Contrary to much popular opinion, rap is a musical genre; it is a very beautiful, creative, and innovative musical genre. As many of you know, rap music is part of the 4 elements of hip hop, which include rapping (emceeing), DJing(scratching, sampling, and mixing), graffiti, and breakdancing. Rap is neither superior nor inferior to any other genre of music because it is a distinct form of artistic expression. It seems very strange that there seems to be a mutual dichtonomy between rock and rap. They are not mutually exclusive or diametrically opposed to one another because they formed for the same reason. Whether one wants to admit it or not, both rap and rock formed as a rebellion from popular culture and both serves as a voice for a particular generation. Many individuals in the 60s were speaking against rock as an illegitimate art form just as many individuals today speak against rap music. Just as rock music is not one-dimensional, neither is rap music. Just as much as person would not call all rock music satanic, neither should a person call all rap music a genre that promotes misogny and thug life. There are many stereotypes associated with rap music that should be eliminated

1) Rap appeals only to poor African-Americans
It has become an established fact that African-Americans are not the largest consumer of mainstream hip hop. It's well known that white suburbanite teenagers are the real supporters of mainstream hip hop.

2) Rap degrades African-American culture
Many people need to realize that it's very ignorant to judge the book from its cover. Anyone can piece together some current rap artists from 50 Cent, Nelly, and the plethora of Southern rappers and generalize. But even the most logical person will note that this is very faulty reasoning. In the words of an underground rap duo in Atlanta, Mars Ill,
"The subculture remains the same but it seems that the earth is reversed." It's very unfortunate that the worst form of rap music is advertised the most. Perhaps the root of the problem lies in the fact that most labels in rap are owned by rich Jewish individuals who would rather promote a certain image in the name of profit rather than the art form. The roots of rap music are very deep and if one searches for it, they will find true rap music. Some examples would be Common, Mos Def, Talib Kweli, Black Soil Project, Company Flow, Bigg Jus, El-P, Mars Ill, Nas, Deepspace5, Tunnel Rats, MF Doom, Aesop Rock, Orko Elohim and etc.

3) Rap music is an inferior art form because of its simplicity
The person that makes this argument must also think that writing poetry is extremely simple too. The person that makes this argument must also believe that free styling is very easy. Any true musician will see that freestyling in rap music is the equivalent of jazz improvisation. Both takes an extreme level of skill and a particular niche. Now it is true that there are rap songs that are very remedial (see mainstream Southern rap), but true hip hop takes talent and skill. A great rap artist can tell great stories of personal experience in poetic form (such as Nas), comment on social and political issues (such as Bigg Jus), and speak a profound message through the music.
In general, people hate (and even fear) that which they don't understand; rap music is no different. Many people can't relate to rap music for whatever particular reason, so they immediately attack it or demonize it. How great is the hypocrisy... even jazz music was critized heavily, as it departed from classical music. Many people thought jazz music to be a false duplicate of classical music, but as we now see, jazz music is one of the most respected genres of music in America (since it is the first true purely American musical art form). Whether or not it relates to you, that doesn't mean that it's an inferior form of music.

Rap is a music genre.Its hated by many people that believe in the stereo type that only blacks make rap and its always about shooting cops, drugs, money and sex. Which leads to another stereo type that says all blacks like rap...
1.Not all blacks like rap.
2.Rap's not only for Blacks.
3.Not all rap is about money drugs and sex...
4.Not all people who like rap are black
People who don't like rap, usually say
"Rap is crap that has artists like 50 Cent."
These are people who know nothing about rap, and judge it by what they see on TV.
If you REALLY know what rap is then you'd know 50 Cent sucks balls and isn't a good rapper at all.See the people who like rap, and actually understand rap know 50 Cent is not a good rapper.Rap is poetry, despite what any other person says. Rap is like poetry with attitude,poetry with a bit of gangsterism. Look at Mos Def. That is a real rapper. Somebody like 50 Cent or Cassidy has nothing on somebody like Mos Def.
Most people say that rap degrades women. I don't really think so, because people need to realize..
A bitch is a bitch.
A hoe is a hoe.
A whore is a whore.
And a lady is a lady.
Rap has something called a beat to it, something that sounds catchy and something you can dance to.For instance Tupac's California Love is something you can dance to. And anybody that tries to say thats not a good song...well isnt there a rock song that goes "I've got 2 tickets to paradise, pack your bags we'll leave tonight."
Some people say rap...

