Questions we're too old to answer

[ctc]

>What's with you guys who have suddenly turned into my dad?!!

Feh! You kids, with the rap and the hip hopping and the pants.... always with the pants.... what's WITH you kids and the pants....

>I also wonder if you guys are missing some of the hip-hop you might like, because some of the more unique and interesting stuff going on is not the stuff you'd normally hear

"Rap" covers a lot of ground these days, but yeah; the biggest problem it's had as a genre is that the last big blow up for it.... the late 90's/early 00's.... wasn't about the music, it was about the scene. Hence why you got more attention to the performers and the lifestyle, and the music as an afterthought. (EVERYONE in N. America knows who Tupac was, but I bet less than 10% can name one of his songs....) Led to a LOT of the same old same old in a hurry.

But there are rappers who are different out there:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vsryQOMcDy4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sgM4pLojXc0

http://www.youtube.com/watch?NR=1&v=4xAeSkdtaeI&feature=endscreen

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aWxBrI0g1kE

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GTQnarzmTOc

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l3w2MTXBebg

>I wouldn't think that most guys my age would feel like the whole genre is a write off 30+ years in.

I could see it. Folks tend to look at stuff in broad terms.

>take away the words and there's basically no music exept a beat

You can say that about most pop music though; and the words are usually pretty empty too. Disco was all about that. Certain branches of country, old school Doo-wop, rockabilly, techno.... they all have a tendency along these lines.

Don C.

[Brazoo]

To people that like rap, it IS "real music"

To distill a whole genre of music (a HUGE genre of music, BTW) down to that it doesn't have much music in it (sans beat/vocals) seems a pretty sweeping statement.

To me, rap is part melody and usually it's a monotone melody phrasing of a more speaking-tone type performance (popular in every rock band from the Beatles to punk and back again). Still, it's even MORE about the beat, the rhythm and how it makes you wanna move, which is the same thing rock n roll essentially was created for (which is why many would say they are related... same with ***gasp*** DISCO!).

The fact that there's less melody in the vocal in rap/hip hop helps accentuate the beat that much more. A genre should be allowed to do that kind of "straying from expectations". Look at how many jazz or classical pieces don't have any vocals at all.

All that being said, I can't think of any rap song that I like that doesn't have SOME kind of interesting music accompanying it. It may be "simple" music or it may be sampled from someone else, but as a musician and as a music fan, the most important thing to me is always: A GOOD SONG. All the rules or expectations fall short to the "good song " thing.

Just some fast food for thought

Totally! For me it's just surprising more than anything. I wouldn't think that most guys my age would feel like the whole genre is a write off 30+ years in.

I also wonder if you guys are missing some of the hip-hop you might like, because some of the more unique and interesting stuff going on is not the stuff you'd normally hear on the radio. Some of the stuff that's more jazz and rock influenced, maybe?

If rapping is the main turn-off there's a lot of instrumental hip-hip you might like. Dudes like RJD2 and DJ Shadow come to mind. You can tell from listening to them that they are influenced by every genre of music, not just hip-hop. They combine music from all genres and orchestrate something original with it - to me it's incredibly creative.

[Brazoo]

^^what the hell is that????

It's from Lou Reed's very cheesy 80s album "Mistrial".

sorry, i just don't like rap, there is no harmony. i'm not saying it does not require talent but it does not require the ability to sing in tune or with harmony

Hey, everyone should like what they like! I don't mean to suggest anything different.

[Mikey]

Blondie made rap more 'mainstream' with the song "rapture" Ive read in a number of places.

Nah, Charlie Daniels Uneasy Rider and Devil Went Down to Georgia came out way before that

[Figuremod73]

Theres been a few rap artist that I've liked in the past: Young Mc, RunDMC, Beastie Boys pretty much ending with Dr. Dre and Bone Thugs n' Harmony. Like other styles of music, it doesnt seem as good as it once was.

I know Tupac more from the movie Poetic Justice with Janet Jackson than anything eles.

Blondie made rap more 'mainstream' with the song "rapture" Ive read in a number of places.

[Mikey]

I like big butts is one of the only rap songs I like

[MIB41]

I'm with Scott here as well. Never had any interest in that music nor the characters who perform it. But I really liked Scott's reply. That about sums it up from where I stand.

[huedell]

I don't understand people who only like rap music

take away the words and there's basically no music exept a beat

don't these people ever want to listen to real music ?

To people that like rap, it IS "real music"

To distill a whole genre of music (a HUGE genre of music, BTW) down to that it doesn't have much music in it (sans beat/vocals) seems a pretty sweeping statement.

To me, rap is part melody and usually it's a monotone melody phrasing of a more speaking-tone type performance (popular in every rock band from the Beatles to punk and back again). Still, it's even MORE about the beat, the rhythm and how it makes you wanna move, which is the same thing rock n roll essentially was created for (which is why many would say they are related... same with ***gasp*** DISCO!).

The fact that there's less melody in the vocal in rap/hip hop helps accentuate the beat that much more. A genre should be allowed to do that kind of "straying from expectations". Look at how many jazz or classical pieces don't have any vocals at all.

All that being said, I can't think of any rap song that I like that doesn't have SOME kind of interesting music accompanying it. It may be "simple" music or it may be sampled from someone else, but as a musician and as a music fan, the most important thing to me is always: A GOOD SONG. All the rules or expectations fall short to the "good song " thing.

Just some fast food for thought

[4NDR01D]

Poppa been smooth since days of Underroos! Biggie for the win.
Foghat > Doobies.

[enyawd72]

As me dear old father used to say...ya can't spell CRAP without RAP.

Santa is the better wrapper.

[Nostalgiabuff]

^^what the hell is that????

sorry, i just don't like rap, there is no harmony. i'm not saying it does not require talent but it does not require the ability to sing in tune or with harmony

[Brazoo]

Lou Reed? you consider him to be rap? I mean, I know he talks more than sings but I would not consider it rap

I think he's talking about this:

but I wish he was talking about the sample used by Tribe Called Quest for this classic awesomeness:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=71ubKHzujy8

[Brazoo]

What's with you guys who have suddenly turned into my dad?!!

Look, hip-hop is not my main thing by any means - I'm a middle-aged white dude too - but I honestly think you guys are missing out on some stuff you might really enjoy.

I am into hip-hop with musicality, not just rapping and beat, so I do think I know where some of you guys are coming from.

Try this:
Madvillainy (one of my favorite albums from the last decade)

MF Doom and Madlib are in their early 40s and seem obsessed with the same kinds of nostalgia we are. I'd be surprised if they didn't collect Megos.

This incredible concept album collects sounds from Roger Corman movies, Sun Ra, Tex Avery, Mothers of Invention and vintage video games. Doom's lyrics are delivered smooth and full of bizarre images. And it's all VERY musical.

You really should hear the whole album for the full effect, to me this is a concept album and isn't really about singles, but I do think this is a really catch one. Plus, it's a great video:

[Mikey]

I don't understand people who only like rap music

take away the words and there's basically no music exept a beat

don't these people ever want to listen to real music ?

[Nostalgiabuff]

Lou Reed? you consider him to be rap? I mean, I know he talks more than sings but I would not consider it rap