View Full Version : The Intelligent Hip Hop/ Rap Discussion Thread
SilentKnight
2007-06-20, 11:31
Alright, so let's get this started.
Some ground rules to help facilitate a decent discussion.
1. If you come in here and ignorantly bash rap with a simple rap is crap or whatever statement, I WILL request that a mod take some sort of disciplinary action.
2. If you're one of the skeptics to the rap genre, please, politely tell us what it is about the genre that you don't like, what you look for in a song, and what you're currently listening to so that the rap veterans have an idea as to what to aim for.
3. I ask that you guys try to avoid flaming and keep an open mind. Threads like these can often become flame wars simply because one person comes in acting like a douche and so the people in the thread treat him like one. And in this manner the cycle continues.
4. For those that are more well-versed in rap, please try to contribute. One man providing artist suggestions and whatnot for an entire forum can get really difficult and time consuming.
And that should be it for now. Now on with the thread.
Let's face it, rap music is hated by most because of the image that commercialized mainstream rap has produced. Most people see rap as nothing more than unskilled buffoons talking into a mic and promoting drugs, gang violence, immoral materialistic desires, etc.
The purpose of this thread is to spread the word of quality rap music to the masses. To let them know that like every genre of music, rap music also has its good and bad artists.
With that said, I'll start things off by recommending the one artist that has changed most people's perspectives about rap. Sage Francis
Sage Francis is often described as the "thinking man's" version of Eminem, I simply call him a genius. This man is a far cry from your traditional rapper, a few listens should convince you of this fact. Insane wordplay, witty satire, excellent fusion of poetic lyrics with a rap flow, some sweet instrumentals, and always a conscious message.
If anyone wishes to hear some samples of Sage Francis, post up.
I lack sleep at the moment, so I'll recommend a bunch of other artists a bit later.
Azurexsky
2007-06-20, 12:23
i love alot of artists from Stone Throw(mf doom, madlib, etc.), thats about it for hip hop for me though.
Sinestra
2007-06-20, 12:32
Im more of a fan of old skool rap Tribe called quest, Common, Run DMC. Most Rap these days does not suit my taste. I feel that most rap is not actually saying anything or dicussing issues. Lets be real some artiest will throw a sample on throw some BS lyrics in and some curse words and thats a song I dont like that its not creative. I wish we could go back to the roots of what Rap/Hip Hop came from. But for the most part i like a good beat anything by Nas and even thought they are in the 40's now i still love Bone Thugs.
Also, I want to say Silentknight great job creating the thread and yes Sage Francis is great artiest. Kudos my friend
i like to listen to 2-pac,snoop and dr dre..maybe some jay-z
and i like latin hip-hop.ocasionally the rap hits in the clubs and thats it.
kauldron26
2007-06-20, 16:03
a tribe called quest is godly. anyone here love the roots?? im looking forward to talib kweli's new album
I think if you want intelligence in rap you should give Deltron a shot, i love his music.
That opened my eyes. After listening to his CD i knew there was something in RAP that i could actually like
Talib Kweli still hasn't released a quality solo album imo, his highpoint was definately Balckstar with the Eternal Reflection album closely following it.
If I had to make a best of Nas cd I don't think anything after Stillmatic except for maybe Let there be light would make it.
Jay-Z hasn't been the same the last few years, his voice has lost it's arrogance and complete confidence it use to carry and he just dials in performances but I guess it's hard to be hungry when you're a CEO and have Betonce....
Bone Thugs new album is meh, too much Swizz Beats and wtf at bow wow.. he wrecked that mariah collabo which is usually great between her and bone.
Kaioshin Sama
2007-06-20, 19:08
I'm a supporter of rap as a medium when the artist is trying to convey some sort of socially relevant message. For example Coolio's Gangsta's Paradise, which I take to be a rant against the entrapment and dead end lifestyle of gangsterism is one of my most respected pieces of music. However, when you're talking about Gangsta Rap which seems to serve no purpose other than to brag about how quickly you'll kill someone with your gun, I just have to shake my head and chuckle, because it's so lame.
I used to really hate rap, but I've come to tolerate most forms of it in recent years after I found something I dislike ten times worse. Now I really don't mind it at all other than maybe 50 Cent's music.
SilentKnight
2007-06-20, 19:51
I posted this idea of mine earlier, but apparently double posting gets your second post deleted.
