beats or lyrics...?

for me its all about the lyrics.

yeah the lyrics are more important. But the beat has to be hot too cuz people might just overlook the song cuz it sounds boring, wack, fruity or something like that.

Lyrics but you gotta have some type of beat even if it is shit.

word

i love a song with good lyrics.. but for me.. a song HAS to have a good beat, or else i wont like it.

lyrics are more important, but people are forgettin that. That's why people judge rappers like Nas for example as a wack rapper and boring rapper because his beats aren't as hot as Jay-Zs. But nas is a better lyricist than Jay-Z

Lyrics

You have to hear before you can listen... if the beat sounds like shit, the lyrics are a waste. It's almost vice versa too, but since you can vibe to a hot beat before even having to tune out a wack MC, the beat is obviously more potent.

I'd rather listen to an instrumental album than an acapella one... there's very few MC's who could keep me listening for more than a minute acapella.

Shit... beats can stand on their own, while lyrics are wack without the flow and delivery to back them up (*cough 99% of "lyricists" cough*).

Not to mention the point that the aspects of hip-hop are predominantly based on melody and sound, rather than written or spoken word. DJ'ing, beat boxing, and producing are three fold over MC;ing. Rap is NOT spoken word, and the beat defines the music. It gives the lyrics a place to belong, and it IS a form of music, and I have never liked the idea that people degrade the art form by calling it "poetry to a beat". A hip-hop beat by itself can be be hip-hop without an MC, but lyrics cannot be hip-hop without the concepts of syncopated rythm, melody mesh etc that define rap, and are only realized in the presence of a bangin' percussion loop... be it Rahzel, RZA, or DJ Shadow...

Originally posted by MC Illest
lyrics are more important, but people are forgettin that. That's why people judge rappers like Nas for example as a wack rapper and boring rapper because his beats aren't as hot as Jay-Zs. But nas is a better lyricist than Jay-Z

yah i have to agree with u there..jays good for some beats and a little depth in some songs but nas his ass on lyrics..jay cant even get close to nas lyrics wise

Nas's rhyme schemes aren't as complex as Jay-Z's, and Jay-Z's lyrical content isn't as good as Nas's... neither are BAD in any aspect. Jay-Z has a more complex flow than Nas, and Nas has a smoother voice. Jay-Z is good at bragadacio and wordplay, Nas is incredible at storytelling and imagery. Again, neither are bad at any aspect. I don't know what's so hard to understand about that... anybody who hates on either one doesn't know jack shit about rap.

i like both jay z an nas i just before nas more...