Excellent examples of rap with meaning

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pDWZw39j3MY

Aesop Rock- Gopher guts

Here Aesop Rock talks about his faults in life. He explains his dissipating relationship with his mother.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7qz2MfXTsk0

 Aesop Rock- Water

This song isn't so much of a story as a collection of metaphors about the worlds problems and how Aesop views them. The lyrics are also in the description if you want to take on the task of deciphering them .

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q87e6zNRJ3s

Eyedea- Even shadows have shadows

Here Eyedea talks about his view on life. He also talks intimately about his past and inner sanity. I believe this is the best example of rap I can present.

Meaning/substance in hip hop/rap songs

It's no secret that the meaning in rap songs has become drastically different over the years. This was not always necessarily a bad thing. During the late 70's and early 80's rap saw the introduction of gangster rap. Rappers like Ice-t along with rap groups like N.W.A and Run DMC are mainly responsible for this. This introduced rap to its golden age. Here emerged some of the most respected rappers and rap groups of all time. Solo rappers such as Tupac Shakur, Biggie Smalls, Big L, Big Pun, and Nas along with groups like Wu-Tang are considered the best of all time. The rappers all had one thing in common, substance. Their clever lyrics always had a meaning to them.

Hip hop truly saw its prime around the turn of the century. It was fantastic in not only mainstream but underground as well. Mainstream had rappers like Eminem, Biggie smalls, 2Pac. Underground was seeing a huge movement, mainly led by rapper Aesop Rock. Aesop Rock's cryptic lyrics and unique style are what singled him out as a rapper. His lyrics contain many large words and especially complex rhyme schemes. Eminem went on the create the fastest selling rap album in the world.

Around 2005 is when there was a drop in creativity. This is when rap became less of poverty and philosophy and more of "let's go to the club and get wasted". It was now about who had more money and women not who had more skill. Rappers like Lil' Wayne, Soulja boy, and Chris Brown are largely responsible for this. Now in 2013, hip-hop/rap is truly at the lowest point it has ever been. The most notably terrible rap group is young money. Consisting of Lil Wayne, Drake, Rick Ross, Future, Nicki Minaj, and 2 Chainz along with multiple others. Rap has lost all meaning. It's now full of repetiton of a single line, and words that can barely count as rhyming. It's really upsetting to see the condition rap is in now-a-days.

Alienation of mainstream rap

Rap music is now the most popular music in America. It is played on the most popular radio stations, tv, movies and even in stores. But what type of message is is sending? As most would agree, it's not too good of one. 

Mainstream rap has glamorized a lifestyle that many teenagers wish to fulfill. It provides a false sense of arrogance. Many of the songs only talk about how awesome the rappers think themselves are, and how great their lives are. They talk about a life of luxury; fast cars, expensive clothing, beautiful women and constant drug use. It promotes the use of various substances including alcohol, marijuana, cough syrup, and especially recently, the drug known as molly, which is a form of ecstasy. This leads teens to believe these actions are ok because their favorite rappers do it and they're rich. It makes them believe that partying is a successful and fulfilling way of life. 

These songs are filled with childish word play and words that for some reason they think rhyme. They are often unimaginative, juvenile, and posses no deeper meaning other than what is presented. This style is most prominently found with rappers like Drake, Chief Keef, Nicki Minaj, Rick Ross and most notably Lil' Wayne. However, rappers like Aesop Rock and Eyedea are credited for their imaginative lyrics, complex rhyme schemes and multi-layered metaphors and meanings.