When rap came out 30 years ago I thought it was just a fad

Music touches the soul and has meaning. For most people music is not for just listening but for hip hop it was and has been a movement. It's storytelling the beat of the drum and creating the rhythm. Rap doesn't have to justify that it's music to anyone it's music to a movement. Don't worry about it learn to like it.  You are going to hear it playing whether you want to or not. Lol.  The Beauty of it all is that this "fad" doesn't want or need the acceptance certain kind of so called music lovers.  It actually shuns them and revels in the joy of not being accepted. Gonna last another 30 years ago. I guess the next thread will be "60 years ago I thought it was a fad my question is why?" Get ready to ask it again in 2045!!! It's a rap thing you wouldn't understand.

"doesn’t want or need" By Jove! I think he’s got it!

bdp24,
I saw the "60 minutes" segment about the composer/performer of "Hamilton." Yes, he's a very talented young man.
He said that he wrote the music to be sung in the Rap style; that's his interpretation. You don't have to like it, in fact I don't think I could sit thru an entire Rap musical to be honest.

This Broadway musical is another example of Rap that is here to stay and is not part of the "thug" genre. Earlier, I cited the Roots as an outstanding band with a Jazz, Funk, R&B sound using Rap and Soul styles to perform their vocals.

I dislike the Rap I hear today and the message it's sending to the younger generation, but there will be diversity within the genre in the future. And if you don't like it, that's fine; we all have our own unique preferences. This isn't a forum to convince you to like Rap.

Like others have stated, modern commercial rap is quite different from rap 20-30 yrs ago. What once was a creative platform has turned into an homogenized, watered down shell of itself. Same could be said of the convential "pop" single which craftwise peaked in the 70s.Same for aggressive hard rock: the pinnacle of the art form was in the 70s. Progressive rock: 70s. Reggae: 70s. Psychedelic: 60s. Glad I went to school years ago as there is nothing new today.