Over the years, people have begun to question the validity of rap/hip-hop as a music genre and even more so the credibility these up and coming rappers. i wanted to know why. What seems to be the main issue is the shift of focus from what the rapper says to how the person looks and acts. What people fail to realize is that Artists can be musicians, rappers or both. A rapper is a master of Rhythm And Poetry, which I feel most do not care about achieving, while a Musician is just focused on making catchy Music regardless of message.
For Example, Is Soulja Boy really a rapper? A self-proclaimed one sure, but As an avid listener of music I do not consider him a great example of a rapper and everyone else should cease to do so. Soulja Boy has yet to…well… have a message. But is he a musician? Definitely. He produces his own music, writes his own hooks and makes catchy songs. If you Listen to a Soulja Boy instrumental you will be unable to deny his musical prowess for harmony and melody. He is obviously a musician who tries to rap.
People fail to recognize the changing scene in the rap genre, the MC has seemingly become obsolete by the majority. No one pays attention solely to the words coming out of the speaker’s mouth as much as to the way the words are said and how they flow, That’s more of where the Musician excels. A Rapper’s focus is on their words and the actual main point of their verses. There is some talk questioning new ‘rappers’ who seem to be telling the listeners nothing in their music. That’s exactly it though…these new rappers who seem to have no substance in their verses are representing the original concept of the artist themselves. Isn’t an artist an agent who expresses themselves through creative means? Just because the only things Kid Cudi talks about is marijuana use and his depressed mind state doesn’t make him any less of an artist, it just makes him a specific kind. As long as a person is creatively expressing himself or herself through a given medium, whether it be a painting or a record…he or she is still an artist.
So what’s the issue? The problem I used to have: I hated the fact people were more enticed by a rapper’s “get-up” or “Swag” than what they were saying. I was doing a sample comparison of Lupe Fiasco and Wiz Khalifa side by side. Now obviously, if you have heard from both artists, You can’t do that because they are two different types of musicians, and two different types of rappers. One is lyrical and the other is purely self-expressive/creative, but this doesn't mean one is more of an artist than the other. Music’s original purpose is to entertain, inspire the listener, and/or make the listener think or feel something. As long as a rapper/musician is accomplishing one of those four…that person is still considered an artist. Let’s be honest…if your verses and your songs are moving a number of people enough for them to buy tickets to your concert…you must be doing something right. Don't discount an artist just because you cannot relate to the content. Be a fan of What you will based of how it moves YOU. You shouldn't have to like them to be able to acknowledge they are a talented artist.
For Example, Is Soulja Boy really a rapper? A self-proclaimed one sure, but As an avid listener of music I do not consider him a great example of a rapper and everyone else should cease to do so. Soulja Boy has yet to…well… have a message. But is he a musician? Definitely. He produces his own music, writes his own hooks and makes catchy songs. If you Listen to a Soulja Boy instrumental you will be unable to deny his musical prowess for harmony and melody. He is obviously a musician who tries to rap.
People fail to recognize the changing scene in the rap genre, the MC has seemingly become obsolete by the majority. No one pays attention solely to the words coming out of the speaker’s mouth as much as to the way the words are said and how they flow, That’s more of where the Musician excels. A Rapper’s focus is on their words and the actual main point of their verses. There is some talk questioning new ‘rappers’ who seem to be telling the listeners nothing in their music. That’s exactly it though…these new rappers who seem to have no substance in their verses are representing the original concept of the artist themselves. Isn’t an artist an agent who expresses themselves through creative means? Just because the only things Kid Cudi talks about is marijuana use and his depressed mind state doesn’t make him any less of an artist, it just makes him a specific kind. As long as a person is creatively expressing himself or herself through a given medium, whether it be a painting or a record…he or she is still an artist.
So what’s the issue? The problem I used to have: I hated the fact people were more enticed by a rapper’s “get-up” or “Swag” than what they were saying. I was doing a sample comparison of Lupe Fiasco and Wiz Khalifa side by side. Now obviously, if you have heard from both artists, You can’t do that because they are two different types of musicians, and two different types of rappers. One is lyrical and the other is purely self-expressive/creative, but this doesn't mean one is more of an artist than the other. Music’s original purpose is to entertain, inspire the listener, and/or make the listener think or feel something. As long as a rapper/musician is accomplishing one of those four…that person is still considered an artist. Let’s be honest…if your verses and your songs are moving a number of people enough for them to buy tickets to your concert…you must be doing something right. Don't discount an artist just because you cannot relate to the content. Be a fan of What you will based of how it moves YOU. You shouldn't have to like them to be able to acknowledge they are a talented artist.
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