rap, please help me, rap fans Options

[SoaDyPOP]

I have to write a speech for my Public Speaking class, and I'm writing about stereotypes. One of my topics is how rap isn't all about sex, drugs, pimps, drinking, clubbing, etc. I need an example, but I don't listen to rap, so I'm hoping somebody could help me out and give me an example of a rap song that doesn't have to do with the aforementioned topics. Also, make sure you tell me what the song is dealing with. If you can help me, thanks a bundle!

[D1SMANTLED]

i highly dislike rap.

[azn_r4pf4n]

Nas is a good example.

His 2001 album God's Son had this track, "I Can," which really made a good point about trying your best in stuff. Here's a bunch of verses:

Be, B-Boys and girls, listen up
You can be anything in the world, in God we trust
An architect, doctor, maybe an actress
But nothing comes easy it takes much practice
Like, I met a woman who's becoming a star
She was very beautiful, leaving people in awe
Singing songs, Lina Horn, but the younger version
Hung with the wrong person
Got her strung on that
Heroin, cocaine, sniffin up drugs all in her nose...
Coulda died, so young, now looks ugly and old
No fun cause now when she reaches for hugs people hold they breath
Cause she smells of corrosion and death
Watch the company you keep and the crowd you bring
Cause they came to do drugs and you came to sing
So if you gonna be the best, I'ma tell you how,
Put your hands in the air, and take a vow

okay, it was talking about drugss... but Nas was rapping about not taking drugs.
here's another one. Talib Kweli - I Try featuring Mary J. Blige. Tells people to keep trying, even in the hardest of things.

Life is a beautiful struggle
People search through the rubble for a suitable hustle
Some people usin' the noodle, some people usin' the muscle
Some people put it all together, make it fit like a puzzle
C'mon, say it now

Nas is one of them rappers that really does make a good point about stuff. yes, he raps about violence, but his album God's Son is a good example of the reasons why they happen.

Then there's Twista - Hope Featuring Faith Evans. It was the hit single from the Coach Carter soundtrack, so you probably heard it b4. look at the lyrics carefullly and you can prove that rap is not all those steryotypical things.

[TrustU2HurtMe]

Try the lyrics to "Jesus Walks" by Kayne West and I think "Why" by Jadakiss.

[*mzkandi*]

i highly dislike rap.

umm then why did u post in here.....

Anyways Kanye West, Nas, and Tupac are good subjects. Some songs to check out are Kanye West-Jesus Walks(as someone has already mentioned), Tupac-Smile(one of my favorites by him), Nas-One Mic...good luck!!

[sweetdreamsx3]

Alicia Keys about Karma?

[jnukes]

^ .. err.. that isn't rap ...


i suggest looking up lyrics to these songs ..


talib kweli - around my way
twista - hope
jadakiss - why
tupac - thugz mansion
kanye west - through the wire, jesus walks, all falls down


that one song .. it's like "i know i can [i know i can] be what i wanna be [be what i wanna be] if i work hard at it " and blah blah .. and has fur wlise playing in tha backround

[xGlovex]

Try the lyrics to "Jesus Walks" by Kayne West and I think "Why" by Jadakiss.

good idea

[FLIPxADDICTION]

i highly dislike rap.

Ditto sistah!

[Saeglopur]

i dislike rap too but ..

Black Eyed Peas - Where Is The Love?

shut up, i like this song.

[*mzkandi*]

i dislike rap too but ..

Black Eyed Peas - Where Is The Love?

shut up, i like this song.

lol...i like too!!!!

[poopyflkes]

rap isnt about all that, that's mainstream rap they have to please ppl that listen to rap that like rap and ppl that dont like it that much but listen to it, look towards mixtapes, ppl such as tupac,biggie,big L,jay-z,any old school shit

[HongKongDong]

^^man this topic is hecka old, im pretty sure his/her project is done by now...

[*Statistik*]

50 cent-god gave me style
50 cent-many men
50 cent-ski mask way
50 cent-my toy soldiers
50 cent-outta control
fat joe-so much more

[*basick*]

50 cent-god gave me style
50 cent-many men
50 cent-ski mask way
50 cent-my toy soldiers
50 cent-outta control
fat joe-so much more

wow. f**king feggot read the f**king thread

[*nightmare4taki*]

i highly dislike rap.

LMAO. Obviously you must be drawn to it or you wouldn't have posted here.


2pac has many songs that don't have stereotypes in them.

1. 2pac - I aint mad atcha
2. 2pac - Keep your head up
3. 2pac - Changes

Anyways why do people say thats all hip hop is about. In all other Genres of music what do they talk about. HMMMMMMMM let me think.

Love songs - They have sex in them.
Rock songs - They also have drug use and even some talk about suicide.

I mean I like all forms of music but why is rap highly stereotyped and not other forms of music. If you ask me Rap is the only music you can fuse with other Genres of music.

[WTFwasIthinking]

No, rap is stereotyped for a reason... A GOOD REASON AT THAT... Anyone that stereotypes rap has every right to because what is it is the strongest in each of those categories you named... SEX, MONEY, HOES, CLUBS, DRINKING, ETC... Hip hop is dying right now and that's one of the reasons... I love hip hop but it can't be defended at the moment because that's the state of hip hop......

