Is todays Rap/Hip-Hop just a Joke?

O.P.H

I'm a fan of all music- classical, jazz, trad, and mainly alt rock but not really a fan of rap/hip-hop, well todays era anyway. I mean back in the day when rap was a voice for things that really mattered you had acts like Grandmaster Flash, NWA and Public Enemy, later to be followed by Pac(and thats where it ended in my opinion) rappin with inteligence and wit about social issues. Back in those days rap really meant somethin. Today you got rappers goin on about how much money they got, how great the are, how much they like ****in women, how you dont want to piss them off, how other rappers are crap and how they got shot nine times in the face. My favourite though is when they rap about how well they can rap, brilliant. And battle rappin, what the hell is that. Grown men pretending to make up ryming insults on the spot about how the other guy got big ears when we all know they were at home practising these pearls of wisdom. And dont get me started on samples. If rappers like Jay-Z, Kanye, Snoop, Naz etc could'nt use samples, rap music would be finshed. All the best selling rap single etc sold because they had a catchy chorus line that they stole. Even though rap/hip-hop brings in all the money, todays youth are idiots and I think rap/hip-hop died on the 13 September 1996.

ghostdancer

the fact that you said that back then was when they rapped about social issues and with intelligence, compared with your perceived view that all rap these days is about hoes and guns etc., really highlights your own extremely limited and ignorant view of the rap/hiphop that is out there nowadays.
there's as much, if not more, intelligence and rapping about social and political issues now, as there was back then, when there was just as much pure ****e about gun and hoes around.
try taking more notice of what mtv and XXL mag show you.

and as for samples, well, if you honestly don't think that PE, NWA, etc. didn't use as many samples as many of the mainstream artists (those afformentioned mtv and xxl mag artists btw) of today use, then i won't even bother.

Orizio

With all due respect saying rap died with Tupac(this would be the ballet dancer who was arrested how many times?)is a bit ridicoulus.There was plenty of brilliant Hip-Hop released post Pac's death-arguably some of the greatest Hip-Hop albums ever.Its also utterly incredible that you should praise NWA whilst attacking the materialist trend in Hip-Hop today.

Personally I find a rapper spitting politial cliches as bad as one spitting gangster cliches.What matters is the talent and originality of the MC.

My iPods full of excellent Hip-Hop released this year.Prince Po,CL Smooth,AZ,Panacea,Baby J and Braintax's albums released this month(about)are all good buys for a start.

evil_seed

and to think i thought this was going to be an intelligent argument

Makaveli

There is just so much wrong with the opening post I don't think it's worth disecting but...

later to be followed by Pac(and thats where it ended in my opinion) rappin with inteligence and wit about social issues.

...

Today you got rappers goin on about how much money they got, how great the are, how much they like ****in women, how you dont want to piss them off, how other rappers are crap

Have you ever listened to a 2pac album?

O.P.H

LMAO, lads, I'm not a rap/hip-hop fan, I dispise the drivel. I mean if you actually have somethin worth sayin, why don't slow the **** down so I can hear ya. I just wanted so stir the ****e. However, as a big music fan I stand behind of some of the things I said and I don't even think they can be debated there so obvious, the fact that I'm not a rap/hip-hop fan has nothin to do with it so you can't go playin the I'm ignorant card, the last post was a p**s pull. Firstly, all my opinions are aimed at the mainstream rap/hip-hop so don't even try that pretentious crap, you can have your underground stuff. What I said about samples is true, most rappers have made it comercially on the shoulders of other artists by takin catchy chorus lines etc, you can't even argue that, Kanye probably would'nt have an album if it were'nt for samples. The successful rap 50, Snoop, Z, its is full of all that cliche bull of money, whoes, I'm the greatest crap and in my opinion as a non rap/hip-hop fan that seems to be light years away from what rap was all about in the beginning. The saddest thing about mainstream rap and some rappers(DMX,NAZ) have said this, is that in a recent study it was said that the main buyers of rap music were white suburban teens, it must be that they really conect with the message of todays mainsteam rap or maybe its that there is none and its is all about the money, bitchs and whoes and the rappers could'nt care less as long as the money is rollin in. If you cant agree with at least some of that then your full of it.

Makaveli

Yeah, I'm just going to lock this because it's pointless.