played a lot of Def Jam: Vendetta and Def Jam: Fight for New York.

Thanks to Def Jam, I pretty much exclusively listened to rap between the ages of thirteen and fifteen. I still have a load of CDs lying around from that era, mostly by artists from the games: DMX, Keith Murray, Redman, Method Man, Busta Rhymes.
Eventually I bought albums by Chris Brown and Ne-Yo because I liked "Run It" and "So Sick", and that was the first tentative step I took into the world of non-rap.

I honestly cannot remember quite how I progressed from those -questionable- music tastes to where I am today, but rap will always hold a special place in my heart as the first genre I got into. I don't listen to it much at all these days, although some of the artists which I now consider to be my favourites do incorporate rap elements (Prince, Janelle Monáe, Gorillaz).

That said, if you told my fourteen-year-old rap-obsessed self that "Kind of Blue" by Miles Davis, "Hejira" by Joni Mitchell, and "Low" by David Bowie would one day be three of my favourite albums, I would have been genuinely shocked.

Just out of interest, is there anyone else who liked the music from the Def Jam games, or even the games themselves?

 

[frizzlebyte]

I'm have no doubt that somewhere in the world there exists some truly awesome rap music.

However, I will never hear that music because I will have reached for the off switch within three seconds of it starting.

Have you listened to GangstaGrass? They combine Blues and Rap. The TV show "Justified" uses one of their songs as its title theme, and some of their other stuff is pretty cool, too.

Otherwise, I am not a huge fan of rap at all. Too abrasive.

EDIT: Tupac did some pretty good stuff, too. He had a lot of talent.

 

[lacktheknack]

Rap is a deconstruction of music, and I mean that in a good way. It strips out the most recognizable part of music - the melody - and focuses on rhythm instead (similar to how club techno removes melody and focuses on beat). It's really cool stuff and you can get some really great rhythms and backbeats.

The thing is, I hate the culture that has "adopted" it. I've heard it said that none of it takes itself seriously, but if you listen to old Eminem and 50 Cent, you'll find out how hilarious that statement is. It's all ripped apart wonderfully in the music video for "Windowlicker" by Aphex Twin.

If the content is different, I tend to love it. "Thrift Shop" by Macklemore is a great example.

 

[zehydra]

I don't really think of rap as music, and I don't really like beat poetry, so....


No.

See, lyrics' meanings are pretty inconsequential when it comes to music.

 

[EyeReaper]

I don't like the genre, but there are a few select songs i do enjoy.
But I do like Epic Rap Battles of History

 

[Something Amyss]

Mostly ambivalent. I don't listen to much, but I don't dislike it or anything. I used to be a pretty big fan, but that was then.

I'm have no doubt that somewhere in the world there exists some truly awesome rap music.

However, I will never hear that music because I will have reached for the off switch within three seconds of it starting.

Even Epic Rap Battles of History?

 

[Olas]

I believe rap actually stands for rhythmic American poetry, so even it's name suggests that it's more poetry than music. I like music with strong melody, and rap doesn't focus much on that, nor do I know of any actual rap artists who I care for.

 

[Dr. Pepper Unlimited]

I've never been a fan of rap music.

 

[Nazulu]

It maybe not my favourite genre but there are some rap artists I really love. Eminem is the one that really brought me into it. At first I didn't like him since he swore so much, but I learnt soon after there was a lot more to it than that, with him either showing us he's angry or being funny. The latter doesn't usually work but I reckon Eminem used it really well half the time. Basically, you have to be a good actor to also be a great rapper. I also really enjoyed the controversial ride involving everything that ticked him off and his personal life.

Also love 2pac, Run DRM, Kanye West, Beastie Boys, P. Diddy, Outkast, The Roots, and what ever else I forgot.

 

[Shadowstar38]

Except, you know, they don't. I think you're confusing rules and exceptions.

If you were basing that on the whole of the genre I'd be inclined to agree. But people even on this thread only appear to run into the generic stuff all the time and maybe find a few good ones. That's not enough to make the assumption on.

 

[WWmelb]

I don't dislike rap/hip hop as a genre, but as i seem to be getting old, and as with most other genres of music, i just haven't heard anything in a long time that i thought was clever/enjoyable/original.

I'm sure there is some out there though. However, there is still some rap/hip hop that gets thrown in on a semi regular occurance.

Public Enemy - Nation of Millions in particular. Black Steel in the Hour of Chaos is probably the highest point of rap that i have ever come across.

Arrested Development - Very intelligent political commentary and overall very positive music, even when describing very negative world issues.

NWA - (post Ice Cube) I found the majority of Dre and Easy E's lyrical content of this time to be very tongue in cheek, and overall very clever (if not more than a little vulgar). They had a great sense of irony when working together, and Easy E was actually extremely intelligent when it came to writing and observation, even if he lacked common sense in so many other areas.

