Today's Rap Sucks

[Bill Murphy]

Every 3-4 years I like to buy an album that every magazine, critic, etc is raving over. Invariably they suck.

This time it was the new Outkast double. Christ, it sucks. Got 3/4's thru the wannabe Prince disc(Valentine's Day was OK) & 30 secs of the first four tracks on the gangsta disc. Straight tae the fvcking trade in shop. Guess I ain't down w/crunk.

Why the hell do all these critics run their "wide range of influences; hip hop, rock, soul, R&B, soul, funk" bilge in every review nowadays? Run-DMC or Ohio Players this wasn't.

Only interesting bit was a spliced sample from Mind Playing Tricks On Me & Pistol Grip Pump: "..[mumble] B1tch-On my lap at all times.."

I could rant for hours but that sums it up: Nowadays you can't dance to the stuff you're supposed to, and back then you could to the stuff you weren't supposed to.

Snoop's the last guy had any groove to him. Cube's last two albums sucked and he's more into movies now, although the song he did on Oakenfold's album was great. And you know what, fvck Eminem. Guy's the Donovan McNabb of rappers. /images/graemlins/laugh.gif

Main problem is DJs & producers thinking they're musicians. Gotta get back to sampling/scratching. I'm sure they don't wanna pay royalties. So, DISGUISE the sh1t, dumbazzes, like they used tae.

Off the top of my head, I can think of two dozen great unused riffs from 70's rock alone. God only knows what a real seach of the vaults would turn up, let alone the soul & funk no white boy knows about.

Five quickies for ya aspiring DJs:

Trampled Underfoot - Zep(only the most obv of many, although Kashmir & Levee have been used extensively)

Burnin' Sky - Bad Company(ditto)

Sun Goes Down - Thin Lizzy

Rock Candy - Montrose

Fire - Ohio Players

God, I'm old.

[Sooga]

Today's mainstream rap is for the most part absolutely horrible. In fact, I don't remember the last time I listened to the radio. Most of that stuff is intolerable.

Most of the good rap/hiphop stuff out there is the stuff you don't hear on the radio. Jurassic 5, Ugly Duckling, Hieroglyphics, Cunninlynguists, People Under The Stairs, Swollen Members... they're all fantastic. It's a shame that most kids nowadays think that Nelly and Ludacris is as good as it gets....

[Ray Zee]

its amazing how rap has gone downhill. why it used to be so good. i could hardly wait to hear just how to do someone in and all the new and old cuss words. but maybe there is no more good rap as they are all in prison now.

[daryn]

good post ray



but seriously, why didn't you just download the album and give it a listen first /images/graemlins/grin.gif /images/graemlins/grin.gif

[J.Brown]

gentlemen,

it is just like anything else you have to know where to look.

dismissing a whole genre of music, that has remained popular for over 20 years, is very short sighted and narrow-minded to say the least. if it is not what you like that is a whole other issue, but...

there is some great rap albums, with positive and thought provoking lyrics out there, just not on the radio. follow sooga's suggestions, especiall jurassic 5 as they are a little more accessible to a main stream listener. also check out aesop rock and atmosphere.

happy listening--to all types of tunes.

J.Brown

[Michael Davis]

I don't think anyone on this thread dismissed rap. In fact, most of them were lamenting the fact that current mainstream rap was garbage compared to the best rap available.

-Mike

[Rushmore]

How can you "wax oldschool" by harkening back to Snoop Dogg?

Please go out and buy a Schooly D disc.

Enjoy.

P.S. I agree that Trampled Under Foot is the brightest fruit in the berry patch. Especially considering the fact that it was a blatant ripoff of a certain Mr. Stevie Wonder's song. You might have heard it. It's called Superstition.

That might work, right?

[Makaveli]

Today's rap sucks because of main-stream America's commercialization of anything that can make a steady profit. Since they've found a gold-mine in rap they've mass-produced carbon copies of young preformers (not artists) that are just copies of their elders, so we are getting handed down copies of copies and they suck! I agree with Jbrown (although not with his aesop rock recommendation) that you just have to look deep to find the good stuff these days, most good rap doesn't sound like the stuff thats out there so the major record companies don't take a chance on the music which leads us to the vicious cycle were in today....

[baggins]

the tone of Trampled Under Foot and Superstition might be vaguely similar, but the riffs are not the same. not really that close, even. those are 2 of my favorite riffs.

re: Old School

go back to RunDMC or NWA. that's where it's at.

also, J5 are pretty dang good. also check out DJ Paul Barman (a funny, ivy league jewish guy with some of the smartest rhymes out there), Deltron3030 (Del The Funky Homosapien), Yara Bravo, and Mike Patton's project - Loveage. Outkast's Stankonia was brilliant. I don't know about their new one, i haven't heard it yet.