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
At the Newport Folk Festival, Dylan was backed by the electric Paul Butterfield Blues Band.

Anyway, I understand why people don't like rap(I can't stand most of it), there's nothing wrong with that. But, to say there is no talent in any artist within the entire genre, or that all of them are hoodlums is either ignorance of inexperience.

To claim that one has to play an instrument or read music to be considered a legitimate artist is ridiculous(not to mention quite a few hip-hop artist do both). Rock, blues, Jazz, and Country music have a rich history of great singers and musicians who couldn't do one or both.

I have usually found that those who make the most adamant and generalized statements against rap are also those who know the least about it.
Rosanne Cash, "Interiors" if you don't have it, get it. Fantastic, dark album. There are a couple of country style cuts but the raw emotion is palpable throughout.