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Rap Paradox


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Rap paradox

Graph by: dunno source via Graph Jam Builder

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  1. kyle says:

    uhm, before 2nd?

  2. smackthepenguin says:

    Not a paradox….

  3. remolay says:

    totally not a paradox.
    Will Smith is awesome

  4. Siggypiggy says:

    Will Smith??

  5. hobbes84k says:

    What this graph is missing is the much larger circle that encompasses all of the other circles and represents “All other rap songs.” Most rap songs are about drugs, sex, AND violence, not just one of them.

    • Jes says:

      Yeah, um, I don’t think you understand how a venn diagram works. Anything not colored (i.e. the white area outside of the diagram) is the “all other rap songs”

      • poodle_face says:

        Surely that’s not true. You can’t actually say for certain what the outside of the graph contains, because it is (by definition) undefined.

        For all we know the outside of the graph could be about puppies and ice-cream.

        • Aaaaargh says:

          No, raps puppies and ice-cream are not about sex, drugs and violence and therefore would go into the category “will smith”. The white part of the graph represents everything that doesn’t fit into the colored segments and are therefore about drugs, sex and violence, otherwise it would be in at least one of those segments. Simple as that ;)

          • Aaaaargh says:

            Raps *about* puppies and ice-cream, that is…

          • poodle_face says:

            But if the white part represents *everything* that doesn’t fit in to the graph, that must include EVERYTHING that isn’t mentioned. Includiing world war, puppies, Iraq, purple monkeys, Drusilla, Adipose and Catherine Tate.

            Instead, I put it to you that the white part is not part of the graph – it’s the border, and as such doesn’t actually contian anything.

            • Aaaaargh says:

              The white part can be part of a venn diagramm. Then the box around it is the border. But then it shouldn’t have a title like “rap paradox” but it should just say “all raps” or something, and it becomes another segment of the venn diagramm itself. That way it excludes world war, puppies, Iraq, purple monkeys, Drusilla, Adipose and Catherine Tate as it’s only about raps. But it doesn’t say that so yes, i suppose Catherine Tate is represented toghether with raps about sex, drugs and violence, in the white part :p

            • Madi says:

              I would love to hear Catherine Tate rapping. And/or a rap about Catherine Tate. I’m sure she’d be brilliant.

  6. MrSeagull says:

    Uhg, I am tired of all these typical venn diagrams. Seriously, put something witty or funny in other places as well as the center. The three opposing sections next to the center need to be more then just “Not _________”

    How does this stuff get on the front page?

    • MrSeagull says:

      Also, everyone needs to learn the definition of a Paradox.

    • Maraxus says:

      It’s even wrong: If it says “Not X” in the circle, this mean, the circle includes EVERYTHING “Not X”, thus X is everything outside the circle. Writing “X” into the intersection of the two other circles, which is suggesting, that “all X” are within that intersection plus the representation suggesting that there are elements neither in the “NOT X” area nor in the “X” intersection leads to an error.

      Together with the wrong impression of what the word “Paradox” means, this is a double fail.

      I’m sorry, but we have to revoke your nerd license.

      • zem says:

        Look at it this way… “Not about drugs” is equivalent to “About sex AND violence” by its very nature, and “about drugs” for example is not a sampling of ALL songs about drugs, it’s a sampling of songs ONLY about drugs. Perhaps a bit of a semantic issue in the labelling but not an error in the graph.

        Also, although a paradox traditionally defines a contradiction of sorts, it can also be an idea that is “absurd” or “defies intuition”. In other words, rather than being self-contradictory, it contradicts common sense. In this case, the “common sense” here is that rap is about sex, drugs, and/or violence.. and Will Smith contradicts it.

        I wouldn’t have used “paradox” here… but technically it’s not inaccurate.

        If you’re gonna be a self-righteous prick, it helps to educate yourself a little first… otherwise it doesn’t really work.

        • Maraxus says:

          1. Well, “about nothing but drugs” would have been a much better labeling, because it’s a real subset of “about drugs”.

          2. “Only Will Smith doesn’t rap about sex, drugs and/or violence.” does not defy my intuition/common sense.

