Bass in rap music

[iridiumrocks]

Or maybe we just see it for what it is. Every thing sounds the same. There is no melody, no originality. Most so called "rap artists" rely on sampling and looping which requires absolutely no musicianship or creativity. The sad part is that they usually sample songs that are 20 or 30 years old and hope that nobody notices. I am 51, my son is 22 and he hates rap for the reasons I mentioned. Maybe you need to realize that we all have different tastes instead of trying to defend your position and attack others. I really don't care what people listen to. In today's music there is something for everybody. If you can't see past that, I suggest you read the words shaded in green that you wrote.

My thoughts exactly. I have had people try to convince me that certain rap songs were great works of art, and when they played them for me they were samples of older songs. They are always shocked when I play the original song to show them the main riff was sampled (aka stolen) for their "original" song. For example, I had a guy try to convince me how great one particular rap song was, and when he played it the main riff was the bassline from Lou Reed's Take a Walk on the Wild Side.

It really irritates me when a rapper takes an older classic song and raps over it. Like Eminem rapping over Aerosmith's Dream On or Kid Rock rapping over Mettalica's Sad But True. As you said, many of the younger people who are the target audience for this type of music are totally unaware that these songs are often ripping off older songs. Like anything else in life, everyone doesn't like the same type of music and should listen to whatever they like. However, rap crosses the line when it steals from and corrupts other people's music. If you wrote a book and copied someone else's writing, you are charged with plagiarism. If you write a song and copy someone else's riff or beat, you are "sampling" and this has somehow become acceptable.

I also have people try to convince me how important the story is in rap songs, which is a low priority for me. I love the lyrics in many songs, but some of the greatest songs ever written were totally intrumental. Just listen to everything from the classical composers all the way to Rush's La Villa Strangiato. With music, I enjoy the musicianship and the story is secondary. If I want a story, I'll read a book.

 

[bluesdogblues]

. However, rap crosses the line when it steals from and corrupts other people's music. .

In all genre, musicians 'steal', 'borrow' or take something from the older music in their own way. It's a kind of appreciation, honour or tribute to the original musician, actually.
Rap/HipHop Producers do that to the extreme sometime. But they pay, licensed and get permission from the right owner.
They have to write the credit of original artist whose music they sampled in their CD cover and sometime it can be a good way of lesson to learn for the listener to appreciate or at least know the original artist, that maybe they (usually young generation) don't know/care before.

Oh and 'sampling from other/older artist's music' happens in other music genres too,..including Rock. It's kind of culture in music production now.

IMHO the best thing to say is:
People may have different taste and don't have to attack other people taste.

Peace

 

[Kwesi]

Maybe you need to realize that we all have different tastes instead of trying to defend your position and attack others.

The irony of this statement and the rap-bashing that preceded it is hilarious.

 

[JAUQO III-X]

http://www.talkbass.com/forum/f21/hip-hop-bass-lines-do-they-really-exsist-339840/

 

[Melik]

You shoulda check Ron Carter on A Tribe Called Quest's album "The Low End Theory". That's some great groove

 

[Spectrum]

I go back to my statement: If you hate rap so much why do you spend ten minutes writing a long diatribe post in this thread? Did somebody force you to read this thread? IS there a reason you make lots of smart depracating bashing remarks and then feel a need to back them with some psuedo-intellectual nonsense? Do you think your efforts have managed to sway those of us who actually like the genre, or are you completely wasting your time arguing about it?

 

[Tupac]

http://www.talkbass.com/forum/f21/hip-hop-bass-lines-do-they-really-exsist-339840/

What exactly is your question? Producers regularly invite professional bassists and other musicians to play or contribute to the beat in a song, and more often than not, they are originally composed just for the song. If that's what you mean.

The irony of this statement and the rap-bashing that preceded it is hilarious.

Indeed. To be honest, I just gave up on arguing with these anti-rap extremists long ago. There's just no point. You can say anything you like or show them any music you want, but they will still insist that Soldier Boy and Lil Wayne are the defining artists of the genre. It's a shame, for them that is.

 

[Evan Ciambrone]

MUSIC IS LIKE CANDY U HAVE TO THROW AWAY THE RAPPERS!!!111 xDxDxDppPPpPp LOL

R = RETARDS
A = ATTEMPTING
P = POETRY RIGHT LOL?!?

You say Justin Bieber,I say PARAMORE!!!
You say Lady Gaga,I say Evanescence
You say Miley Cyrus,I say Slipknot
You say T-Pain,I say Three Days Grace
You say Emenem,I say Linkin Park
You say Jonas Brother,Isay Green Day
92% of teens have turned to pop and hip-hop.If you are part of the 8% that still listens to real music, copy and paste this message to 5 other videos. DON'T LET THE SPIRIT OF ROCK AND ROLL DIE!!!!!!! xDXDDDDD

I can only hope that this is some cruel, horrible, unfunny joke.

 

[JAUQO III-X]

What exactly is your question? Producers regularly invite professional bassists and other musicians to play or contribute to the beat in a song, and more often than not, they are originally composed just for the song. If that's what you mean.

Read the entire thread. You just might learn something(and no I'm not being sarcastic).

