"Rapper's are NOT musicians"

[Kryogenikz]

rappers nah....Producers yea.

And as far as Pac goes.....maybe, i mean he did start to dabble in producing b4 he passed. didn't he co produce How do u want it?

 

[KAMIKAZI]

rappers nah....Producers yea.

And as far as Pac goes.....maybe, i mean he did start to dabble in producing b4 he passed. didn't he co produce How do u want it?

How Do U Want It maybe... cant even remember... but Pac made alot of great beats, no doubt he was a good producer... Untouchable is a good one

 

[Tha_4Gotten]

Even producers arent musicians, Mozart, Vivaldi and Bach were musicians... The producers make a small part and just keep looping it for minutes... I dont mean 2 take away from what they do but its just my opinion

 

[ARon]

if they sample and use ELECTRONIC DRUM BEATS NO

Why Not?
They are still composing the music are they not. Electronic beat machines, is that still not an instrument?

 

[sniper]

Even producers arent musicians, Mozart, Vivaldi and Bach were musicians... The producers make a small part and just keep looping it for minutes... I dont mean 2 take away from what they do but its just my opinion

if u actually paid attention to the beats . try listenin to an instrumental sometime, you'd notice that theres several layers to beats, and at parts some sounds come in which arent present at other times....basically if u handle an instrumental ur a musician anyhoo.

 

[Pittsey]

a producer (creates/makes music) yes/no
if they use live instruments yes
if they sample and use ELECTRONIC DRUM BEATS NO

They still are involved in the arrangement of the beats. That makes them a musician.
As long as you understand beats and bars you are musical. If you arrange them in such a way that music is created you are a musician.

 

[roaches]

A lot of people in this thread don't understand hip-hop.

 

[Kevsta2004]

Rap isn't hip-hop though
Rappers are lyricists not musicians

 

[Rukas]

Rap isn't hip-hop though

Ermmm... yes it is.

 

[Ghetto_Ghost]

A lot of people in this thread don't understand hip-hop.

only a handful do

 

[Rukas]

A lot of people in this thread don't understand hip-hop.

The bigger problem is that a lot of people in this thread don't understand MUSIC.

Example:

a musician is someone who CREATES MUSIC yes

a rapper (raps/talks over music) no

a singer (sings over music) no

a producer (creates/makes music) yes/no
if they use live instruments yes
if they sample and use ELECTRONIC DRUM BEATS NO

Firstly, rappers dont TALK, they RAP, there is a difference. Writing lyrics to bars in time with music and then creating a sound that is musical is making music, thus MCs are musicians. Singers and vocalists are also musicians, they use their voice as an instrument as do MCs.

As for producers, even if they sample beats, they still have to arange and compose them, so they are musicians. A piano player is effectivly "sampling" a certain sound with each key. Hitting one key or random keys does not make you a musician, but arranging the keys into a musical composition does. Arranging samples into a musical composition does make you a musician.

MCs, DJs, Producers, Beatboxers, anyone who makes music, whether with traditional instruments or vocal instruments or digital instruments is a musician. If its music, if you made it, then you are a musician.

 

[roaches]

They don't respect the idea that a DJ playing a cool part of a record is in itself an act of creation, or that flow is just as unique a way of vocalizing as singing.

That guy talking about how sampling isn't making music... wtf?

There're only two legitimate opinions I can respect in this discussion:
* Rappers' vocals are music, so rappers are musicians.
* A musician is someone who manipulates an object to create music, so someone who strictly emcees or beatboxes is not a musician.

 

[ArtsyGirl]

true say.
rappers = lyricists,
singers = vocalists
and producers = musicians.
its based on what u rely on singer relies on voice
rapper relies on lyrics
and producer has to come up wit tight beats.

I agree. If you go with the definition of artist and musicians then basically rappers are artists and producers are musicians.

 

[ramza34]

what is Swizz Beatz then? I've never heard the term "accidental genius" thrown around anyone so much

 

[Pittsey]

I agree with Rukas and Roaches. But I'm still not sure if someone who strictly raps should be classed as a musician.

Rappers do build their lyrics around musical "rules". And do give their songs structure. But is that enough to label someone a musician. I tend to look at as someone having musical knowledge and being musical. But not being a musician as they are not creating music. Maybe my definition is wrong.

 

[Exodus]

DJ Quik is THE quintessential (sp?) musician in rap music, definitely. His arrangements ever since his 3rd record leading up to Trauma have been deeper than the average hip-hop head can digest. Rap isn't supposed to have cow bell, chimes, lead guitar, real piano, blah blah blah. It's sad that Quik tried to ride ahead of everyone else, and not many people caught up to him, that's why his sales suffered. The music was still, is still great, though.

In a perfect world, if real musicianship was rewarded and celebrated in ALL forms of music, Rhythm-al-ism would have been 8x plat., Balance & Options would at least have been double platinum, 2nd-II-None's second record would have won a grammy, and Robert "Fonksta" Bacon would guest guitar on every Rap & R&B record from coast to coast. Rick James would be remembered for Street Songs and not for "I'm Rick James, bitch!"

:thumb: hit the head of the nail, quik is a musical genious

 

[TCD]

So Kanye West isn't a musician because he uses samples and has electronic drums? I think not

 

[roaches]

Rappers do build their lyrics around musical "rules". And do give their songs structure. But is that enough to label someone a musician. I tend to look at as someone having musical knowledge and being musical. But not being a musician as they are not creating music. Maybe my definition is wrong.

Rappers aren't making music? What *are* they making, then?

Is someone singing acapella not making music either?

 

[ill-matic]

A lot of people in this thread don't understand hip-hop.

that's why heads like you educate us

 

[madcower3]

who is to say who is a musician it is what ever u think. If a guy is playin a triangle is he more a musician than 2pac.