NationStates Jolt Archive

Do you listen to rap/hip-hop?

I would surmise from previous music threads that most of you don't.

I personally do like a few artists (Outkast, The Roots, Aesop Rock, Cee Lo, Madvillian) a great deal.

I am 29 year old musician.(not professionally)
I listen to the peas(Black eyed) and have for years.
I like the Roots.
OutKast(From there first album--and that was not Stankonia)
I must confess even when I hated Rap I liked the Wu-Tang Clan and have never been disappointed by them, together or individually-Liqiud Swords-
I think there is a great deal of entertaining music to be heard in HipHop.
But like ever other kind of music you have to wad e through the massive amounts of garbage.

I, Too, am a musician, and here's my opinion about Rap:

"You can't spell 'Crap' Without 'Rap."

I'm a Jazz pianist, just if you were wondering.

Jurrasic 5, Blackaliscious, cLOUDDEAD, Buck 65, Alias, Sole, Aesop Rock, Beastie Boys, the Herbaliser, Murs And 9th Wonder, Dose, Why?....

All fantasmagorically good musicians.

Good rap is gooooood.

Edit:

Bad rap is baaaaaad

Rap is in my 99% club. Along with Country music and Pop.

What the 99% club is reserved for are musical genres which consist of 99% crap.

That is to say that 99% of rap is feces. Stinky feces.

But there is still 1%. There are jewels among the feces. And sometimes, when the mood strikes me, I am willing to wallow in the feces and look for them.

But usually, I just listen to Blues.

I, Too, am a musician, and here's my opinion about Rap:

"You can't spell 'Crap' Without 'Rap."

I'm a Jazz pianist, just if you were wondering.
A professional Jazz pianist?
Or a 14 year old taking lessons and doesnt know who John Coltrane is Jazz pianist?
Because I never met a Jazz player who believed all of any kind of music was crap.
But then they were all experienced players.

Some rap is good. Some rap is bad.
The good rap speaks to me on a deeper level, just like all good music should. It goes further than talking about how rich the rapper is, that stuff is usually bad. It's the stuff about struggle and reality that is good.
My philosophy on life is partially based off a rap song I like. So there.

Where's the "Yes, but only when it doesn't suck too much." answer?

I know there was Outkast before Stankonia, I own Aquemeni and ATLiens.

I have been a roots fan since "Things Fall Apart" although their new album was a disappointment to me.

I, Too, am a musician, and here's my opinion about Rap:

"You can't spell 'Crap' Without 'Rap."

I'm a Jazz pianist, just if you were wondering."

You seem to have some biases that you need to get rid of so you can enjoy more music. I suggest you look for Madlib's Blue Note album. It is a hip-hop album that is produced solely from Blue Note samples.

Being a Jazz pianist you should be able to appreciate it.

It's a genre of music that I find boring. Some people like it. It's only music.

I only get really passionate about pretentious garbage like "noise." Talk about the emperor's new clothes.

Everyone should listen to Aesop Rock if they are of the opinion that all rap sucks.

Where's the "Yes, but only when it doesn't suck too much." answer?

Yes is already an answer, no conditions allowed.

no it's degrading the youth of the country

no it degrading the youth of the country

That's what they said about Led Zeppelin in 1975.

no it's degrading the youth of the country

That's my job. :D

Everyone should listen to Aesop Rock if they are of the opinion that all rap sucks.

Hell yeah, No Regrets kicks my ass every time.

For you folks who don't know:

No Regrets

Lucy was 7 and wore a head of blue barettes
City born, into this world with no knowledge and no regrets
Had a piece of yellow chalk with which she'd draw upon the street
The many faces of the various locals that she would meet
There was joshua, age 10
Bully of the block
Who always took her milk money at the morning bus stop
There was Mrs. Crabtree, and her poodle
She always gave a wave and holler on her weekly trip down to the bingo
parlor
And she drew
Men, women, kids, sunsets, clouds
And she drew
Skyscrapers, fruit stands, cities, towns
Always said hello to passers-by
They'd ask her why she passed her time
Attachin lines to concrete
But she would only smile
Now all the other children living in or near her building
Ran around like tyrants, soaking up the open fire hydrants
They would say
'Hey little Lucy, wanna come jump double dutch?'
Lucy would pause, look, grin and say
'I'm busy, thank you much'
Well, well, one year passed
And believe it or not
She covered every last inch of the entire sidewalk,
And she stopped-
'Lucy, after all this, you're just giving in today??'
She said:
'I'm not giving in, I'm finished,' and walked away

