"srsly poptimists need 1x CRASH COURSE in contemporary hip-hop"

[freakytigger.livejournal.com]

(That's the Lex speaking)

1. Do we? Or "Do you?" I should say, since we're a loose clumping of individuals innit.

2. GO ON THEN! What's the best hip-hop you've heard this year?

Comments

Bold sweeping statements R us

[celentari.livejournal.com]

With the odd exception, I've never been that gripped by hip-hop. It doesn't (based on what I've heard thus far) seem to speak to me, aesthetically, lyrically or musically. Is there something I should hear that would change my mind?

I'm generally pretty open-minded genre-wise, and enjoy pop, indie, swing, big band, rock, metal, some rap, dance, electro, house etc, etc. and am kind of disappointed in myself that I don't seem bothered by hip-hop, but maybe all I need is to hear the right tracks.

Re: Bold sweeping statements R us

[freakytigger.livejournal.com]

Tracks in my 2007 top 50 which have rapping on (not counting Jay-Z's intro on Umbrella!):

MIA - "Bird Flu", "Paper Planes"
Dizzee Rascal - "Pussy'ole (Old Skool)"
Dude N Nem - "Watch My Feet"
Lethal Bizzle - "Police On My Back"
Soulja Boy - "Crank Dat (Soulja Boy)"
Ashley Tisdale - "Be Good To Me (Remix)"
Will I Am - "I Got It From My Mama"

For all of these I suspect you would be able to find someone, or several someones, saying they weren't proper hip-hop, or even if they were that they're rubbish hip-hop. The Lethal Bizzle is very indie friendly; the Dude N Nem is very catchy and also completely unobjectionable lyrically as far as I can tell. Both that and Soulja Boy have dances that go with them which I endorse 1000%.

Re: Bold sweeping statements R us

[celentari.livejournal.com]

Ah, had forgotten about Dizzee Rascal, I do like him. And I like MIA but for some reason wouldn't have necessarily have pegged her as hip-hop. Perhaps I'm being daft there.
Lyrically, it's not a case of looking for something "unobjectionable" as such, more something that will make me sit up and take notice, whether because it's funny, makes clever use of language, or speaks to me emotionally. Or all three cf. Magnetic Fields.

Re: Bold sweeping statements R us

[freakytigger.livejournal.com]

The Lethal Bizzle is very funny and well told. Dude N Nem and Soulja Boy aren't going to win any prizes for great lyrics: it's all about the way they use words as instrumental hooks - the way Dude N Nem's voices switch up a pace with the music like a card-sharp doing find the lady, and the huge gleeful swooping "YOUUUUUUUUU" hook on Soulja Boy.

Re: Bold sweeping statements R us

[celentari.livejournal.com]

Ok, mahoosive review of the tracks you and Lex recommended below somewhere! I am proud of myself for trying, even where I didn't necessarily get all of it, and some of it was ace. Good experience.

This is kind of why I asked the rapping question above

[katstevens.livejournal.com]

I don't go for hip-hop as much as pop or dance because my brain just doesn't notice lyrics that often. Lyrical assonance, intonation or other stuff you learn in GCSE English definitely hits my radar, but Kanye could be singing about cheese on toast for all I care. I'm not sure why this is the case but I think it makes my appreciation of hip-hop suffer. Take the Soulja Boy track for example - the 'Youuuuuuu!'s and 'Ohhhhhhhhhh!'s are awesome and catchy, but the rest of the song leaves me cold. I find the beats and instrumentation monotonous and uninspiring, and whilst Soulja Boy could be saying something ground-breaking or hilarious in the verses they just didn't register with me.

Even mental types like Fergie/Lily/Britney - they could be saying hilarious stuff but I wouldn't pay it any attention before I'd decided whether the music was any good or not.