Defense of the "Hip Hop Snob" (Back to the forum)

When I mention Hip Hop Snobs I’m referring to all the golden-aged thinking cynics who bash on every single facet of Hip Hop that they don’t consider progressive and conscious, like Club and stoner music.

A lot of people argue that these snobs have a unrealistic view of Hip Hop and argue that the genre has it’s place for club hits, stoner music and other so called ignorant records. This is very true, however the reason why these snobs are so adamant in seeing all of the garbage side of Hip Hop eradicated is a direct reaction to the huge surge of that kind of music.

I remember a documentary talking about the Church of Stop Shopping. They preached to people urging them to completely stop shopping, but when interviewed the head priest of this church said that you obviously can’t stop shopping completely but saying it like that gives off a stronger message to get people to change their attitudes towards more responsible shopping.

This is exactly the same attitude of the snobs. We tell people to stop listening to that shallow music knowing full well that it has it’s place in the genre. However it is our extreme attitude towards this kind of music that will get us noticed more than simply not liking club music. Yes it is a radical reaction but a necessary one. We cannot hope to shift the sensibilities of the genre at all if we do not properly vocalize our concern for the direction it is headed.

Again I understand rapping about sex money and drugs has it’s place in Hip Hop, but what makes a clearer point “I like club hits but I also like lyrical, conscious rap” or “I’m tired of all these damn club hits give me some consciousness.”

There is more “conscious” rap now, by total volume, than there has ever been at any other point in the genre’s history. The problem with the Hip Hop Snob is that they, by their actions, are not advocating for more of what they do enjoy to exist, but are advocating for less of what other’s enjoy to exist.

@Skizza306

you’re right, but as I said it is this extreme reaction that will get us more notice. Yes we want less of something that people enjoy, but my point is that asking for less of something is a stronger reaction than simply asking for a balance.

I don’t really want to make this assumption but I’m willing to bet that the outcry for more lyrical hip hop on the internet by these snobs has directly encouraged more rappers to put out this kind of music and has directly lead to this new surge of conscious rap.

This is exactly how I feel when I express my feelings of hip hop to people. I know I can only make them recognize the importance of my taste by completely dissing theirs, even though sometimes I find myself enjoying wiz khalifa. even if it is only for 5 seconds, there’s certain moments where these talentless rappers feel somewhat important to me

Your whole premise is built from the flawed assumption that hip hop the culture moves in a single direction at a time, which is demonstrably untrue. Beyond that even if it were true: bashing material you don’t like benefits literally no one, not a single person anywhere in the world, yourself included. Supporting music you actually do like does, however.

The elitist music snob mindstate is toxic and destructive and built on a feeling of blind superiority. The common position ultimately boiling down to “music that doesn’t suit my taste shouldn’t exist and the people who enjoy it are inferior to me and as such don’t deserve to have music they enjoy in their lives”

Ultimately “bad” music is only as relevant to your life as you allow it to be anyway. If a Lil Wayne song brings someone else 3 and a half minutes of enjoyment into their day then how self-important do “you” (not you personally, the music snob in general) have to be to think that should be taken away from them?

I think there’s a time and place for all and none are to be refused. Damn straight I’ll tell it straight up and if I don’t do that there goes my whole feel of reason. What you’re doing is talking in circles, and proving nothing nobody here doesn’t already know..

@Skizza306

I agree with a lot of what you’re saying. It’s true that the best option is to simply support the music I love.

I also believe that people should be allowed to criticize music. People will enjoy what they enjoy I have no power over that and nothing I say is going to change that, but that doesn’t stop me from having the opinions I have when I’m being critical of a rappers choices.

I agree with you that baseless critiques like “This rapper sucks period” or “This rapper only raps about sex money and drugs” are useless and pointless statements that can never start a constructive argument. We snobs need to make more thorough arguments and I support anyone who does the same in favor of any rapper. I should still be allowed to express my opinion even if it goes against someones interests.

yeah get told son

Critique and bashing are very different things, I would say there’s a lot more bashing going on than legitimate criticism. Criticism is great in terms of opening up a dialogue regarding a specific artist themselves but if the idea is to convince fans of that artist to listen to other artists it is not legitimately effective. I’ve been listening to rap for 15 years now over which time I’ve listened to literally hundreds of different artists on peoples recommendations, but not a single one of those times was it because the person making the recommendation criticized my existing taste. That does not initiate a beneficial conversation. It really comes down to what you’re trying to accomplish. If you’re just trying to express your personal perspective then that’s totally fine, but if you’re trying to affect some kind of legitimate change in the industry or popular opinion you have to start from a place of support.

@Skizza306

That’s the standpoint I want all snobs to take. To open up and critique that does not bash anyone’s taste but allows for other artists to come to the general populaces attention. A snob should strive to raise awareness of all the different facets of the genre not to necessarily draw someone away from one and into another. Th ultimate goal is, I feel, the same for eveyone balance.

again with the circles and arrows

*for everyone, balance.

Again I understand rapping about sex money and drugs has it’s place in Hip Hop, but what makes a clearer point “I like club hits but I also like lyrical, conscious rap” or “I’m tired of all these damn club hits give me some consciousness”

The former, by a long shot.

@Pineal-Glans69

The former is ideal but I think the later gives you more notice IMO.

Tbh simple rap just annoys the fuck out of me. It’s cheesy, corny, ignorant as fuck, and often glorifies a fucked up mentality.

Some people have the ignorance to post up hip hop lists of best songs and albums failing to realize that there more than bh, pro era, asap,and the regulars on rg. Not only that but they label their stuff as the top hip hop of so and so. They are not concerned nor educated of the current resurgnce of record labels releasing brand new sample based rap and DAT digs from unreleased vaults by artists that never had the shine of these so called “underrated” rappers such as jay rock etc.

As much as I liked Follow Me Home, many of these Jay Rock fans and bh heads have no real idea of what came before them. Be educated.

These snobs prefer a certain niche of sample based boom bap rap, and don’t come near to the taste of GKMC and Macklemore ish. A smart snob will just ignore any praise for what they don’t like however its when people start making claims without any education of Hip Hop is when the bashing begins

I hate my love for hiphop, I can’t talk to people about music without them immaturely judging me on my musical preferences, the hardest thing to do is to convince a person who’s assumed hiphop to be a genre of ignorance to actually let them know that it’s actually as conscious and thought provoking (even more so) than other genres. I listen to all forms of hiphop, I used to be a slight snob when it came to hiphop when I first started really delving into the genre around 4 years ago, but now that I’ve listened to pretty much a large some of essential and critical hiphop albums, I’ve known to connect the dots and understand the culture enough to know where hiphop has come from and how it has arrived to what it is now. This backtracking and understanding of hiphop really lead me to diversify my tastes in this genre, and now I literally will enjoy anything if I enjoy it. Obviously with tastes and preferences, I still can’t get into 50 cent, Nelly, Lil Wayne or Lil John, but I’ll never make any pre-assumptions towards others for their liking/support of said artists.

Peace.