Is the any good rap that isn't about being gangster?

I think youd really like aesop rock
his lyrics are about absolutely nothing understandable, just good rhymes and rhythm. his words are poetic and seem to be about consciousness and existence
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dd_W_x3nclY"]Aesop Rock - Daylight - YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ME9cHn6j88o"]Tobacco - 09 Dirt (Featuring Aesop Rock) - YouTube
he's fucking amazing IMO... im sure his lyrics are about something deep but i can't tell what they mean. sorry to post the most famous song he has, but it's really something you should hear.. the whole Daylight album is fire

 

Ganjabomber great minds think alike. The first thing i thought when i saw the thread title was "Aesop Rock". Good call friend. Another guy to look into is an artist that Aesop Rock has worked with by the name of Despot. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WlBwBOmoPn8"]Despot - Look Alive - YouTube

 

Another group i love and a good one to look into is Das Racist.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MzWxf7tf3Qo"]Das Racist - "Rainbow in the Dark" - SXSW 2010 Showcasing Artist - YouTube

heres one with Das Racist and the aforementioned Despot

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N0ijOe3sGEk&feature=related"]Mr. Muthafuckin eXquire ft. Despot, Das Racist, Danny Brown, EL-P - The Last Huzzah - YouTube

 

Delta 9, Mr Mothafuckin eXquire is dope along with danny brown. I would recommend atmosphere for some smooth rap

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RS_3pED-wJo"]Atmosphere- GodLovesUgly - YouTube

 

Most definitely, Danny Brown's Detroit State of Mind 4 is one of my favorite underrated hip hop albums.

 

Might want to consider Sage Francis, Eyedea, Atmosphere, Nas, Eminem ( Actually has lyrical songs that arent about killing people. Might wanna try Rock Bottom and/or Beautiful by him), Lupe Fiasco. There are many, just have to find them

 

lol No not really, I that to myself all the time :afro:

 

run dmc vanilla ice beastie boys

 

If there is, I don't want to hear it

 

sure is close minded of ya

 

Old but still good & Legendary.. in my opinion .
Tupac --- Changes..Dear Mama.. Keep your head up.
Some of the things he might say seem "gangster"
but he brings a good message and I'm sure you'll like it.
He was the best rapper alive..

 

Some of the things he says are VERY gangster. He flipped back and forth between Jekyll and Hyde more than the Hulk has.

"My stomach hurts, so I'm lookin' for a purse to snatch."
"And I ain't never did a crime I ain't have to do."

I just can't respect rappers that glorify things one second and speak against them the next. Like how Eminem went anti-violence until he realized he couldn't sell shit anymore, then brought back Slim Shady more rabid then ever.

It's total bullshit.

But to show I'm hypocritical, too; check out this great Coolio track =P:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tP1PXRiVoJw"]Coolio - I'll C U When U Get There - YouTube

 

What about this Duck?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yd7tZO3pi-E"]Its all us - lowercase - LowaVader - YouTube

 

Lol.. I tried to not make the "gangster" seem that big on his behalf.
But he did kind of go back & forth but I think he did that because he had to..
He didn't want to seem like he was weak or whatever but he knew he wanted to make a difference.. and him being from the hood with expectations like he had , he kind of didn't have a choice but to play both roles in a way.

And he STILL had a very good message in those songs.
The negative parts , or what might have came across as negative puts the song together though , like a puzzle . . lol
It was said for a purpose.
People have to do things all the time, that they know aren't right ..but need to do to survive.

 

He did it for the money.

He has a good message in Dear Mama, and Keep ya Head up; I'll give you that. But he compromises the message in Changes by contradicting it throughout the song (such as by the refrain).
But I'm just saying that he's not some saint. Hit 'Em Up is the scariest, most gangster song to ever make it (except maybe Geto Boys' Dirty Bitch.)

A little too old school (of flow) and slow for my taste =P

 

I hope he had more than money behind all of that.. :/ lol .
Probably one of the reasons , but not the main.

AND OMG.. "Hit 'Em Up" is the one song I hate he did.
He shouldn't have let the Media or People around him get under his skin and affect his music side.. SMH.

And in "Changes" , I think he was pretty much going for a good message but probably made it seem "gangster" & contradicting by naming the stuff that goes on in the hood with him and others ..a little bit..(maybe a lot ? )
But I think the overall he was trying to install into people is that .. Change has to happen.
And in order for him to have to installed that , he had to seem a little "contradicting" , I guess..
But the song was still quite moving.

I love Lesane Crooks , btw...

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=og4NUMgM1nk"] The Last Bushman - Pegz

 

probablyhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N9qYF9DZPdw"]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N9qYF9DZPdw more literate than any rapper out there

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jbHWJrtH_3U&feature"]People Under The Stairs - Acid Raindrops - YouTube

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hRVOOwFNp5U"]ILL MIND OF HOPSIN 5 #hopsin - YouTube