Country music is a much-maligned genre which doesn’t get the credit it deserves for being utterly brilliant. Rap? Can you be a rapper if you didn’t grow up on the streets of a big city? It still has the ability to be fun, to make you want to dance. If rapping is what takes a kid from out of their harsh environment where they are more likely to live a life of crime, or die young, should we not be for it? If rap wants a better rep, it starts with producing more meaningful music and that is the bottom line. Often newer “country” artists will say how they grew up listening to rap and country side by side, and that’s the reason their music includes both influences. With the evolution came more vulgarity and a significant decrease in social consciousness and awareness. There probably aren't any gangs left today becuase no one likes them anymore, but I bet if they were they'd shoot up all these rap music labels and stuff. Just talk how you naturally talk. Jake Scott, Super Bowl MVP of Miami's perfect season, dies. No doubt. Country lacks diversity and individuality. I mean rap, is disgusting, and talking about weird topics, rock is actually good, pop is okay sometimes, and then i don't really listen to anything else, but anyway, country is no dirty, and the songs are like, they make sense, so i don't know why no one like it? “By now, the arbitrary marketing scheme devised by early record industry executives has been institutionalized,” Hubbs writes, “and the two categories of music, known today under the labels of ‘R&B’ and ‘country’ are reified not only in imaginings of country's (true, deep) whiteness, but in ways that are woven throughout American cultural and social life.”. Over time it evolved and went from being about mostly partying, into commentary on political and social issues and the lifestyle that the artist leads. I wouldn’t have it any other way. The distaste for country, however, stayed strong. Bumper sticker says lets rodeo Find me a hunny say hay lets go We got fatback that's a fact And if you don't know that's a country rap. It has become more and more controversial, which in turn has led to a strong opposition and detractors. Listening to Kendrick Lamar’s “King Kunta” when it first came out arose a feeling of true joy realizing the creative power popular artists still have. This is no surprise. All of this are you real or not controversy in both genres points to a main critique of both country and rap: why do they talk about being country so much? It felt voyeuristic for a bit, the same way being white and appreciating the culture of hip hop does. Just like you wouldn’t point at a random White person today and blame them for slavery, you can’t blame an individual man today for a history of sexism. Steel guitars rowdy bars Redneck girls and beat-up cars We got fatback that's a fact And if you don't know that's a country rap. Why is that so bad? When I accepted a job working in country music in Nashville, I certainly had an open mind but was not a country music fan. Whenever I flip to a country station, I feel like I'm listening to the same song ten times in a row because they are all so alike. Here are five reasons why country music isn't all that great. Do you really like everything, or do you just like everything you’re told to? An argument can be made that the majority of rap music that comes out today either has a negative message, or none at all. But what about “Jesus Walks?” Spirituality in hip hop isn’t a popular topic when you can talk about the glorification of violence or how guns are heralded. There’s a real anxiety in this, and country music is an immediate “flashpoint,” in Hubbs’ words, for this internal struggle of outward presentation. Because it represents something that anyone looking to maintain or elevate their class status doesn’t want to associate themselves with. “Everything but country and rap” at its core is a class issue. If you get beyond all the cursing, messages of trying to better yourself, better your situation and having the back of those that supported you through it all start to show. Every body is like I like any music except country, and seriously, it is the best music around. But what about all of the songs about smoking pot? And if you don't know that's a country rap. 5. This, to me, threw open the door on why “everything but country and rap” is a bigger deal than it seems. It includes the singles "Simple" and "Talk You Out of It", as well as the tracks "Colorado" and "Sittin' Pretty".It was supported by a tour of the same name from May 2019. It all sounds the same because it all sounds different than what you listen to. Sep 20, 2019 - I give em Washington DC style rap. University of Michigan Women’s Studies and Music professor Nadine Hubbs wrote a book called Rednecks, Queers, and Country Music in 2014. I can’t relate to the things they play in church but if they like it, they like it. As hip hop has become more mainstream, this happened with most of my friends, as well. As a true rap fanatic that admittedly enjoys this era of rap music, (I think I have a conscience, I am not really sure anymore) I realize that the reputation it has today is a combination of its own fault as well as stereotypes and generalizations. I mean, just look at Puff Daddy (P. Diddy, Putz Duddy, whatever) He freakin went to school in a freakin boarding school. He banged Jennifer Lopez. in 2002: a green version, which featured fiddle tracks and steel guitar for country radio; a red version, which traded the country elements for pop synth tracks; and a lesser known blue version, for international release with Bollywood influence. 