Featured Genre 4: Rap

[ATM]

I've seen it a million times.

Somebody mentions rap, and about 20 comments follow with people saying how much they hate it, and how it isn't music. They claim that is just about money, killing, hoes, etc.

I can't really get angry with these people, for the sole reason that the radio is full of that bullshit. Someone will usually come along and say, "The underground has much better stuff." But without actually hearing some good rap, statements like that don't accomplish much.

So all I ask is that everyone gives rap an honest listen. If you like it, great, if not, then at least you have an educated opinion on it.

To understand rap, you need to know a little about the origin.

Rap is part of the hip hop culture, which also includes graffiti and break dancing. It came out of the South Bronx in the late seventies, stemming from funk and disco. It emerged as a form of self expression for the black and hispanic community in New York. Conditions in these neighberhoods were poor, and the way the people expressed this was through rap. Crews started to form, to give members identity, and this is deeply rooted in the hip hop culture.

Early rap recordings:

* Sugarhill Gang - Rappers Delight

http://s21.yousendit.com/d.aspx?id=1DQ47TVCK9EV727DLDSHFSWQCY

* Grandmaster Flash - The Message

http://s21.yousendit.com/d.aspx?id=28S7IWX4P8KBU22M9IOH4CNZ89

*Run DMC - My Adidas

http://s37.yousendit.com/d.aspx?id=1LSE6RTUNT57D0A1HVAYXR793K

*2 Live Crew - We Want Some Pussy

http://s37.yousendit.com/d.aspx?id=285JSDABNWTHM2JHQMZLMJSGWF


East coast rap:

*Beastie Boys - Fight For Your Right

http://s44.yousendit.com/d.aspx?id=1U0W2TQXCV1C11RTNWILVIF0HY

No Sleep Til Brooklyn -

http://s44.yousendit.com/d.aspx?id=0RB18LQ26X89H13Q7XEE0P0Z1P

*Public Enemy - Don't Believe the Hype

http://s37.yousendit.com/d.aspx?id=0EL3LZRKPUX8J2JCZLYF18W25B

*Notorious BIG - Machine Gun Funk

http://s37.yousendit.com/d.aspx?id=1325TMUHYKOZN05GHMYJ96PO29

*Nas - One Love

http://s37.yousendit.com/d.aspx?id=0LOF7CQR49BP71U07YPNZGQ89I

*Wu Tang - Wu Tang Clan Ain't Nothin' To Fuck Wit

http://s37.yousendit.com/d.aspx?id=3CHIV9VII20KM302WJ5D7FHVVX

Also check out Jay Z.

Gangsta rap:

*2pac - Hit 'Em Up

http://s37.yousendit.com/d.aspx?id=2O5HOMOYB97O13SFW7IFWANBEN

Also check out NWA.

Okay, now that you have a background, let's move into some of my favorites:

*Benefit - Proceed With Caution

http://s7.yousendit.com/d.aspx?id=3HLOTKBRZWX1K14227175DICSD

*De La Soul - Me, Myself and I

http://s10.yousendit.com/d.aspx?id=0XU3IUXPBVBSQ1LOEASY5MCF7B

Potholes in my lawn

http://s10.yousendit.com/d.aspx?id=15OVV1YU2VU6B1F1HGOG5FNP23

*Edan - Rapperfection

http://s49.yousendit.com/d.aspx?id=3PUQH502RQDKR09IKOUTPSH3CY

-Rock an Roll

http://s49.yousendit.com/d.aspx?id=3DIQZBJ6Y5Q9E33Y5S4VL9DA2N

*Non Prophets - Tolerance Level

http://s47.yousendit.com/d.aspx?id=1M629CH9524Z53B2N2UWRCAT0B

*Atmosphere - Shoes

http://s47.yousendit.com/d.aspx?id=322FWM0BGJ0X51JTS9U1VQTFYF

*Propellerheards (featuring De La Soul) - Oh Yeah

http://s47.yousendit.com/d.aspx?id=0IK0X0UR0SR238LTO3UIFVYU5

That should get you started. Enjoy.

