I know this has been discussed before...but I know very little about rap and hip-hop, and I honestly don't understand why so many people seem to think Prince is not a good rapper.

He sounds perfectly OK to me, I can't say what would make him so different from all the other, "real" rappers out there.

Perhaps someone with a little knowledge could explain exactly what it is that makes Prince's rapping less valid?

RealMusician said:

because his rap style sounds hackneyed and out of date. he raps like someone that knows very little of hip hop, he just needs to stop insulting his fans with that garbage.

ECLECTIC said:

Could you elaborate on that? If his rapping was more up to date, what would the differences be?

ECLECTIC said:

Amen to that! His style sounds stilted and more like an afterthought. Kinda like when Madonna rapped on Am. Life. God that was horrible! Listen to a rapper like Common or Mos Def where the word play just flows and is deep and makes more sense than anything. Lyrics Born and Talib Kwali are awesome too...

Prince should stick to lovin' his guitar and such...

Consider yourself lucky. I wish I knew very little about shit hop.

i trust you're speaking about Mr. Goodnight on PE? that's more of a spoken word (recited poetry rather than rap) to me. In the past his efforts to rap or have others (like Tony M.) rap on his records, just didn't work. they either sounded forced, were really bad rhymes, or just didn't fit the song. to me the best example of where it came out okay (IMO) is Tony M's rap on Live 4 Love on the diamonds and pearls album; worst example (IMO) would be Tony M on My Name is Prince.

a "good rapper" has command of the language without sounding forced or like they looked thru a thesaurus. they utilize clever metaphors and similies to accentuate their rhyme and make their point but without sounding corny. they should also be able to "ride the track" and make their delivery fit it like a glove, (i'm not a fan, but Jay Z is a good example of this) and at the end of the day the best ones are talking about something substantive other than their cars, clothes, women, jewelry, violence, etc. (which eliminates 95% of those rapping today). its a genre that has become a platform for self-aggrandizement and boasting. what's sad is those who don't KNOW the genre think that's all it has to offer. i personally differentiate between an MC and a rapper, the latter being the one who jumped on the gravy train to become rich by becoming a caricature of the cultures worst elements (ie. 50 cent, and others) at the expense of the art, impressionable young minds and the aesthetics of a genre that can educate and uplift.

hmmm...I listened to Common on one of the late shows the other night... and I couldn't quite make out what he was saying...maybe that's what it takes to be a good rapper...keep them guessing!

datdude said:

cosign, 50 is one of the most overrated rappers in history and represents everything wrong with hip hop today.

BULLSHIT-he doesnt bob their heads to good life-big city

days o wild?

okay okay-the latest fashion ill give you-thats pretty poo-i was riding home last night(on my 9grand blue italian vespa 200cc)listening to GOLD NIGGA

that has got some killer killer funk on it

prince as the 'bald headed mofo" is funny as fook!

ahem-i meant

ahem-i meant who doesnt bob their heads to..?

but prince is prince-comparing prince to the mighty mighty COMMON is daft!

speaking of which i heard 2 new tracks of his album-excelent(tho iwas a bit worried about that bullshit joss stone duet)

datdude said:

Ok, I can agree that some of Prince's more "aggressive" rapping (like for instance "Sexy MF" or "Race") sounds forced.

About his "flow" and timing, I'm listening from a purely musical point of view (without specific genre knowledge), and in that aspect, Prince sounds just fine to me. At least he relates his rapping to the beat of the music, not just speaking randomly on top of it. But maybe that's what you're supposed to do...I don't know.

As for his lyrics, I would say that they're both clever and substantial...but then again, it's not my first language, so maybe I'm missing some of the nuances...

meek said:

nah, enunciation is key. as u know a lot can be lost in a live performance, bad system, music louder than the MCs mic, etc. Common admits some of his own ideological contradictions, but he has pretty good lyrical diction, not sure what happened on that particular night

LOL @ this thread...

