Rap.

[Mushroom]

I'm sorry it's come to this, but i've decided to ask for help:
For years i've tried and failed to appreciate rap 'music'. I just can't bring myself to... sometimes some of the RnB music it goes with is nearly vaguely listenable, but I just can't see why rapping is so popular. As far as i see it, it's someone talking over the music, something you would generally find annoying in most situations. It doesn't have a tune most of the time, so it's not singing per se, and a lot of the time the lyrics stretch the English language's capacity to rhyme to the most evil extents that it almost screams in pain. I also don't get why there's a great deal of controversy over the point that pornography can be seen as being demeaning to women, whereas rap lyrics are almost as bad, surely. Talking about women as objects, 'bitches', wanting to get them naked etc to music... yet relatively little controversy.
In summary, i can't like rap no matter how much i try, so i've concluded that i must be missing something.
Could someone please explain what the attraction to rap is?

[rageybabey]

Sorry...can't help you. Just carry on disliking it.

[MrL_JaKiri]

Originally Posted by rageybabey

Sorry...can't help you. Just carry on disliking it.

For your first post in months, it's a doozy.

Re: the topic at hand, it's because you don't like it. There's not really much to 'get', it's a matter of getting enjoyment from listening to it.

[Dante Hicks]

Originally Posted by Mushroom

Talking about women as objects, 'bitches', wanting to get them naked etc to music... yet relatively little controversy.

What the hell? Rap is frequently condemned as sexist (although in a lot of ways it's no worse than a lot of rock). Try googling for "misogyny + rap"

I don't like rap either, but I don't really see what the problem with "talking over music" is. I mean, poetry can be cool, right? Now let's imagine someone had a poem they wanted to read, and it was relatively lyrical, and they played some music as a background noise. Would you instantly hate it?

My main criticism of rap (aside from personal distaste) is that lyrics spend too much time talking about utter shit compared to the very real problems confronting poor urban communities. That and the conspicuous consumption of some of the artists involved. Instead of "keeping it real" they seem to enjoy boasting about their wealth, etc. Their behaviour is no worse than some rock stars, but at least rockers rarely pretend to be struggling for poor whites.

Where rap is vaguely political I'm a lot more open to it. I still keep a personal general dislike, although I'll give it a listen. So right now I've got KRS-1's "Sound of Da Police" on, which I personally enjoy.

Overall : I primarily see it as a black music form though, and thus not for me.

[Ste]

Do you like the streets?

[Dante Hicks]

Originally Posted by Ste

Do you like the streets?

Not really, although some of the lyrics seem pretty good.

"Fit But You Know It" had me listening quite a few times although that's because I heard it in a club and couldn't get it out of my head.

edit : That's actually a reasonable point; some rap, even if you hate the music, obviously requires a reasonable level of skill to write.

edit 2 : Has anyone seen the movie 'Slam'? That's a pretty cool film which sort of talks about beat poetry or whatever it's called.

[rageybabey]

Originally Posted by MrL_JaKiri

For your first post in months, it's a doozy.

If there was a reason for me to care what people thought of my first post in months...

[Stew]

Originally Posted by Ste

Do you like the streets?

The Streets and Eminem are about the only 'rap' music I like.
Maybe I'm musically racist.

[queball]

Beastie Boys.

[MrL_JaKiri]

Originally Posted by rageybabey

If there was a reason for me to care what people thought of my first post in months...

It would be the best reason in the world?

Wait, that's Carling.

[LHC]

The Beastie Boys are ace. Middle aged white rappers

Their rapping style is the best. Everyone shouts every third word.

[JC]

Originally Posted by MrL_JaKiri

It would be the best reason in the world?

Wait, that's Carling.

Carlsberg.

[MrL_JaKiri]

Originally Posted by JC

Carlsberg.

I bet JC drinks Carslberg Black Label.

[Stew]

Originally Posted by MrL_JaKiri

I bet JC drinks Carslberg Black Label.

You rarely admit you're wrong do you MrL, as in hold your hands up and admit it.

[MrL_JaKiri]

Originally Posted by Stew

You rarely admit you're wrong do you MrL, as in hold your hands up and admit it.

Why admit I was wrong, which was a fairly obvious state of affairs, when I can make a bad pun?

[JC]

Originally Posted by MrL_JaKiri

I bet JC drinks Carslberg Black Label.

I think Carlsberg and Carling are pretty shit as far as lagers go.

[MrL_JaKiri]

Originally Posted by JC

I think Carlsberg and Carling are pretty shit as far as lagers go.

What kind of Liverpool fan are you if you don't like Carlsberg

[JC]

Mcewans lager <3.

[Mushroom]

Originally Posted by Dante Hicks

I don't like rap either, but I don't really see what the problem with "talking over music" is. I mean, poetry can be cool, right? Now let's imagine someone had a poem they wanted to read, and it was relatively lyrical, and they played some music as a background noise. Would you instantly hate it?

No - i quite like the sort of rap that a lot of Faithless tracks include, and some Beastie Boys tracks. What i don't like is the rap that just goes on about absolutely nothing in particular. Since it seems to be a popular one at the moment (a certain radio station plays it EVERY morning), i'll use Usher & Ludacris - Yeah as an example. Now, i dislike this track on two counts - musically it does bugger all, and lyrically it's virtually meaningless. Yet it's super-popular. This escapes me, though as someone kindly pointed out to me (as if i'd forgotten ) i can't account for everybody's tastes. Maybe i'm too analytical of music, or maybe it's just that i dislike most commercial music anywyay...

[Vaio]

Don't get me started on rap.......

~Vaio~

[Lupin]

or maybe you dont know enuff of rap/hip-hop. i mean it started prolly around 1980 and till today there are different styles of rap. also i am mainly listen to rap, i hate the new "shit" like ludacris/p. diddy/neptunes etc.. however there is enuff older "shit" which is just brilliant (ie: Nas's 1st LP "Illmatic").

[KoeN]

Originally Posted by LHC

The Beastie Boys are ace. Middle aged white rappers

Their rapping style is the best. Everyone shouts every third word.

i have all the albums, except the last one. it's the only "rap" i listen to. although you can't qualify their music as rap in most cases.

[Mushroom]

Originally Posted by Lupin

or maybe you dont know enuff of rap/hip-hop. i mean it started prolly around 1980 and till today there are different styles of rap. also i am mainly listen to rap, i hate the new "shit" like ludacris/p. diddy/neptunes etc.. however there is enuff older "shit" which is just brilliant (ie: Nas's 1st LP "Illmatic").

MC Hammer

[Nofutcha]

My advice is go back to the old skool fool.

And without being lame, there is plenty of great rap out there, from the 1980's, and while rap didnt start then, thats when most of the best stuff arrived.

NWA, De la Soul, Public Enemy, and then even some of the early 90's stuff was great too. Naughty By Nature, 2pac, Warren G/Nate Dogg/Snoop Dogg (before he got all isnizzy wiith his shizznizzy etc), Cypress Hill (Black Sunday, not the post grunge rap rock they started doing).

I like it because most of the rap i grew up listening to, from the 80's was actually real and not manufactured to sound real.

Oh and for pure comedy/badass value i suggest Eazy-e's solo stuff. That cat was the baddest mofo, drinking 40oz's and slapping his hoes before shooting people with AK's and robbing banks. God rest his soul.