[General Discussion] "Rap Isn't Music"

Originally Posted by Night Phoenix

It's not racist to claim rap isn't music, it's just fucking stupid.

LOLHATERISM!

Seriously, I find it bizarre that people are actually arguing that musicians have to be talented to make music. (lol niki) ZOMG RAP NO TALENT LOLZ.

Spoiler:

I think there has been a huge amount of debate over this sort of thing, especially in academic circles. Take the idea of the scratch orchestra, for instance. While the symphony orchestra is not the only authentic venue for musical expression, it is often seen (by older, dusty, and wrinkly people) as being this pinnacle of musical achievement. Of course, the technical mastery necessary to play the sort of repertoire written for such an ensemble is mindblowing, to say the least. People spend 25+ years learning a trade that is playing music, music that some feel is one of the greatest cultural accomplishments of European civilization.

If you think I am merely saying this to extol the virtues of symphonic music (at the expense of banal pop music) you are sadly mistaken. The 'high and mighty' orchestra is not exempt from examination. As with every establishment, there are always critics and in this case, the critics often see the orchestra as being some sort of fascist hierarchical organization. Furthermore, they don't believe it is the only realistic venue of musical expression.

The reaction against the almost religious adulation of symphonic music is the concept that conceived the scratch orchestra. This is an ensemble that musicians of every level can play in, no matter what instrument they can play. The idea is that this ensemble is equal opportunity and open to whoever is interested in playing, irregardless of what amount of talent they have. Music is not seen as a form of high art, being critically examined by connoisseurs. Instead, it is viewed as a form of authentic self expression which occurs in a much more socialist setting.

So, just because the scratch orchestra is filled with commoners instead of prodigies, does this detract from the intrinsic value of the art in any way? Just because the music isn't written by a genius and performed by geniuses, does this discount it from being called music?

Now don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that rap isn't a style that doesn't require talent to compose / perform. Rather, the point is this: Massive talent is not a prerequisite for attaching the label of 'art' to a creative work.

I think another thing to realize about music is that it can be good, even if you don't like it. I was complaining about how Tchaikovsky rubs me the wrong way and a colleague of mine confronted me about it. He asked me how I can say a Tchaikovsky symphony is a masterwork if it bothers me. I went into an explanation about the balance of the form, the use of themes, motives, development, orchestration blah blah blah blah. Anyway, he asked how I can consider the work successful even if I don't like it. (The obvious implication being that there must be something wrong with the work if it bothers me) Well, I consider the problem to be personal preference, i.e. the problem is the listener, not the music. No matter how objective I claim to be, there will always be certain music that does appeal to me and music that does not.

This relates back to rap in terms of style or 'idiom'. People who dislike 'rap music' often have some sort of bias against the style or the image associated with it. They try to justify the visceral nausea they feel the music generates within them by concocting false logic to discount the artistic validity of the entire genre. They try to blame the music for having the problem when it is actually the listener.

Rap isn't music because it doesn't have a tune. Well, you can use this to argue that rap tracks aren't songs* and I might buy it, but I think people have a severely distorted idea of what music actually is. Many people have attempted to define music and a few have succeeded in coming up with decent definitions. I think the most popular of which is "sound events which occur in time". Of course, even that broad of a definition was eventually challenged by the experimental American composer John Cage and his infamous piece 4'33".

But ya, maybe John Cage and his pals are part of some sort of fringe cult which doesn't reflect the sentiment of the masses. Ok then, lets examine the more conservative definition of music. Music contains pitch and rhythm. (bye bye, stockhausen*) Alright, well maybe the rapper doesn't have pitch in his flow, but beats definitely have rhythm and most I've heard have pitches as well.

So, rap is music even by the fairly stringent conservatory definition, rap is a valid form of artistic expression according to musical intellectuals, and just because you don't like it, doesn't mean it sucks.

tl:dr version: If you think rap isn't music, you're an idiot.


*Stupid music joke no one will get.

Jam it back in, in the dark.