I was thinking that I or someone else could throw together a nice compilation of select tracks and make a mixtape for those unfamiliar with rap to sample.
Shadow Miko
2007-06-20, 22:50
My mom is really into Rap and hip hop. The only stuff I can say I like is...ummm...BEP and Eminem. Do they count?
SilentKnight
2007-06-20, 23:15
My mom is really into Rap and hip hop. The only stuff I can say I like is...ummm...BEP and Eminem. Do they count?
BEP and Eminem count. They're both more mainstream and commercialized and from my viewpoint rather mediocre in terms of quality. For Eminem I recommend only listening to Slim Shady LP or earlier as that's when he still has his clever punchlines and whatnot.
deviousj
2007-06-20, 23:41
Well, I barely listen to hip hop nowadays, but it still pisses me off when people declare all hip hop as uninteresting crap. When I was still an avid listener I liked Kweli a lot. Black Star was one of my favorite albums, and Thieves in the Night was one of my favorite tracks ever - Mos' verse on that track was ridiculous. Reflection Eternal was a great album. The Manifesto was tight as well. Last Emperor's One Life is amazing as well. I loved Nas' earlier stuff as well; Illmatic is probably my favorite album. Of course, there's Rakim; what can I say about him that hasn't been already said. I love Public Enemy as well.
a tribe called quest is godly. anyone here love the roots?? im looking forward to talib kweli's new album
I wholeheartedly agree. A Tribe Called Quest are indeed godly. And I like the roots, I don't know much of their stuff yet though.
I think if you want intelligence in rap you should give Deltron a shot, i love his music.
Are you talking about Deltron 3030 or is Deltron some different artist? If you mean 3030, yes they (he?^^) are awesome. One of my favorite hip-hop artists as well.
My absolute favorite among hip-hop and rap is probably madvillain, I could listen to their album non-stop, can't wait for a second one. I guess I should check out MF Doom solo as well.
SilentKnight
2007-06-22, 12:57
I only recently came across Solilliquists of Sound. Quality stuff, DiVinci is a freaking genius with the MPC. Anyone who doesn't consider the drum machine or whatnot an instrument should check this video out.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j42SdmiU0kg
retardation
2007-06-23, 01:49
deltron is actually the group name and deltron is del's name in the context of the group. deltron 3030 is like the ultimate nerd rap album.
the new common bout to drop soon. i'm pretty excited.
i'm also feeling lupe fiasco right now for intelligent rap. kinda feeling that whole chi scene right now.
bronze nazareth recent album is not too old. i'm still giving that some listens.
i said this last time around in the last hip hop thread. not really feeling sage francis flow... putting too many words in the bar. plus his voice sounds real gay (no offense to you yuri folks).
the problem w/those that want to get into rap is that it's easy to get lost in the lyrics. great rappers use a lot of metaphors/similes and techniques that a novice won't get. that's why mainstream rap is so simple and dumbed down.
if you're willing to give rap a try i suggest:
1)Lupe Fiasco: he's a nerd who's into anime, a skater, doesn't curse, a devout muslim, intelligent, very lyrical, addresses social ills
-check out his song "kick,push" which is about skateboarding (and a metaphor for life), his album Food & Liquor, and his Revenge of the Nerd mixtape
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lupe_fiasco
2)MF DOOM: nerds/comic book readers will love him, his song are never about much but he's great, funny, wears a Doctor Doom style mask, does voices for Adult Swim shows
-check out MM...FOOD and DangerDoom (Adult Swim album)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mf_doom
3)get some De La Soul or A Tribe Called Quest both are really fun, lighthearted, and smart
4)Talib Kweli and Common: really socially concious and intelligent, lots of meaningful songs
5)Count Bass D: indie artist, raps and produces, average joe/everyman type of guy
-check out his album "Dwight Spitz"
6)Nujabes: japanese producer, did a lot of the Samurai Champloo OST, jazzy
-get Metaphorical Music and Modal Soul
7)The Roots: one of the best live bands, they've played w/everyone from Prince to John Mayer
For real hip hoppers, check out Blu & Exile's album "Below the Heavens"
Fragment
2007-06-27, 12:55
I wouldn't choose rap over hip/pop, but if you're looking for some good rap I reccomend HOME MADE KAZOKU.
a tribe called quest is godly. anyone here love the roots?? im looking forward to talib kweli's new album
are the roots still making music? =o
When i was in middle school and into rap, the roots were one of my favourite bands. Really soul-full music.
