Is Rap Dying?

[Brian Damage]

Rapper Q-Tip is mourning the demise of hip-hop, because he's sure the genre is heading for a slow death. The A Tribe Called Quest star claims rap is destined for the same demise disco suffered, if the latest batch of stars can't reinvent the musical genre in time.

He tells celebrity fan Leonardo DiCaprio in the latest edition of Interview magazine, "I think it's pretty evident - and everybody says it - that hip-hop is definitely not as good as it once was. It's sort of like disco was. There was a time when disco was the **** and Steve Rubell had Studio 54. But the minute you heard "Disco Duck" by Rick Dees, that was the telltale sign that disco was over. I think that if hip-hop continues on the path that it seems like it's going down, then it looks like it's not going to hold up."

(This news article provided by World Entertainment News Network)

[ABlairican Pie]

Hopefully. :D :rock:

[Dean Winchester]

I don't think rap music will ever die completely, much like rock or country or r&b (and one can even make an argument that disco is still alive). But.... I do think it's time for a downturn in popularity (much like the other genres have times where they're extremely successful, and other times where it's practically underground), it's dominated the industry way too long. It's time for a different craze because hip hop has pretty much been the dominant force in American pop music since around the time of 9-11, that's going on seven years now.

[EmoJoe]

it's still the most popular kind of music, but it's not dominating the charts like it was in the first part of this decade. there's a lot of rock/pop hits that make it to the top 10/5 now. i kinda think music seems to be taking a turn towards a more experimental sound.

[bronxgirl]

Rap music has been dead since 1994.

[Cactus Jack]

it's still the most popular kind of music, but it's not dominating the charts like it was in the first part of this decade. there's a lot of rock/pop hits that make it to the top 10/5 now. i kinda think music seems to be taking a turn towards a more experimental sound.
Ditto, and thats good, Im sick rap, and rap has been dead since the late 90s. If all rap was like California Love and Jump Around, we wouldnt be saying this

Then again a rap song was #1 for the first two months of this year so yeah LOL

[GARFIELDKOOL]

Rap music has been dead since 1994.

To me, rap died around 1998. Wu-Tang was the last great group.

[bronxgirl]

Got that right. Rap started to take a turn around 94 but by 1996 yeah it started to go downhill, after big corporations started to buy stock in record companies. Music in general but Rap music in particular started to get crappy.

[Mikado]

Forgive me if I dont shed any tears for (C)rap music ;)

[ABlairican Pie]

Forgive me if I dont shed any tears for (C)rap music ;)Same here!!! :rock:

METAL RULES!!!!!

[SpunkiiMonkii7078]

Ditto, and thats good, Im sick rap, and rap has been dead since the late 90s. If all rap was like California Love and Jump Around, we wouldnt be saying this.

I totally agree. :nod:

[ABlairican Pie]

Rap is dying, but nobody's crying. :D

[isiahthomas]

Of course most of ya'll on here don't like rap because you're white. Most rappers are ignorant but a lot of them are good also. You also have a lot of them who suck especially the southern rappers LOL. The reason why rap music has been declining for the last 10 years is because good lyrics don't matter anymore and a lot of the beats are wack. It's cool now for rappers to be wack because wack music is what sells and that's so sad. Plus some of the good veteran rappers like KRS One, Too Short, Nas, Redman, Keith Murray, Run DMC, Chuck D of Public Enemy, Ice Cube, Wu Tang Clan have wack beats now and that's a shame because these guys had very good beats back in the day. QTip shouldn't be criticizing rap because his solo album Amplified is trash. He tried to go pop/mainstream with that album and he failed. The album went gold but he pissed off a lot of his fans with that album. I still listen to my old rap cd's. I don't even bother listening to a lot of the new rappers because they're terrible.

[Dean Winchester]

Of course most of ya'll on here don't like rap because you're white.

you are aware that by the late 90's, white consumers began outnumbering black consumers in terms of buying hip hop cd's, right? It's been the in thing for over a decade to be white and love rap music

[Ireneparalegal]

Of course most of ya'll on here don't like rap because you're white.
I am not white. Don't assume Isaiah.

