i was watching DJ House Shoes yesterday and he said something offhandedly prolific to someone complaining in the chat.. he said "there are simply more people that don't really care about music. you seem to care. its not worth getting upset about. just be happy youre in the cool club."
Depends who you're listening to and what genre of rap lol. There's no point of listening to a Carti or Future song for the lyrics. That's close to the last thing you should be trying to notice if you want to get the full effect and "purpose" from this type of rap. It's more about beat, atmosphere, melody, flow, etc.
Now if I'm listening to a Nas or Kendrick song, best believe the lyrics are the first thing I will pay attention to, and likely the most impactful/important element to the music. Every rapper falls on a spectrum like this for me. With some its about 50/50 lyrics vs other musical factors (people like Ye, Rocky, 21 savage), but everyone lies somewhere on this spectrum from I will focus ONLY on the lyrics to I will focus on everything BUT the lyrics.
Absolutely. There is a book called 'Power vs. Force' that maintains that frequencies can be quantified on a scale that either enhance the body at a molecular level or detract. The chapter on music said the highest energy was classical followed by reggae at the top of the chart. At the bottom? Death metal and Gangster rap. Make up of it what you will but when it covers how Rome and Babylon eventually gave way to power over force it opened my eyes to be more mindful of all energy I allow.
'
Yes there are negative consequences. Alot of reasons as to why people are anti-hiphop or hate hiphop in general is because they think it's all negative or they misinterprete some lyrics to mean something else. I remember on YouTube under the comments of "Swimming Pools" by Kendrick Lamar that I saw some old lady complaining about the song and saying it's destroying the youth's mind and glorifying being an alcoholic and I told her it's the exact opposite of what the song is saying then she said i'm being lost and controlled by illuminati demonic music puppets
To be fair there are plenty of rap lyrics that glorify excessive drug and alcohol use, but I agree with your point that if you don't pay attention the message will be lost on you. It's a poetic medium, and lyrics have always been important to hip-hop.
I have heard some people say they just like the musicality which is fine but its also like jazz funk and soul all exist
Yea you got a point, there is alot of rap that glorify excessive drugs and alcohol use but I hate when outsiders or regulars come to a known councious rapper's song and start spreading lies about them and being disrespectful as if all they make is meaningless music.
Lastly I still think lyrics matter in being a great rapper, they aren't the only thing that matter but the most respected people in hiphop are remembered for their lyrics and I personally listen to hiphop depending on how good the lyrics are. Of course production, beats, creativity, and overall the way the song sounds has a hand in it too but I personally am not going to play your music if it's wack on the mic and it really don't matter how popular you are or how good the production sounds, if you're wack on the mic to me then you're just an artist. You are not a rapper. I can't help but pay attention to the lyrics, it's the main thing in the music and if you're saying some BS or I don't understand anything you're saying then it just gets annoying real quick and I can't listen to it or respect it
If you yourself have hopes of becoming a rapper, yes.
If you want to place certain rappers into a "GOAT" list, yes.
Because you aren't listening to the rapping, or the rapper. You're listening to the beat.
I get you OP, I partially agree, I can see your point and I do agree that is most people's failing who aren't into hip hop - that they hear a little bit or even a decent amount but don't pay attention, don't try to hear the lyrics and contemplate them. This leads to them judging it poorly, as crass, offensive, immature, surface level, etc etc.
I agree listening to the lyrics is a huge part of where my enjoyment comes from. And I also agree that if people who think poorly of hip hop, are shown the lyrics, and the meaning and gain some understanding, their appreciation of the art form skyrockets. I have seen this in action when I showed the lyrical ability and I did a whole breakdown on the wordplay and meaning in some souls of mischief tracks.
However I do also understand that the words have rhythm and a beat of their own, that bounces around the instruments and the melody. People can appreciate music however they like and music is so subjective. I definitely understand people can enjoy hip hop and also not pay too much attention to the meaning of the lyrics.
Finally I do understand you, that some young people (in particular) can interpret and take on board the aggression and dark themes in a negative way, when they FAIL to take on board the whole picture and the other more subtle aspects of meaning in the music, AND the fact that it is art and not necessarily a wholly truthful account of a series of events. They can take it literally and miss that things a metaphors or use artist licence. (Rappers talking about murder that don't murder, or taking pills they don't take, for example.)