(Chorus: x2)
1 2 3
That's the speed of the seed
A B C
That's the speed of the need
You can dream a little dream
Or you can live a little dream
I'd rather live it
Cuz dreamers always chase
But never get it

Now Lucy was 37, and introverted somewhat
Basement apartment in the same building she grew up in
She traded in her blue barettes for long locks held up with a clip
Traded in her yellow chalk for charcoal sticks
And she drew
Little bobby who would come to sweep the porch
And she drew
The mailman, delivered everyday at 4
Lucy had very little contact with the folks outside her cubicle day
But she found it suitable, and she liked it that way
She had a man now: Rico, similar, hermit

They would only see each other once or twice a week on purpose
They appreciated space and Rico was an artist too
So they'd connect on saturdays to share the pictures that they drew
(Look!)
Now every month or so, she'd get a knock upon the front door
Just one of the neighbors,
Actin nice, although she was a strange girl, really
Say, 'Lucy, wanna join me for some lunch??'
Lucy would smile and say 'I'm busy, thank you much'
And they would make a weird face the second the door shut
And run and tell their friends how truly crazy Lucy was
And lucy knew what people thought but didn't care
Cuz while they spread their rumors through the street
She'd paint another masterpiece

(Chorus x2)

Lucy was 87, upon her death bed
At the senior home, where she had previously checked in
Traded in the locks and clips for a head rest
Traded in the charcoal sticks for arthritis, it had to happen
And she drew no more, just sat and watched the dawn
Had a television in the room that she'd never turned on
Lucy pinned up a life worth's of pictures on the wall
And sat and smiled, looked each one over, just to laugh at it all
No Rico, he had passed, 'bout 5 years back
So the visiting hours pulled in a big flock o' nothin
She'd never spoken once throughout the spanning of her life
Until the day she leaned forward, grinned and pulled the nurse aside
And she said:
'Look, I've never had a dream in my life
Because a dream is what you wanna do, but still haven't pursued
I knew what I wanted and did it till it was done
So i've been the dream that I wanted to be since day one!'
Well!
The nurse jumped back,
She'd never heard Lucy even talk,
'Specially words like that
She walked over to the door, and pulled it closed behind
Then Lucy blew a kiss to each one of her pictures
And she died.

That's what they said about Led Zeppelin in 1975.
yup and it keeps going the way it is ol two pack's raps will be on pbs for kids in 20 years

no it's degrading the youth of the country

I would expect someone with your name would say that.

yup and it keeps going the way it is ol two pack's raps will be on pbs for kids in 20 years

So they feature Led Zeppelin on PBS for kids?

A professional Jazz pianist?
Or a 14 year old taking lessons and doesnt know who John Coltrane is Jazz pianist?
Because I never met a Jazz player who believed all of any kind of music was crap.
But then they were all experienced players.

16 years old, definetly not professional, but experianced all the same. And you insult me with the John Coltrane Comment.

Not every single rap song is bad; I exaggerate. But much of what I hear is just worthless, in my opinion. I'm sorry, but I just dont like it very much.

Vittos Ordination, I'll consider you're suggestion.

16 years old, definetly not professional, but experianced all the same. And you insult me with the John Coltrane Comment.

Not every single rap song is bad; I exaggerate. But much of what I hear is just worthless, in my opinion. I'm sorry, but I just dont like it very much.

Vittos Ordination, I'll consider you're suggestion.

Corporate rock, corporate rap, and corporate pop are all mostly worthless. The key word there is corporate. They don't care about the music, just what sales. If you want to get above the lowest common denominator in music you have to do a little searching.

When you do a little searching you find that many hip-hop artists do concept albums concerning work and effort (Aesop Rock), the struggle between love and lust (Outkast), and artists who perform experimental peices involving off the wall samples to off the wall time samples (MF Doom and Madlib).

No Regrets

Yeah, I have Labor Days. Amazing album.

And those who speak of deeper meanings, not just trying to sell an image.

trust me, if the song is all about the Bling Bling, no matter what genre (you'd have to insert something other than Bling, like maybe the size of the singer's surfboard if it's california Rock), then the song is going to be bad.

Just J5.

16 years old, definetly not professional, but experianced all the same. And you insult me with the John Coltrane Comment.

Not every single rap song is bad; I exaggerate. But much of what I hear is just worthless, in my opinion. I'm sorry, but I just dont like it very much.

