An honest question from someone who doesn't understand rap...

(Disclaimer: I don't want to start anything, and I'm coming at this honestly, so don't start some flame war or anything please!)

I can understand why people like Country, Pop, Rock, Metal, Classical, Folk, Rockabilly, Polka(kind of haha), and everything in between, but I honestly can't figure out what it is about Rap/Hip-Hop that gets people off. So I'll ask: what is it about Rap/Hip-Hop that gets people off? What about it do you love? I'm asking because I would honestly like to understand but I don't think I have enough background to fully understand the attraction.

Please enlighten me! :)
 
A better question is why do people like Country, Pop, Rock, Metal, Classical, Folk, Rockabilly, Polka.

This is my honest response. Honestly this is my response. :eek:

Sound like you fishing for a flame war steve.h :) opps sorry ;)

I love you too big fella. HAHAHA!!! :D

Ok I really don't like Country at all, except maybe some of the really old stuff Like Johnny Cash, but that's it. New Countries blows. So if I offend those folks just it's how I feel about it.
 
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i guess tha same reason why people love the godfather, n scarface,

i just find it entertaining to listin to,

oh and i could understand why you cant understand why people like rap when you hear all this trash on tha radio and mtv, with the expection of a very few, i dont undertsand why people listin to that either

i like the way the beats sound, what the lyrics say, and how the lyrics are said, when these are done good...

n also if you try to write raps like the ones you hear nas, or jay z rap, its impossible for 99% of tha people, so you could appreciate the great skill it takes to write such lyrics since you know just how hard it is, and how they make it seem so efortless...

but i honestly dont understand how people could be into polka or death metal because it just sounds like noise to me, but they could say tha same for rap...
 
ya' know ...... I'm not a rap guy and, in general, I have a hard time getting past that omnipresent big round booming kick drum sound that is almost always there .... ugh!
But having said that and realizing that I have little actual knowledge of rap I have to say that I have heard stuff that perked my ears up and made me say, "Wow ..... that's pretty cool."
I think in every genre the best stuff is gonna be the stuff that's not so easy to find and hear.
An example ... Jimi Hendrix .... very many people that hated him back in the day would point at Purple Haze and All Along the Watchtower as if that's the only tunes he ever did. Though I'm a fan ..... those are two of the songs I have the least interest in. Angel is a simply beautiful song and stuff like Dolly Dagger and Bold as Love are awesomely constructed tunes but the people who hated him based it on the only stuff that got airplay and you just have to dig deeper than that to really know an artist or genre.

I remember hearing a rap song at a community center I was working on a piano for and the lyrics were so cool ...... they were about a father's emotions upon seeing his brand new baby girl and how it was his job to raise her right and teach her to live a good life and yes, kick someones ass when she got old enough for guys to be after her.
It really was a wonderful song.
So I have no doubt that for us that don't know rap, a little digging would find stuff we didn't expect at all like with any other genre.
If it weren't for the fact that most of my music listening is connected to my 5-7 night s a week gigging I'd do just that ..... dig in and find what rap made me excited but since that's not the gigs I do I just don't get around to it.
But if someone was paying me to do some rap next week I'd be rapping yo'.
:)
 
That song was probably Joy by Talib Kweli

What a lot of folks here seem to not understand is that the bulk of us here on the hip hop boards have as much distaste for the booming 808-kick music with a repetitive synth loop as you guys do.

My hip hop interest lies in artists that bring something musically pleasing and mentally engaging. Not every record needs to tackle an issue but a record's lyrics must keep your attention. As a hip hop fan, my taste varies; there are some hip hop albums that I listen to simply for musical quality [such as The New Danger by Mos Def - many slammed it for not being "pure hip hop" but I think he nailed the hip hop vibe with his amalgamation of soul, rock, and blues] - some albums as poetry [such as Illmatic by Nas. He's grown a lot since that album but it paints a vivid picture of the world through a young man's eyes with brilliant wordplay] - other albums just for their sheer creativity [Enter the 36 Chambers or any other Wu-Tang Clan album, for that matter]. Sometimes, I will listen to an album just to hear some creative narratives, whether they be about everyday occurrences [Lupe Fiasco's Food & Liquor comes to mind] or even crime [Jay-Z's debut, Reasonable Doubt].

I could go on and on, I've barely mentioned alternative hip hop in the above, that's a whole other ballgame - there are artists like The Roots, The Fugees, Common, and so on.

If y'all see one of the aforementioned albums on clearance in the tape section of your record store or otherwise for a low price, you should pick it up and just give it a listen.
 