I like rap, but I am old school, I like the original rap and I enjoy Snoop Dogg's early work as well as Dr. Dre's stuff. I don't want to begin a list of what I have on my iPod, but it is a lot.

Hip hop is taking over now. Even Snoop's new work is different from what he used to do. You got to change with the times.

[isiahthomas]

Yes i'm aware that whites are buying rap cd's more than blacks. There's even more whites at rap concerts than blacks. Blacks can't afford to buy the cd's because most of them don't have good jobs LOL. That's why so many blacks download and burn rap albums now because they don't have the money to buy cd's. Plus cd's are so expensive nowadays and as terrible as rap is right now, i wouldn't even buy cd's even if i could afford them. I think that most rappers now just put together songs as fast as they can and make albums fast and they expect the public to buy them just because of who they are. Rappers don't take the time to do good songs anymore and that's why rap has been declining for awhile. I'm a fan of old school rappers too and these new rappers need to listen to the old rappers to see how good rap was back then.

[Ireneparalegal]

Wait Isaiah, if blacks don't have jobs and can't afford to buy CD's, what are they doing with a computer and downloading music?

That statement is so wrong.

[isiahthomas]

Trust me, the blacks that are downloading music are using their parents computer LOL. It's not their computer, it's their parents. I truly believe that blacks who listen to rap don't have good jobs because if they did have good jobs, they wouldn't be spending so much time on the internet talking about what rappers are doing. I've been on several rap websites and i see so many blacks wasting their time posting topics everyday talking about what rappers are doing. As much time as they waste doing that, they could be looking for a job. I'll be damn if i'm gonna waste my time posting online everyday about what rappers are doing when these rappers don't give a damn about me. If i was to lose my job and end up homeless, do you think these rappers are gonna give me any money if i ask them for some? Hahahahahahahahahahaha. Blacks wonder why most of us are poor and living in the ghetto. Too many of us have our priorities messed up. Talking about rappers is more important to blacks who are fans of rap than finding a good job.

[ABlairican Pie]

Of course most of ya'll on here don't like rap because you're white. Most rappers are ignorant but a lot of them are good also. You also have a lot of them who suck especially the southern rappers LOL. The reason why rap music has been declining for the last 10 years is because good lyrics don't matter anymore and a lot of the beats are wack. It's cool now for rappers to be wack because wack music is what sells and that's so sad. Plus some of the good veteran rappers like KRS One, Too Short, Nas, Redman, Keith Murray, Run DMC, Chuck D of Public Enemy, Ice Cube, Wu Tang Clan have wack beats now and that's a shame because these guys had very good beats back in the day. QTip shouldn't be criticizing rap because his solo album Amplified is trash. He tried to go pop/mainstream with that album and he failed. The album went gold but he pissed off a lot of his fans with that album. I still listen to my old rap cd's. I don't even bother listening to a lot of the new rappers because they're terrible.Yeah, we don't like rap because we're white. RIIIIIIIIIIGHT. :rolleyes: Does that mean that every person of color does or should like rap?

I like the blues, gospel, Motown, soul, funk, jazz, r & b (up to about 20 years ago more or less), as well as metal. What does that say about me? Ever heard of Charley Pride? A BLACK country singer from the 70's. Why does race somehow dictate what a person listens to, or should be listening to? What about Jimi Hendrix? What about Doug Pinnick of King's X? What about Living Colour? What about God Forbid?

[ABlairican Pie]

Of course most of ya'll on here don't like rap because you're white. Maybe most of us on here don't like rap because it's hardly musical. Sampled "beats", no melody, no structure, one doesn't even have to know how to play a musical instrument. Just yacking and chanting incessantly about shooting people up and killing the po-po's and slapping ho's and smoking blunts. Wow. Such lyrical diversity, too. ohno: All these kiddies in these stupid baggy pants acting like they're tough little thugs. And it's been overhyped like crazy for the past fifteen years. Cartoon's over, kiddies.

[bronxgirl]

Maybe most of us on here don't like rap because it's hardly musical. Sampled "beats", no melody, no structure, one doesn't even have to know how to play a musical instrument. Just yacking and chanting incessantly about shooting people up and killing the po-po's and slapping ho's and smoking blunts. Wow. Such lyrical diversity, too. ohno: All these kiddies in these stupid baggy pants acting like they're tough little thugs. And it's been overhyped like crazy for the past fifteen years. Cartoon's over, kiddies.


