Truine:
Yuna1000 :
m0ssb3rg935 :
I had a real big post written for this thread because I knew Vizzed has a really strange or closed minded view regarding the genre, and I find everybodys replies to this thread to be so far from the truth that its almost laughable. Maybe rewrite but I'll call the people who made possibly the worst arguments here.
yoshirulez! :
janus :
tornadocam :
A user of this :
EX Palen :
Listen to some Kendrick Lamar, folks.
You have so much storytelling, poetry, political insights, and tragedy in this genre that can't just be overlooked because of some bad words. Music doesnt have to involve singing. It needs to mean something. It needs to be poignant, motivational, or harrowing.
Kendrick Lamar's Good Kid Maad City is the story of a young man with a good heart who succumbs to peer pressure and a bad neighborhood. He tries to maintain his innocence and faith in God while horrible things happen around him. The album is packed with concerned phone calls from his family, prayer, and songs that provoke such an intense amount of thought. Am I a good person? How can I help the people around me? Should I get away from negative influence? Why is the world partying when there's real issues happening in this world?
You can find the very same messages in To Pimp a Butterfly, a jazz record centering on the present day issues that affect him, his optimism, his views on modern day slavery, and how the tempatation of fame can ruin a good person. Damn, the most successful album of 2017, is about his dark side, the one that wants to use his fame and influence for superficial needs like money or stuff, and his true side combats it and tries to remain modest. All three of these albums have been certified as the greatest musical works of all time, and quickly propelled him into the spotlight as a role model for underprivileged youth.
Danny Brown is a much darker story. A Detroit man who listened to too much Eminem and White Stripes, he started selling drugs at a young age, and was in jail for it. After coming out of prison, he realizes the error in his way and begs for a way out of the life he has, but his vices hold him back and make him miserable. Seeing his old songs as trash for people that do drugs, he thinks his fans treat his mental illness as entertainment, and descends into a mental breakdown on Atrocity Exhibition. He knows his vices will be the death of him, and believes it's only a matter of time before they take his life, and he loudly pleas for help, but everybody's just too entertained by his downfall to do anything about it.
And not to bring up a controversial person for no reason, Kanye West is a modern day Greek tragedy. He was a normal guy who dropped out of college to make instrumentals, his mother dies and he descends into madness. His music isn't great that often at all, but My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy is his best work. Its the eye of the storm between happiness and insanity.
Joey Bad*** and Run the Jewels make excellent songs about American politics, with Killer Mike from Run the Jewels being one of Bernie Sanders main speakers.
Death Grips is a cross between hard rock, electronic, and hip hop and focuses heavily on paranoia, anger at the world, and fear. The vocalist is similar to a metal artist. Its very avant garde and hard to understand at first, but theres a reason they make some of the most acclaimed music ever made.
Chance the Rapper makes the happiest, most well meaning music you can hear that also holds a message. A friend of the Obama family, he talks about community outreach, avoiding corporate control, and his faith. If his genuineness and happiness don't bring a smile to your face, you might not have a heart.
Earl Sweatshirt is an interesting subject. He had a really bad family life and got shipped to military school for wanting to make music. I never head that much of him but he is beloved and well renowned for his artistry.
Stop thinking Big Sean, Future, or Lil Yachty or whatever it is you're hearing is the entirety of a genre. There's so much more to it than tsrash just because they dont sing. It allows them to tell stories, make something meaningful, and to open people's eyes.
Thanks for the read and I really hope people will try something new today.