Can some explain rap/hip-hop...

[SevenSorrows]

I mean no disrespect by this post. I really don't understand anything about rap...yeah I listened to digital underground, 3rd base, beastie boys, fu snickens, and das fx back in the day...but that is about all I know. I am obviously way into music, but don't even claim to know or understand anything about rap/hip-hop.

I also mean no disrespect and don't mean to make fun (especially of Catholic musicians, cause we need to build each other up not tear each other down)....so this is why I am asking....cause I am totally confused.

I listened to Righteous B today and I was just wondering how you think his song "The Flurry" lines up with Catholic teaching (being a good Catholic). Please give honest answers and not try to justify anything.

(again I know nothing about rap)

Ok, so the Church being all about modesy/chastity/purity/not lusting, why would you ask people to shake their butt? are we talking like carmen electra butt shakin'??? regular rap butt shaking? I know I don't listen to rap, but I found that pretty offensive...I mean would he sing that in front of the pope?
"the b's back in your house, so shake your dairy air"


I know rap does this alot...so maybe it is the "cool" thing to do, but what is up with making fun of each other? isn't that what got biggie killed?? yeah catholics/christian rappers might not kill each other, but is that charitable and a good example? lines like...
"I got you running around like you was a soccer mom...did you just call me a soccer mom??"

I also know that many rappers like to talk good about themselves...I don't know if it is a macho thing, or pride, or to make others look bad, or intimidate others, or just to try to be cool, but why do they do that? Isn't that pride? one of the 7 deadly sins??? at the very least it seems not to be acting humbling..seems quite the opposite...lines like
"i got more bounce than...:
"I take the cake when I shake..."
"I'm the industrial size..."
"I command the microphone like I'm captain kirk"
"I'm always tight when I write..."
"I'm like a nike commercial..."
"I'm the universal blood type..."

Then the song says..."When the spirit takes over..."...so I assume he is talking about the holy spirit coming down upon him, so he must have something good to say...so he says..."all you honeys bounce a bounce...shake it ounce for once"....

er...would the spirit say that??? first...calling women honeys is very derogatory and offensive, I would not want you calling my wife or my little daughter that (yeah I know rappers do it all the time)....and say what you will about bouncing and shaking it....but I have seen how people dance to that type of music...pretty disgusting....unless Catholics some how dance different to it...

We played at steubenville with righteous b...and some of my friends came outside while we were packing up and he was playing and said they couldn't stand it anymore seeing all those people dancing like that....

I don't know about you, but I don't wanna see 14 year old girls shaking their stuff ounce for ounce (or any girl for that matter).

So I don't know what to think....I want to support Catholic rap, but I just got really bummed out today when I heard the song...can anyone help me feel better or explain?
It just seemed like 1/2 the song was like "look how good I am" and the other half was "shake your butt".
I know their is hip-hop culture....but just because it is culture, doesn't mean it is ok to do immoral or offensive things right????

maybe it is cause I am all about hardcore/punk/emo music...but i just couldn't see singing
I am tight on my drums
step to me and you'll be crums
I hit so hard
you'll look like a retard
I know you can't match my speed
my hits make you bleed
if my sticks were keys
then ya'll would be freed.

at least in the rock world I would be either laughed out of the business or just beat up...but someone in rap it is cool or something....

sorry everyone...I just want to understand

[musturde]

[quote name='SevenSorrows' date='Jan 25 2005, 07:06 PM'] I mean no disrespect by this post.  I really don't understand anything about rap...yeah I listened to digital underground, 3rd base, beastie boys, fu snickens, and das fx back in the day...but that is about all I know.  I am obviously way into music, but don't even claim to know or understand anything about rap/hip-hop.

I also mean no disrespect and don't mean to make fun (especially of Catholic musicians, cause we need to build each other up not tear each other down)....so this is why I am asking....cause I am totally confused.

I listened to Righteous B today and I was just wondering how you think his song "The Flurry" lines up with Catholic teaching (being a good Catholic).  Please give honest answers and not try to justify anything.