OK granted I don't like a lot of the rap music that is out now I haven't listen to radio in years but to say what you just said about all rap well just know that what you see on BET is not what Rap started out as. I could say that hard rock is is about devil worshiping and many to people that's all noise and yelling where all the people do at concerts is wale on each other and look dirty (I've listen to punk rock and don't get me started on the "power" ballads!). You haven't listen to earlier rap music from the 70's to the late 80's (that's was when it was good). If it it's not your cup of tea fine I understand I am not a big Jazz fan, don't care for Country but I can listen to Dolly Parton & Kenny Rogers.

But since I have literally grown up with the music I get a little defensive about it. I can tell the difference and see the changes some was good a lot was awful see Soulja Boy. Rap stared to decline when big labels started to by the little labels and then you had companies that cared nothing about music buying these labels (Seagram's Gin buying Universal Music) and put out whatever made money even if it's two dogs farting and from what I've been seeing of music in general that may be more entertaining. Also more White suburban teenagers and college students do actually buy the junk rap has become now, in fact they probably could tell you the lyrics better than any 12t year old Black kid, I've seen it 1st hand. To clarify isiahthomas inner Black kids aren't downloading the music, their buying the bootleg off the streets.

[isiahthomas]

Inner city black kids are downloading rap music if their parents have a computer since they can't download at the library. Yes they're buying bootleg cd's on the street too but trust me, they also download the music. Rappers are still getting in trouble with the law. I just read yesterday that female rapper Remy Martin may be sentenced to 25 years in prison next month for shooting a female friend of her's who she claims stole some money from her. Remy was crying when she was escorted outta the courtroom yesterday in handcuffs. I don't care what happens to her because she had no business shooting somebody. If she felt that this friend of her's stole from her, then she could've handled it in a better way like talking to her about it instead of using a gun. Then i also read about rapper T.I. who might be going to prison also for buying illegal guns. These rappers are so f*cking stupid. Female rapper Foxy Brown is in prison right now for doing some stupid sh*t. She got put in a isolation cell by herself because she's been getting into fights in prison and acting crazy. She has some serious issues and she has a attitude problem.

[isiahthomas]

ABlairican Pie, it's obvious you don't know sh*t about rap because you're generalizing every rapper. Have you listened to political educated rappers like KRS One, Public Enemy(Flavor Flav is ignorant LOL), The Coup, Dead Prez, Paris, Kam, Poor Righteous Teachers, Ice Cube(he used to be political), Geto Boys, Goodie Mob? Most blacks who listen to rap don't listen to these artists because they don't talk about ignorant sh*t all the time and that's why their music doesn't sell. Blacks who listen to rap say that these rappers i named preach too much. Ignorant blacks need to be preached to with their stupid asses. That's why so many black men are in prison and dead because they don't believe in getting a good job and wearing casual clothes to job interviews. They show up at job interviews wearing baggy clothes and sneakers and then they wonder why they don't get hired. Plus their conversation is weak and they use slang words instead of speaking proper english. They don't believe in education and reading. All they wanna do is smoke weed, drink alcohol, have sex, talk a bunch of ignorant sh*t, party, make fun of somebody and laugh at somebody.

[Ireneparalegal]

ABlairican Pie, it's obvious you don't know sh*t about rap because you're generalizing every rapper.
Isaiah, you are generalizing too by saying all of us here who hate rap are white. That is an assumption and a genralized statement by you. I am not white. You also made a generalized statement by saying blacks don't work and they use their parents computers to download music because they can't afford to buy CD's. Honestly, I don't buy CD's anymore and I have plenty of money. I just don't bother buying a whole CD for one song. You have made too many generalized statements yourself.

Albairican doesn't like rap. That doesn't mean anything bad. It is a style of music he doesn't care for. I don't like Punk music, there hasn't been anything I heard that I like in punk music. People like what they like and that's it.