Vittos Ordination, I'll consider you're suggestion.
It wasnt meant to be an insult ...unless you didnt KNOW to be insulted by not knowing who John Coltrane is. ;)

Rap is urine for the ears.

Rap is urine for the ears.

And what do you listen to, O Wise Musical Sage?

I dont mean to Hijack Vitto but I did want to mention something.
Someone mentioned Country Sucking.
Johnny Cash
Hank, I,II, and III are pretty fecking good.
Patsy Cline
Willie Nelson(The guy has wrote enough songs to make Dillion sh!t himself)
Waylen Jenning
David Allen Coe

Old School coutry is sick hardcore music.
And as anticorporate as you can be.
Like vitto said earlier it is the pop-version of anything that starts creating the real trash
Dixie Chicks,Shania Twain, blablah.

Robert Johnson Rules.

Rap is urine for the ears.
Wow, insightful.

I only like the violent gangester rap. Not their songs about hoes and money. They're fun when your angry :gundge: :mp5: :sniper: :mp5: :gundge: :sniper: :mp5: :gundge: :gundge: ahhhhhhhh violence.........

Rap isn't music.

I like some rap and R&B but I'm more into lite and alternative rock. And for the people who hate rap; you don't seem to realize that rap is the defining genre of this decade, just as New Wave was in the 80s or Disco in the 70s. But, then again...I don't really like rap as much so I wouldn't care much if you people that hate rap flame it.

no it's degrading the youth of the country

That's probably true, but so are a lot of other things, so to point the finger at rap is silly.

Although I have a feeling you're being sarcastic.

I haven't heard a full rap song in ages.

Don't really care.

Rap isn't music.


oooo controversial, although I think you're getting rap mixed up with lemons.

No, I prefer music.

Rap isn't music.


Truer words were never spoken.

It's just alot of noise.

No, I prefer music.

ooo, look everybody, another cutting remark! Ouch!

Rap is simply put.....GARBAGE. I extremely dislike it because it degrades our society and incourages us to degrade each other(for instance calling your girlfriend a bitch,hoe,skank, etc...) its a music genre(if you can call it "music") that appeals to imature people who go to such ridiculous lengthes to act "gangsta" which is a sort of lifestyle that is pathetic. So in short its all rubbish.

alot of people think that RAP was created by the African American... but in reality, RAP was created by the white man. That right. WASPs, rednecks... they created rap. only it wasn't called rap back then... it was called square dancing.

I, too, am a jazz musician, but an older one. As a musician, one of my biggest pet peeves is people judging music by category. There is good and bad music in every category, and none of them are completely bad.

A lot of the hip-hop I hear on the radio is not very good, but then again, a lot of every genre of music I hear on the radio is not very good. Try listening to a smooth jazz radio station for more than 5 minutes. You need to wade through a LOT of smooth jazz to find some good music!

Some of the great musical artists of our age are hip-hop musicians. It stands to reason, as it's the main musical style of the generation. However, I can say from experience that just because music is popular or an artist famous, it doesn't make them good.

On the contrary, just because you haven't heard about it doesn't mean it's not good! How many jazz musicians that are currently active (and weren't active in the 60's a la Herbie Hancock) can most people name? Generally, none. Or maybe up to 3 or 4. But there's lots of great music going on that nobody ever hears. Doesn't mean it's not worth making.

I, too, am a jazz musician, but an older one. As a musician, one of my biggest pet peeves is people judging music by category. There is good and bad music in every category, and none of them are completely bad.I'm willing to buy into that, to a degree. However.. Rap is not music, in the vein that rappers are not musicians. If I'm wrong, feel free to enlighten me - I know of no rap groups that produce and perform their own music. I also wouldn't class Britney or other corp-produced groups to be musicians either. Vocal artists, definitely, but not musicians.

I've been a long-time hater of rap in general, with some marginal acceptance (and exceptions) - my pal Mike says I'm just "old school", because I remember and appreciate earlier rap, when it really was about the 'lyrical wizardry', not the hate and b*llsh*t posturing that goes on these days. The way some of those guys could turn a rhyme was just impressive as hell, without resorting to "bitches & ho's" to make a buck on the album.

I'll grant there were some angry/violent tendencies in some (Ice-T, anyone?), but it wasn't spread nearly as thick as it is in the last five to ten years. I don't agree with people who try ban it, no matter how much hearing it on the airwaves may offend me, either. The proliferation has caused me to almost entirely cease listening to radio. Between the bad 'music' across almost all stations (Gee, hello, Clear Channel!) and the idiots who work at the stations.. well, it was just too depressing to see what the corporate machine was doing to the mindless sheep.

