Like all things and all other types of music, rap doesn't suck if you learn to appreciate it in it's proper context.
But first things first, that song by T-Pain and most of everything else that you hear on the radio or see in videos really shouldn't be considered rap. For the most part, they are, for lack of a better term,
gangstafied pop.
So while they may seem to be the lowest common denominator of creativity, you'll have to realize that the songs weren't created with the intention of displaying the artist(s) range of musical capabilities or pushing the envelope any further. They are created for the purpose of being catchy enough to be remembered and trendy enough for kids to dance to. And if the song comes along with it's own dance then that's just icing on the cake:
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of course some people are going to be like "but rap isn't rap without lyrics" and yes, that is true, but again, on a strictly compositional level, before lyrics are even applied, what do you have? seriously.
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For someone who makes music as typically ambiguous as electronic music, I highly doubt you're incapable of answering your own question. Even with the pop-rap I described above, you can still take away quite a bit from the music alone if you're willing enough to appreciate it in it's own context.
But if you're looking for artists who appear to put exactly as much effort into producing the beats and underlying tracks as they do in writing the lyrics then just listen to anything produced by El-P, Aesop Rock, Blockhead, or the Rza to name a few of my favs.
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but there are people who are building thier mansions and "bling" on this simplicity and I see far more deserving complex artists go unnoticed trying to make their way on myspace and well. Man, It almost hurts to see that.
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You can't pin any of that on the artist who made the song about bling. They didn't go platinum by repeatedly purchasing their own albums - millions of people independently chose to do so and while it may seem that there are more deserving artists out there, who are we to say that whatever their fans take from the music isn't valid or truly significant?
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I guess it all comes down to a matter of personal opinion here and there in some regards....
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No, it's a matter of opinion in
all regards to the subject.
And I also disagree completely with Willravels assertion that rap isn't music but rather rhythm and poetry.
My recommendations:
Aesop Rock - None Shall Pass
On the track "Bring Back Pluto", Aesop draws a parallel between the fact that Pluto is no longer classified as one of the planets of our solar system and the pressure that he feels as an artist and what people expect of him and his career.
El-P - I'll Sleep When You're Dead
On this album El-P collaborates with everyone imaginable - from Trent Reznor to The Mars Volta to Chan Marshall of Cat Power to create one of the most dense and epic rap albums ever.
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