[isiahthomas]

How am i generalizing saying that most white people on here don't like rap? That's not a generalization, i'm speaking the truth. Most white people on here don't like rap. That's a fact. I know that white people are buying rap music more than blacks but that's because they can afford it because they got good jobs. Most blacks don't have good jobs. That's not a generalization either. Most blacks don't take education seriously and that's why so many of them are poor, living in the ghetto and don't have good jobs. That's a fact. You can try to defend blacks all you want but that's the truth what i said. White kids that buy rap are trying to be black anyway. Why else would they buy the music? White kids know that their parents don't want them listening to it but they listen to it anyway to rebel and piss off their parents. Mr Cheeks of rap group Lost Boys raps about white actor Mark Wahlberg who used to be a rapper back in the day named Marky Mark on Channel Zero song. Mr Cheeks said Marky Mark be talking that slang but they don't even understand it. Yeah i said Marky Mark, fronting like the boodah is sparked. I never seen you in the park. You gets award for your bullsh*t skills g. A white boy acting black, that sh*t kills me LOL. Pants hanging, talking slang kid and all of that. I never seen you in the projects at all LOL.

[Dean Winchester]

so what's the verdict Isaiah? White people who don't like rap are lame and have a closed minded taste in music, and white people who do like rap are lame and are just trying to be "down"? Umm... I see a no-win scenerio there for white people

[ABlairican Pie]

ABlairican Pie, it's obvious you don't know sh*t about rap because you're generalizing every rapper. Have you listened to political educated rappers like KRS One, Public Enemy(Flavor Flav is ignorant LOL), The Coup, Dead Prez, Paris, Kam, Poor Righteous Teachers, Ice Cube(he used to be political), Geto Boys, Goodie Mob?
Well, previously, it seems like you have generalized every heavy metal musician as dressing as "gay", acting sadomasochistic and making loud noise.

To be fair, I do like some things by Public Enemy and other more socially minded, politically conscious rappers. Rap has turned out to be a novelty, as opposed to when it was trying to saying something relevant about 15 to 20 years ago.

[Ireneparalegal]

To be fair, I do like some things by Public Enemy and other more socially minded, politically conscious rappers. Rap has turned out to be a novelty, as opposed to when it was trying to saying something relevant about 15 to 20 years ago.
Exactly. And the same thing can be said abt all genres of music. For example, I used to be a huge Mariah Carey fan. BUT! she started turning out singles faster than she changes shoes. I hear she is close to breaking Elvis' record of having the most singles. Why? Because she chose to do sampling. That is sad to me. A record company releases a single that is merely a song with new lyrics but an old song. Sampling songs has been her novelty (and others too) for some time now. I don't want that. I want originality, I want to hear something different and unique. I don't care how many times one song can be sampled by various artists. Show me what you got without resorting to taking other people's hard work. That just turned me off abt Mariah. She jumped on the Rap bandwagon to make her albums. All her songs began to sound the same, with one rapper here and another rapper on her song, gimme a break. How many rappers really add anything great to a song by another artist? It seems to be the new novelty of having a rapper on your song.

[Dean Winchester]

Exactly. And the same thing can be said abt all genres of music. For example, I used to be a huge Mariah Carey fan. BUT! she started turning out singles faster than she changes shoes. I hear she is close to breaking Elvis' record of having the most singles. Why? Because she chose to do sampling. That is sad to me. A record company releases a single that is merely a song with new lyrics but an old song. Sampling songs has been her novelty (and others too) for some time now. I don't want that. I want originality, I want to hear something different and unique. I don't care how many times one song can be sampled by various artists. Show me what you got without resorting to taking other people's hard work. That just turned me off abt Mariah. She jumped on the Rap bandwagon to make her albums. All her songs began to sound the same, with one rapper here and another rapper on her song, gimme a break. How many rappers really add anything great to a song by another artist? It seems to be the new novelty of having a rapper on your song.
the Mariah thing started because she was being criticized in the African-American community for being too "white". Which I always found funny and hypocritical... the woman is biracial, so she's just as white as she is black, but she's a traitor to her race because she had a white boyfriend in a video?

I think a lot of people are still too hung up on racial barriers and it's really pathetic in 2008 since people still want the world to be black and white and it's not like that anymore. Why is it so hard to believe a white person might like hip hop music without trying to be black? I have always loved r&b, soul, funk, whatever music and I have never once ever tried to be anything besides white. I don't listen with my eyes, but ears.

