Humble Beginnings

“Call me Mr. Flintstone, I can make your bed rock.”

A simple pun, yet very intriguing to the 7^th grade version of myself.  In fact, I found the Young Money line so entertaining that I wrote it on the top of my 7^th grade science worksheet about the layers of the Earth.  When I asked my dad for help with my homework, he saw the suggestive line, and was very distressed to learn about my new love of rap music.  “You better not be listening to that rap crap”, he would tell me.  Did I listen?  Of course not.  And thus began my love of rap music. 

For myself, and hopefully for fellow rap fans, good rap music is nothing short of poetry with a beat.  If you do not feel this way, you’re probably not listening to the right artists.  A lot of what is played on the radio is catchy, but often not very intelligent (or comprehensible, for that matter).  Not to say that my idea of “good rap” isn’t played on the radio, because it is, it’s just mixed in with so much “whipping” and “nae nae-ing” that it’s often indiscernible. 

So what exactly is “good rap”?  Well for myself and for many others, “good rap” is rap that is meaningful and thought out, whether through lyrics or through the music itself.  I like lyrics that make me think and challenge my mind, but also entertain me.  I like music that makes me feel something.  There really is nothing like the feeling of hearing a song and relating deeply to the lyrics; it’s an astonishing experience.  Just as rewarding is the experience of listening to a song and realizing what the lyrics mean, whether it be a simple pun or a metaphor extended throughout the verses.  The creativity and thought put into many rap lyrics never ceases to astound me.  Contrary to the beliefs of my father, rapping takes talent.  Rappers are poets, who also have the challenge of putting their poetry to music that makes sense and helps listeners understand the lyrics even better. 

As an athlete, rap has always been necessary for me.  Nothing pumps people up like a good rap song, in fact, my 8 years as a volleyball player have been coated in rap music.  Listening to a good beat through headphones is one thing, but out loud in a huge gym is an entirely different ball game.  Literally.  Picture this:  you’re right outside the gym, in a huddle with your teammates.  You can hear the screaming crowd from inside, anticipating your entrance.  As the other team warms up, the fans begin to form a tunnel at the door.  Then the music starts.  You hear the creepy voice and the three note riff at the beginning of Kanye West’s “Mercy”.  The crowd is on edge; your team begins to jump and everyone sings along to “o-o-o-o-o-okay”.  The bass drops and your team simultaneously makes an entrance.  “Lamborghini, mercy. Yo’ chick she so thirsy”.  The room shakes.  The crowd goes wild as you run out through the tunnel of humans.  You hit the ball even harder because you can feel the beat coursing through your veins.

 Rap can also tell a story.  After listening to a rapper for extended periods of time, the listener often feels as if they know the artist on a personal level.  The rapper invites listeners on a journey through their experiences.  Maybe this journey invokes feelings within us that we didn’t know existed, or maybe we discover the ability to relate to and sympathize with people and experiences that we never thought possible.  Rap is such a diverse field of music; it can make us feel happy, sad, angry, or maybe make us feel a little bit in the mood. 

Now you know why I love rap music and why I believe everyone should as well.  So, what qualifies me to write a blog about rap music?  Absolutely nothing.  Nothing, that is, except for my passion for music and an outlet through which I can let that passion flow.  Few things make me as happy as getting the chance to listen to music.  This blog is rap through the eyes of a southern, white, 18-year-old girl.  However, my demographics do not discredit my love of the genre.  I grew up in an area where rap was looked down upon; country music is what was played on every station in my hometown.  But country music just doesn’t do it for me.  Rap does.  The genre of rap can be under appreciated and written off easily by people who never gave it a chance.  If you’ve never given it a chance, maybe this blog will change your mind.  If you already love the genre, then to you I say “no new friends”.