How do you feel personally with today's rap music???

Question

I don't think that hip hop play a stereotypical role in blacks today. but I do think that Rap play the role in why we don't have more successful young blacks. now this isn't a north, south east or west rap issue. its a issue where these rappers don't take into account of what the words they are feeding to kids, affect how they react physically, and mentally. the rap today is the cause and effect cycle. first some people don't know what the difference between Rap and hip hop is. it takes a lifetime of studying what the cultures are. hip hop is more than a culture itself. it breeds good positive men, men that are MC's. ex: common, kool moe dee, run dmc, etc. rap doesn't. rap consist of no creativity. the rappers of rap today talk about the same worthless thing. the jewels, degrading black/ all colors of women. initiating bodily harm, yada, yada. (ex: the young jeezy's, the ti, lil wayne, shop boyz, huey, etc.) and now our kids today don't know how to separate themselves from it. they see these rappers as people that they felt overcame the hood and that they can do the same thing. black parents left these kids in front of the TV with these rappers, and too much free time to experiment. too many of our black parents have to spend taking too much time off their kids to work. and some of these parents are living in a single home. we were raised to let the TV, become our babysitters. that's why these kids can hear a kool moe dee record, and not know who he is. because of that, some of these kids try to imitate what they glamorized, because the rapper gave them what they liked to see. so now, when we try to let the kids hear what hip hop is, they say its boring, because it doesn't contain the negative of what they are used to hearing. and its also due to some of our black men that should parent these kids. they are either in jail, dead, or doing the same thing that the rappers rap about. some of our black men are too " prideful" to dumb down themselves to the kids. there are many reasons. as for me I was fortunate to know the difference of what hip hop and rap is.

i am a young,black, married man. and i listen to hip hop. im not disgusted with my people, or rap, but wanted to voice a few of my issues to the people. im sorry to those i offend, but its the truth.

to due process, as i stated, if i offend someone, to try and not take it personal. im not racist, why would i be?? i would i hate my own people?? if you have further concerns, we can have a debate. email me @ [e-mail]

to due process:

you said
First off, Kool Moe Dee is not one of the essential hip-hop acts that "kids today" need to know. There are so many others who contributed so much more to hip-hop than he did. Just because he is old-school doesn't mean he was a quintessential bastion of hip-hop. (as i stated he was an example. maybe you were listening too slow.)

you said:
The whole thing you wrote there is basically a set of impressions with no actual proof.

(thats cool but if you like, i can provide proof. listen to SOME blacks today, they MAY agree with me.)

you said:
-Third, what the hell are you trying to say here? Is it that rap is negative?

(what i am giving is personal opinion, rap isnt the only issue, but a big part of it. ) Have a good day due process.

Answer 1

Damn....you should write a book....but anyways.....I like some rap songs....like Can't Tell Me Nothing, Money In The Bank, Big Things Poppin, anything Jay-Z, Nas, Cassidy, Lil Wayne....just to name a few....but to me Hip-Hop is dying mostly because of the new rappers that raps about money, cars, having sex with hoes and stuff....Hip-Hop right now is just all about the image....it's not about the lyrics anymore

Answer 2

Most Rap music which is popular is crap. It's not because of the moral (or lack therof) content but because it's all sounding the same. The music is boring, repetitive - just like the lyrics.

If kids are going to look to persons like Lil' Wayne or whatever jerkoff MTV is spotlighting at the moment for a role model, they have a bigger problem than just listening to bad music.

We live in a culture of followers, everyone is trying to be like everyone else. Every now and then someone stands out as an innovator but thats the exception & not the rule.

Bad influences were around way before Rap music. People tried the "blame Rap" card years back when groups like NWA & Snoop Dogg first came out. They pissed & moaned about Rap music promoting violence. Certain stores decided not to carry CD's with "parental advisory" stickers on them yet still sold movies such as Terminator & Die Hard (to name a few). The argument that Rap music is causing our youth to make bad choices is a losing one.

I too would like to see more Kool Moe Dee's & Run D.M.C.'s but the reality is, we're in a different time. Materialism is at an all time high & good messages, lyrics & overall talent is taking a backseat to this.

