Rap is considered music not because of its merit, but because there is no other place to put it. In my opinion, and based on its impact among a certain segment of society, rap is a particularly focused medium for social degeneracy. This is by design. Ask the real pioneers of Rap and Hip Hop and they'll tell you how their message was usurped and changed by the monied interest.
Ray Charles - "Rap is not music"
I agree with Ray Charles.
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Showing 3 responses by ab2ab
@simao @tylermunns - I am going to let the subject go because both of you are woefully ignorant and obviously have no real exposure to Rap music and the very real culture it produced. Or, you're some sort of woke troll looking for any opportunity to engage your online, recreational outrage. But for the record, I am a BLACK man who has seen first hand how this "music" has perpetuated a deleterious impact on the minds and communities of those who're projecting the violent, mindlessly-materialistic, anti-social, drug-glorifying, misogynistic and depictions of murder message this "music" conveys. This is, unfortunately, undeniable. Have you heard of Drill or Trap (RAP) music? I know you haven't so Google it because this is what most are actually hearing. Its influence in social media is remarkable. Now head over to YouTube and search the following: "Former record exec exposes the rap industry" and "Charleton White: YouTube promotes black rappers killing each other but shut me down" (start at the 2:15 minute mark). And while there, see what KRS-One says about commercialized rap & hip hop -- how the positive message of the people had to go underground, while the music industry pushed violence & gang culture. Please learn how NWA (Niggaz Wit Attitudes) gangster rap was industry backed to push the positive, political message of Public Enemy into the background. There was no interest in empowering the people, especially during a time when the U.S. government (CIA) & Nicaraguan Contras where flooding the inner cities with crack cocaine. No. Public Enemy's Fight the Power, would not suffice. Here's an interesting excerpt from Sociological Forum, Vol. 24. No. 3. September 2009 Narratives in Popular Culture: Depictions of Homicide in Rap Music "Homicide is a rare event, but depictions of it are quite common in our culture and discourse. Commercially successful rappers have appropriated homicide as a central theme in their lyrical compositions. The tremendous success of rap music is indicative of its increasing popular appeal and cultural impact. We reveal the ways homicide is constructed within rap music and its frequency of occurrence across time. Employing a cultural criminology framework, we analyze the most popular rap songs over the period 1989-2000, as determined by Billboard music charts, for references to homicide. Using content analysis we explore the emergent themes associated with homicide scenarios in rap lyrics. Results show violent death was constructed in glorified ways, incorporated cautionary tales, or used as an analogy for powerful rhyming. The major themes found in these homicide-related rap lyrics were the normalization of killing, respect maintenance, confrontation with the power structure, vengeance, and masculine confrontation. Gender patterns of killing were surprising and distinct. Homicide was almost always male on male. Careful consideration is given to the multiple meanings of homicide, particularly the ways rappers have appropriated the word "killing" and transformed it into a term that indicates creative success." @hilde45 - Racism? Seriously?
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