The fact that it's constructed from samples.
When this is done well (DJ Shadow, RJD2, Flying Lotus) it is a wonderful thing that no other genre can do. When it is done badly (Will Smith, Black Eyed Peas, Run DMC) it is horrible to behold.
(dozers, do fuck off ur a nob m8, Wed 13 Oct 2010, 23:38, 1 reply, 15 years ago)

So
A good thief is better than a bad one.

Fair enough.

But why isn't the music produced original?
( JeffTheDogFucker Can you dig it?, Wed 13 Oct 2010, 23:41, Reply)

Sampling is not thieving, any more than playing chords is.
Every chord has been played thousands of times, so why is playing, say, a G chord with a guitar any different to playing a G chord with a sampler? It's just a different instrument. And you can have juxtapositions with samples that add to the music thematically and at a structural level.

Why can a turntable or sampler not be considered a 'proper' musical instrument?
(dozers, do fuck off ur a nob m8, Wed 13 Oct 2010, 23:44, Reply)

I'm not saying it can't
But unless the actually play the chord themselves, rather than using someone elses' skill, they've 'borrowed' it.

(You have to keep in mind, I don't know the genre, I'm wonder how it works)
( JeffTheDogFucker Can you dig it?, Wed 13 Oct 2010, 23:47, Reply)

It's not borrowing.
Anyway, even if it was, every single popular genre to a certain extent is repetitious.

So what about The Roots? They are live hip hop. It just sounds like samples. Check the clip from La Haine with Sounds of Da Police for what hip hop (and other sample based musics) can do that other genres can't.
(dozers, do fuck off ur a nob m8, Wed 13 Oct 2010, 23:51, Reply)

I've seen The Freestylers a number of time at Lakota
In Bristol, and, to a point, they've entertained.

But the world of fast-cars, expensive jewelery, guns and bitches seems somewhat removed from the commentary it professes to represent.

Or is this just the 'popular' stuff?
( JeffTheDogFucker Can you dig it?, Wed 13 Oct 2010, 23:55, Reply)

That's just the pop stuff.
Judging the whole genre by that is like judging heavy metal by Bon Jovi, or punk rock by Green Day.

Totally unrepresentative of what the real, good stuff is actually like.

And the Freestylers are breakbeat anyway.

To reiterate- the guns n' bling stuff is not representative of the genre as a whole.
(dozers, do fuck off ur a nob m8, Wed 13 Oct 2010, 23:58, Reply)

Okay
Can you post/gaz me some links to stuff that is 'genuine' for me to listen to tomorrow?

I've listened (and not understood) Raggamuffin stuff in the past, such as Tenor Fly (and enjoyed it to a point, despite not being able to understand a word of it), but a proper introduction to rap hip-hop would be interesting.
( JeffTheDogFucker Can you dig it?, Thu 14 Oct 2010, 0:01, Reply)

Jeff-
KRS-One, Tribe Called Quest, Cannibal Ox, Mos Def.

Just for starters.

Just go on youtube.
(dozers, do fuck off ur a nob m8, Thu 14 Oct 2010, 0:03, Reply)

I'll have a gander tomorrow and gaz you.

( JeffTheDogFucker Can you dig it?, Thu 14 Oct 2010, 0:06, Reply)