Voice-on: Def Jam Rapstar

better get used to it mate. as soon as this game was annouced i knew that i was going to be reading a lot of comments from ignorant bloggers that i wouldnt like. its alright tho. freedom of speech and all that jazz. i guess we just better be grateful that most people wont even read this story because its about a hip hop game so they wont even bother checkin up on it, less slandering it. ps using terms like "hater" might just add fuel to the flames. i know it seems like a little thing to pick up on but i had argument on here about me using abbreviation, or "text speak" and stuff and ive learned that if u just dont give people somthing to complain about then you dont have to stress yourself.

Good point Malice.

It's incredibly frustrating when game companies give us Rock Band and us hip-hop heads have no problems, but as soon as a game like this is announced, all the humming and hawing comes out from all of the ignorant gamers who know nothing about the genre beyond what they see on MTV Jams and TV stereotypes. In checking the comments so far, it seems like that will be the prevailing notion regardless of the fact that hip-hop is trending to be the #1 selling genre.

Yea only one song is good T.R.O.Y.

i know damn well you're not calling biggie - hypnotize awful


cause then you'd need to GTFO.

Yea, still, just 28.57% of the songs on this short list are good... hope they add more classics.

And I also don't get why so many gamers dislike rap so much.

I don't. I just like stuff from the 80s - mid 90s

@pedojokerbear: I couldnt agree with you more.

RIP BIG - The greatest ever.

you need to be removed instead.

hmmmmm....

Says the idiot with an immature name, and a person who uses vulgarities, improper acronyms, and acts like an immature sycophant.

As if the mainstream in other genres is any better. Yeah, there's a lot of shitty rap out there, but to generalise and say that rap as a whole should be removed from 'music'... no offense, but that's pretty stupid, bro. Seems to me like you haven't been exposed to the good shit. I wouldn't be surprised - none of that seems to make it to the mainstream (of ANY genre, nowadays... music is a product now, not an art sadly). Tap into the underground and you'll find a world of new concepts and great tunes that hip hop and rap introduced. Keep in mind that making generalisations like that just makes you look like a prick. Not calling you one, I don't know you after all, but that's what you came off as.

@Velsar: I...don't...like you.

Fast talking that rarely makes sense is not considered art, and talking about drugs, rape, prostitutes, murder, and other such things in a positive manner or at all, is just inappropriate, immature, and stupid.

I don't mind it existing, but I'd rather it not be prominent, or suddenly become so popular with the younglings that immaturity just spirals out of control.

"Fast talking that rarely makes sense is not considered art, and talking about drugs, rape, prostitutes, murder, and other such things in a positive manner or at all, is just inappropriate, immature, and stupid."HahahahahahahaDude. Don't make judgements about a genre you clearly know absolutely nothing about. Yeah, that's what the mainstream is like. Yeah, it's stupid.In no way shape or form is that indicative of rap as a whole, and if you honestly believe that to be true, well, you're not as smart as you think ya are. There is a LOT of good 'rap' out there. Rap that makes sense, rap that is inspiring, rap that shows that the genre is just as viable (or even more so, considering how easily others can connect to it) as any other.Don't go around talking about what is and what isn't art if you don't understand the genre in question. I'll reiterate - a lot of rap does suck, and much of it is BAD art, but at the same time, a lot of it is great - a lot of it doesn't and will never fit that definition you posted that you obviously think all rap falls under.Sorry if I came off as an asshole. I just get frustrated when folks go around parading one genre over another when they don't have a grasp over said genre.

When "Rap" makes me think about my life, like Linkin Park did, or some other songs have, and relates to me in some manner, that isn't full of immaturity and idiocy, then fine I'll accept it as ACCEPTABLE, but until then, don't hold your breath, as I won't hold mine.

It should be noted that I'm not generalizing, I'm simply stating how the vast majority of youth has been affected by what you call unartful rap, and as such it has plagued, corrupted, and tainted the name of 'Rap' (which in truth the term Rap isn't that inspiring) and has made it ALL look bad, and harmful and immature as well as unintelligent and misleading to children, teenagers, and some adults.

You've most likely seen this as well, worse is that the majority of rap that is SEEN or HEARD by the vast public that listens to it or loves it, is generally full of immaturity, vulgarities, and idiocy and as such, only continues to propagate stupidity throughout the next generation, making us wish for the generation after the next ( 60 - 80 years ) to be of a more intelligent manner, as this one has already failed.