        • Christopher says:

          “The Will Smith Phenomenon” might have been a better title. The use of paradox here is, technically, inaccurate. You can’t just say you are using a word in a non-traditional way and expect us all to go along with your definition. Unless you’re Bill Clinton that is.

          Also, the labeling IS wrong. If a song is “not about sex” and “not about violence” is not automatically about drugs. The only accurate conclusion that can be reached from the information provided is that it would be “about neither sex nor violence.”

          If you’re gonna attempt humor, familiarize yourself with the format first… otherwise it doesn’t really work.

  7. CIDMTRSCIGUY says:

    The way you set this diagram up equates Will Smith’s rap music to NOT including sex, violence, or drugs. The single inclusions should say about X and the double inclusions should say NOT ABOUT X, unless I’m reading it totally wrong.

    • Isildo says:

      Nope, you read it right. I like the idea of rap categories being defined as “not about sex” or “not about drugs;” that is humorous. i.e., if a song is not about sex OR violence, then it MUST be about drugs. I haven’t heard any of Will Smith’s rap (Not a rap fan. At all.), so I can’t say whether his inclusion in the center circle is accurate or not.

      • Gero says:

        His old stuff was. Before he started doing movies (i.e. when he was on Fresh Prince and still not very famous) his rap was so clean you could disinfect wounds with it. But, alas, once he got famous he started doing songs like the mainstream rappers…

  8. Ratt says:

    ‘Scuse me, but Scroobius Pip, Saul Williams, Sage Francis, Buddy Wakefield, etc., would like a word with you. :|

    • blahblahblah says:

      All great artists, but how much of their stuff do you hear on mainstream radio? It’s not like I can turn on any top 40 or hip-hop station and expect to hear KRS-One at any given moment.

  9. Nathan says:

    Okay, everybody realizes that there is more to rap than just Sex, Money, and Drugs, Right? Or does everyone have a stereotypical view of rap?

    • ConnectToReality says:

      No we don’t, and yes we do. In that order.

    • Liberty Prime says:

      name 5 popular rap song, REAL rap, that doesnt include references to sex, drugs, money, or the artist wanting sex, drugs, or money. betcha cant

      • meh says:

        Dear Mama, Keep ya head up, You Never Know, Freedom of Speech, Angel of Death and In the event of my demise.

        I just did.. and named only songs of 2 artists

        • itwasadarkandstormynight says:

          Why would you include the part about it being only 2 artists? Now we know that you can only think of two rappers, instead of five, who don’t sing about sex, drugs, or money.

          • Oh really? says:

            Nujabes
            CYNE
            Blue Scholars
            Binary Star
            Common Market
            Blu & Exile
            Flobots
            Heiruspecs
            Main source
            Lightheaded
            Future Sound
            The perfect median
            The Grynch
            Gabriel Teodros
            Substantial
            Brother Ali
            Charlie Ross
            Divine Minds
            Elzhi
            The Good People
            Sage Francis
            Prolific & Reanimator
            Shing02

            Enough artists for you? Stop judging something you don’t know jack about.

            • !null says:

              So to name more artists you must’ve thrown half the criteria out, considering Liberty Prime’s post asked for “popular” rap that doesn’t include sex, drugs, or violence. Street corner rappers don’t count.

              Before you even ask why “popular” matters, it’s because that definies the industry and the standards it takes for rap to become popular.

            • RJ says:

              Alternative hip-hop artists, nice try.

              • Oh really? says:

                Even if they’re alternative hip-hop artists, they’re still rappers.

                Also, concerning popular rap, I’d have to agree. Most rap which is popular is concerning sex, drugs or violence. But then again, that is what sells, and I bet alot of popular rock songs mention drugs and sex aswell (sex, drugs and rock n’ roll, amirite).

                Anyway, the point of my post was to point to the fact that not all rap is so close minded as those songs you hear on the radio.

  10. David says:

    They should’ve mentioned something about sucking.

    • gow says:

      hell ya rappers r pussies they’re about glam but without there money there nobody, someone who has a hit rap song will be nothing the next week

      • dkj says:

        I love that you spelled “they’re” two different ways in one run-on sentence. And spelled “their” wrong on top of it. Awe-inspiring.

  11. Erik the Dude says:

    Rap ParaDIGM, not ParaDOX.