5) Just don't use an accent Like, at all, ever. There is no way around it; rap today promotes violence, materialism, drug use and dealing, gang culture, foul language and the degradation of women. In terms of music genres, it follows like this - Soca < Gospel < Jazz < Hip Hop < Pop < Oldies < Raggae < Alternative < Classical < R&B < Rap < Rock < Country < Classic Rock < Techno in increasing order of SAT scores. I don't know who wrote this song, any lyrics, although I do know the main premise of the song. Up! I have bad news for you, friend. These blanket statement topics are how the cultural majority is taught to interpret these genres. It fetishizes the idea of a barefooted, primitive life where music just flowed out of banjos and guitars, a pureness that doesn’t exist in what is played on country radio. You can’t argue against that. Fair for someone who grew up picking cotton to say, I suppose, but turns out authenticity policing is a form of classism. It was an all-encompassing explanation for the type of music I listened to. It still has the power to uplift. The two styles have collaborated with each other on various occasions throughout time and believe it or not, there is actually a sub-genre that combines both which has been dubbed as “country-rap.” He said country isn’t truly country anymore, because the singers didn’t grow up picking cotton in the fields like he did. For those of you who, like me, grew up thinking country music was all John Denver and line dancing, here’s a little introduction to this incredibly diverse genre. The genre-blending wasn't limited only to hip hop artists; country duo Bellamy Brothers released "Country Rap" (1987) with lyrics about soul food, church, turnip greens and black-eyed peas. These are things that people fail to realize. “Country music’s potency as a creator of classed taste and identity is evident in the derision and anxiety it arouses in the dominant culture,” Hubbs explained. I never knew, however, that the “Hillbilly” chart was its direct counterpart. I bought it on a whim, and it put words and reasons to my discomfort with so many of my peers writing off country music. For the first couple of months, it felt a bit like foreign language immersion school. The storyline is essentially from a guy's perspective. Those were the two genres that I avoided like the plague. There’s no discussion that these are very rich groupings of music, with many vibrant subgenres of their own. That would mean white and black in one category. This created two, in Hubbs’ words, “racially distinct marketing categories:” hillbilly and race. Rap is a totally different story. Country and hip hop are seen as extremes: one very conservative, religious, and traditional, and the other vulgar and violent. We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. The anxiety that causes people to avoid being fans of these genres, however, prevents understanding this. Think about it: have you ever heard someone in the media say that country music has a negative impact on society? Country and rap are two of the most renowned genres of music in today’s world. Earlier this year, I read a book that was the missing piece of the puzzle for me. I love country music and I can tolerate some raps songs every now and then but these are two completely different mindsets. I didn’t know the canon-- as in, had never heard of George Jones before-- and made a lot of mistakes, like the time I called Skeeter Davis a “he.”. I struggled with my admiration of country music, as I was raised solidly upper middle class, and was privileged enough to go to school to get a degree in a field of cultural studies. I think we can all agree that some of these subjects are a definite to affect us at some point in our lives. But what about, Hubbs cites how Shania Twain, country crossover superstar, notoriously released different versions of her hit album. But just because you enjoy rap, like Randy Rogers does, that doesn’t mean it has a place in country. The middle class white actively avoid identifying with country music and hip hop because it represents something they’re afraid of being perceived as: something other than white, and something lower than middle class. It's all done in good fun. Are some hip hop songs vulgar? The