Why is rap so frowned upon?

[Southside]

I had to ask this question, It's so much rap-bashing on the internet and on the corperate media. People blame it for everything from the homocide rate, the drop-out rate, when will it stop? Just because its mainly listened to by inner city youth like myself its automatically destructive music? I've listened to Rap for as long as I can remember, mainly because that's what I've grown up around. People instantly sterotype it as all about bitches,drugs,money,cars, clothes and yeah, mainstream rap is that. What are you guys feelings on rap and the rap culture?

[Iron Man]

The people that rap about getting bitches, money, and smoking weed give it a bad name. But, since that is mainstream rap (unfortunately), people associate it as rap in general.

[Stryker125]

I think it's because people somehow got the idea that all rap is the same thing. If you tell someone you like rock, usually they go "oh cool what kind? alternative, indie, punk, metal?" and if you tell someone you like rap they're like "okay, cool. got it." I dunno.

[workingatperfect]

Mainstream rappers have given it a bad name. People think all rap is stuff like Lil Wayne and Rick Ross, but no one really thinks about people like Atmosphere or Hopsin. Even Drake has some good songs if you get past his radio hits, Lil Wayne too. Like, Drake has a lot of relationship songs, not sex, but actual relationships and stuff. Lil Wayne has Mirror, which I think is a great song. Nicki Minaj has that song Dear Old Nicki, which is about how it was a mistake becoming too much of a mainstream stereotype.

[xxPerryPlatypusxx]

I consider Eminem one of the best
He raps about his relationships and stuff. Never tries to insult people
unlike Lil Wayne who raps about pussies money and weed which I find disgusting
todays rap is taken where out of context. I mean what happened to the good old rap like Missy Elliot and what not... where did those good rappers go
I hate todays rappers.... Nikki Minaj is an example of a person I hate who had ruined todays genre of rap

[CharlieHorse]

most rap IMO is manufactured, and although they may feature "touching" lyrics, they don't usually mean anything in reality.
It's all about the media, and the money and the fame.
It's a stupid game.

[xxPerryPlatypusxx]

I prefer country music over rap
I mean I like some rap artists and songs but I am really only a country girl

[SAR151]

Mostly because of radio rap, there are mainstream artists that have good music but the "rap" that is played on the radio is a mixture of hip-hop and pop, the rap I listen to is mostly underground, 90's and southern rap (I live in Texas so of course I bang Southern rap lol) to name specific artists that I love that don't really fall into a specific category would be Kanye (older music), Lupe and Eminem. I also listen to EDM, country (I love country), some punk, and a few others on occasion. Music is music. It's all preferential.

[Southside]

Mostly because of radio rap, there are mainstream artists that have good music but the "rap" that is played on the radio is a mixture of hip-hop and pop, the rap I listen to is mostly underground, 90's and southern rap (I live in Texas so of course I bang Southern rap lol) to name specific artists that I love that don't really fall into a specific category would be Kanye (older music), Lupe and Eminem. I also listen to EDM, country (I love country), some punk, and a few others on occasion. Music is music. It's all preferential.


Yeah, I understand the whole opinion and preferential thing, but do you notice how rap is always bashed?

[Nellerin]

I had to ask this question, It's so much rap-bashing on the internet and on the corperate media. People blame it for everything from the homocide rate, the drop-out rate, when will it stop? Just because its mainly listened to by inner city youth like myself its automatically destructive music? I've listened to Rap for as long as I can remember, mainly because that's why I've grown up around. People instantly sterotype it as all about bitches,drugs,money,cars, clothes and yeah, mainstream rap is that. What are you guys feelings on rap and the rap culture?

Because 90% of it literally talks about everything bad in society.

[workingatperfect]

Because 90% of it literally talks about everything bad in society.

This is exactly what he's talking about. Mainstream rap doesn't even come mildly close to 90% of the rap that's out there, but no one seems to realize that.

[Horatio Nelson]

I agree, it does get bashed. Eminem and 2-Pac are my favorite rap artists.

[SAR151]

Yeah, I understand the whole opinion and preferential thing, but do you notice how rap is always bashed?

Yeah, I do, typically its because the people who don't like it or haven't given good rap (which varies from person to person) a chance are the ones that want to 'stand out' per say and bash it to make either themselves feel better, or make them look good in front of the crew they run with, like other people have said, rap is generally associated with a negative connotation because of its typical lyrics heard on the radio and therefore is bashed, its just the rep that its grown to have over the years, there's other genre related songs out there that influence bad ideals and actions but its not as heavily bashed. But these are just my thoughts on the subject matter, I'm sure there are plenty of reasons why rap is perceived the way it is.

