AudiogoN Forums: When will rap music be less mainstream?

When will rap music be less mainstream?

First time I heard MC Hammer’s song many years ago, I like the rhythm and thought it is quite unique. After that, all kinds of rap music pop up. I never thought rap music would be mainstream for such a long time in US. If you look at the music award ceremonies, you will find it being flooded with rap music. Sometimes I am not even sure rap can be considered as song because you don’t sing but speak. Now you start to hear rap music in some other languages like Chinese, Japanese and Korean that don’t sound good in rap format. It would be interesting to hear rap music in Italian.

Time will tell if a song is good or not. A song is good if somebody want to play it for their loved ones on the radio 20 years later. I can’t imagine someone will play a rap for their beloved one 20 years later. Just curious if any A’gon member keep any rap collection?

Besides rap, I also have a feeling that the music industry in general is getting cheesy now. American Idol show gets huge attention while lots of singers perform at the bar or hotel can easily sing better than the idols. The show also asked Barbara Streisand if she watched the show and who was her favorite idol. What do you expect her to answer? People said Justin Timberlake is very talented singer/songwriter. I know him because I saw lots of headshot of him on commercials and magazines, but can you name any popular/well known song from him?

Yxlei (Threads | Answers | This Thread)

01-08-10

Responses (1-50 of 173)

Click title to read one, or click date to read all below it.

01-08-10 "people said justin timberlake is very talented singer/ ... Kmulkey

01-08-10 When will rap music be less mainstream, not soon enough for ... Slikric3000

01-08-10 I really don't pay attention to any mainstream music, it has ... Bwp

01-08-10 I don't think very many people on this forum gives a rats as ... Tpreaves

01-08-10 It kills me when the rappers call each other "artists&q ... Macdadtexas

01-08-10 Rap sucks! so does hiphop. they will probably be embraced by ... Hifiharv

01-08-10 I don't think they are embraced at all, i think they are pus ... Macdadtexas

01-08-10 Referring to the frequent sampling of older r&b, soul, and r ... Ghostrider45

01-08-10 I for one have a lot of hip hop albums...none of the mainstr ... Branislav

01-08-10 Check out "less mainstream" rap: http://www.youtu ... Marakanetz

01-08-10 It biz was always chessy...pat boone, mrs.miller, leonard ni ... Jaybo

01-08-10 Sexyback Ejlif

01-08-10 My son listens to alot of hip hop and rap and don,t tell him ... Has2be

01-08-10 Sure, some rap and hip-hop qualifies as art as much as any o ... Darkmoebius

01-08-10 What kills me is when some guy pulls up next to me in what i ... Timrhu

01-09-10: Bongofury
I love Hip Hop. I find most other Audiogon persons posting on this subject are very negatively slanted toward this genre (and it appears rarely have been exposed to the music if at all), given the sophmoric answers I see all the time.

Hip Hop was the best selling genre in the last 20 years. Rock and Jazz are a mere fraction of its sales. Beyond its commercial success, it has also developed a sophisticated market that constantly pushes it to mutate. I think the most intelligent music magazine OF ANY GENRE is Wax Poetics, which over 38 editions has showcased Afro-centric rap music and hip hop (as well as R & B, Soul, Reggae and Jazz). It is the best written magazine we have.

As with any genre, there will always be "artists" that are so derivative and mainstream that they become an afterthought down the road. Rap and Hip Hop have had a high percentage of "one hit wonders." However, it has also produced artists of great depth. I believe that these selected artists and titles will give you a rich and tempered view of sonically arresting music that will stay fresh to your ears:

From England, I can highly recommend The Streets (A grand don't come for free) and Roots Manuva (Awfully Deep).

From New York, the Beatie Boys (Paul's Boutique, Check Your Head), Eric B. and Rakim (Paid in Full), KRS-One (A Retrospective), Kurtis Blow (Kurtis Blow), LL Cool J (Radio),Lauren Hill (The Miseducation), the Notorious B.I.G.(Life After Death), Run DMC (Run DMC) defined the essential East Coast Hip Hop Sound. Public Enemy had the best album of 1989 with "It Takes a Million" which married potical and social commentary. Other artists I can recommend are the Wu Tang Clan and Jay-Z from the outer neighborhoods of NYC.

The Roots are one of the best live instrument bands from Philly.

From the South, I can highly recommend the production of Timbaland, especially with Justin Timberlake and Missy Elliot (So addictive; Under Construction). I can also recommend Spank Rock and OutKast from Atlanta.

Chicago has produced Kanye West (808 and the Heartbreak) and Common. Detroit produced Eminem, who was the best selling artist last decade.

Los Angeles has spawned the Black Eye Peas, A Tribe Called Quest (The Love Movement), Dr Dre, Snoop Dogg, and Ice Cube.