Heh, when i came into this thread i thought it was gonna be about japanese rap artists like def-row, or sorta like flo, but i guess they are more popish.
As for my matured opinion of rap. Usually it stands for everything i hate. Alot of oldschool rap was about being good at rapping, hanging out, or about nothing at all! Which was cool and fun. Now i find alot of it is just egotistic ignorance. I'm not a fan of nickelback or whoever made this song, but i love this quote: "if everyone learned and nobody lied, if everyone shared and swallowed their pride... then we'd see the day when nobody died." It's not true in entirety, but in theory and everything i hear in rap is saying "hey im better than you, and stop rapping cause this is my scene, blah blah I'm an idiot." It's all the ignorance that makes me glad im on the south side of detroit river (Canadian side).
Sorry i got carried away, but it angers me because pop appears to be in the process of being taken over by rap, which just makes japanese music that much more appealing.
jonram91
2007-06-27, 17:32
I've been looking for a bit and i can't seem to find too many good rap love songs. Does anybody know of any good ones?
Inu_Sess__
2007-06-28, 14:45
You can never go wrong with The Pharcyde or A Tribe Called Quest when it comes to quality hip/hop that is not crunk. If you're looking for fun style rap, check out laptop rappers MC Chris and MC Lars, both very intelligent, funny, and very geeky.
Edit: Some how I forgot to mention Jurassic 5. Jurassic 5 is my favorite hip hop group, and Quality Control is an excellent album.
are the roots still making music? =o
When i was in middle school and into rap, the roots were one of my favourite bands. Really soul-full music.
Heh, when i came into this thread i thought it was gonna be about japanese rap artists like def-row, or sorta like flo, but i guess they are more popish.
As for my matured opinion of rap. Usually it stands for everything i hate. Alot of oldschool rap was about being good at rapping, hanging out, or about nothing at all! Which was cool and fun. Now i find alot of it is just egotistic ignorance. I'm not a fan of nickelback or whoever made this song, but i love this quote: "if everyone learned and nobody lied, if everyone shared and swallowed their pride... then we'd see the day when nobody died." It's not true in entirety, but in theory and everything i hear in rap is saying "hey im better than you, and stop rapping cause this is my scene, blah blah I'm an idiot." It's all the ignorance that makes me glad im on the south side of detroit river (Canadian side).
Sorry i got carried away, but it angers me because pop appears to be in the process of being taken over by rap, which just makes japanese music that much more appealing.
the roots put out an album last year.
the dumb stuff you hear in rap is only in the mainstream. turn off mtv and the radio and there's plenty of great artists out there. you just gotta put in some effort to find them. guys like lupe fiasco or little brother are great.
in the next two years, a lot of the ignorance will be eliminated because it's no longer selling.
Roots are suppose to be releasing another album this year on that Def Jam side label Jay-Z made.
I like Lupe like a lot of people here, I just can't say I like his album.
in the next two years, a lot of the ignorance will be eliminated because it's no longer selling.
I'm sure someone said that in 2004, and 2002 and 2000 and 1998 and well you get the idea.
I knew I'd find something worth coming back for.
*Applauds*
Accolades to the author of this thread. Hip Hop isn't dead until we the fans say so.
retardation
2007-07-18, 22:14
I've been looking for a bit and i can't seem to find too many good rap love songs. Does anybody know of any good ones?
j-live - the 4th third - this here is a great love song. it's very realistic. i think too many hip hop songs are overgeneralized. this is sincere and clearly about an actual girl. i think almost all guys can probably relate to this.
lupe fiasco - sunshine - this song is "cute". it's on lupe's food & liquor album. i mean it's the opposite of the above song, very general but it's nice and poetic. i like it better than common - the light and pharoahe monch - the light which are very similiar (haha, all 3 with similar titles). you could check those too though because they are cool.
ghostface killah - camay - this song is pretty cool. just has ghostface, capadonna and raekwon doing their hip hop love ballad thing over a haunting rza beat. it's hilarious that this and wildflower are on the same album.
methodman - all i need - you probably already know this song. this has to be the essential east coast love song.
