Isaac Zeccs' ode to Hip-Hop (718 hits)
Category: NoneRating: 0.24 on 22 reviews (Rate this item) (V)
Submitted by Isaac Zeccs (View user info) at 2004-03-11 00:15:40 EST
Oh hip-hop, the sad clown of, and whipping boy to all of musical creations. How many times will you have to watch the judgmental fingers, and angry eyes point in your direction when the world of melody and harmony is not right? How many problems will be scapegoated onto your shoulders before humanity accepts you as a child of its own creation?
The problem lies not within what you are, but within what you aren't. Your beauty ignored, or downplayed simply because of your singular inherent design flaw: you aren't rock. No, hip-hop music, you ARE NOT rock. You are NOT about screaming riffs and wild thrashing solos. You are NOT about distortion, nor have you ever been about Jessie's girl, or driving 55.
And why should you be, hip-hop? Although your roots are buried within the same soil as your musical brothers, you were the runt, emerging too late into spring to be considered equal, or to be expected to keep up with the other seedlings. Still, Hip-hop, you are a fighter. You represent your own species, and one that the bees pollinate simply because of the attraction to your beautiful petals.
No, you are not rock, hip-hop. You are a musical being all of your own, independent of bridges and codas, but not of what makes you powerful. You've got passion, hip-hop; you've got soul. You have rhythm that can make people rise from their seats, and make willing hearts fill with joy, pain, longing, inspiration, or even love, depending on your intent. You CAN symbolize art. You CAN be beauty. Who else can make pulses pound, and feet move in the way that you do? Yet you are not a monster. You are made up of the same basic components of all music. Melody, harmony, bass, treble, you share the same musical keys, and time signatures. And most of all, like all other music, you are POWERFUL, hip-hop, but for this same reason, you are a problem to the dictatorship of "legitimate" music forms.
The truth is, hip-hop, you are a threat. And one not unlike how civil rights threaten a stubborn racist southerner, for you represent change in the music world. A shift in power and a shift in the way of thinking you've created, but also not unlike that civil rights movement, you face oppression. People too set in their ways will never accept what you've become, or your rise to success. They are too obstinate in their thinking to ever imagine a musical world where they are not tyrannical king any longer. Still, like the civil rights movement, that day WILL come if you can believe in the dream of equality.
Already, the seeds of change have been planted, for there are those who are fighting for your cause. The children love you. Too innocent to judge, with minds too free to lock your association behind bars of intolerance, the children are the ones who will set you free; after all, the children are the future.
I am not saying the fight for equality will be an easy one, but that is why it is a fight. You are a survivor, hip-hop. As long as you never forget where you're from, and where you want to go, the path to glory will be there for you. There will always be opposition to your change my dear hip-hop, but do not give in to the dictator that is ignorance, because you, hip-hop, are beautiful to me.
-Isaac Zeccs
User Reviews
Submitted by Akegata (user info) at 2004-07-21 07:01:01 EDT (#)
Ranking: 1
As long as it isn't mainstream crap-hop, I totally agree.
Submitted by coley (user info) at 2004-03-12 16:08:20 EST (#)
Ranking: 1
I have a soft spot for Jesse's girl.
Where can I find a woman like that?
Submitted by Zeccs (user info) at 2004-03-12 00:10:06 EST (#)
Ranking: 0
Submitted by Bob_Bank (user info) at 2004-03-11 14:06:15 (#)
Ranking: -2
I do not like green eggs and ham, I do not like you stupid man
- see, only half plagarism. I managed it, so should you. It's easy enough to post lyrics from a cd, why not try to have a thought of your own? Defend hiphop in your own creative way. All genres of music have high points, and all music genres have low points, it's just too bad that the "bullworth" soundtrack is the high point for rap. What is the difference between hip hop and rap?
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Why shouldn't hip-hop be able to stand on its own merits? There is nothing i can tell you that will make you change your mind, but perhaps if you find some hip-hop music that you don't hate, or at least can recognise the artistry in, you will come to the conclusion that the genre is not a menace to society. Not to mention this post is not plagerism, so how am i not defending hip-hop in my own creative way?
There is a difference between rap and hip-hop. Lumping them into one catagory is like placing ska and punk in the same genre, or putting hard-core and death metal in the same genre for having similar traits. The major difference between the two is that hip-hop still represents the initial ideals of the hip-hop movement. It's street poetry. It tells a story, or expresses a feeling, similar to a rock lyric.
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Submitted by lazaruslng9676 (user info) at 2004-03-11 13:59:32 (#)
Ranking: -2
While well-written, that post was ridiculously bad. I could go off on how hip-hop "music" perpetuates ignorance and promotes laziness, but I have to work. Without my tax dollars, thousands of aspiring hip-hop "musicians" would actually have to get a job.
You proved no difference between hip-hop and rock, or between any other music genre for that matter. Lord knows, black sabath and ac/dc were all on track to get their doctorates from ivy league colleges before they made it big. Hip-hop does not promote lazyiness, nor does it promote ignorance. See my distinction above about rap and hip-hop, and jesus christ man, learn how to make arguments without sweeping generalizations and complete bias.
