SleepingSilence

The 'Explain The Appeal Of......' Thread

@Fabricant451

Thinkin' 'bout money, kick your feet up
Watch you a comedy— hol' up!
Wake up in the mornin'
Thinkin' 'bout money, kick your feet up
Watch you a comedy, take a shit, then roll some weed up

Rhymes up with up with up with up. xP (and the verses, is telling a story I suppose but good rapping?)

Wake up in the mornin'
Thinkin' 'bout money, kick your feet up
Watch you a comedy, take a shit, then roll some weed up
Go hit you a lick, go fuck on a bitch
Don't go to work today, cop you a fit
Or maybe some kicks and make you—

Like really...that's highest quality? I mean yes the song is satirical, so you can say the overall MESSAGE is clever, and something you can maybe appreciate but the writing itself? The vocabulary/comprehension is not exactly college level, you follow?

Promises are broken and more resentment come alive
Race barriers make inferior of you and I
See, in a perfect world, I'll choose faith over riches
I'll choose work over bitches, I'll make schools out of prison
I'll take all the religions and put 'em all in one service
Just to tell 'em we ain't shit, but He's been perfect, world

Probably the best one I see at the moment. And yeah maybe some of his songs are emotionally strong and can convey those in a strong way. I've heard a song where he gets drunk and basically falls into a deep hole of depression and if you like that, I'm sure that's fine. But rap is essentially writing for a living. Like writing itself, the prose and words matter greatly. (And out of context it makes me roll my eyes a bit.) But, still curses twice in 6 lines and aside from resentment, the vocabulary is not particularly complicated.

The 'Explain The Appeal Of......' Thread

<Snipped quote by SleepingSilence>

I picked my songs for a reason. You're doing exactly what a lot of people do and making incorrect assumptions. You're taking the lyrics at face value as they come and the reason I picked a song like A Milli is precisely because it reads as a song glorifying the lifestyle but is more a personal anthem and statement of intent (and also because of the beat, which is why I mentioned it.) As for the Yeezy verse, you got it wrong. The line is "You see it's leaders and it's followers/But I'd rather be a dick than a swallower" which is literally Kanye explaining a lot of his arrogance. It boils down to "I would rather say what's on my mind and be considered an asshole than hold my tongue and be a liar or not say anything."

The thing about good rap is that it has metaphors and double meanings like that. That's not a lyrical failure of Kanye. It's a failure of comprehension on the listener. A song using the word nigger isn't a knock against a song. That word is so steeped in the genre and in the culture it sprung from that it's often a word of rally. Having a problem with that word in rap music has less to do with disliking the music but that'll open up a racial can of worms and let's not.

@Fabricant451

I'm not saying that the rap can't be more subversive, I'm just saying it's still doing a lot of the same stuff. Like it's fine to look deeper into lines, but you CAN make your music deep and not compare yourself to getting your dick sucked and the like...I'm not calling it brainless per say, but it is vulgar. Which is what he wanted to avoid.

And yes Kayne has said so many dumb things off and on the track, I can't take him seriously. In Black Skinhead for instance, which is his black pride anthem and he forces a line about how much sex he is getting in there...I just feel like there we're better choices. I don't mean to come off as they have nothing of value, but for something wanting to get into the genre for differences. Mainstream artists are NOT where to start.

The 'Explain The Appeal Of......' Thread

@Fabricant451 Examples please, I really tried to like him. But really one of the best? Do I have to provide his bars? Like I want to at least find something that I like other than "I." I'm not closed minded, that's just what I got from his 2nd album. Is his first or third album better at this storytelling you speak of?

Edit: Going to give you an insert from one of my favorite artist than try to find Kendrick verses to compare them too...

An alteration from Sadistik.

"Acquired conscious competence of all of my accomplishments
And conquered constant comments that contradicted my confidence
Common compliments were called upon to con me in
Accosted consonant comments that condescended all my common sense"

Now from what an article calls his best song.
The hook
"Man down, where you from, nigga?"
"Fuck who you know, where you from, my nigga?"
"Where your grandma stay, huh, my nigga?"
"This m.A.A.d city I run, my nigga"

Lines:
The driver seat
The first one to get killed
Seen a light-skinned nigga with his brains blown out
At the same burger stand where *beep* hang out
Now this is not a tape recorder saying that he did it
But ever since that day, I was looking at him different
That was back when I was nine
Joey packed the nine
Pakistan on every porch is fine
We adapt to crime
Pack a van with four guns at a time

Uses nigga, rhymes words with themselves, and mostly one syllable/simple words.

Sure it's just -one- song, but which song do YOU feel is his lyrically strongest?

A random verse from his newest album.

I'm willin' to die for this shit
I done cried for this shit, might take a life for this shit
Put the Bible down and go eye for an eye for this shit
D.O.T. my enemy, won't catch a vibe for this shit, ayy
I been stomped out in front of my mama
My daddy commissary made it to commas
Bitch, all my grandmas dead
So ain't nobody prayin' for me, I'm on your head, ayy
Thirty millions later, know the feds watchin'
Auntie on my telegram, like, "Be cautious!"
I be hangin' out at Tam's, I be on Stockton
I don't do it for the 'Gram, I do it for Compton
I'm willin' to die for this shit, nigga
I'll take your fuckin' life for this shit, nigga
We ain't goin' back to broke, family sellin' dope
That's why you mainey-ass rap niggas better know

Random full verse from a song of his. (mine.)

When they burned the bodies I smelled the smoke
From the hell below
Where they turned to zombies to sell their souls
To the highest bidder I'm high and bitter
In this crypt of mine no kryptonite
Just cryptic minds
Crimson-like when I draw the lines
A foggy life leaves me mystified
In this dream of mine full of Dramamine
Where I wanna sing but my screams are quiet
And my screams requite
Demons acquired
Deeming the choir all charlatans
Harlots in my audience
Watch the harlequins all get sawed to bits
Deadliness is next to godliness right?

