Ever notice how people complain that rap today isn't what it used to be? That now it sucks? Their only
argument seems to be that the lyrics now are bad.
Well let me tell you a little secret: every time you base how good a song is solely on the merit of it's lyrics, you're in
DEEP, DEEP trouble. As far as I can tell, there's no difference between your enjoyment of music and that of a deaf.
So I present you with an objective analysis of why rap blows ass.
Since I don't really know anything about rap from my years of wisely staying away from things that are shitty, I checked out a list of the
"best" rap songs. I see a lot of names in there that come back over and over so I'll assume it's correct.
http://rap.about.com/od/top10songs/ss/Top100RapSongs_10.htm
I am limiting this to the top 25 because holy shit, my ears couldn't take any more. I didn't even get through a single song.
This is the list:
1.Common Sense - I Used To Love H.E.R.
2.The Sugarhill Gang - Rapper's Delight
3.Grandmaster Flash & The Furious 5 - The Message
4.2Pac - Dear Mama
5.Eric B & Rakim - Lyrics of Fury
6.Pete Rock & CL Smooth - They Reminisce Over
7.Nas - The World Is Yours
8.Audio Two - Top Billin'
9.Public Enemy - Fight The Power
10.Afrika Bambataa - Planet Rock
11.2Pac - Keep Ya Head Up
12.Boogie Down Productions - My Philosophy
13.LL Cool J - I Need Love
14.Dr. Dre & Snoop Dogg - Nuthin' But a 'G' Thang
15.The Notorious B.I.G. - Juicy
16.Jay-Z - Dead Presidents II
17.A Tribe Called Quest ft. Busta Rhymes - Scenario
18.Geto Boys - Mind Playin' Tricks on Me
19.N.W.A. - Straight Outta Compton
20.Wu-Tang Clan - C.R.E.A.M.
21.dead prez - It's Bigger Than Hip-Hop
22.The Pharcyde - Passin' Me By
23.MC Lyte - Paper Thin
24.Beastie Boys - Paul Revere
25.Talib Kweli - Get By
1. INSTRUMENTS
Might be important when making music. From what I can make out, they use one instrument: FruityLoops.
I haven't heard a lick of guitars in that top 25. Not one drum solo that didn't sound like it was
made using a mouth.Not any instruments really. Just endless looping of tiny beats. Horrible. The funny
part is that there's sometimes 2-3 rappers per song. Wait, that's not funny, that's just tragic.
2. LYRICS
I personally couldn't care less about lyrics in a song, but since that's what rap is "about", then
I think it's fair to take time out of my day to point and laugh. So I got the lyrics to the top 25 from that website, and here
are my findings:
| Word |
| Instances |
|
| Pimp |
| 6 |
|
| MC |
| 9 |
|
| Motherfucker |
| 11 |
|
| Y'all |
| 13 |
|
| Bitch/Bitches |
| 14 |
|
| Rhyme |
| 24 |
|
| Cash/Money |
| 34 |
|
| Shit |
| 34 |
|
| Yo |
| 35 |
|
| Nigga/niggers/niggaz etc. |
| 38 |
|
| Fuck |
| 39 |
|
| Im |
| 54 |
|
| Things that aren't words |
| ??? too many ??? |
|
|
Well that was pointless.
3. THEMES
While non-rap songs generally don't have very original themes ( i.e. 99% are about love), you can still see a sort of trend
emerging here....
|
| Title |
Drugs |
Crime/Cops/Jail |
Having Money |
Chubby Girls/ Many Girls |
Being Black |
Rapin' |
| Common Sense - I Used To Love H.E.R. |
 |
|
|
|
|
|
| The Sugarhill Gang - Rapper's Delight |
 |
|
|
|
|
|
| Grandmaster Flash & The Furious 5 - The Message |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| 2Pac - Dear Mama |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Eric B & Rakim - Lyrics of Fury |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Pete Rock & CL Smooth - They Reminisce Over |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Nas - The World Is Yours |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Audio Two - Top Billin' |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Public Enemy - Fight The Power |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Afrika Bambataa - Planet Rock |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| 2Pac - Keep Ya Head Up |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| LL Cool J - I Need Love |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Dr. Dre & Snoop Dogg - Nuthin' But a 'G' Thang |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| The Notorious B.I.G. - Juicy |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Jay-Z - Dead Presidents II |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| A Tribe Called Quest ft. Busta Rhymes - Scenario |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Geto Boys - Mind Playin' Tricks on Me |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| N.W.A. - Straight Outta Compton |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Wu-Tang Clan - C.R.E.A.M. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| dead prez - It's Bigger Than Hip-Hop |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| The Pharcyde - Passin' Me By |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| MC Lyte - Paper Thin |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Beastie Boys - Paul Revere |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Talib Kweli - Get By |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| TOTALS: |
12 |
16 |
13 |
6 |
15 |
14 |
So as you can see, they drink from a deep well of originality. Many of these stupid songs are about how it's hard
to grow up in a house with only your mama while your dad is out being a gangster. Then about 3 words later they talk
about how it's great to be a thug and how they hate the cops and they just have to turn to crime and drugs
to get by.
Yes, how will you ever make it if you don't do drugs?
And seemingly, the goal of about 95% of black people, according to rap songs, is to stay out of trouble long enough to make it
as a rapper.
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