When rap came out 30 years ago I thought it was just a fad


Now it seems like it dominates the music industry, movies and fashion. My only question is why?

taters
Dumbing down...wasn't that the original criticism of rock and roll.  Dumbed down R&B.  Each to their own dumbness.
If you ask the roots themselves they have the completely opposite opinion.  The are the intelligent side of hip hop. Interesting comments.  Not Informed on the band and its originations. 

Disco was a fad,  rap/hip-hop is here to stay.

Orchestral music,  opera,  jazz...they ain't dead,  either.

Weird Al Yankovic is still around, too,  and I've never found him amusing in the least BUT...some people still do.

I'm sitting here ripping music into my music server,  culling recordings that make me think,  "what was I thinking?"  Here goes Public Enemy immediately after Paul Simon...  (I don't have that many "P" artists,  hmmmm)



Exactly, onhwy61! Sophisticated music listeners said the same about Elvis and the other Rock n' Rollers in the 50's (Frank Sinatra calling them "cretins"). It appears each generation feels the same way about the one that follows. I don't find that surprising, nor correct or incorrect. Pop music reflects the culture of it's time, and this time belongs, as it always does, to the young.
"They are the Intelligent side of hip hop"


Now that was hysterical! Thanks for the laughs.