Originally Posted by Jester

Since the beginning, the brag has been a big part of rap. Battle rapping is a huge part of the hip hop culture, and so is competition. Why do you think feuds are more common in hop hop than other genres?

It isn't more common it's just more obvious because rappers have the ability to diss each other in songs and they use that to make more money also because gangster rap has made people think rap is all about being tough and proving your male dominance. As for the bragging, yes bragging is a big part of rap especially battle rap but you can brag and not be egotistical or arrogant. It's just an act. Also if all you do is brag in a battle you're going to get slaughtered. Battles are about pointing out your opponents flaws not speaking about why you're better. You do realise lines like "i got the biggest guns and moneys ya know?" and "im stylin' on you!" wouldn't actually work against a real battle rapper.

I don't think you're understanding how necessary it is that gangsta rap exists. Rapping about certain topics doesn't mean someone is instantly "wasting their talent." You're saying that an entire dimension of rap should not exist, and more specifically, the one that all kinds of different rap ideas spawned from. There are a lot of layers to gangsta rap, and just like any topic, there are many ways to approach it. Don't dismiss it entirely.

Gangster rap wasn't a necessity when rap began. Why is it a necessity now? and what's spawned from gangster rap? crunk? Rap was about expressing yourself as all art forms are. You're acting as if gangster rap was the first kind of rap that existed.

How many times should i repeat myself? I'm not dimissing gangster rap i already told you there was good gangster rappers and some of it is entertaining.

But i do feel they are wasting their talent. People like Royce are truely gifted as lyricists, he is incredibly intelligent so why should he have to belittle himself to rapping about guns and drugs just so brainwashed idiots will listen to his music? Imagine if every movie producer, painter, photographer, musician just copied exactly what other people were doing. That is what's happening to rap. People who aren't involved in the culture dismiss rap as misogynistic and uneducated. They see it as cheap and most don't even recognise it as a form of music because the mainstream is filled with fools who are not talented as lyricists and somehow manage to make millions (usually due to their appearance or hiring a top notch producer/dj).


Just because something has become a stereotype doesn't mean it's a bad thing. There is no topic that people "should not rap about" or "should rap about." Don't choke the freedom that rap represents, man.

oh great you pulled the freedom of speech card, should've saw that coming.

"LOST
Is when you hide behind the freedom of speech
Well, sure you're free to do it
But what it mean to do it?
Did you mean to do it?
Did you need to do it?
Did you take time to think about the seeds you ruined?"

Never thought i'd find myself quoting will smith but there you go.

Actually it seems will smith (despite having ghost writers and stealing other rappers lines) can express what i'm trying to say quite well.

"Why should I try to sound like ya'll sound
That's what's wrong with the rap game right now
Man, it's like a circus wit a bunch of clowns
Wit a bunch of clicks I'll probably rap circles around"

"(Yup) truck wit rims (check) throw back jersey (check)
champagne bottles (check) lot's of models (check)
Damn that's the list for 90 percent of ya'll videos and songs
Am I wrong?!"



Who would think that while debating about talented rappers someone would quote will smith