Rap: Is it Music?

[imported_Tomato]

Originally posted by: jaeger66
Rap can be a valid form of art, music, and expression. The problem is that so much of it is not. There is too much trying to cash in on an image. That is why it connects with black youths, and why white kids listening to it are probably just idiots who want to annoy their parents.

 

[ndee]

Originally posted by: Sunner
I'd say no, not cause I don't like it(well I don't, but that's not the reason I don't considder it music).

I considder plenty of music I don't like music, and there are many extremely talented instrumentalists playing lots of music I don't like.

A few examples of music I dont like:
Any Jazz, I have an immense amount of respect for alot of jazz musicans, I just dont care for their music.
Some variants of metal, say Slayer, with one or two exceptions, I hate their music, but still, noone in their right mind would deny that they are skilled musicans.
Mozart, well I dont dislike it, it's just not my thing, but...what can I say, it's Mozart, if I need to explain why that's music Im gonna lose whatever hope I have left in humanity.

Stuff I don't considder music:
Techno, any and all techno.
Rap.
Britney, BSB, and other crap like that.

To me, a large part os what makes music is intrumental, and Rap tends to be quite lacking there, though granted not as bad as techno.
As for borderline stuff such as synths, well, I'll say it can be a good addition to other instruments, but in itself...I'd hesitate to call it music.
And writing a beat is no more music than me tapping my finger on my desk.

Just cause something has a rythm doesn't make it music.

Culture on the other hand, absolutely, Rap is most definately some form of culture, just a rather wierd one.

Listen to some Jurassic 5 and The Roots.

 

[CrowDog]

Originally posted by: minendo

Originally posted by: dcpsoguy
Rap is simply foul-mouthed poetry with some random sound effects. There is no melody, no noticable chord progressions, or nothing that would even be considered music.

You problem is that you generalize the music. All you here is the mainstream kiddie crap and consider it rap.

Exactly....you gotta listen to good hiphop. If all you hear is the crappy tennybop sh!t then I would feel the same.

Try some Ceelo/Goodiemob

 

show me a rapper that has a real instrument

Flavor Flav from Public Enemy played up to 14 instruments by the time he was 16.

 

[acidvoodoo]

Originally posted by: jaeger66

Originally posted by: Spac3d


Keyboard's aren't instruments? They do create a lot of the beats for rap. What about synthesiers? Turn tables? They are all real instruments.

Please. A turntable is not an instrument.

that's very debateable. Since turntablism took off, some very innovative things have been performed oh turntables. for scratching, to "drumming". If you check out some of the videos of the DMC champisons ships you'd be amazed

 

[GRagland]

Originally posted by: Sunner


To me, a large part os what makes music is intrumental, and Rap tends to be quite lacking there, though granted not as bad as techno.
As for borderline stuff such as synths, well, I'll say it can be a good addition to other instruments, but in itself...I'd hesitate to call it music.
And writing a beat is no more music than me tapping my finger on my desk.

You obviously have not heard that much hip-hop. to each their own, but you may want to widen your perspective a bit by listening to rap other then the mainstream crap.

click to listen:
Illogic - Screenplay (bagpipes!)
RJD2 - Ghostwriter (lacking instrumental?)
RJD2 - 2 More Dead
Aesop Rock - Daylight

 

[dafatha00]

Why is Heavy Metal considered music? People screaming at the top of their lungs so you can't hear what the hell they're saying doesn't sound much like music. Go Figure.

 

[murphy55d]

Originally posted by: jaeger66

Originally posted by: murphy55d

Yeah, that's why I listen to rap. To annoy my parents. Brilliant deduction, Sherlock.

Well, you are from Altoona. That means that the good rap from the early 80's is just starting to show up on the daily stagecoach. Wait a few years when stuff from the 90's comes in...all you needed to be was fat to be a famous rapper.

Wow, you got me good.

<---pwned

 

[PCMarine]

Rap is music, but very horrible music. The vast majority of true rap is like "F**K N***er F**K I'm gonna kill your sister F**K..."

Tho I listen to alternative / hard rock and some of it isn't very melodic.

 

[theNEOone]

just because rap sux doesn't mean that it's not music

 

[imported_Tomato]

Originally posted by: PCMarine
Rap is music, but very horrible music. The vast majority of true rap is like "F**K N***er F**K I'm gonna kill your sister F**K..."

What kind of "true rap" have you been listening to? :disgust:

 

[BatmanNate]

It depends on how strictly you define music. To define music in a manner that would encompass many of the other genres throughout the world, then it would need to be very general. Like all art forms, it is difficult to put limits and definitions on. I think many people may dislike it because of the mainstream, but that like most other mainstream music (pop, country, rock, general top 40) was engineered to make money, therefore is not art in a pure form but does appeal to a majority in a given group. I listen to a myriad of music types, and there is hip hop that I truly enjoy, like Deltron 3030. That is certainly more musical that many of the experimental and progressive groups that I listen to and enjoy, so I don't see any reason to disqualify rap from the ring of music. Granted Eminem and the like make me want to vomit, but I can't judge a whole genre by that.

 

[murphy55d]

Originally posted by: PCMarine
Rap is music, but very horrible music. The vast majority of true rap is like "F**K N***er F**K I'm gonna kill your sister F**K..."

Tho I listen to alternative / hard rock and some of it isn't very melodic.

This is the attitude I don't understand...

If you don't like rap, why would you listen to so much of it, that you know what the "vast majority of true rap" would sound like?

And who do you consider this "vast majority" ? I don't have one rap song that has anything to do with killing anyones sister, and very little with a TON of profanity.

