Hip-Hop Culture
Okay, now i'm going to tell you my views on this horribly boring subject.
The Music:
In the eighties and nineties, rap music has a meaning. It was ditching the street and the hard life, trying to make the best of what you had and all that. It was about drugs and it had a deeper meaning to it, which i think is alot more than what the rappers today have to offer.
The rappers nowadays are constantly singing about knocking up women, in fact, in their videos, they refer to women as objects of lust (well, i dont have a problem with that, i have an awfully dirty mind myself), but what i do find tasteless, is the constant nudity...well, near nudity at least. I'm not trying to ruin anyone's views on porn or anything, i'm not narrowminded, i hope not, but its getting out of hand. So ok, shaking your bum and tits in those videos in concidered a dance and it keeps you in shape, ok. But now, the women in those videos wear such skimpy outfits i cant bear to think what it would be like, wearing all that in winter. Ooh, i'd freeze my butt right off if i were in their skin. And its increddibly bad too because now the schoolkids are trying to look like those dancers.
The rappers today arent trying to sing about ditching the drug culture, making something of themselves, getting somewhere. They PROMOTE drug culture. I have nothing against drugs or drug addicts, but its just pointless to write tonnes of songs on drugs when every song has the same message or no message at all.
The message i've found obvious is that "Kids, do drugs. Girls, you are objects of lust so dress like it. Boys, you're supposed to be real gastah so you betta drink loads of weird shit and smoke pot so much you'll have everlasting smoke coming out of every inch of your face."
Well, maybe my views of this are abit cranky, but its my personal opinion.
As for the late 19'th century, early 20'th century blues, jazz, all that, i personaly love the music them afroamericans made, and make. Its wonderful. And rap music itself is a tradition, as is hip hop, so why are they ruining their own culture? They're wasting it away, all the good things, they're trashing it.
The Music:
In the eighties and nineties, rap music has a meaning. It was ditching the street and the hard life, trying to make the best of what you had and all that. It was about drugs and it had a deeper meaning to it, which i think is alot more than what the rappers today have to offer.
The rappers nowadays are constantly singing about knocking up women, in fact, in their videos, they refer to women as objects of lust (well, i dont have a problem with that, i have an awfully dirty mind myself), but what i do find tasteless, is the constant nudity...well, near nudity at least. I'm not trying to ruin anyone's views on porn or anything, i'm not narrowminded, i hope not, but its getting out of hand. So ok, shaking your bum and tits in those videos in concidered a dance and it keeps you in shape, ok. But now, the women in those videos wear such skimpy outfits i cant bear to think what it would be like, wearing all that in winter. Ooh, i'd freeze my butt right off if i were in their skin. And its increddibly bad too because now the schoolkids are trying to look like those dancers.
The rappers today arent trying to sing about ditching the drug culture, making something of themselves, getting somewhere. They PROMOTE drug culture. I have nothing against drugs or drug addicts, but its just pointless to write tonnes of songs on drugs when every song has the same message or no message at all.
The message i've found obvious is that "Kids, do drugs. Girls, you are objects of lust so dress like it. Boys, you're supposed to be real gastah so you betta drink loads of weird shit and smoke pot so much you'll have everlasting smoke coming out of every inch of your face."
Well, maybe my views of this are abit cranky, but its my personal opinion.
As for the late 19'th century, early 20'th century blues, jazz, all that, i personaly love the music them afroamericans made, and make. Its wonderful. And rap music itself is a tradition, as is hip hop, so why are they ruining their own culture? They're wasting it away, all the good things, they're trashing it.
sorry bout that
PaNcAkEs, May 3rd, 2007 at 02:58:32pm
I had to wear clothes like that in the Canadian winter when I lived in Canada. And I had a wonderful five kilometre journey to and from school each day in -30 degree blizzards. You get tough and survive though.
Anji, May 2nd, 2007 at 01:17:16pm
I agree. There's this old rap song called Mr. Wendal. I absolutely love it. It's about a man on the street that the singer sees everyday and considers a part of his world. I think a street artist. It's very positive, very hopeful.
We don't see a lot of that these days.
lyrical_mess, May 2nd, 2007 at 12:47:18pm
A lot of people are speaking out against hip hop now because of the Don Imus incident.
ohmygodshutyourbutt, May 2nd, 2007 at 07:40:45am
I agree with some of the points you raised.
Back in the 80's and 90's, rap music did have meaning. They were fighting for something or talked about what was going on in the world. Artists/groups like Tribe Called Quest, Talib, Rakib etc, were political yet could make you move your feet and still make you think.
Now, all the rappers wanna talk about about how much money thier getting, what the spend it on and how many women they have wanting to have sex with them. That pisses me off cos they do promote things like drugs and violence and then they turn around and make out like theyre constantly being victimised. Im black too, and its frustrating to me, because they create their own histeria yet cant handle the fall out!
Though there still are some artists out there who still represent what the rappers of yesteryear were about, like Jay Z, Kanye West. I fully repect them and theor views.
Biggie Smalls and Tupac Shakur float between thsoe two groups, in my opinion. Both had political messages but would then rap about all the other sh*t in the next verse.
Im getting bored of seeing nothing but fancy cars, tits and ass in music video; isnt doesnt promote healthy images to you young people, but niether does all the dark and depressing videos you see for rocks bands or the scantily clad pop stars/boybands. You cant win. We're in a climate where image is everything and thats filtered into...quite literally...everything.
AndTheCowSaidMoo, May 2nd, 2007 at 05:51:38am
I don't like that music. Mainly because of the film clips. Half naked girls writhing and shaking their "bootie" next to some big guy who's wearing clothes that are ten sizes too big for him. Great entertainment. *rolls eyes*
I like watching clips which are clever and fun. Like Green Day and like The Cure's Close To Me. I mean, in that clip, they're all stuck in a wardrobe. How did they get in there?! XD
But yeah. Hip hop is just not my music. When you listen to old R 'n' B it's good. It's changed now into a melody-less world where you just have skantily clad girls writhing.
vonny, May 2nd, 2007 at 05:16:15am
I'm more into alternative and hard rock, punk, grunge than indie...but some bands are pretty good.
PaNcAkEs, May 2nd, 2007 at 04:53:35am
lol. thankgod for rage, they like to play a lot of indie stuff. idie is getting pretty big actually. even though its not independant.
Vegemite, May 2nd, 2007 at 04:42:07am
*grins*
PaNcAkEs, May 2nd, 2007 at 04:01:05am
Yeah well a lot of hip-hop songs are girls shaking their ass at the tv screen. But a lot aren't as well.
i'm just glad rage doesn't play all those clips.
Riot on the Radio, May 2nd, 2007 at 03:24:57am
I hate it how back last year it was really really really huge. Ths year it has died down a bit. Which im thankfull for. I hate seeing women like that every saturday morning on video hits.
Vegemite, May 2nd, 2007 at 03:07:03am
yeah, you're right, to be honest XD. But its just how it seems to me.
PaNcAkEs, May 2nd, 2007 at 03:05:36am
I don't think that rappers promote drugs. In fact, I've seen a few against it.
and not all rap music is about girls being objects of lust. Everyone degrades it to be, but it's not.
Riot on the Radio, May 2nd, 2007 at 03:03:15am
I forget to mention of a few things but i hope this'll suffice.
PaNcAkEs, May 2nd, 2007 at 02:56:19am