Posted by Winton on August 14, 2003 at 17:10:35:
In Reply to: Re: Re: Re: Re: Poll: other music style preference posted by Joe Baker on August 14, 2003 at 12:59:19:
I definitely agree with you on how rap affects our culture, like I mentioned in my last post. I wouldn't say I am on out of a few people who enjoy this genre. I'm sure you're including all age groups so yes, probably the minority. But I think out of everyone from my age (22) and younger, maybe 5 years added to my age, there's a good majority of rap fans. But when people of my generation and younger can relate to the bitterness and strife and ego expressed and/or put out in this genre, it's not surprising how many rap fans there are now.
A big thing is what you grow up with as well. Marcus Miller (bass player) was asked his perseption on the whole "white man can't groove" theory. He said if you have two bass players one Irish decendant girl that grew up in the Bronx fully influenced with jazz/R&B/hiphop and a black guy that grew up in the middle of Montana listening to rock and/or classical music, he said the Irish girl would groove far more than the black guy. Interesting. But I'm sure the girl really digs the style too.
Me being exposed to rap by my peers during highschool really got me into what's good (musically) and what's the purpose of it. Being a composition major (as well as performance) and the constant search and desire to understand every musical genre and composer allowed me to see this in rap. Knowing the roots, purpose, the joy that it brings to fans of rap. I still don't know why heavy metal's all to hype about, or punk, or techno, or Schumann, or Mozart. But I can try to understand why it is good, or why people flock to that sort of music. If a bunch of people actually enjoy a certain style there has to be a reason why, be it the rhythm, the volume, the speed, relating to it on a personal level, a way for people to vent, reminiscent reasons that the mind relates the music to from past experiences, etc.
My recent experiment has been black metal. Since a good 99% or so is underground this genre is still in some sense purer compared to other genres which have been idolized and exposed to the general public; used for different reasons than the genre was originally intended. Anyways, to the point, yes I do agree with you that there is a lot of (c)rap out there, despite the fact that it is very enjoyable for some people.
Me? The music that have moved me the most would be Classical, Gospel and Jazz.
-W