TheSound
An Englishman in New York
Whatever rap/hip hop may or may not be, it is at least 100% relevant to the year 2012, and it has had a huge impact on western music and modern culture, possibly more so even than punk did, it's the music that young kids listen to today in the same way as we listened to Tull or Zep or Sabbath when we were that age. Some rap is incredibly thought-provoking and socially significant.
It's also btw had a huge impact on racial issues amongst young people, and it has united kids of different cross cultures and backgrounds in the common love of music, and a mutual respect and understanding that I don't see amongst their parents sadly. The audience for predominantly 'black'-performed rap is mostly white kids, so as happened with 'disco' back in the 70's (another much maligned genre) rap has again broken down many of the racial stereotypes which still exist today in most 'rock' music genres...unless that is there has been a huge upsurge in sales of the new Van Halen album amongst kids living in Harlem and the South Bronx and Brixton, London that I'm not hearing about?
It's also btw had a huge impact on racial issues amongst young people, and it has united kids of different cross cultures and backgrounds in the common love of music, and a mutual respect and understanding that I don't see amongst their parents sadly. The audience for predominantly 'black'-performed rap is mostly white kids, so as happened with 'disco' back in the 70's (another much maligned genre) rap has again broken down many of the racial stereotypes which still exist today in most 'rock' music genres...unless that is there has been a huge upsurge in sales of the new Van Halen album amongst kids living in Harlem and the South Bronx and Brixton, London that I'm not hearing about?