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I've said before that I can't stand rap music, and that I don't consider it actual music. It occurred to me that I ought to explain my reasons, or else I might get dismissed as being racist.
Well you see, back in the olden days, music by black artists was among the best music in the world. And in other genres like reggae, ska, and music out of Africa itself, that remains true. Beethoven was a Moor, and therefore black. The blues genre, while not my taste, was complex, beautiful, and (for the most part) deep. Even though I don't listen to it on purpose, when I hear it, I recognize that it's good music.
Even early rap was halfway decent. But at some point in the early 90's, rap started to degenerate in music quality and lyrical quality. Most of the shit that passes for rap these days has less musical complexity than “twinkle twinkle little star,” most of it is “sampled” (read “stolen”) from other artists, and lyrically, most of it is shallow, disgustingly sexist, homophobic, violent, and is mostly nothing but obscenities put to a tune. Now, I listen to Godsmack and others, so obscenities in music don't bother me, but when your entire song is nothing but obscenities, sexism, and homophobia with no artistic redeeming qualities at all, I thus have no respect for your so-called “music.”
So, essentially, the reason I hate rap is because it's simplistic, shallow, disgusting shit. I have too much respect for black artists (or their potential considering their history, anyway) to respect it as a genre of “music.” It's horrible in many respects, and gives the blacks of this country a bad reputation that I don't believe is deserved. And considering that most rap labels seem to be run by fat white racist idiots, I suspect they're only letting the worst possible “rap artists” get any airtime.
Now granted, there are still a few good rap artists. Some of Tupac's stuff isn't half bad. What little I've heard of Xzibit's work seems okay to me. But everything else I've heard of rap is either too musically simplistic and/or stolen, or is lyrically disgusting, or both. And thus, I have little respect for the genre as a whole.
Well you see, back in the olden days, music by black artists was among the best music in the world. And in other genres like reggae, ska, and music out of Africa itself, that remains true. Beethoven was a Moor, and therefore black. The blues genre, while not my taste, was complex, beautiful, and (for the most part) deep. Even though I don't listen to it on purpose, when I hear it, I recognize that it's good music.
Even early rap was halfway decent. But at some point in the early 90's, rap started to degenerate in music quality and lyrical quality. Most of the shit that passes for rap these days has less musical complexity than “twinkle twinkle little star,” most of it is “sampled” (read “stolen”) from other artists, and lyrically, most of it is shallow, disgustingly sexist, homophobic, violent, and is mostly nothing but obscenities put to a tune. Now, I listen to Godsmack and others, so obscenities in music don't bother me, but when your entire song is nothing but obscenities, sexism, and homophobia with no artistic redeeming qualities at all, I thus have no respect for your so-called “music.”
So, essentially, the reason I hate rap is because it's simplistic, shallow, disgusting shit. I have too much respect for black artists (or their potential considering their history, anyway) to respect it as a genre of “music.” It's horrible in many respects, and gives the blacks of this country a bad reputation that I don't believe is deserved. And considering that most rap labels seem to be run by fat white racist idiots, I suspect they're only letting the worst possible “rap artists” get any airtime.
Now granted, there are still a few good rap artists. Some of Tupac's stuff isn't half bad. What little I've heard of Xzibit's work seems okay to me. But everything else I've heard of rap is either too musically simplistic and/or stolen, or is lyrically disgusting, or both. And thus, I have little respect for the genre as a whole.