[TheBigUnit]

Why was rock considered evil? Why was swing considered evil? The charleston was considered very risque, its because the older generations don't accept the new change in society that being said rap does surround a lot of violence look at tupac and biggie

[Twilly F. Sniper]

Rap is just crap.
1. The lyrics usually only talk about drugs and sex.
2. It's pretty much like the poetry of a gang member, with maybe some beat, but likely none. Just a few rhymes.
3. Disclaimer: I know this applies mostly to mainstream rap. But why the heck is this crap mainstream?

[Nellerin]

This is exactly what he's talking about. Mainstream rap doesn't even come mildly close to 90% of the rap that's out there, but no one seems to realize that.

If you count all the unknown rappers yes that is true. But in the public eye, rap is frowned upon becase only the bad rap is ever shown anywhere.

[Taurus]

To me, rap is nothing more than Retards/Rejects Attempting Poetry.
I just think it sucks. There's no creativity, no skill involved in making a rap song.

[Southside]

To me, rap is nothing more than Retards/Rejects Attempting Poetry.
I just think it sucks. There's no creativity, no skill involved in making a rap song.


Yet again a sterotypical view of rap held by most of society.Also, No skill involved in making a rap song? I have friends who are amature rappers who spend DAYS locked in their rooms writing lines and making beats. Yeah, they rap about drugs,money, gangs,guns but that's all most rappers are exposed to as inner city youth in public housing. Do you expect a rapper to rap about going to the mall with their friends or hang out at the movies? They rap about whats going on around them, and I can easily relate to rap because I live in Chicago.

[PinkFloyd]

Yes, the trashy rap that's about all that is by Lil Wayne... It's really too bad. I must say that there is one rapper that is really famous that does not rap about trash. The rapper I'm talking about is Eminem... Listen to this!
brGZRJsToX4

[Sugaree]

To me, rap is nothing more than Retards/Rejects Attempting Poetry.
I just think it sucks. There's no creativity, no skill involved in making a rap song.

You clearly don't know what you're talking about. About 90% of the unknown rappers make their own beats, lyrics, and produce it all themselves with little to no help from record companies. If that isn't creativity and talent to you, I'd like to know what is.

[Nellerin]

Yes, the trashy rap that's about all that is by Lil Wayne... It's really too bad. I must say that there is one rapper that is really famous that does not rap about trash. The rapper I'm talking about is Eminem... Listen to this!
brGZRJsToX4

If you cherry pick his songs that is true, but Eminem does talk about some sick stuff in a good percentage of his songs.

Some songs are really good in their subject matter but others are just as bad/worse than idiots like Lil Wayne.

[Apollo.]

Yet again a sterotypical view of rap held by most of society.Also, No skill involved in making a rap song? I have friends who are amature rappers who spend DAYS locked in their rooms writing lines and making beats. Yeah, they rap about drugs,money, gangs,guns but that's all most rappers are exposed to as inner city youth in public housing. Do you expect a rapper to rap about going to the mall with their friends or hang out at the movies? They rap about whats going on around them, and I can easily relate to rap because I live in Chicago.

I'm sorry but your signature is the type of thing that males me dislike rap, I mean what does that even mean? I like things that make sense and don't encourage people to "put caps in people" and what not.

[xmojox]

Could it be that rap is about the reality of inner-city life and it makes a lotta people really uncomfortable even acknowledging how things are? Just a thought.

[Nellerin]

Could it be that rap is about the reality of inner-city life and it makes a lotta people really uncomfortable even acknowledging how things are? Just a thought.

Even if that is the case, it is not saying that it is bad, most mainstream rap glorifies that inner-city life. And...many of these rappers have not even grown up in that type of life.

Look at Biggie, he was in a nice area growing up and rapped like he was in the ghetto.

[xmojox]

Even if that is the case, it is not saying that it is bad, most mainstream rap glorifies that inner-city life. And...many of these rappers have not even grown up in that type of life.

Look at Biggie, he was in a nice area growing up and rapped like he was in the ghetto.

And country music glorifies that life and rock does whatever it does...no matter what your medium or genre you've gotta reach your audience. I'm just tryin to answer the OPs question and that's a possibility I thought of. Inner-city life scares the shit outta most people.

[Nellerin]

And country music glorifies that life and rock does whatever it does...no matter what your medium or genre you've gotta reach your audience. I'm just tryin to answer the OPs question and that's a possibility I thought of. Inner-city life scares the shit outta most people.

I'm sorry but talking about f****** Bitches is not inner city life, this is not 90s/early 2000's rap that is mainstream now.

[xmojox]

Don't listen to rap then, Seth.

[Nellerin]

Don't listen to rap then, Seth.

This is not a poll about who listens to it. This is a thread about why it is frowned upon.

