My friend and former bandmate Andrew Moore is an up-and-coming rap/hiphop artist. His music touches the soul and presents a powerful message. He breaks the mold by getting away from the stereotypical "Drugs, violence, sexism, bling etc..." and rapping about real issue in the world and using his talent to make a difference. I have decided, with his permission and guidance, to adapt one of his songs "Can't Stand By" to be played on acoustic guitar with singing vocals. Just Me, my voice and my guitar. I don't even really have a name for the genre this would fall into. Folk-ish maybe? I intend to keep it very simple, hardly any lead guitar. My adaptation is a work in progress and will take quite some time to complete. I intend to make a recording of it in the end, along with several other cross-genre adaptations I'm working into the same format. in the mean time, here's a link to his website. Enjoy! http://moorewatchcity.com

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-Stevo

So I had a look into the vid of the song you're targeting, and it wasn't hard to imagine a guitar version. I think it would still qualify as rap/hiphop (sorry, I still have yet to grasp the distinction between the two), because I've always understood the genre to be entirely about the rhythmically arranged spoken word, not by what accompanies it. So, solo guitar? Why not? I remember years ago hearing a rap/hiphop piece that went far outside the box (such as I knew it), surprising me with outrageously lush and highly sophisticated choral backing - it was as if as if one were in a riot of seductive, otherworldly, gigantic flowers; a transcendent beauty informed the background color throughout. It was one of only two times in memory that a rap piece ever favorably commanded my attention, and it forever changed my perception of the genre's possibilities in that it utterly defied the one-trick pony stereotype, yet no one would have denied that what I was hearing was indeed rap/hiphop, which it most certainly was. Accordingly, I don't see why a super-minimalist approach with a guitar, acoustic or electric, shouldn't be included within its spectrum. It'd give the stuffy old guard a good shaking-up.

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"Time is the wisest counselor of all." - Pericles

"I remain not entirely convinced of it." - Nano

The way I've always seen it, is rap/hiphop (I also don't see much distinction between the 2) focuses on the rythme and lyrics, while true "singing" is more melodic, and sometimes has no lyrics at all. My intention with this song is to enhance and add to the small amount of melody that Moore uses, both from his vocals and from the accompaniment. I'm also going to break up the lyrics into more of a verse/chorus kind of deal, rather than one continuous flow (although the lyrics do already have a chorus, but it is rather long and verse-like).

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-Stevo

It seems that a direct comparison to rap begins to fade, doesn't it. I suppose it would depend on how much melody you use if the term "rap" is no longer to apply.

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"Time is the wisest counselor of all." - Pericles

"I remain not entirely convinced of it." - Nano

I get where you're coming from, I would agree a lot of modern music does blur that line. Many rap songs are very melodic, while a lot of rocks songs are very monotone. Personally I prefer the more melodic of both.

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-Stevo

I wonder if anyone's done rap with a ukulele.

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"Time is the wisest counselor of all." - Pericles

"I remain not entirely convinced of it." - Nano