  12. MG says:

    “Miami” has a lot of sex in it if I remember right

  13. MM says:

    Now, this is a story all about how
    My life got flipped-turned upside down

    • Alex says:

      “I got in one little fight”

      It’s about violence!!!11!!eleventy!!1!

    • KMB says:

      “I Once got busy in a Burger King bathroom” , also the irony of it raining on your wedding day!
      I’m sorry but all this blows my frickin mind!
      (“Hail Mary”)

  14. Sean says:

    lol this was stupid. For one thing, its absolutely retarded to type the same thing 3 different times. Lack of creativity much? For another, if song writers are supposed to be influenced by their experiences (and their target audience’s experiences); drugs, violence, and sex are simply apart of the culture of the inner-city.

  15. Cevian says:

    Where does the Donkey Kong 64 Rap fit on there?

  16. jdoubleu says:

    What sets Will Smith’s music apart from other main stream rap artist’s music is not necessarily the subject of the songs but how the songs are delivered. Will NEVER uses foul or degrading language. And yes- while most of Will’s song subjects are not about violence or sex there are some minor mild mentions in a few songs. I’m not a rap music expert but I can not think of a another artist who consistently produces music that DOESN’T require radio edits or explicit lyric warning labels. Sure, other rap artists write and produce music that isn’t about sex, violence or drugs but let’s not pretend that the majority of their music isn’t about these subjects. As a sweeping generalization rap music IS mostly about this topics ( A well earned stereotype- IMO). Will Smith has managed to stay away from these topics and use of disgusting language to the dismay and ridicule of his peers.

    On a different note this graph would have been better suited to a time when Will was more a wildly popular musician and less the huge box office draw is is today.

  17. itwasadarkandstormynight says:

    It’s not a paradox if there’s actually something in the middle.

  18. Johnny Action Finger says:

    So let me get this straight. Will Smith’s rap song are NOT about sex, drugs, or violence, but at the same time Will Smith’s rap songs ARE about sex, drugs, and violence. That makes no sence. I think the Paradox is that you thought you were smart enough to make this graph, but in reality you have no clue how these graphs work.

  19. Bluking says:

    Where does Common fit in?

  20. COMMIE KILLIN' MAN says:

    What about Public Enemy?

  21. LameGuy says:

    Will Smith constantly rapped about sex…

  22. Lurking Grue says:

    Some stuff needs to be in the white space, such as “I Kill People”.

  23. I am not a hipster says:

    This isn’t a paradox and it only applies to the rap that white music industry executives like to put on the radio. That kind of rap is a small minority of the types of rap out there.

  24. amooosed says:

    hehehe.
    Screw the diagram itself….
    I am much more entertained and amused by how personally geeks seem to take Venn Diagrams……

    • Emily says:

      I second that. Why are people so offended by the misuse of the word paradox? (Or proper use, I quit reading those battles.)

  25. philip says:

    +1 for not having a “quality music” part.
    - 10 for being the 10th exactly the fing SAME GRAPH!

  26. Pete says:

    This post post pissed me off a bit. There’s so much Hip-Hop music that doesn’t relate to any of those subjects. It’s mostly the mainstream garbage nowadays such as 50 Cent and Lil’ Wayne that ”rap” about these subjects.

    Common, Talib Kweli, A Tribe Called Quest, Atmosphere, Murs, Mos Def, Blackstar, Cyne, Dilated Peoples, Emanon, Blu & Exile, Y Society, De La Soul, Fugees, The Roots, Pete Philly & Perquisite, Lupe Fiasco, Public Enemy etc. etc. etc. all of these artist have lyrics that actually have a message. And there are many more….
    Next time try looking into a subject before mocking it.
    Next

  27. Cimerax says:

    Mike Shinoda usually doesn’t rap about those subjects.

  28. Sara says:

    … I don’t think you understand how a venn diagram works at all. Will Smith’s music doesn’t have violence, or drugs, or sex… so… you’ve implied it does, when it doesn’t.

    FAIL

  29. a1sauses says:

    IT WOULD ONLY BE A PARADOX ONLY IF THE TITLE SAID, “ALL RAP IS ABOUT VIOLENCE, SEX AND DRUGS


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