I'm saying the content matter in popular rap is overwhelmingly negative, hence its bad reputation.

[Southside]

I'm sorry but your signature is the type of thing that males me dislike rap, I mean what does that even mean? I like things that make sense and don't encourage people to "put caps in people" and what not.

Where does it encourage someone to go shoot someone? The artist simple says hes on his guard for people who might wanna rob him. Yet again,rap is the voice of what goes on in urban areas, no one here knows anything about that of course. Im not even trying to be a bad ass, I dont live in the best of areas, everything here in Chicago isnt dog parks and shopping malls as you might see on the corperate media. Some rappers rap about doing drugs, having sex, and getting money, some rap about being exposed to it as youngsters. I will say it again, rappers rap about what they grow up seeing and being exposed to, and as xmojox said, some people just cant take the truth of whats REALLY going down in the inner city.

[xmojox]

I'm sorry but talking about f****** Bitches is not inner city life, this is not 90s/early 2000's rap that is mainstream now.

Ok. So you're sayin people don't talk like that or what? I'm not sure I really get your point...

[Nellerin]

Ok. So you're sayin people don't talk like that or what? I'm not sure I really get your point...

Having sex with a bunch of girls is not somehow an exclusive ghetto thing nor does it make people uncomfortable. And yet that is one of the main topics in most popular rap songs today.

Rap has become talentless for the most part today, sure there are exceptions but very very few.

[xmojox]

I'm sure you're right.

[Taurus]

Yet again a sterotypical view of rap held by most of society.Also, No skill involved in making a rap song? I have friends who are amature rappers who spend DAYS locked in their rooms writing lines and making beats. Yeah, they rap about drugs,money, gangs,guns but that's all most rappers are exposed to as inner city youth in public housing. Do you expect a rapper to rap about going to the mall with their friends or hang out at the movies? They rap about whats going on around them, and I can easily relate to rap because I live in Chicago.

You clearly don't know what you're talking about. About 90% of the unknown rappers make their own beats, lyrics, and produce it all themselves with little to no help from record companies. If that isn't creativity and talent to you, I'd like to know what is.

I stated my opinion. I did not make a declarative statement. I made sure to say "to me" and use "I." I personally do not think that mainstream rap takes talent. The beats are synthesized, the voices are auto-tuned, and there isn't any variation in topic.

I also live in Chicago. Chicago is a huge city, there are many many different areas and suburbs. Just because you live in Chicago doesn't mean you've been constantly exposed to the worst.

[Southside]

I stated my opinion. I did not make a declarative statement. I made sure to say "to me" and use "I." I personally do not think that mainstream rap takes talent. The beats are synthesized, the voices are auto-tuned, and there isn't any variation in topic.

I also live in Chicago. Chicago is a huge city, there are many many different areas and suburbs. Just because you live in Chicago doesn't mean you've been constantly exposed to the worst.

Its 2 Chicago's in my mind, the clean,nice, big building, tourist part of Chicago that the corperate media shows you. Then its the dirty, poverty strickened, abandoned buildings, vacant lots Chicago that no one knows about that the City's leaders seem to turn a blind eye to, thats where I'm from.

[Taurus]

Its 2 Chicago's in my mind, the clean,nice, big building, tourist part of Chicago that the corperate media shows you. Then its the dirty, poverty strickened, abandoned buildings, vacant lots Chicago that no one knows about that the City's leaders seem to turn a blind eye to, thats where I'm from.

http://cdn.memegenerator.net/instances/400x/28770145.jpg

Dude, we're not playing the who-lives-in-a-shittier-neighbourhood game. We live in the same city. There's poverty in every city.

[Southside]

image (http://cdn.memegenerator.net/instances/400x/28770145.jpg)

Dude, we're not playing the who-lives-in-a-shittier-neighbourhood game. We live in the same city. There's poverty in every city.

I KNEW SOMEONE WAS GONNA CALL ME A BAD-ASS... Im a bad ass for saying I dont live in the best of areas?We dont live in the same city, why does the Southside look like a whole different world from the Northside or downtown? Yeah its bad areas in every city, but here the bad areas outnumber the good areas. Why can I travel in the Northside with no fear of getting robbed or shot? Why cant I go to a organic store on the Southside? Chicago is the tale of 2 cities..You should realize that.

[Sugaree]

I stated my opinion. I did not make a declarative statement. I made sure to say "to me" and use "I." I personally do not think that mainstream rap takes talent. The beats are synthesized, the voices are auto-tuned, and there isn't any variation in topic.

So you're going to look at ONLY one percent of the entire picture when there's 99 percent more to look at. You don't even bother looking at how rap has culturally impacted the world and has changed so much in the last thirty years. Instead of saying it's full of retards or rejects, look at all the people who made rap a big thing.