(again I know nothing about rap)

Ok, so the Church being all about modesy/chastity/purity/not lusting, why would you ask people to shake their butt?  are we talking like carmen electra butt shakin'??? regular rap butt shaking?  I know I don't listen to rap, but I found that pretty offensive...I mean would he sing that in front of the pope?
"the b's back in your house, so shake your dairy air"


I know rap does this alot...so maybe it is the "cool" thing to do, but what is up with making fun of each other?  isn't that what got biggie killed??  yeah catholics/christian rappers might not kill each other, but is that charitable and a good example? lines like...
"I got you running around like you was a soccer mom...did you just call me a soccer mom??"

I also know that many rappers like to talk good about themselves...I don't know if it is a macho thing, or pride, or to make others look bad, or intimidate others, or just to try to be cool, but why do they do that?  Isn't that pride?  one of the 7 deadly sins??? at the very least it seems not to be acting humbling..seems quite the opposite...lines like
"i got more bounce than...:
"I take the cake when I shake..."
"I'm the industrial size..."
"I command the microphone like I'm captain kirk"
"I'm always tight when I write..."
"I'm like a nike commercial..."
"I'm the universal blood type..."

Then the song says..."When the spirit takes over..."...so I assume he is talking about the holy spirit coming down upon him, so he must have something good to say...so he says..."all you honeys bounce a bounce...shake it ounce for once"....

er...would the spirit say that??? first...calling women honeys is very derogatory and offensive, I would not want you calling my wife or my little daughter that (yeah I know rappers do it all the time)....and say what you will about bouncing and shaking it....but I have seen how people dance to that type of music...pretty disgusting....unless Catholics some how dance different to it...

We played at steubenville with righteous b...and some of my friends came outside while we were packing up and he was playing and said they couldn't stand it anymore seeing all those people dancing like that....

I don't know about you, but I don't wanna see 14 year old girls shaking their stuff ounce for ounce (or any girl for that matter).

So I don't know what to think....I want to support Catholic rap, but I just got really bummed out today when I heard the song...can anyone help me feel better or explain?
It just seemed like 1/2 the song was like "look how good I am" and the other half was "shake your butt".
I know their is hip-hop culture....but just because it is culture, doesn't mean it is ok to do immoral or offensive things right????

maybe it is cause I am all about hardcore/punk/emo music...but i just couldn't see singing
I am tight on my drums
step to me and you'll be crums
I hit so hard
you'll look like a retard
I know you can't match my speed
my hits make you bleed
if my sticks were keys
then ya'll would be freed.

at least in the rock world I would be either laughed out of the business or just beat up...but someone in rap it is cool or something....

sorry everyone...I just want to understand [/quote]
This has been discussed already earlier. He reaches his people through personally meeting with the people or actually ministering to them. His music is not his full ministry, it's what leads people into his ministry.

[quote]

I listened to Righteous B today and I was just wondering how you think his song "The Flurry" lines up with Catholic teaching (being a good Catholic).  Please give honest answers and not try to justify anything. [/quote]

Through this song he's actually reaching more people by saying that Catholics can have fun.

[quote]
Ok, so the Church being all about modesy/chastity/purity/not lusting, why would you ask people to shake their butt?  are we talking like carmen electra butt shakin'??? regular rap butt shaking?  I know I don't listen to rap, but I found that pretty offensive...I mean would he sing that in front of the pope?
"the b's back in your house, so shake your dairy air"
[/quote]

Sometimes listening to music is like reading the Bible. People sometimes interpret it like Sola Scriptura... which doesn't work. "Shake Your But" means to dance. He goes every wednesday to an all girls school for lunch and chills with them. I hear that he's always telling the girls, "You're my gems, you shouldn't let guys ever do anything to you, they're not worth it". One time this chick from my youth group was going out with a guy he didn't know for a dance and he got soo paranoid that he asked around about him and made sure that she kept his phone number. He is very serious when he gives his talks about chastity during youth group.