I will say this first. I listen to punk rock and not rap. the rap i have seen was on mtv or vh1 and therefore cannot judge it. However, those of you who are judging it need to listen to at least 5 minutes of 6 differnt rap artists before you can say anything about it. if you still hate it after doing this then shut up, keep your thoughts to yourself, and be tolerant. just like in punk rock most of the stuff that is played on mtv and vh1 is PROBABLY media garbage. the music that is underground probably has more meaning to it. for those of you that say rap is only about having sex with women, and shooting people than you you haven't heard other good rap songs(eminem's mockingbird and many others). So before you judge anything look into it not just the what you see from its cover.

75% of the word "crap"

A form of music in which a person swiftly rhymes poetry, over a beat. A subgenre of pop music. Rap is mostly influenced by hip-hop or hip hop. And this is to all the people who can't stand rap because they've never actually heard real rap:
There is no rule that talent is needed to make a song. Though talent IS needed to make rap, all of you racists just listen to a little bit of gangsta rap (i.e. G-Unit, N.W.A.) and assume that rap is all about gats, hoes, money, pimps, and gangstas! Ok you people are abosutely correct! Well....partially correct, you are correct when you say that rap is just about all about gats, hoes, money, pimps, and gangstas. *NEWS FLASH* That is NOT rap! That is GANGSTA RAP! There is a difference. If you go and listen to a rapper that was never born and raised in the urban streets, never been a gangsta, then you won't hear all that shit! Try Kanye West! Or Eminem! Even 2Pac! Though 2Pac called himself a "G", he wrote poems about love, he read books, he wasn't stupid! In high school he was an excellent actor; he was a thespian. 2Pac showed lots of love in his songs, and he WAS a gangsta. And he is the most influencial emcee in hip-hop history. Think of that. I don't really care how much the fuck you want to diss rap, as much as you classical rock people want to! Rap is music, and no one gives a fuck about what all of you people sa...

see also Hip-Hop

A genre of music spawned in the early 70's in various ghettos throughout the U.S. The name allegedly derived from people saying "That's a rap!" after performing with a DJ. A rap can usually consist of ryhmes and a beat, although sometimes done acapella. Often accused of being about nothing but sex and drugs (not dissimilar to metal), usually depicts daily life in the black ghettos or other assorted issues faced by the poorest of us.

Shittiest excuse for "music" ever created. Nobody knows why people even listen to it. Played at "parties," especially at parties thrown by some of my older cousins because they think they're "cool".

contrary to most of the shit posted here, i have supplied the ACTUAL definition:
Rapping is one of the elements of hip hop as well as the distinguishing feature of most hip hop music. It is a form of rhyming lyrics delivered rhythmically over a musical backdrop of sampling, scratching and mixing by DJs. Originally, rapping was called MCing and accompanied DJing.

Origins
Rapping (as a self-conscious artistic school) began as a variation on the toasting found in reggae, funk and dub music, mixed with influences from jazz-related performance poetry (Langston Hughes's album Weary Blues being an important example; the Beats also notable), radio DJ patter, and the tradition of playing the dozens. Among other predecessors were talking blues records and the work of artists such as James Brown and Parliament. The original rappers probably can be said to have been The Last Poets and Gil Scott-Heron with their recordings in the latter 1960s and earliest 1970s (such as Scott-Heron's famous "The Revolution Will Not Be Televised" and "Whitey on The Moon"), but, slightly later, MCs (from "Master of Ceremonies") would improvise rhymes over the beats created by dancehall and club DJs. Early raps were frequently merely a sequence of boasts, or attempts to upstage the other MCs. See roots of hip hop music for earlier forms that also contributed to rapping.

The first contemporary hip hop song rele...