So when will the rap fad go away?

[blazersin2k3]

Re: So when will the rap fad go away?

I listen to a mixture of underground and mainstream and mixtape artists (don't really know where to group them but it's always cool to listen to someone before they blow up). I can listen to them all. Of course there is crap on the radio aka Dem Franchise Boyz but I can listen to them for a beat but I don't get much out of their songs except something to bump in the car. T.I. is mainstream but I think is one of the top 5 in the game today. Papoose who probably is my favorite rapper right now is just about to crossover to mainstream and hopefully he won't lose his edge as he's been great on the mixtape scene. The thing is hip hop has so much variety to offer and you don't need to just listen to one type but listen to them all. Of course some things will never touch the old school hits from Dre, Snoop, etc. but artists are still producing some good quality stuff. Check out Da Backwoodz album called Woodwork. Check out Papoose mixtapes. Check out Atmosphere. There's such a sampling that something will hit your ear and if you like hip hop you'll like it.

t.i., top 5????
what about joe budden, phonte, common, beanie sigel, black thought, papoose, etc.?? they might not have the mainstream appeal that t.i. has but they are better. i am most def feelin that backwudz album though. i dunno bout atmostphere, that slug guy is a bit too wierd but i heard they are cakin through their concerts.

[kuruption]

Re: So when will the rap fad go away?

t.i., top 5????
what about joe budden, phonte, common, beanie sigel, black thought, papoose, etc.?? they might not have the mainstream appeal that t.i. has but they are better. i am most def feelin that backwudz album though. i dunno bout atmostphere, that slug guy is a bit too wierd but i heard they are cakin through their concerts.

i think he means top 5 mainstream , and i love t.i. but im not sure i agree with that . to eahc his own. i like rap fans like him that listen to a variety of rap. not just mainstream , and not just underground. weezy , nas , joe budden , t.i.---those are probably my favorite mainstream artist at the moment .

[VanCitySportsGuy]

Re: So when will the rap fad go away?

Rap has been around for a few decades now and I don't see it going away. I get the impression Rap music is the most popular genre among teenagers. I imagine it's much cooler for teenagers to say at school they listen to Kayne West and Jay Z instead of Nickleback and Kelly Clarkson even if they aren't telling the truth.

What I find funny about rap music is that for some folks, rappers are no longer "cool, good, or hip" once they become mainstream. It's like certain rappers are much better if almost nobody else knows about the rapper.

I know people that were totally into Nas, Jay Z, Kayne West, Mos Def, etc... but once they became mainstream (starting getting airtime on radio, MTV, BET, etc..) they all of a sudden "suck".

What I don't like is the lyrics in certain types of rap songs. Women are often only portrayed as sex objects, illegal drugs are made to be cool, etc...

And of course you have more "street cred" if you've lived a "thug life". I have other thoughts about certain forms of rap music and how it reflects on certain people, but I'll keep those thoughts to myself

[sportsdude]

Re: So when will the rap fad go away?

Before anyone wants to put a cap in my a$#. Let me finish...I am 34 years old, I grew up in the 80's, witnessed the birth and adolesence of "rap" and like some of it..mostly in the 80's and very early 90's. From what I remember, there was break dancing, which led to the birth pains of modern day rap music. I really dont like it now, every once in awhile a song or two comes along I can handle. Long story short, I've seen disco, new wave, heavy metal hair bands, grunge, country, boy bands, and now rap is the flavor of the month...I know it will never go away and I dont want it to. But as far as it being the top dog dominating "pop music" and the charts, how much longer does it have. It will not be on top forever, NOTHING ever is. Damn I cant remember who it was...Jurmaine Dupri or someone in a Blender magazine article made a comment on how he has noticed a desire for more of an R&B flavor lately, and that the rap/hip hop dominated musical landscape as it is now is about to change. Im not hating.....Just a mature voice who can honestly say that rap/hip hops dominance will not last as nothing ever has...War! Public Enemy and Eric B. and Rakim...and not much after that...peace.

Rap is a fad as much as KISS is a rock band.

[Misfit]

Re: So when will the rap fad go away?

Rap won't go away, but it will drift from the spotlight and something else will rise up and be the choice music for high school kids and young adults. To me, Rap is in its pop or glam stage as far as mainstream stuff goes. What you hear on the radio and in clubs is the commercial stuff thats popular right now but won't be forever. I wouldn't be surprised if country continues to grow in popularity. I'm surprised more and more at how many young people I meet like country (not real country, but the pop kind) and its certainly more acceptable now than when I was in high school.

In the 80s it was new wave and glam metal. In the 90's it was alternative and boy bands and straight pop came later in the decade. Now its mostly hip hop and R&B. Something else will come along, it always does.

[Streets]

Re: So when will the rap fad go away?

In no order, Nas, Ghostface Killah, Juelz Santana, Royce Da 5'9", Lupe Fiasco, AZ, Joe Budden, The Game, Fabolous, and Kanye West are probably my favorites in the game right now.

[EWRMETS]

Re: So when will the rap fad go away?

If rap and r&B "goes away" what are top 40 stations going to play? Awful emo music? Bad knockoffs of Pearl Jam like Nickleback?

[SPTO]

Re: So when will the rap fad go away?

If rap and r&B "goes away" what are top 40 stations going to play? Awful emo music? Bad knockoffs of Pearl Jam like Nickleback?

