What Genre Of Music Am I Unfirmilliar with?

I have come across most types of music at some point in my life but there is always going to be that one genre that you dislike more than others, that doesn't mean you can't appreciate the hard work, passion and energy that goes into it, but it just means you won't be listening to it when your home on a Friday night drinking beer. For me, that genre is Hip-Hop and Rap. I have been to hip hop shows before and i can say i enjoyed the energy and crowd interaction that happens but there is something about the way the vocals totally over shines the musicality that prevents me from getting really involved in the music.

One of the only hip hop artists that i enjoy is Seth Sentry. I think i enjoy his vocals because he is such a good lyricist and can paint a picture while telling a story. Where as other rap or hip hop artist that i have come across, i don't connect to the lyrics or the story they are trying to tell. Hip Hip originates from minority groups writing about the hard things that have happened in their life and the struggles they have faced to get where they are today. I understand that not all Hip Hop is about this and i think this is a reason that i connect with artists like Seth Sentry and Allday, because they are new age aussie Hip Hop artists making music about things that are important to them and i can relate to a 20yo guy from Brunswick like Allday more than an African American man who has been through it all growing up.

Midway through writing this blog i think it has occurred to me that rather than the musicality preventing me from enjoying this music, i think that as a gay, white privileged male who grew up on a farm in South Australia, i just can’t relate to the core of the genre that is Hip Hop.

In terms of production techniques that i could learn from hip hop, i have done a little research into the production techniques involved in this genre. According to Tweakheadz.com it is important to have a clear distinction between vocals and backing beat, unlike other genres, where the vocal is just as important as the other instruments in the mix and are blended into the mix as another instrument. In Hip Hop the vocals should be the centre of attention and should never be back in a mix. I think producing hip hop is more about the rhythm, the beat, and the lyrics rather than micing techniques and mixing tips and tricks. But i would love to be involved in the making of a Hip Hop track to see for myself and i can guarantee i will be able to learn something.