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> Being a connoisseur of rap... Well, what do you think about the stuff I listed? > Take the whole song 'Just Lose it' where he satirically shows he can creat

> Being a connoisseur of rap... Well, what do you think about the stuff I listed? > Take the whole song 'Just Lose it' where he satirically shows he can create a catchy rap song with nonsense. A lot of "satire" going on then. I took a look at the video on Youtube. Just like the Wikipedia article explains, there are lots of references to things, but so what? Michael's nose might come off, Beavis sometimes turns into Cornholio, and some songs have a "break it down" -part. Where's the big revelation/insight though, or the implied moral higher ground? > This song made the top 10 single on charts across the world[1], with just a catchy beat and nonsensical lyrics. Right. That happens a lot to songs with catchy beats and more or less clever hooks. Did "Just Lose It" become a hit because it's such a profound satire on all shallow, soulless, formulaic, mass-produced rap/pop music that gets on the charts? Or was it just because lots of Eminem's fans bought it? Maybe they're all the butt of a diabolically clever, circular/meta joke! He's up to a lot of tricks, it seems. Some other artists just concentrate on making music. A handful of them have even become hugely popular by writing, composing, arranging and performing it. Music that's completely made and performed by themselves. That handful includes people like Prince, Stevie Wonder, and Michael Jackson. Suck on that, Eminem.

mrtron 18y ago
> A Tribe Called Quest ("People's Instinctive Travels & The Paths Of Rhythm", "The Low-End Theory") Classic. High quality. > De La Soul ("Three Feet High & Rising", "De La Soul Is Dead") Fantastic. > Jurassic 5 ("Jurassic 5", "Power In Numbers") Great quality and an interesting style. > Public Enemy (eg "Shut Em' Down", "Can't Truss It", "Give It Up"). Chuck D has attitude. The real kind. Public Enemy is really the precursor to a change in rap. Their style, attitude, branding just seems so much stronger than anyone before them. >Somewhat rap-ish: Spearhead & Michael Franti's solo work too... and some old-school classics like: Funky Four + 1 - That's The Joint (rap music's pure essence right there) Spoonie G - The Monster Jam Sugarhill Gang - Rapper's Delight. Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five - The Message. And maybe just for the heck of it, The Fatback Band's "King Tim III, Personality Jock", where it all started. Oh man you are dating yourself with some of these classics. I would say they were great for their time and really established the genre. However, because of this I don't know if you can tell someone today just getting interested in rap to listen to them and understand how different and new and unique they were. You almost have to listen to a ton of rap and then go back to the roots.
- shiranaihito 18y ago
  Seems like we agree, but what do you mean with "dating myself" ? :)
- shiranaihito 18y ago
  > I don't know if you can tell someone today just getting interested in rap to listen to them and understand how different and new and unique they were. You almost have to listen to a ton of rap and then go back to the roots. The first rap I ever heard was the album De La Soul Is Dead. I happened to hear some of it at a friend's house, and his big brother was kind enough to lend it to me. I just liked what I heard, but of course didn't analyze why. In any case, I don't think there's any harm in even a new rap fan listening to "the classics". It helps them get on the right track. Learning to appreciate the classics should come naturally later on.

mrtron 18y ago

> A Tribe Called Quest ("People's Instinctive Travels & The Paths Of Rhythm", "The Low-End Theory") Classic. High quality. > De La Soul ("Three Feet High & Rising", "De La Soul Is Dead") Fantastic. > Jurassic 5 ("Jurassic 5", "Power In Numbers") Great quality and an interesting style. > Public Enemy (eg "Shut Em' Down", "Can't Truss It", "Give It Up"). Chuck D has attitude. The real kind. Public Enemy is really the precursor to a change in rap. Their style, attitude, branding just seems so much stronger than anyone before them. >Somewhat rap-ish: Spearhead & Michael Franti's solo work too... and some old-school classics like: Funky Four + 1 - That's The Joint (rap music's pure essence right there) Spoonie G - The Monster Jam Sugarhill Gang - Rapper's Delight. Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five - The Message. And maybe just for the heck of it, The Fatback Band's "King Tim III, Personality Jock", where it all started. Oh man you are dating yourself with some of these classics. I would say they were great for their time and really established the genre. However, because of this I don't know if you can tell someone today just getting interested in rap to listen to them and understand how different and new and unique they were. You almost have to listen to a ton of rap and then go back to the roots.

shiranaihito 18y ago
Seems like we agree, but what do you mean with "dating myself" ? :)
shiranaihito 18y ago
> I don't know if you can tell someone today just getting interested in rap to listen to them and understand how different and new and unique they were. You almost have to listen to a ton of rap and then go back to the roots. The first rap I ever heard was the album De La Soul Is Dead. I happened to hear some of it at a friend's house, and his big brother was kind enough to lend it to me. I just liked what I heard, but of course didn't analyze why. In any case, I don't think there's any harm in even a new rap fan listening to "the classics". It helps them get on the right track. Learning to appreciate the classics should come naturally later on.