This just has to be said.

[Spin]

Okay, I've been reading through this forum and I've seen a lot of people saying hip-hop is degrading to women, the rappers curse a lot, it's violent, etc. First of all, rock has been doing this way before hip-hop even came on the scene. 80s hair bands anyone? Those videos had half-naked women all over the damn place. In the 90s, hip-hop music was mainly about empowering black people, social and political issue, 'important things' as some would say and there's still tons of rappers like that today. The only reason why it seems hip-hop talks more about sex and degrading women is because that's the stuff that plays on the radio. The rappers on the radio don't even make up 1/4 of the rappers in the world. It's basically the same 5 or 6 artists making the same hits. Rappers wouldn't even be talking about women in that way if there weren't actual women who do act like that. There are a lot of women who are hoes and bitches. Is it so wrong for a rapper to point that out? And if the women are dancing around in the videos, it's because they wanted to, the rappers didn't force them. Not saying the women in the videos are always hoes because while some are, others are just trying to get money for college and stuff. Anywho, it just blows my mind how people can be so ignorant about this, and then turn around and say 3!oh!3 is a good band.

"shush girl, shut your lips,
do the helen keller and talk with your hips."

Really? Really? That's not degrading in the slightest? I learned about Helen Keller in class which makes that line even more ridiculously stupid and in bad taste. But, it's just a fun song to dance to, right? Well so is "Superman" or whatever BS Soulja Boy comes out with. Also bands like Cannibal Corpse. I mean has anyone actually listened to their lyrics? They sound really fucked up in the head, like they're not all there. I'm seriously worried about their mental health.
Now, I know it seems like I'm bad-mouthing rock music. I actually love rock music, but I just can't let people continue to point the finger at hip-hop when rock isn't very innocent at all. I completely understand if you're just not into hip-hop, like you just can't get into it, you tried and blah blah, that's cool, but you can't say it's because of the subject matter because every genre of music has the same subject matter. There's always going to be sad, happy, mad, violent, sexual, stupid songs in almost every genre. We can't just generalize a genre because of the stuff on the radio. It's either you dig deeper or just shut up about the it completely because if you're going to just judge a whole entire genre based on the stuff on the radio than you have no business of talking about it. That's not even just about hip-hop, it's about every genre in the world pretty much.

So, I dunno. Thoughts? Agree? Disagree?

[Sapphire]

Wow...You take this all far too seriously.

[Spin]

Wow...You take this all far too seriously.

I'm not sure what to say to that. Music is a big part in some people's life, some people take it very seriously. I personally don't, and I don't get how defending a genre is 'taking it far too seriously'.

[Sage]

I don't hate mainstream rap or hip-hop any more than I hate mainsteam anything. Obviously if you want to get into the best of the genre, you have to look past what's on the radio and top lists and do some searching on your own.

[Sapphire]

I'm not sure what to say to that. Music is a big part in some people's life, some people take it very seriously. I personally don't, and I don't get how defending a genre is 'taking it far too seriously'.Music is a big part of my life but that doesn't mean that I'm going to get all bent out of shape because some randoms on the internet say this, that and the other about a genre I listen to.

I can't quite work out why you've let yourself get so wound up about people's opinions of hip hop.
Either way, you've gone way OTT with this. The abundance of bad feeling you have for these people and the accusatory tone to your post (which actually made me feel guilty despite me not having any of the opinions you were ranting about) were more than a little uncalled for IMO.

[scuba steve]

to be honest i was reading this and thinking like what the hell hasn't everyone already passed this stage like 3 years ago:(

[marty]

Some rap is actually degrading to women. Some rock is degrading to women.

I listen to neither. and i dont think that every genre fits into this "degrading" category. Really it's only the genres that are "dirty" and "grungy". Like hardcore rock and rap.

I don't think that there is a jazz song about raping women.
I don't think there is an aria about how women are bitches and hoes.


i listen to neither rock nor rap, because they are just...gross.....

[Spin]

Music is a big part of my life but that doesn't mean that I'm going to get all bent out of shape because some randoms on the internet say this, that and the other about a genre I listen to.

I can't quite work out why you've let yourself get so wound up about people's opinions of hip hop.
Either way, you've gone way OTT with this. The abundance of bad feeling you have for these people and the accusatory tone to your post (which actually made me feel guilty despite me not having any of the opinions you were ranting about) were more than a little uncalled for IMO.


