Our new era hat is BEAUTIFUL

[Floppin]

Kid sees parent smoking...starts smoking....people who don't smoke look down on new smoker....GROUND BREAKING LYRICS!!!

[bleys]

I'm pretty sure the topic has exceeded all expectations 16 pages in...

[CardiacCats]

Okay I'm done with this argument. If you can't respect a guy that's won 18 grammys and one of the most successful musicians of all-time then there's no point in me trying anymore. Comparing music is incredibly dumb though, it's about what YOU like. I've loved Kanye for years upon years now and I think he's one of the 5 greatest rappers of all-time... in the 5 slot on my list to be exact.

[carolinarolls]

debating the validity/sincerity/depth/substance of rap lyrics seems like the very definition of an exercise in futility

its not art, not very much "music" in any genre to come out in the last 20 years is art. The recording game is "blowup single" crossed with "new sound". This current path of the industry has severely limited most true art.

Not to mention there are professional lyricists for profit in all genres that typically write the words and structure the track. Between those guys and the hired guns behind the the glass like Storch, Dre, Pete Rock, etc. how much of the "art" that reaches the fans is the performer or just derivative of the input and polish. GIGO is not just an ancient computer term.

the kiddies in here we call me old, I'm not even 40 yet, because I say this but very few make real music anymore. The mainstream is over-produced, packaged, marketed via videos featuring cars and hookers, and forgotten about as soon as it goes "platinum"

[bleys]

Okay I'm done with this argument. If you can't respect a guy that's won 18 grammys and one of the most successful musicians of all-time then there's no point in me trying anymore. Comparing music is incredibly dumb though, it's about what YOU like. I've loved Kanye for years upon years now and I think he's one of the 5 greatest rappers of all-time... in the 5 slot on my list to be exact.

if you haven't been paying attention, lyrical content isn't exactly a prerequisite to winning awards when all the mainstream cares about are hot beats and catchy tunes...

[Neylus]

if you haven't been paying attention, lyrical content isn't exactly a prerequisite to winning awards when all the mainstream cares about are hot beats and catchy tunes...

unless your Ke$ha....

[KendrickPanther]

Pop music is so bad these days. Turn on 95.1, it's nothing but teeny boppers singing with a sellout rapper doing the chorus. It's a boring and repetitive formula.

Oh and Kanye West is pop music.