Why do Critics give rap albums good reviews?
 

What can possibly be good about the typical rap album. 18 songs per album(Too much, should be 10-12 tracks) 4-5 filler tracks (skits) and your typical rap lyrics about Clubs,guns,drugs,woman,cars,ghetto's..blah..blah.. blah and add on some commerical beats for airplay. Even the better rappers out there like Lupe Fiasco,K'naan can't produce a anything classic. The only classic rap album I have ever liked was from a group called Camp Lo called "Uptown Saturday Night" in 1996 The beats were enjoyable and there lyrics and slang was very creative, to this day I have trouble understanding what exactly there rapping about in some of there songs.

It's beyond me how some critics can say that Lil Wayne's "Carter 3" is better then the Fleet Foxes album. According to Metacritic Reakwon's new album is in the top 5 and in fact is prop ****.

I feel critics are almost forcing themselves to give good reviews to rap albums just so they just don't upset that audience.

Because in their opinion those albums are good albums. Why do you care?

Why don't people post threads about rap music in the rap forum?

Good point. Consider it done. :)

Probably because they themselves have been dumbed down and now enjoy that kind of music.

Also because a lot of record companies have shares with certain magazines and news corporations so they have more of a hand in what reviews their artists get than people would like to think.

I agree that 18-20 songs is too much, and more often than not the interludes and skits really are not needed in a rap album

It's beyond me how lil wayne has fans in general.

I disagree with a lot of what you said.
There will always be possible and negative critics for every genre and every album.

Also, you really don't think there are ANY classic Hip-Hop albums?

Or maybe because it's just good music?

There's something seriously wrong with you if the only rap album you consider a classic you don't even understand. Critics give rap album good reviews because the music is good. Just like everything else.

That's plain idiocy. Do you think critics are scared they may get shot by a Little Wayne fan if they don't praise their hero? Do you think critics get a cut of Little Wayne's income?
One thing I like about Music Banter is that bullshit ignorant threads like this usually get locked and forgotten pretty soon.:)

don't put words in his mouth, i don't agree with him but i think he has a point

What kind of point does he have besides that he thinks rap is overrated?

every since the NME in the 1980s it's been the law that every indie publication has to hype a token Hip Hop album every now and again.
It's to show off just how culturally diverse they are.

Although why you'd want to take recommendations from someone who hypes rubbish in their own genre they listen to (Hello Fleet Foxes & Black Kids) , let alone one they don't listen to much.

Yeah - his point is that professional music critics feel pressure to give rap albums good reviews not because they honestly like the albums but because they are afraid of "upsetting that audience". I don't understand what he means by that so I asked. Maybe you can explain his point to me?

I disagree. It's hard for me to believe that critics care that much about how they are perceived by their readers but I don't read the major publications so maybe I'm missing something. It's the job of critics to review whatever falls into their lap (which is the main reason I would not want to be one) but why is it so hard to believe that they sometimes actually like what falls there? Lord knows, people love to read negative reviews so aren't critics just as susceptible to writing bad reviews of rap just so that they don't "upset" the presumably large segment of their audience who hates rap? I dunno. As someone who likes rap I can understand occasionally liking the flavor of the month rapper so writing good rap reviews doesn't seem like some sort of disingenuous plot.

i like rap too, but i will be the first to admit that 99% of it today is garbage. i think his point is that when you seen publications like pitchfork throwing rap albums into their top lists (which seems curiously misplaced) it makes you questions their sincerity. he doesn't like rap, which kinda convolutes any decent point he has but still i think its a good question. its also weird because i have heard most of the top rap albums that pitchfork and others have been hailing as amazing and personally think most of them are ****. its just interesting...

I think the point is that critics DO hype bad albums because they have achieved a popular status. People like reading negative reviews of music they don't like, and prefer glowing reviews of that which they do. So, for popular albums in any genre of music it is possible that critics highlight the positives and minimize the flaws to protect the magazine, so to speak. This is not solely relegated to rap music though. Case in point, nearly every Nickelback CD is given great reviews regardless of worth. Of course there are critics out there who are honest, and there are critics who will give negative reviews for the shock value and sake of being different.

Well, it is possible that magazines are making a genuine attempt to be more diverse. It could be some big scam but if that's true then it's not going to accomplish much. Nobody reads Pitchfork for rap reviews and starting to like more rap isn't going to change that.

I don't think that it's so weird for Pitchfork to put rap albums in their top lists. Don't they also list black metal and electronic albums in there? I admit I look at Pitchfork's album ratings and have for years. Even if we're going to peg these indie publications as written by and for elitist indie-nerds, I think they hype a lot of really bad music of all sorts (I dislike a huge percentage of the indie-rock they hype). There's nothing wrong with them reviewing black metal, electronic dub or rap. And there's nothing weird about some of them liking some of it. I don't see why the reviewers would be dishonest. People like different stuff.