I'll do that ...... IMO to really be a full time musician as I am, you simply have to be able to handle anything and to do that you have to understand it to at least some extent. I'll admit that hip-hop has been a neglected area for me .... but not because my mind is closed to it ...... more because I tend to listen to what I make money doing. But as a musician I'm starting to feel that I've left a whole genre out of my education and that's not ok with me. I can happily play country .... deep jazz ..... hard rock ..... easy listening .... I like and am good at all of it. There shouldn't be a genre that's so popular and I don't know any.
I'm gonna check out some of those suggestions. Do you have any others?
 
definately "illmatic", its considered the greatest rap album of all time, this was nas' first album and he was only 18-20 when he made it...

also check out his "it was writtin" album, its lyricism is top-notch and incredibly vivid


also if you want to check out a different kind of sound listin to the album "ronald dregan: dreganomics" by the late mac dre, its an album full of mackin, pimpin, and drug takin, but mac dre does it with extreme cleverness and wit, as he represents the hyphy culture unique to the bay area
 
What I think is funny (in a double standard kind of way) is that a lot of people who criticize rap music for being . . . tooo negative, too violent, too . .. whatever . . . listen to and appreciate other artistic endeavors that are just as - if not more - "negative" or "violent" or misogynist . . . or whatever . . . I dont like to defend the typical "radio/video" song thats out there today - but show me the outrage over Tony Soprano fuckin every whore he can get his hands on - and goin back home to the wife and kids like its all good
Show me the outrage at Axel Rose ( I know this is some old shit now) saying he hates ******s, fags, jews, etc. . . . Guns and Roses is still loved to this day!
Just because the times have changed, doesnt mean its open season on hip hop - Elvis was as sexually explicit in his day - relatively speaking - as the "hoe-filled videos" of today - of course there is a drastic difference - but the dif. is not "hip hop" the dif. is the times we live in - if it would raise an eyebrow nowadays for a man to shake his hips in tight clothes - it would be done!!!

Music (especially popular music in this country) has always had a a zeal for pushing the envelope going against the grain, customs, mores of "conservative" culture -

If you can't equally chastise other forms of music (and entertainment!!!!!!) then get off Hip Hop's . .. proverbial . . . nutsack!!! {sorry to go so vulgur, but its late as hell, I should be sleep [lol] and I have just had this conversation 3 times today with folk I work with . . .
 
okay. may be Im not as experienced as many of folks in here. This is what I think, imho.



We ve seen many people like/use to hear really different types of music from one another. Metal,country,rap,dance,house...etc. no matter what they all hear, in which genre it falls in, they all get the same thing- pleasure.. or a state of mind which cant be xplained. It can be anything..peace of mind(in their own way), happiness..anything. But we all listen to it and get our minds on a state which can't be achieved in any other way. Its just like ppl worship and do the things under a religion just to get to that one power called god. They re in different religions but they all get the same feeling which s undefinable when they engage themselves into it. (anyways im a non believer though. just makin an example in here.) and questions like-" man how do u ever like rap? its just some kicks and some words.." or "can't even think of hearing a metal track, its too noisy fo me" - are just like sayin dat, "man look ma religion s good and only I see/feel the god." and start a war wit those. that gotta be stopped, because those kinds of thoughts leads you nowhere..IMHO..

ohhh helll no. I just ended a speech.. :D sorry guys if I made you think that u wasted ur precious time readin dat. I ddnt know in which way I could express.
 
Thanks for all of the honest answers :) I guess it's the same with me with the music I like: I can't really explain *why* metal's the genre for me, I just know it is!
 
I think he knows the answer already.... but just wants us to confirm it. It's like us asking why do people like hockey or baseball? We are all from different backgrounds and have different taste. hip hop and rap are just another favor... of music. Leave it at that.. and move on...


Demi
 
dnkygirl said:
I think he knows the answer already.... but just wants us to confirm it. It's like us asking why do people like hockey or baseball? We are all from different backgrounds and have different taste. hip hop and rap are just another favor... of music. Leave it at that.. and move on...

Demi
You go ahead and think whatever you'd like, but going through life assuming every white guy is racist would probably make you a very angry unhappy person. I asked an honest question from the point of view of a person who loves music, but doesn't quite 'get' rap. Is there a problem with that that I'm missing? Where did I say anything like "oh rap is stupid it isn't music go listen to SLIPKNOT! 666!"? Nowhere, 'cause that's not how I feel and it's not me. The least you could do would be to answer my question truthfully and give me some insights into what rap 'does' for you. Most of the other responses have been very positive and helpful! :)
 
Steve's a good dude yall. He gives knowledgeable advice to many people in the forum, helping when he can. I'm sure that he didn't have bad intentions when he posted.
 
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steve.h said:
You go ahead and think whatever you'd like, but going through life assuming every white guy is racist would probably make you a very angry unhappy person. I asked an honest question from the point of view of a person who loves music, but doesn't quite 'get' rap. Is there a problem with that that I'm missing? Where did I say anything like "oh rap is stupid it isn't music go listen to SLIPKNOT! 666!"? Nowhere, 'cause that's not how I feel and it's not me. The least you could do would be to answer my question truthfully and give me some insights into what rap 'does' for you. Most of the other responses have been very positive and helpful! :)

I never assume anything Steve... it's 2007 not 1950. I just think your question is silly. You can't even tell us why people like country... or metal for that matter.. so why even ask the question when you know the answer? I also don't see how any of the answers have been helpful.. music in general requires the use of your imagination, and if you look at it's history and examine it further music is a way of people expressing themselves.

