Tell me, how is that any different? If you don't personally enjoy hip hop then that's fine, it might not be for everyone and I respect your opinion. "The Velvet Underground & Nico" is one of the most revered albums of all time and half of the songs feature vocals from the singer Nico. Or how about "The Great Gig In The Sky" by Pink Floyd, which features a vocal performance from Clarre Tory. The classic Beatles song "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" features Eric Clapton on lead guitar, and in case you didnt know, Eric Clapton is/was not a member of the band. Another thing, musicians have been using features since way before hip hop became a thing. Hell, about half of the songs from The Beatles' first two albums are covers, including "Twist And Shout". "Respect" by Aretha Franklin is a cover of an Otis Redding song. Compton, California native Kendrick Lamar Duckworth grew up immersed in hip-hop culture and surrounded by gang activity. Black Panther: The Album (2018) was the source of three of Lamars Top Ten pop hits. Jimi Hendrix's "All Along The Watchtower" is a cover of a Bob Dylan song. Lamars cinematic and collaborative inclinations inevitably attracted the mainstream film industry. There are so many classic songs from the 60s that are cover songs. Whether she’s feeling empowered by her physicality on the Kendrick Lamar-assisted Doves in the Wind or wrestling with insecurity on Drew Barrymore, SZA’s songs impact quickly and deeply. Dre, & His Next Album By Insanul Ahmed Insanul Ahmed is an Editorial Producer for Complex. Also, if you're gonna complain about originality then you should probably talk about cover songs. Cover Story Uncut: Kendrick Lamar On Being Afraid of Going Broke, Working With Dr. A talented producer can take a sample from a nother song and flip it, repurpose it, chop it up and manipulate it into something unique and original. The use of sampling in hip hop isn't just taking old songs and "marketing them as your own". Some of the greatest lyricists and songwriters of all time are rappers. NWA's "Fuck Tha Police" is one of the most important protest songs of all time, and Kendrick Lamar's "Alright" has become an anthem for the BLM movement. have used hip hop as a platform to talk about institutionalized racism, police brutality, political corruption, poverty, gang violence, and many other issues. Artists like NWA, Public Enemy, The Roots, Rage Against The Machine, Immortal Technique, Kendrick Lamar, etc. Hip hop has been used to raise awareness and spread a message about various cultural and societal issues. But then I realized how pretentious that was, and realized that hip hop is not only one of the most influential genres of all time, but is an incredibly important one. To Simon Bramhall, I used to be just like you I thought rap wasn't 'real music' and that it had no musical value.