Medalist
2007-07-19, 04:12
Sean Kingston - Beautiful Girls - song is ok on my list :)
(notes: with all the rules in this thread, the name of the thread already expresses a biased opinion about hip hop / rap)
SilentKnight
2007-07-19, 05:35
I actually just copied the name of the thread from the Narutofan forums without giving much thought to it.
I mainly wanted a thread for current listeners and newcomers alike to discuss hip hop and rap without all the pointless bashing.
And yes, my tastes in hip hop at the moment are rather biased hence my posts regarding the music are going to reflect my current position on the condition of hip hop.
So what are some standout hiphop albums of 2007 so far? I haven't really listened any new rap this year. Just been listening to Lupe Fiasco, Ghost Face, Subtle, a little bit of Sage and Tech n9ne lately.
Check out Cool Calm Pete and Babbletron guys. His stuff isn't exactly new but he's got some pretty cool tracks. I especially recommend Babbletron's Space Tech Banana Clip It's some hardcore nerd rap somewhat similar to MF Doom. I think you can check it out on their myspace page, thats where I stubbled across them.
Nothing really good has come out in the mainstream or underground, T.I had the potential to deliver a pretty decent mainstream album but a lot of weak tracks were on it. Help Is Coming is the easy standout track.
Common's new album has leaked on the internet, I'm going to buy it though so my opinions on it will be rather late.
SilentKnight
2007-07-21, 14:36
Releases of 2007 that I felt worth checking out:
Talib Kweli - Eardrum
Canibus - For Whom The Beat Tolls
Pharoahe Monch - Desire
solid but not so WOW release:
Common - Finding Forever
not too many releases this year, but there's still time left so we'll see
This may be just a rumor but I heard Deltron 3030 is going to release Deltron Event II this year as well.
retardation
2007-07-22, 19:27
Releases of 2007 that I felt worth checking out:
Talib Kweli - Eardrum
Canibus - For Whom The Beat Tolls
Pharoahe Monch - Desire
solid but not so WOW release:
Common - Finding Forever
not too many releases this year, but there's still time left so we'll see
if you like bcc, sean price's latest mixtape called "master p" (no relation to no limit) is pretty good. another good mixtape is royce 5'9's "bar exam". terminology also has a new mixtape out but i'm too lazy to look at it.
i haven't been into kweli for a while but i just heard half of eardrum and i think it's pretty good.
monch's desire is way too weird for me but ironically i'm feeling the canibus album which is even weirder (:confused: @ the female news anchor, cosmonauts, and 2(!?) 400 bar songs).
finding forever is straight but disappointing.
This may be just a rumor but I heard Deltron 3030 is going to release Deltron Event II this year as well.
I will be a very happy man then. One of my fav rap albums of all time.
On another note IGN had an article about some 07 rap albums to check out. One of their suggestions really stood out to me, Sharkey & C-Rayz Walz are...Monster Maker. I listened to a couple tracks off their myspace and was blown away. The album doesn't come out till the 7/31 though.
Check it out. http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=89420221
Top 10 MCs according to MTV (right now)
1. Lil Wayne
2. T.I.
3. The Game
4. Andre 3000
5. Kanye West
6. Young Jeezy
7. Jay-Z
8. 50 Cent
9. Common
10. Jim Jones
Thoughts?? I'd say it was pretty accurate
Da_truth
2007-07-30, 20:53
Rap is the best thing to hit the world...Besides cable...
And Jay-z is the best rapper alive.
SilentKnight
2007-07-31, 04:21
Top 10 MCs according to MTV (right now)
1. Lil Wayne
2. T.I.
3. The Game
4. Andre 3000
5. Kanye West
6. Young Jeezy
7. Jay-Z
8. 50 Cent
9. Common
10. Jim Jones
Thoughts?? I'd say it was pretty accurate
MTV is absolute TRASH
Those people absolutely DO NOT DESERVE to be on that list.
50 Cent especially is absolutely whack and needs to be shot and killed.
How the living hell is Rakim not on that list? The god MC?
The only person I can almost maybe see myself agreeing with is Common.
WTF at Jim Jones at number 10?
my top 10 in random order:
Rakim
KRS-One
Nas
Big Daddy Kane
Kool G. Rap
Keith Murray
Pharoahe Monch
Guru (GangStarr)
Metal Face Doom
Del Tha Funkee Homosapien
Top 10 Honorable mentions:
Devin The Dude
Sadat X
Percee P
Kool Moe Dee
Big Punisher
Common
Chuck D
Ras Kass
GZA
Aceyalone
Up and Coming:
Lupe Fiasco
Tonedeff
Iron Solomon
The Saurus
Illmaculate
The Emcee (Jin Tha Emcee)
Insight
These lists aren't perfectly accurate, as I spent a great deal of time debating who I should put where and whatnot and I still am debating.
