This one replaces all the letters "s" with "$" signs and claimed to have descended from the Californian "hip-hop" scene, which I don't know very much about.
I wondered whether this gentleman, being a rapper, might not be better use his time being off somewhere rapping - like "our own" Dizzee Rascal from London who seems presently to be favoured by all sorts of folks, both black and white (innit?).
Truth is, I just can't get into rap. I've tried and I don't get its structure, or anything else about it. This isn't a recent thing - it's just always appeared to me to be as pointless as all other pointless things. It doesn't excite, move, disgust or do anything to me. I just don't see the point of it. I do get the appeal of Rage Against the Machine, and other bands that have taken this "form" and added something interesting to it. I'm also concerned enough to mention that I'm not attempting to propagate anything resembling a race or anti-black culture problem. That's really not my thing.
However, whilst I'm happily un-gay and thoroughly able to grasp an understanding of the reasons for wider adoption of some of the keener aspects of gay music and culture, I'm unclear about rap. It seems generally to have divisive, aggressive overtones which don't seem to capture or inspire anybody. I could go on, but I think I'd better not.
What do you think?
Perhaps a few of the hundreds of people who visit and read this blog each day might help out this important debate by contributing their vote and brief comment below to the question: "Rap" or "Crap"?
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6 comments:
Charles, I grew up listening to punk music, X, Fear,Dead Kennedy's and the like. If You like it then it's rap, if it's a song You dislike it's crap. I am eclectic so I get the same emotion from listening to Young Jeezy and Soul Survivor as I do from listening to Carmen.
I took my wife to see The Nutcracker, she was watching them dance around and whispered to me, I can see his Hoo Ha, I said well you don't have to look, because I may have been busy checking out the ballerina's, she leaned back over an whispered next year I am bringing binoculars. Life is short and we have to have fun, even when we don't understand what's going on around us. Bill
I hearyou Bill. And not only because you're firing all those cool band names at me.
Rap is the 'new blues' some editor from a fashionable magazine once told me. Not that I like it, I think its entertaining, specially the drugs and violence conitations - but personally, I prefer to listen to folk music.
Hi Stuart. Thanks for joining the discussion. I suppose I'm not looking at rap as a music form at all really, which I would consider blues to be. I also consider blues as the anthems of rebellion and seperatism from the oppressive structures of the "white-power" world. Rap to me has none of these things and just seems to manifest a childishness which disqualifies it from being regarded as music at all. Thinking on my feet here. It's very early and the Gonzo Tower's coffee lady hasn't yet arrived with my espresso enema just yet. Typos courtesy of Blackberry ™
Anyone that dismisses rap is dismissing keates, wordsworth, shakespeare, other literary greats and stalwarts of the british education system.
"But it's all bitches and ho's and belittles women within culture" is often the biggest argument and yes, the so-called 'gangsta-rap' can seem very out of place to the ears of white middle class parents, but this has always been the way throughout history. Let us not forget Elvis Presley was highly sexualised and played what some claimed was "the devils music."
And other similarities can also be drawn to "the king", Eminem and Professor Green being amongst the most popular rap artists in their particular styles and particular countries. White folks, playing black music for white folks. Ah, Bix Biederdicke; you paved the way for so many!
The problem with rap is that it's biggest opponents don't hear the good stuff. They hear pop-rap. It's like expecting to hear "israel in egypt" everytime somebody mentions Handel Oratorio. You won't hear that, you'll most often hear "the messiah" because that puts bums on seats!
I defy anyone to listen to "sunshine" or "the number one" by atmosphere, "hell's Winter" by Cage or anything by Aesop Rock (not to be confused with A$AP Rocky) and tell me that they don't have better structured or more lyrics than anything from the 80's production powerhouse "stock aitken waterman".
The beauty of rap, is the ability to mutate and change so rapidly. From the early beginnings of rap and hip hop, it has been cut up, mixed and rearranged. The new Lapalux, or Flying Lotus albums are so far removed from those of Afrika Baanbaata yet they share the same heritage.
The strokes, by comparison aren't doing too different to The Rolling Stones, The Clash, The Ramones and countless others.
"Pop artists made art out of pop culture. These kids are reversing the process, making pop culture out of art." - kim levin, art critic
There is a really good book by Jeff Chang called "can't stop, won't stop" for anyone that wants to know more
Fuck me, man - it's good to have some mutherfuckin intellectuals on deck. Welcome to the crib, Adamm. I would like to hear as much as you have to say, my friend. It's been a longtime coming but this is an awesome comment. Not that fucking good, mind :)
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