Well RAP is a real sore spot for me, and I will admit to be highly opinionated and biased against it......so take my opinion with a grain of salt...but I feel compelled to express it here.

I have personally never considered RAP a valid musical form. I have no respect for anyone who can recite ''nursery rhymes'' on a sub-cultural level to a drum track, with a little bit of bass, and scratchy bullshit added in as coloring, nor do I have any respect for those who really enjoy this kind of music and have it booming and blasting out of their cars --and I use the term MUSIC very very loosely.

There is no comparison of RAP and Blues. They are two entirely separate entities as far as I am concerned. I do consider Blues a very valid musical form, and one that has spawned many offshoots and influenced countless musicians and composers.

To me RAP, is the ''crack cocaine'' of music. More often than not, RAP tunes perpetrate and glorify violence, cop killing, wife beating, racism, sexism......and don't even get me started on the whole ''Gangsta Rap'' thing.

I must confess that I crack a devious little smile on my face, whenever I hear that a Rapper has been blown away...or the head of a Rap label has been arrested on gun, drug or murder charges. It just reinforces everything I feel about Rap. This ''music'' is absolute garbage, and belongs where it originated --in the gutter.

Rap insults my intelligence.

Others may agree. Others may vehemently disagree. To each his own.