When will rap music be less mainstream?


First time I heard MC Hammer’s song many years ago, I like the rhythm and thought it is quite unique. After that, all kinds of rap music pop up. I never thought rap music would be mainstream for such a long time in US. If you look at the music award ceremonies, you will find it being flooded with rap music. Sometimes I am not even sure rap can be considered as song because you don’t sing but speak. Now you start to hear rap music in some other languages like Chinese, Japanese and Korean that don’t sound good in rap format. It would be interesting to hear rap music in Italian.

Time will tell if a song is good or not. A song is good if somebody want to play it for their loved ones on the radio 20 years later. I can’t imagine someone will play a rap for their beloved one 20 years later. Just curious if any A’gon member keep any rap collection?

Besides rap, I also have a feeling that the music industry in general is getting cheesy now. American Idol show gets huge attention while lots of singers perform at the bar or hotel can easily sing better than the idols. The show also asked Barbara Streisand if she watched the show and who was her favorite idol. What do you expect her to answer? People said Justin Timberlake is very talented singer/songwriter. I know him because I saw lots of headshot of him on commercials and magazines, but can you name any popular/well known song from him?
yxlei
Dark.,

The Arrested Devolpment work you sight is on my all-time favs list. Also dc Talk and PM Dawn. What other rap today has this musical flavor to it?

The others you shared above just don't do it for me.
Any of you like Maroon 5 - this is a rap hip hop influenced pop group. Kind of Jamiroquai meets a rap beat like Eminem?

Anyway, just to say that those who dismiss rap out of hand simply don't get it.
01-10-10: Sit
The Arrested Devolpment work you sight is on my all-time favs list. Also dc Talk and PM Dawn. What other rap today has this musical flavor to it?
Wow, that's a tough call, they were pretty damn innovative. I'll have to think about that for a while. That was a uniquely creative time in hip-hop.
The others you shared above just don't do it for me.
Nothing wrong with that. Hip-hop covers such a wide universe of sounds & styles, here's bound to hits and misses for everyone interested. Lord knows there's a lot of it that I simply can't stand.
Some of my favs:

"Let's Riot"
Attica Gang

"Lockdown"
San Quentin Quintet

"Bust You Up"
Leaven and the Worths

"You Ain't Going Nowhere"
Pelican Bayrollers
Now, now, Audiofeil - Rock & roll and country have their own share of convicted felons.