Rap was popularized as protest music towards a white-dominated establishment, and the earlier rap didn't feature tons of swearing, although some was present. It was music meant to speak out for the sake of minorities who were being held down in this country and did require real talent to lay down. Later on, like a lot of music, it did morph into something that often used sexual themes, gratuitous profanity and other adult-oriented things, but the thing to remember is that with regard to classic rap, even if strong language was used it was often to illustrate a strong point. Sometimes the words you use have to be harsh to make a solid point, sugar-coating everything just blinds people to reality. Which isn't to say that I think all swearing in music is necessary.

It's common for the white community to dismiss rap as being something that black people use to swear, but it's a real music genre with a rich history like anything else, and very influential messages having been expressed in the music its produced. The fact that the genre was and still is so consistently misunderstood and belittled is exactly why it came into existence. If somebody told you that it was created just to disrespect women and scream profanity then you're hanging with severely undereducated and probably racist people.

I have mixed feelings towards rap music. The content in them also depends on where the artists that sings them is from. Rappers from France tend to rap about political issues for example. But more importantly like you said, rap was popularized as protest music. During the Libyan Revolution in 2011, rap music against Gaddafi was made by the Libyan rebels and I don't know if they use swearing in Arabic or not but last time I checked, they often have indirect death threats towards Gaddafi and his family for obvious reasons; he was a tyrant against his own people. I wouldn't be surprised if they used swears in their rap music to get their point across to let Gaddafi know that his reign will come to an end violently and that his family members will be next. Libya's future is uncertain and they need guidance but at least that's one less tyrant in the world we have to worry about.

Well as I was saying, typical rap critics don't take any of that into consideration, they assume it's limited to thugs here in America. It's not my favorite genre of music but I have rap tracks of all kinds, some swear a lot, some don't swear at all, some are extremely sexual, others not one bit. And it varies greatly in the worldwide aspect. I really don't like modern rap, or any modern music for that matter because it's all minimalist and just plain crappy, but it gets tiresome to hear the same kinds of people dismiss it as criminal music.

In spite of all that, you have convinced me rap should count as a legit music style.

Well that's good to hear.

Remind me, Chuong; do you listen to rap or not (in a casual case where you're just listening to music as you work or whatever you're doing)?

I don't listen to rap at all.

I didn't think so.

I do not belong to the group that doesn't see rap as a real genre of music. Most of the rap I'm exposed to has all the gross stuff in it that turns me off.

This story seems...pretentious.

But, its well written. You just might scare off a few viewers with your "here's my opinion I'll shove it down your throat" mentality. Also, the...idea? that your military band is more popular than anything else ever is pretty mary sueish.

Id give this story a 3/10 only because it's written well.

Thank you for your feedback nevertheless. Consider the band being the most popular thing a reference to a time when it was (because John Philip Sousa was alive at the time and he was praised everywhere he went).

You know, I have certain issues with more than one of Leo the Tiger's stories, IE they're incredibly right-winged, but can I just say this...rating somebody's story on a numbered scale, uninvited, is perhaps even more pretentious than the idea that the residents of Wildcat City love marching bands more than most types of air.

So is posting two paragraphs in response to one sentence about rap music. However, you are more than welcome to your opinion.

The difference being that I was responding directly to the text, not pretending to understand writing.

All are welcome to opinions on my works. He just happens to be a frequent commentor on mine because I have a reuptation for triggering his opinionated side.

And wait using LOL is -illegal- in this town? Like, a punishable offense.

It became illegal after a bunch of humans that used those had proven to work at a couple of fast food chains that ripped off customers (and because people were fed up with the stupidity of these humans).

It was later repealed for two reasons:

1. It potentially violated First Amendment rights.
2. The mayor of this city was receiving death threats.