Kanye West

[Bassgeer]

I can't say I'm a huge fan, but that's just my take on rap in general. I just don't find that rap jives with me, I don't find it musically appealing or interesting. Not saying that there aren't talented rap artists out there (some of it is fairly intricate musically speaking); I can appreciate what they create, I just can't be bothered to listen to most of it. There are exceptions of course. For some reason, I really dig Flo Rida's new album. Go figure.

 

[Phalex]

That's R Kelly

I thought he was in the water closet?

 

[TigerInATrance]

Is he the guy that jumped up on stage and interrupted someone else's award show speech? The thing about Hip Hop is that the mainstream stuff is mind numbing. Stupidity doesn't even begin to describe the lyrics, attitudes, and personas that are pervasive in the culture. I'm sure that there is some really great stuff burried away somewhere, but it never really bubbles to the surface.

I do enjoy some of the music, if only there was a way to separate the vocal tracks out and just get the instrumentals. Most of it is brilliant. But...

It's especially frustrating to hear some of these guys when they get away from the persona. It becomes obvious that all the garbage is just a put on.

Except for Kanye (to keep it on topic)... He is a douche...

 

[lucathakid]

Yeah he was the guy that did that. Some people think that was rude. I think it was unoriginal http://youtu.be/b2-5GSjZvW8

 

[Clark Dark]

He came along at a time when Rakim, Kool Mo, KRS-1, Kane, and Chuck D decided to hang it up. Else he wouldn't even warrant this conversation. The idiom is valid, that idiot is inane.

 

[backup]

those that say hiphop isn't real music are ignorant. different strokes, i can't stand metal but i will never say it's not real music.
sure there is a lot of bad amateurish "hiphop". but there is great hiphop too. kanye west's old stuff including "graduation" was nice. i don't care for the new stuff either.

 

[DiabolusInMusic]

An MPC is an instrument :scowl: I know you said don't get defensive, but I consider it important to defend hip hop. This attitude is far too prevalent, particularly on TalkBass. To create music is to be a musician, and nobody has the right to define the parameters of who is "in" and who is "out" of the club. More consideration goes into producing a good beat on an MPC than most people in half-assed rock bands are even capable of.

Do you listen to any hip hop? Most people with this attitude have never heard anything except the utter BS on the radio. Hip hop hasn't been an important culture, as well as music, since the 80s for nothing.

I'm not going to say you're doing an incredible disservice to hip hop culture because it will, for better or worse, continue despite these ridiculous opinions. Probably even thrive off of them.

No, it isn't. An MPC is a sampler, it doesn't make any noises unless you load samples into it. You cannot sit down and play it. I used to own a 2500 and am quite familiar with the MPC, my friend is a prominent beat maker in my city. You can either make your own samples (which few beat makers do, as most aren't musicians) or steal them from other sources.

Hip hop is a "culture" of song stealing, giant egos, and greed. As much as you will have some good artists in between the amount of self serving lyrics in hip hop cannot be denied. You don't go see a rock band where 9/10 of their songs are about how great they are.

On the record of Kayne, I enjoyed his first two records since he steals all his beats from classic soul music, but once he starts stealing electronic music I was less than impressed.

Have you ever seen him live? He has gotten much better but that is because is used to be just awful live, find his live album from 5 years ago or so. He has a live band to do the beats which is super cool but his voice is terrible live and he even acknowledges mid song how he can't hit notes.

 

[Arial Bender]

The fact that he's even mentioned here made me loose my breakfast.

 

[CraigTB]

His album Late Registration is one of my favorites of the 00's.

Kanye's a smart man to have gotten Jon Brion as producer on that album.

That's what I like most about Kanye - for a guy who could put it in neutral and still sell a million records, he's always pushing.

I also like his tweets: I hate when I’m on a flight and I wake up with a water bottle next to me like oh great now I gotta be responsible for this water bottle

 

[styles720]

Kanye was is the greatest hip hop artist (not rapper) of the 21st century. He constantly changes his sound and still everything he puts out gets critical acclaim. He brought about 'new' hip hop by rapping about various topics other than violence, sex and drugs and other artists such as drake Kid Cudi have said that kanye west influenced them. Sure he is arrogant but that doesn't atop him from being a great artist

 

[Bryan R. Tyler]

No, it isn't. An MPC is a sampler, it doesn't make any noises unless you load samples into it. You cannot sit down and play it.

A keyboard doesn't make sound unless samples and software are loaded into them either. Both are still instruments. Anything that gives you the ability to create music is. Using samples in unique ways is no less creative than using notes and chords in unique ways. It's not as if rock bands are inventing the chords and notes they're playing- they're just reusing the same stuff a zillion other bands have.

 

[FilterFunk]

A keyboard doesn't make sound unless samples and software are loaded into them either. Both are still instruments. Anything that gives you the ability to create music is. Using samples in unique ways is no less creative than using notes and chords in unique ways. It's not as if rock bands are inventing the chords and notes they're playing- they're just reusing the same stuff a zillion other bands have.

Well said. It's like the old saying, "There's nothing new under the sun." Just new ways to do what's already been done.

 

[backup]

"No, it isn't. An MPC is a sampler, it doesn't make any noises unless you load samples into it."

"(which few beat makers do, as most aren't musicians) or steal them from other sources."

"Hip hop is a "culture" of song stealing, giant egos, and greed."

"but once he starts stealing electronic music I was less than impressed."

man you gotta smoke some good reefer and relax. why care so much about what is considered an instrument or stealing or whatever. the music is great so it's all good

 

[bass12]

Tremendously overrated.

 

[Nev375]

I'd rather listen to someone more intelligent, witty, tasteful and a more refined sense of class. Like perhaps Snooki or Honey Boo Boo.

 

[blue4]

I'd rather listen to someone more intelligent, witty, tasteful and a more refined sense of class. Like perhaps Snooki or Honey Boo Boo.

Only thing worse is listening to Tayler Swift cry about how no one will sleep with her twice. Sometimes she even uses all 3 notes she can sing in the same song.

 

[DeathFromBelow]

Kanye makes pop, not hip-hop. And it ain't good pop either.

 

[ShredderMaximus]

Man, I hate *modern* hip-hop/rap as much the next guy, really, but its still music. Jeez-o guys. In honor of this thread I'm listening to Dr. Octagons Earth People and poppin all 7 rounds from my space doo-doo pistol.

Oh yeah, and Kanye totally comes of as a self righteous prick imo, but whatevs. Apparently the public likes self righteous pricks.

 

[Nev375]

Only thing worse is listening to Tayler Swift cry about how no one will sleep with her twice. Sometimes she even uses all 3 notes she can sing in the same song.

Why you gotta be so mean?

 

[Bryan R. Tyler]

Why you gotta be so mean?

Nicely done
My daughter loves Taylor Swift. It's perfectly good pop music. A lot better than most of the pop I grew up listening to, and better than a lot of pop out there now.