Anyone else like rap?

[Guest]

Mater-dei: Yeah...I guess setting words to a rhythm for poetic effect means something else when african americans are doing it.

I havent seen all that much rap produced by immigrants.

Dig deep enough into any genre and you can find something "profound" (at least in a juvenile, but well intentioned way), that doesnt redem the whole thing as being some kind of intillectual pursuit. Besides, the best rap music has never been of the socially conscious variety, it is *supposed* to be fun. If you start having to dressing up in turtle necks and drinking sherry to "appreciate" it then you have completely missed the point. This will probably piss off half the board but rap is a *lot* like country music in that it is blue-collar in nature and as such is not meant to be over analysed but enjoyed on a more visceral level.

In essence, a song about how much one appreciates a prodigeious posterior is no less a valid form of expression than one that espouses the tragedy of their lost love/dog/truck.

[LadySmith]

"It's a damn shame that talented, intelligent rappers get relegated to "underground" status, while the guys who blabber about "big-booty b*tches" and huge rims get the fame."
Truth, FatCat
I don't have a favorite rapper although there are several recordings I enjoy. I listen to everything ABBA to Jay-Z (don't tell anyone about ABBA, though).

[Guest]

I'm not a huge fan but I listen to it occasionally. Like anything else, there's  good and bad. Bad stuff gets turned off, ok stuff gets left on.

[280plus]

I am a firm believer in Sturgeon's Law: 90% of everything is crap

I LOVE THAT!! ( I might go as far as to push it to 95% myself)

I appreciate all music and can appreciate a good stage performance regardless of the genre. That stuff takes hard work no matter what it is if you're going to do it well and I've learned to appreciate that over the years. I can usually spot the difference between crap and the good stuff and I am sure it exists in every form of expression there is. So sure, you give me some rap that is well done and supports a positive message and I'll probably like it. Would it be ok to turn the bass down a little though?


 I  like what OutKast has been doing. It's fresh. The only  thing I listen to are the old 70's rock stations that overplay the same worn out crap we listened to 30 years ago and forever since and live stuff done locally by different guitar people that are around. Classical, jazz, Latin. It's all good when it's done by the right people. And bad when it's not.

I'll tell you what though, I wish I was collecting the royalties from"Stairway to Heaven" I just heard it again yesterday :barf:  )

[MaterDei]

Mater-dei: Yeah...I guess setting words to a rhythm for poetic effect means something else when african americans are doing it.

So what you're trying to say is that rappers are poets?  Fine, so how does that make Shakespeare the 'original' rapper?  Was he the original poet?  No.  I've often heard people say what you said but it is to try and bring some respectablity to something that has none rather than because it is a fact.

btw, your statement implies that only blacks rap.

[Winston Smith]

bring some respectablity to something that has none

Just because you don't respect it doesn't mean it's not respectable.

More later.

[SalukiFan]

Does Matisyahu count?

Matisyahu is awesome - I just saw him on Oct 1st - but I think he would count as reggae rather than rap.  

As far as rap goes, I don't listen to a lot of rap, but I do really like De La Soul...

[Justin]

Isn't Matisyahu the Hasidic Jewish Reggae singer?

If so, I heard an interview with him a couple months ago.  Rather interesting guy.

Ah, here we go...

Matisyahu

[K Frame]

Does it count if I like the rap artist, but have never heard any of his music?

I think Will Smith is a fantastic actor. I know he had some hit rap records...

[280plus]

"I got into one little fight and mom got scared. She said,"You're moving with your Auntie and Uncle in Bel Air!""

[The Rabbi]

I like rap like this charming ditty from Public Enemy:

A Dollar A Rhyme But We Barely Get A Dime

If You Dont Own The Master
Then The Master Own You
Who Do You Trust From Swindlers Lust
From The Back Of The Bus
Neither One Of Us Control The Fate Of Our Soul
And Swindlers Lust

Hickory Dickory Dock Hand In My Pocket
Robbed Me For My Chocolate
Mo Dollars Mo Cents For The Big Six
Another Million Led To Bled Claimin They Innocence
Is It Any Wonder Why Black Folks Goin Under
Cause Niggas Be Sold In Bundles
No Pressure Tell Me Why They Dont Care
Rap And R & B Pavin The Streets Of Belair
From The Sales Of Singers No Longer Here
The Bigger Killer Gets The Bigger Share

