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Why does does hip-hop get such a bad rap?

I hate all the "rap" songs that are on the radio.
I do enjoy old school hip hop and new hip hop that doesn't get radio play (unless it is college radio stations)
Kool Keith aka Dr. Octagon is great abstract rap.
Deltron is another great abstract rapper.
Blackstar (Mos Def and Talib Kweli) is a great album
Sharpshooters mix hip and jazz together as well as spoken word
People Under the Stairs
The Roots
Jurassic 5
Jungle Brothers
Jeru the Damaja
 
similost said:
AND.. .if you think Frank Zappa, Alice Cooper, Ozzy, and many others haven't been dismissed, hated and ostracised over the years, you need to go back and restudy your rock and roll history.
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Jack Lord said:
That might be because the Stones, Frank Zappa or the Dead Kennedys never fired gunshots at each other.
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But my point was that people generally didn't dismiss rock-n-roll in its entirety because of the actions of a few high profile performers-or even a few fans.
For instance, would you dismiss Crosby, Still, Nash (and sometimes Young) because Lou Reed had a song that offended you? Or would you dismiss Hendrix because you knew a heroin junkie that really liked him?

As for not liking it as a genre because it just doesn't sound good, fair enough, I don't like opera or cock-rock for that reason---just don't like the sound of it. But I do like funk, soul, African music, poetry, an infectious bass line played against an irresistible drum beat, so I'm inclined to like hip-hop (and I'm a 41 year-old middle class-ish white guy from small town New England, so it can happen.) :yes:
 
What do you think a 13 year old gang banger, who would just as soon shoot you in the face, listens to?

More importantly, why do you think he listens to this stuff? Is he saying "Yeah, I really like the syncopation, but the backing harmonies should be more subdued"

I don't think so...
 
At one time, rock and roll was the worst music ever to come along, and the population as a whole was against it... however the kids liked it... Hip Hop is just history repeating itself in ways.. Elvis was a hated man by several generations of people.. they didn't want their kids anywhere near him or his music..
 
I actually enjoy hip hop.
I have about 30 CDs and a bunch of MP3s

but, i do not like the "slap that b***h, Shoot those f*****s, sell that crack"
misogynistic gangsta crap.

if its all about how badass, gangsta, bling you are, then its not art.
its a representation of the worst aspects of consumer society.

now, Mos def, Outcast, Guru, Kanye west to a degree, they're artists. sure, a few of their tracks have a gangsta context, but it work within the context of their experiences, or the message they are portraying.

there is alot of hip hop out there that is artful, and i do enjoy it.

but, 99.9% of the commercial hip hop is garbage, and 90% of the independent hip hop is garbage as well.
 
I think Rap tends to play on the fears & reinforces the prejudices & stereotypes that many of us have...Whether that's right or wrong, I'm not going to say, but I think we all know its THERE.
 
Sandy G said:
I think Rap tends to play on the fears & reinforces the prejudices & stereotypes that many of us have...Whether that's right or wrong, I'm not going to say, but I think we all know its THERE.
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I agree. It just makes sense that music, among many other things in life, defines us as who we are.
 
it Sux..plain and simple.. calling it music is absurd . perhaps "street plays" i'm not crazy about opera either but it is music played by real musicians
 
similost said:
I like a lot of techno, trance, electronicia, drum and bass, jungle, experimental, and a lot of other music types that many around here would dismiss pretty fast... Especially many in the age bracket I'm in... but to each their own in their tastes..
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I also like alot of techno, trance, atmospheric dnb, ambient, dub, space music, psy/goa trance, idm, exc...
Just have to find what each person likes.
I pretty much listen to almost all genre's of music - or at least I'll give them a try to see if I like it.
I'm really big into space music on the show Hearts of Space and also a show called Echoes.
Both come on my local NPR station and feature ambient, dub, and space music.

