Ray Charles - "Rap is not music"


I agree with Ray Charles.

 

👍

 

128x128jjbeason14

There seems to be an awful lot of energy on this site devoted to criticizing rap. Ray is entitled to his opinion and is a fabulous musician. It doesn't make him right. Howzabout we lay off rap for a while guys?

It’s not up for debate. Whether one likes it is their business, but asserting it’s “not even music” vaporizes one’s credibility.  
If someone has actually listened to rap at all over the past 40-odd years, they would note that rap has,
1) these things called “chords.”  
“Chords,” by definition, is harmony.  
2) the songs have this thing called, “melody.”  
That would be the part of the song where a defined, composed, repeated sequence of tones/notes occurs.  
3) vocal melodies defining those integral parts of pop songs called, “choruses.”
4) counter melodies supplied by supplementary (background) vocal arrangements and/or instrumental arrangements.  
5) percussion arrangements.  
6) songs composed and structured with intros, verses, choruses, bridges, outros, etc. etc.

Last time I checked, aural phenomena that contains all of the above, simultaneously (and even only a few of the above, in concert) is what people call, “music.”
 
 

Talented and smart people say dumb things, and it’s dumb to agree with something dumb.

Rap is an acknowledged art form. It has millions of people who love it, buy it, celebrate it. Continuing to deny that it is art sounds, well, pretty ill-motivated.

I don’t like rap. I don’t listen to rap.

I don’t like twelve-tone music. I don’t listen to it.

I don’t like a lot of things. But they don’t get bumped from existence because I don’t like them. Or because Ray Charles or someone else doesn’t like them. Make an argument if you don’t want to appear lazy.

Oh, and trumpeting your mere dislike of rap -- as a thread starter -- is not a great look. 

Let's just say the correct spelling starts with a "C". Let's be honest. It's just boring mono tones delivered in an aggressive manner and set to a boring backbround noise. All you need is a low level boom box noise machine and you're set to go. Who ever thought it was music? If you want poetry, you'd be better off with Pam Ayres. LOL

Rap is not something I care for, neither is hip-hop, but I get why some would love it. As an example, at 68, I have totally fallen for electronic music this past year, specially French and Danish, like High Tone, Zenzile, Danton Eepron, Jacob Bellens, Kasper Bjork, Air, William Orbitt, Boris Blank, WhoMadeWho, Alex Gopher, Yello, the list is endless. I understand the folks who are comfortable listening to what they know, but I could never live with my music like that. There is so much new stuff out there that knocks my socks off, I would be crazy for not wanting to discover it. The world of music never stops amazing me.