Rap is the Prose of Music

I'm so sick and tired of people having ill feelings for Hip Hop and Rap. While I will agree that much of the lyrics involve dirty aspects such as drug, sex and violence, most of these topics are discussed entirely within mainstream Rap. People often ignore the insightful lyrics put out by rappers and over generalize the entire genre with a few words, "Drugs, Sex, Money".

In order to understand the verses of Rap people must understand the roots of many rap artists. They have all mostly had rough childhoods and parental figures within their lives were always lacking. Their financial status during their childhood was never worth mentioning and their living conditions were poor. So when you hear a Rap artist say "they made it", they really have made it. Their economic status has risen and they are proud of how far they have gotten. Also, many rap artists lived in the suppressed Ghettos. Life in the Ghettos was tough and sometimes survival involved selling Drugs for profit (as done by both 50 cent and Notorious B.I.G). The lack of male figures in many rappers childhoods has forced them to take a masculine persona within all their music. This is, perhaps, the reason behind the constant sex references.

As far as lyrics are concerned, Rap is more or less free style. I compare Rap to "the prose of music" because it is just that, rappers feeling the flow of the beat and speaking what is on their mind. They don't need the fancy imagery that is associated with Rock and they don't need depressing lyrics to put out their point. Rap is also a fundamental part of modern society. Many words from Rap have come to be incorporated within every day jargon. Not all lyrics have to do with "getting laid". Many of the better songs incorporate deep lyrics that the listener can connect to emotionally or intellectually. These songs are often not preferred, however, as the media tends to like trashier songs.

The generalizations made about Hip Hop and Rap are usually associated with the Mainstream genre of Rap. Underground Hip Hop has become widely popular as it goes back to the humble roots of Rap and allows up and coming Rap artists to convey the true message of Rap which has been obscured over the years.

Rap music is not an obscene way of expressing oneself. Many artists use Rap to vent their feelings of pain or hurt. Eminem, for example, used his last album to describe the suffering he has felt over the last couple of years in his song "Beautiful". While different artists describe different things, Rap always comes back to its roots. The generalization that Rap artists are only considered with Drugs, Sex and Money is far too generalized. Rap has its own flow, its own form of music, its own lyrics and its own feel. To comprehend the roots of Rap you must put yourself in the shoes of a Rap artist. It may not have flashy symbolical imagery within its lyrics but one thing is certain, Rap will forever dominate as the prose of Music.