If Rap music isn't music then what is music and why?

Question

Wystar asked this question and was told that Rap music isn't music. I want to know what is music (group/songs names).

Answer 1

I believe that rap is a form of music in almost every case. People claim that it is not music usually due to some of the following:

1:) Rap's main focus is rhythm. People tend to be used to more melodic forms of music. I disagree because a lot of music roots stem from rythmic chants and/or older drum songs

2:) Rap tends to be simple and repatative. Many rap songs lately have just a looping "beat" as opposed to actual composed backup music. This does not mean it is not music, but just that it is very simplistic in nature.

3:) Rap can be very hard to understand. In the trends of Pop music, it is unusually to not be able to understand what is being said, even if it is just a listeners misinterpretation. To some people, when they cannot relate to the expressed emotion, they cannot enjoy it.

These are the main reasons that I come into contact with, but of course there are more.

Answer 2

Music is a combination of sounds produced by instruments that has melody, harmony, chords, and rhythm. Rap music usually uses synthesized background sound and most often, the rapper is just talking rhythmically, therefore is not music. Real music includes Rock (Creed, Santana, Nickelback, AC/DC, Rolling Stones), Jazz (John Coltrane, Charlie Parker, Wynton Marsallis), Blues (Eric Clapton), R & B (Jackson 5, anything "Motown"), Hip-hop (which is what old-school rap was), Classical (Mozart, Beethoven, Bach, Wagner), and March (Sousa).

Answer 3

Rap isn't music to me cause I define music as instruments being played to a vocalist sing harmonically to the rythms being played by the band. Not sampling of others music or an engineer creating their music while they spout comical poem-like rantings over said track. So if one was to say it is music it would thus be a lower form of music. But the slaves did talk and ryhme over other slaves humming and called it music to unite their people, so....... eye of the beholder.
Now this is "10 points", "best answer", whatever the fk you want to call it.

Answer 4

I prefer other styles of Music to Rap but that doesn't mean rap isn't music. Actually I think some of the greatest musical compositions of our time have come from rappers (I hate the guy but I think that emminem is a PHENOMENAL musical composer)

Answer 5

I remember when Blondie starting rapping in the 80's. For a white chick she'd didn't do too badly...but you know, jazz was considered blasphemy in the 20's and Rock and Roll was just noise in the 50's. So, don't listen to those folks. Music is sweet to the person who loves it.

Answer 6

The definition of "music" is sound that is organized.

by that definition rap is music.

but as for original, artistic music, rap is not the genre to look too. because to me using other peoples music (i.e. samples) is nothing more than theft and the lack of an ability to write something catchy on your own.

Answer 7

Rap is music to me. So is rock, alternative, classical, R&B, classic rock, jazz, and blues. What isn't music to me is country. Just a bunch of rednecks making awful sounds and telling stupid stories about their wives and dogs who left them and America this and the bowling alley that. Terrible.

Answer 8

Ideally music is a memorable melody collaborating with intelligent lyrics (If there are lyrics; in jazz, lyrics are not necessary). Obviously rap doesn't qualify. Theres a lack of melody and a lack of intelligent lyrics.

Answer 9

People who say rap isn't music, probalby don't like the generic rap stuff.

I don't really like rap, but it IS music.

Answer 10

Singing is music because it has melody. Most rap has no melody therefore it does not qualify as music