 

[oliver2k]

in the dictionary music is:
The art of arranging sounds in time so as to produce a continuous, unified, and evocative composition, as through melody, harmony, rhythm, and timbre.
Vocal or instrumental sounds possessing a degree of melody, harmony, or rhythm.

A musical composition.
The written or printed score for such a composition.
Such scores considered as a group: We keep our music in a stack near the piano.
A musical accompaniment.
A particular category or kind of music.
An aesthetically pleasing or harmonious sound or combination of sounds: the music of the wind in the pines.

i like few bits of rap...but it overqualifies as music

 

[Spac3d]

Originally posted by: PCMarine
Rap is music, but very horrible music. The vast majority of true rap is like "F**K N***er F**K I'm gonna kill your sister F**K..."

Tho I listen to alternative / hard rock and some of it isn't very melodic.

What is wrong with you? That hard rock stuff is way more offensive than the music I listen too.

Please list the "majority of true rap" that matches "F**K N***er F**K I'm gonna kill your sister F**K...". I would like to see which artists make a career by saying that.

 

[Sid59]

Originally posted by: PCMarine
Rap is music, but very horrible music. The vast majority of true rap is like "F**K N***er F**K I'm gonna kill your sister F**K..."

Tho I listen to alternative / hard rock and some of it isn't very melodic.

lmao .. this is hilarious

Billboard Top 20 Rap songs

50 Cent - In Da Club
# fs = 5
# kill = 0

JayZ - Excuse Me Miss
# fs = 0
# kill = 0

Missy Elliott - Gossip Folks
# fs = 6
# kill = 0

total amount implied f'n kill something = ZERO!!!

 

[wicktron]

Originally posted by: TheShiz
it seems this topic comes up at least once a month. to simply generalize that all rap music is the same and it is all crap or whatever is an act of extreme ignorance. There is melody in a lot of rap songs, and not all of it is just foul mouthed poetry. Actually why am I even responding to this, if you really want to know something about a subject, how about researching it and listening to a variety of rap music, not just what is on the radio, then come up with a conclusion. This isn't even worth my time.

 

[IGBT]

Commercialized and packaged audio tantrums for rebellious morons.

 

[wicktron]

Originally posted by: IGBT
Commercialized and packaged audio tantrums for rebellious morons.

That goes for rock as well. How sad.

 

[Arkitech]

Originally posted by: Fausto1

Originally posted by: dcpsoguy
Here's a question that enters my brain quite a few times a day: Why is rap considered music?

Rap is simply foul-mouthed poetry with some random sound effects. There is no melody, no noticable chord progressions, or nothing that would even be considered music.

Thoughts?

First of all, your negative preface makes this poll largely irrelevant since all the "Rap sucks!" people are sure to crawl out of the woodwork.

More to the point, what is your definition of music? Does it have to come from a human hand making something vibrate or do electronically-produced sounds count too? Also, think about jazz for a minute; there's highly palatable stuff like Kenny G and then there's extremely dissonant "out-there" stuff by guys like Mingus. Is the Mingus stuff not music because it strays too far from what is technically harmonious? It's all very subjective.

I can't believe I just read that, how in God's name is Kenny G highly palatable and Mingus is extremey dissonant. I usually don't get mad over little stuff but those are serious fighting words.

 

[Arkitech]

Originally posted by: WinkOsmosis

Originally posted by: dcpsoguy
Definition:

The science or art of ordering tones or sounds in succession, in combination, and in temporal relationships to produce a composition having unity and continuity.

Rap doesn't have this quality.

Just when I thought I could leave this thread I read this. Man you are one narrow minded asshat. Do you even know what unity and continuity mean?? I'm not a musician. I'm an artist, and I know enough anthropology to know that your definition of music is narrow minded. "I don't get it. It can't be real music."

I've noticed that hatred of rap is usually a safe outlet for racism. I'm not judging you.. I call them like I see them.

Agreed, in fact I was going to state this myself

 

[Arkitech]

Originally posted by: GroundZero

Originally posted by: Spac3d

Originally posted by: dcpsoguy
I am talking about 99% of rap: THE VAST MAJORITY.

Tell me of a rap song that has a noticable melody, maybe some strings, guitar: I dunno.

Are you a retard? A guitar? There is PLENTY of music that doesn't use stuff like guitars. Making beats is just as difficult as using your thumb on some strings.

You obviously know nothing about rap.

show me a rapper that has a real instrument

Mos Def
Q-Tip (Tribe Called Quest)
Talib Kweli
HiTek (Eternal Reflection)
?uestLove (The Roots)
Jay Dee
Will I Am (Black Eyed Peas)
Wyclef Jean
Lauryn Hill
Slum Village
B-Movie Fiends
Common
Outkast
Beastie Boys
De La Soul
Neptunes
Timbaland
Dr Dre

 

[imported_Tomato]

And hip hop heads always get the cutest girls.

 

[eplebnista]

Yes

 

[thomsbrain]

Originally posted by: Spac3d

Originally posted by: dcpsoguy
I am talking about 99% of rap: THE VAST MAJORITY.

Tell me of a rap song that has a noticable melody, maybe some strings, guitar: I dunno.

Are you a retard? A guitar? There is PLENTY of music that doesn't use stuff like guitars. Making beats is just as difficult as using your thumb on some strings.

You obviously know nothing about rap.

i both play guitar (~9 years) and make electronic music with hip-hop influences(~3 years). making hip-hop music is a thousand times easier than playing guitar.

rap is definetely music. but like ANY style of music, the vast majority of it is complete crap.