Could be I'm just becoming "old" so I don't "get it". It's quite likely, since I remember once upon a time, Metallica was actually a skilled group, before they became old, slow, and had to sue people because they lost the talent to draw in new fans. ;)

I'm willing to buy into that, to a degree. However.. Rap is not music, in the vein that rappers are not musicians.

This is where I have a problem with your post. Whether or not rappers are musicians, somebody's writing that music, so somebody back there is a musician. It is a form of music, like it or not.

I don't disagree at all that many rappers are not musicians, and that most of the music is massively corrupted by the corporate machines. I will also humbly admit that I am not a huge fan of the music, so I can't give you great examples of rappers who are musicians. I'm pretty sure Public Enemy wrote their own music (but that's old-school, right?). As did NWA. Part of hip-hop is grabbing current culture and looking at it in a certain way - that's the whole appeal of the music.

Personally, I think Eminem is an interesting case. He's been backed and supported by the corporate side, and his whole music is making fun of other people who are backed by the same people. It's this whole self-referential navel-gazing that is both a part of the problem with the mass consumption of bland music, but also an interesting way of creating something new and possibly of musical worth.

Wow - I can't believe I found a rap/hip-hop thread that wasn't all about Nelly, P-Diddy, 50-cent, etc... I am very glad to see that quite a number of people are lisening to artists under the Def Jux label! I enjoy Aesop Rock and Murs very much, along with others. One of my favorite lines from Murs is "I know a man's not a man if he has to beat his woman. I know she'll push you to the point where you think she had it coming." Because it's so opposite of your "typical" rap stereotype, and it's a good message.

Yeah, people who believe that all rap is bad because all they've heard is the crap off of the mainstream radio stations really need to listen to some underground artists that actually have talent.

I voted yes. I like rap and hip hop. Its fun to dance to. Although, I also listen to just about everything else too.

I must confess a certain fondness for the rap. I think it's an excellent form for lyrical expression. Though I have to admit that much of it is useless except as a mechanism for generating some truly impressive sonic vibrations with a top notch system. What really gets me are the artists who claim proudly that they are not commercial, when their songs couldn't possibly be any more commercial.

I hear it, though I don't actively listen to it. I sometimes enjoy it when I do listen. But it's decidedly monotonous fare, and more often than not, reminds me of shopping malls - one of my least favourite places to find myself.

Feh.

Ugh. Saying that all rap is about "bitches" "hoes" etc. is completely ignorant.

Comeon, people....you've never heard of Public Enemy?

I'll admit that the majority of rap music sucks and is void of originality. But hey, so does the majority (certainly not all) of most other kinds of music nowadays.

Is maybe the real unspoken reason some of you refuse to listen to Rap because its not a "white man" thing? (Not an accusation, just a rhetorical question)

Hell, Chuck D collaborated with Anthrax and Sonic Youth, among others. Get over the whole race thing and free your mind.

In answer to the question, i like some rap/hip-hop. When well done, it can be awesome.

Rap? Blech... can't stand the stuff.

When well done, it can be awesome.

Well, I guess I can go with that.

Ugh. Saying that all rap is about "bitches" "hoes" etc. is completely ignorant.

Comeon, people....you've never heard of Public Enemy?

I'll admit that the majority of rap music sucks and is void of originality. But hey, so does the majority (certainly not all) of most other kinds of music nowadays.

Is maybe the real unspoken reason some of you refuse to listen to Rap because its not a "white man" thing? (Not an accusation, just a rhetorical question)

Hell, Chuck D collaborated with Anthrax and Sonic Youth, among others. Get over the whole race thing and free your mind.

In answer to the question, i like some rap/hip-hop. When well done, it can be awesome.

Yeah, I've heard Chuck D and Public Enemy - and the stuff done with Anthrax and Sonic youth, it's good stuff... and it's not getting airplay. The stuff dealing with bitches, hoes, etc. is in high rotation, however.

Hey, remember how awful prog-rock was? Well, bear in mind that some really good stuff was recorded initially...but all that I hear from that era is sh*t like Tubular Bells. But hey - when well done, prog-rock could be awesome, too.

It all comes down to Sturgeon's Law.

Four pages and no mention of The Streets. What is the world coming to?