And 2Pac was a hypocrite... Just as much as he tried to portray a "real image" he sold out... Just as many songs he had that couldn't be classified under the stereotype of what hip hop is today, he had that many songs that did fit under that classification.......

[*basick*]

yeah camron and dame dash looked very stupid on the bill o'reilly show.

[*nightmare4taki*]

No, rap is stereotyped for a reason...  A GOOD REASON AT THAT...  Anyone that stereotypes rap has every right to because what is it is the strongest in each of those categories you named... SEX, MONEY, HOES, CLUBS, DRINKING, ETC...  Hip hop is dying right now and that's one of the reasons...  I love hip hop but it can't be defended at the moment because that's the state of hip hop...... 

And 2Pac was a hypocrite... Just as much as he tried to portray a "real image" he sold out...  Just as many songs he had that couldn't be classified under the stereotype of what hip hop is today, he had that many songs that did fit under that classification.......

I understand that. All Im saying is why is rap just a target. Is it because it stands out more these days. I guess what Im trying to say is it was cool to talk about all the above categories until it got into the hands Suburban america.

[*basick*]

it was cool to talk about all the above categories until it got into the hands Suburban america.

or, when it got into the hands of suburban america, it was cool to talk about it

[*nightmare4taki*]

Exactly. No one paid attention to hip-hop as long as it stayed in the background. but once word got out well you know the rest. I also agree with PentheInstrument about how hip-hop is dying. I dont really care about all that because the truth is all music is dying. They dont make songs like they did back in the days. Im talking about EARTH WIND AND FIRE, TEMPTATIONS, MARIVIN GAYE, AL GREEN, JACKSON 5 and so many more. I can still listen to these songs and they never get old like most of the music today.

[WTFwasIthinking]

Exactly. No one paid attention to hip-hop as long as it stayed in the background. but once word got out well you know the rest. I also agree with PentheInstrument about how hip-hop is dying. I dont really care about all that because the truth is all music is dying. They dont make songs like they did back in the days. Im talking about EARTH WIND AND FIRE, TEMPTATIONS, MARIVIN GAYE, AL GREEN, JACKSON 5 and so many more. I can still listen to these songs and they never get old like most of the music today.

No, that's not true........ Music is dying because the Machine, not the talent... And hip hop isn't dogged, only because it's in the mainstream eyes... the reason it wasn't dogged when it wasn't big is because it didn't get big until all the nonsense talk started... remember, back in the day? 80's-early 90's... until the NWA movement came, gangsta rap was non-existent... neither was this profane, vulgar language used in rap today.... it's not because it's in the public eye... remember, hip hop wasn't even huge then and NWA was gettin' dogged hard...........

and as far as the quality of music... that's also cuz the machine... the talent is there and production is only getting better... listen to an old Michael Jackson track and tell me that the beats are THAT nice... I'd take a Kanye West beat over ALMOST anything Michael Jackson was on... it's about what they're talkin' about in the music because the industry controls the artist... it's not comin' from their hearts... that's the only difference... the talent is there... and if they wanna talk what's in their hearts, they don't get signed or don't make it... it cuffs you and shackles you so you can't move..............

"If you didn't do the track they wanted you ta do~fa~'em~last~week /
Prepare fa them; they'll start comparison wit you~'n~the~black~sheep /
So better lose the drivers mindset; get intro-duced~ta~the~back~seat /
Or the truth's you'll get chewed 'n then glued~ta~the~crap~seat"

[*nightmare4taki*]

So why does every Rapper that picks up a mic today have to have street credibility. I know rap wasn't started from vulgar language and pistol popping so why has it evolved into what it has become today.

[WTFwasIthinking]

So why does every Rapper that picks up a mic today have to have street credibility. I know rap wasn't started from vulgar language and pistol popping so why has it evolved into what it has become today.

It all started with NWA... They were successful in a time that hip hp wasn't succeeding... So the MACHINE says, this works... So everyone they signed needed to be from some sort of struggle and be "gangsta"... Remember, even Vanilla Ice was portrayed by his label as a kid from a "hood"... it started from NWA's bein' one of the most successful early on......................

[*nightmare4taki*]

It all started with NWA...  They were successful in a time that hip hp wasn't succeeding...  So the MACHINE says, this works...  So everyone they signed needed to be from some sort of struggle and be "gangsta"...  Remember, even Vanilla Ice was portrayed by his label as a kid from a "hood"...  it started from NWA's bein' one of the most successful early on......................

Yes I do remember Vanilla Ice being portrayed as a gangster. Then when he was exposed everyone rejected him. Dont get me wrong I like listening to Gangster Rap to a certain extent because these people are telling a story but I do believe that everyone who has a mic in their hands does not have to be a gangster as long as they have talent to deliver their message. I just want hip-hop to change its outlook. For instance I would like to see more rappers like Nas who lived the Gangster life but try to stay away from it by doing positive unlike 50 cent who brags and boast about getting shot 9 times.

EDIT
I like 50s music but not him personally.