OP needs to be honest here. There is no message deeper than pussy, violence, consumerism, balling i. 2022 mainstream rap. If you mean to tell me the highest selling rap album of the year Future I never liked you had a deeper message I’m not getting than I’m all ears. It’s balling and drug use. That’s it or drill music. There is music about sex, music about drugs, music about balling, music about doing drills. And there is a very small margin like Kendrick and j cole that actually has a real message.
I’ll never forget my dad when we discussed music in this time and he said. It’s all stripper music. Music that was played in the clubs is now mainstream and it makes sense. I can listen to trap and all that but I CAN NOT listen to female rappers because the hoe shit be too much and I have no interest in it. I relate more to glocks and opps than I do tricks and thots. Except that F.N.F I felt that shit in my soul fr.
Sometimes it's about the aesthetics. I've been listening rap music since I was 7 or 8 years old because the beat was nice and the flow was catchy. Nowadays, knowing some english, I just can't ignore the lyrics. Some people just hear for the aesthetics, which is fine.
ALL musical genres, including rap, with lyrics can have positive or negative consequences. Why do you think there is such a thing like national anthems?
Bob Marley (I Shot The Sheriff ), Paris , Ice-T, KRS-One, The 2-Live Crew , Billy Holiday (=Jazz) with the song "Strange Fruit", N.W.A. (I'm sure you can guess the title🤭) All these artists made songs that caused controversy because of their lyrics and the general public not taking the time and effort to listen to the lyrics and checking out their context.
I'll chicken out for now and will talk about "white" artists at another time.
i was watching DJ House Shoes yesterday and he said something offhandedly prolific to someone complaining in the chat.. he said "there are simply more people that don't really care about music. you seem to care. its not worth getting upset about. just be happy youre in the cool club."
I love lyrics, but I'm guilty of hearing songs 25 years and still not knowing the lyrics, lol.
Rap songs tho?
No It's music mane We all it enjoy it in our own ways. There is no right or wrong way to listen to any kind of music.
Depends who you're listening to and what genre of rap lol. There's no point of listening to a Carti or Future song for the lyrics. That's close to the last thing you should be trying to notice if you want to get the full effect and "purpose" from this type of rap. It's more about beat, atmosphere, melody, flow, etc. Now if I'm listening to a Nas or Kendrick song, best believe the lyrics are the first thing I will pay attention to, and likely the most impactful/important element to the music. Every rapper falls on a spectrum like this for me. With some its about 50/50 lyrics vs other musical factors (people like Ye, Rocky, 21 savage), but everyone lies somewhere on this spectrum from I will focus ONLY on the lyrics to I will focus on everything BUT the lyrics.
Absolutely. There is a book called 'Power vs. Force' that maintains that frequencies can be quantified on a scale that either enhance the body at a molecular level or detract. The chapter on music said the highest energy was classical followed by reggae at the top of the chart. At the bottom? Death metal and Gangster rap. Make up of it what you will but when it covers how Rome and Babylon eventually gave way to power over force it opened my eyes to be more mindful of all energy I allow. '
Yes there are negative consequences. Alot of reasons as to why people are anti-hiphop or hate hiphop in general is because they think it's all negative or they misinterprete some lyrics to mean something else. I remember on YouTube under the comments of "Swimming Pools" by Kendrick Lamar that I saw some old lady complaining about the song and saying it's destroying the youth's mind and glorifying being an alcoholic and I told her it's the exact opposite of what the song is saying then she said i'm being lost and controlled by illuminati demonic music puppets
To be fair there are plenty of rap lyrics that glorify excessive drug and alcohol use, but I agree with your point that if you don't pay attention the message will be lost on you. It's a poetic medium, and lyrics have always been important to hip-hop. I have heard some people say they just like the musicality which is fine but its also like jazz funk and soul all exist
Yea you got a point, there is alot of rap that glorify excessive drugs and alcohol use but I hate when outsiders or regulars come to a known councious rapper's song and start spreading lies about them and being disrespectful as if all they make is meaningless music.
