KUALA LUMPUR: Singaporean hip-hop singer Alyph defends "direct and hard-hitting" hip-hop lyrics as part and parcel of the genre.
He said that even though certain music lovers, especially from the older generation, describe such lyrics as "lucah" (obscene), these actually come from the heart of the singer and songwriter.
"Hip-hop lyrics are often very 'in-your-face'. They speak directly to listeners in street language, but they actually mean well. Many hip-hop songs talk about fighting bigotry and social ills, especially those created by local acts," he said in an interview at Universal Music Malaysia in Petaling Jaya today.
Alyph or Alif Abdullah, 34, said that parents should encourage their children to listen to all songs with good messages, including hip-hop songs, and even if they might perceive certain hip-hop performers as "rude", this was merely the singer's personal style.
"If we think such songs are a little too 'kasar' (rough) for our children, we can advise them not to emulate the singer's way of communication. Take what is good from the song and leave out what is not appealing," said Alyph.
Alyph added that hip-hop acts in Singapore and Malaysia had always refrained from using swear words in their lyrics, unlike some individuals in the West.
"It is not the Eastern way to do this. We may be direct but we are polite," he said.
Alyph also said that there was no "hard and fast rule" for hip-hop singers to come up with good lyrics, apart from "speaking their mind".
"If our song gets banned from the airwaves, we make amends in our next song. There will always be setbacks but they actually help us become more creative as musicians," he said, adding that trial and error was part of life.
Alyph is currently promoting his latest single Heat, which is about motivation and renewal.
