Genre of music that, on this site, is unfairly described as "inferior" to rock (or vice versa). Unfair, I say, because rock and rap, and all of their infinite subgenres, work off a different set of rules, so it's moot to put them side-by-side and declare one superior. Oh, and by the way, I've heard rumors that other forms of music exist besides rap and rock. Correct me if I'm wrong.

But, since everyone seems intent on comparing them anyway, no one seems to have mentioned the following:

It's useless to criticize rap as requiring next to no musical skill. True - it's harder to play an instrument proficiently than it is to flow well. But if you judge a song by how difficult it is to perform, you're forgetting that, ideally, music is a form of self-expression. If a song moves you, it won't be because, for example, the guitar solo is really fast (although technical skill can definitely augment emotion). Remember, none of the Beatles were great musicians. It was the quality of their songs that connected. The same goes for the best rap. MF Doom probably can't play a C major scale, but who gives a shit? He writes memorable, intelligent songs. Oh yeah, guess who else does? Eminem.

Also: the whole rap-as-poetry thing really bothers me. The fact that rap's focus is on the lyrics rather than the music doesn't make the words better, or worth any more. Even if they're working with different cultural languages and different cliches, rap lyrics are no more poetry than rock lyrics. Sorry - most of the raps about growing up in the projects (Jay-Z's "The Blueprint" comes to mind), no matter how vividly described, tend to be pretty trite. No more trite than the vast majority of all rock lyrics in any subgenre, but in no way of deserving the heading of "poetry." I mentioned MF Doom before. His lyrics are usually pretty great, culture-jamming and funny and thoughtful. But they're not poetry. Keats is a poet. Tupac is not. He might have a message, but to trash Tupac a little, it's not an especially original message, and the fact that his medium is rap rather than rock doesn't make his words "street poetry" any more than Lou Reed's. Same deal goes for the old school greats. Chuck D's a pretty good political commentator, if a little preachy, but no one calls the Clash poets. So stop. Oh, and for my money, no rapper has ever approached poetry in pop music as much as Bob Dylan, who arguably recorded THE VERY FIRST RAP SONG IN 1965 with "Subterranean Homesick Blues." Don't believe me? Go listen to it.

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...