Rap About Nothing: Hip Hop Chat Thread

[americangenius]

Don’t know if you’ve lived under a rock but the media and journalists have criticized and blamed hip hop for violence since the late 1980s. I’m not even talking about Niketalk members at this point. If you feel some kind of way or I’m “going somewhere else” well, indeed. My job was done

Ok, so you jumped the gun. You made it seem like people in here were solely blaming hip-hop for the problems in society. It's common knowledge the media has been biased and against hip-hop and black people as a whole. Everyone in this thread is a fan of the genre, the more interesting question a blinkin posed is will hip-hop ever stop mostly glorifying violence and drugs. I think it's possible, people like Nipsey and Kendrick became profilic artists with an overall positive message despite being a part of gang culture. You can already see subject matter changing to ownership and business ventures outside of drug dealing etc over the past two decades. If you look at the most popular artists of this decade vs the 2000s, it's a much different landscape.

 

[a blinkin]

Why is it predicated on hip hop? Violence, drugs, etc was here before hip hop. Society as a whole glorifies this stuff. Hollywood has been pumping out violence, drugs, mafioso, sexually driven movies since its inception.

Why does rap get all the blame?

... fam

You realize we’re in the hip hop chat, right?

 

[kingfoamnyc]

What the hell is going on with Rylo's Apple music page? Rogerville and his EP's not available in the US

 

[tay1]

You all think we ever see the day where we stop glorifying/consuming violence/drugs in hip hop?

Violence and drugs will continue in hip hip because
it's apart of living in poverty. Also, drugs are apart of every genre of American music.

 

[americangenius]

Violence and drugs will continue in hip hipb it's apart of poverty. It's the socioeconomic status of our people, not the music.

I disagree that it is just socioeconomic, as it wasn't a large part of our other forms of music Soul, R&B, etc despite us having more prosperity than ever compared to the past.

 

[tay1]

I disagree that it is just socioeconomic, as it wasn't a large part of our other forms of music Soul, R&B, etc despite us having more prosperity than ever compared to the past.

Soul and R&B didn't come from the streets in the same manner as Rap did. Different foundations and topical focuses

Also,

 

[Maximus Meridius]

Soul and R&B is rooted in men and women relationships.


Hip hop was literally birthed by gang members and street dudes as a outlet.

 

[americangenius]

Soul and R&B didn't come from the streets in the same manner as Rap did. Different foundations and topical focuses

Also,

Never said they were, in fact it furthers my point that it's not a socioeconomic issue more so than a culture/foundation issue.

 

[Deleted member 107398]

Drake needs a whole album of ‘Omertá’

 

[Maximus Meridius]

Never said they were, in fact it furthers my point that it's not a socioeconomic issue more so than a culture/foundation issue.

It is socioeconomic though cuz those old R&B singers was on drugs and surrounded by violence too. The music they made just wasn't about that.

 

[americangenius]

It is socioeconomic though cuz those old R&B singers was on drugs and surrounded by violence too. The music they made just wasn't about that.

Doesn't that prove exactly why it ISN'T largely socioeconomic? They were in the same socioeconomic class and surroundings but have entirely different content
There was a culture difference between those making hip-hop and others, almost a sort of rebellion.

 

[ahat]

You ain't never met a raw smoker, that tried to sell everything in his house even the lawn mower

 

[robtoofresco]

Soul and R&B didn't come from the streets in the same manner as Rap did. Different foundations and topical focuses

Also,

This is cute to look at but where’s the actual stats to back this? This could also be referencing all-time which would make this ridiculously skewed since Rap is the youngest genre out of all of those listed.

 

[Maximus Meridius]

Doesn't that prove exactly why it ISN'T largely socioeconomic? They were in the same socioeconomic class and surroundings but have entirely different content
There was a culture difference between those making hip-hop and others, almost a sort of rebellion.

That's what we been saying. Who don't know that hip hop was rebellious?

I just said it was built by gang members and street _'s as a outlet. It's pointless to say "well R&B don't talk about violence". It's a whole different style of music. It's supposed to be romantic and about men and women relationships.

Hip hop was built to talk about street life, poverty, partying, politics, whatever. That's socioeconomic. Certain R&B albums touched on socioeconomic before hip hop. Marvin's What's Going on, Curtis Mayfield's Superfly, Stevie Wonders Songs In The Key Of Life. So in R&B music, a genre where they didn't want them to touch on societal issues because it's easier to sell records by making the normal love and catchy records they still couldn't avoid talking about what was going on in their communities from time to time. That should tell you it's socioeconomic.

 

[numbah1grimey]

This is cute to look at but where’s the actual stats to back this? This could also be referencing all-time which would make this ridiculously skewed since Rap is the youngest genre out of all of those listed.

Which is the POINT. Rap is the youngest, yet gets all the blame . It’s been a genre let’s say, since 1982. But Country, Jazz, R&B, Rock, Blues, etc. has been around since the 1890s, give or take

Let’s absolve allllllll those music genres from their topics of drug use, infidelity, use of rifles or pistols, and point everything in the direction of rap.

I guess you could say country music evolved from Billy the Kid or them boys out in Dodge City who shot up and robbed trains.

Heck, if you have an old grandparent or uncle, they probably still watch westerns like “Gunsmoke” on CBS. And guess what, they shoot people on those shows. I guess that’s not violence being promoted though. It’s art


Buddy holding a rifle in the background
Show first aired in 1955.

 

[kickvicisous]

Yo this chick Che Noir nice

Sound like Rapsody after an 8 year bid, I'm a fan

 

[numbah1grimey]

That's what we been saying. Who don't know that hip hop was rebellious?

