What the fuck is it with modern music when rap crap is considered the best

[Shiranu]

To each their own, but to say "talking over a beat" with amazing lyrics will never be better than singing sounds about as silly as saying, "Words in a book will never be as good as singing". I am sure Immortal Technique, who is completely independent, probably had his label's men write the lyrics for him...

If you are talking purely on the way it makes your ears feel, I suppose that is true. I just like to think there is a little more depth to music than that. And to write off an entire genre of music that covers social issues rock cant even dream of covering (outside of punk rock, which many rockers cant stand) simply because it's "too simple" really just screams musical snobbery to me.

Except that's not exactly the comparison.  It's modern chart-topping rap VS other genres and decades.

Uh... the songs I posted, and the songs yall are posting, are not chart topping rap/rock or all from the same decade (or even genre)...

Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Alice in Chains, Foo Fighters, Smashing Pumpkins, Soundgarden, STP, etc = absolute garbage?!

Lyrics are written by marketing geniuses so they can make the words/beat catchy.

So is 99% of pop rock. And pop pop. And pop... whatever.

Considering great bands of the past used writers as well... yeah, pop music uses writers. That is how things work. That is hardly something you can point to rap and say that brings it down, because rockers have used writers just as much as the next genre.

Lyrics too deep, I have to step back and reflect on life.

[Hydra009]

If you are talking purely on the way it makes your ears feel, I suppose that is true.

Well, yanno, the whole ears thing is a pretty important part of music...

And to write off an entire genre of music that covers social issues rock cant even dream of covering (outside of punk rock, which many rockers cant stand)

I don't know where you came up with this, but I'd imagine forceps and a mirror were involved.  Because rock does indeed cover social issues, especially war.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JBfjU3_XOaA

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JHiqGqoIGII

Uh... the songs I posted, and the songs yall are posting, are not chart topping rap/rock or all from the same decade (or even genre)...

What part of other genres and decades was unclear?  It's going to vary a lot.

Says the only guy to dislike Thunderstruck I've ever met.  Seriously, that's a classic.

Lyrics too deep, I have to step back and reflect on life.

Could be worse.  They could be singing, scratch that, rapping about chainz 'n' hoes.

[Shiranu]

Forgot this gem.

I don't know where you came up with this, but I'd imagine forceps and a mirror were involved.  Because rock does indeed cover social issues, especially war.

Sorry, but how much rock deals with the issues that rap does, of inequality and years upon years of being suppressed by the majority? Of the destruction of your culture? Of drug issues effecting communities and love for a single mother who did the best she could because her husband was killed by violence?

And I like how one of the songs you posted was a punk band :P.

As I said, I think alot of rock has great meaning, it just tends to deal with the "I" rather than the community as rap does. Personally, I think the latter is more important.

What part of other genres and decades was unclear?  It's going to vary a lot.

...the "rap" i've posted has been from different genres and of different decades. This is why I am confused; neither of us are posting from a single genre or decade.

Says the only guy to dislike Thunderstruck I've ever met.  Seriously, that's a classic.

So is "Achy Breaky Heart" or Frank Sinatra; doesn't make them any more pleasurable to listen to. I listen to music I enjoy because I enjoy it, not because it's popular or fits a genre I think is better than another.

Could be worse.  They could be singing, scratch that, rapping about chainz 'n' hoes.

A. I'll take chains and hoes over, "WAAAH I'M SUCH A LITTLE BITCH, LOOK AT ME TRY TO ACT TOUGH!" any day.
B. I'll take actual gangsters over that poser bullshit any day. Let me see Fred Durst or the Godsmack or Trapt singer, or any of the angst-rock that makes up 95% of pop rock you hear on the radio and dominated the airwaves in the 90s, go up against any comparable popular rapper. They would get the living shit beat out of them because they are a bunch of fake ass bitches trying to sound so rebellious and hardcore when they are just some middle-class white guys who the most rebellious thing they did was probably talk in the classroom when they weren't suppose to. Or were heroin-addicts.

[aitm]

Good god someone close this thread before Brian starts slamming Abba in here.....








.

[PickelledEggs]

[stromboli]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1tqxzWdKKu8

[Hijiri Byakuren]

Don't care how "good" a piece of rap is. The best-smelling shit is still shit. Rap is not music. This is music:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h2pCANfkarU

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k-aQA3WsuaY

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pjfqQubgX-o

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QEPHLPmt914

[Solitary]

I'm sure your folks felt the same way about Elvis, Solitary...

