«Today’s Lyrics Are Pathetically Bad» Rick Beato

In Herman Hesse novel "the Glass bead game" there is a quote about a Chinese emperor ordering the music master to his throne to be punished because of the troubles in the Empire.

In Imperial China in the golden era the link between the harmony in the social fabric and the high state of the music were fundamental...

This is not just an anecdote but pure science or pure experience...

Now put a bad music which appeal to the animal and violent part of men with disintegrating lyrics near water crystallisation process...

Then try it with a christian monk and Buddhist monk prayers...

Analyse the resulting water crystallisations...

Music and audio are not about taste but about our own acoustic and musical education...

Poetry in music is not about mere taste it is also about good harmony and complex musical time...

Then music is not about leisure time merely but about a "felt change in consciousness"...

The disintegration of speech and language depth in lyrics is not a fact about "taste" but about mind conditioning in an uneducated controlled social fabric..

I will never agree with such an over simplified statement, as I am an American Father who has raised a very well educated Son, and he is the one who educated me on this so called ’Rap Music’ whom some say it is not music at all and is of no relevancy whatsoever. You need to open your eyes (and ears). Within the last 3 to 6 months this ’kid’ has released about 2 to 3 albums worth of material that has rocked the music industry world, especially with his iconic ’They not like us’. This ’kid’ won a 2018’ Pulitzer Prize for MUSIC, for the song entitled DAMN -

’For distinguished musical composition by an American that has had its first performance or recording in the United States during the year,’

(The)Recording released on April 14, 2017, a virtuosic song collection unified by its vernacular authenticity and rhythmic dynamism that offers affecting vignettes capturing the complexity of modern African-American life.

The above statements are good enough for me. Kendrick Lamar has also won grammys and the artist is scheduled to perform at the upcoming Super Bowl on February 3rd 2025, imagine that.

The decline of the poetic content and value of music goes with a simplification of chords, harmony, and the reduction of musical time complexities to a mere beat...

"Beat is not music, it is mind under control using bodies said my training G.I. sergeant; who himself never dance"-- Groucho Marx cool

@mahgister , you’re my guy and you have taught me so much, but I disagree with you on the ’Beat’ thing. The one instrument that someone tried to teach me in a very formal ways were the Drums. The drum(s) has held an still holds too this day a very powerful position in music by holding down the beat. In the continent of Africa, no matter where you lived, or what tribe you came from, the drum (beat) was the most powerful piece of (mass) communication. It was said that when someone played the drum(s) they were ’Evoking The Gods’.

And this MUSICAL tradition has lasted for thousands’ of years. To which has been passed down to many on the North and South American continents and continues, to this day.

Even in ancient (Europe) Rome and Greece, and other European countries/cultures the examples drums were used to monitor the speed of the oars men and the drum was also used in the Military Application of displacements of fighting mens regiments. Not to mention for the Social and Cultural Impact in Religious and Sacred Ceremonies. Indeed, I have to say the Drum or Beat, is part of the fabric of humanity itself.

This 'kid' I'm talking about...His name is Kendrick Lamar

@tyray

As a listener, rhythm is extremely important to me. On a wider scale, the contribution that African culture has contributed in this regard to the world (and to my enjoyment of Jazz, Rock and Blues) is unquestionable and profound.

However, for me, rhythm alone is not enough to hold my interest. Melody is even more important. And the colors and shifting tensions and resolutions provided by harmony please my ear enormously. The sophistication of melodic and harmonic elements, coupled with infectious rhythms, is what drew me from Rock into Jazz in the first place.

The fact that Rap is the dominant genre, worldwide; that Rap is relevant; that Rap practitioners have garnered prestigious awards, have no impact on my response to Rap as a listener. There are other genres I find equally unengaging that can boast of their own particular attributes.

As vibration, music acts upon us on a variety of levels/aspects, simultaneously. The left brain is only one of them. If this were not true, then the facts you list regarding Rap would ensure that I enjoyed the genre. Obviously, this is not the case; we also experience music physiologically and emotionally and our tastes are conditioned by still other factors, as well-- some that can be difficult to pin down.

I’ve expressed my fondness for melody, so why don’t I enjoy every genre that has strong melodic content? We may try to justify our subjective preferences with objective rationales and they may hold up to a certain degree, but they do not tell the whole story. 

@stuartk 

Where does it say that Rap music doesn’t have Melody or Melodies? The Rap that I’ve had the limited amount of time to listen to not only has melodies but very good musicians backing the artist, whether live or recorded. Key word - artist. Even in rap itself the phrase ’the beat(s)’ is actually a misnomer. In rap a beat is a construct of many different musical components designed to hold a groove. Whether it be a melodic ’love’ rap or a rap dance song, not just a (computer?) driven drum beat.

Although rap is not a favorite of mine I have been fortunate enough to has enjoyed some of the ’club bangers’ as the kids have called them over the years of rappers music with music samples of some of the best music ever. I just had to respond to some of the absolutism or is it elitism here.

The disintegration of speech and language depth in lyrics is not a fact about "taste" but about mind conditioning in an uneducated controlled social fabric..

And about vibration(s)? I’ve already made lengthy responses to that subject, here on Audiogon. And Rick Beato, I wholeheartedly agree with you on him, I've responded to him once that I was not in agreement with some of his comments