I just said it was built by gang members and street _'s as a outlet. It's pointless to say "well R&B don't talk about violence". It's a whole different style of music. It's supposed to be romantic and about men and women relationships.

Hip hop was built to talk about street life, poverty, partying, politics, whatever. That's socioeconomic. Certain R&B albums touched on socioeconomic before hip hop. Marvin's What's Going on, Curtis Mayfield's Superfly, Stevie Wonders Songs In The Key Of Life. So in R&B music, a genre where they didn't want them to touch on societal issues because it's easier to sell records by making the normal love and catchy records they still couldn't avoid talking about what was going on in their communities from time to time. That should tell you it's socioeconomic.

Hip Hop talked about the stuff they tried to brush under the rug and keep the mainstream from knowing. I guess buddy doesn’t realize that part

Again, James Brown and Teddy Pendergast sang and danced... but carried pistols.

I’m sure Elvis Presley was fully armed too. But hey, he sang loved songs and wasn’t gone shoot. I guess these guys carried guns for play-play

R&B was more metaphorical about socioeconomics until like the late 60s and 70s. Hip hop was OVERT with it like “nah, this is what’s really happening in the slums”

 

[robtoofresco]

Which is the POINT. Rap is the youngest, yet gets all the blame . It’s been a genre let’s say, since 1982. But Country, Jazz, R&B, Rock, Blues, etc. has been around since the 1890s, give or take

Eh, I’d say it just SEEMS like it gets more of the blame because it’s the most popular genre now. I’m pretty sure all, if not most, of these genres were considered “rebellious” at some point in time and received tons of scrutiny for subject matter.

Example. Here’s the “Filthy 15” from those PRMC senate hearings in the mid 80’s (A Prince song is the one that didn’t make the crop).

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parents_Music_Resource_Center

 

[numbah1grimey]

Eh, I’d say it just SEEMS like it gets more of the blame because it’s the most popular genre now. I’m pretty sure all, if not most, of these genres were considered “rebellious” at some point in time and received tons of scrutiny for subject matter.

Example. Here’s the “Filthy 15” from those PRMC senate hearings in the mid 80’s (A Prince song is the one that didn’t make the crop).

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parents_Music_Resource_Center

SEEMS? Bruh, I’m 31 years old. ****outtahere with that jargon. It’s been getting blame since the 1980s. You want to throw in that most popular crap, when it was being blamed while still being the least popular.

Ever heard of Uncle Luke? Remember “parental advisory” on CDs and cassettes??? Uncle Luke went to the Supreme Court in the late 80s, because they took his cassettes and records off the shelf..... in the 80s. Gone somewhere man. IDC about that lame list you posted

F**** that garbage a*** list you acting like the 1980s and 1990s of hip hop never occurred. Talking about it’s only being blamed, modern day because it’s popular now. You must be 20.

And with it being popular now, the whole country wants to be ghetto/ratchet/hood now. So really in truly, America has always been in bed with rap but was ashamed. Truth always comes to the light.

That’s why we ain’t got no love for the Miley Cyrus’. Cause her type people tried to stop us, now they wanna do our stuff.

 

[wavycrocket]

 

[alexody]

IMO drugs was less of a focus in the early 2000s, if you did anything other than weed you mostly was classified as a junkie.

But the drug talk was subbed for more violence

 

[robtoofresco]

SEEMS? Bruh, I’m 31 years old. ****outtahere with that jargon. It’s been getting blame since the 1980s. You want to throw in that most popular crap, when it was being blamed while still being the least popular.

Ever heard of Uncle Luke? Remember “parental advisory” on CDs and cassettes??? Uncle Luke went to the Supreme Court in the late 80s, because they took his cassettes and records off the shelf..... in the 80s. Gone somewhere man. IDC about that lame list you posted

Can’t have no type of civil discussion with this cat. Jargon? I couldn’t find any jargon used in my post even if I was dyslexic. Refuse to look at anything in anyway that isn’t your perspective. Constantly moving goal posts. I was arguing your ******** extremist “ALL the blame” notion, nothing more. Never once did I say it doesn’t get unfairly blamed because it does.

 

[americangenius]

Can’t have no type of civil discussion with this cat. Jargon? I couldn’t find any jargon used in my post even if I was dyslexic. Refuse to look at anything in anyway that isn’t your perspective. Constantly moving goal posts. I was arguing your bull**** extremist “ALL the blame” notion, nothing more. Never once did I say it doesn’t get unfairly blamed because it does.

Yeah, waste of time. These cats are moving goalposts and looking past points to defend claims no one has made.

 

[numbah1grimey]

Yeah, waste of time. These cats are moving goalposts and looking past points to defend claims no one has made.

What valid points have you two made? You both are highly misinformed on the subject, evidently. Now y’all want to back out and cry in the corner with dunce caps. I have a retort for all information you guys used. But now, y’all want to scamper away.

 

[robtoofresco]

Yeah, waste of time. These cats are moving goalposts and looking past points to defend claims no one has made.

My dude’s a blinkin original post was just a genuine curiosity of will the genre ever evolve from it’s current state, asked in the HIP HOP THREAD, and cats come with the “what about movies, TV, other genres?!” What does that have to do with the OG question posed?

And aftr rereading this:

Ever heard of Uncle Luke? Remember “parental advisory” on CDs and cassettes???

Uuum that “garbage *** list” and link I provided was where PARENTAL ADVISORY STICKERS ORIGINATED FROM.

I can’t sometimes.