Yeah, I've heard Chuck D and Public Enemy - and the stuff done with Anthrax and Sonic youth, it's good stuff... and it's not getting airplay. The stuff dealing with bitches, hoes, etc. is in high rotation, however.

Hey, remember how awful prog-rock was? Well, bear in mind that some really good stuff was recorded initially...but all that I hear from that era is sh*t like Tubular Bells. But hey - when well done, prog-rock could be awesome, too.

It all comes down to Sturgeon's Law.

It's true. But Public Enemy are positively ancient now...the Sonic Youth collaborations in particular are over 15 years old and obviously in order to even have a collaboration, they'd be pretty well known :) In their hey-day, they were very popular before they gave way to the mainstream made for money artists.

(It's exactly like the difference between old school and new school punk...ehh.)

Four pages and no mention of The Streets. What is the world coming to?

They're OK I guess. Australian group "Two Up" are alright too.

I don't own any rap CD's, but I certainly like listening to the good stuff. Don't like the "violent gangster rap" which so many people here seem to think is the only rap.... I like Tupac a lot (the most talented ones are always the first to die...look at John Lennon, Kurt Cobain...) and some other stuff along those lines, although I'm not so good at remembering artists names...

And I always laugh when the sad little white prairie boys from where I live (we call them Wiggas) go around listening to rap in their pick-up trucks and baseball caps. It's awesome that rap is listened to by all kinds of people, but these guys are just funny :)

Ugh. Saying that all rap is about "bitches" "hoes" etc. is completely ignorant.

Comeon, people....you've never heard of Public Enemy? That's so old-school as to be carved in stone. ;) A good portion of it was also very good, and politically motivated at the same time, without being preachy.

Is maybe the real unspoken reason some of you refuse to listen to Rap because its not a "white man" thing? (Not an accusation, just a rhetorical question) I'm sure there might be a few people who view it that way, but I really doubt that's why most people dislike it. Bob Marley, Jimi Hendrix, Ray Charles - there are plenty of musicians out there who appealed to a broad range of audience regardless of their (or the audience) color. Playing the race card is just a copout.

Hell, Chuck D collaborated with Anthrax and Sonic Youth, among others. Get over the whole race thing and free your mind.
I havent actually heard his Sonic Youth work, which is somewhat surprising, since I got to enjoy them when they toured around local. The Anthrax tune that immediately comes to mind is 'Bring the Noise'.. all I can really say to that is that he (Chuck D) was working with people not up to his own level of talent. The man has a very noticable voice, a presence that just outshined the rest of the band. It was good, I just wish he'd had better "back up" for his own skill.

people needs to check out Jurrasic 5

I'll admit that the majority of rap music sucks and is void of originality. But hey, so does the majority (certainly not all) of most other kinds of music nowadays.

I don't like rap myself but this is a great point, there isn't a musical genre out there that the big record labels haven't screwed up, real artists don't get on the radio any more.

I like Antipop Consortium.

Rap is in my 99% club. Along with Country music and Pop.

What the 99% club is reserved for are musical genres which consist of 99% crap.

That is to say that 99% of rap is feces. Stinky feces.

But there is still 1%. There are jewels among the feces. And sometimes, when the mood strikes me, I am willing to wallow in the feces and look for them.

But usually, I just listen to Blues.
Ah yes, the blues purist. I like some of it but although I'm a guitarist who used to love blues, I now think that most of it is stale, formulaic and repetitive.

There's some rap music that I really like. None of this corporate crap, there's much better rap out there. The problem is I have a rather narrow minded dad who thinks rap should be banned. So I've never really been allowed to buy any rap CDs.

Overall, I hate rap. I find some tolerable, and in some rare cases I enjoy it. Unfortunately, as I see it, the majority of mainstream rap today is worthless crap and the scum of society.

Now back to my Marilyn Manson and JPop.

Disco in the 70s.
No way! Prog and Rock were the defining genre of the 70s, like Pink Floyd and Led Zeppelin.

Overall, I hate rap. I find some tolerable, and in some rare cases I enjoy it. Unfortunately, as I see it, the majority of mainstream rap today is worthless crap and the scum of society.

Now back to my Marilyn Manson and JPop.

Nothing against you, you said you don't like rap. Thats okay, the people who say it is urine to the ears, or all rap sucks, are the ones I have a problem with. What I love about your statement is the Marilyn Manson part.

I love all the people who think that all rap sucks because it is violent and then listen to Marilyn Manson or Slipknot. I love all the people who say that rap isn't music and then listen to Nine Inch Nails, Linkin Park, or Disturbed whose music is at best 4 guitar notes ran through massive amounts of distortion and over production. Hell even NIN and LP use massive amounts of drum machines.

