Is it right to criticise 'pop rap'?I've been mulling this over recently, especially on the back of both recovering my entire library (and hence reviewing the whole thing) and upon hearing Flo Rida's next single. Stick with me here, don't get turned off.
Anyone who reads this will know I'm about the more artistic, lyrical stuff most of the time, of any genre. Hence, it's about to get controversial.
There would be no good music without pop rap, for two very good reasons.
Firstly, without music that was dumbed-down, melody-driven and as lyrically deep as a puddle of horse piss, would there be anything to compare the rest of the stuff too? If everything was up to the standards of Common, Secondhand Serenade or Lupe Fiasco, would they stand out?
"If everybody looked the same, we'd get tired of looking at each other"....wouldn't we?
Secondly, and most importantly depending on your disposition, it's bloody fun to listen and dance to. Would you really enjoy hearing something mentally challenging, or without a beat that hooks you in so much that your legs flail as if independent from the rest of your body?
For this reason, I commend people like Flo Rida for not pretending to be something they aren't. He knows he makes music for clubs, and for people whose library consists solely of anything they heard in a club or Radio 1. And he does a damn fine job too.
Keep an ear out for the next single of his, 'Sugar'. The sample used will both make you laugh, and probably impress you in its adaptability, much like 'Right Round', as well as his trademark break-neck delivery.
But sports fans, don't get me wrong here. I'm a 'hipster', 'alt&punk', 'chillout' (and about most other types of) music guy at heart, and you all know it.
I won't be praising Flo Rida as a "Hip-Hop artist" at any point soon, nor will I ever allow utter tripe such as N-Dubz to ever disgrace my ears. Let's just not forget to have fun.
That wasn't brief at all.
4 comments:
Love that quote - "If everybody looked the same, we'd get tired of looking at each other".
I personally don't hate on or criticize any genre of music. If there is a market for it, if people buy it, then none of it can ever be called 'shit'. Nothing gets my back up more when someone say's 'oh that song is shit'.
Things I do hate about it though is the money thrown at it and the weakness of some guys out there who 'promise' to stay true to their roots then next thing they are signing to a major and putting out singles with ashanti.
But I agree with AJ on the dancing front. I would hate to go to a club and find wu-tang - protect a neck (just something i've got on as i type...) coming on and everyone just stood around like wtf? I'd much rather JT & 50 Cent - ayo technology if it means I'm going to get laid...
Not short at all.
X
Very true my man, very true.
This is why I have a level of respect for Flo Rida, he doesn't claim to be a lyrical rapper who is the core of hip-hop. The dude knows he is pop rap, and takes full advantage.
Having said that, Protect Ya Neck would be hilarious in a club on so many levels.
Yeah that lupe quote is class. I dnt like it personally, but i did giv it a go. But hands diw. To flo rida. His broke sum crazy records with low and now round round.
i feel that u can make a hip hop song that u can dance around to in clubs. I dnt mind sample music at all, i mean one of my fav artists kanye west dus it all the time!!
But wat would u consider on the pop rap barrer... Wud u say lupe fiascos superstar as 1? Or even t.i and Jt dead and gone??
I love grapes aswel!
Superstar-no, at least he's doing a job of telling a story in the song. Dead and Gone is close, but probably not either. It's easy to get drawn into the idea that anything with a catchy hook is pop rap, but it isn't. Pop rap is essentially music that has nothing to it. Compare Dead and Gone to Round Round, or Superstar to Lollipop.
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