Cyprus Hill - Had a great vibe going on. Sure it was mostly all about the weed, but songs like "How i could just kill a man" were once again great social commentary on the world in which they were a part. Equal parts party and politics, B-Real was a very interesting and unique character, and CH as a whole embraced so many other styles of music within their brand of hip hop, i love it. Black Sunday one of the all time great albums

Eminem - really the first three albums. He had such a unique rhythm, and found that for the most part, a unique way of looking and vocalizing things. Melodramatic flair and the ability to still make a valid point and comment through his blatant extremism i really enjoyed. I think the track "The Way I Am" is as near perfect vocal rhythm as can be attained, and tracks like "Kim" i found absolutely brilliant when you strip back the extremism and look at the emotion underlying it.

Honorable mention to The Streets for giving us really slow, relatively intelligent brit hip hop that i quite enjoyed.

also, HM goes out to Bodycount's first album for being one of the first metal-rap hybrid albums and outlandish political satire that showed just how bright Ice-T actually is as a lyricist, something that was never really shown in his solo material.

Speaking of metal-rap hybrids. Rage Against the Machine are one of my all time favourite bands. Balls out political commentary and a message that was strong, intelligent and well put forward. Whether you agreed with their stances or not, they were monumental in getting teens and young adults of a generation to question things.

And of course, for party hip hop, you can not go past Run DMC.

Ranted enough for now, i know there are more that i missed but yes. General mainstream hip hop/rap nowadays really seems to be lacking substance for me, and to be honest, and i guess i can't be bothered searching through all the generic shit that floats to the surface to find modern gems. Same goes for a lot of genres lol.

 

[ObsidianJones_v1legacy]

One of the reason why I hate these threads is because most of the people bashing 'A' gives the reason that 'A' is all they heard being blasted or on the radio.

It's been my experience that the mainstream of anything has the lowest common denominator of the fans in mind. People say Metal and the like might be screaming, but at least there's intelligent lyrics. And I can account how many metal bands I've heard that explicitly advocate trouncing the weak if not out right demolishing them. Not great lyrics, but I'm sure those who like Metal can think up ten bands easily who don't do that.

That's the open mindness I don't see. We all know mainstream of anything is trash, but then we equate things we don't like to the mainstream we already don't like for our music.

I'm not going to try to change minds. But people say they don't hear better rap, or all the rap they hear is vile.

Shinsight Trio
Slakah the Beatchild
K-os
Crown City Rockers
Mos Def
Professor Elemental (although he's Chap-Hop. I find him hilarious)
Slum Village
The Roots
Jurassic Five
Digable Planets
Deltron 3030
Common
Blackalicious
Arrested Development

I mean, I can literally go on. I don't think anyone who says the lyrics of rap are horrible will actualyl take the time to change their opinion. I get it. Human nature.

But I rather people experience that, yes, they are wrong and there is good natured and positive rap out there... and then say they don't like it. I mean, things can be all rosy and you still don't like it. That's fine. But don't deride or paint what I like harshly without knowing you are completely wrong. Hate it for your personal taste, but don't equate all iterations to the trash you heard once, twice, or even five times because it's simpler to do so.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=to2S9Cw0xeY

This is the perfect example of the exact opposite of what most people equate rap to be. And there's so much more if people care to find out. If you don't, that's fine. Don't. But don't malign rap or really anything because you don't feel like you're compelled to inform yourself better about it.

 

[Stryc9]

I like some rap, it's more about specific songs than artists for the most part for me. I'll listen to just about anything once, hell I even find some ICP songs to be hilarious if taken as comedy as opposed to serious juggalo business.

 

[WWmelb]

One of the reason why I hate these threads is because most of the people bashing A gives the reason that A is all they heard being blasted or on the radio.

It's been my experience that the mainstream of anything has the lowest common denominator of the fans in mind. People say Metal and the like might be screaming, but at least there's intelligent lyrics. And I can account how many metal bands I've heard that explicitly advocate trouncing the weak if not out right demolishing them. Not great lyrics, but I'm sure those who like Metal can think up ten bands easily who don't do that.

That's the open mindness I don't see. We all know mainstream of anything is trash, but then we equate things we don't like to the mainstream we already don't like for our music.

I'm not going to try to change minds. But people say they don't hear better rap, or all the rap they hear is vile.

Shinsight Trio
Slakah the Beatchild
K-os
Crown City Rockers
Mos Def
Professor Elemental (although he's Chap-Hop. I find him hilarious)
Slum Village
The Roots
Jurassic Five
Digable Planets
Deltron 3030
Common
Blackalicious
Arrested Development

I mean, I can literally go on. I don't think anyone who says the lyrics of rap are horrible will actualyl take the time to change their opinion. I get it. Human nature.

But I rather people experience that, yes, they are wrong and there is good natured and positive rap out there... and then say they don't like it. I mean, things can be all rosy and you still don't like it. That's fine. But don't deride or paint what I like harshly without knowing you are completely wrong. Hate it for your personal tste, but don't equate all iterations to the trash you heard once, twice, or even five times because it's simplier to do so.

Huzzah for someone else mentioning Arrested Development. That makes me happy.

 

[ObsidianJones_v1legacy]

Huzzah for someone else mentioning Arrested Development. That makes me happy.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=to2S9Cw0xeY

Really try them. They are like a spiritual successor. I haven't been this happy finding out about a band in such a long time, other than Bungle. But that's Drum and Bass.

... my tastes are all over the map.