Even though I think that list is a joke you do realize that it is talking about right now as well as from a commercial point of view? What exactly have Rakim, KRS and Kane done lately? Kool G Rap is past his prime as he got outdone by Young Chris of all people on a track lately.
I also have no idea how you can put that monotone waste of beats Guru on your list and not have Andre 3000 and Scarface. Big Punisher and no Jay-Z? You do realize if he had lived he would've been just as commercial as Jay-Z and I'll still take Reasonable Doubt over Capital Punishment even though both were classics.. no song on RD was as bad as Punish Me...
Ras Kass has been an utter disappointment since his first album, isn't he signed (or trying to be) with G-Unit now? Tonedeff has been up and coming for what the last 6 years?
No MF Doom?!? ....pffff!!
:p
Im surpirse no one has mentioned Blackilious, Lyrics Born or any of the other groups/colaberations associated with the Quannum Projects. I would highly recommend.
And for those who like to go back a few years - Pete Rock & CL Smooth. "They Reminisce Over You" is a definate favourite.
And for those who like to go back a few years - Pete Rock & CL Smooth. "They Reminisce Over You" is a definate favourite.
I've always preferred them to Gangstarr, shame Pete Rock just lost it, CL Smooth really got into Pete in an interview a few years ago not long after Nas said something about him. (too scared too leave his house, is a recluse.. something like that).
2. If you're one of the skeptics to the rap genre, please, politely tell us what it is about the genre that you don't like, what you look for in a song, and what you're currently listening to so that the rap veterans have an idea as to what to aim for.
I found this post in another forum and it pretty much sums up my current opinion on rap.
Because I have to listen to dumbass middle-upper class suburban white kids sing this;
Straight To The Bank lyrics by 50 Cent.
<Lyrics> (http://www.completealbumlyrics.com/lyric/131327/50+Cent+-+Straight+To+The+Bank.html)
He says,
"I ain't even gotta rap now life is made
Said I ain't even gotta rap, I'm filthy man"
Then he goes on to "laugh" straight to the bank.
What it means is this; "Hahah, I've made millions and millions of dollars from you dumbass white boys buying my shit so now I'm just rapping about how much money I have. And you'll still give me more money to listen to me make fun of you. Thank God for all the dumbasses in the world".
I honestly haven't heard any rap that was of any lyrical depth at all. (and I spent three hours a day on a bus during high school with a driver who insisted on playing hip-hop and rap) I watched the intro to Samurai Champloo and honestly broke out laughing when I heard them use the words "dove" and "tear" together in a rap song.
SilentKnight
2007-07-31, 15:08
Even though I think that list is a joke you do realize that it is talking about right now as well as from a commercial point of view? What exactly have Rakim, KRS and Kane done lately? Kool G Rap is past his prime as he got outdone by Young Chris of all people on a track lately.
I also have no idea how you can put that monotone waste of beats Guru on your list and not have Andre 3000 and Scarface. Big Punisher and no Jay-Z? You do realize if he had lived he would've been just as commercial as Jay-Z and I'll still take Reasonable Doubt over Capital Punishment even though both were classics.. no song on RD was as bad as Punish Me...
Ras Kass has been an utter disappointment since his first album, isn't he signed (or trying to be) with G-Unit now? Tonedeff has been up and coming for what the last 6 years?
Rakim is supposed to have a new album coming out soon, or so I've heard. KRS put out some new stuff recently.
True, Rakim, KRS, and Kane haven't really done anything lately, but I'm not talking about lately. I'm talking about their influence on other artists and the respect they've garnered as a whole.
And as I said, the list I threw together isn't completely accurate.
Andre 3000 and Scarface, hate to say, I forgot about them.
Big Pun and no Jay-Z? Jay-Z copies so many lyrics it's not even funny anymore. Yea, he's got flow and all that shit, but copying lyrics from Biggie and all simply just killed it for me.
SilentKnight
2007-07-31, 15:20
I found this post in another forum and it pretty much sums up my current opinion on rap.