Ok, if u think anyone can rap and make it a hit, just ask Kobe Bryant, Shaq, and others who have tried it, it's just not 4 everybody. People who enjoy rap muisc, we know that Prince is not a rapper. It's sort of hard to explain, but that's the best I can do..either u get it, or u don't...

Ok, he sounds pretty smoothe on Mr.Goodnite, but Common or even LL would have sounded even smoother asnd more convincing - I hope this helps u understand better?

He sounds fine as a rapper. Some folks think that they are of higher hip-hop cred if they bitch about his rhymes.
This topic comes up about once a month.

if prince could only understand he's more hip hop when he's not trying to be hip hop.

I am absolutely no expert on rappers...but a few months ago I was watching a documentary about Tupac, got curious and decided to take a listen and see what his music was about...so I took a bunch of stuff off of my son's iTunes and have been listening ever since...the only other rap that I had in my possession was Prince so that tells you how much I know about rap...anyway, when I listen to Tupac the "flow" does not make me uncomfortable...if that makes any sense...when I listen to Prince rap it just "hurts"...just how I feel when listening...I'm not trying to make a statement regarding the definition of good rap...but I like listening to Tupac...

Prince's rap songs are fine , maybe if you wanna compare his style line-for-line ,style-for-style and syllabble-for-syllable with whomever the kids consider the latest cool rapper then yeah he doesnt sound like them , so what , isnt that what we loved Prince for in the 1st place , sounding like himself and no-one else . If I want
to hear 50 cent ( and I never have ) I'l pick up his albums , same goes for Eminem . Prince raps in his own style , just like hes often sung and made music in his own style , thats why I'm a fan of him . I'll take Race , Sexy MF and Days Of Wild over anything the charts are dictating I should like every time .

I am not a rap or hip-hop lover, because i find the music behind it often too repetitive and boring.

But mostly dont mind when Prince raps on his songs, because its more like he is rapping on a FUNK song.

IMO doesnt make it any sense to compare Princes rapping to that of so called 'Great' rappers, because, as i said, he is performing his raps on a different style of music.

When it doesnt work (like on 'Push' from Diamonds and Pearls for example or 'The flow' from Symbol) it can be a bit annoying, but there are a few songs on which he really succeeds with his rapping IMO (Sexy MF, Pussy Control, Face Down, Days of Wild)

While he might not be a great rapper, I've always loved Prince's rapping on Acknowledge Me. I think that's definitely his high point.

ECLECTIC said:

EXACTLY!!! hip hop artists have been using his shit all the time. Hip-Hop isn't solely about "rapping." Listen to the Black Album!

In any event...I've always loved when Prince busts out w/ a rap (come on remix is my fav) -- he may not be as brilliant as Common or as smooth as mos def, but Prince isn't trying to be -- he's trying ot use RAP to make MUSIC, not Rap to make Rap.

Jatrig said:

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Good point!

I think Prince has many different styles to his music and does them well and better than most. I think his soulful ballads are exceptional! Rapping is just not one of his best deliveries! Sorry P, I love you, but being really honest here. I just skip the song if I hear it on the CD.

goat2004 said:

No, I'm afraid I don't quite understand...sorry! I need some specific details, that's why I started this thread.

Why isn't Prince convincing? Is it because we know he doesn't have a "gangsta" background? Is he too old? Is it because he's from Minnesota? What is it?

Heard Irresistible Bitch lately?

RealMusician said:

Who knows -- I'll say it again, Prince's rapping is melodic and enhances the music on his songs. Listen to "Feel Good," an emancipation outtake -- the whole song is a rap, but it's melodic. When he's tried to put together a "rap song" he's employed Tony M, or Scrap D (I think that's his name from Emancipation's "Da Da Da") The only time I think I've heard him RAP to RAP and not to make MUSIC is "funky design" and the Come on Remix and I think this works.

At first, I thought that his rapping sounded kind of... different. But then I got used to it, and it doesn't bother me. I actually like it.