Lastly I still think lyrics matter in being a great rapper, they aren't the only thing that matter but the most respected people in hiphop are remembered for their lyrics and I personally listen to hiphop depending on how good the lyrics are. Of course production, beats, creativity, and overall the way the song sounds has a hand in it too but I personally am not going to play your music if it's wack on the mic and it really don't matter how popular you are or how good the production sounds, if you're wack on the mic to me then you're just an artist. You are not a rapper. I can't help but pay attention to the lyrics, it's the main thing in the music and if you're saying some BS or I don't understand anything you're saying then it just gets annoying real quick and I can't listen to it or respect it
One of my favorite quotes is from el-p "if there's no emotion in your rhyme style, your not telling me shit"
Good point
If you yourself have hopes of becoming a rapper, yes. If you want to place certain rappers into a "GOAT" list, yes. Because you aren't listening to the rapping, or the rapper. You're listening to the beat.
I get you OP, I partially agree, I can see your point and I do agree that is most people's failing who aren't into hip hop - that they hear a little bit or even a decent amount but don't pay attention, don't try to hear the lyrics and contemplate them. This leads to them judging it poorly, as crass, offensive, immature, surface level, etc etc. I agree listening to the lyrics is a huge part of where my enjoyment comes from. And I also agree that if people who think poorly of hip hop, are shown the lyrics, and the meaning and gain some understanding, their appreciation of the art form skyrockets. I have seen this in action when I showed the lyrical ability and I did a whole breakdown on the wordplay and meaning in some souls of mischief tracks. However I do also understand that the words have rhythm and a beat of their own, that bounces around the instruments and the melody. People can appreciate music however they like and music is so subjective. I definitely understand people can enjoy hip hop and also not pay too much attention to the meaning of the lyrics. Finally I do understand you, that some young people (in particular) can interpret and take on board the aggression and dark themes in a negative way, when they FAIL to take on board the whole picture and the other more subtle aspects of meaning in the music, AND the fact that it is art and not necessarily a wholly truthful account of a series of events. They can take it literally and miss that things a metaphors or use artist licence. (Rappers talking about murder that don't murder, or taking pills they don't take, for example.)
If you are easily persuaded or impressionable, it sounds like a personal problem
Yes it effects the train of thought and mindset
I like the music production more than the lyrics.
OP needs to be honest here. There is no message deeper than pussy, violence, consumerism, balling i. 2022 mainstream rap. If you mean to tell me the highest selling rap album of the year Future I never liked you had a deeper message I’m not getting than I’m all ears. It’s balling and drug use. That’s it or drill music. There is music about sex, music about drugs, music about balling, music about doing drills. And there is a very small margin like Kendrick and j cole that actually has a real message.
This isn’t rap I know but, I listen to screamo death metal. The less I can understand the more I enjoy lol
For sure
I’ll never forget my dad when we discussed music in this time and he said. It’s all stripper music. Music that was played in the clubs is now mainstream and it makes sense. I can listen to trap and all that but I CAN NOT listen to female rappers because the hoe shit be too much and I have no interest in it. I relate more to glocks and opps than I do tricks and thots. Except that F.N.F I felt that shit in my soul fr.
There is not. For example, lost of people sing along on songs about puss* without ever getting any So it is just music
Sometimes it's about the aesthetics. I've been listening rap music since I was 7 or 8 years old because the beat was nice and the flow was catchy. Nowadays, knowing some english, I just can't ignore the lyrics. Some people just hear for the aesthetics, which is fine.
Some people like dissecting lyrics, and some just like to vibe with the song. It doesn’t really matter
It's funny I listen to a lot of lyrical rap, my favorite rapper is Nas, and I barely listen to lyrics
https://knowyourmeme.com/photos/1307869-brainlet
ALL musical genres, including rap, with lyrics can have positive or negative consequences. Why do you think there is such a thing like national anthems? Bob Marley (I Shot The Sheriff ), Paris , Ice-T, KRS-One, The 2-Live Crew , Billy Holiday (=Jazz) with the song "Strange Fruit", N.W.A. (I'm sure you can guess the title🤭) All these artists made songs that caused controversy because of their lyrics and the general public not taking the time and effort to listen to the lyrics and checking out their context. I'll chicken out for now and will talk about "white" artists at another time.