I honestly haven't heard any rap that was of any lyrical depth at all. (and I spent three hours a day on a bus during high school with a driver who insisted on playing hip-hop and rap) I watched the intro to Samurai Champloo and honestly broke out laughing when I heard them use the words "dove" and "tear" together in a rap song.
Samurai Champloo had an awesome soundtrack.
50 Cent is retarded, him and his listeners are caught up in that hunk of mainstream mentality.
One suggestion to get you started off that I stumbled across rather recently would be Sol.iLLaquists of Sound.
http://www.myspace.com/solilla
Other than that, the better rap releases of 2007 Canibus' For Whom The Beat Tolls, Pharoahe Monch's Desire, and Talib Kweli's Eardrum are definitely worth checking out.
Big Pun and no Jay-Z? Jay-Z copies so many lyrics it's not even funny anymore. Yea, he's got flow and all that shit, but copying lyrics from Biggie and all simply just killed it for me.
The Jay-Z bites lyrics thing is so blown out of proportion and I think it's really dumb to knock on someone who has such a massive amount of songs. He's done... what over 500 songs? (probably another 100-200 when you add freestyles) Add all his "bitten" lines together and it would top out @ 2 songs maximum.
His longest "bite" was on his hit single "Give It To Me, I'm a Hustler" from the Dynasty album. He probably had 3-4 lines worth of Biggie on that track. Sounds bad right? Too bad C.Wallace is credited as a writer for that song on the album.
I don't see Nas and Tupac getting slammed for using the same concept as Organized Confusions (Monch and Po) Stray Bullet.
What's worse biting 2 famous lines from Slick Rick on the Blueprint album which Slick Rick is a guest on or using Slick Ricks style completely for a song like Nas did on Stillmatic's Destroy and Rebuild? (Which Cormega completely called him out on in the reply)
I found this post in another forum and it pretty much sums up my current opinion on rap.
I honestly haven't heard any rap that was of any lyrical depth at all. (and I spent three hours a day on a bus during high school with a driver who insisted on playing hip-hop and rap) I watched the intro to Samurai Champloo and honestly broke out laughing when I heard them use the words "dove" and "tear" together in a rap song.
If you heard someone say anime was all kids stuff and porn what would you think of that person?
Go Google the Ras Kass track "Nature of the Threat" since you seem to think hiphop = 50 cent :rolleyes:
SilentKnight
2007-07-31, 19:22
The Jay-Z bites lyrics thing is so blown out of proportion and I think it's really dumb to knock on someone who has such a massive amount of songs. He's done... what over 500 songs? (probably another 100-200 when you add freestyles) Add all his "bitten" lines together and it would top out @ 2 songs maximum.
His longest "bite" was on his hit single "Give It To Me, I'm a Hustler" from the Dynasty album. He probably had 3-4 lines worth of Biggie on that track. Sounds bad right? Too bad C.Wallace is credited as a writer for that song on the album.
I don't see Nas and Tupac getting slammed for using the same concept as Organized Confusions (Monch and Po) Stray Bullet.
What's worse biting 2 famous lines from Slick Rick on the Blueprint album which Slick Rick is a guest on or using Slick Ricks style completely for a song like Nas did on Stillmatic's Destroy and Rebuild? (Which Cormega completely called him out on in the reply)
The way I see it, same concept and style isn't as bad as same lyrics word for word. I mean concept and style still has your own spin to it, but taking lyrics word for word is like "Oh hey, this isn't mine but let's just use it to kill some track time cause I'm too lazy to create and string together a few more syllables and words and put a little more effort into the song."
I've never seen people give props to a lyric Jay-Z has bit, he bites famous sayings more than tight lines. I've seen countless people give props to Nas I Give You Power, even lots of people saying Tupac bit the concept on Me & My Girlfriend.
How is reusing a very popular snoop chorus (OBVIOUS) worst than reusing a new concept from an underground group? (NOT OBVIOUS) How many people knew that Jay-Z's Jigga My Nigga reused Snoops Chorus from What's My Name? (Everyone who listened to Doggystyle) How many people knew Organized Konfusion did Stray Bullet? (not many) No one goes "ah man jays gave us some tight lyrics in jigga my nigga", everyone praises I Gave You Power as not only one of the best songs off It Was Written but as one of the best concept songs in hiphop.
