Sunday, November 1, 2009

The emptiness of most rap:

Exhibit A:

Look, I'm a star, blindingly bright,
Busting with one hand on the mic,
The other checking my tie's knot to be tight,
The primary sight of the night,
In the sky, the only kite,
In the courtroom the only right,
In my head, the only life,
I'm larger than strife,
Too good for the knife,
.......blah blah blah...

This garbage portrays the artist as more significant than his art. When someone writes and sings lyrics such as these, he is telling you not to waste your money buying his art, because it's not important. Only he is important.


Exhibit B:

Skills pay the bills, and my words are the truth,
My raps are sicker than death, and my rhymes get you to groove,
Other cats fathom in wonder when my flow hits the street,
But no body gets the green like my words and a beat.
A feat that can't be compared,
Words that hit hard, with reality aired.
Because I hold nothing back, and my words go forth,
No sugar-coating this knowledge that flows, and not forced.


More garbage...in this instance the artist elevates the art, but his art in turn elevates his art. It's a cycle in which nothing is really said. The message is blank. It's as if words have no meaning (absurd but strangely true in this instance - if the assumption that art points to something higher than itself because the artist employs artistic skill to do such).



Perhaps more exhibits will come

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

I couldn't agree more. What is this music? It hurts my ears.
Why not music that touches the soul...make a joyful noise unto the Lord..to praise Him.
To sing with understanding...of spiritual songs & hymns...the songs of Zion.

TheThinker said...

Well, I am not one to say that all rap music should be thrown out. I am a proponent of some Christian artists. Shai Linne, Sintax the Terrific, and Lecrae come to mind almost immediately. One Christian artist to whom I'm currently listening hasn't released an album since 2005. Nonetheless, his work may be the best rap I've ever heard, and I'm including the whole genre - by that I mean to infer that non-Christian rappers have often exploited the medium to a greater degree [in terms of artfulness] than their Christian counterparts. But, I still view the medium's value as fundamentally shared with the message it carries.

Anonymous said...

The message depends on how much money they get paid...end on story.
Sad but true.
The ones that pay tell them what to play. How can the Word flow freely when someone is worried about prestige,their wallet,or making an album deadline?

TheThinker said...

Well, understanding that there are true believers who engage in rap music for the Lord's glory, we must also recognize that there will be counterfeits. However, the presence of counterfeits does not negate the presence of the real thing.

Copy and paste this link into your browser and check out some of their music. They're independent.

http://www.lampmode.com/about-2/


Also, your question is based on faulty assumptions. You beg the question, but you still answer incorrectly.

First, you assume they are thinking about $, and thus that's the purpose for them engaging in that industry. Then you ask how the Word can go forth freely if they are doing such. The obvious answer is, this passage in Philippians 1

15It is true that some preach Christ out of envy and rivalry, but others out of goodwill. 16The latter do so in love, knowing that I am put here for the defense of the gospel. 17The former preach Christ out of selfish ambition, not sincerely, supposing that they can stir up trouble for me while I am in chains. 18But what does it matter? The important thing is that in every way, whether from false motives or true, Christ is preached. And because of this I rejoice.


Also, you suggest that one's own anxieties of making an album deadline restrain the advancement of the Word. The first point incorrect is that God's Word is restrained by the limitations of time, and that those preaching His Word are unable to meet deadlines AND preach the Word faithfully. That's absurd. Also, your assumption only speaks for that fact pattern (and not necessarily in honesty)...they must have an album deadline, and that this album deadline must also have a boundary on the opposite side of the project time-line, that is, they must have started the project with the deadline in mind. But, that fact pattern leaves out individuals who have write even without having a deadline to meet, and those who write for God's glory might be compelled by His Spirit to make it known by recording. Thus, in their situation, the writing would already be complete, and then the only need left is to fit the words to music. At that point, It would be best to forget the statement and admit its holes, as the pattern could head in several directions, all which lead to the Word's free proclamation without the requirement of being restrained because of anxiety.