Most Popular Music Artist by State

[Orchid PE]

I honestly couldn't tell you if I've ever heard a Drake song before. Definitely couldn't tell you if one was playing or not. I feel maybe I should listen to him some? But I hate Hip Hop/Rap. Also, who is Kevin Gates and Future? Results are based on streaming numbers.

 

[csb]

TWO TRAILER PARK GIRLS GO ROUND THE OUTSIDE ROUND THE OUTSIDE

 

[Tiger15]

So 4 rappers and Bruno Mars (who I'd consider pop/R&B.

 

[txjennah PE]

Idk who Kevin Gates is and I don't feel like googling him, so ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

 

[Tiger15]

... But I hate Hip Hop/Rap....

So I'll try not to get on my soapbox, but I'm guessing your statement is based on the rap you hear on the radio/TV, etc. Rap/Hip-hop is an extremely diverse genre. If I said, "I hate rock" based only on a what gets played on the radio over the past decade, that might sound kind of absurd to people who know rock music. You have classic rock, alternative, punk, metal, emo, etc... and all that legitimately fits within the rock umbrella. Hip-hop is just as diverse (gansta, conscious, alternative, jazz-rap, pop, bounce, etc).

I'm not saying that you can't hate rap music; everyone is entitled to their opinion. But I wish there was more awareness around the varied types of rap music.

Ok, I briefly stepped on the soapbox, but believe me, I could go on. LOL

 

[Orchid PE]

I dislike it all. The closest I've come is some Eminem songs back in the day, Better Now by Post Malone, and Gangsters Paradise by Like A Storm.

I hate things that are beat driven. As a musician (guitar, piano, synth, and banjo mostly) I enjoy musically complex material. And yes, even Slipknot is musically complex. I also enjoy the occasional symphony.

But when it's just heavy beats and 32nd notes on the high-hat, no thanks.

 

[Orchid PE]

Well I went and looked at the top Hip Hop/Rap songs currently:



Then looked up the lyrics to the top one:



Yeeeeaaahhhh, definitely don't relate to these lyrics.

 

[Tiger15]

I dislike it all. The closest I've come is some Eminem songs back in the day, Better Now by Post Malone, and Gangsters Paradise by Like A Storm.

I hate things that are beat driven. As a musician (guitar, piano, synth, and banjo mostly) I enjoy musically complex material. And yes, even Slipknot is musically complex. I also enjoy the occasional symphony.

But when it's just heavy beats and 32nd notes on the high-hat, no thanks.

I'm not trying to defend all hip-hop. There's a ton of rap that I don't like, including a lot of the stuff that you just listed. But I do take exception that hip-hop isn't musically complex. I'd argue that it's not "beat driven;" it's lyric driven, more so than any other musical genre. It's the only genre where the lyrics are an intrinsic part of the music. With other genres there's music and melody, and then separately there are lyrics. You can completely change the lyrics without affecting the music. In hip-hop the lyrics are intrinsic to the music. And it's can definitely be up there with some of the most musically complex material across all genres. I'm not going to do a great job presenting this argument, so I humbly submit two videos to make my point for me. As a musician who's into musically complex material, I would expect that you'd enjoy them.

I'm not hear to change your mind. You don't have to like hip-hop. But I would like to increase everyone's awareness of the artistry of the genre. To quote Tupac, "[You] don't have to bump this, but please respect it.."

 

[ChebyshevII PE PMP]

24 minutes ago, jean15paul_PE said:

I'm not trying to defend all hip-hop. There's a ton of rap that I don't like, including a lot of the stuff that you just listed. But I do take exception that hip-hop isn't musically complex. I'd argue that it's not "beat driven;" it's lyric driven, more so than any other musical genre. It's the only genre where the lyrics are an intrinsic part of the music. With other genres there's music and melody, and then separately there are lyrics. You can completely change the lyrics without affecting the music. In hip-hop the lyrics are intrinsic to the music. And it's can definitely be up there with some of the most musically complex material across all genres. I'm not going to do a great job presenting this argument, so I humbly submit two videos to make my point for me. As a musician who's into musically complex material, I would expect that you'd enjoy them.

I'm not hear to change your mind. You don't have to like hip-hop. But I would like to increase everyone's awareness of the artistry of the genre. To quote Tupac, "[You] don't have to bump this, but please respect it.."

Yep, I’ve always thought of rap/hip-hop as more akin to poetry. (Though maybe not a lot of the top artists...)