words may be nice but the music is sterile. I says INSERT THESE BALLSINTO YOUR MOUTH. All very separate things, with subgenres of their own. Rachel Maddow makes emotional return to TV I wouldn’t say I came in cocky, but I ate my humble pie anyway. “Yeah, sure, I love Kacey Musgraves, Jason Isbell, Sturgill Simpson and Chris Stapleton,” she continued. Like he says on “Old Town Road,” it looks like Lil Nas X is “gonna ride ‘til I can’t no more,” and the same is undoubtedly true of country rap too. I used to say frequently: "I listen to everything except country and rap." Country and rap are two of the most renowned genres of music in today’s world. Lyrically, the density and complexity simply don't measure up to any other genre. [6] UGK became pioneer of the hardcore Southern rap style that emerged after the success of the Geto Boys , which they started to call "country rap". So write todays date down, and put a note that the few who are aware of this are watching and anticipating something big being developed. Country music fans don't mind making fun of themselves and their music. I knew I wanted to work in music, and fresh out of an internship at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, I wondered if it could ever get better than that. Even though they both stand alone, they share similar roots and in some cases the same content. University of Michigan Women’s Studies and Music professor Nadine Hubbs wrote a book called. One of the biggest lyrics libraries with daily updated newest Song Lyrics, Artists & Albums Info of all genres all around the world. Then I got more into hip hop, and it didn’t make sense to announce myself as against rap. Getting an inside ticket to the world of country certainly helped, but it was less about the star power aspect than it was about seeing a whole new side of American culture I did not have a clue about before. How can this rapper be real if he studied where Mitt Romney went to school? I remember first encountering this argument in Johnny Cash’s. ... You know everybody dance and do their thing, but this that bet you can't do it like me challenge Ooh, ohh ahh, ahh hey, hey, turn up Ohh, ohh ahh, ahh hey, hey, turn up ... And all these haters joking cos' they know my swag be mean I can do it by myself or I can do it with my team "Everything Except Country and Rap:" What You Really Mean. Can you be a country singer if you didn’t grow up on a farm? My world was rock and roll and rock history. The words of a song are not that important to me – it is the music itself. - Whatever You Like [Official Video]Subscribe:http://bit.ly/YouTubeTIvsTIPThe new US or ELSE EP is available on all digital retailers. Religious? The musical taste vs SAT score chart maps the 133 most popular (out of 1,455) favorite music from 1,352 schools. Are some country musicians conservative? There’s a lot of good country music out there, though, I said. As a music fan, most of my friends are music fans. The other day in a salon, my stylist asked where I worked. He said country isn’t truly country anymore, because the singers didn’t grow up picking cotton in the fields like he did. There is a time to stop intellectualizing, though. which I read a few years ago because Johnny Cash epitomizes country to rock fans, so I should probably read that book, right? Still, I couldn’t understand how some of the people I knew who were deeply interested in music like I was couldn’t see the light and recognize the worth of country music. As a music fan, most of my friends are music fans. In fact, it's sort of a tradition - from the comedy of Buck Owens on "Hee Haw," to the blue-collar stand up of Jeff Foxworthy and Bill Engvall. Elated to continue working in music, though, I found myself looking at used CDs, picking out what I thought could get me up to speed on whatever was happening in country. I ask why. However, as I put forth an effort to find rap that I liked and appreciate certain aspect of it, I found there was plenty to like. That’s when the “everything but country” comment started to bug me. That does not mean that country music is pure and spotless. All the songs sound the same and all the artists aren't really that different from each other. Country rap is quickly on the rise people! “Well, yeah, everything but country and rap.”