4 ms·

Where current popular music (I would call it EDM) is pushing the sound more than the song, rap is obviously about the words. Maybe hence the schism in the value

• wahnfrieden 4y ago
  my example, carti, is much more about the sound and feeling as it is the words. people who require rap to have so-called elevated/intelligent lyrics are most challenged by his music and seem stuck in older ideas of what it ought to be the criticism i read most often here is that rap lacks melody as a requirement of music - two absurd ideas
• peteforde 4y ago
  That is not an educated or reasonable conclusion, and not just because rappers artists use their voice as a (tuned) instrument. There's countless examples of rappers incorporating, collaborating with and evolving every genre. One of my favs: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ZTYgq4EoRo https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ZTYgq4EoRo
  • navane 4y ago
    I like Kendrick, but the example track you give is exemplary of my first comment: it is not pushing any boundaries musically. It is literally a jazz piece, used as backing for a very lyrical rap. A jazz piece even, that already solidified in the jazz era of the early 20th century. Musically Kendricks track pushes no boundaries and is an easily recognized style that exists for almost a century. Of course Kendricks work is pushing boundaries. He has an excellent produced voice, the rap a timbre and meter that is fresh. These are musical components of his words, but mere details in all the music in this track. However, the words in his rap are not details. Personally I have never been into words in music. I barely could hear them growing up listening to metal, and still only register a phrase or two in music today. If you see music and lyrics as different things, I see how you would give rap a bad rap, musically speaking. My current fav (I can only understand every fifth word obviously): https://soundcloud.com/icespiceee/ice-spice-no-clarity https://soundcloud.com/icespiceee/ice-spice-no-clarity