Rap & Hip-Hop

[journey]

What is rap?


 Depending on who you ask and from which generation 'rap' will take on different meanings. At one point in time a rap was a set of excuses a con artist handed you in an effort to deceive you. In the 70s a rap were the words a person used when trying to persuade you. This particularly applied to the persuavive efforts of a young man trying to obtain sexual favors from a female. Today rap means saying rhymes to the beat of music. It's one of the four major element within hip hop culture. And because the other elements which include deejaying, breakdancin and grafitti aren't as widespread hip hop and rap have been used interchangeably over the years..

The word rap wasn't always used to describe this activity. The act of rhyming to the beat of music was called emceeing. The term rap seemed to be associated with hip hop around 1979 with release of two records in '79. The first was called King Tim III [Personality Jock] which is considered Hip Hop's first record. This track was put out by the Brooklyn based Fatback Band. The song itself was said to be inspired by old rhyme styles of Black radio djs like Jocko Henderson, Jack The Rapper and Daddy O and the rhyme styles of well known club djs like DJ Hollywood. The second was 'Rapper's Delight' by Sugar Hill Gang. I'm not quite sure how Sugar Hill came up with the term 'Rap'. Some say it was already being bantered about within the mainstream media who were then mystified by this new phenomenon. Others say that the term was coined by older folks within the community who saw similarities between young hip hoppers from the '70s and the word manipulators of earlier generations where the term rap was used..

Ironically within the song Rapper's Delight contains a well known phrase which appears to have been borrowed from Black activist H.Rap Brown. In 1969 he wrote a book entitled 'Die Nigger Die'. It spoke about his militant approach toward solving some of the ills afflicting Black America. Within his book he spoke about how he obtained his name 'Rap'.He explained that when he was growing up in Louisiana people used to play a game called The Dozens. The purpose of the game was to totally destroy somebody else with words. He noted that in his neighborhood and bear in mind we are talking about the early 60s.. there would be close to 50 guys standing around competiting against one another in this rhyme game called The Dozens in which people talked about each others mothers. The winner was determined by crowd reaction... Rap Brown got his name, because he was considered to be one of the most skilled...

- Davey D's hip-hop corner



I think rap is a unique form of music.? It's full creative terms and symbolism. Just like any style of music, I have to be in a certain mood to listen to it. But, it's not for everyone.

How do you feel about rap/hip-hop?? What are your favorite songs?

[Oddy]

my favourite rap album is broken arrow by blackalicious.

its just amazing IMO.

too bad none of it'd ever be played on tv or mainstream radio.

instead you get the chingy's and the j kwons or whoever who are just so generic.

[Booker Floyd]

Im a huge fan of rap...Have been for a very long time.? It certainly appeals to a different set of standards and sensibilities than most rock, and is dismissed as poor or "noise" by rock fans for that reason.? I guess you either get it or you dont.? It helps to be in touch with the culture of it all, and/or black culture in general, to appreciate it best, but its unquestionably a vital and valuable artform.

Like rock, rap in general has declined in quality over the years, but theres some good new stuff, and always great old stuff.?

The best rappers have a great combination of voice, delivery, and lyrics.? Its very similar to any kind of music with vocals in that sense.? My favorite rapper is Jay-Z.? His vocals are enjoyable and his lyrics are clever and well-written.? Hes maintained a stunningly consistent level of quality for the enormous output hes responsible for.? Over 10 albums and countless B-sides and guest appearences, and most of it is great.? Other favorites include The Notorious B.I.G., Nas, Ghostface Killah (and the entire Wu-Tang Clan), Public Enemy, The Beastie Boys, Rakim, Big L, De La Soul, N.W.A, Mobb Deep, and others.

Heres a list of essential albums for anybody interested:


Notorious B.I.G. - Ready To Die


Jay-Z - Reasonable Doubt


Nas - Illmatic


Mobb Deep - The Infamous


Beastie Boys - Pauls Botique


De La Soul - De La Soul Is Dead


N.W.A. - Straight Outta Compton


Dr. Dre - The Chronic


Public Enemy - It Takes A Nation Of Millions To Hold Us Back


Wu-Tang Clan - Enter The Wu-Tang: 36 Chambers


Common Sense - Resurrection

Essential Songs:

N.W.A. - Straight Outta Compton
Dr. Dre - Nuthin But A G Thang
LL Cool J - Mama Said Knock You Out
Run DMC - Rock Box
Eric B. & Rakim - Paid In Full
The Notorious B.I.G. - Ready To Die
Nas - It Aint Hard To Tell
Jay-Z - Cant Knock The Hustle
A Tribe Called Quest - Scenario
Beastie Boys - Sabotage
Wu-Tang Clan - C.R.E.A.M.
De La Soul - Pass The Plugs
EPMD - The Crossover
Ghostface Killah - All That I Got Is You
Chef Raekwon - Ice Cream
Ice Cube - True To The Game
Tupac Shakur - Keep Ya Head Up
The Gravediggaz - Diary Of A Madman
Mobb Deep - Shook Ones Pt. II
Naughty By Nature - Ghetto Bastard
Pharcyde - Passin Me By
Souls Of Mischief - '93 Til Infinity
Organized Konfusion - Bring It On
Public Enemy - Fight The Power
Cypress Hill - How I Could Just Kill A Man
House Of Pain - Jump Around
Outkast - ATLiens
Snoop Doggy Dogg - Whats My Name
Fugees - Fugee-La

...Just to name a few?