[quote]
I know rap does this alot...so maybe it is the "cool" thing to do, but what is up with making fun of each other?  isn't that what got biggie killed??  yeah catholics/christian rappers might not kill each other, but is that charitable and a good example? lines like...
"I got you running around like you was a soccer mom...did you just call me a soccer mom??"[/quote]

He's just kidding with The Critic (Jared) on this one. They're just playing around. In rap culture, dissing one another is just a way to play around. Some guys go to far with it but he's not dissing anyone in particular, he's just bein a goofball.

[quote]
I also know that many rappers like to talk good about themselves...I don't know if it is a macho thing, or pride, or to make others look bad, or intimidate others, or just to try to be cool, but why do they do that?  Isn't that pride?  one of the 7 deadly sins??? at the very least it seems not to be acting humbling..seems quite the opposite...lines like
"i got more bounce than...:
"I take the cake when I shake..."
"I'm the industrial size..."
"I command the microphone like I'm captain kirk"
"I'm always tight when I write..."
"I'm like a nike commercial..."
"I'm the universal blood type..."[/quote]

Rap is just culturally like that. I don't see anything wrong with this. If he was talking about his car being soo tight and making a whole song about it (and being serious), then i'd prob start to worry. This isn't really anything.

[quote]"all you honeys bounce a bounce...shake it ounce for once"....[/quote]
Dance, he doesn't mean anything stupid.

[quote]er...would the spirit say that??? first...calling women honeys is very derogatory and offensive, I would not want you calling my wife or my little daughter that (yeah I know rappers do it all the time)....and say what you will about bouncing and shaking it....but I have seen how people dance to that type of music...pretty disgusting....unless Catholics some how dance different to it...[/quote]
Rap lingo is like that. Some people personally oppose it, but many Christian rappers are willing to say it because it's not really degrading in that culture.

[quote]
We played at steubenville with righteous b...and some of my friends came outside while we were packing up and he was playing and said they couldn't stand it anymore seeing all those people dancing like that.... I don't know about you, but I don't wanna see 14 year old girls shaking their stuff ounce for ounce (or any girl for that matter).
[/quote]
I've been to three of his concerts and I know him personally. The way they dance is usually just throwing their hands side to side. On one song he gets people on stage to do a crip walk or harlem shake but that's about it. There's nothing bad in any of those. Bob DOES NOT UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES ENCOURAGE BOOTY DANCING.

[quote]
So I don't know what to think....I want to support Catholic rap, but I just got really bummed out today when I heard the song...can anyone help me feel better or explain?
It just seemed like 1/2 the song was like "look how good I am" and the other half was "shake your butt".
I know their is hip-hop culture....but just because it is culture, doesn't mean it is ok to do immoral or offensive things right????
[/quote]

It's not immoral or offensive, people know what he means. It's only offensive to people who know about the rap culture.



[quote]sorry everyone...I just want to understand[/quote]
It's cool man, Bob ministers to people not soley through his music but uses it mostly as a lure. He reaches the youth by allowing them to reach him as a "cool rapper" and he also hosts a lotta retreats across the U.S. Every place he goes his main message is Christ, and his message is effective. He reaches rap crowds by how he represents rap culture and how people dont have to be perfect, clean-cut, and a loner to be a Catholic. Then he stabs them with scripture and Catholic truth. This appeals to many people.

[Guest Eremite]

I've never listened to Righteous B, so I can't really comment on his music.

But I would say don't equate any artist with the artform. If we feel something is awry in Christian hip hop, then we should advance our vision for where things need to head.

Personally, I think much Christian hip hop is plain bad because it has no depth to it (a problem that afflicts secular hip hop as well). Making nursery rhymes about God and calling it hip hop destrys it IMO. Don't just write rhymes, but write rhymes with depth to them.

Of course, there are many great Christian artists with depth. "More" by Mars Ill comes to mind.

Not everything is perfect. We can't just take secular hip hop, add a few references to God, and call it Christian. Much of secular hip hop is antithetical to a Christian spirit, IMO. We need to take what the world has given us in the artform, and reform it to our own ends. Don't cover it up with God, but truly reform it from within.

[dUSt]

I think most of B's music is suppose to be taken as comedy.

And Eremite... how did you here "More" by Mars ILL? It's on the Pro-Pain album which isn't out yet.

