What ever happened to GOOD rap?

[ReleaseTheBeast7]

You know, everyone gives rap such a bad rep. Well, it's well deserved with the rappers that have come out later. Everyone has "Young" in front of their name anymore, Young Joc, Young Jeezy, Young Dro. I mean what the hell? Whatever happened to orginal names like Method Man, Redman, Raekwon, Ghostface, I know all these names are from the Wu-Tang Clan, but man, their music is so great.

All we have anymore is Bow Wow blabbin off about spinners
Fabolous telling people how to breathe
Rick Ross telling how everyday he hustles. 4902094393 times over again.

Whatever happened to the greatest era of rap? Is it just me, or has rap declined a great amount since the early-mid 90s?

Why does everyone seem to be hooked on rappers promoting smoking doobies, having sex, and driving on 24" rims. What is so attractive in a song about that? You know what? It's NOT attractive, people get hooked onto the beats, don't listen or think about what the rappers are saying. And that's why rap isn't considered inspirational, and that's why young kids that actually listen to the words think acting "gangsta" is cool.

There are no rappers coming up that could even compete with the Wu-Tang Clan, Tu Pac, Biggie, hell even WILL SMITH. There's no such thing as a rapper that rhymes about his actual life. 50 Cent was on his way to changing rap forever, but he sold out. He would be the #1 rapper right now if he wouldn't of been such a retard.

Whatever happened to songs like this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zRCyvWSeGgM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GDfToFcJ2J4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jDnrmma8hSE

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qg_8HIwRyrE

I mean, what ever happened to songs like that? Whatever happened to the times when you could say that you loved rap, and could be proud of it?

Why do rappers think that having diamonds in your mouth, and having a rim that never stops spinning so cool? It's so messed up.

I mean, don't get me wrong, I love rap. But damn, we need to go back

[Skywalker]

You know, everyone gives rap such a bad rep. Well, it's well deserved with the rappers that have come out later. Everyone has "Young" in front of their name anymore, Young Joc, Young Jeezy, Young Dro. I mean what the hell? Whatever happened to orginal names like Method Man, Redman, Raekwon, Ghostface, I know all these names are from the Wu-Tang Clan, but man, their music is so great.

All we have anymore is Bow Wow blabbin off about spinners
Fabolous telling people how to breathe
Rick Ross telling how everyday he hustles. 4902094393 times over again.

Whatever happened to the greatest era of rap? Is it just me, or has rap declined a great amount since the early-mid 90s?

Why does everyone seem to be hooked on rappers promoting smoking doobies, having sex, and driving on 24" rims. What is so attractive in a song about that? You know what? It's NOT attractive, people get hooked onto the beats, don't listen or think about what the rappers are saying. And that's why rap isn't considered inspirational, and that's why young kids that actually listen to the words think acting "gangsta" is cool.

There are no rappers coming up that could even compete with the Wu-Tang Clan, Tu Pac, Biggie, hell even WILL SMITH. There's no such thing as a rapper that rhymes about his actual life. 50 Cent was on his way to changing rap forever, but he sold out. He would be the #1 rapper right now if he wouldn't of been such a retard.

Whatever happened to songs like this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zRCyvWSeGgM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GDfToFcJ2J4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jDnrmma8hSE

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qg_8HIwRyrE

I mean, what ever happened to songs like that? Whatever happened to the times when you could say that you loved rap, and could be proud of it?

Why do rappers think that having diamonds in your mouth, and having a rim that never stops spinning so cool? It's so messed up.

I mean, don't get me wrong, I love rap. But damn, we need to go back

I agree.


whenever I hear a rap song on the radio I have to shut it off...what they talk about now I just can't stand it.


what do you think about Eminem? it seems to me he is about 50/50 to the kind of rap you are talking about and today's rap. I dont mind Eminem and can listen to his songs.

[Nick7]

Good rap? Haha, that's funny. j/k

I actually like NWA to be honest. I'm mostly a metalhead, too. I like Petey Pablo, too. He has a cool voice.

LbloodOjunkieG like Tupac and he seems to be a metalhead. So, yeah....

[anton...]

hell...

im an australian..

and here... u might as well cover ur head in motor oil and practice being a damn fire juggling retard....

cos rap here is not highly respected...

and on ur avarage day.. ill give a rap lover a talking to that he will never forget...

BUT....

ur observations are very true indeed...

ive always been a huge fan of 2pac and all the old skool rappers...

i never really liked them per say...

but i loved their music.. it had real rhyme, meaning and an awsum tune....




nice observation....

[ReleaseTheBeast7]

I agree.


whenever I hear a rap song on the radio I have to shut it off...what they talk about now I just can't stand it.


what do you think about Eminem? it seems to me he is about 50/50 to the kind of rap you are talking about and today's rap. I dont mind Eminem and can listen to his songs.

I think Eminem is probably one of the worst rappers thats still in the game. When he was on his serious side, he was nice, don't get me wrong. But all the "Two trailer park girls go round the outside, round the outside, round the outside", all the "This looks like a job for me, so everybody just follow me, because we need a little controversey, and it feels so empty, without me." I mean, that stuff isn't respectful at all. It makes me want to spit at the rap game.

I mean, Eminem had his moments, but he was nothing compared to what some old school rappers were.

[Skywalker]

I think Eminem is probably one of the worst rappers thats still in the game. When he was on his serious side, he was nice, don't get me wrong. But all the "Two trailer park girls go round the outside, round the outside, round the outside", all the "This looks like a job for me, so everybody just follow me, because we need a little controversey, and it feels so empty, without me." I mean, that stuff isn't respectful at all. It makes me want to spit at the rap game.

