Actually, I never did think that rap music should have been that popular, RAP should be more of a cult type of music and not the most popular form of music. Rap has just about ruined pop music anyway, in the 70s and 80s music was just so good and now it's terrible, just listen to Mariah Carey!

Yeah, some of it is bad and a negative influence, sure... It's a subjective thing, you either like it or you don't, which is fine on those terms, but--One perennial viewpoint you will encounter here sooner or later is middle class and upper class white people and haters pontificating about shit that they can't or won't understand, often with a crypto racist bent. Read Bird 808's and Planetary's reviews, they're the best ones here...

Yeah now adays it really is. Cause nobody is trying to be themself anymore. Its just about Getting rich really quick and lying.

Rap beats for sale

Frenchie s comment is an example of how it seems there's always a double standard. He says "rap is an outlet for what we go thru as black people,", a HUGE generalization, lumping all black people together. Now, if a WHITE person said the same thing, they'd be labeled as racists because they are generalizing all black people into a culture that mostly promotes negative behavior(Drugs, gangs, disrespecting women, etc). I happen to know more black people that DON'T like rap than DO, and would be offended if someone told them that rap is an outlet for what they go through as a people. If you want to be seen and viewed that way, then fine. But don't go telling white people that they are keeping black people in the ghettos. That's just plain ignorant. You're keeping YOURSELF there with your way of thinking.

Man white people shouldn't even be allowed to talk about rap(yes some white people understand the culture but the vast majority don't) all a white person has to say about rap is its violent, fake and ignorant or they say its not music. Ok yea there is some bad rap out there but so what? every music genre has its negatives. If your generalizing a HUGE music genre like rap as violent and thuggish based on what you hear on tv/radio then your a fool. And somebody please tell me why these white people insist on bashing rap like they know what there talkin about if they don't even listin to it? Believe it or not there is rap out there with a message and meaningful lyrics. Mainstream rap is just a small portion of rap. You peeps on RIA make so many weblist dissing rap but you forget to talk about postive rappers like will smith, nas, mos def, common. Really tho to all the people here on RIA how much do you all know about rap/hiphop culture? see its that not all rap is violent,thuggish and evil its people portraying it to be way worse then it really is just because they hate this genre. This genre deserves a chance.

If I could have I wouldve given this ZERO stars but it wasnt a choice!! Rap music isnt bad.... it tells the story of peoples lives who are discriminated against and have to struggle to make it everyday. If you had to live in their enviornment or no someone who lives that way maybe youd have a better understanding of the actual meaning behind the songs. Rap music is an American minority creation of which people SHOULD BE PROUD OF!!!!! So....if you dont like it...dont listen to it.

If I could have I wouldve given this ZERO stars but it wasnt a choice!! Rap music isnt bad.... it tells the story of peoples lives who are discriminated against and have to struggle to make it everyday. If you had to live in their enviornment or no someone who lives that way maybe youd have a better understanding of the actual meaning behind the songs. Rap music is an American minority creation of which people SHOULD BE PROUD OF!!!!! So....if you dont like it...dont listen to it.

Granted, there is some good rap out there. I think of the Grits, or Toby Mac, or even some secular stuff. But, for the most part, different artists have completely ruined the image of rap by filling it with degrading, sexual, discriminating violence, which has turned a lot of people against it. It's not only black youth that listen to it either. There's a lot of white people that listen as well. You name it, and they've heard it. Maybe black people are just better at writing rap? I don't know, I don't listen to it anyway.

I agree with this because I've noticed that rap is getting a lot worse these days. The music is OK, it is just the words which make it so bad. Rap glorifies and makes it look like it is everyday and normal such things as violence, rape, lust, hate, thuggish behaviour, theft etc. Especially groups such as em n em (how ever you spell it). That type of rap music should be banned. It is a bad influence on children (and even adults) because the music does sound groovy to a point. I've listened to 80's and early 90's rap before and it is no where near as bad as it is today. Rap music has a lot of potential, because it can be really cool. But now days, you can't spell crap without rap lol.

I dont think I need to clarify what I said on the listing here..you know my opinion. NUMBAH..I noticed you took the time to update based on what I can see was written by ONE voice here in "Bird808"...a little thought. It does not matter how or what is said to these types. You mentioned her kind in a bad light so she must vent. I quit paying attention to those types on this site a long time ago. Dont waste your time..they are not listening. As you can see she says very factually.."I have a PROBLEM with"....So much Bulls---! I even mentioned very clearly in the subtitle list "MOST" rap music...you get it.