What? The abundance of bad feeling? I don't get what exactly in my post made you think I'm really outraged and angry. Now maybe if I cussed a little more, used some caps, and some exclamation points THEN maybe I could see what you're talking about. Honestly, I was just bringing up a simple point that people on here should probably see because on another forum I post on not many are like this about hip-hop, and also it was just something to talk about than the same ol' posts about "what your favorite songs are?" and whatnot. Although, I do like those posts, I was just trying to mix it up a little. But I mean, if that's what you got out of my post then I'm sorry for making you feel guilty, I guess?


Some rap is actually degrading to women. Some rock is degrading to women.

I listen to neither. and i dont think that every genre fits into this "degrading" category. Really it's only the genres that are "dirty" and "grungy". Like hardcore rock and rap.

I don't think that there is a jazz song about raping women.
I don't think there is an aria about how women are bitches and hoes.


i listen to neither rock nor rap, because they are just...gross.....Well yes but even some hardcore hip-hop or rock has good messages. I know not every genre is like that, that's what I said 'almost every'.

[YesterdaysNews]

theres always going to be songs that are offensive to some people, but if it sells I doubt the artist would care. just my opinion.

[JunkBondTrader]

The reason why many people dislike rap is becuase from what I've seen, so much of it, including the underground stuff is incredibly violent and also the stupidity which many rappers (and indeed, many rock musicians) express through their music.

The whole degradation of women thing doesn't bother me in itself, rather it's the wider implications that misogynistic lyrics carry. I hate to say it but I instinctively dislike any performer who writes things like that. That's not to say that I hate all rap, some is good as with any genre, just so much of it I can't stomach.

[Sapphire]

What? The abundance of bad feeling? I don't get what exactly in my post made you think I'm really outraged and angry. Now maybe if I cussed a little more, used some caps, and some exclamation points THEN maybe I could see what you're talking about. Honestly, I was just bringing up a simple point that people on here should probably see because on another forum I post on not many are like this about hip-hop, and also it was just something to talk about than the same ol' posts about "what your favorite songs are?" and whatnot. Although, I do like those posts, I was just trying to mix it up a little. But I mean, if that's what you got out of my post then I'm sorry for making you feel guilty, I guess?Lol you weren't just bringing up a point because your whole post was accusatory in nature - which is pretty impossible to do if you haven't got a fair amount of bad feeling towards the type of people who have these opinions btw - and had a striking essence of bitterness that hip hop is the only one that is picked out as being derogatory etc.

And thank you so much for that seemingly insincere apology as well...

[Bougainvillea]

The reason why many people dislike rap is becuase from what I've seen, so much of it, including the underground stuff is incredibly violent and also the stupidity which many rappers (and indeed, many rock musicians) express through their music.

The whole degradation of women thing doesn't bother me in itself, rather it's the wider implications that misogynistic lyrics carry. I hate to say it but I instinctively dislike any performer who writes things like that. That's not to say that I hate all rap, some is good as with any genre, just so much of it I can't stomach.

I second this.

[scuba steve]

if you don't want to listen to these songs you don't have to, completly your choice and radios have to edit all the bad language out before they can air it anyway#

i listen to all sorts of music even ones with lyrics that would be seen as bad, i don't really care as long as the tunes good

[JackOfClubs]

I'm fine with the normal hip-hop/rap kinda stuff you get on the radio now. I just hate the real hardcore rapping, its stupid and it sometimes exploits people, mainly women.

[The Killjoy]

Any genre of music can be offensive and degrading to someone, not specifically Hip-Hop, Rap, and Death Metal, and aside from that I'm pretty sure I've read somewhere the Cannibal Corpse's lyrics were mostly just tongue-in-cheek stuff not meant to be taken seriously, I'm sure the same goes for quite a few of the rap/hip-hop musicians.

[Spin]

Lol you weren't just bringing up a point because your whole post was accusatory in nature - which is pretty impossible to do if you haven't got a fair amount of bad feeling towards the type of people who have these opinions btw - and had a striking essence of bitterness that hip hop is the only one that is picked out as being derogatory etc.

And thank you so much for that seemingly insincere apology as well...

Well yes I have some bad feeling towards people who think this but I wasn't really angry and didn't mean to sound angry when I wrote that post. I still don't get what's so bad about someone defending something and feeling strongly about it even if it is something as little and unimportant as music.

It wasn't really an insincere apology. I just didn't know if I should apologize even though I felt like I should.


@Killjoy: Yeah I figured that their lyrics were like that. They were just the first band that popped into my head while writing this.

[Sapphire]

A half-hearted apology is about as good as an insincere one.

Incidentally there isn't anything wrong with defending something. But when you take something so seriously that your post which is meant to defend a topic has an accusatory tone to it then something is amiss.