Why do music snobs look down on Rap and Hip-Hop?

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give it 10 maybe 20 years hip hop will be classed as white music...*made by white people for white people*

meh i agree some people do look down on it to be honest there is good and bad in all genres
im not fussy when it comes to music i like anything that has meaning to it be it rap or rock.

Reply 22

bcninja

Original post by Joker370

**** that **** everyone likes decent hip hop and R and B. What I don't get is why I get all this hate when my ipods on shuffle and country music comes on :'(.

awe dude i think country music is awesome!

Reply 23

CrazyBeautiful

Original post by Foo.mp3

..it also just so happens that a (relatively) significant proportion of these people are dweebs, often either imbittered or superior, hence the snobbery

You can't dismantle snobbery by being judgemental yourself.

Some people happen to dislike these genres, much like someone may happen to dislike another. From the OP- I personally dislike The Killers too.
I like what I think is better music, and I wish that most of what was in the charts wasn't liked so much...but that's natural; not snobby. It's natural to think you're right and wish that everyone else would get the message :lol:

And I'm sure any of these 'snobs' have some song or other that they love and which isn't exactly mind-blowing in its composition or lyrics. One of my favourite groups are Simon and Garfunkel- they are truly talented. Their song Feelin' Groovy however, is total cheese. It's nothing to wax lyrical about, but I still enjoy it

I think the only true form of musical snobbery comes from people who only like classical music (not particularly a student population, but generally); there is snobbery of other genres, but also within classical music (e.g. disdain for people who listen to ClassicalFM or whatever :rolleyes:

)

Reply 24

HilariousNinja

Tbh I did look down on hip-hop a while back.
Little did I know it would become one of my most listened to genres in the past year.
Good hip-hop doesnt get into the public eye and artists like Tribe, Mos Def, The Roots, Pete Rock & CL Smooth, Gang Starr, J Dilla, Nas, De La Soul and Common really don't get a look in because of poor generalisations and stereotypes.

Reply 25

Supernova*23

It's good that you say this.
To me, art has no boundaries. People who look down on rap are limited. Limitation of the mind is a sad thing.
People need to listen to Jay-Z, Drake, proper Kanye West, Kid Cudi, Wale, J.Cole, proper Lil' Wayne, proper Eminem, Talib Kweli, Common, Nneka, Lauryn Hill...the list is endless. These are unequivocally clever lyricists! I use the term 'proper' with some, for I'm not referring to their commercial crap.

For the above, their use of word-play and the unique punch-lines that they come up with are epic.

Reply 26

B-Man.

Because they think it's all about this:

And ignore this:

(edited 13 years ago)

Reply 27

TheSilentG

It's because of the fact that these snobs don't know any 'real' hip hop; they're bombarded by the pathetic ****e the masses call hip hop today!

This is real hip hop:

Reply 28

Dude Where's My Username

Us snobs don't look down on Hip Hop. We look down on pop. And rightly so.

Reply 29

CrazyBeautiful

Original post by Foo.mp3

Wouldn't even know where to begin to dismantle such snobbery, owing to the complex interrelationship between it at the attributes I mentioned

To deal with your comment directly, what's the point in posting an explication in a thread like this if you don't exercise some judgement? I'm sorry if I've offended your sensibilities but I wasn't making a personal attack on anyone.. I just recognise that there is a sub-group within a group of which I am a part, that can come across as snobbish for the sorts of reasons I have observed. Telling it like it is, don't see what's wrong with that? :holmes:

That's a common stereotype (not always flawed in it's basis I have to admit). You clearly haven't met many Indie types who bum groups like the Beatles/Dylan etc harder than YoKo tho :biggrin:

lucky you

No, you didn't insult me, I'm just making the point that we are moaning about snobbery yet we're doing just that, so we're just going round in circles. As you say, it's just opinion.

As for classical music snobs, I base this on my occasional jaunts to imdb. The people on the classical music board are like the bourgeoisie waging was against the proles. Mention something like The Lark Ascending at your peril

Not a Beatles or Dylan fan, and I know what you mean. I probably have the same strong views about Simon and Garfunkel (same era, of course, and much better IMO), though I try not to bum them too much. I'm glad if people like them, if not, oh well

(edited 13 years ago)

Reply 30

Installation

I like rap/hip hop - but let's face it, it can be very simplistic music. Also it's new, people always hate new stuff. Give it 200 years it'll probably be in a load of posh git magazines.

Reply 31

PapaShmurff

Modern hip-hop/rap should be hated on, it's pretty much all terrible.

Old stuff though :drool:

Reply 32

Skaiyote

Original post by TheSilentG

It's because of the fact that these snobs don't know any 'real' hip hop; they're bombarded by the pathetic ****e the masses call hip hop today!

This is real hip hop:

Spoiler

Reply 33

NW86

For anyone who gets snobby about rap music/hip hop I always just point at Sage Francis then bitch-slap the fool upside the head.

'The Best of Times' and 'Escape Artist' are two cracking songs that are lyrically epic and don't mention guns, bitches and bling.

Which reminds me of Dan le Sac vs Scroobius Pip. There's loads of hip hop out there that isnt about that ****. Jurassic 5 being another example

Reply 34

noobynoo

why would someone look down on hip-hop culture which involves drawing on walls, dancing on street corners, glamorising guns?

TBH if you were driving around in your Bentley on your way to an art gallery champagne reception to meet the queen wouldn't you look down on it too? it's hardly something to aspire to.

Reply 35

TheSilentG

Original post by Skaiyote

Bow to the G, bow to the G, bow to the G.

Reply 36

metalthrashin'mad

Without the lyrics and rapping (which to me sounds rubbish most of the time, like someone talking over a beat) what are you left with? A one dimensional beat that has no instrumental skill whatsoever, mostly not done on instruments, but on a computer, or another person beatboxing. I am aware that

I recognize the appeal of rap music is the lyrics and the vocals, and not the music behind it, and that is fine, but I know that I get a kick out of the musical side of things, rather than the lyrical side of things when it comes to music. If you were to listen to a rap song, and then to a (good) rock song, and completely ignore the lyrics and vocals then it is obvious that rock is superior in that department. I know people have different tastes and they can enjoy whatever the hell they like but I am not sure how someone could ever fully justify the music in a rap song is on the same level of quality as the music in a Pink Floyd song. Perhaps more enjoyable to certain people, and that is completely fine, but on a purely musical, instrumental level there IS a musicianship void.

Reply 37

member520746

Because hip hop is primarily the music of the black working class and that makes a lot of *******s uncomfortable, which is why you will hear people say **** like 'I don't like hip hop but Eminem is okay'. On the last page someone said something about waiting for hip hop to become white music for white people and I think that's true, greater white participation in hip hop and more hip hop targeted at the white community will unfortunately probably be what leads to greater acceptance, that's clear already from the influence Eminem had in bringing hip hop to the mainstream.

Reply 38

FormerlyFrisbeeFan

I'm not a snob and nor do I look down on it, but I prefer music where the melodies, harmonies and instrumentation are the main attractions. Rap and hip-hop generally put far more emphasis on rhythm and lyrics than on anything else, which I'm not so attracted to. I have to admit the stereotypes that spring to mind don't help, either.