Mack E

[Amaroq]

So this guy I don't really know but who lives in my area randomly sends me a friend request on Mypace. Alright, I decide to check out his profile to see if he's interesting. It quickly becomes apparent that he's into music and has created some songs of his own.

I was really, really pleasantly surprised! A rapper who actually has good music! (In my opinion anyway. I know Rand said music can only be judged subjectively thus far.)

Most of the songs on that flash player are uplifting, and they all appear to have had the guy's soul poured into them. It's a breath of fresh air from the crap I have to hear everyday at work. (A co-worker of mine vehemently labels that stuff "Gangstar." I think it's a fitting label.)

I particularly like "Go" and "Live" on that list.

Yes, I liked this guy's music enough to plug him on this board, haha!

Edited January 22, 2010 by Amaroq

[Andrew Grathwohl]

I was really, really pleasantly surprised! A rapper who actually has good music! (In my opinion anyway. I know Rand said music can only be judged subjectively thus far.)

Though she did say that there wasn't a musical criteria fit for objective criticism, she did still make it clear that she did not favor the "oriental" musics that she claimed had a trance-like effect on the listener. She spoke out against repetition and against non-Western musical scales. However, she also claimed that music employed periodic vibrations of a sonorous body, which means that pretty much nobody on this planet has heard "music" as defined by her. According to her, the only music out there is produced by digital sound oscillators with extremely high sampling rates & bit depth - because that's about as close to periodic as you're going to get. My point is that I don't think Ayn Rand knew a lot about music or the physics of sound when she was claiming these things.

Another great Objectivism-friendly hip-hop artist is Aesop Rock. Check him out if you're into the more uplifting and rational side of urban music.

Edited January 22, 2010 by Andrew Grathwohl

[EC]

On the previous note one of my favorite songs right now is "All the Above" by Maino featuring T-Pain. It's hip-hop and has an edge at times but otherwise is a very uplifting song.

Might as well throw in my other favorite while I'm at it: "I'm So Paid" by Akon and 'lil Wayne.

Edited January 22, 2010 by EC

[themadkat]

I always thought Eminem had some good songs. Grad school has me listening to the long version of "8 mile" a lot.

[EC]

I always thought Eminem had some good songs.

Well Eminem's on his own level just barely after 2Pac.

[Amaroq]

I actually like Eminem's stuff too, because he was trying to express a message with at least a few of his songs. Most of the rap I hear nowadays is just about how gangstuh the artist is, what drugs he's done, how he's gonna put a cap in yo' ass, and how he's got all the bitches and ho's. Some of Eminem's more relevant songs and artists like this one are really a breath of fresh air as far as this type of genre goes. (My favorite genre is still trance.) And even Eminem's non-relevant songs, are still pretty good I think, because I get the impression that he's just screwing around and having fun with it.