Try these and tell me what you think. Be open to new sounds and you will be rewarded.
Bongofury (Threads | Answers | This Thread)

01-09-10 Rap = the tormenting sounds from hell. =8^) Glory

01-09-10 "rap" - they just left the "c" off of th ... Entrope

01-09-10 Bongofury, point taken. for me though, it is simply a matter ... Timrhu

01-09-10 Darkmoebious, you are dead wrong on that. be it led zeppeli ... Macdadtexas

01-09-10 Unfortunately like many of the best music and artists with m ... Cjnolan

01-09-10: Bongofury
If you believe that rock is king, look at hair metal. Foreigner. Stix. Maroon 5. Creed. Rock has produced a huge amount of suckage. I can think of 10,000 crappy bands that never held up. I find all your "rock is where it at--rap is crap" and "skull rattling" to be childish and ignorant. Sales success. Check. Fan acceptance. Check. Live Touring and Merchandise Sales. Check. Sometimes I feel this site is populated by gnomes who have not updated their record collections since 1976. The good old days are OLD. Stay fresh and be rewarded. Or as Bob Dylan said, "he who is not being born is busy dying."
Bongofury (Threads | Answers | This Thread)

01-09-10: Bongofury
Macdad

You need to get your facts straight. As someone who has been in the music space for 30 years, you look foolish.

First, in terms of songwriting, Elvis did covers. Sorry. Very little was directly written or attributed by him. Many bands have ghost writers on their payroll in secret or the labels seek out hits for individual artists.

Second, as for instruments, very few Hip Hop artists sample anymore. Paul's Boutique, by the Beatie Boys, had $300,000 in "sampling" replay rights in 1989. After that album came out, few record companies were willing to front the bill on this. Most samples used are by the initation of the rock bands themselves, who are looking to cross-over into the younger demos. Sting was intimately involved in the P.Diddy song, as well as Steely Dan with Kanye West. You, as their core demo, are no longer buying records. Hip Hop still shifts tapes and CDs in volume.

Third, many Hip Hop albums use live in studio instruments to recreate piano, guitar, bass and drum parts. The bass heavy sound is usually added at post production and mixing. I have many studio musicians who play on these recordings. They are generously paid but do not receive playing credits due to royalty structures. I can also point you to The Roots, who have a weekly legendary club gig going in NYC, who probably have the best live drummer in the music space at the moment.
Bongofury (Threads | Answers | This Thread)

01-09-10 Rap and hip hop have roots in funk. i love funk. i enjoy rap ... Shadorne

01-09-10 Bongo-furious, didn't mean to get in your pocket. obviously ... Macdadtexas

01-09-10 How many die-hard "hip-hop" bashers here have neve ... Synthfreek

01-09-10 And didn't willie dixon sue zep for them totally ripping him ... Synthfreek

01-09-10 He actually sued them over "whole lotta love" and ... Macdadtexas

01-09-10 you shouldn't make emphatic statements when the facts don't ... Darkmoebius

01-09-10 Dark-"dude from the matrix" i stand by my point, ... Macdadtexas

01-09-10 Macdadtexas, they may have always given them credit in inter ... Darkmoebius

01-09-10 Can we switch to a blues discussion then? my first live mus ... Macdadtexas

01-09-10 it is ok to not like it - i don't care much for country or ... Shadorne

01-09-10: Bongofury
Macdad

My present clients are U2, AC/DC and the Black Eye Peas, plus three unsigned acts. I own three clubs. I have two touring properties being planned for the summer and have a television series involving 30 Blue Chip Artists in production for the Japanese, US and European market. I find your response to me as unworthy. None of this is being shoved down anyone's throats. It Shadorne's point, personal taste is your personal business. But for people of my ilk, you look stupid.
Bongofury (Threads | Answers | This Thread)

01-09-10: Bongofury
PS: Dark Moebius is right. Led Zep denied millions in royalties to the blues artists mentioned. Peter Grant, their manager, was well known in the biz, for being ruthless. It was only when the press and the lawsuits came forward, did they bend.
Bongofury (Threads | Answers | This Thread)

01-10-10 Rap sucks; it's never been and never will be "music&quo ... Audiofeil

01-10-10 If you think that all "hip-hop" is like the stuff ... Synthfreek

01-10-10 Above discussion sounds like one i've heard starting with wh ... Sit

01-10-10 Whoa...the music industry is getting cheesy? Chashmal

01-10-10 No, bong-futility runs the music business now, a 50 plus yea ... Macdadtexas

01-10-10 that is a common misconception by those not experienced wit ... Darkmoebius

01-10-10 Dark., the arrested devolpment work you sight is on my all- ... Sit

01-10-10 Any of you like maroon 5 - this is a rap hip hop influenced ... Shadorne

01-11-10 wow, that's a tough call, they were pretty damn innovative. ... Darkmoebius

01-11-10 Some of my favs: "let's riot" attica gang " ... Audiofeil

01-11-10 Now, now, audiofeil - rock & roll and country have their own ... Darkmoebius

01-11-10 Agreed. however, very few rock and roll/country songs advoc ... Audiofeil

01-11-10 hmmm, off the top of my head: guns n' roses "it's so ... Darkmoebius

01-11-10 Lawerence-fishburne-like-named-dude, that was mighty strong, ... Macdadtexas

01-11-10 Reading this thread again has made me hate some of you. Synthfreek

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