- Wed Oct 09, 2002 2:21 pm
#30967
I don't think the whole debate about Hip-Hop/garage can be brought down to either it's good or it's bad.
I think that there is some good Hip-Hop/garage and unfortunately mostly there is some bad Hip-Hop/garage.
I think the main formula for a good Hip-Hop song is to have;
1( Good scan on the vocals - unlike what Moyles often brings up about the Summertime record...'The school reun------ion'. For example the Rakim vocals on the otherwise dire Addictive record; I always find myself nodding my head to that bit.
2( Rhyming - I don't think it's essential to rhyme exactly. eg; fight/right, fine/line. But it has to sound similar. For example a lot of Eminem's music doesn't rhyme, but it sounds like it's rhyming - if you know what I mean.
3( Background instrumental - Now this is really important. If you consider that the whole essence of Hip-Hop is on the vocals, and without actually having a tune on the vocals, a lot of songs are bound to sound similar and repetitive. So you need a good ear-grabbing bacground. And I don't have a problem with sampling older records for this, as you are giving a different perspective on the original as it's a different genre.
4( Good chorus - Much the same as above, but you do hear a lot of goodish Hip-Hop songs that are ruined by tuneless, meandering choruses.
5( Lyrical content - OK, I know the lyrics are a bit cliched, but Tupac's song Changes for example is a lot more powerful than someone bragging about their biatches, cars, money. I think their should be good powerful lyrics, but having said that if you have achieved all 4 of the points above you can probably get away with it.