Rap music is an absolute joke

reply to post by showintail


I'm wondering if that was a positive experience for you, and if listening to that music affirms it for you and comforts you in your predicament? Does it perpetuate negative feelings about your life? I understand that it does speak to ghetto people, but most people who blast it have never been anywhere near a ghetto. I can see how you may have credibility in this area, although you're still not addressing a lot of the reasons why I believe its a joke....

Originally posted by AskWhy11
reply to post by showintail

 

But, after you make millions of dollars, you need to drop the 'gangsta' persona and grow the F#CK up.
It gets old. Yeah, you had a hard life, but capitalizing on it constantly is not cool; nor is
simply making music for 'stacks of bread'...

edit on 31-8-2011 by AskWhy11 because: (no reason given)

Oh absolutely, and that is also what is completely messed up about 'the game'. They quite literally get into 'the game' to make loads of dough, and proceed to brag about it in their songs, it's a big part of the content. You see it isnt about the listener, its about glorifying the rapper, making them look larger than life and gangster.

The other day I was watching the VMAs on MTV. I kept thinking I don't know who most of these people are and how anyone could enjoy their music. I got to writing a thread on how pop music is all about idolatry and cult of personality. And how I didn't understand why everyone was supposed to like certain "artists" like Kanye, Jayz, Beyonce, Lady Gaga when I felt they displayed little talent other than self promotion. I was going to reminisce about the good old days when music had feeling and what not. Then it hit me.............

I'm old.

Yep, it's true. I'm and old foagie. I will be turning 40 in a few months. I am not young any more.
It sucks. I have become the old burnouts who said Guns N Roses and Metallica were ruining rock 'n roll. I have become the old man at the street light yelling at me to turn that !@$!% #$!#!$ noise down. I have become Captain Buzzkill piloting the USS Shaking Fist across the seas of fun.

So kids, enjoy your music and your lifestyle while you can. You will be old someday too.

reply to post by sir_slide


Yes, you're pretty much right. Mainstream Rap music is pure (c)Rap. Although there is nothing wrong with Hip-Hop, it's really a wonderful genre of music. In its purest form it can be pure poetry. Artists like Lil' Wayne, Soulja Boy, Gucci Mane, Yung Joc, etc., they are all horrible artists who just make "catchy tunes" so people can bump them in their car, with their 24 inch rims, so that they can look "cool". It's really sad how Hip-Hop is such an abused genre of music. People only see the bad side of it because that's what is played on the radio, shown on BET/MTV/VH1 and such. It really pisses me off when I see rappers only in it for the money with their lyrics mainly focused around women, cars, clothes, money, gun-clapping, booty-shaking and materialistic oriented subject matter.

If you want to hear Hip-Hop at it's finest, I suggest you clean your ears first and check out: Illogic, Insight, Pharoahe Monch, Saul Williams, Sage Francis, Aseop Rock, J-Live, Masta Ace, Talib Kweli, Black Thought, Common, Mos Def, Canibus, Gift of Gab, Aceyalone and Busdriver.

Hip-Hop is still enriched in its roots in the underground/alternative area, however it is all washed up in the mainstream, because plain and simple, they are only in it for the money.

reply to post by jsncrs


Thank you! I agree 110%.

Originally posted by AskWhy11
reply to post by showintail

 

But, after you make millions of dollars, you need to drop the 'gangsta' persona and grow the F#CK up.
It gets old. Yeah, you had a hard life, but capitalizing on it constantly is not cool; nor is
simply making music for 'stacks of bread'...

edit on 31-8-2011 by AskWhy11 because: (no reason given)

I agree. Really I do. But at the same time, the "grown up" version doesnt fit my current life. Not trying to be judged, but still living in the hood, and raising my kids (by a gang member) this wouldnt allow me to identify with the grown up I.e moved on persona.

For example,i love me some zero, but if he "grew up" he wouldnt be "hood", he'd be music for paris hilton, lol, idk. Just givin an example. But rapping what he does, gives me what I need in "my hood".

Not trying to make you change your mind(s) just trying to give an insight. In the hood, we dont have much. but our cars(lol im third coast) and our bavymamma/daddies...

Originally posted by AskWhy11
First of all, the guy's not racist, and if you get that out of reading the post, then you're either completely insecure, or you're just completely delusional. He made very valid points, and used great reference.

