Thread: Question for the poets

do any of you listen to rap or hip hop to fuel you a little bit?

-now before some of you say rap is crap, im not talking about Lil wayne or wiz khalifa or any radio stuff. there is actually good rap out there if you search of it and not just base your opinion on the bad stuff thats on the radio station.

I'd rather have my remaining ear shot out!

I do not listen to them when I write poetry, but I do listen in my spare time. There are rappers now that aren't hip hop rappers, but street poets, or so they're called. The write poetry, but sing them in rhythm. One guy was even featured in Discovery Channel, I think.

I don't listen to much of anything lately
I've been occupied chasing dollars
Doctors' voices tend to bother me greatly
I'd much rather listen to somebody else talk, sing, or holler.

Or a nice sonata, or a symphony
Or old jazz music that runs hot and cool
Or my friend reading a scary story to me
Or the dragon snoring away on his bed of jewels.

Some rap is brilliant, most is not, but that applies to all pop-music, 90% of any pop-chart is dross, one has to wait 10 or 20 years to find out which songs were any good. Last week I was listening to Jools Holland's "Later" and was very impressed with Wretch 32 from Tottenham in North London http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MCivYv4HqiI

Originally Posted by Phyllis

I'd rather have my remaining ear shot out!

exactly what im talking about. you only heard the mainstream rappers and came to that opinion, instead of taking a listen to other people outside of that. but thats okay. i understand your ignorance

Originally Posted by Bloggsworth

Some rap is brilliant, most is not, but that applies to all pop-music, 90% of any pop-chart is dross, one has to wait 10 or 20 years to find out which songs were any good. Last week I was listening to Jools Holland's "Later" and was very impressed with Wretch 32 from Tottenham in North London http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MCivYv4HqiI

this song in the sounds okay, not my type tbh. thanks for the suggestion

A little Rage Against The Machine and Public Enemy to "get up", then some Run DMC and Curtis Blow to "get funky".

Actually, none of that actually helps me write poetry. But it does clear my head.
Completely different process. Listening to other people's emotions doesn't help.

I quite enjoy more than half of the work by Sage Francis. Generally available on youtube.

Originally Posted by Winston

Completely different process. Listening to other people's emotions doesn't help.

maybe thats why im so bad

Books help me write poetry. Hard times that characters have gone through unconsciously stay with me for a long time, and the empathy helps me write poems.

Hey. I do listen to hip-hop whilst writing sometimes. Although, due to it's nature, you usually are paying careful attention to the lyrics, so it depends on the frame of mind. Sometimes I find it helps, especially depending on my mood. I think my writing ability in general, not just poetry, has improved out of this world since I started listening to more hip-hop. As far as fuel me, sometimes I listen to it before I write to get going, and then stop it and write in silence. Hope that answers your question.