Honest question from an uninformed old person.
 

What do rappers DO? I THINK they say things that rhyme to a certain beat. Do they make them up as they go along or do they make them up before they perform?

Is there ANY music involved? Do they sell recordings of it? Is it always ummmmm racy?

Why do you think two rappers were killed in the last few days?

Thumbs down for rap.
 

Rap performers compose their "songs" in advance and then perform them or record them.

Most are counter-culture and anti-police. They sometimes call for the murder of police officers.

Much of it is beyond racy. It is obscene.

Successful rappers can become quite wealthy. Some die from overdoses of drugs. Others from shooting each other.

I have no use for them.

That's a rather broad brush, Carl. I disagree that "most" are counter-culture and anti-police. I also think deaths from overdose and shooting are not as common as you imply.

And then there are those like Will Smith, Ice T (Law and Order SUV), Vanilla Ice (DIY Network), Snoop Dog (venture capitalist) , LL Cool J (CSI Los Angeles), and P Diddy, Pharrell Williams, Will i am and others who made their start in rap and have built careers in other fields. Rappers send a message, as did Heavy Metal music, and folk music (to go the other extreme). Music is cultural, emotional, and can impact the moods of the individual and a society. My parents generation was scared to death of what Rock and Roll would do to us, mostly because they didn't understand it. There were some bad rock and roll influences (sex and drugs) but for the most part we got through it. There are some bad rap influences but hopefully that generation will get through it also.

My Grandparents asked the same questions about Rock n Roll.

:1rotfl:

"My Rappers Rap," by SFSkol
 

Rap has many poetry elements,
Most rappers cannot sing, like elephants.
Folk songwriters with attitudes,
Who think their words are platitudes.
Some are written, others not.
Often listeners say, "What?"
Are they songs without a beat?
Because, wouldn't that be neat?
Most rhyming skills are capable,
But never one to be memorable.

"Peace and Love, Man," frowning with arms crossed.

Just think: in 40 years, there will be rappers on the squares!

This is an excellent post. It points to the damage profiling can do.

Absolutely!

:BigApplause::BigApplause::BigApplause:

I refer to it as crap.

With lots of tattoos, piercings and baggy pants worn so low all that really covers their parts is their underwear.

Hip Hop artists' contributions include inventing the "mic drop", adding millions to the coffers of sneaker manufacturers, and causing parents to actually give their children the gender neutral name, "Lil"

:BigApplause::BigApplause:

I refuse to acknowledge rap as music because it isnt. I guess it is related to what medieval jesters did to entertain the court; a long rambling recitation that served as oral history and entertainment. Maybe rhyming, maybe not. Not music. I suppose Beowulf was rap

Rap/hip hop has been around since at least the 1920’s. It was frequently used to give news that affected black communities but would not be covered by local media.

Some is made up on the spot, especially if a battle. Some is carefully crafted. If you can’t understand the words, find and read the lyrics. Not all is obscene, sexist and violent. Some speak to loving their family, their children, how they’ve changed, social issues, past history. Some advocate violence and spew nothing but obscenities. Enimem started with rap of childhood abuse and dreams of revenge to his mother. Now, his rap waxes poetic about his daughter and his hopes and dreams for her. 50 Cent started as a thug, tats and bullet holes. Today, he is a successful businessman, has had tats removed, raps about non-violent ways to be a man. The 20 YO murdered in Miami was a complete and total punk. Yet, his rap was a message of hope that he was changing, that he would grow into a man proud of his actions.

It may not be music to your ears, but it is to many. Elvis was not music to your parents’ ears. Swing was once considered obscene. The waltz was risqué. And so on and so forth. Like it or not, rap is here to stay and, like most art forms, evolves as time goes on.