6 Myths about hip hop:
One thing that is unique to rap music is that nobody simply "doesn't like it." Everyone I have talked to who dislikes hip hop has to have a reason for disliking it, rather than just citing a difference in personal taste. For a fan of the genre like myself, this can get pretty comical - since most of the justifications given ("it's not music, it's just some guy talking") are pretty far off the mark. So here's the first in what will hopefully be a series of essays, dealing with some of the ridiculous beliefs that closed-minded people have regarding hip hop.
Myth #1: Rapping is easy, and anyone can do it - This is my favorite argument used by people who don't like hip hop. Why? Because it's the easiest to come back to. Just say "if it's so easy, then why don't you give it a shot?" I will bet good money that 99% of the people who use this argument couldn't rhyme to save their life. Even a mediocre and justly mocked song like "Ice Ice Baby" is something which obviously took a lot of concentration. And the better the rapper, the more complicated the rhymes become. Examples: The insane rhythm changes on "Chemical Calesthenics" by Blackalicious. Or the brilliant mid-word swapping on Run DMC's "Hard Times."
Myth #2: Sampling is just stealing from a real song - Yes, a lot of mainstream rap tends to borrow its melodies from old funk and rock songs. So? If you ask me, that isn't any more "stealing" than Led Zeppelin borrowing riffs from old blues. It's less so, actually - because hip hop usually gives the original artists credit. Besides - sampling is not limited to simply lifting a bassline off of an old record. The most creative DJs take old source material and mold it into something new - by combining samples from many different sources, it's possibly to create a track which is completely unrecognizable as the sum of its parts. Examples: Gimmicky mixes like the "2 Many DJs" albums, and groundbreaking albums like "Paul's Boutique" by the Beastie Boys and "Fear Of A Black Planet" by Public Enemy.
Myth #3: All rappers are stupid - RACISM. No other word for it. Most famous rappers do come from lower-class backgrounds, but that certainly doesn't mean that they are unintelligent. Again, the complicated wordplay of many hip-hop rhymes should be proof enough of brains. No, the reason many assume rappers to be inherently stupid is simple - the way they talk. If someone uses street slang, then they are clearly less smart than those of us who were raised in the upper class. Look - street dialect is a result of where you are brought up, and there is no way to change it. And if you ask me, judging someone to be inferior based on their accent is every bit as racist as being biased towards the color of their skin. If you think that someone has to talk like a white person in order to be smart, then perhaps you should try thinking about how uncultured you must sound to an Englishman. Examples: Interviews with Mos Def should show you that many rappers are just normal guys with accents. And Chuck D's radio show is some of the best political talk out there.
Myth #4: All hip hop is violent - Completely false. Perhaps "most hip hop is violent" would be closer, but it's still not quite true. I would say "most gangster rap is violent," and then point out that actual gangster rap is a minority in the hip hop world, albiet an incredibly popular and visible one. There is no shortage of gangster rap - but most of it is so localized that it has no chance of catching on - and most of the biggest rap names are those who avoid "east side/west side" affiliations. Many rappers are former gangsters who use their music as an escape from violence - only a handful use it to gain power for their home turf. Besides - gangster rap is dead. Tupac Shakur was the last popular artist in that feild - since then we've seen the rise of smart good-times artists like Outkast, brainy shock-rappers like Eminem, and the continued popularity of mellow acts like the Roots. It seems strange to me that anyone can point to rap in general and call it violent, as if blood and fighting is something exclusive to hip hop music. How many Johnny Cash songs are about killing people? Is "Brown Sugar" by the Stones not about rape and/or heroin abuse? People have learned since the 60's that rock music didn't turn people into devil-worshippers, and they'll learn soon enough that not every rap fan is a gangster in the making.
Myth #5: Hip hop is a bad influence on kids - Perhaps the biggest myth of all. As stated above, most rap is in fact not violent, and many rappers are simply former street kids who strive for something higher. I don't see how that is anything but a great role model to have. A poor kid with nothing to live for always has the option of turning to crime, violence, or drugs - but he can also turn to art, especially if he's exposed to the others who went before him. I point to KRS-One, nicknamed "the teacher" - starting out as an extremely talented gangster rapper, he quickly turned to positive messages, encouraging people to educate themselves while still mantaining his popularity. Or take Public Enemy, who in spite of their ironically criminal title, encourage their fans to stay away from drugs ("Night Of The Living Baseheads") and alcohol ("1 Million Bottlebags"), and urge them to vote, read, and generally do things that most parents would approve of. Bad role models, my ass.
Myth #6: Rappers brag all the time - Actually, this one is completely true. And so what? I don't see what's so bad about having high self esteem. Again, it's only the few gangster rappers who remain who still use this bragging as a way of putting down others. A good deal of rock songs deal with the love of others, I see nothing wrong with writing about the love of yourself. And besides - anyone who thinks that rap would be more appealing if the artists dealt more with lost love and exposed emotion is missing the point. Rap is not about vulnerability, it's about being tough, strong, and dedicated to yourself. There are quite a few whiny rock stars (who shall remain nameless) who I feel could certainly benefit from some of KRS-One's guidance...