[KatFromSVDP]

Hey! I just wanted to say no hard feelings towards anyone, but we've been over this in one of the longest threads I've ever seen. I myself posted on it a LOT and I really don't want to go through it again.

Basically I agree with everything musturde said. He hit every nail right on the head! We are in Bob's youth group down here in Houston and he is a really awesome guy. He means no harm and like musturde said that's just how he brings teens to God. It's not his way of preaching the message to everyone, and sure it may not work for some people, but for some it does.

I've been to many concerts Bob has had including the one he did in Steubenville San Diego. The only dancing I've seen is people waving their hands in the air. Like Joe said (sorry calling him musturde over and over is bothering me haha) he gets a few people to go up and do some dancing sometimes but it's never bad. And if they are dancing badly, he's definately not encouraging it. I think they like that type of music better than stuff like Matt Maher. (No offense, I LOVE Matt Maher haha but I hope you understand what I meant.. I'll gladly give a further explanation if needed) It's better they get into Bob's rap music than 50 cent rapping about violence, Jay Z rapping about sex, and so on.

So yeah, I totally did not mean to offend any of ya'll, but I hope everything's been cleared up. If not, here's a link to the past thread about Righteous B.

[url="http://phorum.phatmass.com/index.php?showtopic=17310&st=0"]Righteous B thread from a milllllllllllllllllion years ago! haha[/url]

[KatFromSVDP]

RIGHTEOUS B'S MUSIC IS NOW ON iTUNES!!! Woohoo!

[musturde]

[quote name='dUSt' date='Jan 25 2005, 09:22 PM'] I think most of B's music is suppose to be taken as comedy.

And Eremite... how did you here "More" by Mars ILL? It's on the Pro-Pain album which isn't out yet. [/quote]
You sent a sample and it's been leaked on the net too.... but i didnt get it. i hate suprise ruiners.

[Guest Eremite]

dUSt,

I got it like that.

JK. There was a link on phatmass a while back. 5 samples were given from ProPain. All of Manchild's verse was on there, and the beginning of the second verse ("I want more critics to diss me.."

Edited January 26, 2005 by Eremite

[Guest Eremite]

Here it is:

[url="http://www.milkmoneypromotions.com/marsill/propain.php"]http://www.milkmoneypromotions.com/marsill/propain.php[/url]

[musturde]

BTW, when i said, this: "It's not immoral or offensive, people know what he means. It's only offensive to people who know about the rap culture."... I meant to say that only people that don't know about the rap culture find this material immoral or offensive. I didn't understand PJ at one time and that's why i felt some of his lyrics were offensive. Once you actually understand it your not offended. Most of the time when rockers convert to Rap, they are offended by what they dont understand. It's the same with Catholicism (not to compare it to something like rap).

[Stceciliapray4us]

[quote name='Eremite' date='Jan 25 2005, 08:08 PM'] I've never listened to Righteous B, so I can't really comment on his music.

But I would say don't equate any artist with the artform. If we feel something is awry in Christian hip hop, then we should advance our vision for where things need to head.

Personally, I think much Christian hip hop is plain bad because it has no depth to it (a problem that afflicts secular hip hop as well). Making nursery rhymes about God and calling it hip hop destrys it IMO. Don't just write rhymes, but write rhymes with depth to them.

Of course, there are many great Christian artists with depth. "More" by Mars Ill comes to mind.

Not everything is perfect. We can't just take secular hip hop, add a few references to God, and call it Christian. Much of secular hip hop is antithetical to a Christian spirit, IMO. We need to take what the world has given us in the artform, and reform it to our own ends. Don't cover it up with God, but truly reform it from within. [/quote]
Brilliant. Absolutely Brilliant.

There are some smart people on this forum man....

[curtins]

myself not included

[Stceciliapray4us]

I am not a fan of rap or hip hop by any means. Primarily because of the mysogonistic and arrogant culture that it breeds and glorifies (I.E. Puff Daddy, Ludacris, Usher, etc.) However, recently I started listening to the phatmass radio on a regular basis and there are absolutely some AWESOME songs on there. I get shivers when I listen to MIKO - The struggle! or MC JUST "the gates of hell" oh man! I love this rap!