Now The Ones I Attack The Negros Got Their Back
And Know 80-20 Is A Whack Contract
Forever Lack The Voice Of Real Black
Stole Rock And Roll And Aint Gave It Back
Started Off My Defense
Now Theyre The Ones I Defend Against
Who Fell Up Into The Tricks
*expletive deleted*ck The Fight The Power *expletive deleted*it
Get That Chuck D Nigga Fixed
And Keep Him Up Outta The Mix
Well Hell Tell Em Chuck Dont Suck No Dick
Be An ass And The ass Get Kicked
Hand In My Pocket Robbed Me For My Chocolate
Watch Em Swindle Yo ass And Turn A Profit

If You Dont Own The Master
Then The Master Own You
Who Do You Trust From Swindlers Lust
From The Back Of The Bus
Neither One Of Us Control The Fate Of Our Soul
And Swindlers Lust


They Dont Care About Me
They Dont Care About You
They Dont Care About You And Ya Crew
Ya Family Neighborhood And Plus
They Dont Give A Damn About Us

Profit Off The Soul Of Black Folk
Turn Em Into Bitchez And Niggas
And Stupid ass Jokes
Laugh Wit Us Or Laughin At Us
That Is What Im Guessin
We Interrupt This Program Wit That Question
Laughin All The Way To The Bank
Remember Dem Own The Banks
And Dem G-Damn Tanks
Now What Company Do I Thank
Aint This A Bitch Heard They Owned Slaves
And A Ship That Sank

If You Dont Own The Master
Then The Master Own You
Who Do You Trust From Swindlers Lust
From The Back Of The Bus
Neither One Of Us Control The Fate Of Our Soul
And Swindlers Lust

This Is For The Blues People In The Delta
This Is For Everybody In The 50s That Didnt Get Their Money
Little Richard Gettin Half A Penny A Penny
All The Super Soul Singers Of The 60s
All The Bands Of The 70s On The Outside Lookin In
All The People That Didnt Make A Dime Off Their Session Playin
And Even The Rappers In The 80s And The 90s
Still Tryin To Get Paid For What They Put In

If You Dont Own The Master
Then The Master Own You
Who Do You Trust From Swindlers Lust
From The Back Of The Bus
Neither One Of Us Control The Fate Of Our Soul
And Swindlers Lust

[garrettwc]

Does it count if I like the rap artist, but have never heard any of his music?

You may have heard them and not known it. Will Smith usually has a song in every movie he's in, and did the theme for the movie "Men in Black" and for his TV show "Fresh Prince".

Rabbi, not sure if you are being sarcastic or not. If you take the expletives and the colorful language out of it, the lyrics aren't bad and contain a message worth considering. They are aimed specifically at blacks, but what they lament could apply to anyone of any race in the entertainment industry.

[Felonious Monk/Fignozzle]

Rabbi, Justin--
I took a few minutes to learn a little and sample the Matisyahu stuff.  
Obvious Bob Marley, Phish and Grateful Dead influences, all applied to a dancehall reggae approach.
Really nice.  If you like him, AND it actually comes close enough to count as "rap" for the purposes of this thread, then you'd like Shabba Ranks, and Mark Mohr (Christafari).
Mark is not a native Rasta/Jamaican, but has made it his life's work to delve deeply into ALL forms of Reggae (and there are several), and really kicks it in each of the Reggae sub-genres.

In addition to my affinity for '70's funk, I really like reggae as well.
Just not what is usually considered rap.

[duck hunt]

I love all kinds of rap, everything from LL's first album to 50 Cent's latest.

My three month old baby only stops crying in the car if I play rap, the bassier the better.

Naturally I have a real soft spot for Arabic rap....there's a fantastic Palestinian group I've been listening to for a couple of years who were in NYC last week:

http://www.dam3rap.com/

[...has left the building.]

Rabbi- Congrats on finding a bad rap song. Since you posted that I now have thrown all of my CDs away. Your post was quite a revelation.

[The Rabbi]

Well, thats my good deed for the day.
If you could post a country song with that much obscenity, violence and hatred I'll get rid of my George Jones collection.

[duck hunt]

If I show you a heinous crime that was committed with a gun, can I have all your guns?

