Jeffrey Luppino-Esposito EDITOR

As an average white boy, it's fair to assume that rap is an integral part of my life. It's also fair to assume that it has become so almost entirely against my own volition. Don't get me wrong, Dr. Dre is one of my lifelong heroes and Snoop Dogg is currently living out every single one of my fantasies. But for years, as an inhabitant of the mainstream music community at large, I was overwhelmed by rap in a predominantly dance sense. The likes of T-Pain, Flo Rida, and Soulja Boy continued to perpetuate this system of party rap that actively prevents any chance of the genre gaining full respect despite the fact that they lay down a clear bass that helps us rhythm-less pick up chicks by bobbing our heads remotely on beat.

However, in the last few years, hope has risen out of the puddles of sweat (that, as Lil' Jon reminds us, drips down our balls). While George Bush was out hatin' on black people, Kanye West was taking a stand for the merits of rap in a big way. A few years later, he's still going strong, and with his upcoming album "808s and Heartbreak," he's part of a movement that has kept rap in my life even with my conversion into the uber-hipster-indie world. Like black people playing hockey (yeah, I said it), Kanye has been rocking the indie scene by dropping three singles before the album's release and everyone is eating them up. I don't even know how I feel about these songs, but with this overtaking of the hipster underground, plus a Jay-Z/Coldplay combo cover, plus Beyonce's latest video (no link to indie culture, she's just a babe), it's obvious that rap will not be leaving my life anytime soon. Now I just need to learn to dance and all will be well in PopSenseland.

Oh wait... and Eminem put out a new song. But I don't see how that's relevant to white people and rap.

Kanye West - Coldest Winter.mp3
Kanye West - Love Lockdown.mp3
Kanye West - Heartless.mp3
Coldplay - Lost+ (remix featuring Jay Z).mp3
Eminem - I'm Having A Relapse.mp3
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End of article kid, go outside, no need to