This thread may have just as well ended with..

Some people like rap, why is it hard to believe some critics honestly do? You obviously don't like rap much, since you only like one classic album, but for other people there are great rap albums.

well in all honesty black metal and electronic border on the fringes of indie: black metal is a bit of a stretch but one of my favorite albums of the year, Wind's Poem, by Mount Eerie is a black metal album (sorta) and Mount Eerie is a decidedly indie/ lo-fi artist. i mean i know there are some indie-ish rappers like superbobby! and mc chris (to an extent) i guess rap still just seems out of place. also, in regards to pitchfork, i generally respect their reviews, they are pretentious douches about it but still i respect them, even the rap stuff. i just wish they would separate lists yknow? how do you say raekwon's newest album is better than grizzly bear's when they are so so drastically different? not really on topic anymore, but i hope i have made my point :]

I don't even see why people are bothering to argue. It's impossible to argue with someone who feels the need to post outlandish opinions for attention.

I don't dig this troll.Listen to the following before dismissing hip-hop
OutKast-Stankonia and Aquemini
Nas-Illmatic
Public Enemy-It Takes A Nation Of Millions To Hold Us Back,Fear Of A Black Planet
Tricky-Maxinquaye
Wu-Tang Clan-Enter The 36 Chambers
A Tribe Called Quest-The Low End Theory,Midnight Marauders
GZA-Liquid Swords
Dr Dre-The Chronic
Jay Z-The Blueprint
Notorious BIG-Ready To Die
Dizzee Rascal-Boy In Da Corner
Common-Be

I think it goes beyond wanting attention. A lot of kids who are just getting into music usually start through rock and hold this weird grudge against hip-hop because it supposedly "stole the spotlight" away. I used to think like that. Then I grew up. Luckily no internet forums had to suffer.

in all honesty i never liked it because of the main stream hip hop. i thought it was garbage, it was garbage, but gave a bad name to the good hip hop out there. it wasn't until listening to madvillain, aesop rock, a tribe called quest, deltron 3030 and jurassic 5 that i gained any appreciation for the genre.

The ones I highlighted are albums filled with your typical ,violence, sex, drug warefare. How can this be good for the soul, its destructive music. Not to mention the excessive swearing that is not need.

Though I will admit A tribe called quest,Common, Outkast are small glimmers of light.

smh.
Try some...

Atmosphere
P.O.S.
Eyedea
The Grouch
Eligh
XV
2Mex
Murs
Blu

etc.

Those albums speak of a lifestyle, either you get it or you don't. Some of them may be crass but it's more a reflection of inner city life then just being nasty to be nasty. If you find it all in bad taste then why the hell start a thread to complain about it? Discuss music you enjoy, rather than music you don't.

EDIT: And besides, not all hip-hop is like that. Get into Alternative Hip-Hop if you want to avoid it.

OK then check out this list before dismissing hip hop:

Blackalicious - Blazing Arrow
Aesop Rock - Labor Days
Random - Mega Ran 9
Audible Mainframe - Framework
Amyas - State of Mind
CunninLynguists - A Piece of Strange
G Band Free - Backwards Crown
The Herd - Sun That Never Sets
Dan Le Sac Vs Scroobius Pip - Angles
Sweatshop Union - Water Street

Just a few that lean away from the stereotypes you so blatantly believe is incorporated with all hip hop

Most of them I have links for in case you don't believe that illegally downloading music is bad for the soul.

You don't have to be involved with those kinds of things to find stories about them interesting.

why just talk about music you like? the threads for specific bands are so boring "oh man i love this band and this song, great stuff"...... dont hate on his making an argument, no one is making you read it or reply.

Can you explain to me why violence, sex, and drug warfare are somehow illegitimate topics to make music on?

honestly i think they are just the easiest things to go after when it comes to hip hop, how can someone argue for them? well sex and drugs can be argued for. and you just made a pretty good argument...nevermind.

I'm saying positivity produces more productive discussions then I hate this because I like this because arguments that just get tedious.

Nah, a topic where everyone only says "yeah, this is good!" usually goes nowhere.

It's in talking about why it's good. Their use of a specific technique, the meaning behind lyrics, something about the music you like/don't like.

Not everyone has to agree but making threads just to bash things that other people like goes nowhere and does nothing but makes trolls hard.

So, first you ask why critics give any rap albums good reviews, and then you say that there are rap artists you like?

I'd advise in future arguments to at least try and have some consistency and reasoning.

I never knew talking about why something was bad was a bad thing.

i'm not sure but i think the point he's trying to make is that there isn't much point in creating an entire thread to rip on music you dislike. if there is a thread on something, no problem with posting a different opinion in it as that leads to discussion. but a topic like this leads to mostly negative comments and often lead to people flaming. of course, that is a fundamental part of the internet so...

It's not whether a discussion is negative or positive that matters, it's the substance behind either sentiment.