RAP music....LIKE or DISLIKE?

Question

I think that rap music is negatively influencing our younger generation, especially young African American males. Rappers say anything for a quick dollar when they know it is going to influence the public community. I am not saying that young boys do EVERYTHING that rappers do but we all have to admit that those interested in rap do look up to the people it is coming from, as a young girl who wishes to be a model would look up to Tyra Banks' or Heidi Klum. Its not wrong, just part of human nature and growing up BUT if these rappers have the opportunity to have billions of people hear their words, why make every word negative and about violence, sex, drugs, and disrespecting women? I think they are doing so much more damage than most people know. When my son gets older he will not be permitted to listen to such nonsense. I also think they contribute to giving their race a bad reputation. And they wonder why Oprah dont like them....lol. What are your thoughts on rap and rappers?

To the girl with =] as her name, I took no offense to what you said and thanks for your answer, Im a great parent so I know I have nothing to worry about I just dont think my son needs to fill his hears with people saying women should be referred to as ''*********.e.s'' and all of the other nonsense they rap about. BUT I do disagree with you on music affecting people, as unfortunate as it is, it does affect people. Not always in extreme ways, depending on the person, but it does.

Bert R, your right but it sucks that positive rap is rare ouside of gospel.

Answer 1

Rap (derived from the word "crap") is theme music for the black community, and MTV. Of course, Lil' Jon is the leader. The process of creating a rap song is as follows:

1.) First, you must create a TOTALLY PIMP-SOUNDING and preferably illogical pseudonym because regular old names are too boring for today’s X-TREME generation.

2.) You must write songs about highly innovative and original topics such as sex, drugs, and violence to establish yourself as a TOTALLY UNIQUE INDIVIDUAL because those topics have never been written about before or even discussed for that matter. Remember, nobody likes a poseur!

3.) When you write a song, go for style and not substance! Make sure you rhyme as many times as you can. Don’t worry about sacrificing the coherence of your message to all your forced rhyming; there’s no substitute for KOOL!!! In fact, the more incoherent your song is, the better.

4.) Make sure to repeatedly lace your lyrics with random vocal interjections such as “uh-huh”, “yeah”, and “das right” to remind everyone that you’re TOTALLY OFF THE HOOK. Of course, these meaningless vocal spasms of **** do not serve to the fill the void when you can’t think of more substantial things to rap about.

5.) Give your completed lyrics to a 4th grader. If he understands what’s being said, you’ve done well.

6.) Don't even bother about singing because that takes talent and effort. Just talk in somewhat of a rhythm—occasionally. Just speak normal the rest of the time (well, as normal as a black person can speak). Make CERTAIN that you butcher the English language as much as you can. Never speak correctly. That's not being TOTALLY PIMP, YO!!!

7.) Turn on the radio to a rock station. Listen for a catchy guitar riff and record it. Synthesize it, and alter it slightly. Loop it about 100 times and you have your VERY OWN, NON-PLAIGARIZED rap song. Next, drop random samples of police sirens and loading guns to show everyone that YOU’RE A BAD-*** REBEL. Then give yourself a cookie.

8.) Eat a lot of beans and fart in a recorder. Effect it, and you have bass.

9.) Sit on your lazy, narcissistic *** and let other people who are more talented than you mix the CD.

10.) Put a picture of a hot woman on your CD cover to compensate for your lack of hot women in the real world. Also, do it to boost the sales of your CD because you know your **** sucks.

11.) It is impossible for a rap "song" to be by just one rapper. It's a little known fact that every rap song features at least 100 other rappers, most of which are unknown. In fact the majority of every rap CD isn't the actual rapper.

Answer 2

Omg, i like ssooooooo agree with you! I dislike a lot of rap, not all, bcuz some are not about money, cars, and ores(add the who to the front, i don't really curse that much or at all actually since i'm only 14). My mom also doesn't have me listen to rap. We listen to rock, pop, and gospel all the time. I think that rap is so repetitive!! Each rap song is saying the same thing. (how much money they have, and the women). It's so annoying. It's also so nasty. I hate seeing many African-American women shaking their butts in front of the guys or barely wearing anything. It's disgusting and people actually enjoy it. I hate the phrase "Get rich or die trying". That quote like influences young men, especially young black men to go out and steal for money instead of getting a regular job. I agree with you that most young men do copy what they see on tv. Anything on tv can influence people. Like me, I'm so caught up into Japanese anime that i now want to learn and speak the language when i get to high school or middle school. What the guys see on tv, they do the same. Believe, i see it. The girls act the same as the girls in the videos. It's terrible. I'm a young African-American w/a bit of Native American, Dutch, and Portuguese, i sometimes feel embarrassed with our culture's music, rap.

