2008-04-24

25 Worst Rappers and Rap Best Forgotten

One of the odd things about rap music is how it started out incredibly subversive (see NWA) but quickly found itself co-opted by the mainstream. And co-opted quite badly. I think it had something to do with the relative simplicity of hip hop -- all you really need is two turntables and a microphone.

Unlike other music genres in my lifetime (hair metal, grunge, techno) rap music was used to sell just about anything. It's hard to imagine that this worked -- besides a mix of disgust and revulsion, I think the other reaction would be burning pain as the tears streaked from your eyes over what we had lost as a culture.

Another great list: 25 Worst Rappers of All Time. You can probably guess the Top Three. And no, it's not Rico Suave.

Another note: What the hell happened to Ice Cube? Twenty years ago he was the baddest man on the planet and now he's doing movies that Cuba Gooding Jr. turns down.

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