[Taurus]

I KNEW SOMEONE WAS GONNA CALL ME A BAD-ASS... Im a bad ass for saying I dont live in the best of areas?We dont live in the same city, why does the Southside look like a whole different world from the Northside or downtown? Yeah its bad areas in every city, but here the bad areas outnumber the good areas. Why can I travel in the Northside with no fear of getting robbed or shot? Why cant I go to a organic store on the Southside? Chicago is the tale of 2 cities..You should realize that.

Dude, I live on the south side.
Btw, the picture was meant to be read sarcastically.

So you're going to look at ONLY one percent of the entire picture when there's 99 percent more to look at. You don't even bother looking at how rap has culturally impacted the world and has changed so much in the last thirty years. Instead of saying it's full of retards or rejects, look at all the people who made rap a big thing.

I really don't want to get into an argument about this. I stated my opinion. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion. Nobody needs to get butthurt over this.


-merged double post. -Emerald Dream

[Human]

I'm a Screwed Up Click fan myself... I'm definitely a south side kind of guy.
Rap is my kind of music, most people who rap/ped such as biggie, 2pac, less known artists had harder upbringings than anyone. They grew up in a ghetto with abusive families and hard lives, however drake, lil wayne are the ones to hate. They only want the money.

[Sugaree]

I really don't want to get into an argument about this. I stated my opinion. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion. Nobody needs to get butthurt over this.

We're not getting butthurt. Also, stop with the "I'm stating my opinion, leave me alone" bullshit. You're in a debate forum, you need to stand up for your opinions.

[Southside]

Dude, I live on the south side.
Btw, the picture was meant to be read sarcastically.

Im stay in Roseland...

[Taurus]

We're not getting butthurt. Also, stop with the "I'm stating my opinion, leave me alone" bullshit. You're in a debate forum, you need to stand up for your opinions.

I think we're getting off topic.

[PinkFloyd]

If you cherry pick his songs that is true, but Eminem does talk about some sick stuff in a good percentage of his songs.

Some songs are really good in their subject matter but others are just as bad/worse than idiots like Lil Wayne.

Well do you know about his persona: Slim Shady? I mean it's all jokes. All the awful songs are made by his persona. I know that sounds stupid, but is sure is true.

[Nellerin]

Well do you know about his persona: Slim Shady? I mean it's all jokes. All the awful songs are made by his persona. I know that sounds stupid, but is sure is true.

I honestly do not care too much, the question from the OP is why is it frowned upon.

When someone puts out songs (jokes or not) that seem vulgar and offensive, they are contributing to giving rap a bad name.

[PinkFloyd]

I honestly do not care too much, the question from the OP is why is it frowned upon.

When someone puts out songs (jokes or not) that seem vulgar and offensive, they are contributing to giving rap a bad name.

Yep. I guess most people don't make offensive songs to be intentionally sexist; it just comes off that way and makes them look really bad.

[Nellerin]

Yep. I guess most people don't make offensive songs to be intentionally sexist; it just comes off that way and makes them look really bad.

Ya he definitely is not a leader though, he raps about sexist things because everyone else is doing it and does not want to seem like a pussy by not doing so.

I have very little against Eminem and personally enjoy quite a few of his songs, but he is definitely not helping raps image to the masses.

[PinkFloyd]

Ya he definitely is not a leader though, he raps about sexist things because everyone else is doing it and does not want to seem like a pussy by not doing so.

I have very little against Eminem and personally enjoy quite a few of his songs, but he is definitely not helping raps image to the masses.

people like lil wayne and even niki manaj need to go!

[Nellerin]

people like lil wayne and even niki manaj need to go!

Yep 100% agree, their content is not even a little bit talent-filled in my opinion.

[Celtic.]

Mostly getting the Bitches and drugs....but mgk is crazy
http://cdn.respect-mag.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/mgk.jpg
MGK SCARES ME!

[WickedWeekend]

Personally, I think the hate rap gets mostly stems back from Biggie and Tupac's time, when rap was all about the struggle. Selling crack, pot, and other stuff just to put some money in the bank. Parents didn't really want their kids listening to that. Sure, rap has evolved to incorporate the idolization of women, cars, and chains, but people still have a negative view on it. It doesn't help that many mainstream rappers are sellouts either. Hip-hop gets a bad rap, though. It really is unfortunate. There are some underground rappers out there (even some purer religious rappers) who don't focus on the negative stuff, like shooting up and killing cops, and I think they should get the limelight instead of the current mainstream sellouts. Then, maybe rap wouldn't look so bad.

[Jean Poutine]

I like rap when it makes a social statement.

Immortal Technique is amazing.