Just listen to what is being said and make your own judgement. You don't have to be a genius to figure it out.

Tell that to Talib Kweli, Common, Mos Def, A Tribe Called Quest, De La Soul, The Fugees o'h and I forgot...Will Smith, now heaven forbid if he came into your home on your TV, what a bad influence he would be. If you don't know who some of these artists are then maybe you should stop basing your "rap music" arguments and weblists around the likes of 50 cent and Eminem. Yes its easy to point the finger at rap music, but what about the big wig corporate sponsors - REEBOK and video games anyone? - who have no problem financing and endorsing their products to the likes of 50 cent for his diatribe lyrics and everything else negative he perpetuates? I don't like him anymore than most on here as he represents everything negative about hiphop and rap that I don't like and what a lot of you see IN THE MAINSTREAM. See most radio stations, TV and even your lovely big wig sponsors don't want to airplay or give time to the likes of Talib, Common and Mos Def - conscious rappers by the way - as their lyrics goes against everything the stigma that hip hop and rap stereotypically is and heaven forbid if its all positive as they can't get paid if they don't have negative hip hop on the news making free publicity and more money. If you look at who listens to hip hop its not just "black youth", but kids everywhere as thanks to Eminem its now a universal arena topping the billboard charts. Now I'm sure that our resident weblist creator who has a problem with women, blacks and homosexuals has no problem pointing out other peoples differences, but somehow not his own. Have a nice dayxxx

It does. If you were to follow the example set in your average rap video, you would be a criminal and treat women badly. UPDATE: I SAID AVERAGE! I have no doubt that by my own "theory of the ten percenters" that rap can be inteligent. The theory goes like this: 10% of any given group of people is good and 10% suck. The 80% in the middle will follow to a great extent one of these dominant groups. I didn't make AVERAGE rap the way it is. People followed a bad example and thats their fault, not mine. I will not have suggested that I am ignorant for noticing the plain simple truth!

Jeez. Planetary lecturing parents on their failure to be good parents, unable to prevent damage to their children from this destructive influence is almost enough to make me leave the issue without commenting. Almost. The fact is that in America we have many, many bad parents. Parents too busy, too disinterested, many incapable of raising good children for a myriad of reasons. That reality is not going to go away. "Rap" is a horribly destructive influence on our society. Period. The anti-female, pro-drug-use assault on the english language inherent in its message is bad enough. But to point the finger at parents only misses the point of the lower standards of decency, profanity, pornography and thuggery, unique to the last 10 or 15 years and is much more indicative of the problem than to say, "gosh, parents really suck these days. " There have always been lousy parents. It was tough raising children 10, 20, 50, 100 years ago, without this destructive bombardment. I'm not saying parents should be absolved from their responsibility in raising their children, just the opposite. But the potshots from the peanut gallery aren't helpful. Try walking a mile in the shoes of a parent, facing today's challenges, before you decide it's ALL their fault.

2 stars because there is a tiny a grain of truth to this statemement: But, if your childs main source of acculturation is "rap music", or any other element of pop-culture, then it is you ( the parent ) who are the bad influence moreso than the music itself: I mean, you could apply the same logic as the list-maker puts forth to Toby Keiths music as well: Too much of that could turn your child into a beer swiggin' sh%t kickin' asshole; or too much Motley Crue could turn your child into a coke-snorting sex fiend; and so on and so forth.... To deflect the blame from parents, for the plight of todays youth, to a particular genre of music, is missing the point, and is myopic, arrogant, liberal-esque and shows an ignorance for the complexities of the issue that is being raised: Children learn good values from good parents, and in the absence of such, pop-culture will be there to fill in the void: It is the parents job to watch what enters their childs eyes and ears and to help them assimilate into the position of being a productive member of society - "M.C. Douchewad" is being paid to rap, not baby-sit your damn kids for you - I would love to delve deeper into this topic, but I feel retarded as it is for explaining away what should be obvious to anyone with an intellect above a fourth-grade level.

I only hesistate to give this a five because it is a common criticism from one generation to the other (and it's always "different this time"). That said, any music that glorifies beating and raping pregnant women is bad on so many levels.

Flashback 1955: Headline: Elvis It's uncreative, monotonous, and glorifies the thug lifestyle

Rap is crap. It's uncreative, monotonous, and glorifies the thug lifestyle.