I respect the rappers who are doing their own thing regardless of what society or record companies find popular. You'll never hear much about these rappers because they aren't pitching fragrences, candybars or clothing lines - they're just staying true to their art.

I think our youth is in more danger of becoming mediocre mindless sheep more than drug using, womanizing thugs.

Things can & will change once people stop putting money into these kinds of acts. When clubbers are no longer shaking their assses to the pathetic clicks & whistles passed off as "music", when people finally burn out on hearing how many diamonds are in some idiots teeth - we might see some change.

Answer 3

I think it's evolved, it's branched out into almost every genre of music, and some of it's gone generic. Suburban kids keep some of the worst of it on the charts. Radio rarely plays anything of quality.

The rappers that sell off how well they live is kind of a joke, the "rock star lifestyle". There was that video that did those "pop ups" that was funny. Don't remember who made the video though.

The negative stuff sells though. The more over the top, the more copies, but they still had to have some skill to get noticed. Most of the rappers before they were famous got jaywalking tickets at worst. Few of them were full out thugs, and just kids trying to get famous that saw that life from the sidelines.

The question should be about new and up and coming hip-hop artists and where they want to take it. A lot of venues are just starting to come around putting hip-hop shows on, where before they flat out refused.

The money in rap or music in general are in the 3 Ps.... promoting producing and publishing. Diddy isn't much of a rapper but he is extremely skilled in the 3-Ps.

Answer 4

You just touched on a lot of important issues in your argument. I agree with everything that you mention. The kids that are buying into the new school rap are in need of some guidance. A lot of their upbringing let them down...everything from their parents, the media, and their peers. A lot of them have no hope so it's easy to be negative. It's a huge cycle that will be hard to break. Black people had so much pride after the civil rights movements, what the hell happened? We are now heading backwards and it's scary. It's not about material things or about killing each other. It's about about uplifting the black race (and other races as well) as a whole. That's what I thought hip hop was about. Rap is slowly bringing hip hop down with it.

Answer 5

I think that, for the most part, today's "hip hop" is utter tripe.

I grew up in the days when old-school hip hop still had a message...nowadays, for the most part, there is no message other than the walking-cliche garbage that's spewn like bile from Mtv and the radio stations of the nation.

Point : look at how the poster above this speaks, enough said.

Gone are the days of Rakim, Tribe, Jeru, the Roots, etc....in are the days of "lil something or other" sellout scam artists. It's such a shame, because the entire industry has sold out for the almighty buck.

I think it's good that Simmon's and Co. are pressing for a clean up of the industry. The less they can use all the derivitive crap slang terms that do nothing but perpetuate an image of being an uneducated, disrespectful, misogynistic jerk-off is fine with me.

I miss intelligent hip-hop. All I listen to in that genre now is underground, whether it be straight hip hop, or mixed in with drum n' bass or house dj mixes....all the mainstream stuff is a total dissapointment.

Not to mention, that you see this cliche behavior all over the youth of this nation on so many levels : mindset (especially when it comes to rampant handout/victim mentality), bad clothing choices (sagged pants...heh, when it's a homosexual inmate thing from Ryker's), people posing like they're "gansta" when they're white rich middle class (and that also applies for people of other nationalities obviously...poseurs come in all colors), girls dressing like total whores at 14 years of age.....and the list goes on.

This entire industry has perpetuated that entire b.s. image for entirely too long without anything to stop them, and it needs to be stopped.

Answer 6

I stopped listening to rap some time ago. I will listen to music that appeals to me in an artistic or emotional manner. I will not listen to our women being refered to in the most degrading terms ever made. I will not see movies that depicts our people as 'modern day minstrals'. If there is a word that a white man can not say, no one else should say it either regardless of color. As long as we glorify the wrong things, we shall be apart and left behind. There was a time when rap was something worth listening to, I hope that happens again. I hope this helps.