Sorry but R&B has basically been killed. In the '90s it was the female stars that kept the genre afloat but the strength of R&B has always been the male vocalists. Sadly, it seems that there are very few of them out there these days and the ones who are popular all sound the same to me.

Sorry I just wanted to complain

[Vince]

Re: So when will the rap fad go away?

Sorry but R&B has basically been killed. In the '90s it was the female stars that kept the genre afloat but the strength of R&B has always been the male vocalists. Sadly, it seems that there are very few of them out there these days and the ones who are popular all sound the same to me.

Sorry I just wanted to complain

I don't even know what's R&B anymore.

Alicia Keys is a great artist, but even she doesn't get any play on TV or the radio anymore.

[SPTO]

Re: So when will the rap fad go away?

I don't even know what's R&B anymore.

Hip-hop kinda co-opted it and bastardized the genre. It used to be about soul and romance, now it sounds homogenized and has lost the foundation of what made it unique.

[ehh]

Re: So when will the rap fad go away?

Hip-hop kinda co-opted it and bastardized the genre. It used to be about soul and romance, now it sounds homogenized and has lost the foundation of what made it unique.

I agree completely. I used to love R&B as much as I loved rap, now I can't stand "R&B" releases as much as I hate most mainstream "rap" releases.

It's not just R&B either, I mean some of the colaborations over the last 5+ years are mind boggling.

Redman and Christina Augilera? After listening to Whut? Thee Album a decade ago who would ever thought they'd have seen that happen.

Everything is slowly mushing into one godawful mess of a general "genre".

[Graphik]

Re: So when will the rap fad go away?

never said you have to like it but saying it not hiphop is ********. its just bad rap - its still rap though .... music elitist are annoying.

Damn, I agree with you wholeheartedly. Its as if nobody knows what "real" hip hop is besides them.

Anyway, I noticed hardly anyone answered my mans question. A few did but the topic kept creeping on Underground vs Mainstream like it always does.

I think many of yall need to go back and check out the history of music. Nothing last forever. Rap will not be here come 10-20 years from now. Who knows what the next wave or fad will bring. It may just be a new genre. It may be R&B or Electronic. As humanity grows and musical taste becomes more broadened, a new sound will be born. Rap/Hip Hop will be our generations "dusties" in the future.

And for all those crying about Mainstream hip hop, I was in the same boat some years ago....till I realized that they could give a damn about what I feel. Music is made for the 14-early 20s age group whether you like it or not. Always has, always will. The funny thing is that most of the artist are in thier late 20s-early 30s. So that shows you how they feel about the purist.

Just like beauty, music is in the eye, or in this case, the ear of the beholder. Just because Dem Franchise Boyz are the prime example of simplistic lyrics and dumbed down hooks and beats does'nt mean that they "suck". Hell, the South has been making music like this for years. Way before Snap Music or whatever else simple dance music they've came up with in the last few years. Their culture has just finnally reached the mainstream. And who's to say that backbacker music does'nt suck? If you feel that these guys represent "real Hip Hop", why the hell aren't they selling out any shows? Why aren't more ppl aware of them? Why? Because they're in the minority. Dont blame the MTVs and BETs because Lil Wayne and Dem Franchise Boyz are making more money, more noise and getting more attention than Little Brother and MF Doom. Blame the fans who buy them and put them where they are.

My whole entire point now and I did'nt even want to go there is simple. Music is Music. If you dont feel one thing, someone else will. If you think Mainstream is trash rap, blame the millions of ppl who buy the music and dance to it and play it in their car. I tell you what. When was the last time you saw a truck with monster sounds riding up your street blasting Atmosphere or MF Doom? You dont see that ish. Not where I come from anyway. So came we please stop with the "whats real" and "whats not" convos. Its annoying. And dont get it twisted, I'm not some hardcore mainstream guy who rocks TI and Lil Jon to the death. I listen to all varieties. Whatevers' hot is hot.

[Jon22]

Re: So when will the rap fad go away?

You know why rap is popular now is because of the beat. White people only listen to the beat. Its true sorry. But, rap is **** these days... man it sucks "laffy taffy come on homo" But, anyways I see more and more black people in heavy metal everyday. Rap is just fake. Their is no real emotion in alot of rap songs like their are in R&b.

[Graphik]

Re: So when will the rap fad go away?

You know why rap is popular now is because of the beat. White people only listen to the beat. Its true sorry. But, rap is **** these days... man it sucks "laffy taffy come on homo" But, anyways I see more and more black people in heavy metal everyday. Rap is just fake. Their is no real emotion in alot of rap songs like their are in R&b.

OK, now that was ignorant. Dont generalize the entire culture based off one gay song. Sometimes I wonder if any of yall go to clubs or social gatherings. Believe me, they are not bumping Jin or Jor Buddens.

[Pappy Knuckles]

Re: So when will the rap fad go away?

i agree that the majority of mainstream rap is pure trash. there's no doubt about that. but as far as being a fad goes, you guys are sadly mistaken. rap isn't going anywhere. it's been a big part of pop culture for damn near 20 years now, if it was going to die it would've already started its downward spiral. as long as there are kids trying in school scribbling lyrics in notebooks, there will always be emcees. hopefully this junk that gets played on mtv/bet will go away, but that's just a dream.

rap is no disco.