Rap is Crap, Part 2, and You Can Quote Me
The tunes you listened to as a youth served as memory hooks – emotional markers that highlighted the times of your life. You likely can recall a favorite song if not several from your school years, recite the verses, and reassemble distant, pleasant memories. Most people can associate songs with a boyfriend or girlfriend from decades ago. They can remember what they were doing at the time a song was popular. Indeed, tuneful, melodic songs can evoke powerful emotions.
What will today’s children have to recall, musically, as they make their way through the long decades ahead? Clever, lowbred lines from Nicky Manaj, DaBaby, Lil Wayne, Polo G, Rakim, or Lil Uzi Vert? Will anybody hum their ‘tunes’? Will such works play at anyone’s wedding?
Will two friends meet 20 or 30 years hence and reminisce over a rap song? Are the clamorous, pounding, obnoxious verses likely to invoke memories to carry to the end of one’s days?
As mentioned weeks earlier, to prove how mindless and how little creativity rap music requires, I wrote eight “songs” – it only takes about 6 to 8 minutes for each (real artistry!) Here’s one of them, ‘cleaned up’ intensely:
They Asked Me (cleaned-up version)
by Jeff Davidson
They asked me how I knew my rap words were true
“Fools” thought I, “they’re without a clue”
words like these don’t take no thought
just write ‘em down and get’em bought
Come in angry, stack the deck
Impress the suits and get check.
If the lyrics suck, hell what the heck?
They ask me how I knew, my rap words were true…
F___ this sh__, no one knows, ‘specially you.
Words like these don’t come so hard
no rules of grammar, no white man’s guard
Come in loud, stomp like Shrek
scare the stiff, break their neck
if the money’s good what the heck.
They told me I’m gonna go far
surrounded by p***y, I’m going be a star.
Words like mine rake in the big dollar
all the more when you cuss and holler
makes him squeam — the man with collar
Come in hostile show your fangs
shock the shysters with the little wangs
ain’t no doubt, there’s strength in gangs