Truthfully... Steve please do further research by looking at the top 10 artists... and buying there albums. Listen to the lyrics... first... if you don't understand what they are saying... google the song lyrics.... and you will see that most of it is poetry....


Demi
 
Steve, I dont think DnKy..came at you in a wrong way..she was just showin a point...and its just strange how you cant understand Rap/hip-hop since its been around before you were born..:D but its understandable..someone turn you on to a certain kind of music and you grew up listening to and liking that type of music..so you listen to that type of music to better yourself in your own music...

Hip-Hop/Rap Ie.. Urban Music isnt hard to understand, it about life and its struggles just like any other form of music but put into clear rhymes where people can relate.

alot of people hate it cause they say its not artform..but have of them can do it if they tried..just cause we all dont play insrtuments or read music..doesnt mean we arent Artist..it just means we understand this artform of music..

alot of the poster gave you some good insight on where to get started so its really no need for me to except to add a few..to listen to true Hip-hop..you need to listen to Run DMC,Public Enemy, Beastie Boys (License to ILL), Nas, Eric B & Rakim...to learn haw it progress to what it is now.. (Acts/Groups that paved the way)..2 Live Crew (they are the reason you can curse about anything on your records), NWA (brought Gansta Music to life), 2 Pac and Biggie ...then after that everything is up in the air..to whats real and whats corp. water down to make money music..

enjoy your music..everyone has their own taste..some music isnt appealing to others..thats life...but we must respect each others gift..

:D
peace
 
bknot1 said:
Steve, I dont think DnKy..came at you in a wrong way..she was just showin a point...and its just strange how you cant understand Rap/hip-hop since its been around before you were born..:D but its understandable..someone turn you on to a certain kind of music and you grew up listening to and liking that type of music..so you listen to that type of music to better yourself in your own music...

Hip-Hop/Rap Ie.. Urban Music isnt hard to understand, it about life and its struggles just like any other form of music but put into clear rhymes where people can relate.

alot of people hate it cause they say its not artform..but have of them can do it if they tried..just cause we all dont play insrtuments or read music..doesnt mean we arent Artist..it just means we understand this artform of music..

alot of the poster gave you some good insight on where to get started so its really no need for me to except to add a few..to listen to true Hip-hop..you need to listen to Run DMC,Public Enemy, Beastie Boys (License to ILL), Nas, Eric B & Rakim...to learn haw it progress to what it is now.. (Acts/Groups that paved the way)..2 Live Crew (they are the reason you can curse about anything on your records), NWA (brought Gansta Music to life), 2 Pac and Biggie ...then after that everything is up in the air..to whats real and whats corp. water down to make money music..

enjoy your music..everyone has their own taste..some music isnt appealing to others..thats life...but we must respect each others gift..

:D
peace
See, now that's an answer I can understand & respect :)
 
oh n for the record theres no such thing is "real hip hop" or "true hip hop", thats just what some of these backpackers(people who prefer underground/independant rap and strongly dislike comercial/mainstream rap) refer to the type of music they listin to, they seem to think abstract rap is what hip hop really is and gansta/drug rap is fake or untrue to hip hop


in reality their both equally valid rap music, get it?


i think to get a full idea of what rap music is and how so many people undertand it, you haveto listin to everything, not just the classic music, but as much different artist as you can, because i think youll be suprised on just how many different aspects of life are represented in rap, from the rich to the poor, latin, white, or black, young, old, male, female, criminals, community leaders, pimps, gangbangers, drug dealers, abtract artists, pretty much every kind of person is represented is rap music...

you might even find a rapper whose music relates to your life and lifestyle...
 
I disagree with both dnky and northern cali. If you were to purchase the "top ten" rap artists on the market today, you'd have a CD changer full of garbage and a wallet that's considerably lighter.

northern cali's assessment that there's no such thing as "real hip hop" is incredibly false. To call something like "Laffy Taffy" or "Chicken Noodle Soup" hip hop is, at best, insulting to the genre - it would be idiotic to claim that only underground rap fans dislike it. There is no musical quality whatsoever to that kind of music, in any way. Also, listening to underground or mainstream music is not mutually exclusive. There are many artists that I listen to, both known and unknown.

Ignore the fools, concentrate on the music.
 
lol, and why isnt it hip hop? because its not lyrical n doesnt have some deep message to it,

you do know that hip hop started off as dance music right, there werent any "lyrical" songs out untill tha 80s


to say club songs arent hip hop is like sayin kool herc aint hip hop, or Grandmaster Flash & the Furious Five aint hip hop because all they made was simple club music people could dance to, n dont forget hip hop dance is one of the four elements as well,

i personally dont prefer to listin to laffy taffy or any of that type of music n ill never buy an album from any of those artists, but that doesmt mean i dont respect them as a part of hip hop, because their bringing something different to the table, n rap has always been about doin somthin that sounds different then everything else...
 
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