 

[Govier966]

MUSIC IS LIKE CANDY U HAVE TO THROW AWAY THE RAPPERS!!!111 xDxDxDppPPpPp LOL

R = RETARDS
A = ATTEMPTING
P = POETRY RIGHT LOL?!?

You say Justin Bieber,I say PARAMORE!!!
You say Lady Gaga,I say Evanescence
You say Miley Cyrus,I say Slipknot
You say T-Pain,I say Three Days Grace
You say Emenem,I say Linkin Park
You say Jonas Brother,Isay Green Day
92% of teens have turned to pop and hip-hop.If you are part of the 8% that still listens to real music, copy and paste this message to 5 other videos. DON'T LET THE SPIRIT OF ROCK AND ROLL DIE!!!!!!! xDXDDDDD

Its funny how on one side its the music marketed to children just trying to fit in and, the music on the right is marketed to children just trying to isolate themselves from everyone.

 

[Govier966]

YouTube - ‪Lil B - Shut Up‬‏ there is good rap, and bad rap. Also i feel samples help other artists become more successful, This happened with Express Yourself being sampled by N.W.A.

 

[iridiumrocks]

In all genre, musicians 'steal', 'borrow' or take something from the older music in their own way. It's a kind of appreciation, honour or tribute to the original musician, actually.
Rap/HipHop Producers do that to the extreme sometime. But they pay, licensed and get permission from the right owner.
They have to write the credit of original artist whose music they sampled in their CD cover and sometime it can be a good way of lesson to learn for the listener to appreciate or at least know the original artist, that maybe they (usually young generation) don't know/care before.

Oh and 'sampling from other/older artist's music' happens in other music genres too,..including Rock. It's kind of culture in music production now.

IMHO the best thing to say is:
People may have different taste and don't have to attack other people taste.

Peace

I am not trying to attack anyone else's taste in music, but am simply trying to point out a few flaws in the logic I always hear from people concerning rap. Original music should be creative, and many rap songs take a proven catchy beat or riff and then clone it to make a new song. Even if they are doing it legally by paying royalties and giving credit to the original artist, they are still using someone else's originality and creativity to sell a product to a younger generation of people who are unaware of the original artist.

 

[Spectrum]

Go back and watch the Divinity Roxx video I posted. She isn't sampling anything, it's her own bassline and she's playing it and rapping at the same time.

 

[Scogman]

Hope I haven't repeat something already in a post in this thread but didn't Flea do the bass line on Bust a Move by Young MC? I think that's a pretty cool bass line.

 

[bluesdogblues]

I am not trying to attack anyone else's taste in music, but am simply trying to point out a few flaws in the logic I always hear from people concerning rap. Original music should be creative, and many rap songs take a proven catchy beat or riff and then clone it to make a new song. Even if they are doing it legally by paying royalties and giving credit to the original artist, they are still using someone else's originality and creativity to sell a product to a younger generation of people who are unaware of the original artist.

Obviusly we have different view of some point on that. It's ok man

Peace



Oh and btw when the first time I was on TB it was surprising to me how very 'close minded' some people here are.. (also how diehardly some people are in defending their opinion on something. But now I have learn that there are some 'open minded' people too, although usually they're not write much here in TB, too bad...

 

[iridiumrocks]

Obviusly we have different view of some point on that. It's ok man

Peace

Oh and btw when the first time I was on TB it was surprising to me how very 'close minded' some people here are.. (also how diehardly some people are in defending their opinion on something. But now I have learn that there are some 'open minded' people too, although usually they're not write much here in TB, too bad...

No problem. I'm really trying to be open-minded and not too sure how it's working out I'll get off of my soapbox now.

 

[Mirios]

Jumped on youtube to find an artist I love but haven't heard in awhile. The coup, often they use live musicians. I partially chose this song not because of an intricate bass line, but to show an all around nice level of musicianship and what looks to be fun to see live. Plus there's skerik.

 

[bluesdogblues]

You shoulda check Ron Carter on A Tribe Called Quest's album "The Low End Theory". That's some great groove

That's one of my all time favourite album, man

I also like "Digable Planet"'s stuff. Some cool bass lines there.

Oh and also "Beastie Boys"..
Years ago I meet them in a greeting and welcome party for them, and they were so humble guys. I watch them play, and the Upright Bass Player was really smokin' man! Absolutely he has Jazz influenced on him, he has much more great skill than what's in their records. Some great bass lines in some of their songs too.

 

[Elrend]

You know....50 cent and Soulja Boy aren't the only rappers out there.

Well now, 50 cents (sadly) unreleased "Power of the Dollar" album is quite good.

 

[uethanian]

My thoughts exactly. I have had people try to convince me that certain rap songs were great works of art, and when they played them for me they were samples of older songs. They are always shocked when I play the original song to show them the main riff was sampled (aka stolen) for their "original" song.

and what is western music, but a long history of composers sampling each others' material? how is doing it overtly any worse than concealing it? in jazz, copying is flattery, and in pop it's a lawsuit, but musically it's the same process.

Like Eminem...or Kid Rock

okay...try listening to something a little less mainstream.

I also have people try to convince me how important the story is in rap songs, which is a low priority for me.

you have revealed right there that you lack the right frame of reference to listen to to rap. it's like going to a chamber music concert and asking, "so when's the beat gonna drop?" there's no point in listening to rap if you're not going to actively listen to the words.