R&R - Rants and Rants -- Edition 3

Rap ... is it an art? Of course it is.

Though, lately, I've been torn. I obviously respect the genre, and I don't refer to any genre of music as trash, especially not rap. It's comprised of a venting of feelings and expressions. One of my friends suggests that it's trash, the other's in love with it.

So where do I stand? In the middle? I think a quote could handle this pretty well:

"That's not true at all, I feel like I am an intelligent person and I like the song. I don't neccesarily agree with all the lyrics, but I love the instrumentals and I respect the art of the artists/rappers involved. And you know what? I respect you even though I don't agree with you and even though I'm sure this little note will make you pissed off, I respect your opinion anyway."

--taken from the "Drop It Like It's Hot" video page on YouTube

Obviously, I don't believe most of these lyrics should try to be imitated. Hell, most of the stuff in here involves gangs, guns, women, or breaking the law. Does that mean I shouldn't listen to it? Does that mean I should feel prejudice against it? Of course not. I can listen to it without imitating it. How could anyone absolutely loathe an art like this? Whether you like it or not, this genre is just like any other genre and requires the same, if not more, work then any other genres in the music business.

To anyone who absolutely loves the genre, don't go overboard with it. It's a wonderful genre, I personally listen to it, and I overly respect it. Does that mean I condone what's said? Maybe not, but it would vary on the music. Don't be ignorant and denounce the genre based on the lyrics of one song. If you would actually sit down and listen to it, maybe you'd get a different outlook on things. If you can't respect the music then don't put it down, -- just shut the hell up about it and move on.

And that concludes our third edition of Rants and Rants. Hope you enjoyed.

--"Reaper"