I cant stand secular hip hop or rap because its all about making yourself look so cool or tough (lame!) so when I heard the song on Phatmass by "B" I didnt like it too much, it was kinda shallow and not very funny (if it was trying to be funny) and not very good (if it was trying to be good)......so I dont know.........thats just me though. I like the other stuff on the radio A LOT!!! but I'm just not a Righteous B fan so far.....

I'm gonna check out his webpage to develp a better opinion. Maybe phatmass should put a different song by "B" on the radio? does he have any that are more Catholic?

[inDEED]

Mike...

Your questions about HIP HOP in general are better answered in a setting where HIP HOP is respected as a true artform...even a culture unto its own...

If it's [b]truth[/b] that you're truly seeking, you might want to seek answers from the following sites:

[url="http://www.hiphopforthesoul.com"]HipHopForTheSoul.com[/url]
[url="http://www.sphereofhiphop.com"]SphereOfHipHop.com[/url]

Not only are these some DOPE Christian sites - but they're also HUGE promoters and supporters of HIP HOP...

[inDEED]

P.S. I love HIP HOP.

[musturde]

[quote name='Stceciliapray4us' date='Jan 25 2005, 10:32 PM'] I am not a fan of rap or hip hop by any means. Primarily because of the mysogonistic and arrogant culture that it breeds and glorifies (I.E. Puff Daddy, Ludacris, Usher, etc.) However, recently I started listening to the phatmass radio on a regular basis and there are absolutely some AWESOME songs on there. I get shivers when I listen to MIKO - The struggle! or MC JUST "the gates of hell" oh man! I love this rap!

I cant stand secular hip hop or rap because its all about making yourself look so cool or tough (lame!)  so when I heard the song on Phatmass by "B" I didnt like it too much, it was kinda shallow and not very funny (if it was trying to be funny) and not very good (if it was trying to be good)......so I dont know.........thats just me though. I like the other stuff on the radio A LOT!!! but I'm just not a Righteous B fan so far.....

I'm gonna check out his webpage to develp a better opinion. Maybe phatmass should put a different song by "B" on the radio? does he have any that are more Catholic? [/quote]
When people try saying a rapper should make all of his rymes Catholic, they are usually imposing that he apply himself to the specific audience that is dedicated because the people who are of the religion (or not even of the religion) who aren't dedicated, really would see it as a turn off. Have you ever seen a high-school kid (who wasn't open to religion) open to a Christian rap song? It's hard enough when it's Christian, but spewing lines about doctrine isn't neccisary. Doctrine should be done after he does his concerts or during retreats he does. That's how i view it. Once it comes down to it, you have to open the person a lil first, then you bring them the doctrine. It's like Abraham, God didn't tell him he can't have servants. He was already struggling with the concept of one God.
I see phatmass as something different because it's a different enviroment. You also get to know the rappers personally which makes all the difference in the ministry. Bob does the same, except he tours a lot in person. It's easier on the net in this environment to do something with Catholic rap. Now, the idea of Catholic rap is dope and i back it all the way. I just don't think everyone needs to nor is called to do it.

[littleflower+JMJ]

[quote name='musturde' date='Jan 25 2005, 11:24 PM'] When people try saying a rapper should make all of his rymes Catholic, they are usually imposing that he apply himself to the specific audience that is dedicated because the people who are of the religion (or not even of the religion) who aren't dedicated, really would see it as a turn off. Have you ever seen a high-school kid (who wasn't open to religion) open to a Christian rap song? It's hard enough when it's Christian, but spewing lines about doctrine isn't neccisary. Doctrine should be done after he does his concerts or during retreats he does. That's how i view it. Once it comes down to it, you have to open the person a lil first, then you bring them the doctrine. It's like Abraham, God didn't tell him he can't have servants. He was already struggling with the concept of one God.
I see phatmass as something different because it's a different enviroment. You also get to know the rappers personally which makes all the difference in the ministry. Bob does the same, except he tours a lot in person. It's easier on the net in this environment to do something with Catholic rap. Now, the idea of Catholic rap is dope and i back it all the way. I just don't think everyone needs to nor is called to do it. [/quote]
does this mean your going to rap about your big legos collection after all?

