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Ugly lyrics in Rap music


Charlotteman

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Thanks for posting everyone. Some good points and thought provoking ideas here.

I tend to agree with the folks that think lyrics DO make a difference. We all love to tap our feet to the beat, move to the music, enjoy a great tune. But Rap/Hip Hop isn't an instrumental genre. It has lyrics---- and words DO indeed matter. Words have the power to change things afterall.

I think what we're all zeroing in on here is the issue of disrespect. I am as offended by hearing a black person use the N word, as I am hearing it come out of white mouths. It is perhaps the most disrespectful word in our language, along with the C word (YIKES!!!) When something so disrespectful is repetitively hammered into the subconsious through music, it seems like it couldn't help but have a detrimental effect.

By the way, thanks to the poster who mentioned Al Sharpton's statement during Rosa Parks' funeral. I wasn't aware that he had spoken out on this issue. Al mostly seems like a showman to me, but this time he got it right.

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Sharpton made similar comments at James Brown's funeral. I thought they were well-received. It's like everything else though, people nod their heads, but by the time they get halfway home that new Fergie (spelling) song is on and they're singing along.

Personally, I feel the majority of music in general is stupid---it's all about sex and drugs. It reminds me of bands like Poison from the 80s. It was music written by 14 year old boys. Obviously the lyrics were tame compared to today's music, but it's the same idea: "I'm powerful because I have (a) money, (b) sexual prowess, and lots of drugs.

I remember the early 90s as being in rebellion against that. Bands like Nirvana and Pearl Jam stood in stark contrast to Winger (haha, Winger) and bands like it. I remember it in rap too, with groups like Arrested Development and the early Outkast, both of which represented a different type of music. Heck, I even miss PM Dawn. Do y'all remember that group?

But don't single out rap. I know that song about the guy being hot because I'm apparently not is really stupid, but the worst offender is that Fergie person. Man, is that what young girls really want to be like?

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Another aspect of today's rap/hip hop scene that I don't too much care for are these modern day shuckin' and jivin' songs, and most of it comes out of the South. "Walk it Out, "Two Step," "Chicken Noodle Soup," "Pop Lock it Drop it," "Laffy Taffy," etc.--what in the world is that? I don't have anything against a new dance or anything per se, but when an "artist" reaches a certain pinnacle just based on that alone? Crazy.
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the same thing that's happening with good rap music is happening with good rock music. it's all underground now because the labels only care about money and that's a catchy tune/beat, some "attractive" (and i use that term loosely) guy singing or playing guitar or rapping and they promote the hell out of it, including paying radio stations to play it over and over again. that's how we get crappy artists like nelly and britney or crappy songs like "how to save a life" to become popular.

the good artists are usually not quite as attractive and are less accessible in their music, lyrics, or something else.

i personally can't stand rap music, but i do realize that a lot of the stuff you don't hear on the radio is pretty clean with a message (i'm a fan of matisyahu, an orthodox jewish reggae artist, and rundmc and a lot of the original rap artists (old LL cool J, will smith/DJ jazzy jeff and the fresh prince, beastie boys, etc) before gansta rap from the west coast became popular). i don't even know who's mainstream today, but most of what i hear sounds exactly like the next guy.

the same can be said about rock music though... you got songs that are about sex, drugs, and violence, just like you have songs with real messages.

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Thanks for posting everyone. Some good points and thought provoking ideas here.

I tend to agree with the folks that think lyrics DO make a difference. We all love to tap our feet to the beat, move to the music, enjoy a great tune. But Rap/Hip Hop isn't an instrumental genre. It has lyrics---- and words DO indeed matter. Words have the power to change things afterall.

I think what we're all zeroing in on here is the issue of disrespect. I am as offended by hearing a black person use the N word, as I am hearing it come out of white mouths. It is perhaps the most disrespectful word in our language, along with the C word (YIKES!!!) When something so disrespectful is repetitively hammered into the subconsious through music, it seems like it couldn't help but have a detrimental effect.

By the way, thanks to the poster who mentioned Al Sharpton's statement during Rosa Parks' funeral. I wasn't aware that he had spoken out on this issue. Al mostly seems like a showman to me, but this time he got it right.

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the same thing that's happening with good rap music is happening with good rock music. it's all underground now because the labels only care about money and that's a catchy tune/beat, some "attractive" (and i use that term loosely) guy singing or playing guitar or rapping and they promote the hell out of it, including paying radio stations to play it over and over again. that's how we get crappy artists like nelly and britney or crappy songs like "how to save a life" to become popular.

the good artists are usually not quite as attractive and are less accessible in their music, lyrics, or something else.

i personally can't stand rap music, but i do realize that a lot of the stuff you don't hear on the radio is pretty clean with a message (i'm a fan of matisyahu, an orthodox jewish reggae artist, and rundmc and a lot of the original rap artists (old LL cool J, will smith/DJ jazzy jeff and the fresh prince, beastie boys, etc) before gansta rap from the west coast became popular). i don't even know who's mainstream today, but most of what i hear sounds exactly like the next guy.

the same can be said about rock music though... you got songs that are about sex, drugs, and violence, just like you have songs with real messages.

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I think people have it all wrong.

Rap music is being blamed as a cause for the ills facing youth today, i.e crimes, murder, drug use, etc.

I would argue that it isn't the cause but rather a symptom of people who are not being taught good morals in the home and being brought up to be decent citizens who have respect for themselves and others. Fix that problem and the lyrics in Rap would be an irrelevant issue.

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I think people have it all wrong.

Rap music is being blamed as a cause for the ills facing youth today, i.e crimes, murder, drug use, etc.

I would argue that it isn't the cause but rather a symptom of people who are not being taught good morals in the home and being brought up to be decent citizens who have respect for themselves and others. Fix that problem and the lyrics in Rap would be an irrelevant issue.

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I think a lot of people are confusing one style for another.

The gangsta style violent rap first from the early-mid 90s is dead. Then we got a bunch of talentless hacks in the late 90s to today who just talk about guns, chains, cars, women. It has gotten progressively worse in the past few years with the snap movement and the popular southern (Atlanta is by far the worst) sound.

While some songs are pretty much similarly themed compared to the early-mid 90s, the only difference is... there's far less talent and far more blatent. Now all it takes is some guy to act tough, wear some chains, get a bunch of good looking women who get reduced to faceless ass shots in videos, and anything resembling a rhyme and an Atlantan beat and you're set for a gold record if the record peons push you.

I give much credit to Lupe Fiasco, Common, Mos Def, Talib Kweli, and everyone else who speaks common sense and truth, instead of selling out for corporate interests and promoting ignorant garbage.

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I don't see the problem with Rap Lyrics. People are always ready to blame someone else for their shortcomings. Rap artists can say what they want, it's up to parents to limit what their children listen to. And if it's an adult getting the wrong message and screwing up because of it, then he gets what he deserves....

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I don't see the problem with Rap Lyrics. People are always ready to blame someone else for their shortcomings. Rap artists can say what they want, it's up to parents to limit what their children listen to. And if it's an adult getting the wrong message and screwing up because of it, then he gets what he deserves....
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Free speech is often scary. Being able to have any opinion you want and to say whatever you want is a scary thing. But not having that right is far more frightening.

"Those that would sacrifice a great amount of freedom for a little security deserve neither."

--Benjamin Franklin.

The great thing about music is that you have this wonderful thing called the volume dial. And when the volume button doesn't work, there's always NPR.

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