So You Want to Be a Rapper?

I have a nephew who has been influenced by me somewhat in terms of his taste in rap music. He’s currently 13 years old and about to enter junior high and he is one of the smartest kids I have ever known.  Now I didn’t force him to listen to the rap music that I love. He just decided on his own that he actually likes old school rap better compared to today’s rap music.  I let him borrow some of my old rap albums and told him to give them a listen, and I also warned him about the lyrics being overly explicit, but he didn’t mind because he wasn’t going to take them to heart anyway. That’s a smart kid right there, folks.

A week after listening to Tupac’s “Me Against the World” album, my nephew came up to me and said that he was truly moved by some of the songs, especially because of the messages that they had in them. He said that most of today’s rappers can even hold a candle to Tupac’s artistry, which to me was beyond beautiful. He also told me that he was so inspired that he wanted to become a rapper himself, or at the very least, become involved with the rap music industry.

I am happy for my nephew because he has found something to believe in and now has a dream he wants to chase, but I also want him to finish his education first. I told him that there is nothing wrong in wanting to be a rapper, but he has to get his diploma first because getting an education is one of the most important steps to take in reaching your goals.

 
Being the smart kid that he is, he immediately understood where I was getting at and told me not to worry because he knew how important his education is and that he had no plans of quitting school. Damn, how in the world did I ever get such a smart nephew? I do hope one day he can become a rapper because this kid has the skills to make a legend like Tupac proud.

Making Rap Beats Takes Skill

Pardon the rather obvious message that the title of this post gives, but I thought that I’d point out a little something here. Earlier today I was talking with one of my friends at work who feels that rap beats are nothing compared to the music being composed by people playing in bands. I know that the guy has a very narrow minded view of things, especially with his latest statement, but I respected his opinion and politely disagreed with him. I also listen to metal music every once in a while and I am aware of the talent that these guys have in terms of being able to compose their own music with their instruments. However, the people who make rap beats and instrumentals aren’t slouches either because creating the perfect rap beat requires a ton of skill.

Anyone can mix up random bass lines, drum lines, and other sound effects only to come up with a jumbled mixture of sounds that don’t even complement each other that well, but only the truly skilled music producers can come up with a beat that is not only catchy, but goes hand in hand with the lyrics of a specific rap song.

I don’t hate my friend for saying what he did earlier today, but I just wish he’d try to do a little more research next time before he says such dumb things.  I respect anyone who can make beats from scratch and I think that they deserve just as much credit for their beats the way that rappers get credit for their rhymes.

In short, give respect where and when it is due because all musicians deserve them at one point or another.