Why didn't he use a picture of Eminem? Haha, why does he have to be white? That sounds like you're racist. Why not asian, or hispanic? It just so happens that the majority of 'rappers' are African American, so get real. Would you call a black person racist if they posted pictures of baseball players he didn't really like, and they all happened to be white? And Eminem isn't wearing BIGA$$ chains either.

But, about that, don't single people out for what they're merely wearing. The way you dress has nothing to do with it, and I would love to see the way you dress. Not trying to be rude, but you see my point. Now a $410,000 chain is ridiculous and I agree there.

Why doesn't he call out Metal or Country? Probably because country doesn't always reference "Sipp'n Champagne" and poppin pills, and smack'n 'hoes', or being a 'gangsta' (and I really don't care for country by the way; some Johnny Cash is rather nice though). And a lot of metal has more talent than pretty much any genre of music when it comes to lyrics, musical technicality, and overall talent. There is ridiculous music everywhere, in every genre. Not just Hip-hop, Metal, Country, Rock, etc....

Music to me is defined by passion. Talent is merely how much passion you have in one or more areas, in my opinion and I draw, write, and play music. Am I talented? Eh, most say so, but I also have deep passions for all of those things. I didn't just wake up and know anatomy and scales.

So please, don't judge appearances and simply give credit where it's due.
And mainstream is the last place you want to give credit. Especially nowadays...


Anyway, here is a 'Metal' song that I think fits ATS rather well. The lyrics are very well thought out and you can tell they're intelligent:

www.youtube.com...

Cheers, I wear leather jackets, boots and jeans usually, sometimes with a cowboy shirt and a crystal skull around my neck though, not as bad as youd imagine. You're right in a lot of the things you say. The thing about the music you mentioned is that it is composed and written by people, all of it, and a lot of the metal stuff requires extreme levels of skill, take a look at tool for example

I used to listen to Ice-T when I was like 15. It used to annoy my parents, which was part of attraction

These days I much prefer Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu...

What cracks me up is my 54 Y/O neighbor, he is a black guy worked his whole life until he had an accident and messed up his kidneys real bad. The thing is that everyday in the summer he blasts rap at 100 decibels for at least 2 hours a day, it drives me nuts, but I just close my windows on that side of the house until its over. The reason I don't make a big deal about it is because he is very close to death and I try to be understanding. My question is, at this age who the hell would still want to listen to that kind of BS music? I laugh my ass off seeing these dudes, baggy clothes and sideways hats, unlaced work boots, etc...jamming this kids music and they are into their 50's!! WTF??

I have to honestley say, without going into details, my life was screwed. Seriously.

Originally posted by sir_slide
reply to post by showintail

 

I'm wondering if that was a positive experience for you, and if listening to that music affirms it for you and comforts you in your predicament? Does it perpetuate negative feelings about your life? I understand that it does speak to ghetto people, but most people who blast it have never been anywhere near a ghetto. I can see how you may have credibility in this area, although you're still not addressing a lot of the reasons why I believe its a joke....

Originally posted by AskWhy11
reply to post by showintail

 

But, after you make millions of dollars, you need to drop the 'gangsta' persona and grow the F#CK up.
It gets old. Yeah, you had a hard life, but capitalizing on it constantly is not cool; nor is
simply making music for 'stacks of bread'...

edit on 31-8-2011 by AskWhy11 because: (no reason given)

Oh absolutely, and that is also what is completely messed up about 'the game'. They quite literally get into 'the game' to make loads of dough, and proceed to brag about it in their songs, it's a big part of the content. You see it isnt about the listener, its about glorifying the rapper, making them look larger than life and gangster.

edit on 31-8-2011 by sir_slide because: (no reason given)

You know OP, I'm glad you created this thread, because I was thinking about this most of this today coincidentally.

Here's another issue I find rather comical. Most girls (at least in California) are constantly talking about how their significant others have cheated on them, and what not. YET, the music they listen to is constantly defiling women as 'hoes' and 'bitches'. I've been to bars, and seen girls sing along to music where the lyrics are literally saying 'smack a bitch', etc. What do you think your boyfriend is gonna do, when you both worship such pathetic, illiterate lyrics? This is the mentality of MANY, and I simply don't understand it, nor condone it. It's sad, and this is why our country, and American society is the way it is today.....