For all of you who hold the view that hip-hop isn't music:
Hey Ya was completely written and recorded (guitar at least) by Andre 3000.
The Roots have a band that includes a keyboardist, a bassist, a guitarist, a drummer, and a guy who does beatbox

Rap is simply put.....GARBAGE. I extremely dislike it because it degrades our society and incourages us to degrade each other(for instance calling your girlfriend a bitch,hoe,skank, etc...) its a music genre(if you can call it "music") that appeals to imature people who go to such ridiculous lengthes to act "gangsta" which is a sort of lifestyle that is pathetic. So in short its all rubbish.
So you're judging all rap by the mainstream "gangsta rap" subgenre?

listen to Nine Inch Nails, Linkin Park, or Disturbed whose music is at best 4 guitar notes ran through massive amounts of distortion and over production.
Oh come on how can you compare NIN to Linkin Park?

Oh come on how can you compare NIN to Linkin Park?

I would have to say that I don't particularly care for either of them, however I give NIN a lot more credit than Linkin Park.

Woot!

Yay for J-Pop, I hope it replaces Rap in the next decade ^_^

No way! Prog and Rock were the defining genre of the 70s, like Pink Floyd and Led Zeppelin.

Wait...ur right sry bout that.

Woot!

Yay for J-Pop, I hope it replaces Rap in the next decade ^_^

Alright, I hate to ask, what the hell is J-Pop?

Well, the J-Pop definition I'm accustomed to means "Japanese Pop" It's hellava lot better than the American standard of pop, in my opinion. Their lyrics actually have meaning other than sex or drugs. Try considering J-Rock too, its nice.

ok here is the deal im not excatly a fan of rap but I do respect rap artist becouse unlike pop r&b and shity mainstrem music wannabe artist they are writing with passion they have a passion for music. I don´t like rap but I can respect them as musicans unlike the pop bastards
long live rock and f***ing roll

iron maiden. metallica, ledzepplin, black sabbath.
listen to a few songs with them you might like them

For all of you who hold the view that hip-hop isn't music:
Hey Ya was completely written and recorded (guitar at least) by Andre 3000.
The Roots have a band that includes a keyboardist, a bassist, a guitarist, a drummer, and a guy who does beatbox

Appears to be the exception rather than the rule.

note the following link may contain material offensive to some perople

a link to some rap lyric snips


edit: link removed if you want it tg me

Appears to be the exception rather than the rule.

My point is not whether most rap musicians play "instruments", but that they play rap music, meaning whether rap is played through instruments, put together on a keyboard, or sampled in a studio it is still music.

note the following link may contain material offensive to some perople

a link to some rap lyric snips


edit: link removed if you want it tg me

I'm not going to ask for the lyrics, but I will say that there are a great deal of offensive lyrics in the mainstream and gangsta genres. However, these are only two genres, and there are many excellent MC's and lyricists if you would only enlighten yourself.

I have already posted a song by Aesop Rock on here that, as you can plainly see, are very intelligent and provide a very good message.

And someone recommend some J-Pop and J-Rock bands so I could hunt them down on Kazaa.

Ah yes, the blues purist. I like some of it but although I'm a guitarist who used to love blues, I now think that most of it is stale, formulaic and repetitive.

Yeah, that's a fair call...but it's so much fun to improvise the blues on a guitar :D

That's so old-school as to be carved in stone. ;) A good portion of it was also very good, and politically motivated at the same time, without being preachy.

Yep, but it's a good example of what rap could have been if the record companies kept on that path.

Just some proof that it's not rap thats the problem, it's just become a victim of the mainstream.

I'm sure there might be a few people who view it that way, but I really doubt that's why most people dislike it. Bob Marley, Jimi Hendrix, Ray Charles - there are plenty of musicians out there who appealed to a broad range of audience regardless of their (or the audience) color. Playing the race card is just a copout.

Actually, that's an excellent point. I didn't think of those artists.


I havent actually heard his Sonic Youth work, which is somewhat surprising, since I got to enjoy them when they toured around local. The Anthrax tune that immediately comes to mind is 'Bring the Noise'.. all I can really say to that is that he (Chuck D) was working with people not up to his own level of talent. The man has a very noticable voice, a presence that just outshined the rest of the band. It was good, I just wish he'd had better "back up" for his own skill.

