32 replies to this topic

[Ataraxia]

I'm just curious to hear other people's stories.

Thing is, I remember my years back at school and college when many people would ask me what Hip-Hop artists I was into. I'd say Will Smith, among others, and they'd laugh. I'll always remember the comment "You know, if you told some guy in the hood that you like Will Smith, he'd laugh he's ass off."

Is this common reaction an English thing, or is it the same the world over?

Not that if ever bothered me; I've always thought Hip-Hop to be diverse, and Will Smith was one of the leading contenders in the commercial scene that always caught my eye.

[Turntable]

well usualy people laugh if you tell them you listen to hip hop

[Romano338]

If somebody laught because you listen to WS's rap, that's because they don't know WS's rap.
They just know and Men In Black, and even that, I'm not sure.

[Ataraxia]

Turntable, on 29 June 2009 - 10:39 AM, said:

well usualy people laugh if you tell them you listen to hip hop

That's true, too, with the standard of commercial Hip-Hop these days.

[Romano338]

Yes, that's true too.
I remember, 2-3 years ago, in english class, the teachers ask us o make a little presentation, and notably "what of music to you listen to".
We were 2 to listen to rap... and the other one was not 'totally' in.
I don't know lot of people that listen to rap music

[Jin]

I noticed that with people in my agegroup 18-23, when i was in the US as an exchange-student, white people don't like him that much acting or rappingwise. He is very popular with minorities: blacks, asians and latinos, just my experience!

[Ale]

I think it's an easy question. People just know Will Smith as an actor, so when they discover he is also a rapper they laugh. Mainly because they think they can judge him without even having listened to any of his songs (the 'FPOBA' theme doesn't count), or without even knowing what Hip Hop is. I'm sure most of them don't know how important 'DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince' were for Hip Hop and the only rapper they know it's Eminem.

Edited by Ale, 29 June 2009 - 12:29 PM.

[VIsqo]

Most people in here didnt even know he was a rapper before the fboba, so, I dont really care for their comments..

[Turntable]

Ataraxia, on 29 June 2009 - 10:50 AM, said:

Turntable, on 29 June 2009 - 10:39 AM, said:

well usualy people laugh if you tell them you listen to hip hop

That's true, too, with the standard of commercial Hip-Hop these days.

It has nothing to do with that, most "normal" people like "Lollipop" more than "Wu-tang Clan Aint Notcing To F with". Hip Hop is young and somehow wild and it does not represent the majority of people. Next to that, it's still is a youth culture and that, ofcourse, is always a "bad thing". Thats why they dont like it.

Edited by Turntable, 29 June 2009 - 12:08 PM.

[ant1]

It doesn't bother me if some people laugh if you say you like Will Smith music.. just like Romano said some just know'' Men In Black'' and ''Jiggy'' and never listen to his albums.

[JumpinJack AJ]

I can't relate with most of the comments u guys have. EVERYONE knows i'm a huge JJ+FP fan. When people talk about me 2 other people it's like the most commonly known thing. I don't know why, i guess i just make it obvious. When i tell people for the 1st time about the music i like, nobody has ever laughed that I'm on of JJ+FP's biggest fans. Maybe back in the day (during the days of gangsta rap and hardcore hip-hop, some people would make a comment about it saying how they may not have taken them seriously, but that's it. The funny thing is, NOBODY has ever reacted saying they didn't know he made music. Everyone knows...and they know he was making it back in the 80's. What makes things even more weird is that EVERYONE i know (and i mean that literally) loves him. They simply think he's the greatest thing since sliced bread. Most of these people know him mostly from the blockbuster movies, then The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, then his music, but they all know him, they are familar with everything he does, and they love him. I noticed this a year ago. In my area, everyone simply loves and respects him. It's kinda cool 2 have been down with him since the beginning and come 2 place where pretty much everyone i speak 2 is a fan of his. I have friends go on vacations 2 Disney World and bring me back Men In Black keychains and buying me random FP-related things.

