RAP MUSIC [let the ignorance stop. discover. learn.], don't click if your too lazy to read the whole thing Options

[JerzDevil]

“Rap only takes an egotistical guy who thinks he can get with anyone… You can’t even understand their words. They’re like ‘Ahhhrr!’ and are completely incomprehensible.” responded Laura A. when asked what she felt rappers had to do in order to write rhymes. The issue over how much talent it takes to be a rap artist has been disputed since its dawn. Junior Preston “Mish” D. had a completely juxtaposing view, “It takes a main idea, [it] has to be catchy… clever and original… you have to use multi-syllabic rhyme schemes and complex metaphors, while in other genres its simple rhyming.” As Preston has explained, writing rap lyrics isn’t as simple as many people may think. It has many of the same characteristics of other genres except in rap music, they’re balanced differently.

How different from other genres? When asked what where the biggest factors in country music, Meghan C. said, “It’s… about the words. The songs actually have a message and meaning… It has to have a good message; it [also] has to be upbeat and fun to listen to.” Another common favorite, Pop music is designed for anyone to be able to enjoy, with ‘happy’ lyrics and instrumentals. While the ultimate balance of all genres, traditional rock music involves all of the above, and then some depending on the song. Besides the vocalizing that all genres have in common, the stand out characteristics of rock music would have to be the guitars and drums. The musical talent it takes to perform and produce many rock songs are unparalleled by any other genre. You wouldn’t expect Jay-Z to play a mean solo on his Les Paul to be followed by Nas playing an even more complex two-minute drum solo. Don’t let that convince you that rappers don’t have their own redeeming factor. Because rapping is based on speaking to a rhythm instead of harmonizing to a melody it has a much larger range of freedom of lyrics. This causes the capacity of rap lyrics to also have more potential than that of any other genre. Just look at this excerpt from Jay-Z’s song “Renegade” featuring Eminem in which the capacity for rap is clearly demonstrated,

“Since I'm in a position to talk to these kids and they listen
I ain't no politician but I'll kick it with 'em a minute
Cause see they call me a menace; and if the shoe fits I'll wear it
But if it don't, then y'all'll swallow the truth grin and bear it
Now who's the king of these rude ludicrous lucrative lyrics
Who could inherit the title, put the youth in hysterics
Usin his music to steer it, sharin his views and his merits
But there's a huge interference - they're sayin you shouldn't hear it
Maybe it's hatred I spew, maybe it's food for the spirit
Maybe it's beautiful music I made for you to just cherish”


In less than a minute, Eminem has displayed alliterations (underlined), assonance and complex rhyme-schemes (bold), usage of an idiom, personification, while still conveying his words as if it’s an active conversation. Even with such strong examples of an intricate poetic background, there is still a ‘Pop’ element to many rap songs.

In the summer of 2007, the biggest breakthrough hit of any genre was undoubtedly Soulja Boy’s addicting dance-along Rap song, “Crank That (Soulja Boy)”. Double major in English and African and African-American studies, John Collins described the song as being “…just dance music, which is about repetitive comical things. There is no message, just ‘dance, dance, dance.’” Songs such as this distort the image of ‘good’ Rap Music, and because of the popularity of them on the radio, they distort the distribution and publicity of ‘good’ Rap all the same. Yet, this may not necessarily be a bad thing. This ‘dance, dance, dance’ element is just another plane on the nine-sided die of Rap music. When John was asked what drew him in to becoming a fan of Rap, he responded with, “Rap captures me because of the vivid imagery. Rap music is based on a struggle… It’s based in blues music which has serious undertones. There’s political, social, and economic commentary involved…Real Rap touches your soul, plus it sounds good… [The] topics are so varied. There’s booty shaking all the way to the American political system.”

An advantage that Rap music has over other genres is the freedom to write about anything, covering a wide range of songs and topics, and ways to display them. In Nas’s song “Rewind” He takes the listener from an active murder scene backwards until the time that the murder is planned out, demonstrating his creative strength. In Papoose’s “Alphabetical Manslaughter” (which took him three years to write), lyrical alliterations are taken to another level, demonstrating a powerful vocabulary and intellect which is shown in this excerpt,

[fameONE]

Most of you know that I'm one of the resident advocators of HipHop and I proudly stand behind the genre, its origins, the future and the movements to come. The thread hit key points and was well written. It could've explored the sub-genres of HipHop a bit more, in order to 'dumb it down' to those who are completely ignorant to HipHop.

Not everyone is going to like HipHop, nor will everyone be able to relate to it, but to say that its crap based on what the oblivious masses enjoy. I can't stand the Soulja Boy song and dance but I don't write off an entire genre as being completely useless. Freedom of speech is supported, but ignorance is not.

Broaden your horizons.

[S-Majere]

Freedom of speech is supported, but ignorance is not.

Cute, but don't assume everyone who dislikes rap to be ignorant of it!

[fameONE]

Cute, but don't assume everyone who dislikes rap to be ignorant of it!

Its not a matter of someone disliking it. I love hiphop and dislike a lot of what I hear these days. But to disrespect the entire genre and say its crap because of some garbage mainstream artist is pretty ignorant.