[friendsfan77]

A white boy acting black, that sh*t kills me LOL. Pants hanging, talking slang kid and all of that. I never seen you in the projects at all LOL.
I pity you. All you seem to do is stereotype people and lump them into groups. It really should not be all about race and looks all the time. I love how you want to call out people for their generalizations when you do the same thing. And what poor generalizations they are at that; not every black guy has their pants hanging off their ass.

[Janice]

I hope so.

[waichingliu81]

Yeah, we don't like rap because we're white. RIIIIIIIIIIGHT. :rolleyes: Does that mean that every person of color does or should like rap?

I like the blues, gospel, Motown, soul, funk, jazz, r & b (up to about 20 years ago more or less), as well as metal. What does that say about me? Ever heard of Charley Pride? A BLACK country singer from the 70's. Why does race somehow dictate what a person listens to, or should be listening to? What about Jimi Hendrix? What about Doug Pinnick of King's X? What about Living Colour? What about God Forbid?

i love all types of music. be it rock, pop, rap, dance whatever. as long as its a great song i don't care what it is. and besides, a person's race has nothing to do with one's taste in music, film, tv show etc. prince, hendrix, tina turner to name but many are and were successful black artists, of whom produced and made music that catered for everyone- not just blacks but people of all ages, races, genders sexualities etc. to say that every black person loves hip hop, that gays prefer disco music, and whites prefer say rock, classical and pop is not only stereotypical but a generalisation. and yet just because it is a generalisation, doesn't make it neccessarily true

[Steve M.]

Is rap dying? I hope so. "Rap music" is a contradiciton in terms. Let's go back to music with instruments and chord changes! :D

[Dean Winchester]

i love all types of music. be it rock, pop, rap, dance whatever. as long as its a great song i don't care what it is. and besides, a person's race has nothing to do with one's taste in music, film, tv show etc. prince, hendrix, tina turner to name but many are and were successful black artists, of whom produced and made music that catered for everyone- not just blacks but people of all ages, races, genders sexualities etc. to say that every black person loves hip hop, that gays prefer disco music, and whites prefer say rock, classical and pop is not only stereotypical but a generalisation. and yet just because it is a generalisation, doesn't make it neccessarily true
I agree. I actually remember Solomon getting called out on for liking jazz and not hip hop. Hmmmph, isn't jazz "black" too? Maybe even moreso because even tho there are white jazz musicians, it's never been a genre that white suburban teens have tried to make their own culture. But he's a "race traitor" because he prefers jazz music and hates hip hop? That's like calling a white person a traitor to being caucasian if they hate country and love rock.

[Ireneparalegal]

The thing is with Isaiah, he always generalizes. His posts here show that. Nothing new. He also sees things as black and white, no shades of gray.

He can't appreciate that people of all races can like all kinds of music. I have music of every genre (except punk, bluegrass and classical :rofl:) in my music collection. You can go through my CD's and see everything from Elton John, Snoop Dogg, Boston, Bette Midler, Barbara Streisand, Journey, Madonna, Stevie Ray Vaughn, Johnny Guitar Watson, Kenny Rogers, Patsy Cline, the list goes on and on. It includes R&B, Soul, Blues, Jazz, Country, Rock, Pop, oldies (pop, R&B, etc.).

I think a great example of someone who can appreciate music for what it sounds like and what is actually heard is Stevie Wonder. He can't see skin color, but he feels music. I remember seeing him enjoying a performance by MEN AT WORK on the Grammys many years ago. Seeing him clapping and really enjoying the music. He gets a feel for what music really is, not by the skin color of the people who play it.

[coffield3]

I hope so, I am not a fan of rap.

[Dean Winchester]

The thing is with Isaiah, he always generalizes. His posts here show that. Nothing new. He also sees things as black and white, no shades of gray.

He can't appreciate that people of all races can like all kinds of music. I have music of every genre (except punk, bluegrass and classical :rofl:) in my music collection. You can go through my CD's and see everything from Elton John, Snoop Dogg, Boston, Bette Midler, Barbara Streisand, Journey, Madonna, Stevie Ray Vaughn, Johnny Guitar Watson, Kenny Rogers, Patsy Cline, the list goes on and on. It includes R&B, Soul, Blues, Jazz, Country, Rock, Pop, oldies (pop, R&B, etc.).

