03-03-2005, 07:52 PM
Warning: links contained in this post contain a couple profanities and annoying advertisements for womens' underwear or something.
1) I can relate personally to the concept of "starving artist", although I have never been without a roof or a meal and never really had any plans on turning my hobbies into careers (we can all dream though, right?).
2) There are still plenty of socially fueled raps with minimal production, but they usually aren't hit singles. Anyways, I don't remember The Last Poets. It sounds a bit before my time. I was introduced to rap by Run DMC and the Beasties. I also really liked Vanilla Ice and Hammer as a kid. :wacko: The whole Gangsta thing, and the bragging and dissing, was a big turnoff, and I tuned out on rap for about 15 years. When the Eminem craze happened, some of what I heard was insightful and/or funny, but everything was so over the top that I didn't really pay attention. Then one day I heard "Mockingbird" ( http://www.lyricsdepot.com/Eminem/mockingbird.html ) on the radio, and suddenly I am on a rap binge. Being a drummer and wannabe poet, I suppose it was bound to happen eventually. I also like this one from when Eminem was truly one of the aforementioned "starving artists": http://www.lyricsdepot.com/eminem/its-ok.html
Not the deepest lyrics in the world, but stuff I can relate to. And the rhymes are absolutely insane (although a lot of them are hard to see reading a lyrics sheet).
Occhidiangela,Mar 2 2005, 10:00 AM Wrote:Your post rates a "well said!" from me. :D A few rejoinders.
Point 1. Starving artist is a cliché state of being based on reality. My brother walked in those shoes for some years as a guitar player.
Point 2. Remember The Last Poets? Street Rappers of the 70's. There stuff was stripped down rhythmic chant without techno wrapper. Socially fuelled. More Black Panther than Gangsta.
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1) I can relate personally to the concept of "starving artist", although I have never been without a roof or a meal and never really had any plans on turning my hobbies into careers (we can all dream though, right?).
2) There are still plenty of socially fueled raps with minimal production, but they usually aren't hit singles. Anyways, I don't remember The Last Poets. It sounds a bit before my time. I was introduced to rap by Run DMC and the Beasties. I also really liked Vanilla Ice and Hammer as a kid. :wacko: The whole Gangsta thing, and the bragging and dissing, was a big turnoff, and I tuned out on rap for about 15 years. When the Eminem craze happened, some of what I heard was insightful and/or funny, but everything was so over the top that I didn't really pay attention. Then one day I heard "Mockingbird" ( http://www.lyricsdepot.com/Eminem/mockingbird.html ) on the radio, and suddenly I am on a rap binge. Being a drummer and wannabe poet, I suppose it was bound to happen eventually. I also like this one from when Eminem was truly one of the aforementioned "starving artists": http://www.lyricsdepot.com/eminem/its-ok.html
Not the deepest lyrics in the world, but stuff I can relate to. And the rhymes are absolutely insane (although a lot of them are hard to see reading a lyrics sheet).