"Fast talking that rarely makes sense is not considered art, and talking about drugs, rape, prostitutes, murder, and other such things in a positive manner or at all, is just inappropriate, immature, and stupid."

and there is the generalization again. listen to acts like Little Brother, Andre 3000, CunningLynguists, Lupe Fiasco, Murs, Akrobatik, Malik Yusef, Common, The Cool Kids, Dead Prez, Dialiated Peoples, Devin The Dude, or even a group like Sweatshop Union before you make a sweeping generalization like that. Hip Hop/Rap has MUCH more to offer than you hear on the radio. any fan of music should understand this cause just about every genre is like that.

"When "Rap" makes me think about my life, like Linkin Park did, or some other songs have, and relates to me in some manner, that isn't full of immaturity and idiocy, then fine I'll accept it as ACCEPTABLE, but until then, don't hold your breath, as I won't hold mine."

Linkin Park is nothing compared to many of the underground artists out there. This is simply a case of the mainstream making someone (you) think that that's all rap culture is capable of producing these days, when that's just plain not the case.

You'd be surprised just how many artists out there write incredible, thought provoking rhymes over intelligently pieced together beats. Do not let the commercial make you think that that's all rap can be.

"It should be noted that I'm not generalizing, I'm simply stating how the vast majority of youth has been affected by what you call unartful rap, and as such it has plagued, corrupted, and tainted the name of 'Rap' (which in truth the term Rap isn't that inspiring) and has made it ALL look bad, and harmful and immature as well as unintelligent and misleading to children, teenagers, and some adults."

It's only made it ALL look bad to people who generalize. It's as easy as that. If you know that the commercial isn't representative of all that rap can do, but still say that rap isn't a valid form of music simply because of what's popular (and get this - most of what's popular in every genre, again, is shitty, bro)... well, that's not very smart.

"You've most likely seen this as well, worse is that the majority of rap that is SEEN or HEARD by the vast public that listens to it or loves it, is generally full of immaturity, vulgarities, and idiocy and as such, only continues to propagate stupidity throughout the next generation, making us wish for the generation after the next ( 60 - 80 years ) to be of a more intelligent manner, as this one has already failed."

And that's the problem. A problem many of the artists I'm talking about are trying to tackle. You'd be surprised, but it seems to me you'd rather remain ignorant on the issue. Not trying to be an asshat, it's just that saying that since the commercial for any genre is bad, it all deserves to be called bad... that's a ridiculous concept.

I have no reason to go out looking for the best pieces of any music, the point is that if the majority is the rehash and idiocy then it says a lots about what type of people Humans are these days, and of course it also shows what is of interest to the majority... all genres have great stuff in the minority, but it will rarely see light if the majority isn't very interested in it, or people don't have a reason to get into it... as such it makes sense that until the majority likes the GOOD and INTELLIGENT stuff, the generalizations will continue.

I'm not choosing to be ignorant, but finding the best of Rap aside from simply confirming that it exists, does nothing for me, and the only reason I might get into it would be if the majority of all that keeps spamming the world, switches over to the good stuff... but that's up to them, and society in general.

Vulgarities and Slang are the first things that need to go from our generations and society, if that's TO EVER occur, because once it does, the other rap begins to look stupid, and as such is ignored.

That's a huge step though...

yeah Lupe fiasco FTmuthafuckinW, yeah but seriously you need to listen to the good rappers not that gucci bullshit or some others

"I have no reason to go out looking for the best pieces of any music, the point is that if the majority is the rehash and idiocy then it says a lots about what type of people Humans are these days, and of course it also shows what is of interest to the majority... all genres have great stuff in the minority, but it will rarely see light if the majority isn't very interested in it, or people don't have a reason to get into it... as such it makes sense that until the majority likes the GOOD and INTELLIGENT stuff, the generalizations will continue."

Man, I agree with you here 100%. It's a shame that bad music is the kind of stuff highlighted, and the good gets the shaft. However, you seem intelligent - you should at the very least realize that saying an entire genre is invalid due to the mainstream (not even the majority, just the stuff that gets major coverage so it seems like the majority) isn't a very fair claim.

Intelligent rap is gaining the spotlight, though. Common, Lupe Fiasco, Nas... artists like them are starting to show up more often, and we might soon see the day where the youth are being inspired by mainstream hip hop culture instead of being taught to hate and view life hedonistically.

"I'm not choosing to be ignorant, but finding the best of Rap aside from simply confirming that it exists, does nothing for me, and the only reason I might get into it would be if the majority of all that keeps spamming the world, switches over to the good stuff... but that's up to them, and society in general."