I mean, Eminem had his moments, but he was nothing compared to what some old school rappers were.

totally agree. I was kinda talking about when he raps about his daughter and family life...

[LbloodOjunkieG]

Good rap? Haha, that's funny. j/k

I actually like NWA to be honest. I'm mostly a metalhead, too. I like Petey Pablo, too. He has a cool voice.

LbloodOjunkieG like Tupac and he seems to be a metalhead. So, yeah....

I am glad you noticed. I am a metal head at heart, but I do apreciate good rap, such as 2pac. He had a message, and he trully wanted to change the world. He wrote about things from teenage pregnancy to police brutality to mothers addicted to crack. He wrote about things that nobody else did/does. 2pac is the only rapper I listen to, because of the reason I just listed. Now to answer the original question, good rap died when 2pac died. IMO.

*edit* I like a select few Andre Nickatina songs.

[delaranta]

I am a big fan of Common myself. He seems to have a social conscience(sp?) and at times even calls out rappers that spend all their time talking about rims and such.

[tpryce93]

I think Eminem is probably one of the worst rappers thats still in the game. When he was on his serious side, he was nice, don't get me wrong. But all the "Two trailer park girls go round the outside, round the outside, round the outside", all the "This looks like a job for me, so everybody just follow me, because we need a little controversey, and it feels so empty, without me." I mean, that stuff isn't respectful at all. It makes me want to spit at the rap game.

I mean, Eminem had his moments, but he was nothing compared to what some old school rappers were.

I like anything by eminem before The eminem show. after that it all began to be the same.

[In-com-plete]

Man, I was just going to create a thread on this posting some of my favorite vids and songs.

What happened to rap? I'm not sure. I think it was a variety of things. MTV mainly showing "rappers" like P-Diddy and Master P. The death of guys like 2Pac and Eazy E. Guys like Slick Rick and Too Short and groups like RUN DMC and PE pretty much retiring. Ice Cube and LL Cool J acting instead of rhyming. Dre and Snoop turning more hip-hop. Not to mention the greatest group of all time splitting up. That being House of Pain.

Anyway, here's some of my favorites from back in the day. Make sure you check out the Cypress Hill and HOP ones. Great songs and vids:
NWA - Straight Outta Compton
Comptons Most Wanted - Hood took me under
Brand Nubian - Punks Jump Up To Get Beat Down
Ice Cube - It was a good day
Cypress Hill - How I Could Just Kill a Man
House of Pain - Shamrocks & Shananigans (Butch Vig Remix)

[NJBRONCOSFAN]

The problem is, like everything else, it's a business.

You got these industry ****** creating absolute garbage. (I.e - NELLY)

[dogfish]

RTB, while most of the commercial stuff is just total crap, like most pop music that's aimed at attracting 13 year olds to spend mommy and daddy's money, there IS still good stuff out there. . . . if you want to hear some deep, soulful, intelligent lyrics, check out the album blazing arrow by blackalicious-- it's one of the best albums ever made imo!

also check out anything by jurassic five, the roots, the black-eyed peas, or my new favorite, talib kweli (i really hope he comes out with something new sometime soon). . . . .

[Jared]

Man, I feel old.

You said good rap, and then named all these clowns who I feel wrecked rap.


NWA really only had one good record, because honestly, efil4zaggin was a parody of themselves, in some respects.

PE's "It Takes a Nation" is the pinnacle of what rap can be. No one has really come close to that since.

BDP/KRS-One made three classics that are from the same era.

Eric B & Rakim was awesome

Slick Rick was clever.

LL and Ice were great, but yeah, that whole acting thing is cool, but it made their music careers lose momentum.

Dre is a great producer, but I never liked "The Chronic"...or Snoop or any of that which followed.

Biggie and Tupac are influential, but again, I never really saw them as excitingly original.

Really, betwee 1987-and 1991, the sheer amount of albums considered classics, not onlyin rap, but in music, was astounding:

By All Means Necessary - Boogie Down Productions
NWA - Straight Outta Compton
Public Enemy - It Takes a Nation......, and Apocalypse '91
LL Cool J - Mama Said Knock You Out
Slick Rick - The Great Adventures of Slick Rick (Do you know how often this record is sampled or has lines lifted word for word?)
Eric B. & Rakim - Follow the Leader (set the stage for the jazz hip-hop of De La Soul and Gang Starr)
A Tribe Called Quest - The Low End Theory (Although, People's Instinctive Travels.......was very very good too. This album was so intelligent and so anti-gangsta for it's era.)


By 1993, Wu-Tang and Tupac had changed rap, for the worse, in my opinion.

[dogfish]

jared, you forgot fear of a black planet. . . . .


but seriously, have you listened to any of the artists i mentioned? if you haven't, you really should-- things like introspection, wit, and social consciousness are not dead in hip hop, merely buried beneath the many layers of utter garbage that's played on the radio. . . . check out blazing arrow-- it is WELL worth it!!

[Jared]

jared, you forgot fear of a black planet. . . . .


but seriously, have you listened to any of the artists i mentioned? if you haven't, you really should-- things like introspection, wit, and social consciousness are not dead in hip hop, merely buried beneath the many layers of utter garbage that's played on the radio. . . . check out blazing arrow-- it is WELL worth it!!

I did mention that album. I just shortened it to Apocolypse 91.


I do like the Roots and BEP, although I am not sure I consider the latter rap. Hip hop, yes, rap no. Not hardcore anyway. Heck of a lot of fun though.