Eminem NOT dead

[FrogDog]

<< Are you a loser? >>



<< Are you a nerd that can't take a good beat? >>



<< Do you realize you are an idiot? >>


I'm LMAO at you right now, Impact55. So, to you, anybody who doesn't like rap is a loser, a nerd and an idiot? Way to show how much of a moron you are in one post.


<< Do you listen to Korn or some &quot;hardcore&quot; rock band? >>


Nope. I don't listen to Korn. I really don't see what the point of that question is though...


<< Do you realize new rock music is BS? >>


BS music...define please.

And I still can't figure out why all these people who enjoy listening to rap have to be so defencive about it. Some people on this earth don't like it, the MTV style rap, or anything less mainstream, get over it.

 

[reitz]

apoppin,

<< Your post was the least informative and most opinionated with you attempting to come off as an &quot;expert&quot;. You just showed how little you know about the genre and what you said is just your opinion. >>

You're half right; what I said was just my opinion. That's the whole friggen point!

I do not like rap, and I do not appreciate its overall artistic qualities. I do not understand why, but I realize that a lot of people do. Music is subjective; there are no absolutes. You can not possibly name a single song, rap or otherwise, that is universally accepted as true art.

I characterized it as crap in response to the attacks the &quot;pro-rap crowd&quot; makes against anyone who makes the same statement. Those attacks are evidence of the same ignorance those who dislike rap are accused of. That rap may &quot;blow&quot; to someone does not mean he has not listened to it. Assuming that just because someone dislikes the genre, he must not have tried to experience it is extremely ignorant. Again, music is subjective; just because you appreciate it does not mean that everyone has to, regardless of how hard they try.

Yes, I have listened to rap. Yes, I have truly tried to appreciate it, as I do with any genre of music. I've been exposed to the broad spectrum, from what can be considered mainstream (i.e. played on MTV), to titles so obscure even you have probably never heard of them. The one constant is that I do not like it. Most times, the music is so grating to me that I would prefer silence than listening to rap. I not so stupid as to think that &quot;gangsta rap&quot; is all there is; I used it and my other statements as an example to express my opinion. Again, music is subjective; it would be impossible for you and I to argue which is better: classic rock (my personal preference) or rap.

My whole post was an attempt at making a point. Take my suggestion, and perhaps you won't miss it.

FYI, the titles that I occasionally enjoy listening to are generally the mainstream singles from an artist such as Will Smith. I'd never buy any of the cds, but in the right mood, the music can sound pretty good.

 

[AfterBurn]

Hmmz.. gotta love these flamewars..

rap blows --> statement
i think rap blows --> opinion

The first could be *meant* as an opinion, but if one doesnt want confusion, dont write something down so it can cause confusion.

My musical taste? Everything and every style has artists that i like. Except the xxxx metal bands (fill in the xxxx for different sub styles).

BTW, who in the world is Eminem?

 

[apoppin]

Where do I begin, reitz?

Let's see . . . first of all thank-you for clarifying your opinion. You know mine (see my sig below).

What I object to:

<<Most rap is crap to me simply because it is an assault on my eardrums.

. . .music that is actually created with real instruments

I enjoy a song with good vocals

glorifying violence and &quot;the thug's life&quot;, and occasionally spewing messages of hate, disqualifies it as art

It is also very difficult for me to respect an 'artist' who, even though he may be quite successful, still acts as if he's an adolescent hood living in the bad side of town.>>

My point-by-point answers:

Ok, so if rap is an assault on your eardrums you can't PRETEND to like it (or pose as an expert, eg: &quot;I have listened&quot.

The human voice, turntables, samples and computer-generated sounds electronic sounds are REAL instruments.

Vocals are part of hip hop/rap.

Hate lyrics and glorifying violence . . . Heard any death metal lately? That is rock (created by true artists in your opinion?).

Adolescent hood &quot;artists&quot; not found in rock?

And yes, I read Joyce. What's your point?

