Should rap music be banned?

...I can't knock rap for rhyming about violence though. I don't think violence is a great idea but I don't think rapping exclusively about love, ponies, and rainbows is great either. Rap shows both sides of the coin, love and hate, peace and violence. It's a mirror of the human mind, whether it's the peaceful side or it's the deeper inner violent nature. Rap is truthful. It just so happens that the hate and violent side gets more publicity since we all know violence sells and sex sells. People rap about what they know, so if they grow up around poverty, violence, and drugs... there will be raps about telling stories about these experieces. If they grew up around abusive parents, they'll rap about hating their mom like Eminem does. If they grew up working in Mickey D's than that's what they'll rap about. Chuck D of Public Enemy once called rap the "CNN of the Ghetto" because it reports what is happening on the streets of the America, it's the voice of the people. Rap is a reflection of the people and many people find the lyrics relatable, whether it be about love, hate, revolution, anger, sadness, happiness, whatever... hence why it became so popular. Rappers are our modern day Langston Hughes, they are our modern day Gil Scott-Herons...Orlando_Magic

Thank you for making a very intelligent post. On these comments, I agree with you. But let me recall the central focus of my argument and the source of generalizations about rap and hip/hop. Also to address someone else's post..

I've read some of the previous posts and most people are moaning about the rap lyrics saying the rappers have no talent when they obviously do otherwise they wouldn't be in the music industry, people need to realise tha rap is big.odyssey_divine

...Here on these forums you're gonna see posts by people who know music based on what they've absorbed through mainstream music. And, thanks to the scumbags who ran the music industry for the last 15 years, the majority of rap and hiphop played on mainstream radio and tv was of the more offensive variety. If all the decent rap and hiphop artists you speak of got more radioplay and tv time over the last 20 years, I'm sure I would have quite a different opinion of the genre. Instead, I grew up in a large urban city where, for pretty much my entire childhood, most of the african american youth I met listened to "gangsta" rap and hated me for being white...EnigManic

My point is this: The record industry does not deserve the respect it's given for the influence it obviously has over music trends in society. Most rap and hiphop they have broadcast on radio and tv consist mainly of offensive lyrics, most notably in the 90's. That is exactly why most people opposed to rap infer that the majority of rap music is about drugs and gang violence. I acknowlede the points you have made, unfortunately those perspectives are underscored by the fact that decent rap and hiphop artists typically don't get as much spotlight as the offensive crap. As a result, people like me have grown up knowing primarily about the garbage rap and very little about the truly talented and noble artists.

******************

...how hard it is to actually write a good rap song from scratch, the amount of practice it takes to master being able to flow to a beat, how much more energy and time you have to put into marketing yourself and your image, playing the politics of the industry, how hard it is getting material from rap producers, how it is damn near impossible to get signed to a label in today's market, how difficult it is to write a rap song about relevant issues and not sound preachy, how hard it is to not re-use rhymes because their are people combing through your lyrics and will point out that you've used a particular rhyme multiple times, how difficult it is to write a good chorus for a song, how difficult it is to try and chop a sample up the way Premo does, etc.fat_rob

Those are valid points, but they it is no different than making rock music except that (regarding the bold text) rock musicians don't have to chop a sample, they make their music from scratch. That takes more time, creativity and effort.

well then the only other major choice talks about depression, suicide, satan so what would you prefer kids having sex or kids turning emo and self harming?watblud

Your post is an EPIC fail. Try reading some of the previous posts. There are several genres of rock, including emo and death metal. The latter does not get nearly as much spotlight in mainstream radio and tv as the other genres so you fail horribly at making such a poor and inaccurate generalization.

Really, why don't you pick up an instrument and do it. Then you can tell us whether it is sophisticated or complex after you master a musical instrument, compose an original rock song, get it published and see it achieve success.

EnigManic

:|

I don't waste my time with rock songs. Why would I? I don't find it at all compelling at a fundamental level. I write for orchestra, solo piano, and chamber ensemble in the 19th century style, which is far more sophisticated, complex music than any popular music, as you would well know if you were familiar with it. And my works have been performed by professional cIassical ensembles and musicians.