lol j/k

righteous b has alot of good things going on and I like what his doing and think its good. its a different approach and I respect that and think his doing a good job of staying real and is successful at what he does....

i saw him a couple of times perform at NCYC..... :thumb: i like.

i guess you can say his ghettofabulistic lol

[Dj 86]

What Is Hip Hop?
Hip Hop is an art form that includes deejaying [cuttin' & scartchin'] emceeing/rappin'. breakdancing and grafitti art. These art forms as we know them today originated in the South Bronx section of New York City around the mid 1970s. Hip Hop has thrived within the subculture of Black and Puerto Rican communities in New York and is now just recently beginning to enjoy widespread exposure. From a sociological perspective, Hip Hop has been one of the main contributing factors that helped curtail gang violence due to the fact that many adults found it preferrable to channel their anger and aggressions into these art forms which eventually became the ultimate expression of one's self



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Break dancing, a colorful and acrobatic style of dance which includes headspins, backspins and 'Kirk Thompson-like flairs..[long before Olympic athlete Kirk Thompson invented it], traces its roots back to the African martial arts form known as capoeta. This form of fighting was employed by revolting slaves who were brought to Brazil. No one knows for sure who was New York's first break dancer, but a group of youngsters known 'B-Boys' and original members of an organization called Zulu Nation certainly made it popular. Around the same time break dancing begain hitting the streets of New York, within the Black communities of California a style of dance known as Pop-Locking which includes strutting, moonwalking, waving and angular robot-like contortions of the body also began to take form. Movies such as 'Beat Street' and 'Breaking' have help shed light on this new type of dance.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Rapping as we know it today, saying rhymes to the beat of music was originally called emceeing. It draws its roots from the Jamaican art form known as toasting. Artist like James Brown, The Last Poets and Gil Scott Heron along with old 'dozens' rhymes and jail house jargon passed down through the years and made popular by Black activist H.Rap Brown have helped influence rap to its present form. Rap has surfaced and resurfaced under different names down through the years within Black communities of this country.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Deejaying [cuttin' and scratchin'] is the manipulation of a record over a particular groove so it produces strange sounds. This was invented by either Grand Master Flash or Grand Wizard Theodore, two popular disc jockeys from the Bronx. Herbie Hancock with his song 'Rock It' and Malcolm MacLaren's Buffalo Gals' has helped make this art form popular outside the New York City area.

written by Davey D
9/1/84

[Dj 86]

An Historical Definition Of The Term Rap
What is rap? Depending on who you ask and from which generation 'rap' will take on different meanings. At one point in time a rap was a set of excuses a con artist handed you in an effort to deceive you. In the 70s a rap were the words a person used when trying to persuade you. This particularly applied to the persuavive efforts of a young man trying to obtain sexual favors from a female. Today rap means saying rhymes to the beat of music. It's one of the four major element within hip hop culture. And because the other elements which include deejaying, breakdancin and grafitti aren't as widespread hip hop and rap have been used interchangeably over the years..

The word rap wasn't always used to describe this activity. The act of rhyming to the beat of music was called emceeing. The term rap seemed to be associated with hip hop around 1979 with release of two records in '79. The first was called King Tim III [Personality Jock] which is considered Hip Hop's first record. This was track put out by the Brooklyn based Fatback Band. The song itself was said to be inspired by old rhyme styles of Black radio djs like Jocko Henderson, Jack The Rapper and Daddy O and the rhyme styles of well known club djs like DJ Hollywood. The second was 'Rapper's Delight' by Sugar Hill Gang. I'm not quite sure how Sugar Hill came up with the term 'Rap'. Some say it was already being bantered about within the mainstream media who were then mystified by this new phenomenon. Others say that the term was coined by older folks within the community who saw similarities between young hip hoppers from the '70s and the word manipulators of earlier generations where the term rap was used..

