I simply want to know which culture/music you gravitate toward and why?
Please no stereotypes, they're given that name for a reason.
No insulting one or the other, if you dont like rock, you dont like it, doesnt mean rock sucks.
If you state a specific problem please give a example.
As for my view, I'll wait a while before I state it, thought it may be obvious from some of my responses.

If I have to decide between the two, I'd say rock. However, there are exceptions: Psychopathic Records and Kanye West. I enjoy meaningful rap with a message rather than the usual bitches and hos.

Ahh, I love both so much.
They're so different from one another that you really can't compare them.
Also, each one of those catagories branch out into hundreds of others, so it's hard to make general comments.
Well, that's how I see it , anyway.

^I mean, we can all tell what basic rock and hiphop is...we dont need to go into Nu-metal and such...

But there's a huge, massive difference between Mindless Self Indulgence and Nevershoutnever, or between the Chiodos and Sublime. It's too broad of a subject.

I think you are looking at too broad of a spectrum,
Lets stick with the best mainstream these two have to offer

This topic, as stated is extremely broad. There are too many forms of rock to determine that successfuly it a well compiled opinion.

I personally like soundscape. But I say more of Rock. If its soft, or like Flyleaf and Deathcab for Cutie...and Panic! at the disco. I'll listen to Hip-hop if it's something slow, Like Alica Keys, and Bobby Valentino. But Rock its what I listen to if I don't have Youtube to listen to Final Fantasy music. LOL.

So Rock, because it has what I think more instrumentals, and alot of the lyrics are captivating and mean something under what seems like the band or person singing is going straight forward.

^Alicia Keys, and B. Valentino are R&B, one of hiphops close cousins ^_^.
But interesting viewpoint...
And people, I dont just mean the music, but the culture behind it!

Rock, sololy rock, When you take out the Earphones and you still here Joe Satriani even when your battery is dead, and when you can play songs worthy of Joe Perry Himself, and when you can Come up with nice meaningful Licks like Tak Matsumoto, and the fact that i bleed blues and hard rock... yeah take a guess

Is there no third option?

Its either or, so no, but you can choose a third if you can explain the choice

See, there are people out there who dislike hip hop.
See, there are people out there who dislike rock.
See, there are people out there who dislike both.

However I have found, much to my surprise, that if you move hip hop away from its lyrical grounding, it can go places.

What I am confused about is what you mean by the 'culture' behind them. I've always been of the opinion that identifying oneself with a subculture as a result of the music one listens to is kinda silly, you know? I just have a tough time letting the music I choose to listen to and the way that those musicians present themselves define my identity on even the slightest level. I look at it somewhat in the same way that I look at people letting their nationality define their identity (Although that is something we cannot alter), but the principle is the same in that we are individuals not bound to the customs and traditions that are really there as a side-effect more than a driving force.

With that said, I also don't view these as opposing forces by any stretch of the imagination or even all that different and I enjoy both immensely. To the point that I've been musically involved in each in the past personally (Among many other things) and loved it. Music is music, and there's way too much of it that's good for me to stick to one genre or another.

Anybody who knows me will know that I am a rocker through and through. To be honest, I nearly despise hip-hop/rap, or whatever it is called these days. I said that I nearly, but not completely, despise it. Why? Well, for one, most hip-hop/rap does not focus on real music. Yes, they can speak poetically and in rhythm, but they do not actually sing, for the most part. Also, they only give the rapper the credit, not the band playing the music for him to rap to. That is why I believe the hip-hop genre is not exactly a true form of music. If this makes me sound like a close-minded prick, I apologize, but this is merely my own opinion. You may have your own opinions, and I will respect them, even if I disagree.

From the cultural aspect of either genre, I believe rock wins out yet again. Rock offers a very broad range of cultures; be it a dark metal outlook, maybe a more pop/techno feel, or just a downhome bluesy sense. What does hip-hop offer? Gangster outlooks, mainly, though that is probably me grasping at stereotypes more than anything else. I cannot claim to know much about hip-hop, I do not even know who the hip-hop artists mentioned in this thread are... Eh, I seem to be quite hypocritical in my mindless nuances, though I was only attempting to voice my opinion fairly, without much bias.

Kouketsu wrote:What I am confused about is what you mean by the 'culture' behind them. I've always been of the opinion that identifying oneself with a subculture as a result of the music one listens to is kinda silly, you know? I just have a tough time letting the music I choose to listen to and the way that those musicians present themselves define my identity on even the slightest level. I look at it somewhat in the same way that I look at people letting their nationality define their identity (Although that is something we cannot alter), but the principle is the same in that we are individuals not bound to the customs and traditions that are really there as a side-effect more than a driving force.

