Please Scroll Down to See Forums Below
Yo Hotzie (this is a rap thread, inbreds stay out)
- Thread starter swole
- Start date
hotzie
New member
thats swole lololololsamoth said:
hotzie
New member
where did u find thissamoth said:
Mr. dB said:Wiggers and wannabee thugs...
Why Rap Is Music: Hip-Hop Apologetics
A Subjective Refutation of the Detractors of Musical and Lyrical Qualities of Hip-Hop Music (Rap) and the Negative Claims Posed Therein
(All links in this article point to relevant articles either defining, or explicating further the history, background, or contributions to the art form of the linked artist, group, or term)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Several times, I have had the opportunity to meet and converse with those whose opinions on rap music (i.e. "That stuff isn't music," "I like to call it, crap," and "I can't stand that....") differ substantially from mine. However, I would humbly propose that rap music is, in fact, an art form (and even be so bold as to proclaim it a form of traditional music), and that such detractors of hip-hop music are either forming judgements with
1) Imperfect information (those who do not know enough of the situation, history, and evolution of hip-hop to understand the breadth and depth of rap), or
2) Biased views (those who have already subconsciously articulated a view on the subject of hip-hop culture, and are only searching for theories with which to validate those views).
Please note that this is not a singular assessment of the comments of any isolated person, but rather the results of an informally-conducted poll of a secluded sample of the population by this individual. However, I feel it within my prerogative to label the sample of the population as generally mirroring the traits of the general population (in terms of race, age, gender, sexual orientation, geographic origin, &c.). The arguments and theories set forth by those who look down upon hip-hop may usually be broken down into two categories: One is that of the musical purist, who argues that hip-hop is not a valid musical form and that the roles of the emcee, DJ, producer, (all to be addressed within this paper) and beatboxer (which shall be addressed in either an addendum or companion literature) do not fall within the traditional definition of a musician. In the first part of this discourse, I will address this argument and use examples from music history, practice, and theory to refute said argument. The second dissenting viewpoint is that of the conscientious objector, who claims that hip-hop is misogynistic, homophobic, violent, and debased. In the second part of this discourse, I will refute these secondary claims with the following: first, those who bring forth such arguments have imperfect information and thus may not pass judgement on the state of hip-hop. Secondly, such persons are guilty of applying a double standard to hip-hop, either because of their imperfect information, or simply due to an unwillingness to accept rap's rightful status as an art form (through cultural, racial, social, or other prejudices).
There are those who fall in the former category (musical purist) who claim that hip-hop is "not music" simply because it is not based around original compositions, or because several record producers utilise the technique of sampling, wherein an already-recorded sample of music is looped, with additional beats, and used as the basis of a song. This is what I refer to as the argument decrying rap as "recycled music." And, I must admit, there is some validity to the argument. However, even with heavy sampling, there is still a unique flavour and sound to a hip-hop song, as opposed to the original; for instance, one need only turn on the radio and listen to the latest Kanye West single. He is a producer whose utilisation of sampling has been ubiquitous, yet one would be stretching to make a connection if one proclaimed his works as identical, or indeed even reminiscent of, the original artist. Madlib's work as Yesterday's New Quintet exemplifies this; his latest release is a studio album of a jazz "quintet," all recorded by a single man, and mixed later on to give the impression of an entire jazz 5-man ensemble; even after many listens, the album is as seamless and perfect as the first impression. I would also ask the detractors of hip-hop whether they would label it "stealing" or "copy-catting" when a philharmonic orchestra uses the work of a famous composer at their latest summer concert. Or what about when a famous soloist (such as Yo-Yo Ma, or the latest piano/violin prodigy du jour) plays a famous composer's work in their unique style and with their own emotions? Even if a hip-hop producer blatantly steals the style, melody, or theme of his music from another genre, it is infused with the emotions and passion of that composer and of hip-hop culture. And certainly hip-hop is no stranger to a live accompaniment, either; we may take as examples The Roots, Jay-Z's fabulous and successful Unplugged recording, and AOI, the live band with whom Sage Francis records and tours.