That's ridiculous, though, and if you applie that logic to every other genre, your result would be the same. You wouldn't be listening to any music right now. Commercial/mainstream sucks. This is universal. There are some standouts within the mainstream for every genre - even hip hop has these standouts. Again, though, you're saying that rap isn't worth looking into simply because the mainstream sucks when this is a fact for nearly every genre nowadays. It's what the music industry has become - music is a product to them, not an art. They're dying, though, and the new music industry that rises out of its ashes will learn to respect and nurture good career artists, I'm sure.

"Vulgarities and Slang are the first things that need to go from our generations and society, if that's TO EVER occur, because once it does, the other rap begins to look stupid, and as such is ignored."

Not necessarily. Vulgarity that is simply used to fill syllables? That needs to go. I've seen slang and vulgarity used in intelligent ways, though, believe it or not - slang, to connect with an entire culture and convey meaning in ways not possible otherwise. 'Vulgarity', to express emotional extremes in a way that can, again, connect with people who have experienced these extremes. Not all of it is used intelligently, but it can be.

I can agree with that to a degree, but in my life I've never heard vulgarities or slang used in any proper or intelligent way whatsoever, and simply saying the F word to demonstrate disgust with something isn't an acceptable form, as it's OVERUSED BEYOND BELIEF... and while it may demonstrate absolute disgust, I can also use some other words that are more proper that can also demonstrate my disgust with it in a more detailed manner.

Mr. Lif wrote a song about war and the devastating effects it can have on the minds of all involved. He used the f word to illustrate the anguish and frustration a soldier had in immediate reaction to finding out two of his comrades were dead. Lets say you were in the middle of fighting an intense battle, with bullets whizzing by your head, unsure if you were going to make it home - and that's the only thing you want. That's the image Mr. Lif was trying to put into people's minds, and his usage of the f word there was as appropriate as the use of any other word.Crass language is powerful in its negative effects but can also, when used appropriately, connect listeners to an emotion very effectively. This by no means justifies the use of the vast majority of crass words out there, but they shouldn't be abolished from music, either, as they can serve a purpose.

maybe you need to listen more than to whats on the radio or MTV, idiot.

It's doubtful you even read all the above posts and mine, but even if you did, your post while using the term idiot (to insult or demean without care for reaction or feelings) incorrectly was also full of immaturity, and I don't watch MTV, and I also don't enjoy most music aside from intelligent techno, and game music, as well as orchestra.

so read my first few words skip the radio and mtv part and still read idiot. there you go.

@Velsar

I really don't understand posts like yours. I know we have the whole internet and free speech but come on... Take a step back and really look at what this is: this is a news post about a music game that is a genre of music you obviously HAVE NO INTEREST IN. Why make the comments? Are you trying to convert people? It really more seems like you feel like tooting your own horn and blowing hot air than commenting on the article in question. When people make aimless comments on news that they have no interest in, it just makes you look like either you're trying convert people or just argue for the sake of arguing. Go find some other forum to be a douche.

lol, I did too.

I hate rap, it's not music.

It is music. Most of it isn't GOOD, but there is some truly poetic shit in the underground. Don't generalise - its clear you know nothing about the genre aside from the shit you hear on the radio.

The fact you're repeating the word shit (Sanitation Held in Tier) all the time and use it improperly and in a vulgar and immature mood really doesn't tell me anything aside from the fact that RAP hasn't made you a better or more mature person, and as such the odds are it's made you improper.

That's how I've always talked, bro, and the way you use generalizations and act as though a genre you're showing no understanding of (get this - again, not all rap is sex/drugs/violence, not quite) changed me in a negative way.Don't start getting into the personal stuff. I was being civil and reasonable. Why don't you return the favor and try at least one?

lets not try to throw out the R-word, its just being ignorant, doesnt have anything to do with race.

"First off, it's a great track list if you like rap."

I disagree. If you're a mainstream rap fan maybe, but not a single good song on there IMO.

Are you kidding me Cal...T.R.O.Y. is a classic, I swear most underground rap heads got they head so far up they azz.

Hadn't listened to it in forever, just gave it a listen and yeah it's not bad, a lot better than the majority of rap, but just not to my taste.

I know the temptation to throw out "racist" for something like this is great, but it's probably a bit more accurate to say it's a bit intolerant of a subculture they don't understand. Most people who make/write about games are still the kind of people who tend to be more into rock than rap, but that split isn't necessarily along racial lines...

Damn right! I didn't like either Vendetta or Icon, but FFNY was a whole crapton of fun, even if I knew who maybe 6 of the people were.

Don't let the commercial get you down - believe it or not, there's still plenty of good Hip Hop being made.Check out Insight, People Under The Stairs, Mr. Lif, The Knux, Heiroglpyhics, etc. for evidence of this.