I think a great example of someone who can appreciate music for what it sounds like and what is actually heard is Stevie Wonder. He can't see skin color, but he feels music. I remember seeing him enjoying a performance by MEN AT WORK on the Grammys many years ago. Seeing him clapping and really enjoying the music. He gets a feel for what music really is, not by the skin color of the people who play it.

yep, Stevie actually went on tour with the Rolling Stones in the early 70's and won the Stones crowd over. I think any true fan of music should be able to find something good in every genre of music, sure we all have our preferences, but regardless, if you dig deep enough into every genre of music, you should be able to find something in it for you. Like I admit I am not a jazz person, but "So What" by Miles Davis is a brilliant piece of music IMO.

[platinumblondelife]

No.

[Child_of_the_80s]

Yes, Rap is dying a slow and painful death. Long gone are they days of Salt N Pepa, Monie Luv, Public Enemy, and Krs-One....

Growing up in the 80's and early 90's, Rap has a colorful mix of songs. You had your party tunes, your "I Need Love" songs, and songs with a message("Let's talk about Sex", "Fight The Power", and my all time favorite, "Ladies First"). Now, for the last ten years, Rap music, with the few exceptions like Outkast and Lupe Ficaso and Common, sucks, badly. Almost all of it sounds the same with the same tired beat and the most horrified lyrics ever. Don't get me started on the videos, it's sickening and sad to see a genre that started out so wonderful, turned into a buffonery, a freak show.

When you have rappers like that superman dude, only sixteen, and rapping about something so vulgar, it makes you wonder where is his mother(I didn't know what he was rapping about until I dug a little a little deeper.. the power of the internet, and let's just say, that the meaning is too disgusting). It saddens me how kids as little as three are doing the superman dance but the real meaning is something so gross and degrading.

[littlebelle]

It makes me sad when I see good rappers like snoop dogg cultivating t-pain styles. Rap definitely had died which is too bad because I'm a big fan of 90's old skool. I'd say the only rapper out there making music now-a-days that's worth listening to is Lil Wayne.

[*ClassicPinUp*]

When you have rappers like that superman dude, only sixteen, and rapping about something so vulgar, it makes you wonder where is his mother(I didn't know what he was rapping about until I dug a little a little deeper.. the power of the internet, and let's just say, that the meaning is too disgusting). It saddens me how kids as little as three are doing the superman dance but the real meaning is something so gross and degrading.
When I found out the meaning of "superman" and what he was singing about I could NOT believe it. What a disgusting human being. I wanna find him and slap him...several times.

[Fleet]

I hope so, I am not a fan of rap.
Was it ever alive? :D

[waichingliu81]

....When you have rappers like that superman dude, only sixteen, and rapping about something so vulgar, it makes you wonder where is his mother(I didn't know what he was rapping about until I dug a little a little deeper.. the power of the internet, and let's just say, that the meaning is too disgusting). It saddens me how kids as little as three are doing the superman dance but the real meaning is something so gross and degrading.

i don't want to sound rude or ignorant, but who is the superman dude? i don't think i have heard of him before, as i live in the uk

[Child_of_the_80s]

When I found out the meaning of "superman" and what he was singing about I could NOT believe it. What a disgusting human being. I wanna find him and slap him...several times.

I too wanted to slap him, someone e-mailed the lyrics, I was sickened, but sadly, not surprised. Rap has gone too far, twenty years ago, this song wouldn't be played on the radio so to make a song about rape among other things, especially at sixteen, shows that his mother didn't do a good job.

And to answer waichingliu81, this rapper is solider boy or however he spells it, his big and ONLY hit is the superman dance. People actually like this song, but not me, this kid is an sexiest animal who encourages rape and... well, I won't tell you what else, not on here.

[waichingliu81]

I too wanted to slap him, someone e-mailed the lyrics, I was sickened, but sadly, not surprised. Rap has gone too far, twenty years ago, this song wouldn't be played on the radio so to make a song about rape among other things, especially at sixteen, shows that his mother didn't do a good job.

