StrangeButTrue said:

I do not recommend this unless you are enacting some form of revenge and/or torture. In my case this was spur of the moment and my IPod ran out of juice on the way home. Thoughts: Do people still like study music? Why don't they get played on the radio... Why does every song have a rap about money and products? Is this subterfuge/conditioning? There is a popular song with a chorus I heard as something like "there is a phone in Barcelona where Bologna is cologne and then the boner fell upon her and I want to be a goner" or something stupid like that where they sing along to a riff that sounds like someone playing two keys back n forth. A lot of duets feature the men and women singing almost the same verses or sounding the same, duets used to showcase versatility and harmony. Also a there's a song out with Drake and Rihanna where they both sound like they are on cough syrup. Idk if this is normal but I was shocked when the DJ said it was them as I hear they are both highly talented performance artists. It's so hard to tell if a British singer is on but a lot of these gals do not sound like they're from Illinois or Minnesota y'know? 90s sampling is so tacky y'all. Like Trent said once, "a copy of a copy of a copy". There is some hip hop/girl singer tune where she takes some 3rd Eye Blind or Train shit and flips it into some ho anthem. Did Usher really try to remake "Heart & Soul"? Or is that someone who sounds like Usher. It was shocking. Trap music is creative and catchy, someone needs to tell these producers that a 14-20 second loop for 3 minutes is so lazy though! What happened to improvisation? Justin Bieber songs are reductive. Does he just rewrite other songs? Spanish, jazz, and classical radio is where it's at, talent and musicianship wise. I almost blame it on what I'm doing here, this rant. People have so much to say in confidence via texts and social media that a sense of shared sentimentality as a general statement has become passé. Static was pretty entertaining by comparison.

I been swimming in the EDM / Deep House new music that has been coming out lately VERY interesting stuff and some catchy songs coming out of that camp. Dude never give yourself up to Clear Channel again lol. Trap music as an instrumental works fine I agree. They experiement alot more than other genres (other than EDM at this point). When you put a lame artist on it though it still takes away from the whole experience (Michael Jacksons Xscape is a fine example of how trap beats can sound good given the right elements "Chicago" and "Blue Gangsta" fine examples. Really puts new life into those songs). Commercial Rap been about money since the early 1990s thats not going anywhere anytime soon.

StrangeButTrue said:

Why does every song have a rap about money and products? Is this subterfuge/conditioning?

On one hand I could say it started with the Sugarhill Gang bragging about their colour TV so they could see the Knicks playing basketball.

But now the genre is totally co-opted and feature regular endorsements like big studio movies because corporations help pay for the productions. If they are not specific, the shills are aiming for commercial licensing down the road.

I always suggest to people who radio-rant, to check and see if you have a local indie/college/alternative station. The one in my city is fantastic and plays a good mix of new stuff by real artists (any genre) and classics