A lot of popular music nowadays are totally generic and utter crap. But this doesn't make rap music the only culprit. Dance, Pop and a lot of Rock and Punk have the same problems with new generic groups that follow the same stupid formula. They seek success over their own creative expression.

But do you know what's more stupid? People (not necessarily the OP) who have the audacity to judge a genre of music based on its own commercial success. Music doesn't have to be good because it's sold a million albums. Music in my opinion is the emotional, mental and existential connection that you make with this world. There are songs that you are going to like because you can relate to and there are others that you can dance or bump your head to. If you don't like it then just changed the channel, switch off the radio or do something else to preoccupy yourself with.

People like me who love this genre of music (hip hop) as well as many other genres understand the problems that plague industry and don't associate good music with popular music. OP as you would know hip hop is a cultural that is based upon the 4 elements - dj,mc,break dance and graffiti. Rap is considered to be the ability to rhyme to a beat. No matter how good, bad or illiterate you are.

I enjoy this music for its creative complexity of postmodern poetry. I don't associate myself with the idea that I have to dress like a 'hoodrat' or spit slang' to appreciate the music. Personally I despise that. But I do appreciate the simplicity it draws for the user to practice it no matter where in the world you are. It's an art that is easy to learn and hard to master.

reply to post by AskWhy11


It's so brilliantly ironic isn't it? They whine about how their man goes out cheating and so forth yet all they both listen to is music that glorifies such behavior and it is some giant mystery to them why their significant other would ever do something like that to them, maybe it's because he bombards himself with music that tells him that kinda behavior is not only cool but 'gangster', its worrying how blind people can be. My pleasure about the thread though, im sick of it, I was reading an article about some rapper in a music street press and decided I'd had enough.

reply to post by showintail


I'm really sorry to hear that man, it sounds really messed up and I understand to some degree. I just find that most of the music perpetuates this negative way of thinking and viewing the world which in turn comes out in their behavior...you know what I mean?

Originally posted by AskWhy11
You know OP, I'm glad you created this thread, because I was thinking about this most of this today coincidentally.

Here's another issue I find rather comical. Most girls (at least in California) are constantly talking about how their significant others have cheated on them, and what not. YET, the music they listen to is constantly defiling women as 'hoes' and 'bitches'. I've been to bars, and seen girls sing along to music where the lyrics are literally saying 'smack a bitch', etc. What do you think your boyfriend is gonna do, when you both worship such pathetic, illiterate lyrics? This is the mentality of MANY, and I simply don't understand it, nor condone it. It's sad, and this is why our country, and American society is the way it is today.....

Why does it really bother you that other people listen to garbage music? Let them listen to it as long as it isn't hurting you.

I would say just understand that there are stupid out there who are too easily manipulated and coaxed into that kind of music and lifestyle.

im not one for rap but you NEED to listen to this guy he is AMAZING!!!www.youtube.com...

www.youtube.com...

www.youtube.com...

reply to post by sir_slide


Your rant is justified, because I know you are addressing the mainstream portion of Hip-hop/Rap, which is really what the majority of people rely on anyway. As soon as you dwell into the underground, especially state specific underground; meaning cali underground and NY underground sound different, feel different; you get a new world of sounds.Let's face it the overall perspective changed since the tribe called quest/de la soul days. The whole east coast/west coast thing turned rhyme play and black culture into overdrive by introducing gangsta rap as something popular.

But I have to disagree about your notion of sampling music being unimaginative. Turntabalism may require previous produced work, but the manipulation and sounds it produces is truly artistic. People get but hurt because they didn't put musical instruments in the production, but they're not musicians, they are essentially audio engineers/producers and DJs. Not enough recognition is given to some instrumentalists and producers who make music with no vocals, yet are still hip hop. There is also a good list of hip hop acts that have bands (the roots, yesterday's new quintet, liquid crystal project, greyboy allstars, crown city rockers etc)

The real joke is that people think there isn't a lot of great hip hop out there. And then when it's presented to them, it sounds so different than what they are used to, they don't even call it hip hop, they'll give it a new name.
I'll just leave with some hip hop that is "progressive", although is not heard on the radio or mtv. There has always been a progressive movement in hip hop, but it is supremely underplayed though.