Heh, well the Anthrax reference was just to show that rap music can transcend two "cultures". I never said that the collaboration is actually good...not a big fan of Anthrax personally. :)


Anyhow, any people want to share some good underground rap artists?

I can bring up Corporate Avenger...though it's not strictly "rap" it's a mix of hip-hop and electronica. Done by native americans...really political though.

Well, the J-Pop definition I'm accustomed to means "Japanese Pop" It's hellava lot better than the American standard of pop, in my opinion. Their lyrics actually have meaning other than sex or drugs. Try considering J-Rock too, its nice.

Except when they do it in english...

often the lyrics are ridiculous. I heard a "romantic" J-pop song that started out with (in Japanese) "Your breath tastes like tobacco, i love you"

And someone recommend some J-Pop and J-Rock bands so I could hunt them down on Kazaa. I'll encourage you to ditch Kazza-anything in favor of something less vulnerable (worms, virii). Soulseek, perhaps, though not as well populated.

However, the actual core question-

Morning Musume, Melon Kinenbi, W - all JPop formations, related to Tsunku's Hello!Project, which has a lot of shuffle groups as well, where multiple members mix & match for singles. Solo artists (usually former MM members) such as Aya Matsuura, Yuko Nakazawa(may have spelled that wrong), Maki Goto. I think Kaori Iida recently graduated to solo work as well.

You may want to check out Mognet (www.mognet.net) for some available PV videos they have on direct download from a variety of artists. They also have a number of commericals and program clips, if you get into it.

The Sapporo Black Label commercial is great, as is the .. Santori(?) Whiskey.

I'll encourage you to ditch Kazza-anything in favor of something less vulnerable (worms, virii). Soulseek, perhaps, though not as well populated.

However, the actual core question-

Morning Musume, Melon Kinenbi, W - all JPop formations, related to Tsunku's Hello!Project, which has a lot of shuffle groups as well, where multiple members mix & match for singles. Solo artists (usually former MM members) such as Aya Matsuura, Yuko Nakazawa(may have spelled that wrong), Maki Goto. I think Kaori Iida recently graduated to solo work as well.

You may want to check out Mognet (www.mognet.net) for some available PV videos they have on direct download from a variety of artists. They also have a number of commericals and program clips, if you get into it.

The Sapporo Black Label commercial is great, as is the .. Santori(?) Whiskey.

I will look for those bands and locations.

My filesharing ways are very haphazard and will most likely not change until:
a) I blow up my computer
b) My music becomes much more popular

Smart money's on a

They're [The Streets] OK I guess. Australian group "Two Up" are alright too.

They? You mean he.

Oh, I love the smell of pedantry on a Friday afternoon.

Rap is crap
I just don't know
It gets right up
My fuckin' hole
It's all the same
There aint no change
Just give me good
'ol rock and roll.

Rap is crap
I just don't know
It gets right up
My fuckin' hole
It's all the same
There aint no change
Just give me good
'ol rock and roll.

I can see why you don't respect rap, with those brilliant lyrical skills, the "rap is crap" assonance has never been done before. EVER.

Oh well,

I expected a good deal of this sort of posts, and 34 to 64 for rap is actually better than I expected.

They? You mean he.

Oh, I love the smell of pedantry on a Friday afternoon.

Don't be so anal. :p

Rap was cool when it was the music of the angry black subculture, but now it is either like modern NSYNC disquised as angry black subculture music, or else angry music with no real point. Of course, there are exceptions. (Talib and Wu Tang Clan) XD

...Although they don't compare to rock.

Rap was cool when it was the music of the angry black subculture, but now it is either like modern NSYNC disquised as angry black subculture music, or else angry music with no real point. Of course, there are exceptions. (Talib and Wu Tang Clan) XD

...Although they don't compare to rock.

Give it time, rock is 30 years older than hip hop.

no it's degrading the youth of the country
i can now back this up

note the following link may be offensive to some people it contains rap lyrics
may not be safe at work



http://www.martinlutherking.org/rapperlyrics.html

i can now back this up

note the following link may be offensive to some people it contains rap lyrics
may not be safe at work



http://www.martinlutherking.org/rapperlyrics.html

So the Jewish media is using black rappers to inspire black youth to kill white people?!!! What will we do?!!

I can find violent lyrics in any form of music, maybe not Christian Lite-Jazz, bu most forms of music.