Ironically within the song Rapper's Delight contains a well known phrase which appears to have been borrowed from Black activist H.Rap Brown. In 1969 he wrote a book entitled 'Die nice black man Die'. It spoke about his militant approach toward solving some of the ills afflicting Black America. Within his book he spoke about how he obtained his name 'Rap'.He explained that when he was growing up in Louisiana people used to play a game called The Dozens. The purpose of the game was to totally destroy somebody else with words. He noted that in his neighborhood and bear in mind we are talking about the early 60s.. there would be close to 50 guys standing around competiting against one another in this rhyme game called The Dozens in which people talked about each others momthers. The winner was determined by crowd reaction... Rap Brown got his name his name because he was considered to be one of the most skilled...

In his book H.Rap Brown gives some examples of his rhymes...

I ------ your mama
till she went blind.
Her breath smells bad,
But she sure can grind.

I ------ your mama
for a solid hour.
Baby came out
screaming, Black Power.

Elephant and Baboon
learning to -----.
Baby came out looking
like Spiro Agnew.
[Spiro Agnew is former Vice President under Richard Nixon]

Brown also explained another verbal game called Signifying. He noted that this was verbal game which was more humane then The Dozens because instead of dissin' someone's mother you would dis your opponent. He also explained that a skilled signifier knew how to skillfully put words together so you could accurately express your feelings. He concluded that signifying could also be used to make some one feel good. He dropped a rhyme which was used in the movie 'Five On The Black Hand Side' and later immortalized by the Sugar Hill Gang.

Yes, I'm hemp the demp the women's pimp
women fight for my delight.
I'm a bad mother ------. Rap the rip-saw the
devil's brother 'n law.
I roam the world I'm known to wander and this .45
is where I get my thunder...

The fact that H.Rap refered to his .45 caliber gun may have inadvertantly been a precursor to what we call gangsta rap. {This of course is being said with tongue in cheek}.

As was mentioned earlier the term rap has changed from generation to generation. In the 70s the term not only meant the art of persuasion but it was also used to describe the monologue talking styles used by singing artists like Isaac Hayes, Barry White, Bobby Womack, Lou Rawls and Millie Jackson. Albums like Isaac Hayes' 'Hot Buttered Soul' and Millie Jackson's 'Still Caught Up' best personified these styles called 'Love Raps'.

The art of rappin' with respect to hip hop was characterized by one's ability to syncopate to a beat. Ideally an emcee rapped from the heart. His rhymes were spontaneous, not memorized or read aloud from a written document. Of course we now know that most of the great pioneering emcees like Mele-Mel, Grand Master Caz and Kurtis Blow to name a few, all rehearsed and pre-wrote their rhymes. But the approach was to present yourself as if the rhymes were coming off the top of the dome. ..Ideally a rap is a group of rhymes that are thrown together so everything has meaning. Nothing said is frivilous. It reflects the here and now and ideally the lifestyle of the one rapping. Rap's ideally projected the emotions and feelings experienced by the rapper. Ultimately and historically an artist rapped for no one but himself. His rap was a call for attention to himself.. He was ideally saying..'Hey look here I am world-Somebody hear my song!'.



-Davey D-
Double D Crew..'78

c 1984.. The Power Of Rap..
By dave 'Davey D' Cook

[SevenSorrows]

thanx musturde:

That makes sense to me. I am glad no one got offended...I was seriously just asking..and I got a good answer....you can close the thred now. It just appears I am too old and don't understand different music anymore.

I know righteous is a good guy and youth minsister...so I knew their had to be a good explanation. Even if I don't understand some stuff...it sure is better than the rap on the radio...espcially that eminem one... "ah ah ah ah ah ah ah" hehehehe.

The only thing I wouldn't agree with is the calling girls "honey" or other names. I just couldn't see a strong Catholic girl liking that. Cause I have heard the same arguement that it is ok to call girls B's and Ho's...cause it is culture and they don't mind...but again I don't understand...so I can agree to disagree....

and I do have to admit that line makes me crack up.... 24's or 34's....hehehehhe

Thanx again!

*thread dead*.....

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