Answer 7

i cant stand rap, mainly because of the lyrical content of it. I heard 4 rap songs last night, at the bowlign alley, and all 4 were all about how much money they had, and what they were spending it on. That is not a good message! I know many many other songs are about BLING, drugs, alcohol, ho's, women in a very degrading manner, drive by's, guns, gangstas, all sorts of crap, and thats not the sort of stuff to be feeding to our youth. People complain and complain about black being being more violent, about more drug arrests, about how they treat women, all that crap...but its all in their music! I like a good beat, but once i hear the lyrics, the slang, the ebonics, i cant stand it, for shizzle, drop it like its hot. My gosh! Speak proper english, talk about something other than money, drugs, women, violence, and id be ok with! Might even buy an album or two. And our youth would be less screwed up, and might have a chance for success.

Answer 8

rap music today is different from what is was years ago but the strugerle for these guys has changed alot form what is was in the days of dougie fresh adn slick rick its harder now the game is so dirty these guys have records so they cant get jobs so its up to them to make jobs for themselves so they fall into music is a profitable craft when done the correct way i mean these guys own lables other artis clothing lines cars and otehr things that make them successful business men thte music is just what it is music its a portrayal of the things they've had to do to get where they are white folks have metal music and tehir quoet un quote tellling stories as well so ''music is a reflection of self they just explain and then we get our checks int eh mail thats ****** upo aint it how we can go form practically nuithin to be able to have any ****** thing that we wanted thats y we sing for these kids who dont have a thing except for a drweam and a ****** rap magazine'' -eminem ''just better than me shawty them streets aint the plac e to be im telling u cause its too late for mew just be beter than me crackers love nothin beter to see than young ****** with a felony sheet just way better than me better than us better than this take a chance ***** hange some **** just be beter than me''-t.i. not all rappers are sut talkin **** and even the ones who do in the end will tell u this is what i had to go through u can do beter put ya mind to ad folloew through but the media doesnt let that stufg et trhough teh media just shows u oh hes a criminal rappers do more for they'r ecommunities than any otehr celebrity does rappers dpo mpret an he nfl than the nba and **** more than the ****** president where did all teh money come from, that helped people in katrina rappers put otu way more money than the goverfnment did so u tell em is hip hop a bad influence or is it just a reflecton of some peoples livesadn milliopns that are still going through but cant speak it on their own

Answer 9

Ok, first you need to learn grammar, then people will listen to you.

Here are some reactions to your "thesis," i guess.
-First off, Kool Moe Dee is not one of the essential hip-hop acts that "kids today" need to know. There are so many others who contributed so much more to hip-hop than he did. Just because he is old-school doesn't mean he was a quintessential bastion of hip-hop.
-Secondly, you don't know how to write for ****. The whole thing you wrote there is basically a set of impressions with no actual proof. Oh, black kids like to watch TV and it shows them that rappers are good people so then they want to be gang members and their parents are letting the TV babysit them and they get too much rap in their ears and then they won't like hip-hop? Really? That's, uh...great?
-Third, what the hell are you trying to say here? Is it that rap is negative? Is it that black parents are bad parents (which YOU DO imply in this)? Is it a lament over the loss of hip-hop from the mainstream?
-Also, kids don't listen to rap because it's negative and avoid hip-hop because it isn't. They listen to it BECAUSE THEY LIKE IT. Kids in the 90s liked hip-hop, kids in the 00's like rap. Do you really seek out hip-hop because it's positive? Is that why you listen to music?
-Lastly, the one huge assumption you make in this is that black men are bad parents because they are "in jail, dead, or doing the same things that the rappers rap about." While it is true that there is a higher rate of arrests for black men, it is pretentious and racist to say that rap is popular because it's audience's parents are in jail. Ever think about white kids with good parents listening to rap? Black people are a MINORITY, rap wouldn't be popular if only kids whose parents are in jail or dead were listening to it. Rap is appreciated by kids of all backgrounds, and it is not because their parents are bad people.

This question was supposed to be about how people saw hip-hop music today. People will never answer it if you are a pretentious, racist bastard like you are.

Answer 10

I am old school. I agree, I don't care much for today's so called hip hop. I know hip hop, and that is not hip hop, we don't need the profanity, calling someone out their name.

No, we don't need negative talk, we need positive talk. Bring back the days, when we had some postive music, and music you could understand. Now, that was art, at it's best.

Have a great afternoon.