With that said, I also don't view these as opposing forces by any stretch of the imagination or even all that different and I enjoy both immensely. To the point that I've been musically involved in each in the past personally (Among many other things) and loved it. Music is music, and there's way too much of it that's good for me to stick to one genre or another.

I agree completely. While I may be turned off by some songs by all of the genres, I still feel that you would be limiting yourself by listening to one or another, which is why I try and listen to it all, but that doesn't mean I don't have anything I cling closely to me, so I can't say I don't have one of those, but I can say that I don't prefer one genre over another.

Kouketsu wrote:What I am confused about is what you mean by the 'culture' behind them. I've always been of the opinion that identifying oneself with a subculture as a result of the music one listens to is kinda silly, you know? I just have a tough time letting the music I choose to listen to and the way that those musicians present themselves define my identity on even the slightest level. I look at it somewhat in the same way that I look at people letting their nationality define their identity (Although that is something we cannot alter), but the principle is the same in that we are individuals not bound to the customs and traditions that are really there as a side-effect more than a driving force.

With that said, I also don't view these as opposing forces by any stretch of the imagination or even all that different and I enjoy both immensely. To the point that I've been musically involved in each in the past personally (Among many other things) and loved it. Music is music, and there's way too much of it that's good for me to stick to one genre or another.

Well, by culture, its quite obvious the culture behind each music is different, be it regional or simply personal, the culture mindset and thought behind each one is completely different. I'm not telling you to chose one, so much as if you are in either one why? And which one out of the two would you prefer.

Riverstyx777 wrote:Anybody who knows me will know that I am a rocker through and through. To be honest, I nearly despise hip-hop/rap, or whatever it is called these days. I said that I nearly, but not completely, despise it. Why? Well, for one, most hip-hop/rap does not focus on real music. Yes, they can speak poetically and in rhythm, but they do not actually sing, for the most part. Also, they only give the rapper the credit, not the band playing the music for him to rap to. That is why I believe the hip-hop genre is not exactly a true form of music. If this makes me sound like a close-minded prick, I apologize, but this is merely my own opinion. You may have your own opinions, and I will respect them, even if I disagree.

From the cultural aspect of either genre, I believe rock wins out yet again. Rock offers a very broad range of cultures; be it a dark metal outlook, maybe a more pop/techno feel, or just a downhome bluesy sense. What does hip-hop offer? Gangster outlooks, mainly, though that is probably me grasping at stereotypes more than anything else. I cannot claim to know much about hip-hop, I do not even know who the hip-hop artists mentioned in this thread are... Eh, I seem to be quite hypocritical in my mindless nuances, though I was only attempting to voice my opinion fairly, without much bias.

My problem with this is the following sections
"Well, for one, most hip-hop/rap does not focus on real music. Yes, they can speak poetically and in rhythm, but they do not actually sing, for the most part."
MOST hip-hop is quite music, its all where you look, dont just observe the surface, dig deeper. And their speaking poetically and in rhythm is quite musical AND difficult(I would know being a rapper/ poet for 4 years now)
"Also, they only give the rapper the credit, not the band playing the music for him to rap to. That is why I believe the hip-hop genre is not exactly a true form of music."
They do not just give the rapper the credit, for instance, on Lupe Fiascos first album "Food & Liquor" the last song titled "Outro" Gives thanks and credit to all the people who worked on his album, particularly the producers of the music.
They are given credit, if they werent, Just Blaze, Soundtrakk, Pro and Zaytoven wouldn't exist or be rich.
And I can understand the cultural outlook, the problem with Hip-Hop culture, is its cryptic and hard to understand, almost like another language, on the surface it looks grungy and violent, but under that jacket is a complicated(and I'll admit somewhat twisted) system of honor valor bravery and strength that some cant understand(among other things.)

Well, by culture, its quite obvious the culture behind each music is different, be it regional or simply personal, the culture mindset and thought behind each one is completely different. I'm not telling you to chose one, so much as if you are in either one why? And which one out of the two would you prefer.

I may be a little slow but isn't "which do you prefer" and "choose one" the exact same thing? LIke I said, I could just be slow but that sounds an awful lot like self contradiction, mate. *puts on a Bill Engvall mask* Here's your sign.

Kouketsu and Riverstyx are right. This debate is basically moot. You're trying to compare apples and oranges. Both are good for you, both are fruit, but both are very different fruit and cannot be compared.

Did you seriously just try and tell me Hip-Hop and Rock can't be compared?
Stop thinking so broadly people, for once, get yourself out of that "constant expansion" mindstate and narrow it down for once...

Why don't you take your own advice and narrow it down yourself so we can supposedly compare them? This is YOUR thread after all, so specifying the debated issues is YOUR responsibility, not ours.