I don't really get involved in peoples' musical choice. I really hate "pop" (you know… mass produced trite trash junk garbage in which the singer is a stupid blonde creep who can't do anything save sing 5 notes), and I don't like rap - but hey, I just won't listen to it then. I really don't like tuneless 'music' - or nasty rap. I prefer metal like Rammstein, In Flames or Dimmu Borgir (so poetical in a Dantean way!).

I don't really get involved in peoples' musical choice. I really hate "pop" (you know… mass produced trite trash junk garbage in which the singer is a stupid blonde creep who can't do anything save sing 5 notes), and I don't like rap - but hey, I just won't listen to it then. I really don't like tuneless 'music' - or nasty rap. I prefer metal like Rammstein, In Flames or Dimmu Borgir (so poetical in a Dantean way!).

You don't like tuneless music but like Rammstein?

You don't like tuneless music but like Rammstein?

Maybe you can find tunes in Rap. I can't. I can in Rammstein. You can't. Therefore we are both happy, happy people muttering about each other's taste. I mean, rap is just a guy yatterin' into a microphone without proper English with some repetitive junk in the background right? You don't need to answer that, as I'm sure that it isn't to you.

Reise Reise is not tuneless.

You don't like tuneless music but like Rammstein?

Hehehe

Maybe you can find tunes in Rap. I can't. I can in Rammstein. You can't. Therefore we are both happy, happy people muttering about each other's taste. I mean, rap is just a guy yatterin' into a microphone without proper English with some repetitive junk in the background right? You don't need to answer that, as I'm sure that it isn't to you.

Reise Reise is not tuneless.

Fair enough. You have passed the test.

Hehehe You evil tasteless swine have put me on the defensive now! Okay then - rap is repetitive and grammarless - how d'you like THAT, eh? (removes sabre*).

I mean, rap is just a guy yatterin' into a microphone without proper English with some repetitive junk in the background right?
I'm not personally a big fan of rap, but arguing the repetition makes a music genre unlikable is ridiculous. Music is built on repetition. True, music can have too much repetition. But there is just about no music that doesn't rely on repetition (not including atonality...but I did qualify it had to be "music").

I'm not personally a big fan of rap, but arguing the repetition makes a music genre unlikable is ridiculous. Music is built on repetition. True, music can have too much repetition. But there is just about no music that doesn't rely on repetition (not including atonality...but I did qualify it had to be "music"). Dear God, don't get so serious! I was merely twisting around some of the things people have with metal (can't hear the tune, is no tune, throat cancer screaming), and so on. I know it's ridiculous. I was saying so.

You evil tasteless swine have put me on the defensive now! Okay then - rap is repetitive and grammarless - how d'you like THAT, eh? (removes sabre*).

*clutches stab wound*

*falls to floor gasping*

*dies*

*still mananges to get the post off, somehow*

*becomes evil ghost heck-bent on making you spill your coffee*

Dear God, don't get so serious! I was merely twisting around some of the things people have with metal (can't hear the tune, is no tune, throat cancer screaming), and so on. I know it's ridiculous. I was saying so.
Cool! I'm glad there's still levity alive in the forums. Sometimes it's really hard for me to tell. Sorry 'bout that...

*Says "boo"*

You evil tasteless swine have put me on the defensive now! Okay then - rap is repetitive and grammarless - how d'you like THAT, eh? (removes sabre*).

*unsheathes sword* The liberties taken in grammar by rappers is much of the charm. Rap is all about the wordplay and creativeness. And most rappers who take themselves seriously avoid repetitiveness.

And I would say that Rammstein uses far worse English than even the worst rappers. Take THAT. ;)

No - the English in "America" is perfectly grammatically correct! (take THAT!) I think some rappers should be more original - for instance, a close friend and I (in our own metal band) speaketh in this way, so that we may start a new tradition - sort of medieval-empire-builder-English. Very original (well… sort of… in this day 'tis…). Anyone who wants POETIC music should look at the Dimmu Borgir lyrics (although they are all about huge battles, apostasy, heresy, death, damnation, and general stuff like that).

No - the English in "America" is perfectly grammatically correct! (take THAT!) I think some rappers should be more original - for instance, a close friend and I (in our own metal band) speaketh in this way, so that we may start a new tradition - sort of medieval-empire-builder-English. Very original (well… sort of… in this day 'tis…). Anyone who wants POETIC music should look at the Dimmu Borgir lyrics (although they are all about huge battles, apostasy, heresy, death, damnation, and general stuff like that).

I love huge battles, apostasy, heresy, death, damnation, and general stuff like that. It makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside.