Satellite Radio Question

Funkmasterr · Post by **Funkmasterr** » July 10, 2005, 6:09 am

OK, this is probably the wrong place to ask this, because I don't think there are a lot of rap/hip hop fans here, but its worth a shot.

I am going to get satellite radio, I can't choose between sirius and xm. At first I was leaning towards sirius, because I heard The game's new song 300 bars from sirius.. But when I compare on the websites xm looks a bit better.

Raggae/dancehall (sean paul and such, not old school stuff like bob marley) is also a factor for me. Any insight anyone might have is appreciated

Also, I see on a few of the xm models of radios, that you can store up to 5 hours of music, which would be cool, because some of the programming i would like to hear is on late on saturdays, which I would not be listening to at that time. Anyone messed with this at all ?

Pherr the Dorf · Post by **Pherr the Dorf** » July 10, 2005, 6:55 am

XM > Sirius

Fash · Post by **Fash** » July 10, 2005, 2:09 pm

I love my XM... MyFi for the win.

im not interested in howard or giant receiver units, so Sirius has nothing to offer me.

Funkmasterr · Post by **Funkmasterr** » July 10, 2005, 2:38 pm

I don't know though, the more I look at the line - up of shows for hip hop (hip hop and raggae are all I care about, no talk shows or rock or anything matters to me at all) it looks better at sirius. I want whichever plays more mixtape type stuff, the game song was a great example. I dont want to just listen to commercial free songs from peoples albums ( which I most likely already have and have heard a million times.)

Gonna be a tough decision for me.

Xzion · Post by **Xzion** » July 10, 2005, 6:13 pm

Funkmasterr wrote:I don't know though, the more I look at the line - up of shows for hip hop (hip hop and raggae are all I care about, no talk shows or rock or anything matters to me at all) it looks better at sirius. I want whichever plays more mixtape type stuff, the game song was a great example. I dont want to just listen to commercial free songs from peoples albums ( which I most likely already have and have heard a million times.)

Gonna be a tough decision for me.

why is it that everyone thats really into hiphop ONLY listens to hiphop, 1 type of music all the time would really get fucking old

Funkmasterr · Post by **Funkmasterr** » July 10, 2005, 6:24 pm

Actually, I listen to a fair variety of other music too. I like a lot of classic rock, but a local station here 92.5 KQRS (lots of people from around the country will listen to their morning show on their website) plays a good variety in that department if I want to hear that. And as far as new rock, I think its mostly garbage, aside from a few bands, like tool, APC, NIN.. and thats about it.

I am mainly getting the satellite radio because I want to hear the exclusive stuff that you get from the dj's from the east and west coast (mainly) the rap/r&b radio stations here suck, its the same old fucking songs that are not even remotely new over and over again.

noel · Post by **noel** » September 5, 2005, 4:05 am

Funk, what did you end up going with?

I just got done installing a Sirius Starbase, and other than a hiccup with antenna placement, it's pretty sweet. Chosing a provider was probably the toughest part since their content is almost exactly the same. In the end, I chose Sirius over XM due to a better selection of Dance/Electronica and NBA/NHL/NFL over MLB. XM seems to have a better selection of receivers, but for what I want to use it for, the Sirius Starbase does everything I think I'll need. I bought a PIE adapter for my stereo that gives me RCA out, so I don't have to use FM modulation, and I split the RCA cable so I now have a place to jack in my iPod as well.

The actual controller unit is tiny (fits in my previously unused ashtray). It doesn't have the tivo-like features of some of the newer FM units, but it does have the ability to select favorite teams for each of the three sporting events and get visual updates on the receiver for their scores, and when one of their games is on. So far I really like the content, but I've barely scratched the surface of listening to what's available.

If you got XM, let me know how you like it.

Winnow · Post by **Winnow** » September 5, 2005, 4:29 am

I was disappointed to see that the new Sirius "portable" player really isn't a portable at all as you need a docking station to receive the satellite signal...so it's really just a recorder for playing Sirius programs at a later time.

Bummer. If I had to choose, I'd still get a Sirius due to the NFL/NBA/NHL offerings. I only would want satellite radio while I wasn't home or in my car so I guess I'll wait another year until a Sirius true portable player is released. Hopefully it will have built in AM as well so I can listen to local sports/news talk radio.

Tyek · Post by **Tyek** » September 5, 2005, 3:54 pm

When I switched jobs a few weeks ago, my company car did not have XM. After 2 years of listening to XM, the 3 days I had to wait to get it installed were the longest of my life. I cannot believe how many damn commercials are on terrestrial radio.

Funkmasterr · Post by **Funkmasterr** » September 5, 2005, 7:54 pm

I have had sirius for a little over a month now I think. I didn't really get a response here since hardly anyone even knows what rap music is (although they still try and talk like they do) but I did talk to a bunch of people I used to work with at circuit city who told me that sirius was 100% better for rap/hip hop.

I am very glad with my decision, a lot of the dj's that I like from the east coast (dj self, dj kayslay, dj envy, etc) are on it. They have live freestyles and such from their studios so beyond the unedited and commercial free part, you are constantly getting new exclusive tracks to listen to.

The one complaint I have is that the only raggae channel they have doesn't play much of any dancehall music, they just play the older stuff like bob marley. Don't get me wrong, Bob Marley is great, but dancehall is what I really want to hear and they probably play about 2 songs every hour.

Come to think of it the other thing I have found that I don't like is that they actually waste airtime on several nights a week and do a whole show that is all "raggaeton". Those of you who are fortunate enough to not know what this is should keep it that way. Raggaeton is all in spanish (cause there are really enough peoploe listening that know spanish to make this worthwhile) and it seems to me that almost every song has the exact same beat.

Overall though, if hip hop/rap is what you like I would highly recommend sirius. I am not sure on rock music because the only rock channels I ever listen to are the classic rock stations(but they are very good also).

Two other things that I think are gonna make a lot of people move to sirius are Howard Stern, and the Nascar channels when they come onboard.

Boogahz · Post by **Boogahz** » September 5, 2005, 8:06 pm

Funkmasterr wrote:...I didn't really get a response here since hardly anyone even knows what rap music is (although they still try and talk like they do)...

Been listening to rap since you were around 6 years old.

Funkmasterr · Post by **Funkmasterr** » September 5, 2005, 8:44 pm

OH excuse me! You are a whole 7 years older than me and talking to me like im your child?

Three letters for you,

lol.

P.S. I was directing that comment at all the people posting on the threads in the general forum who listened to a few public enemy and Doug E Fresh songs back in the 80s that are trying to talk to me like they know anything about rap music, and I don't recall you being one of them.

P.S.S. The first hip hop album I bought was PE's Yo! bumrush album, which I bought on the day of release in 1987.... when I was 6.

Sionistic · Post by **Sionistic** » September 5, 2005, 9:24 pm

reggaeton is based on the same principle most club dance tracks are based on. The same basic beat with other sounds added. It just uses a different beat than dance club songs.

Winnow · Post by **Winnow** » September 5, 2005, 9:49 pm

Rap music came into the limelight in 1979 with the release Sugar Hill Gang's "Rapper's Delight" followed soon after by Blondie's "Rapture" in 1980.

Rapture was heavily influenced by Fab Five Freddie and Grand Master Flash.

Blondie's "Rapture", released in 1980, is a near singular release in the history of music. It is a remarkable case of a very, very mainstream act paying homage to a very, very underground movement. Who, outside of select circles of people in New York, even knew what hip-hop was in 1980? I remember becoming acquainted with the video around 1983, and I've never been sure why I didn't consider it to be radical -- everyone's favourite musical sex kitten, Debbie Harry, was slumming it with graffiti artists in some dimly lit after-hours location. The mind struggles to come up with a possible contemporary culture clash. Christina Aguilera going trance? AC/DC doing drum 'n bass? The closest examples in recent times are Madonna's take on electronica on "Ray of Light" and Bowie going jungle on "Earthling". However, these albums were career resurgences by their respective artists. On the other hand, "Rapture" featured Blondie at the peak of their commercial viability. Also, while Bowie and Madonna looked to increase their hipness quotient by embracing electronica with a considerable amount of fanfare, Blondie did no such thing. Hip-hop was years from being trendy and their recognition of it presaged that of any other mainstream group by a considerable margin.

I always found it interesting that Blondie had such a big hand in the beginnings of popular rap music.

Farrel · Post by **Farrel** » September 6, 2005, 12:36 am

there's not a lot to discuss. rap's gone pop

but if it contributes to a convo... game > 50

Nick · Post by **Nick** » September 6, 2005, 1:09 am

Or more precisely

A steaming pile of shit > Game/50

Funkmasterr · Post by **Funkmasterr** » September 6, 2005, 1:28 am

Ok.. I am trying to just ignore most of what is posted here.. but I can't ignore this post nick.

I agree 350% that 50 cent is garbage, I never liked him or anyone on GUnit.

But Game.. (yes he was on gunit for a couple of months.. but not anymore)
Is far from untalented. Could you come up with a fourteen and a half minute long freestyle that actually sounds good and doesn't repeat itself AT ALL like he did in 300 bars? Check the song out if you haven't heard it.

You might not like the subject of his music, but to deny that that is talent would be crazy.

miir · Post by **miir** » September 6, 2005, 2:08 am

P.S. I was directing that comment at all the people posting on the threads in the general forum who listened to a few public enemy and Doug E Fresh songs back in the 80s that are trying to talk to me like they know anything about rap music, and I don't recall you being one of them

Bow down to the glorious rap master!

I probably know more about 'old school' rap than you will ever know.

I enjoy watching you get all defensive and angry whenever someone dares to criticize your taste (not tastes) in music.

P.S.S. The first hip hop album I bought was PE's Yo! bumrush album, which I bought on the day of release in 1987.... when I was 6.

Yeah bullshit.

Farrel · Post by **Farrel** » September 6, 2005, 10:55 am

Funkmasterr wrote: I agree 350% that 50 cent is garbage, I never liked him or anyone on GUnit.

But Game.. (yes he was on gunit for a couple of months.. but not anymore)
Is far from untalented. Could you come up with a fourteen and a half minute long freestyle that actually sounds good and doesn't repeat itself AT ALL like he did in 300 bars? Check the song out if you haven't heard it.

I havent checked out 300 bars (pirating it now) but based off 'the documentary' alone, theres no competition. its far from an 'illmatic' but the best mainstream Ive heard (especially with production) since 'college dropout'.

Sueven · Post by **Sueven** » September 6, 2005, 11:25 am

I always found it interesting that Blondie had such a big hand in the beginnings of popular rap music.

Rap was basically born out of the ashes of disco. Rappers Delight was probably the first crossover rap song, but it really didn't have much to do with the music being made in the rap community at the time, which was largely two DJ's with accompanying MC's trying to blast each other off the streets with ridiculous sound systems using electricity pirated from lamp posts.

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/de ... s&n=507846

Is an interesting book covering the development of DJ-based music, disco, hip-hop, electronica, and so on.

Winnow · Post by **Winnow** » September 6, 2005, 2:57 pm

Sueven wrote:
I always found it interesting that Blondie had such a big hand in the beginnings of popular rap music.
Rap was basically born out of the ashes of disco. Rappers Delight was probably the first crossover rap song, but it really didn't have much to do with the music being made in the rap community at the time, which was largely two DJ's with accompanying MC's trying to blast each other off the streets with ridiculous sound systems using electricity pirated from lamp posts.

That's why I specified "popular rap music" in my post. Sugar Hill Gang and Blondie introduced the format on a national level. I get the feeling Blondie was just trying to help her rapper friends out as she never made another rap song.