edit: Himu, do you consider hip hop artistic?
Like any form of music, it can be.
I consider Tupac artistic. I consider Illmatic artistic. I consider the bulk of College Dropout artistic.
But the bulk of hip hop I've listened to isn't really artistic. Despite enjoying it, for example, I couldn't label Life After Death or even 36 Chambers artistic. They feature lyrics that don't really make me think or question well, anything. They have no meaning.
Redman and whatever his name is saying,"I'll fucking, I'll fucking sew your asshole closed and keep feedin' ya, and feedin' ya." is funny, but artistic? lol
Seems like a horrible description of "art" and would probably eliminate many non-hip hop albums you like.
Free associative rhyming is an art, it's poetry. Not labeling 36 Chambers as art because it features some battle rhymes is ridiculous, especially considering the amount of storytelling on the damn album. Art (in terms of music) encompasses more than simply lyrics.
How is that a horrible description of art?
Art is supposed to have meaning or convey an emotion, it is a form of expression. Expressing how much you hate your life in the ghetto when you're a millionaire means nothing without true genuine expression of feelings.
If that disqualifies a lot of hip hop albums I like, so be it.
This has true artistic merit:
[youtube=560,345]TN_wqRJ_F1k[/youtube]
And on the other side of the coin, so is this:
[youtube=560,345]otx49Ko3fxw[/youtube]
Call me a snob, I don't give a fuck. Because someone works hard and they think they're deep does not validate their work befitting the word "art".
See how the two songs I linked have meaning or are trying to convey a message and aren't just rhymes put together because they sound nice?