And to answer waichingliu81, this rapper is solider boy or however he spells it, his big and ONLY hit is the superman dance. People actually like this song, but not me, this kid is an sexiest animal who encourages rape and... well, I won't tell you what else, not on here.

that is disgusting. thanks for answering my query. the problem with rap isn't just the fact that its videos have become too smutty and x-rated but the records are nowadays lacking in imagination. not to mention that because it has become so commercialised and mainstream, it has lost a lot of its identity and culture that it originally had. with rappers saying things like bitches, hos and women degrading themselves in videos by wearing very little clothing

[Child_of_the_80s]

that is disgusting. thanks for answering my query. the problem with rap isn't just the fact that its videos have become too smutty and x-rated but the records are nowadays lacking in imagination. not to mention that because it has become so commercialised and mainstream, it has lost a lot of its identity and culture that it originally had. with rappers saying things like bitches, hos and women degrading themselves in videos by wearing very little clothing

That's the big problem. Rap artists has sold out for the almighty dollar, rap became a huge joke in 1997, kind of like breakdancing when it went mainstream (if anyone who grew up in the eighties remember what killed breakdancing was those stupid Fruity Pebbles and Pringles commericals, where clueless old people were "breakin" because it was the "style"). Once P. Diddy got ahold of rap, it was all over.

[waichingliu81]

That's the big problem. Rap artists has sold out for the almighty dollar, rap became a huge joke in 1997, kind of like breakdancing when it went mainstream (if anyone who grew up in the eighties remember what killed breakdancing was those stupid Fruity Pebbles and Pringles commericals, where clueless old people were "breakin" because it was the "style"). Once P. Diddy got ahold of rap, it was all over.

diddy, or sean john as he is known, isn't really a rapper but a man, who just jumps on the rap bandwagon and relying on product endorsements that have his name on it to get his name across to people, not to mention make tons of money

[ABlairican Pie]

That was one of the things that really got me sick of rap, the fact that it was co-opted by everyone and their mother's dog. Everyone jumped on the bandwagon in order to be "cool" and "wid'dit". It lost any edge that it had because it became trendy enough for soccer moms to like. Lame.

Fruity Pebbles, LOL. :rolleyes: :lol: I remember back in 1984 when Barney was on a Fruity Pebbles commercial impersonating a prehistoric Prince in order to trick Fred out of his cereal bowl. This corporate snagging of pop culture was completely killing off the music.


Listening to "Hellion"/"Electric Eye" by Judas Priest right now. :rock:

[Child_of_the_80s]

That was one of the things that really got me sick of rap, the fact that it was co-opted by everyone and their mother's dog. Everyone jumped on the bandwagon in order to be "cool" and "wid'dit". It lost any edge that it had because it became trendy enough for soccer moms to like. Lame.

Fruity Pebbles, LOL. :rolleyes: :lol: I remember back in 1984 when Barney was on a Fruity Pebbles commercial impersonating a prehistoric Prince in order to trick Fred out of his cereal bowl. This corporate snagging of pop culture was completely killing off the music.


Listening to "Hellion"/"Electric Eye" by Judas Priest right now. :rock:

:lol: I so remembered that commercial! Even though Fruity Pebbles was my cereal back in the day, I had a "what the hell" look on my face. But those Fruity Pebbles was as lame as that Pringles commerical or that one Burger King commerical with all those lame attempts of rapping and breakdancing. That wasn't REAL breakdancing at all! I was almost through when the 75-year old white couple started rapping.

I was through when the show "Alice" decided to captalize on the breakdancing movement.

[hatwink]

Maybe Ice-T was right.

[MickeyMac]

I hate rap music so much, its the worst musical genre ever. Then again with a few exceptions here and there, music has been going downhill since 1967.

[MrCleveland]

Rap died with Eminem leaving the limelight.

Now It's nothing but the same **** that they rap. Sex, Drugs, Killing People, and dropping the N-Bomb. (That part makes it disturbing, and I'm not black either!)

[Mikado]

I hate rap music so much, its the worst musical genre ever. Then again with a few exceptions here and there, music has been going downhill since 1967.
AMEN TO THAT!!!!!! :cow: yupyup!!!

Is Rap Dying? I certainly HOPE so, nuff said!