[Silver Tiger]

Sometimes, but that's because they only know his singles. And so what? The people that are laughing are the same people that think they are hard for listening to whatever the BS rapper of the moment is.

[Angel Amor]

Well from what I noticed its been kind of split. Some people I knew back in the 4th grade loved WS when he came out with BWS. But as soon as Em came out with his record they acted like they didn't know the BWS. They acted liked they were being spyed on by the Top 40 LOL. They which sides often...they loved 50 when he came out with 'In Da Club' and then hated him when The Game came out wit his diss record. Then love 50 again when he came out wit Candy Shop. As long as radio DJs, MTV and BET gave the go ahead that its was alright to listen to it...they did it. Basically its okay to love him as an actor but not as a emcee. Cause everybody I know who doesnt like him as an emcee sure do love Bad Boys 1 & 2.

But friends who are real into music...like aspiring musicians and singers. Like my friend who attends Berklee in Boston. He worked at his college radio station. He did a show that he would play all of yesterday's RnB and HipHop. He feels the same way about HipHop he believes a lot of artist now are not worth listening to. There's nothing original and he even said when he has kids he is gonna raise them on music that he considers real music. Anyways I asked him if he could play a song for me on his show. He said he would...I asked him to play The Rain. He was like "OOh yeah! Real Talk that track is amazing...Afro Angel is my favorite track off that album. But Willennium is awesome record"

When he announced it on his show that the next song he was playing was The Rain. He co-DJ said "Ooh I love that track man. I love the Willennium album." He also had some other friends in the station and they were like breaking it down on lyrics and how much they loved what he said in those lyrics and even hoped for a new album.

Edited by Angel Amor, 30 June 2009 - 01:00 AM.

[Simon Lerkot Berglind]

People kind of seems to think it's too popish. Then, when I put the record on and they get to hear more than just the singles, they usually change their opinion.

[Ataraxia]

Angel Amor, on 30 June 2009 - 12:58 AM, said:

They switch sides often...they loved 50 when he came out with 'In Da Club' and then hated him when The Game came out wit his diss record. Then love 50 again when he came out wit Candy Shop. As long as radio DJs, MTV and BET gave the go ahead that its was alright to listen to it...they did it. Basically its okay to love him as an actor but not as a emcee. Cause everybody I know who doesnt like him as an emcee sure do love Bad Boys 1 & 2.

People are hypocrites.

[Luigie]

Well from my expierence here in peru, people dont seem to care much about WS or Hip-Hop or any other thing besides reggaeton & cumbia..so yeah they used to laugh at me, for Ws & my preference for black music

[Tyrailius]

People also laugh at me here in Nebraska when I say I listen to Will Smith. I just brush it off.

I did my Entertainment Marketing final on DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince. The teacher actually enjoyed my presentation. Most of the kids couldn't care less that I listened to Smith though.

[VIsqo]

In here people like hip hop, but they dont know much about it. At least not about the real one. They know 50 and Eminem, some know Lil Wayne and the realest rapper they might know might be Snoop, but nothing else. Will is known for the men in black, giggy, miami and the fboba song. Some even know switch and summertime, but nothing deeper than that. I wish Will would have shown the world his real talent as a rapper..

[Romano338]

I just remember, last week, I was on a soccer forum, and there is a Rap thread. Everybody put his selection with Youtube videos.
So I posted my JJFP/WS selection (GANBT, Parents Just Don't Understand, Summertime, Switch).
And someone said to me "ok, WS is nice (ironically), but THIS is rap" and he posted his selection. Then, he said "WS is not rap, it is R'n'B" (can you believe it ?!).
By talking with them, I understand that, for these guys, rap is cursing, talking about killing people and f***ing b****es, violence, aggressivity,...
So, finally, I said "ok, it's obvious that you claim to know rap but you don't, so this is my last message on this thread".

Edited by Romano338, 01 July 2009 - 02:19 AM.

[Turntable]

R&B lol