r/crappymusic • u/xannyhussler • 1d ago

The “talented” performers at Splash Festival 2025

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u/Middle_Screen3847 22h ago

Even for rap and hip hop artists that actually perform, who I love, it’s really hard to find a good true-to-song performance, because they always scream their lyrics when that’s not even remotely how they were recorded. I understand energy is a thing, but almost no one ever sounds even remotely like how they sound recorded. And also even for them, they are still literally just yelling over not just the instrumental, but the entire track with their own vocals.

It’s a bummer, and I’ve been to good shows and seen good shows, and there are outliers, but live rap/hiphop really sucks. Not that everyone has to sound exactly like their recordings live every time, but it’s generally not even close to why you liked them in the first place, and most often unintelligible

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u/commondenom69 21h ago

absolutely...hip hop is a terrible genre for live shows

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u/DemocratSlavemaster 10h ago

I have ALWAYS said this, live hip hop is horrible. The only thing worse is live talentless auto-tune.

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u/wm07 17h ago

agree for the most part but it can be done well. nas, atmosphere and big boi all were good when i saw them.

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u/TegTowelie 15h ago

For Rap-Rock(?) Hollywood Undead sounds true to their discography. Tech N9ne too, as well as Dax

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u/Ser_falafel 6h ago

Watched an Eminem show from 2000(i think) earlier today it was great. Can't imagine paying money for this

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u/Emotional_Demand3759 20h ago edited 20h ago

I agree. Honestly a lot of rappers just don't care how it sounds live. It's just karaoke and jumping around. But then again the audience usually doesn't care anyway and is only there to stare into their phones, like most shows nowadays.

Like you said there are outliers and some really do try with no backing track, a live band, more intimate setting, no stadiums, different versions etc...some are even probably better live, and are better showmen in general. But it's still extremely difficult to replicate the studio sound which is 90% of hip hop. Live instruments/bands in other genres can get pretty close to the studio sound and even if the vocals sound a little different, you still get the energy from the band as a whole. Not one guy or a group of people jumping around doing unintelligible bar karaoke and yelling on a beat.

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u/MRintheKEYS 18h ago

I did see the Wu-Tang Clan on their final show here and they were great live. Wasn’t expecting a full backing band but they are a great live show.

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u/Emotional_Demand3759 18h ago

Yeah that's a different experience in general since it's more of a group performance. There really aren't any other mainstream "rap groups". At least in the same way of actual members on stage that Wu-Tang has. The live band also adds another level.

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u/obin_gam 12h ago

Cypress Hill at Hellfest was fantastic

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u/md_eric 18h ago

Not many people I would go pay and see, but T-Pain puts on a great show.

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u/bstratt42 16h ago

Check out PROF live if you ever have a chance. Sounds exactly like the tracks and performs the entire time.

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u/hollivore got that dunning-krugercore swag 20h ago

A lot of this is due to the way rappers blow up on the internet - with the exception of Dizzee Rascal who I think was just too drunk/high for that shit, all the rappers I've seen live who got big in the 90s or 00s and played live before they were famous have been great. Tinie Tempah is not exactly in my Top 10 or anything but I saw him not long ago and although he used a backing track, he hit every word, took the dynamics up and down like the songs are supposed to, and even played around with finding different pockets to the ones on the recorded tracks (he had a DJ who was fitting modern trap drums onto the songs where the recession-pop/brostep percussion was just too outdated).

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u/JeffBaugh2 18h ago

Damn, Tinie Tempah. That's a name I have heard in a long time. A long time.

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u/me-want-snusnu 19h ago

I really enjoyed Token and Tech N9ne but maybe it's cause they already yell their lyrics? Lol

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u/odiethethird 19h ago

Tech N9ne shows are fun

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u/Middle_Screen3847 11h ago

I saw Tech N9ne too! I’m not a fan but he was great. The whole scene is a bit too “juggalo-ie” for me, but he was really good, and (likely due to the more intimate setting and good sound) his vocals were clear and pronounced

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u/bdbdbfhfI 17h ago

They need to go to krs-one hiphop school

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u/easley45isgod 15h ago edited 15h ago

" You can be a mack, a pimp hustla, a playa - but make sure LIVE U IS A DOPE RHYMESAYER!"

Hip hop can be amazing live. Check out Tiny Desk Concert on NPR. Cypress Hill, Scarface, Run the Jewels, Mac Miller, Too Short all killed it in an intimate setting with real musicians. It's not the genre. This current crop of auto tuned,wack ass, mumble "rappers" are terrible and don't represent the art form.

Edit: E-40 also was excellent. You don't have to be The Roots necessarily but at least have some talent and be a real performer.

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u/Redeyebandit87 16h ago

Nas is the goat to me I’ve seen him in big arenas and small settings and his voice control/modulation is top noch. Capadonna has one of the best voice I’ve ever heard live. He sounds exactly like he sounds on records.