My mother was from Nashville Tennessee, what do you think? Solitary 

[Solitary]

Rap is music according to the definition, but as a former musician, I like a melody and not just noise with dumb ass lyrics that move one to violence against women, and only talk about blacks and their plight like they are the only ones have a problem with our society?

As to rap dealing with social issues, what are these lyrics about?

http://youtu.be/49pfvKW1iQc

Talkin' heads are talkin'
But listen to what they say
How they sit in judgment
And claim to know the way

If dreams can be dismembered
And our worth can be ignored
Need a new direction
'Cause this one we can't afford

There's bad stuff happening
And no one does a thing

What can I do, what can I say
When they just speak at us in riddles?
How can this be, why can't you see
That they just speak at us in riddles?

We got ourselves in trouble
With no relief in sight
Everyday is such a struggle
'Cause they had to pick a fight

How can this be happening?
Can't we do anything?

The peace is the war, the rich are too poor
An' they just speak at us in riddles
How can this be, why can't you see
That they just speak at us in riddles?
We're stuck right in the middle

Clear skies, baby
Healthy forests
No child left behind
Wake up people

Big brother is watchin' you
They're takin' all your rights away
Don't claim that you represent me
'Cause I don't believe a word that ya say

What can I do, what can I say
When they just speak at us in riddles?
How can this be, why can't you see
That they just speak at us in riddles?

Let's see through the riddles

http://youtu.be/oExTf5jIVoM     I rest my case that
Rap is crap!  Rock-N-Roll, which includes Punk Rock that says try everything once before judging.  Solitary

[Green Bottle]

Guys guys, think how fkn boring it would be if we all liked the same shitt, times change and so does music and musical taste's, appreciate what u like and respect what others like even if you dont. And now this, from a great scottish band im sure a few of you will know, enjoy, or dont.......

http://youtu.be/eOgCjTXVnWk

[Hijiri Byakuren]

respect what others like even if you dont.

But then what would we argue about?

[stromboli]

Thanks for sharing, GB. Beautiful scenery.

[Solitary]

Guys guys, think how fkn boring it would be if we all liked the same shitt, times change and so does music and musical taste's, appreciate what u like and respect what others like even if you dont. And now this, from a great scottish band im sure a few of you will know, enjoy, or dont.......

http://youtu.be/eOgCjTXVnWk

"Guys guys, think how fkn boring it would be if we all liked the same shitt, times change and so does music and musical taste's, appreciate what u like and respect what others like even if you dont. And now this, from a great scottish band im sure a few of you will know, enjoy, or dont......". You are correct, however: That's just my point, rap is crap because it is boring, with the same sound, same beat, and no melody. Solitary

[AllPurposeAtheist]

This is all an old debate. As a kid my mother hated rock music and her mother hated a lot of the jazz standards of the day and her mother probably hated ragtime music and so on.. If you had been raised on nothing but church hymns and had never heard popular music in your life and suddenly someone came to your home and blared Stairway to Heaven you might think that the devil had come into your home to send you straight to hell.. It's all relative to what we're being sold at any given epoch..

[PickelledEggs]

I think there is a big distinction between "crap" and what is simply not good/creative/skilled/etc. The top 3 rap songs that Hydra shared in his post are simply crap. They are not creative, they're overly cliche and over done, and they don't really take any skill to do either. There are some rap songs that are good/creative/ etc... it's just that not a lot of the popular ones are. Eminem is extremely good. Biggie Smalls and Tupac were extremely creative and clever with their lyrics... There usually isn't the instrumental skill in there (there are snippets from other songs or some more simplified beat), but you have to consider where some of these artists come from and what they had access to. Some came from poor neighborhoods and couldn't afford guitars, drums, etc. They made due and improvised with what they had, which was other tracks. I respect that completely. An artist really shows their colors when they are limited with what they can use. The rap artists of the 80s and early 90s are really great... and there are still some out there that are clever and skilled with a good vocabulary and really great lyrics.

Again, this is coming from me. Someone that doesn't even really like rap... but I wouldn't say rap is crap...  There is a ton of rock that is crap too, and I like blues, rock and a bunch of their sub-genres. Nickleback makes me nautious (no one likes Nickleback)... I don't like Pearl Jam and that is a good band. I don't even really like Led Zepplin or the Beatles.... but by no means do I think they are bad... because they aren't, just like just because something is rap doesn't make it shit music. It's only shit music if it's shit music. You can't over generalize things like that.