MovieChat Forums > General Discussion > Is Rap something people grow out of?

Is Rap something people grow out of?

posted 6 years ago by [deleted]
22 replies | jump to latest

I just worked an Eminem concert and was surprised that the crowd were mostly 25 and under. Normally for concerts the audience's age is more or less teenagers/young adults from when the band/artist were in their hay-day. So I just did Nickelback and it seemed to be 35+.

But for this, most were definetly under 30. So that made me wonder, did Eminem's fans from the early 2000s move on?

(on a side note, the young crowd cheered when he said "Who's been with me since the beginning?" - I laughed, most were barely born back then.)

[–] ShogunofYonkers (78638) 6 years ago

Sounds like you have a really cool job👍

A lot of my pals are into rap and still love it (we are mostly early to mid 40s)
I prefer Metal and always will...

Maybe you just had a weird night?

[–] TandyMan (11358) 6 years ago

I want to say maybe. Rap in particular resonates with angry young people. I know a lot of Eminem fans think he's lost his way and they're not so into him anymore. With any long established legendary music artist, a lot of the crowd is gonna be people who just want to experience the legend. I myself went to a lot of shows for that same reason when I was young. Just want to say I saw 'em, man. I don't think any kids out there today are viewing Nickleback as a must see event of their lives. I bet somebody like Jay Z brings all the young and old fans alike.

[–] [deleted] 6 years ago

I think you hit the nail on the head. His music is about feeling isolated, angry, tackling life's issues. That definitely resonates with young people. I guess his music gives a voice to people. I saw some reciting his songs word for word. I thought to myself that his music must be their soundtrack to their lives.

[–] [deleted] 6 years ago

I think eminem is something people grow out of.

[–] actionkamen (23176) 6 years ago

It's because he was always angry. Angry music (like eminem, my chemical romance, linkin park, limb bizkit, etc.) resonate well for also angry audiences.

But people moves on. We aren't as angry as when we were young and stupid. So their music resonate less well now.

I don't think this happens to other varieties of rap. Black Eyed Peas, Jay Z, etc. might still fine for young and old alike. Other kinds of music, like rock, country, classical, etc. are also fine I think.

[–] [deleted] 6 years ago

I was never a huge fan of Eminem but I have noticed that the younger kids still seem to dig him. I like a lot of different music genres but I still listen to hip-hop more than anything. I listen to “angry” music when it fits my mood. I just think some music (like movies) ages better. For instance, I loved House of Pain as a teen but now the rhymes just sound ridiculous. But artists like Big L and Gang Starr are still better than a lot of the hip-hop of today. So yeah, I agree with you on everything except outgrowing angry music. I still love to bust out some Ministry and will always have love for punk rock. But then I’m a hot tempered broad of Irish descent so not sure I’ll ever grow out of that.

[–] [deleted] 6 years ago

It's funny that you mention My Chemical Romance, because their last album moved totally away from the gothic/angry mood to feeling happy and upbeat. It was quite a change between 'The Black Parade' and 'Danger Days'. At first I was like 'what is this?' but I got into it and now their older stuff seems very dark by contrast.

[–] actionkamen (23176) 6 years ago

Yeah, but what can they do otherwise? A group of rich older men singing angsty emo songs about suicidal rebelious acts againts society while feeling misuderstood all the time is not cool. It's... silly.

[–] Thrillhouse (1509) 6 years ago

Rap was heavily marketed and pushed on our culture. It took a long time for it to take. We had to be acclimatized. I suspect that means that without constant reinforcement it will go away. Easy come, easy go. But that hasn't happened. Rap is like this postmodern embrace of modernity, and absorbs new trends easily. See autotune.

[–] [deleted] 6 years ago

What culture was rap pushed on? I don’t know who you’re referring to when you say “our culture”.
Rappers Delight is considered the first hip-hop song by most, and it made it to #36 on the Billboard charts a year after it was released, so I’m not sure why you’re saying it took a long time for hip-hop to take.