See a difference?

I know it may come off as negative, and I don't mean to intentionally piss anyone off by calling someone else's music/enjoyment bad. But I genuinely have not been impressed by his wordplay, his flow or even purely instrumentally...

The 'Explain The Appeal Of......' Thread

<Snipped quote by GarlandDaHero>
Oh boy. A nerve has been struck here but I'm gonna not let that influence me and I'll just stick to a brief answer.

@Fabricant451

I agree 100% percent, but oh man some of those song choices, literally skipped to a part of the Kanye verse where the line was.
"I'm not a dick, just a swallower." That's pretty much what he was talking about, kanye can't help himself make lyrical failures that waste his production and should not be an example for good rap. IMAO. (Despite black skinhead instrumental being fantastic.)

I have a sneaking feeling the Lil Wayne one won't be squeaky clean either. (Yeah looked it up, it curses a lot. "On some faggot bullshit; call 'em Dennis Rodman Call me what you want, bitch! Call me on my Sidekick! Never answer when it's private, damn, I hate a shy bitch")

And I do like the Eminem song, but have a feeling he may have heard that one already since he is so well known. Also Nas is a good artist (though dont know much about him.) The video literally has a (explicit) warning. And yeah it uses the n-word and curses a lot. XD

He wanted examples of limited cursing, no sexual stuff, no taking drug stuff. No n-word this and that. Etc. Just saying. On your side, just could of been a stronger line up.

The 'Explain The Appeal Of......' Thread

Could someone please explain to me why rap and hip-hop are so popular? The former I am especially dumbfounded by; it's all almost the exact same thing over and over again, what with all the talk about drugs, sex, profanity out the ass, and the frequent use of a certain 'n' word.

So why in God's name is it as popular as it is?

@GarlandDaHero

Actually rap has a lot of good variety, (it's no metal, but it does have stuff that breaks the mold.) With genuinely good lyrical content. You just need to look for it and avoid the mainstream that plagues the genre. There's a ton of rap that doesn't have to do with drugs and sex and doesn't abuse profanity at all. Also can have quite different instrumentals, including rock and folk stuff. Alt-Rap has a ton of good stuff in it. I will try to expose you to a bunch of stuff and maybe you'll find something you might actually like. :D

Here's 12 rap songs from artists. Minimal language provided. :3 If you're really interested in trying to like rap, as I was when I was in your position, maybe I can convert you to a fan. xP

Dude that got me into rap.
Rock Beat/Emotional
Rap/Blues
Emotional Song
Break Up Song/guy never curses in any song he writes.
"Reflects his failure as a visual artist, and some of the regret I’ve experienced in regards to not pursuing it"- Quoted
A fast lyrical rap, one thing I always appreciated over mainstream artists.
Folk Beat/Grim and about death. (its 4 min long)
Electronic beat.
A song about the periodic table.
An angry rap talking about current events and the death of the rappers mother.
Story Rap. Mostly Harmonica.

Now my rap related question, ironically enough. Please humor me and explain why vs everything I could listen to...

Why Kendrick Lamar is so enjoyable and rated so highly? He does practically nothing new...He's not overly fast rapper, he's not lyrically complicated, (in fact he is pretty awful.) he uses the n-word and curses like it goes out of style. Some of his stuff is mildly depressing/self loathing...which is apparently like why some people apparently like Drake...But holy hell, there are better artists that do that. I think I like a single song I've heard from him called I, but he does some weird vocal pitch changes that are unnecessary. Tried to listen to his second album and I couldn't even finish it, I hated it that badly. Am I missing something here?

The 'Explain The Appeal Of......' Thread

@Fabricant451 You leave perfect dark alone. D: Still probably the most fun I've ever had in an FPS frankly. But seriously aren't all old games more shit compared to newer, and better polished games? Ya know excluding the increasingly awful practices by gaming companies. All nostalgia blinds people in some way or another.

Also just to touch upon Frozen not being marketed to girls...is correct technically but I feel it's making a point that doesn't necessary need to be made. Most of the toy line and apparel and marketing did revolve around girls and girl power. Sure boys can like it too, but it's like saying Disney wasn't pandering to furries when the released Zootopia. Because sure Disney wants to be fun for the whole family and what not, but come on now. It clearly was doing that too. :P

The 'Explain The Appeal Of......' Thread

@Dynamo Frokane Plenty. But nothing particularly interesting. ;P

I mean what else can you compare it too though? It was a better game than the games it was competing with at the time. I suppose soundtrack is getting in the weeds with opinions. But I liked the soundtrack for the game and the level designs were far more interesting than mario karts or other racers on the 64. Also nostalgia purposes? That's really the best defense I got. Same + 2 equals more characters ya know. :P

The 'Explain The Appeal Of......' Thread

Why am I the only one asking about appeals?

Whats the appeal of Diddy Kong Racing? I always thought the game looked like shit, and the difficulty spikes are all over the place. The music isn't very good either, so why is it so often brought up?

@Dynamo Frokane

Now were going to have a problem. :I

Honestly, comparing to other racers at the time. I think it had more tracks, characters and stuff to do than mario kart did. Came out the same year. It had boss fights and an open world in the adventure mode and several different vehicles to race with and had interesting gaming modes. (which admittedly was probably the best part of the multiplayer and not the racing.) Also I'd argue it had a longer and better soundtrack to boot. So aside it being a blatant copy, I think it does plenty of things better than what it mimicked.

Okay, I'm trying to think of something to question the appeal of...Got nothing. >.>

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