Submitted by Zeccs (user info) at 2004-03-11 23:49:51 EST (#)
Ranking: 0
jwlmar10-
The in town post was supposed to be the first in a series of posts consisting on hip hop lyrics, in an effort to show the beauty of the music, but sadly i somehow got sidetracked, and never continued the series. I did not cite the work to the correct artist because i felt that if i did so, my point would be exposed either too soon, or it would be shot down with -2's.
I'm sorry i never finished the concept, as it is clear plagerism that i have never given credit to the author, but the poem posted under my name called "in town" is not by me. It is track 14 on the above album. Sorry for fucking up. It wasn't my intent to do that, i'm just sloppy.
Submitted by jwlmar10 (user info) at 2004-03-11 14:19:33 EST (#)
Ranking: 0
Now that I went back to your "In Town" post, you clearly plagiarized. You put your name on the bottom of the poem. Why did you do this? Why not just give credit to the source?
Submitted by jwlmar10 (user info) at 2004-03-11 14:16:10 EST (#)
Ranking: 1
Hip-hop is relevant, thoughtful, poetry stylized and set to a beat or sometimes a band (like The Roots).
Rap, in my opinion, could be defined as dumb-downed hip-hop. Rap includes all that bling-bling, ridin' Escalades, pimpin hoes shit. It's a shame that this form of hip-hop is so popular, because it doesn't have any musical value except that it can be fun to hear when you're all fucked up in some club and freakin' on some ladies.
By the way, this is a good post.
Submitted by Bob_Bank (user info) at 2004-03-11 14:06:15 EST (#)
Ranking: -2
I do not like green eggs and ham, I do not like you stupid man
- see, only half plagarism. I managed it, so should you. It's easy enough to post lyrics from a cd, why not try to have a thought of your own? Defend hiphop in your own creative way. All genres of music have high points, and all music genres have low points, it's just too bad that the "bullworth" soundtrack is the high point for rap. What is the difference between hip hop and rap?
Submitted by Nosearian (user info) at 2004-03-11 14:02:12 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
No Comment
Submitted by lazaruslng9676 (user info) at 2004-03-11 13:59:32 EST (#)
Ranking: -2
While well-written, that post was ridiculously bad. I could go off on how hip-hop "music" perpetuates ignorance and promotes laziness, but I have to work. Without my tax dollars, thousands of aspiring hip-hop "musicians" would actually have to get a job.
Submitted by jwlmar10 (user info) at 2004-03-11 13:48:44 EST (#)
Ranking: 1
This was a good post and I agree with you.
However, you have some nerve. Your post "In Town" is actually one of the last tracks on that same Phrenology album by The Roots, it may even be a secret track. You made no reference to that in your post and it seemed as though you tried to pass it off as your own work. This really bothered me, because it is a great poem and the real author deserves credit.
Other than that, good post.
Submitted by Anansie (user info) at 2004-03-11 12:41:37 EST (#)
Ranking: 1
+1 for the roots quote. A lot of hip hop sucks, in my opinion.
Submitted by rbdweasel (user info) at 2004-03-11 12:34:34 EST (#)
Ranking: 1
I hate Hip Hop. In fact I feel that anyone who says they like Rock and Hip Hop is a traitor and kisses the ass of pop culture with no true appreciation for music.
Nevertheless, it is nice to see someone stick up for the underdog. Especially so eloquently.
Submitted by TaK (user info) at 2004-03-11 10:26:50 EST (#)
Ranking: 0
Meh.
Are you one of those people that feel compelled to put
their names on everything around them?
Submitted by The_taste_of_Monkeys (user info) at 2004-03-11 08:12:51 EST (#)
Ranking: 1
Most Hip-Hop is trash. Most music in any genre is Trash.
Jurassic-5 are good.
Submitted by Zeccs (user info) at 2004-03-11 01:51:00 EST (#)
Ranking: 0
I'm not allowed to think hip-hop is beautiful?
Submitted by Jocko_Johnson (user info) at 2004-03-11 01:03:54 EST (#)
Ranking: -2
What-fucking-ever
Hip hop, you are beautiful to me...
Meh...
Submitted by Hairsphincter (user info) at 2004-03-11 00:57:21 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
I <3 hip hop
Submitted by Zeccs (user info) at 2004-03-11 00:45:10 EST (#)
Ranking: 0
I hope that was a roots quote danifest. Even if it wasn't, you still rule.
Submitted by danifestmestiny (user info) at 2004-03-11 00:43:34 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
Hip-hop, you're the love of my life.
Submitted by Zeccs (user info) at 2004-03-11 00:42:31 EST (#)
Ranking: 0
Joe wanker, you know, you're right. I just opened my mind a little too much huh? I guess I'll never make that mistake again...
Submitted by bargled (user info) at 2004-03-11 00:40:01 EST (#)
Ranking: 0
0. Worth Reading.
Submitted by Wanker_Joe (user info) at 2004-03-11 00:28:45 EST (#)
Ranking: -2
Here's a rap!
You suck you suck you suck suck suck
Go fuck a duck cuz you really really suck yo!
aight now go to your "crib" and flush your head in the toilet nigga..