As far as rap goes, I'm into Intelligent Rap/Hip Hop or at least that is what they are calling it nowadays.
Common would be a rapper that would fit into that category.
 
similost said:
At one time, rock and roll was the worst music ever to come along, and the population as a whole was against it... however the kids liked it... Hip Hop is just history repeating itself in ways.. Elvis was a hated man by several generations of people.. they didn't want their kids anywhere near him or his music..
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You beat me to it. My dad dismissed most rock n roll as "yang-yang music." Now, at 45, with respect to rap, I am my dad. :D

But, I do own a rap album: the soundtrack from Colors. I like it. Of course a lot this album is music with a certain message that runs contrary to the gangsta rap. Given the time and resources (i.e. friends to borrow music from), I'd probably find some other stuff I like. But most if it I probably wouldn't, same as the rest of the top 40 of today.
 
outshined said:
What do you think a 13 year old gang banger, who would just as soon shoot you in the face, listens to?

More importantly, why do you think he listens to this stuff? Is he saying "Yeah, I really like the syncopation, but the backing harmonies should be more subdued"

I don't think so...
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That's a good point clearly made. As a genre, hip-hop is associated with a very violent element in society.
But my motivation for starting this thread was talk about looking to see what else it has to offer. The term "hip-hop" or "rap" is nearly as big an umbrella term as "rock",or "jazz". (It can't be quite as big, because of its relative age, but it will surely get there.)
 
There are more reasons to not like hip hop than there are reasons to like hip hop.

I can hardly stand to listen to one minute of it. Sometimes I'll scan the cable channels and stop at BET and watch one of the rap bands make idiots of themselves. Very amusing.

Wearing your hat backwards and holding a microphone upside down doesn't make one a musician. Nor does pointing at the audience and wearing a bunch of gold chains. I doubt any of those 'musicians' can read music. It seems more about dancing and style and 'attitude' than anything else.

Again I say: Mediocrity raised to the level of acceptance.

Rick
 
...And the incessant apparent NEED to CONSTANTLY grab/fondle/otherwise draw attention to their genitalia...OK, Rappers, We GET It..You're all very FOND of yr Wee-Wees.. I am, too of mine, miniscule though it may be, but I DON'T see the need to draw attention to it all the time...Sheesh....
 
Tapehead47 said:
There are more reasons to not like hip hop than there are reasons to like hip hop.

I can hardly stand to listen to one minute of it. Sometimes I'll scan the cable channels and stop at BET and watch one of the rap bands make idiots of themselves. Very amusing.

Wearing your hat backwards and holding a microphone upside down doesn't make one a musician. Nor does pointing at the audience and wearing a bunch of gold chains. I doubt any of those 'musicians' can read music. It seems more about dancing and style and 'attitude' than anything else.

Again I say: Mediocrity raised to the level of acceptance.

Rick
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What you are describing is modern top 40 bling bling big booty hoes, 24" rims type of rap. I hate all of that with a passion!
There are other bands that don't have to sag their pants and wear their hats backwards while relaying a message. It's just the majority of rap is this way.
 
similost said:
This is kind of a newer "fad" coming into hip hop.. and I do actually like a lot of it, AND, there is a true talent... (BTW, when I was listening to R&R in the late 70's my father called the music a "fad" that would end up going away.. )
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My mom thought I was a devil worshipper when I brought home a record called "Black Sabbath" when I was 12. :smoke:
 
Okay, Simi, I watched a few clips on youtube. Thanks for the link.

Black Violin seems to have musical roots, but they're playing is barely beyond the high school level. I think they should stop touring and wasting their potential talent and get back into Juliard (a reference was made).

Rick
 
Tapehead47 said:
There are more reasons to not like hip hop than there are reasons to like hip hop.

I can hardly stand to listen to one minute of it. Sometimes I'll scan the cable channels and stop at BET and watch one of the rap bands make idiots of themselves. Very amusing.

Wearing your hat backwards and holding a microphone upside down doesn't make one a musician. Nor does pointing at the audience and wearing a bunch of gold chains. I doubt any of those 'musicians' can read music. It seems more about dancing and style and 'attitude' than anything else.

Again I say: Mediocrity raised to the level of acceptance.

Rick
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I agree with every word my friend!!!
 
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