Answer 3

I have a theory about this: I think the reason why African-American males are encouraged so much to pursue this kind of career is because the American government is afraid of Black Power! The African-American political figure hopeful influence over the black population in the U.S. would be soooo powerful, the powerful white Presidency doesnt want that to happen! OH NOOOO!!! So what is the solution? To make the blacks successful in the rap game, but not in the political game. Know what am sayin'? (hey that rhymes!) Lookat all the lawyers and government and all the political figures: Mostly white. Now look at all the rappers and ppl in the music business: Mostly black. Coincidence? I dont think so;)

Answer 4

I agree with you to a great extent. The extent is that I know hip-hop was not always like it is now. As it has changed, it has vastly metamorphosized from its origins to an artform of the oppressed to "music" that's become so unsubstantial. I blame not only the artists, for the record execs, the artists' themselves, and the hip-hop fans must also share their large share of the blame. I don't know how knowledgeable you are of the music, and its artist. Nas who is considered legendary has a CD coming out appropriately entitled "Hip Hop is Dead." The legends and pioneers see the direction hip hop is taking and has been headed for a long time now. I, myself, rarely listen to hip-hop. The sad part is that I know what it used to be, what it is capable of, and knowing where it is and has been going for some time now is very saddening. I also understand what you mean when you say it gives the race a bad reputation. Overall, I can't agree with that as I feel it's been one of the biggest "bridge-gappers" towards race relations in the world. But, I understand that when Black artist portray themselves foolishly in TV, it reflects on the race as a whole, unfair as that may be, it is reality. Nowadays, anyone can put any two words together and be considered a rapper and there's a huge lack of talent nowadays. In addition, one must confuse the terms hip hop and rap as one. For, as stated, anyone can put words together and call themselves a rapper. I wouldn't ban hip hop music totally from your son, I would just choose what I think is progressive versus that which is garbage, but even if you do, I hope you still keep his ears open to all forms of music like rock, jazz, oldies, world music, etc. Much love Sista. Peace.

Answer 5

I guess it depends on the type of rap. I'm sure there's some good rap out there with positive messages. Just like there's really crappy rock music, as well as rock with great messages. It's not so much the medium that's the problem I think as the message.

Answer 6

I dislike rap and totally agree with Oprah. Rap does a disservice to black youth, to black women, and is a disgrace to black society as a whole. I am totally embarrassed as a black person when I see these rappers get on national awards shows (i.e. Billboard Awards, Grammy’s) and humiliate black people. I hate when people automatically assume that since I am black I must love rap music. I despise it and wish that as a black person I could totally disassociate myself from it. But when people think "rap" they think us.

Carmen, my sentiments exactly. Some black people think that because you disassociate your self from hip hop and don't act, dress, and speak a certain way that you are acting "white". The real blacks that have made a contribution to society i.e. W.B. Dubois, Dr. Maya Angelou, Frederick Douglass, Dr Martin Luther King, Oprah Winfrey, etc etc they did not speak and act ignorant, the way some people define their “blackness”. They carry themselves with pride, speak correct English, and set examples of what black people are capable of. What does rap do, besides set us back 50 years? The real "sell outs" are the ones who are shining the negative light on our race.

Answer 7

Rap s cool
dont git angry 2 kids hu lyks it cus Rap gits beter not worse
kids hu rap 2day rap bout' how der parents luv or hate them
Rappers only wanna show their feelings n how d world should b
dey want a peaceful world n they hate war
if your kids r bad then so r u
Kids r d mirror of their Parents

Answer 8

I despise rap. It's for people who can't sing, want quick money and try to make music and fail in the process. It's crummy, it has no decent twist to it, and it's dull. People may want to say it's a direct root from African music, but my correction would be it has a direct root to African language, not music.

Answer 9

I do not like rap music for the simple reason most I said MOST of it is vulgar and degrading with no real purpose besides shouting profanities over and over.

There is no redeeming value in it.

Answer 10

I agree with you.
It is bringing down our youth, making them think that the misogynistic, phony world of hip-hop is what it's all about. They have set in their minds the standards for being black. I hate it so much. I go to school with kids that think that in order to be black you have to act like that. They call me "white". I'm not white, I'm just smart. Being black is not acting a certain way, it's what I am and that won't change.