When it comes to music, I am pretty open minded. I listen to all types, from indie to metal to electronica to classical. As much as I love music and poetry though, I never really delved into a genre that is known for its poetry...
Rap/Hip Hop
There are a total of TWO rap artists that I listen to consistently. Obligatory N.W.A, Straight Outta Compton is one, with little attention to any of the other albums. The other rap artist is Saul Williams, an excellent poet who criticizes the image African Americans have made for themselves and the music industry. Both his self titled album and Amethyst Rock Star are albums I listen to quite often.
I stayed away from Rap/Hip Hop for the most part because of what you see in the mainstream and because I was never really shown anything good. These bullshit, selfish, greedy, blinged out "gangsters" plague the airwaves and the T.V. These "artists" only concentrated on the hooks and the beats to make people dance (you know what, I wouldn't even call bullshit like that dancing), and the way the song sounds on a ringtone (that weird electronic voice comes out perfectly from a phone's little speaker, and many artists try to capitalize on that). There was no substance to the lyrics, it was all about a single, and the image. The whole mentality of "it's cool to be ghetto" has ruined them and the industry. Rap music originated in the poverty stricken areas. Those people dressed a certain way and spoke in a language that was unique to them and gave them a voice. The spoken word was very anti-establishment. The roots of Rap have been completely thrown out the window.
Whenever I ask for good (subjective, I know) rap/hip hop artists, I get names thrown around like Sage Francis, A Tribe Called Quest, Immortal Technique, Jedi Mind Tricks, and Mos Def. I ask of you, rap fans of Smogon, who are some rap artists that you listen to, what albums would be good to buy, what is your opinion on rap music itself and the industry, and anything else related to the art of rap.
Rap/Hip Hop
There are a total of TWO rap artists that I listen to consistently. Obligatory N.W.A, Straight Outta Compton is one, with little attention to any of the other albums. The other rap artist is Saul Williams, an excellent poet who criticizes the image African Americans have made for themselves and the music industry. Both his self titled album and Amethyst Rock Star are albums I listen to quite often.
I stayed away from Rap/Hip Hop for the most part because of what you see in the mainstream and because I was never really shown anything good. These bullshit, selfish, greedy, blinged out "gangsters" plague the airwaves and the T.V. These "artists" only concentrated on the hooks and the beats to make people dance (you know what, I wouldn't even call bullshit like that dancing), and the way the song sounds on a ringtone (that weird electronic voice comes out perfectly from a phone's little speaker, and many artists try to capitalize on that). There was no substance to the lyrics, it was all about a single, and the image. The whole mentality of "it's cool to be ghetto" has ruined them and the industry. Rap music originated in the poverty stricken areas. Those people dressed a certain way and spoke in a language that was unique to them and gave them a voice. The spoken word was very anti-establishment. The roots of Rap have been completely thrown out the window.
Whenever I ask for good (subjective, I know) rap/hip hop artists, I get names thrown around like Sage Francis, A Tribe Called Quest, Immortal Technique, Jedi Mind Tricks, and Mos Def. I ask of you, rap fans of Smogon, who are some rap artists that you listen to, what albums would be good to buy, what is your opinion on rap music itself and the industry, and anything else related to the art of rap.