[GNR_Green]

I don't like rap at all, but I like to reserve my criticism for all the shite commercial stuff that's around.  Some of what' been listed so far is good for what it is, granted.  I'd have to argue with the Beastie Boys though, they're just fucking talentless wankers.

The stuff I hate is what 'most people' think is good hip-hop, like Eminem, 50Cent and all the shite in the charts.  Some people seem to think Dr Dre is some sort of God, but what's hard about what he does?  It's certainly the case in England that if you're white and want to be trendy with the in-crowd you must own whatever hip-hop is in the top 10 at any point in time.  Or any that gets regular exposure on tv/radio.  In other words, hip-hop is largely on the same level as mainstream rock, i.e. it's mass marketed trash from big labels to make a fast buck.

Anyone else in the UK get pissed off with the sheer amount of ignorant people who slag off real music while eagerly rushing out to buy the latest Best of hip-hop 2003 or Usher LP?

[kupirock]

Dr. Dre - Nuthin But A G Thang
Outkast - ATLiens

Indeed! alltime favourites

[norway]

[.

How do you feel about rap/hip-hop?? What are your favorite songs?

some of it works really good, the latest raplrelease i liked was snoopdoggs new cd,

but there so many others too, or people using same music but sings differently

[D]

rap today like rock has a huge identity crisis


rap like rock use to mean something, now its a bunch of wannabe's pretending to be street and tough to sell records

50 cent is the biggest joke a long with Ja Rule ive ever heard or seen



my fav rappers

Ice T? his original gangsta album is 2nd to none
2pac
NWA
Wu tang clan
dmx
dr dre's the chronic
snoop before he sold out
i like jay z in doses

and i love eazy e



i like rap that is real

all this rap about how much money and how many sluts i can bang, my jewelry etc i think that shit is lame

i like any music in general that is relatable.


which is why i love 2pac so much, his rhymes speak to u and are real


to add one to booker's impressive list


ice t  midnight   this is incredible!

[Gunner80]

Just pure AWFUL! No Harmonics or talent whatsoever.

[Oddy]

i really like nas too. there never seems to be a bad song he does.

and i really like that new song he put out with his dad that has the whole blues breakdown as the chorus. its real good.

the problem with rap is that theres so many copy cats about. there are so many rappers on mtv that are just so generic. the videos have become so stupid and typical. i can't wait for rap to die and move away from the mainstream.

and this whole "urban" thing fuck off! its terrible and needs to go away.

[nesquick]

Rap music isn't my cup of tea. However I can appreciate some good RN'B artists. I think that persons like Steevie Wonder, Craig David, R Kelly, Babyface, or Alicia Keys are talented persons. However I can't stand rap (exept for some songs of Eminem or other artists sometimes).

[Mattman]

I'm more into old-school rap; most modern stuff is too generic, although I can still admire a good song when I hear it.  I think you have to look at rap differently than most forms of music.  There's no real melody in the bulk of the song, although there usually is now in the chorus.  Rap, in my opinion, is more like poetry or prose set to music.  After all, the verses in all rap songs are in the same format; it's the hook and the "beats" that set them apart.  Thus the point of rap is more about the lyrics and the unique vocal inflections of a certain artist.

I think it's actually a lot like traditional blues: a largely black-based music where the format of all the songs is pretty similar, so you have to notice the details.  That's one reason why I don't like a lot of modern rap - it's all about how many chicks you're bangin' and how much money you have.  The worst rap trend ever had to be that period of "hip hop love duets" where you'd have a gravelly voiced, shitty rapper like Ja Rule or Fat Joe doing the verses and a bland R&B ingenue sing the lame chorus.  Don't forget the gayass, "fairy dust" chiming sound effect.  I hate that.

My cup of tea is more old rap where the dudes had something to say.  That's why I like 2Pac, Public Enemy, NWA, and classic Snoop Dogg ("Drop It Like It's Hot" absolutely sucks - burn in hell, Pharell!).  Run-DMC, on the other hand, is just plain fun, and way better than the fucking Beastie Boys.

If you want a really great classic rap song, try "The Message" by Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five.  It's the first social awareness rap track ever, and it's got a good hook and stuff.

[N.I.B]

I don't like rap, however dispite that i do enjoy a bit of MC Hammer and Run DM, and a few Beastie Boys songs. But for the most part, i dislike modern rap because all i ever incorperate out of it sex. And the rap videos back up my acusation. I understand some songs have other meanongs and not all rapers are like that but thats the general vibe i'm getting.

- N.I.B

[jgfnsr]

As with country, I don't like rap as a whole, but I do get into specific songs...

Some recent ones of the rap/hip-hop/r&b kind that I liked -

Nelly - Shake Ya Tailfeather

50 Cent - In Da Club

Usher - Yeah

...call 'em guilty pleasures I guess.

Speaking of which, has anyone heard that rap song that samples Ozzy's Crazy Train?

[MR W,AXL ROSE]

C-rap + cHip - sHop.need i say more

[D]

jadakiss is the gayest rapper ever

listen to his lame rap "why"   its horrible!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[MadmanDan]

I think rap has reached its "hair metal" era. The music is crap, the lirics are crap,but the bling is all there.

50 cent is a fuckin joke, him and others like him

[Metallifuck]

What's all this talk about rap & hip-hop in the music section?   

  God, i'm funny.

I think rap has reached its "hair metal" era. The music is crap, the lirics are crap,but the bling is all there.

50 cent is a fuckin joke, him and others like him

Amen, brother.