I would say it's okay to hate rap in the same way that it's okay to hate most popular forms of music. I mean, seriously - we can talk about the social values that popular mainstream "party/club" rap music is promoting (how it is materialistic, misogynistic, negative, stereotyping, etc.) but is it really that much worse than mainstream pop music?
Think about it this way - there are dozens of Britney Spears and Backstreet Boys clones out there that sing completely vacuous love songs that have no real meaning whatsoever. The love is superficial, or the situation is unrealistic, or there's really no real meaning when you actually listen to the lyrics (e.g. "Bye, Bye, Bye"). Is something that is so devoid of real human emotion really "better" than rap? In my opinion, no.
But let's not leave out most popular rock/alternative music. Here's how you can pretty much break it down:
- Nickelback clones - mediocre bands that churn out lots of similar-sounding songs with (again) no real lyrical content. Barely one step up from "pop music" (e.g. Top 100).
- Breaking Benjamin clones - slightly harder rock than something like Nickelback, but just as empty and soul-crushing.
- Korn clones - "edgy" bands made up of social outcasts in high school that produce music specifically geared toward high-school aged social outcasts.
- Emo/pop-punk clones - I can't even think of a single example because not a single one shines out more than the others, except for maybe My Chemical Romance (and it doesn't really exemplify all the other emo/pop-punk bands). Here, you have a genre that by definition is "emotional" music. But what is it really? Bands that write lyrics like a 15-year-old girl that lives in the country with her cats. It's not terrible, and some of it can even by likeable, but it ain't Shakespeare by any means. The only thing I can add is - I wish my lawn was emo so it would cut itself.
All that being said, some songs are just good because they are catchy. For example, I like "Toxic" by Britney Spears, and I like lots of MCR songs, and some Korn songs are good, too. Some music is just good, apart from the lyrics. It all comes down to what kind of music you like.
Honestly, I think some white people dislike rap just because of a subconscious knee-jerk racist aversion to it. If I had to guess, I would say that there aren't many, if any, black people on this website. Not that you have to be black to like rap, but you do have to be black-friendly to at least some degree. If you are a part of mainstream white America, you aren't always black-friendly, so you might not be predisposed to liking rap music.
So, my point? Mainstream rap music might have questionable social value, but not anymore so than some of the whiny emo crap; the turd rock of Nickelback and their ilk; and the soulless pop music. Let's face it - most mainstream radio music is like pornography: all image and no emotions. Just like people like to watch pornography sometimes, they also like to listen to pointless music just because it is fun. But if all you listen to is pointless music, then you might as well just watch porn 24/7 and not have any real emotional attachment to anyone. I think people that do that are called "frat boys."
Seriously, though - 90 percent or more of all people are idiots that are completely happy listening to the Top 100 and jamming their faces full of McDonalds. They don't care if a species becomes endangered; they don't care if there is a war on in another country - they care about themselves and their little world.
Since so many people are like this, of course radio is going to cater to the lowest common denominator. If you have a limited perception, music about bumping and grinding and fake love songs will appeal to you, because that is as deep as you can get.
So, don't just rap just by what you hear on the radio. Listen to some Outkast, Roots, Jurassic 5, Tribe Called Quest, Public Enemy, Dilated Peoples - hell, even Black Eyed Peas back in the 90's were pretty cool.
In conclusion, don't just hate rap - hate everything, because it all pretty much sucks and is unoriginal and is manufactured for idiots. Look for the songs that touch you or inspire you, no matter what genre they are from. And don't let anyone else dictate what you like; if you see meaning in a song that I think is stupid, then maybe you are smarter than me because you see something that I can't.
[?] Miscellaneous Helpful Hints
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