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I'd like to hear what this community thought about the Rap vs. Rock debate. Y'know, to spark up some lively conversation. Don't get into things like country or classical though, not because those things are wack, but just cuz they're off topic. Aaaand begin!

Rock. No offense to anyone who likes rap, but I don't even consider that music. Just talking. I could do that. You don't have to have any singing talent at all to rap. And then there's the fact that some most JUST ABOUT ALL rap is about sex.

riley

im a pure rock person really. there are a few rap songs i can bare though. my main issues with rap:

1. the bass is so loud you cant even hear what they are saying

2. its either about sex, popping a cap, or themselves

3. as mentioned before by DV, little singing there at all.

my main issues with Rock, conversely:

1. Alot of sex or drugs referenced

2. not enough of it

3. The content is just as shallow in the newer rock. Classic rock had the best song writers, lyric wise. You cant compare My Chemical Romance to Led Zepplin. lol

so, i have issues with both, but i like rock better.

nate

I'm more of a rock person, can't understand what there saying, the music anoys me because its just this stupid sound

being played over and over again. Though I do like some rap and when the music is good the lyrics have at least a hint of

meaning and the rapper can atachly you know RAP, rap can be almost like musical poetry. oh and the fan's are f@#king

annoying, but rock fan's can piss me off too so its even. 

 

At the end I think you mean "sum" it up.
I used to like rock a lot more (this is a response to everyone), but obviously now I like rap a lot more. Some general responses to accusations:

1. A lot of people are slinging that whole 'violence, sex and drugs' thing. But rock (or at least the rock I used to listen to) was filled with violence, drugs and sex. Look at Curt Kobain (or however it's spelled). He didn't exactly die from kittens.
2. Although rap doesn't sing, is it very necessary. If you listen close enough you'll hear intense lyrical content. Wu- Tang Clan is a great example of a rap group that has mad (I just had to drop some ebonics) analogies anaad double syllable rhymes.
3. I'll admit a lot of rappers sound like idiots, like Li'l John and stuff, but that's more hip-hop. Nas' album Illmatic (my icon) is pure genius.

Admittedly, rap does degrade women and promote negative stereotypes about blacks, but

my bad. But that's mostly hip-hop (which is more mainstream). As far as ill lyrical content Nate,
Dear momma don't cry, your baby boy's doin good
Tell the homies I'm in heaven and they ain't got hoods
Seen a show with Marvin Gaye last night, it had me shook
Drippin peppermint Schnapps, with Jackie Wilson, and Sam Cooke
Then some lady named Billie Holiday
Sang sittin there kickin it with Malcolm, 'til the day came
Little LaTasha sho' grown
Tell the lady in the liquor store that she's forgiven, so come home
Maybe in time you'll understand only God can save us
When Miles Davis cuttin lose with the band
Just think of all the people that you knew in the past
that passed on, they in heaven, found peace at last
Picture a place that they exist, together
There has to be a place better than this, in heaven
So right before I sleep, dear God, what I'm askin
Remember this face, save me a place, in thug's mansion-2Pac (R.I.P)

i dont get anything from that fear, other than a confused man. sorry that he passed though.

nate

I like rap; but it isn't used to its full potential; it seems to be pigeon holed into drugs, sex, money, and violence; and it's pretty rare that a good rap is put out which doesn't involve one of those aspects. According to NAS, hip-hop is dead; and I can't help but agree with him. It's lost a lot of its luster and is certainly not making progress. (Slum Village stands out as the epitome of artistry in the rap community to me)

So rock all the way for me. You can search for and find a lot of bands that have really explored strange and beautiful areas in rock, but in rap they're fewer and farther between.

Hmmm, It's kind of hard to say... rap AND rock have both gone to the sh** hole lately.  All this new stuff, in my most humble opinion, Is just horrible.  My brother used to listen to old rap like the Sugar Hill Gang and Bone Thugs and stuff.... so, I guess I have a sort of soft spot for that.  Nowadays, WHAT!?!? YEAH!! OOKKKKKK!!!

I think it's sad. Even before, it usually meant something. 

Rock nowadays, if you can even call it that, has also gone down in my book. All of this screamo stuff really annoys me... I don't even associate metal with rock anymore.  All of this new music has really contributed to all of the trends and fads.... or at least where I live. 

Anyways... given that todays music doesn't require any talent(maybe it's just me), I don't really like either.

rap and rock.....i've heard this argument about 6,854 times. I'll list pros of both because the cons i have would't be fair to the rapping community.

Pros of Rock

1.They actually have musical talent. Not only do they write the lyrics, but drums bass and guitar and somtimes more parts.

2. Most people can relate somewhat to rock. Not everyone is gangsta in da hood.

3. Rock is more respected than rap because there aren't as many stereo-types ( such as 'balla' or 'gangsta').

4.The ratio of rappers shot to rockers shot is like 466666666666666666666 to 1. Seriously, off the top my head i can name only one rocker who was shot and that's Dimebag Darrell (although im pretty sure there's more).

Pros Of Rap

1.There aren't many. One would be that they are sometomes self-produced and it takes work ethic.