There is a second argument, wherein the detractors of hip-hop claim that "anyone can do it," speaking specifically of the role of the emcee in hip-hop music. Again, several people have told me that "anyone can speak. We were born, and we could speak." However, I must by all means disagree vehemently with such a position, and I would tell such high-minded theorists to analyse their own speaking abilities. There are many people in this world who have a paralysing fear of public speaking, much fewer those whose public speaking is actually praised and admired instead of being a soporific, much fewer those whose public speaking has the quality of exciting others to action and "spark[ing] the brain who will lead the revolution" (Tupac A. Shakur, 1994). Not only that, but there is also the subject of an emcee's unique style, including his cadence, flow, breathing, and lyrical ability.
It is generally agreed-upon that each voice is distinct; this is both physiologically true and psychologically imperative. As a physiological truth, each voice must be somewhat distinct, for the larynx, the voice-box, is structurally different in each person's body. As a psychological dictate, in order that children be able to imprint upon their parents, it is essential that each voice be somewhat unique. An emcee must take this vocal quality and make it not only unique, but mellifluous. I have yet to meet the average, untrained, unpracticed hip-hop layperson who is able to match the power of KRS-ONE, the smooth flow of Rakim, the excited utterances of Busta Rhymes, or Eminem's nearly melodic delivery. In addition, rap is not simply spoken word art (though I view it as an outgrowth of such); there is a beat, a rhythm, to which one must adhere when performing or recording. This ability to "ride a beat" is known as cadence, and there are few (even among those who claim to rap) who are able to speak in cadence. Breath control and lyrical ability also play a part in the art of writing hip-hop music, as an emcee must know what he is able to pull off, and what rhymes he may utter (or contrive) and not sound like a neophyte. For this reason, Jay-Z may create a half-rhyme out of two words that sound nothing alike, while Eminem make utter a sentence in which every other syllable rhymes; simply because they know what they are capable of doing in the studio, and they are confident of those abilities.
In fact, I challenge any man or woman who claims that rappers do not have to develop their skill to take the lyrics to any rap song, record over the instrumentals to that song, and see exactly how foolish they sound. Regardless of one's appreciation for hip-hop, one must admit that "flowing" over a beat is an acquired skill, much less the acquisition of the breath and tone control required for a live performance or, especially, a studio recording.
Thus, in summation: rap is an art form and conforms to the traditional definition of music in that hip-hop producers create new melodies while emcees perform using abilities that the unpracticed layperson would not be able to utilise. At first glance, one may despise the music because the rapper does not "play his own instruments," nor does the producer, but look at the tradition of music: Did Bach play his own instruments? Did Mozart sing his own arias? Did Wagner personally perform Ride of the Valkyries for his audiences? No. In traditional music - even traditional western music, not to speak of traditional African music, from which the culture of hip-hop springs - there is a composer, a (sometimes multiple) performer(s), and a vocalist. I would set forth that this arrangement parallels the hip-hop producer or DJ (who combines the functions of composer and performer, though in some cases there may be separate performers), and the emcee who acts as the vocalist.
Secondly, we find outselves in the area of Lyrical Content, an arena in which hip-hop has suffered undue discrimination. Suffice it to say that the basis of my arguments over this subject will focus on the fact that the general public (both urban and suburban) has a flawed understanding of the breadth and depth of rap, and that they are thus passing judgement without consideration of the entire situation.