[–] Thrillhouse (1509) 6 years ago

You don't think it's odd the way violent sexist rap lyrics are protected from scrutiny? That stuff wouldn't fly anywhere else.

[–] [deleted] 6 years ago

Thrillhouse, you never answered my questions. You completely avoided them and diverted the topic. This is because the previous statements you made are false and you can’t back them up. However, I will happily answer your question to me.
Violent, sexist rap lyrics are not protected from scrutiny. Can you please explain what you mean by this statement?
Many hip-hop songs have been banned from airplay over the years. When Tipper Gore was leading the PMRC charge for music censorship, she was targeting rap as well as heavy metal. Kanye doesn’t get scrutinized? No, I don’t think it’s odd, I think it’s another false statement.
What stuff wouldn’t fly anywhere else? Are you saying hip-hop is the only music that contains violence and sexism? Well that is certainly not true either.
That’s fine if you don’t enjoy or agree with rap music and lyrics. You don’t have to listen to it. You’re free to your opinion. I’m just pointing out that the statements you are making about it are false.

[–] catsidhe (1649) 6 years ago

I wasn't into rap when I was a kid. It's something that grew on me. But I can't say Eminem ever appealed to me. SO maybe it's an Eminem thing and not a rap thing.

[–] Stratego (31087) 6 years ago

The problem is that Eminem hasn't grown out of his own music. Still an angry kid. Kind of pathetic.

[–] AmeriGirl26 (15137) 6 years ago

I loathe and despise rap "music," if such a term can apply to such garbage. I hate how it bangs into people's ears, is loud, uses bad grammar, racial slurs, words that aren't even real words, misogynistic subjects, cussing, and glorifying "thug culture." It's not really "music" for me. It's just noise and a genre of "music" that should never have been taken seriously by anybody. Just the mere SOUND of it turns most sensible people off.

My dad and I call it "Crap without the C."

[–] [deleted] 6 years ago

I like some rap songs. A few Drakes. A few Eminem. A few Tupac. But some of it is just noise too. I think Tupacs song 'Changes' is amazing. Eminem's 'Headlights' is very deep, about his mother. It for me is a case by case basis.

[–] AmeriGirl26 (15137) 6 years ago

I suppose there are a few special situations where people could tolerate it, but only if it's humorous, very short, and fits the subject being shown on tv. There was one situation where I didn't mind because it was played up for laughs. On "Whose Line Is It Anyway?" (back in the Drew Carey Era), they had a game the impovers would play called "Scene to Rap," and while they were mostly terrible, the jokes they worked into the "rap" they "sang" was great. They even played up the joke that Colin Mochrie can't sing.

[–] [deleted] 6 years ago

How does hip-hop glorify “thug culture”? Many hip-hop artists are just making music about their own life experiences. How is that wrong? Why shouldn’t people have taken it seriously? Because you don’t like it? Which music should be taken seriously?
“Actions have reactions, don’t be quick to judge. You may not know the hardships people don’t speak of. It’s best to step back and observe with couth, for we all must meet our moment of truth.” Gang Starr

[–] AmeriGirl26 (15137) 6 years ago

I would try to explain, but you didn't get it the first time, so I won't.

[–] [deleted] 6 years ago

No, I get it AmeriGirl26. You don’t like rap, and you think anyone that doesn’t share your opinion is insensible. Because you loathe hip-hop you don’t think it should be considered music. The reason you despise this genre of music is because the dialect is different from yours, and the subject matter relates to a culture that is different from your own. You smugly look down on hip-hop artists by saying rap glorifies “thug culture” instead of respecting that these artists are expressing themselves through music, just like any other musician.
You need to get over yourself AmeriGirl26. Your haughty attitude towards people that don’t think like you, and people that come from a different walk of life than you, is not only close-minded, it’s just ignorant.

[–] AmeriGirl26 (15137) 6 years ago

I would say the same thing about you, fly-eater.

[–] slimone (7996) 6 years ago

I've never been into rap. Guess I'm just old school.