EDIT: WILL SMITH!!!!????!!!!. :Q Oh God. I missed that. Nevermind. You're disqualified. I'm done here . . .

 

[reitz]

<<Ok, so if rap is an assault on your eardrums you can't PRETEND to like it (or pose as an expert, eg: &quot;I have listened&quot.>>

Having listened to, and claiming to be an expert about music are not even close to the same. I only mention that I have listened to rap to defeat your common argument that a person who feels it is &quot;crap&quot; is ignorant of the genre.

<<The human voice, turntables, samples and computer-generated sounds electronic sounds are REAL instruments.>>

Maybe I should have clarified it by stating that I prefer traditional instruments. Nearly anyone can learn to play an instrument, but it takes true talent to compose music that is pleasing to a lot of people. While it does take some talent to learn to generate music with a synthesiser, it is not nearly as difficult. It is the talent a musician shows that impresses me.

<<Vocals are part of hip hop/rap.>>

Again, this is subjective. Vocals are more a part of the background or chorus, while in the music that I prefer, vocals are the central portion of the song.

<<Hate lyrics and glorifying violence . . . Heard any death metal lately? That is rock (created by true artists in your opinion?).>>

Where did I say I listen to death metal? I dislike it for the same reasons. Where did I say those people are &quot;true artists?&quot;

<<Adolescent hood &quot;artists&quot; not found in rock?>>

They are, but inarguably to a much lesser extent.



Again, you are completely missing my point. Everything we are arguing is subjective. As I already stated, it is not possible for you and I to debate the value of rap as compared to classic rock, or vice versa. I can only state why I prefer one over the other.

You might want to read some more of Joyce, as it seems some of the important points are being lost on you. I'll summarize:

In A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man, art is explicitly defined. It's been some time since I read the novel, so I don't remember all of the qualifications, but aesthetic value (in the case of music, pleasing to the ears), originiality, and individuality (containing a personal part of the artist) are the central points. He goes on to argue, however, that all art is subjective. No one can define art for another, and no one can expect another to appreciate something simply because it is defined as art. While there are certain qualities that each of us subconsciously use to judge something as art, the combination of each is what we use as individuals to define what is art to ourselves.

Again, I have listened to rap. I have been exposed to most variations of the music. While I may enjoy an individual song here and there, overall the genre does not fit my own personal definititions of what is good. Hence to me, it is &quot;crap&quot;.

 

[reitz]

I missed your edit. See why I said that &quot;true rap fans&quot; would get their panties in a bunch?

 

[apoppin]

reitz, all of my earlier posts in this topic were pointing out that art is subjective.

I was simply against your attempting to define art for all of us. (For that is what it appeared what you were doing.)

Simply giving an opinion, &quot;I do not like rap&quot;; &quot;rap is crap to my ears&quot;, etc. is fine with me.

However, showing or arguing why rap should not be an art form (any more than classic rock should be) IS something I DO object to.

(Don't be so serious about it either way; I am really not and was especially kidding you about Wil Smith. I like rap. So what, either way if you do or not? - IMO)

 

[konichiwa]

Alright, I think I'm going to gracefully leave this thread. Or try.

I've actually been playing the Devil's Advocate. I like a lot of rap, I *hate* a lot of rap. For instance, I love GOOD rappers like Mos Def and 2Pac. I enjoy listening to their music because it's entertaining, it has substance. A lot of rap out there today is absolue crap. Take anything you'd hear off of mainstream black-radio...Ludacris? My God, terrible. Ja-Rule, Mystikal, Cash Money ... they're awful. They run around with $1000 outfits and $25,000 worth of Jewelry on and think that makes them cool and/or talented? Gimme a break.

So my point is that although I do like some rap, a lot of it that's out there right now that the average person would be hearing is horse sh!t. However, to each their own. What I may not like, you may like, and I really don't give a damn. You have a right to like what you like as much as I have a right to think what you like is crap.

