So About This Whole Rap Thing…

One thing I hear very often from those who believe they are of the musical taste elite, are the preaching against rap and why it is horrible repetitive music. This outburst is usually caused by a Sigur Rós deficiency or just a lack of hyper-alternative street cred flowing through the music connoiseur. In all reality, rap is just as multi-faceted as alternative rock or any musical genre. You just have to know where to look, and your “HOT 104.9FM” is not the place to look.

Good rap comes infrequently in the pop world. But more recently Kanye West, Lil Wayne, and T.I. have released legitimately good albums that are very mainstream.

The poor quality rap that I may ever refer to is known as crunk, or even the dance rap, such as the Soulja Boy Tell’em song “Crank Dat”. A horrible amalgamation of completely fabricated sounds is all these sub-genres are. The rhymes are extremely simple. The rapper is in essence a one hit wonder. There are no lessons, no poetry, no soul. Just, “YOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOU”. Don’t even get me started on the incessant use of Autotune. It sounds bad. It doesn’t sound kitschy and unique. NO. It’s sounds like a fraud, like the man in the recording studio should be getting a hell of a lot more money than the fake “artist” who uses it.

So, here are two artists you need to listen to become educated on real rap; rap that reaches back to its roots; has a meaning (besides how one club goer likes when the shorty bends over, and such actions); tell’s a story; or actually (I may sound mad) contains real live recorded instruments. :O

Atmosphere – This Minneapolis hip-hop duo was first introduced to me by a friend who actually moved to my hometown from Minnesota. They combine insanely well crafted rhymes and lyrics to send an overall positive message and/or tell a story of hardships in the city. The beats are well crafted and also many of the songs are performed with real instruments. Slug is possibly one of the most vocally gifted rappers, his enunciation and diction are both impeccable. Yes, that is the lamest thing ever said about rap but still, it makes it so much more enjoyable to listen to.

Great Songs – “Lovelife” not one of the most famous, by far, but the first one I got hooked on. Strong beat with a great rap. Also “In Her Music Box” the story from the point of view of a little girl who’s father seems to be a drug dealer, but tries to be the best father possible.

Buck 65 - A Canadian rapper who melodically drawls through his greatly varying songs, some sounds like demonic beat poetry with an incredible consistent beautiful tone. I greatly enjoyed the entire album Secret House Against the World. He incorporates blues, folk, and country into his music, which leads to comparisons to Beck and even Tom Waits. It is rap. It’s certainly not anything else.

Great Songs – “Blood of a Young Wolf” “Surrender to Strangeness”