Panacea = refreshing
This production is actually done by multi-instrumentalist uyama hiroto, not nujabes, although he did the original. Cise Star with the lyrics.
No cursing, just simple life reflecting hip hop


Edit: there is such a looong list of progressive music that is popular amongst those that listen to it. Its honestly like an entire different genre.

reply to post by nahsik


The genres you mentioned dont really have the same message though, I appreciate what you're saying totally but you are missing my point. I really do not judge music based on its commercial success though you must understand, i am just pointing out the mainstream nature of this music now and that it is a disgrace to have such music being played as much as it is, its message is usually so bloody negative and self serving its embarassing for me to listen to. You have people idolizing people like Kanye West because he does he wants and 'doesnt give a F***', well yeah, great, awesome, isn't he valuable! He can't even sing in tune. So I guess my point is that it is about what the substance of the music as a whole is and what it can offer people in a positive way, I can't think of many things.......

reply to post by sir_slide


Check out Danny Brown man, he's gonna be hip-hops savior.

I partially agree with you but you are missing a HUGE part of the picture. First let me start off by saying, THE INDUSTRY IS NOT HIP-HOP! This industry was built to make money. As simple as that, the people that run it do not care about the fate of hip-hop or they would not be working for a machine witch is destroying it. Its making people like you think that its not music. You only talked about main stream artist. You know the same people that control our tv's, video games, and movies control the main stream music industry, yes even the beatles, I will get back to you on that note. I play guitar, drums, and bass. I just started to write and freestyle and I fell its the biggest form of self expression I have ever stumbled upon. With a guitar you can produce emotions but you cant tell the audience a story to go along with those emotions. Main stream artist like NWA wear created to make money and control the apart population. 2pac was trying to stop the illuminati take over of hip-hop witch is why he was killed and accused of raping a girl. My point is. You cant base a whole culter off the ILLUMINATI/FREEMASON MAIN STREAM VIEW. I hate the crap on radio lil Wayne 50cent even Eminem (hes got skill and emotion but its angles vs daemons) You should check out some other artist. Im sure these will change your mind. This is REAL HIP-HOP


This really is the best MC's alive


[yvid]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z1WzNVU-BXM/yvid]

reply to post by showintail



I hear ya man. I've never lived in a place for longer than 3 years. But I have lived in a 'white ghetto' wear "Peckerwoods" reign supreme and the streets reek of ignorance and pride. My cousins have full chest tattoos they've received in prison and take pictures saluting like Nazis. It's sad. I've also lived in East Los Angeles wear you hear gunshots around the block and when you walk by houses, you constantly get asked "Ay homie, where you from." (Doesn't mean location by the way)
With that said, I'm still not about 'money' and big cars. I never had much money, nor did I ever take any interest in it. I only look at money for security. You unfortunately HAVE to have it in order to survive. At least in an urban area. Especially with kids. I'm also the oldest of 7, so I've worried about my blood just as you have with your kids. Just realize that money is material and that success is measured by how much you've 'put in' as a human being, not how much you have in your bank account. That will be mere paper soon anyway by the looks of the market... Much love man, and I hope you stick it through. Keep your head up, you're an intelligent guy.

Ron Paul baby.

Originally posted by sir_slide
reply to post by nahsik

 

The genres you mentioned dont really have the same message though, I appreciate what you're saying totally but you are missing my point. I really do not judge music based on its commercial success though you must understand, i am just pointing out the mainstream nature of this music now and that it is a disgrace to have such music being played as much as it is, its message is usually so bloody negative and self serving its embarassing for me to listen to. You have people idolizing people like Kanye West because he does he wants and 'doesnt give a F***', well yeah, great, awesome, isn't he valuable! He can't even sing in tune. So I guess my point is that it is about what the substance of the music as a whole is and what it can offer people in a positive way, I can't think of many things.......

Their is a reason to all of it. You should check out this youtube series called the industry exposed. All of these artist are playing apart in a ritual. Sounds crazy? The evidence is their and its as clear the beaches in Hawaii. The first few parts are little slow, but it starts to get really interesting. Their are something like 80 parts, their is allot of evidence.