I joke that you can indeed spell crap without the C, but the truth is, I actually like some of what it has to offer. I usually choose metal/hard rock, instrumental/nu-classical, or acoustic guitar music, though.

 

[Orchid PE]

It's the only genre where the lyrics are an intrinsic part of the music.

This is just an ignorant statement. No offense. 

I'd argue that it's not "beat driven;"

The "music" in hip hop/rap is beat driven. Most of the time the same beat just repeats throughout the entire song. 

You can completely change the lyrics without affecting the music. In hip-hop the lyrics are intrinsic to the music. And it's can definitely be up there with some of the most musically complex material across all genres.

Completely inaccurate. You have ever even heard someone sing before? A singing voice is an instrument in itself and helps set the tones of the music, especially when different styles are used. Clearly intrinsic to music. Again, that other stuff is hardly musically complex. Most of the time, if there even are any instruments, it just repeats the same bar or two.

Sounds like those guys in the videos are trying too hard to make an argument that trash is music, too.

Let me be clear, I don't doubt it takes talent to come up with their lyrics and to spit them out as quick as they do, but it's not music.

This dude even says at 1:00 that rapping is focused on the rhythm, not the melody.





Do you have any examples of songs you think better represent the genre that I could try?

 

[Tiger15]

Completely inaccurate. You have ever even heard someone sing before? A singing voice is an instrument in itself and helps set the tones of the music, especially when different styles are used. Clearly intrinsic to music. Again, that other stuff is hardly musically complex.

I don't disagree with anything that you just said, but that wasn't the point that I was making. 

If you take a song from another genre, music and vocals. If you have the person singing the vocals sing the same notes, same intonation, same delivery, but different words, the music and melody of that song hasn't changed. They lyrics and meaning of the song has changed but the music hasn't.

In hip-hop, if you take a song, music and lyric. There is no way for the rapper to to change the words of the song without also changing the rhythms, vocal patterns, and delivery. The specific words are a key part of the musical composition.

I feel like you're responding to me as if in arguing that hip-hop is somehow better than other genres. To be clear, I'm not. It's not even my favorite genre. But I often hear people criticize hip-hop without an understanding of it and its art form.

 

[Tiger15]

This dude even says at 1:00 that rapping is focused on the rhythm, not the melody.

Do you have any examples of songs you think better represent the genre that I could try?

So rhythm isn't music? I think drummers would disagree.

I'll get back to you on other songs. But it's not about better representing the genre. It's about representing the diversity within the genre.

 

[Road Guy]

Have you ever gone over to a friends house to eat and the food just ain’t no good? The chicken all soggy the peas all mushed and there’s something that taste like wood, so you try and play it off like you think you can by saying that your full, but your friend says maw he’s just being polite he ain’t finished at all that bull...

 

[Roarbark]

If you take a song from another genre, music and vocals. If you have the person singing the vocals sing the same notes, same intonation, same delivery, but different words, the music and melody of that song hasn't changed. They lyrics and meaning of the song has changed but the music hasn't.

In hip-hop, if you take a song, music and lyric. There is no way for the rapper to to change the words of the song without also changing the rhythms, vocal patterns, and delivery. The specific words are a key part of the musical composition.

@jean15paul_PE I feel like this is true for both forms of lyrics, whether sung or rapped. The lyric still has a rhythm, a vocal pattern, a delivery. It may often play a bigger part in/be more central to Rap/Hip-hop but I think your point still holds true for lyric music in general. Although my above argument doesn't really serve any purpose in this discussion, (so sorry about that).

@Chattaneer PE Maybe people who blur the lines between poetry/rapping and singing would be more up your alley/be a good intro.
(Funny enough, Drake's style sort of fits this bill, although I'm not going to recommend him...) 

Try the below link to a Minnesota artist named Dessa.  I won't be offended if you don't like it, don't worry   At the very least, it may back up @jean15paul_PE's point that it's a hugely varied genre. 

Link: Dessa - Fire Drills  I'd say this is one of her more "Beat Driven" songs, but she sticks in some melodic singing sections. 
Side Warning - a few explicit lyrics in here. (Sparingly chosen for effect, in my opinion, but ye be warned).

 

[JayKay PE]

There is a lot of chatting/super good and adult conversation in this thread and I'm still sitting here going "why does it say genre when those are artist?I didn't know Bruno Mars was a genre of music.  What is that?  Accepting boyfriend that makes you feel amazing about your potential as a human being and treats you as you should be treated?"