. No, it is most certainly not. They get down on their knees; and let them slide. CAN'T SAY Lyrics: No, you can't say if I'm mad or not / Smokin' hella weed, I'm on that alcohol / Shawty lick me clean the way she suck me off / I keep two hoes in my bed, I got 'em turnin' out Country is my go-to music – its on when I’m studying, driving, or getting ready to go out. Now, in 2015, it is at the point that you can count the so called “conscious rappers” in the mainstream on two fingers (Kendrick Lamar and J. Cole are supposedly the “saviors” of rap). Of course. She told me she had just seen a few of these artists at the Ryman, the Mother Church of Country Music. Good music is good music, and moves you all the same if you let it. To admit you like country music is admitting you like something inherently and purely working class, which jeopardizes your status as middle class. ⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀ I remember first encountering this argument in Johnny Cash’s Cash: The Autobiography, which I read a few years ago because Johnny Cash epitomizes country to rock fans, so I should probably read that book, right? To listeners today, country music is the sound of whiteness as much as hip hop is the sound of blackness. The lack of consistency in naming of a black music genre shows the widespread confusion about all that it envelopes: is it R&B? Hubbs cites how Shania Twain, country crossover superstar, notoriously released different versions of her hit album Up! Even though they both stand alone, they share similar roots and in some cases the same content. ⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⬇️, Subscribe to receive inspiration, ideas, and news in your inbox. They say I'm unique and everyone knows that Washington DC these days and years are known for jocking and wanting to sound like everyone else. Because that’s what they are pressured to do as artists in the genre to hold their place in their respective subcultures. In embracing this fantasy, listeners forget that “country has always been a commercial music.”. Browse Pages. 'I do not mean to trigger': Willis explains Instagram pic. The two styles have collaborated with each other on various occasions throughout time and believe it or not, there is actually a sub-genre that combines both which has been dubbed as “country-rap.”. I was an outsider, and I believed this music was not for me, and maybe I liked it just because it represented something intellectually interesting to me. This authenticity issue has caused backfire in country music, and in many ways created the alt-country genre, a version of country that many rock fans are comfortable with. Sunday morning catch a speckled perch Been bad all week I got to go to church That afternoon it's all you please Fried chicken mash patatas black-eyed peas. (Editor’s note from Casey: Laura attended Cranbrook in the summers and is not unbiased on the subject.). Different strata of culture have a different idea of what sounds good or right to them, which isn’t a surprise, but the fact that they completely write off the same lyrics of the same song in a different setting is. It goes over great with the crowd. The excitement I felt at an Ashley Monroe album release show where she brought out Miranda Lambert to sing a song they collaborated on was a buzz I had not felt since I first discovered the empowerment of rock and roll. I’ve met a lot of people passionate about music, and one thing seems to be certain: more often than not, when asking someone what they like, they’ll say “a little of everything.” Everything, that’s awesome! Hip Hop/Rap. People can relate to it. Its about a black guy who grew up in the hood who then later moves to a rich neighbourhood after his parents get enough money, but then proceeds to do drugs with the white kids, and raps about how he doesn't fit in. You speak, we listen! While they seem completely separate, hip hop and country sit on the extremes of the spectrum of popular musical genres, and find themselves subject to many of the same criticisms. Rapping is a skill and if you happen to have it and people like your music, why would you not go with it? Neighbor down the roads got a cow for sale Twenty dollars more you get the horns and tail Saturday night we're goanna go get drunk Something in the road smells like a skunk. As much as we suffer and cry because of an unrequited love, there's always a part of us that doesn't fully accept that it's never going to … If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it. They're like, freakin yellow!) Lyrics to 'Dead And Gone' by T.I.. Hey, Let me kick it to you right quick, man Not on some gangsta shit man, on some real shit Anybody done been through the same thing, I'm sure you feel the same way. You are obviously intrigued with this genre called country rap, or you wouldn’t be here. went 11x platinum because it catered to what each market found listenable. Not being able to appreciate a song because you refuse to listen to it means you miss the subtleties, the humor, the craft and tradition of an entire genre. Absolutely. I am pretty sure we do not want 1-year-old children crawling around mimicking “Honky Tonk Badonkadonk.”. “Authenticity seekers today reject modern commercial country and its market-driven anything-goes stylistic idiom, idealizing past artists and purist notions of a genuine folk idiom,” Hubbs explains. Big Phil This for you pimpin'. Why do they have to keep reminding you of what their life was like in the hood? It was an easy answer at the time: no. 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