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

Arrested Development was very good and despite my serious lack of skin pigment, I even like X-Clan. Despite a few too many references to the ride called pinky and the red, the black and the green.
 
Office Space

Another way of coming at this is to watch the movie Office Space. It was made by Mike Judge (creator and voice of "King of the Hill"). It's an immensely funny commentary on dead-end office jobs and what would happen if you just decided not to go to work any more.

The soundtrack uses mostly crude gangster rap, but does it so ironically, you'll never hear it quite the same again.
Here's a classic scene (youtube video-not re-edited. This is a clip straight from the film.)
 
If I/we need to take the culture out of the whole 'hip-hop' issue and look at it as a musical form. Today, with the use of software synths etc, just about anyone can produce some simple beats. Add into the mix software samplers and then anyone can steal (ahem, sample) loops and create........songs
Read song credits now and you get an idea of how much 'work' goes into a production. Usually you find someone programmed Reason blah blah blah.

The reason that albums like Pauls Boutique and Kings of Rock were so fresh was the fact that they were done during a time when analog systems made that very kind of work extremely slow. But the end result was always amazing.

Simply put, I do not like Hip Hop because simply, it is not music
 
Brett a said:
As with every other type of music, if you ignore the stuff played on the radio (99% crap) and do a little poking around, you can find hip-hop that’s not only fun, high quality music
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Agreed. There's good and bad in every genre.

Brett a said:
Its relationship with other groove-oriented music should be obvious. Think of James Brown/The JB’s, Fela Kuti
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Again agree, and have a lot of recordings by these three in my music collection.

similost said:
I guess because most don't even consider hip hop music, but rather a bunch of stolen riffs and passages looped and put in a blender... Seldom is much of it original
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This argument may have been valid in the past; IMO there is much less sampling now than in past years. There's a lot more original beats in today's hip-hop.

similost said:
Along with, most times, you have no clue what the hell is being said because it's hard to tell if they are even speaking English because there is too much "ghetto" language...
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I agree to some extent about not understanding all that is said, but unless one has been living under a rock, you CAN figure out what a lot of the slang terms mean. I don't live in or speak ghetto and can understand maybe 98% of what is being said. Not being understood has never affected Michael McDonald's acceptance by music lovers.
 
If I have to hunt down some special artists and then figure out what they are saying why should I bother. The classical composers don't give me a hard time, they just simply please my ears and mind.
 
I own and enjoy many Rap artists. Some of the best protest music is found in this genre. As a linguist I love the use of a different form of a known language. It is exactly how English was developed from German.

Many Rap artists have used borrowed sounds as samples much like Industrial artists have done. The previous mention of "Paul's Boutique" is an example of layering musical samples. Many DJs use borrowed sound mixed with both musical samples and live instruments.

Lyrically much of moden Rap is posers claiming to be "street". I don't really enjoy this message of violence, etc but I also don't enjoy the violent message of a lot of metal artists. There are many Rap artists that I would say write much deeper lyrics than anything The Stones or Floyd could even contemplate writing.

Try a group Disposable Heroes of Hiphoprisy. Fronted by Michael Franti who now fronts Spearhead. Great protest music, the best being recorded today.

I'll end by saying I would chose KRS-One, Franti or Public Enemy over most of the beloved Classic Rock artists anyday.
 
I don't listen to much hip-hop/rap, but I like Saul Williams' latest album, produced by Trent Reznor. He was giving away free downloads of the album from his website, but I think you have to pay now; I did the free download and then returned to pay for one to support his effort.

Just because I don't care for most of the rap I hear, doesn't mean I'll dismiss something I like just because it is rap. Same goes for country for me; I don't care for most of it, but I'm starting to learn how to pick and choose what I like.
 
Zeromancer said:
I'll see if I can upload some samples. I have both cds at home.
Here are samples from the album 30 second ones
http://mog.com/music/Sharpshooters/Choked_Up
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That was actually listenable. Not that I'd switch to hip hop. They actually sounded musically proficient. I appreciate your effort to introduce me to something new.

I'm of the opinion that bands like that transcend the label they've earned. Those guys are not hip hop or rap artists. They incorporate trappings of that genre in order to make a living. Any 'real' musician could not possibly take hip hop or rap seriously.

It was definitely at a level above the stereotype. But why would I switch to that? It would be a downhill slide for me. One should elevate their musical tastes and not accept what is popular.

Rick
 
Tapehead47 said:
That was actually listenable. Not that I'd switch to hip hop. They actually sounded musically proficient. I appreciate your effort to introduce me to something new.

I'm of the opinion that bands like that transcend the label they've earned. Those guys are not hip hop or rap artists. They incorporate trappings of that genre in order to make a living. Any 'real' musician could not possibly take hip hop or rap seriously.

It was definitely at a level above the stereotype. But why would I switch to that? It would be a downhill slide for me. One should elevate their musical tastes and not accept what is popular.

Rick
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I really don't keep up with what is popular. I just try to keep up with stuff that my ears like :music:
 
While I agree that there is bad hip hop (well, look at the commercial stuff, 50 cent and all, they're more like pimps instead of artists, they're more a disgrace to be categorized under rap/hip hop. Gangsta would be better.)

but nevertheless, there are alot of good rappers too, which not only have good lyrics, but also have good music (albeit samples.)

may I make another few suggestions?

The Pharcyde
a 90's hip hop group, here's an example of their music:
(only the music)
http://youtube.com/watch?v=0gwTZzITv8w&feature=related

(and the clip & the music, but in a fairly low quality...)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qAfrhmIvZ_s

probably one of the most interesting songs I know.

and a 'new' rapper,
Mos def
from his album Black on both sides
umi says
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CsihHoyqwWY

and Habitat
http://youtube.com/watch?v=BXdOF3GvI7k&feature=related
(especially nice chorus there, btw...)

listen to some other songs too from that album too...

there is more, even some commercial stuff too...

and some really good crossovers with rap too, check jose james, while not being 'real rap' anymore (it's more jazz, actually), but he catches the essence though...
http://youtube.com/watch?v=mo3hzUmoi_s

if you don't like this, no problem, we all got our tastes. But I too agree with caddisgeek: 'thumbs down for narrow mindedness'.

Keep them spinning,
Bert.
 
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