 

[Orchid PE]

There is a lot of chatting/super good and adult conversation in this thread and I'm still sitting here going "why does it say genre when those are artist?I didn't know Bruno Mars was a genre of music.  What is that?  Accepting boyfriend that makes you feel amazing about your potential as a human being and treats you as you should be treated?"

Didn't update from the other map.

 

[Tiger15]

@Chattaneer PE so I feel like your criticism is that the non-vocal music in hip-hop is less melodic and less musically complex than other genres. In general that is a fair point; I don't disagree. But I feel like you're going a step further to say that means is not music. And frankly... that is complete bullshit. (cussing added for emphasis, not to offend.) Rap can be just as complex and artistic as any other genre. You don't have to like it, but implying that it's not music is blatantly disrespectful. Just because you don't like it, doesn't mean that it doesn't hold value.

 

[Tiger15]

So I'm not a fan of going to extremes to make a point. But since I've made the point about the variety within the genre of hip-hop and people are looking for something more melodic, these couple song came to mind. I'm sure there are better examples out there if anyone felt like searching.

 

[Road Guy]

I always felt like rap has several different layers, there is the stuff that is mainstream that gets played in movies (like most of the hangover movie soundtrack), stuff that makes it way into the "typical" radio stations in a market,  and then there is a layer that doesn't even play on radio stations but is widely known by their fans.

There was a "controversy" at a Atlanta Falcons half time show several years back (I cant recall the name) but one of the rappers was pretty vulgar for a halftime show - the media made a big deal out of it. My friends who had the season tix next to me were literally flabbergasted that I had never heard of the guy- But well over half the stadium acted like Steven Tyler Walked out on stage and the other half was looking around going "who is this"?

 

[Orchid PE]

53 minutes ago, jean15paul_PE said:

So I'm not a fan of going to extremes to make a point. But since I've made the point about the variety within the genre of hip-hop and people are looking for something more melodic, these couple song came to mind. I'm sure there are better examples out there if anyone felt like searching.





I wouldn't consider Despacito to be Hip Hop/Rap. Though its Latin music, it very similar to Pop. But the "rapping" in this song is good. It has a distinguishable melody to it, and the only thing that makes it "rap" is all the quick rhyming.

Let's take a look at the top 5 Hip Hop/Rap chart:

1. WAP - Cardi B: No audible instruments other than an electronic beat. Singer "raps" (I use that term loosely here) over top of the beat. No distinguishable structure to the song. I would not categorize this as music.
   
2. ROCKSTAR - DaBaby: Acoustic guitar riff throughout the song. Not a bad riff, but it's literally repeated THE ENTIRE TIME. THE SAME FOUR BARS. Vocals are disjointed from the musical portion of the song. Very predominant electronic beat throughout the song, that to me gets old very quickly. I would not categorize this as music.
   
3. Laugh Now Cry Later - Drake: Starts off with some brass riffs and singing. Heavy beat comes in during the verse(?). At least he uses decent inflection when rapping to give a hint of a melody. There is a distinguishable song structure (verse, chorus, etc.) Overall, not bad and compared to the two above, I'd categorize this as music.
   
4. WHATS POPPIN - Jack Harlow: Begins with piano riff that, like #2, repeats throughout the entire song without variation. I also hear the same bass drum and hi-hat beat throughout the entire song. No discernible structure to the song. It's like there is a single 1 bar piano riff, and 1 single bar drum beat that are repeated the entire time. No melody to the lyrics. Essentially a quickly spoken word over top a simple drum beat and a never changing piano riff. This is going in the "non-music" category.
   
5. The Box - Roddy Ricch: Starts with a Eee-Err. Some synths in the background, but a very dominant electronic beat. There seems to be a verse/chorus/verse/chorus "structure." But the "singing" during the chorus is... interesting. This one leans more towards not music than it does towards music for me.
   

How about Rapper's Delight? A plethora of different instruments and melodies. Even though the singers are rapping, some of them still have a melody.

Sabotage by Beastie Boys? Music.

Hey Ya! by OutKast? Music.

These three should be insulted they're included in the same genre as the ones listed above. To be honest, I won't voluntarily listen to Rapper's Delight or Hey Ya! while driving to work or working out, but they're good songs.

So of the top 5 songs in the genre, with the top songs being the ones that currently define the genre, I'd only classify 1 as actual music. We don't just get to redefine the term "music" to fit what these artists are creating. It's an insult to musicians to call what they're doing music. So if you find me saying all that isn't music, you might want to take a step back and understand what makes music actually music. I can't just sit here and fart then call it music.

Maybe there are just too many trash "musicians" in the scene nowadays that are tainting the genre.