As for playing, I play well enough to hold a Master's degree in cIassical piano performance with distinction. And that, dude, means that I have interpretational and technical abilities which far exceed the meagre demands that would be placed on me to play rock music, which I can assure you is far less demanding than any major work I have learned in the past decade or so. In the upcoming performance season, I'm billed to play, among many other things, all four of Chopin's ballades, and in September will be performing Strauss's Burleske for piano and orchestra with a professional symphony. Look them up on Youtube, then come back here and tell me that I haven't already achieved a great deal of success with my instrument. I anticipate that you'll demand to see videos of me playing, to which I will simply point out that a person wouldn't be hired to perform this sort of repertoire in the first place if he couldn't play it.

[QUOTE="muffincakes87"]

Videogames have drugs, gangs and violence too and certainly does not make you smarter. I mean seriously you sound like Jack Thompson. I never saw the rule where it says to become a "artist" you have to play the guitar. Do you think its easy to produce a hip-hop beat? Just because you make one doesn't mean everyone is going to like it. Just like any song with any instrument. You have to practice and have skill to produce a song people will enjoy. How come you never say the negative influences rock has had? No disrespect to him but people idolize Kurt Coban and he commited suicide. I don't know you about you but he's life seemed alot better than all of ours. The Beatles are amazing but we all know alot of there music was influenced on doing drugs. I think its more important to have musical harmony with all genres instead of bashing just one.

EnigManic

1 I never agreed with banning anything. Get your facts straight.

Ok fine.

2 Kurt Cobain didn't commit suicide. There is forensic evidence to prove he was murdered. Feel free to start a thread about it.

I realize there is alot controversy over Kurt Coban's death but unless you can show hard proof to totally change my mind I'm going to thinking to think he committed suicide. I still respect as an artist and he's death was very unfortunate.

3 What difference does it make if the Beatles did drugs, or any other band for that matter? Were most of the Beatles songs blatantly about drugs and violence?

Yes there plenty of songs the Beatles made that were not about drugs and I'm not going to judge what an artist on what they do to there bodies but more on there music. You were just complaining on how rappers use drugs and violence in the lyrics, but I can tell you this that there is close to no rappers who would say drugs and violence are the "cool" things to do, especially to there younger fans. Hell, I think Soulja boi is terrible but he has never promoted drugs are or violence in any of his songs. He's music just sounds stupid. Rappers that you think are promoting drugs and violence are simply expressing what they experience in there lifetime in the hetic environments they grew up in. Actually alot of them are trying to promote how all those things are not the right thing to do. Inspector deck said it well:

"Leave it up to me while I be living proof, To kick the truth to the young black youth, But shorty's running wild smokin sess drinkin beer. And ain't trying to hear what I'm kickin in his ear."

4 Don't compare this topic to videogames. You can't say that the vast majority of videogames are excessively violent or offensive.

Yes, I can compare. The majority of videogames are not excessively violent just like the majority of rap music does not promote drugs or violence. Yes, they speak of it but they are deffently not saying that those things are the way to go.

5 Any retard can mix beats. It takes real talent to play an instrument. Why don't you try it?

Read Orlando_Magic's reply. Its a good post.

If I were a father, the first thing I'd prohibit my child to do is watch the news on the television.Berzz

Why?

Kurt Cobain didn't commit suicide. There is forensic evidence to prove he was murdered. Feel free to start a thread about it.EnigManic

[QUOTE="EnigManic"]

Really, why don't you pick up an instrument and do it. Then you can tell us whether it is sophisticated or complex after you master a musical instrument, compose an original rock song, get it published and see it achieve success.

pianist

:|

I don't waste my time with rock songs. Why would I? I don't find it at all compelling at a fundamental level. I write for orchestra, solo piano, and chamber ensemble in the 19th century style, which is far more sophisticated, complex music than any popular music, as you would well know if you were familiar with it. And my works have been performed by professional cIassical ensembles and musicians.

As for playing, I play well enough to hold a Master's degree in cIassical piano performance with distinction. And that, dude, means that I have interpretational and technical abilities which far exceed the meagre demands that would be placed on me to play rock music, which I can assure you is far less demanding than any major work I have learned in the past decade or so. In the upcoming performance season, I'm billed to play, among many other things, all four of Chopin's ballades, and in September will be performing Strauss's Burleske for piano and orchestra with a professional symphony. Look them up on Youtube, then come back here and tell me that I haven't already achieved a great deal of success with my instrument. I anticipate that you'll demand to see videos of me playing, to which I will simply point out that a person wouldn't be hired to perform this sort of repertoire in the first place if he couldn't play it.

Well, my hat's off to you. But I am confused as to why you seem defensive. You, of all people, should appreciate my argument. It sounds like you've spent years developing and mastering your musical talent. Does it bother you in the least that certain "artists" can write some lyrics, mix music on a machine and call it talented art?

