The Steel Guitar Forum

The Afroman CD "The Good Times" is one of my favorite CD's and the only rap CD I have. The music reminds me of Frank Zappa. The vocals and harmony are great. Lyrics are rap but are just fun( BY todays standards) and some like Palmdale tell a good story. Yes a lot of sexual and getting high and bad words. But I think over all it is a great CD.
Hush
https://youtu.be/8X195TL00Me

I saw the recent video of Afroman punching a woman square in the face.

That said, I am a fan of rap. I like a lot of old school stuff like Big Daddy Kane and A Tribe Called Quest, but also a lot of newer stuff, too. Not a fan of the stuff my kids are hearing on the radio with these slow, menacing beats, though, but people like Kendrick Lamar and Jeru The Damaja and Aceyalone have made some great music. I particularly like Aceyalone's "A Book Of Human Language", which uses a lot of jazz samples in its tracks.

"Rap" is really poetry accompanied by music and sound effects.More or less a lineal descendant of soul music and fifties beatniks with bongos.Since there hasn't been a lot of steel guitar in rap music I've never paid attention to it outside of the occasional SNL rerun musical segment,but I have seen some amazingly intricate dance moves and equally intricate accompaniment to the person(s)doing the recitation.

not interested.

there's lots of good rap

...and a lot of bad, just like any other genre

Mix it with Country and it's called "CRAP".

Good rap, isn't that an oxymoron?

Erv Niehaus wrote:Good rap, isn't that an oxymoron?

Au contraire, mon ami. Rap can be an high art form. Modern rap artists owe a debt of gratitude to these two legendary artists:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yNdVzXDWeNc

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QnJFhuOWgXg

Keep on pickin'!
Glenn

why do they call talking with an attitude rap?

Modern day rap/hip hop grew out of the South African music form, Kwaito, originating in Soweto township.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YnA5ZLsezng&index=1

Keep on pickin'!
Glenn

My opinion of rap:

i've never been to south africa.

Here are a couple of my favorite covers, done hip hop style, featuring Bootsy Collins, Jerry Douglas, Del McCoy, Scott Rouse, Mac Wiseman, and I think Robbie Turner. Collectively they were known as the GrooveGrass Boyz.

"Walking After Midnight"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cn8sdEj3T8E
Deep River Blues"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O1183CkjTYg

Keep on pickin'!
Glenn

Country + Rap = Crap

glenn,
if you can't see a huge cultural difference and intent between the two (dumbass rap vs jerry douglas et al) then you're missing a huge point.

and these guys actually play their instruments and i assume aren't strutting around the stage like fools with the back end of their mics pointing at the ceiling and holding their pistols sideways.

For guys who dont have any interest in rap, you sure are posting a lot!

I consider myself a child of the world musically--there is not much of anything I haven't heard and studied. I am also primarily a fan of music created by African-Americans. I dig jazz, the blues (all kinds except British), gospel, funk, soul, R&B, jump and Rap. I would say that there is some rap I love as much as almost anything else I've ever heard. Take that for what it's worth, which is probably zilch to you.

One thing I don't care for is watered down hiphop. To bastardize it in order to make a buck is nothing more than contrivance to me, although I can understood others standing on the sideline and wishing they could bring that sound and element to their music.

Tribe Called Quest!

Pretty hard to find rap in my record collection but I generally have nothing against it, and occasionally i hear something I like.

I sort of look at it like I look at soccer ("football" in most countries except for the U.S.). Soccer is easily the most popular sport in the world. I'm not a fan, though I'll occasionally watch some of the big matches like in the World Cup or The Olympics.

So even though I'm not a fan, there must be something to it - otherwise many millions of people who play the game and are avid fans of the sport are - wait - am I'm the only one who realizes what a lame sport it is and those millions of people are all idiots?*

* I'm being facetious - I know it's a great sport, it's just one sport too many for me to try and follow.

At any rate, this rap thread is as predictable on the SGF as a Garcia, or one of the legions of Today's Country Music Sucks threads.

Glenn Suchan wrote:Here are a couple of my favorite covers, done hip hop style, featuring Bootsy Collins, Jerry Douglas, Del McCoy, Scott Rouse, Mac Wiseman, and I think Robbie Turner. Collectively they were known as the GrooveGrass Boyz.

"Walking After Midnight"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cn8sdEj3T8E
Deep River Blues"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O1183CkjTYg

Keep on pickin'!
Glenn

I love it. But I see it more as funk with some rap style singing occasionally popping out of the music. Going to check into them some more.

chris ivey wrote:why do they call talking with an attitude rap?

yeah, and why do they call talking with pitch singing?

chris ivey wrote:glenn,
if you can't see a huge cultural difference and intent between the two (dumbass rap vs jerry douglas et al) then you're missing a huge point.

and these guys actually play their instruments and i assume aren't strutting around the stage like fools with the back end of their mics pointing at the ceiling and holding their pistols sideways.

Chris, I'm confused by your comment. None of the references I used had anything to do with 'strutting around the stage like fools with the back end of their mics pointing at the ceiling and holding their pistols sideways'. So, forgive me. Apparently, I'm missing your point.

Also, The GrooveGrass Boyz, like Run C&W, by mixing the lyrics and basic music structure of songs from one musical genre with the style of a totally dissimilar musical genre were practicing something I choose to refer to as "genre-bending". In doing so, they'd created something musically interesting, if not entertaining and humorous.

Keep on pickin'
Glenn

i dunno now glenn. i agree with your genre bending perspective. and i consider that as music.
i don't however consider 'gangsta rap' music.

Fair enough, Chris. It goes without saying, but I'll say it anyway; I respect your opinion.

Keep on pickin'!
Glenn

Spooks: Karma Hotel
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4v9M4qeKmnU

Things I've seen
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3AJ7W-HRa8g

Jurassic 5:
Concrete Schoolyard
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NAMy2wgwVh0

Beastie Boys:
Sounds of Science
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XtdKvEpl-Uo
Rest in Peace, MCA.

Public Enemy:
Welcome to the Terrordome
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lWTE1Uj9Z8c

If you're scared to get into rap or hip hop, may I suggest mashup guys like Girl Talk:
Feed the Animals
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_TKjC7_ ... 95SlX0kB2X

Rap is music, too.

Edit to add:
Rap is family.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pg1qLJ_6-LE