-Special thanks to Bartender for help with this

A new FG should be ready by May 29th.

[Txus]

I will never like rap , so sorry......

[Mr. Ron]

I think rap takes much talent to make and perform. It's just that I can't listen to it. I don't hate it but I would rather be listening to metal or hardcore.

[ATM]

I'm glad you gave it a chance.

EDIT: to Txus

[ThePatient]

West Coast > Gangta Rap > East Coast

[Huber]

There's a few Cypress Hill songs I like. That's as far as it goes though. I just don't dig it.

[Zjanarhi]

The only rap group I'll listen to is Bone Thugz N Harmony. Underneath the words, you can tell they are good musicians. A lot of their songs have a nice bassline, too. My2Cents

[slaughteredfirst]

I like some rap.

Enimen is my favroite personally.

[MalcolmYoungRock]

/me downloads rappers delight.

hip hippity hop hip hop hibbity bibbity

[Mr. Ron]

Originally Posted by slaughteredfirst

I like some rap.

Enimen is my favroite personally.

I cannot even stand the sight of that guy.

[ATM]

Please actually read my post and download some songs instead of just posting a quick comment.

[slaughteredfirst]

Originally Posted by amostbitterseason

I cannot even stand the sight of that guy.

Eh, I like his music.

[MalcolmYoungRock]

Originally Posted by ArrestThisMan

Please actually read my post and download some songs instead of just posting a quick comment.

I read it 'Twas informative and I got one of my favorite songs that I can only hear on Tony Hawk's Underground 2.

Sad thing is, it's a 13 meg file so it'll be a while, with my terrible internet connection.

Edit: It's a common misconception that all rap is about booze, drugs, etc.

I used to think that also, until I found out about political rap.

Political rap is really good stuff.

[bball_1523]

You know what....the first type of music I was into was all RAP! Mainstream rap that is. I was big into Snoop Dogg, 2pac, Dr Dre, Ice Cube, and all the other mtv stuff. I would listen to the local rap station on radio and record the music onto tapes. I even went out and bought cds....it all came crumbling down in my freshmen/soph year when I started to listen to rock and metal and now I bearly ever give rap a listen.

Now I want to say that Rap has it's talents just as any genre does. It's your opinion on whether you think it has a lot of talent or bearly any. I think a lot of work goes into the studio and how to create the right beats for the right lyrics. You can't just lay a beat with Fruityloops and make everyone listen to it. It takes more than a simple program. It takes mastering and producing just as other music genres do. Sometimes rap groups will actually play the instruments themselves and record guitar licks, bass lines, drums, etc.

Now imo, rap right now is horrible....I'm talking about MTV (c)rap. I also want to separate rap from hiphop because I think there's differences. A lot of the rap you hear about on mtv is all about money, girls, drugs, surviving the hood, etc. In hip hop it's more about writing good lyrics, making good rhymes, using the right words, metaphors, and a whole lot of poetry. It's not easy to write hiphop lyrics. I also think hiphop takes a more personal approach to songwriting and not just about money, girls, and drugs. This is all just my opinion though.

[Dr. Jake Destructo]

Hip Hop=the style of music
Rap= the style of vocal presentation

That's my opinion anyways.

I don't mind rap at all. I like The Wu Tang Clan quite a bit and Zack De La Rocha is an amazing artist. Not just with RATM but I really think that his solo work will be quite badass.

[G_Mac07]

Nice job ATM

It's good to see some Rap getting the recognition it deserves. Lets hope this FG doesn't get overrun by the people mentioned in the 2nd and 3rd sentences.

[BassMasterMike88]

Rap is honestly one of my guilty pleasures, stuff like Run DMC and 2 Live Crew, and there are some instermentalist rap artists out there, even though i think their more R&B like.

[ArC]

Very nice FG

I'm not much into rap, though I think N.W.A's "Straight Outa Compton" is a very well made album. I DO however enjoy Trip-hop. Hip-hop style drums are fantastic.

[Permanent Solution]

Can you define the difference between Hip-Hop and Rap for me?

[ATM]

Hip hop is the culture, which includes break dancing, graffiti, and rap.