Well, my hat's off to you. But I am confused as to why you seem defensive. You, of all people, should appreciate my argument. It sounds like you've spent years developing and mastering your musical talent. Does it bother you in the least that certain "artists" can write some lyrics, mix music on a machine and call it talented art?

EnigManic

As I've said before, I don't like rap at all, and while I can appreciate the musicianship of certain rap performers, I have no respect whatsoever for the musical aspect of its composition. But whether people like it or not is totally irrelevant to the real issue here - freedom. When the government starts telling you how you can or can not express yourself, you're on your way to a dictatorship. That's just not acceptable, unless the form of expression is outwardly dangerous (hate crimes for instance).

With respect to talent and skill, I believe there is more involved in the creation of rap than you are admitting. Yes, it is simplistic music - but it is still beyond most people to create compelling rap. Surely you've seen all the dumbasses on Youtube trying it and failing miserably. And to use the phrase you have so often used in this debate... if it's so simple and requires no talent, why doesn't everybody do it and make millions? Surely it'd be the easiest job on the planet if no skill or talent was required.

What I do agree with you on is the fact that there are genres of music that demand much more skill on the part of their composers and performers than rap does. But I would caution you against assuming that the quality of art is directly related to how difficult it is to produce. The quality of art can be largely gauged by how effectively it communicates an idea. And we can appreciate and revel in the beauty of simplicity as easily as we can marvel at the enormous skill demanded to create something which is complex, yet remains understandable. It's why we can hold Schubert and Bach in equally high regard. So although rap doesn't appeal to you (or me), it still manages to communicate ideas to many others. Many people prefer it to any other form of musical expression. Far be it from us to tell them what they can or can not listen to.

And no, it doesn't really bother me that a lot of people make money with what I deem to be extremely mediocre art. Since the very first stages of the commercialization of art in Western culture, that has been the case. Most people prefer simplistic art, because it's all their training, intellect, and experience will allow for. And frankly, what other people listen to is not my concern. I'm really only concerned with my own development as an artist, which is totally independent of what 50 Cent is doing. And since I care little about money provided I can continue to pay the bills, I really could care less if he's making millions.

I made a rap song once. It was about Jesus. Do you want to ban Jesus? Is that what you want to do?!Genetic_Code

I mean all the rap music talks about girls with huge a***s, drugs and money. Don't you think this is a bad sign for kids?Simsfreak14

So your saying big butts, weed, and money are bad? lol but really people have every right to listen to what they want just like people listen to rock/heavy metal/R&B/etc

Now why dont you listen to my boys 50 and Akon

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tnlwpGT7bS4

You know how we already do

412 fo life

[QUOTE="EnigManic"]

Well, my hat's off to you. But I am confused as to why you seem defensive. You, of all people, should appreciate my argument. It sounds like you've spent years developing and mastering your musical talent. Does it bother you in the least that certain "artists" can write some lyrics, mix music on a machine and call it talented art?

pianist

When the government starts telling you how you can or can not express yourself, you're on your way to a dictatorship. That's just not acceptable, unless the form of expression is outwardly dangerous (hate crimes for instance).

exactly how I feel. well said. but anyways, if people want rap music banned, I think Metal/deathcore should go as well. an eye for an eye.

why should it be banned??? there really isnt one good reason why it should be banned

yeah i guess you could say its too impressional on kids but if rap music really makes the kid grow up to be a gangster than that is just straight bad parenting

[QUOTE="pianist"]

When the government starts telling you how you can or can not express yourself, you're on your way to a dictatorship. That's just not acceptable, unless the form of expression is outwardly dangerous (hate crimes for instance).C_BozkurT_C

exactly how I feel. well said. but anyways, if people want rap music banned, I think Metal/deathcore should go as well. an eye for an eye.

Hmm.. No more rap in exchange for no more death metal? Well, okay, it's a deal.

[QUOTE="C_BozkurT_C"][QUOTE="pianist"]

When the government starts telling you how you can or can not express yourself, you're on your way to a dictatorship. That's just not acceptable, unless the form of expression is outwardly dangerous (hate crimes for instance).EnigManic

exactly how I feel. well said. but anyways, if people want rap music banned, I think Metal/deathcore should go as well. an eye for an eye.

Hmm.. No more rap in exchange for no more death metal? Well, okay, it's a deal.

That's not a fair trade, there are too many variations in rap music...