More in the future...
Myth #1: Rapping is easy, and anyone can do it - This is my favorite argument used by people who don't like hip hop. Why? Because it's the easiest to come back to. Just say "if it's so easy, then why don't you give it a shot?" I will bet good money that 99% of the people who use this argument couldn't rhyme to save their life. Even a mediocre and justly mocked song like "Ice Ice Baby" is something which obviously took a lot of concentration. And the better the rapper, the more complicated the rhymes become. Examples: The insane rhythm changes on "Chemical Calesthenics" by Blackalicious. Or the brilliant mid-word swapping on Run DMC's "Hard Times."
Myth #2: Sampling is just stealing from a real song - Yes, a lot of mainstream rap tends to borrow its melodies from old funk and rock songs. So? If you ask me, that isn't any more "stealing" than Led Zeppelin borrowing riffs from old blues. It's less so, actually - because hip hop usually gives the original artists credit. Besides - sampling is not limited to simply lifting a bassline off of an old record. The most creative DJs take old source material and mold it into something new - by combining samples from many different sources, it's possibly to create a track which is completely unrecognizable as the sum of its parts. Examples: Gimmicky mixes like the "2 Many DJs" albums, and groundbreaking albums like "Paul's Boutique" by the Beastie Boys and "Fear Of A Black Planet" by Public Enemy.
Myth #3: All rappers are stupid - RACISM. No other word for it. Most famous rappers do come from lower-class backgrounds, but that certainly doesn't mean that they are unintelligent. Again, the complicated wordplay of many hip-hop rhymes should be proof enough of brains. No, the reason many assume rappers to be inherently stupid is simple - the way they talk. If someone uses street slang, then they are clearly less smart than those of us who were raised in the upper class. Look - street dialect is a result of where you are brought up, and there is no way to change it. And if you ask me, judging someone to be inferior based on their accent is every bit as racist as being biased towards the color of their skin. If you think that someone has to talk like a white person in order to be smart, then perhaps you should try thinking about how uncultured you must sound to an Englishman. Examples: Interviews with Mos Def should show you that many rappers are just normal guys with accents. And Chuck D's radio show is some of the best political talk out there.
Myth #4: All hip hop is violent - Completely false. Perhaps "most hip hop is violent" would be closer, but it's still not quite true. I would say "most gangster rap is violent," and then point out that actual gangster rap is a minority in the hip hop world, albiet an incredibly popular and visible one. There is no shortage of gangster rap - but most of it is so localized that it has no chance of catching on - and most of the biggest rap names are those who avoid "east side/west side" affiliations. Many rappers are former gangsters who use their music as an escape from violence - only a handful use it to gain power for their home turf. Besides - gangster rap is dead. Tupac Shakur was the last popular artist in that feild - since then we've seen the rise of smart good-times artists like Outkast, brainy shock-rappers like Eminem, and the continued popularity of mellow acts like the Roots. It seems strange to me that anyone can point to rap in general and call it violent, as if blood and fighting is something exclusive to hip hop music. How many Johnny Cash songs are about killing people? Is "Brown Sugar" by the Stones not about rape and/or heroin abuse? People have learned since the 60's that rock music didn't turn people into devil-worshippers, and they'll learn soon enough that not every rap fan is a gangster in the making.
Myth #5: Hip hop is a bad influence on kids - Perhaps the biggest myth of all. As stated above, most rap is in fact not violent, and many rappers are simply former street kids who strive for something higher. I don't see how that is anything but a great role model to have. A poor kid with nothing to live for always has the option of turning to crime, violence, or drugs - but he can also turn to art, especially if he's exposed to the others who went before him. I point to KRS-One, nicknamed "the teacher" - starting out as an extremely talented gangster rapper, he quickly turned to positive messages, encouraging people to educate themselves while still mantaining his popularity. Or take Public Enemy, who in spite of their ironically criminal title, encourage their fans to stay away from drugs ("Night Of The Living Baseheads") and alcohol ("1 Million Bottlebags"), and urge them to vote, read, and generally do things that most parents would approve of. Bad role models, my ass.
Myth #6: Rappers brag all the time - Actually, this one is completely true. And so what? I don't see what's so bad about having high self esteem. Again, it's only the few gangster rappers who remain who still use this bragging as a way of putting down others. A good deal of rock songs deal with the love of others, I see nothing wrong with writing about the love of yourself. And besides - anyone who thinks that rap would be more appealing if the artists dealt more with lost love and exposed emotion is missing the point. Rap is not about vulnerability, it's about being tough, strong, and dedicated to yourself. There are quite a few whiny rock stars (who shall remain nameless) who I feel could certainly benefit from some of KRS-One's guidance...
More in the future...
posted by BG | 11:17 PM
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