 

[reitz]

Perhaps you misunderstood me, but everything in my original post was qualified as my own opinion. I called it crap, but thought I made clear that those were my own thoughts.

I don't like rap, and I don't care one way or another if anyone does (though admittedly I really can't see why; just MHO). What got me was how a few people in the thread (I can't remember who and really don't feel like scrolling back to read it ) immediately jumped all over others, saying that anyone who thinks it's crap must really not know anything about rap. Hell, I could research it for years and write a textbook on the genre, but that still probably wouldn't make me appreciate it. To me, it's mostly just noise, and I know others feel the same way.

Then again, you'd probably run screaming from the room if I played any of my country cd's.

 

[shawn_16]

When something is so easy to do the area gets saturated. How many rappers from 10 years ago are still making music? What about 5 years ago? Damn, look at the top 20 from _two_ years ago, and how many of those rappers are even remembered?

EPMD, Slick Rick, Will Smith *snicker*, wutang, rakim, busta rhymes

 

[apoppin]

Well, not quite everything was qualified as your own opinion, reitz.

<<Rap music has neither of these qualities (good vocals/real instruments), hence my opinion of it.>>

Those were the only points I had issue with. Again, thanks for clarifing.

And konichiwa, just substitute &quot;music&quot; for &quot;rap&quot; in your &quot;good-bad&quot; statement. However, a lot of bad music is popular. Who am I to define &quot;art&quot; (or &quot;bad&quot; music) for people who enjoy it?

 

[RagingGuardian]

In closing this thread was really entertaining.

BTW, DMX does not suck. Sucky awards should be given to more mainstream rappers such as Eminem, Mystical, Ludacris and an extra special sucky award goes to the Cash Money Idiots. I can see them bankrupt in the near future.

DMX sings songs that appeal to a mainstream audience only to sell his recors but there are always those songs on his albums that make you think.

 

[weezergirl]

i think it's funny that people are so offended about somebody saying rap blows yet this thread is about eminem. (basically eminem raps to offend people.) people should stop taking things so personally...people are always telling me weezer sucks. but like i care...it doens't affect how i feel about the band. geeeez. get a grip on life people!

 

[Wah]

i think it's funny that people are so offended about somebody saying rap blows....period. My god...get a grip.


and by the way...

watch me unravel as I walk away....

 

[Yza]

&quot;3) Longevity. When something is so easy to do the area gets saturated. How many rappers from 10 years ago are still making music? What about 5 years ago? Damn, look at the top 20 from _two_ years ago, and how many of those rappers are even remembered? &quot;

DR DRE? from NWA? ALL TIME GREATEST? Cypris Hill? LL COOL J? Too-SHORT? SNOOP DOG? I could go on and on...

If you guys dont like rap.. thats fine with me like I give a flying *uck.. but when you make ignoraunt comments like that i just gotta post.

Yeah sure, they has been those that come and go just like any music zondra.. (vanilla ice) Mc hammer.. they where more pop then hip hop/rap though.

 

[Yza]

Hey when we on the subject anyone swoop up that new Xzibit CD? He has some ill ass lyrics on it.. I bet you it hits the top on the charts.

 

[blurredvision]

I am just going to skip reading this big ass debate you guys are having and just respond to the thread title and first few replies. I like Eminem and his music, it's a lot more diverse than conventional rap, which I don't like. Eminem sings about stupid stuff, not about niggas and hos and getting his drink on and stuff like every other rapper does. That kinda stuff gets old, and keeps getting old, just at a different beat the next time around.

 

[Jazar]

It's a shame that the valid points of Valhalla1 and Sugadaddy have been ignored. :frown:

 

The whole Dre camp sucks. Eminem, Snoop and Dre himself. Well, I like what Dre has to say in interviews and I think he can come up with good beats and all, but as an MC, he sucks. How many songs are there that focus on him &quot;not falling off&quot;?

 

[dude]

I say we fight!