If I listen to rappers does that make me less inclined to understand the writings of Hume etc?

Question

I'm not a die hard fan of rap, but I have a few albums mainly 2pac and DMX, does this talk of 'smoking out our enemies' etc make me less inclined to understand philosophy from it's very roots, Aristotle, Socrates-prostitutes (ok I have to explain this one, Socrates sent some of his students for an audience with a prostitute, for the purposes of intellectual education) etc to its modern adversaries (sp?). Am I stunted in my growth of intellectual pursuits with listening to this ****? Or does it serve as a stepping stone rather than a vice?

You are listening but you ain't hearing (?) when Tupac says that that they got money for wars but can't can't feed the poor, that Brenda has got a baby,13 years old, sexed out crazy by her cousin, parents reaching out for 'first dips', telling the women in the 'hood' to keep their head up etc Is that not some profound ****? He said he was 'sent' but you would not know that because your elbow looks like your ****? I raised myself from rap music, I picked and chose 'good bits' then I compared it to bettersources of information, and I saw parallels (sp?) that would blow your mind, but you obviously have no mind to blow, only a dick, but yet the mind is the most erotic organ. To end, Einstein,

“The only thing that interferes with my learning is my education”

Answer 1

I LOVE this question. Personally, I think the fact that you can appreciate rap music AND the great philosophers just makes you an extremely interesting person. I tend to be the same way. I've never understood why people pigeonhole themselves so much with regard to music, books, art, etc. I find people with varied tastes much more interesting.

Answer 2

No they present opinions and you interpret them. The only thing that stuns intellegence is genetic or physical. Don't let these close minded noobs fool you. Reguardless if you like it or not you could learn about music from listening to it. You could analyze their perspective and how it as an artform reflects the time. Even why you may have the question you do. Many people have been in your position, nothing we do is truely unique. You are limited by what you think knowledge truely is that is all.

Think critically, from a topic that would be a proof. Is there anything that ever happens that you can not learn from?

Answer 3

No, listening to rap music will not stunt you intellectually. As far as the content - "smoking out your enemies" and the violent content in rap, I don't see how it could stunt your intellectual growth any more than reading about how armies fought and killed each other in the bible (the story about David slaying his enemies and collecting their foreskins sticks out in my mind or Samson slaying 1000 men with a Mule's Jawbone) or reading about the Trojan wars or any other of many books that are attributed to Great Literature.

They used to say that Jazz was evil and the devils music that made women loose. Do you think listening to Jazz makes you evil? Have you seen the devil prancing around at a Kenny G concert? I think not. The idea that listening to one set of music will make you evil or stupid is just pseudo-science garbage.

Answer 4

I agree with your man there about KRS-1 and Guru. OK, they don't go very deep into things but often rap shows a genius for metaphors and analogies which has a lot in common with the more accessible philosophers.

I think perhaps you need to spend more time thinking about what you write rather than just writing as it comes. Critique your thought process. Rap and philosophy are both about discipline - tight flow and tight argument. That way you will grow.

So endeth the lesson ;-)

Answer 5

I couldn't agree more sure enough some of the lyrics are not appropriate like "I see no changes" but the positive lyrics about beating up women or killing people for drugs is heavily rooted in the ideas of the great thinkers of humanity..

Answer 6

To fully understand the view of something it is wise to look at it from all directions. Music is an art form that can be interpreted in many ways so your choice of listening to rap is is as understandable as someone's choice to listen to country. You shouldn't let music decide who you are. You are what you want to be.

Answer 7

you should listen to a rapper named Busdriver, or Saul Williams. their sh*t has all sorts of refrences to all sorts of different philosophers and such. there are lots of hip hop artists that are very intelligent, and show it in their raps, but none of them are popular in the mainstream.
here's a short list of good ones:
Aesop Rock
X-Clan
Lost Children of Babylon
KRS-One
Guru
Mr. Lif
Anticon
Sage Francis
etc, etc, etc


also, i agree with the guy who said the stuff about jazz. except for the fact that kenny g blows, and smooth jazz isn't really jazz.

Answer 8

If you really studied Hume, you'd be less inclined to tolerate the idiocy of rap. Rap isn't a step up to anywhere.

Yeah, yeah, it's urban poetry, blah, blah. And gang violence is population control.

Answer 9

I didn't think there was anything wrong with listening to rap before reading your question. I have no fxck'n idea what you're talking about, so maybe rap does mess with you ability to communicate.

Answer 10

One becomes what one beholds.
in other words:
You become like those you hang out with.