Back in the 80's, when rap exploded from the streets to the mainstream, rappers rapped about the same things like sex, excess, fun, life and love found at a party. It wasn't until rapper Curtis Blow But when gangster rap followed came out sampling Nile Rodgers and Bernard Edwards Chic song Good Times, that the writing was on the wall. Curtis Blow was sued by Rodgers and Edwards. Then, other rappers used tv theme songs like Green Acres, The Andy Griffith Show and even Gilligan's Island to start things up. It became a redundant game of one-upmanship. There were socially conscious rappers like Run DMC and LL Cool J. Then the fun rappers followed like The Fat Boys, DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince, Kid Rock and The Beasty Boys. When gangster rap came out, I remember one analyst stating that gangster rap(or crime rhyme) was simply action movies for the ears. I do not consider rappers musicians or even singers. They are merely vocal stylists with a prose of their own. Rap has gone as far as it can ever go. Gospel music sometimes uses rap to bring in younger listeners.
