If you are looking at quantity of music produced then i think pop rock has got rap beat, specially recently. The truth is that mainstream music is only what labels think will make them a quick buck. It is really a terrible indicator of good or better music. I also disagree when you that music in the past was better. Its just that in the past, good music was put in the spotlight. Now in order to be in the spotlight you dont need to be good at music, you just need to look pretty or gangsta. I would say rap in overall has very few talented individuals. I dont listen to tupac or biggie but it really doesnt matter. In my opinion being able to rhyme lyrics and maybe talking about something "deep" does not mean you are a musician. Looping and sampling is a bullshit way to make music. I consider those select few rappers whos music is not "in the east side and west side, talking shit in da club with da bitches and hoes, in my cadillac escalade yo" to be more closely related to poets...maybe.

Freestyle rap on the other hand is totally different. I totally respsect those who do that, it is an amazing skill to be able to pull rhymes out of thin air. But in recorded music, when your music consist of dum dum psh dum dum psh dum dum psh (keyboard fill) in a loop with 1-3 dudes rhyming about stupid shit, i just cannot take it seriously.

Music is FAR from dead... You just have to pull your ears away from
the mainstream bullshit that clouds the airwaves. Secondly, Biggie and
Pac were both great in their own ways. TO ME [capitalized for those who
don't understand what an opinion is], Biggie was a better lyricist for a couple
reasons:

1)Better flow
2)Better Lyrics
3)2 VERY solid albums

AND with only the two albums out, he is just if not more popular then Tupac...

But still, mad respect to Pac for his songs. Still a very talented emcee, just not my cup of tea.

Keep in mind too, bro, that Biggie and Pac are NOT the best rappers or emcees in the world... In fact far from it.

Also, in regards to music being dead [again], I think that the MAINSTREAM died. Mainstream music like Zep/ACDC/Aerosmith
or whatever have you for classic rock is much better then this 3 Days Grace bullshit thats on the radio now. BUT the fact
still reamins, there is a lot of extremely great musicians and artists in the underground man... just look for em.

Big L R.I.P

Rap sell out alot faster than rock music.

THIS.

I consider auto-tune to be a more backwards musical idea than a progressive one.

It makes the artists fake, it's not them singing.

It's just their monotone and a program that changes the pitch of their voice

Well... if rappers were true musicians, they'd write their own music. For the most part, a lot of them write their own lyrics. But do they write their own music TO the words?

From what I know of the history of rap, it was a form of poetry, a rhyme put to drums. Then other instruments got involved.

But did anyone notice the growing trend of (at least on MTV, my friend watches it and I'm here, not me) a lot of the newer popular songs, being rock or rap, all seem to be about partying?

It's b/s. All of it.

Now you'll maybe get 1 good song or so, but not often.

And not just in rap, in rock too.

So, why? Isn't there something better to write about?

Back to the main point, newer music sucks for the most part. Music wise. What is harder to play on guitar, Boston's "More than a feeling" or any Paramore song?

I rest my case.

I doubt you even know the meaning of Sold out. Listen to Testament and tell me where they sold out

rock IS dead, metal isn't. but ummm. as for rap. jedi mind tricks, necro, ill bill, non phixion, goretex, canibus... etc
death rap's where it's at