Rempert
500+ Head-Fier
- Joined
- Nov 23, 2003
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Quote:
Of course. Frankly, underground rap often has subject matter most people would label boring. Afrocentrism and "getting back to the music" are not exactly themes I want to listen to for hours and hours. Beyond that, the production is often a bit less club-friendly, and of course there is a strong correlation between popular music and dance clubs. However, if the thing that turns you off from rap is specifically the gangster imagery, there are talented rappers who don't do that, and this point has been made and examples given.
If the thing that turns you off from rap is lack of talent, then you are just plain mistaken. Even in the mainstream, there is an abundance of talent. I don't know why some people hear a power chord on a guitar and think it's some master craft, or think singing on pitch is God's gift, but think rapping is just some simple thing anyone can do. Sure, some rappers manage a few years of fame with relatively little talent, based on their image. But they are no less talented than their counterparts in pop music. 50 Cent is no less talented than Jessica Simpson. I will go so far as to say 50 Cent is no less talented than Linkin Park. Even Vanilla Ice was as much of an artist as Paula Abdul. At the same time, when you actually start moving to the serious rappers in the mainstream, they are raising the bar for all forms of music in terms of lyrical depth and vocal delivery.
If you don't like rap because you prefer a bigger focus on melodic or harmonic music instead of rhythm and lyrics, that's fine. For some people, melody is the essence of music, and pure rap is pretty much anti-melodic by definition. Like any type of music, it's a matter of taste. But you should be able to at least appreciate that a flow is a type of musical technique, telling a story in rhyme patterns, syncopating the placement of rhymes against the beat for dramatic effect: this can be pretty complex and powerful, and I think we are still pretty early in the development in terms of rap being a serious artform.
| Originally Posted by EyeAmEye Couldn't it be entirely possible that the good rap you speak of isn't made because not enough people actually like it? |
Of course. Frankly, underground rap often has subject matter most people would label boring. Afrocentrism and "getting back to the music" are not exactly themes I want to listen to for hours and hours. Beyond that, the production is often a bit less club-friendly, and of course there is a strong correlation between popular music and dance clubs. However, if the thing that turns you off from rap is specifically the gangster imagery, there are talented rappers who don't do that, and this point has been made and examples given.
If the thing that turns you off from rap is lack of talent, then you are just plain mistaken. Even in the mainstream, there is an abundance of talent. I don't know why some people hear a power chord on a guitar and think it's some master craft, or think singing on pitch is God's gift, but think rapping is just some simple thing anyone can do. Sure, some rappers manage a few years of fame with relatively little talent, based on their image. But they are no less talented than their counterparts in pop music. 50 Cent is no less talented than Jessica Simpson. I will go so far as to say 50 Cent is no less talented than Linkin Park. Even Vanilla Ice was as much of an artist as Paula Abdul. At the same time, when you actually start moving to the serious rappers in the mainstream, they are raising the bar for all forms of music in terms of lyrical depth and vocal delivery.
If you don't like rap because you prefer a bigger focus on melodic or harmonic music instead of rhythm and lyrics, that's fine. For some people, melody is the essence of music, and pure rap is pretty much anti-melodic by definition. Like any type of music, it's a matter of taste. But you should be able to at least appreciate that a flow is a type of musical technique, telling a story in rhyme patterns, syncopating the placement of rhymes against the beat for dramatic effect: this can be pretty complex and powerful, and I think we are still pretty early in the development in terms of rap being a serious artform.