So, where does the general public discover hip-hop? I would be so presumptuous as to generalise that the majority of the public knows of rap music through the auspices of either MTV or an MTV-affiliated television station (including MTV2 or VH1) or a ClearChannel-affiliated radio station. What you must understand is that neither Viacom nor ClearChannel has any understanding of or respect for hip-hop in any form, save for the earning potential that the critical urban markets (and now, with rap's growing influence, the suburban market) bring in to their coffers. Therefore, they are simply promoting rap and hip-hop music, not to bring about political consciousness, social awareness, or even the furthering of the art form, but simply to sell what will sell. And in general, what sells? Violence, sex, and overarching gratuitous titillation. And not just to the average audience of hip-hop consumers, but to every consumer market. Just as that silly, over-the-top summer action flick will out-sell the deep, well-shot art flick, so will over-the-top gangster posturing, liquor-drinking, and misogyny of commercialised artists out-sell the conscious, aware, and informed rhymes of truer hip-hoppers. But one must not make the mistake of blaming hip-hop culture for this; for hip-hop culture actually arises from a movement of anti-violence, anti-gang awareness (addressed below). However, the (white-owned, may I add) industries of radio (ClearChannel), music distribution (RIAA), and television (MTV/Viacom) have taken the original awareness of hip-hop and turned it into a disgusting parody of itself, in order that they might make profits off the uninformed, as well as keeping true hip-hop underground and unprofitable, thus driving anything but their corporate image of rap (as a hard-drinking, women-pimping, gun-toting, child-fathering, jewelry-wearing, pants-sagging gangsterism) into the gutter.
Subsequently, we must answer the claims of those who say that rap is overly misogynistic, homophobic, and violent. I would answer this by claiming that those who criticise rap as such are not only misinformed (as they have not heard the conscious lyrics of Common, Talib Kweli, Mos Def, or Tribe Called Quest, or the poetic lyrics of Del tha Funkee Homosapien, Aesop Rock, or Sole), but also guilty of applying a double standard. Any form of artistic expression has elements of the sublime as well as the trashy. One must compare the artistry of the GZA, Aesop Rock, Atmosphere, Eyedea, and Public Enemy with artists such as Snoop Dogg, Chingy, J-Kwon, Ludacris, Nelly, and D-12 in the same light as one would compare Norah Jones to Britney Spears. Even though a rapper may have skills, the lyrical side of rap exposes the internal thought processes of its practitioner. Unfortunately, talent is distributed among those who are both moral and immoral, and one should not judge the moral practitioners of the art based on the foul reputation of the immoral. Just as one would not consider all basketball players as alleged rapists simply because Kobe Bryant is undergoing litigation, so one should not judge all hip-hop artists simply because some choose to rap about immoral subjects. Take, for instance, Eminem. He is one of my favourite rappers of all time simply for his amazing skills; however, there is much of his music that I do not listen to simply because of the lyrical content. The fact that he occasionally assumes a persona of misogyny and violence, however, does not mask the fact that he is astoundingly skilled, and does have material released that is worth listening to (take for example the introspective Hailie's Song, Lose Yourself, Cleaning Out My Closet, or Sing for the Moment), nor does it mask the fact that there are other skilled rappers out there who do not assume such personae. (Editor's note: In fact, there are several homosexual rappers in the underground scene, specifically doseone of Anticon among many others).
I know that many would be surprised to know that hip-hop has its roots in an anti-gang culture. The history of hip-hop begins in the early 1970s, with the Universal Zulu Nation, founded by Afrika Bambaataa (a former gang member) as a way to bring urban African-Americans together in peace and unity. Throughout the early years of hip-hop, the Rock Steady Crew and the UZN held together the reputation of hip-hop as a unifier, not a divider, of cultures and peoples. It was only in the early 1990s that the current "gangsta" culture became synonymous with hip-hop. I do not claim that hip-hop nowadays is a movement of peace - though the UZN and RSC both still exist and are active around the world, from New York to Japan - but rather that one must understand the background of the culture of hip-hop in order to understand the way that it has become twisted in modern society.
Finally, there is one last sticky subject that has many baffled: The So-Called "N-Word." What you must understand is that the use of this word KRS-One, Chuck D, and others have been working for years
-Hip-hop growth; diversity (the spectrum of hip-hop from Anticon to Company Flow to Def Jux to Sage Francis to Atmosphere to Eyedea to Eminem to G-Unit to Dr. Dre)
Closing; summation of arguments; enjoinder to remain actively seized, &c.
http://yavinleader194.8m.com/
Similar threads
