Recently, I’ve had people question me about my thoughts on rap music. Growing up with the utmost respect for music and songwriting and poetry, I feel that rap does not do music or the music industry justice. Of course I like rap--not saying I don’t like an occasional Eminem or Drake tune--but to listen to it everyday as a go-to type of music, I don’t know something rubs me wrong with that.

I’ve noticed that my experiences with people who listen to rap believe that rap is the best, even though they have probably never listened to Classic Rock, Country, R&B and many other genres. I do not have a problem with people who venture off into other genres because it shows that they are an open minded person. Rap stands for Rhythm and Poetry and that makes sense, but the thing that turns me off the most about rap is their constant profanity.

My parents raised me with the view that the best artists are the ones who can write a hit without cursing. If you ask me, cursing should never be used in a song because it is basically promoting it. Frankly, it does not sound very intelligent. Another thing I cannot stand about rap is that it generally sends a bad message. Why would you listen to something that talks about violence, drugs and sex? I don’t see the attraction.

As for the poetry aspect of it, being a fan of Walt Whitman, Emily Dickinson, Robert Frost and Langston Hughes, I like to think I know what good poetry is and none of rap sounds like poetry by those standards. I’ve grown to respect rappers, because they are making just as much money and producing just as many hits as other musicians but I just don’t understand why. Plus, I feel like rap will eventually die out because the best rappers are now old and who wants to see an old rapper in concert? I know I wouldn’t.

Being a songwriter, I am deeply offended with how there’s so much good writing out there and people choose to listen to rap. But I am not here to tell someone what to listen to. I just wish I knew why.