2.They write lyrics too (except for shit like the song party like a rockstar. The entire song is that phrase repeated constantly).

3.It's good music to dance to.

4.EMINEM

If more rappers could have Eminem's structure and use lyrics the way he does, they'd know what skill is. He does write about drugs and sex, but it's not egotistic. It's his experience with them. He doesn't make himself out to be a cap-poppin-doobie-smokin-low-life, he writes good songs that inckude guitars and other elements of rock in it. The problem with rap is that the majority ruins it for the few who have skill and don't repeat the same damn phrase over andoverandandoverandandoverandandoverandandoverandandoverandandoverandandoverandandoverandandoverandandoverandandoverandandoverandandoverandandoverandandoverandandoverandandoverandandoverandandoverandandoverandandoverandandoverandandoverand

andoverandandoverandandoverandandoverandandoverandandoverandandoverandandoverandandoverandandoverandandoverandandoverandandoverandandoverandan

doverandandoverandandoverandandoverandandoverandandoverandandoverandandoverandandoverandandoverandandoverandandoverandandoverandandoverandandoverandandoverandandoverandandoverandandoverandandoverandandoverandandoverandandoverandandoverandover.

get the drift? but hey this one dumbass's opinion

Rap isn't what everyone percieves it to be. You have to LISTEN to some of the lyrics and know something besides what's in the books to understand. Lil Wayne is one of the most popular rappers out. It's because he says things on purpose that is the truth but people won't admit it. Not to put rock music down. Because on game day, it gets people fired up.

"It's because he (lil wayne) says things on purpose that is the truth but people won't admit it."

Lil Wayne Lyrics:

See she all on my *&^% cause i make
alot of money, but i unno why cause
gets nothing, bring it back...all on my *&^% cause i make alot of money, but i unno why cause she gets nothing from me she only get *&^% way down in her tummy

yeah, those lyrics have a lot of depth to them. im sure he does say that on purpose. i feel so much smarter now.

nate

Owned!  I'm a fan of both.

As for sex, drugs and egotism.  Please see the following songs by Eminem:

Haley's song, Lose Yourself, When I'm gone (to an extent), etc.

Here's a few lyrics from Lose Yourself to illustrate what I mean:

"Look, if you had one shot, or one opportunity
To seize everything you ever wanted-One moment
Would you capture it or just let it slip"

"You better lose yourself in the music, the moment
You own it, you better never let it go
You only get one shot, do not miss your chance to blow
This opportunity comes once in a lifetime"

"He nose dove and sold nada
So the soap opera is told and unfolds
I suppose it's old partner', but the beat goes on
Da da dum da dum da da"

"You can do anything you set your mind to, man"

I don't know, I respect Eminem for keeping stuff real. Like he doesn't go and talk about how he shoots people and does drugs. Sure he has his own egotistical parts but hell in my opinion he earned it. He fought through incredibly adversity to get to where he is now and I'd be a bit full of myself too.  And his lyrics actually mean something in alot of his songs.

Please don't go find one of his songs and pull out lyrics that are completley opposite to what I'm saying because I know there are some (Go to sleep B*tch, Kim's song, You don't know etc).

He's the only rapper I really like.

good points on lil wayne and eminem.

and jimi, i wasnt saying rap was bad, i'm just saying the 99% of the  bad rappers ruin it for talented ones like eminem and lil wayne. i listen to rock most of the times, but there are times when pop my eminem cd (i own all of them fot christ's sake). rap is frowned upon because of the 'gangsta' content. rock isnt because it doesnt have as many (or any) gangstas. Most of these guys are "wankstas" who have no clue what the gang life is like. they just see shit and try to pretend there something thier not, or (this is worse) they make themselves out  to be god's gift to the world, saying the ladies want them and they're driving their escalades or whatever. most of them make girls out to be objects instead human beings.

but hey, this is just one dumbass's opinion, right?

Hey, Eminem has an Academy Award. . .

Personally, I hate any self-aggrandizing song.  Especially that Kelly Clarkson "Breakway"--   "I always knew I was better than all you small-town hicks, I was just too polite to say so til now."

Rap has a lot of self-promoting songs, though.

Does he really? Thats awesome!  He's got a hilarious sense of humor.

well, first, i couldnt find it where he got an academy award. however, the fact is that Cher and Marisa Tomei also have an acadamy award. its almost a joke now.

nate 

Yeah, what would you say the most prestigous awards are?

most prestigous award? the stanley cup of course. lol seriously though, ive always been a big doubter of the Arts awards, Emmy's, Grammy's, Oscars, and the like. They all come down to money only popularity, not straight talent. its too tainted in my opinion. but thats just an old pessimist's view on the entertainment industry. lol

nate

SC all the way. Could be a canadian's year this year :P

so true. al gore got the nobel prize just for telling us it's getting hotter.

"Lose Yourself" won for Best Motion Picture Song or whatever they call the category.

Very good song for its day.

Hey... why aren't any of the posts showing up?  The last one I see is from 12/03....

There we go.... But I still can't see the posts there said it was. <--No matter how many times I read this... It seems to make no sense.

It said that someone posted here today.... besides me, and I still can't see them.