[Paddy]

Yeah I like rap, it ain't crap
 I'm a white boy, not a whigger
I ain't black so don't talk me no smack
I grew up in a 'burb and still smoke some herb
Not in the 'hood, that ain't no good

Here's where it's at
I gots me a gat
I'll pop a cap so don't give me no crap
I ain't black, jack, so don't talk me no smack

fo'schizzle.

[The Rabbi]

If I show you a heinous crime that was committed with a gun, can I have all your guns?

No, but show me one committed by a gun and we'll talk.

[thebaldguy]

Rap is like any other kind of music: some is really good (Sir Mix a Lot - ''Baby's got Back'' and some is really really bad (L'Trimm -''We Like the cars that go boom"). In the last 5+ years, I think it's getting worse.

I know quite a few younger women that listen to rap. If I was a woman, I'm not sure that I would spend my money on a song where the artist refers to me as a bitch or 'ho. I used to (and still I guess) listen to some metal; they just treated the women like sex objects. When you compare the way women are treated, I think rap songs treat women worse.

I would never censor any type of music. I thought arresting the guys in 2 Live Crew on obsenity charges was a riot. I have to admit I like the song "Me so Horny". I thought the arrest leading to the mass popularity of the song and CD was even funnier! I remember a member of 2 Live Crew thanking the Broward County Sheriff's Office for the publicity. They saved a ton in promoting their CD, and made the sheriff look like a boob.

[Gewehr98]

Just because you don't respect it doesn't mean it's not respectable.

I respect Ron Jeremy.  Not that his line of work is entirely respectable...

[Sindawe]

A few cross-over peices I can listen to (Run DMC's "Walk This Way" for example) and Shabba Ranks, but most rap I'd rather claw my own ears out than listen for any length of time.

"Shakespeare was the original rapper."

Yea, but it really looses its impact unless its spoken in the original Klingon.

Not that his line of work is entirely respectable

More respectability there than is to be found in the work of 99.9% of politicians.  At least Ol' Ron was making something some folks actually WANTED!

[...has left the building.]

Rabbi-

David Allan Coe, a relatively mainstream country act. Oh and you asked for it, so you're responsible:

She said someday I'd understand
What love was all about
She said I could have the kids
She was movin out
Said she'd finally found a man
Who's dick was so much bigger
Then that scumbag mother *expletive deleted*er
Ran off with a *let's not go there*

And to think I'd ate the pussy
Where that big, black dick had been
And kissed the lips that sucked him off
Time and time again
It's enough to make a man throw up
Sure is hard to figure
How any decent girl could ever *expletive deleted*ck
A greasy *let's not go there*

He treated her just like a queen
She gave him all my money
It looks like the joke's on me
But I don't think it's funny
That pussy ain't worth payin for
As far as I can figure
Cause there's nothing quite as worthless
As a white girl with a *let's not go there*

And to think I'd ate the pussy
Where that big, black dick had been
And kissed the lips that sucked him off
Time and time again
It's enough to make a man throw up
Sure is hard to figure
How any decent girl could ever *expletive deleted*ck
A God damn *let's not go there*
So for all you *let's not go there* lovin whores
This song is just for you

[...has left the building.]

P.S. PM me on THR, I'd like your George Jones collection.

[MaterDei]

Rabbi-

David Allan Coe, a relatively mainstream country act. Oh and you asked for it, so you're responsible:

She said someday I'd understand
What love was all about
She said I could have the kids
She was movin out
Said she'd finally found a man
Who's dick was so much bigger
Then that scumbag mother *expletive deleted*er
Ran off with a *let's not go there*

And to think I'd ate the pussy
Where that big, black dick had been
And kissed the lips that sucked him off
Time and time again
It's enough to make a man throw up
Sure is hard to figure
How any decent girl could ever *expletive deleted*ck
A greasy *let's not go there*

He treated her just like a queen
She gave him all my money
It looks like the joke's on me
But I don't think it's funny
That pussy ain't worth payin for
As far as I can figure
Cause there's nothing quite as worthless
As a white girl with a *let's not go there*

And to think I'd ate the pussy
Where that big, black dick had been
And kissed the lips that sucked him off
Time and time again
It's enough to make a man throw up
Sure is hard to figure
How any decent girl could ever *expletive deleted*ck
A God damn *let's not go there*
So for all you *let's not go there* lovin whores
This song is just for you

So Dan, is this Shakespeare?  Winston?