Cormega gave Nas the "Life's a Bitch, but God-forbid the bitch divorce me" line on Affirmative Action, is Nas wack now?
Also back to Jay-Z biting, this is not biting.
Do me a favor dude, get 2 ice cubes I pass them
Take that ice up, for the nicest MC
And please yo, tell BIG, he's unbelievable
Friend or foe BIOTCH!
Now I believe the Jay Z is a biter mp3 quoted the first 2 lines I've got here and than the biggie song, whats the biggie song called? Oh it's unbelievable.. so right after he says the "bitten" lines he says big and the song name...
I'm sorry that's not biting, a lot of that jayz is a biter mp3 had similar situations, where whoever made it didn't know or care about things like the above.
edit smh @ gza
"on the track like jessie owens"- jay (big L, jay-z freestyle 95)
"run on the track like jessie ownes"- gza (Jumpoff from The W)
SilentKnight
2007-07-31, 22:16
Actually, I should revise that list of mine.
somewhere along the line I decided to randomly pick out notable artists and toss them in random spots and decide "Meh, it looks close enough."
top 10
Rakim
KRS-One
Nas
Big Daddy Kane
Kool G Rap
Keith Murray
Pharoahe Monch
Metal Face Doom
Del Tha Funkee Homosapien
Andre 3000
everything beyond that is rather arbitrary.
And I should note right now that I should have said it earlier, kill me for this if you want, Jay-Z's stuff is not my cup of tea. I've forced myself to sit there and listen and hope that it would grow on me, no dice.
I blew the biting thing out of proportion. It's more of an annoyance to me than something for me to make a big deal over. Overall, Jay-Z just didn't place in my book because his style doesn't suit me.
-Mad Skillz-
2007-08-03, 19:06
Go Google the Ras Kass track "Nature of the Threat" since you seem to think hiphop = 50 cent :rolleyes:
Flippin' ridiculous track.
After that check out Poet Laureate II (and Poet Laureate Infinity) by Canibus.
FoxHound9
2007-08-16, 12:20
I'm really into underground hiphop and I'm going to the sickest hiphop tour of the year; Rock the Bells! A bunch of really dope artists are going to be there when I see the tour in San Francisco. Some of my favorite artists these days are:
Murs
Immortal Technique
Atmosphere
Aesop Rock
FELT
The Roots
Urotsukidoji
2007-08-16, 12:35
Most rap that I seem to come across is supremely annoying. What I am disturbed about is that these artists can rap constantly about their "niggas" and "bitches" and people actually buy their records. It sickens me!
The only good rap IMO is Rage Against The Machine, and even then they have more of a heavy metal/rapcore style than true "niggas and bitches" rap. They're definitely better than trash like 50 Cent (he got shot nine times, but if you ask me he should be shot a tenth time... in the face), Kanye West (Mr. durrrrrrrr, da prez h8s blak ppl ololololol!!!11!1111!!!!1SHIFT!!), and the Ying Yang Twins (it's not even that, the concept is actually spelled yin-yang. Shows you just how smart these morons are).
Urotsukidoji
2007-08-17, 13:55
I don't listen to rap because i simply hate the style: Rytmic talking with one simple beat that goes on through the whole song. Most rap seems to be this way, though some songs are diffrent. But it's still the rytmic talking, they don't sing. I'm more into metal.... listened to metal since i was 7, where i got into music.
Aye, this is precisely the reason why I do not like most rap. Unlike most commercialized American rap, heavy metal has a dynamic rhythm and is much more exciting. Ever listen to DragonForce's Through the Fire and Flames? Trying to play the solo will make you want to commit suicide, and playing the main melody will completely cut off the blood supply to your fingers and make your entire hand fall off.
I started listening to metal when I was eight, and even then I had to hide the Pantera records from my mother. :P
I probably should stop talking about this topic, as it is about hip-hop/rap, not metal...
2H-Dragon
2007-08-17, 14:47
Chris Rock about Rap Music (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z9A2I-X7b-w) <---what he said K?
Seriously who cares if they rap about bitches and ho's. Rockstars sing about women leaving them /cry or should I say /scream o_O. If you listen to any genré it's same shit different day tbh. The only proper music genre is classical, istrumental and trance/techno, etc, because no1 cares about the lyrics anymore because we already heard em all. Though I do love rock and rap, because the voice is an instrument. Lyrics ain't important for me though. Hence I can also appreciate non-english( and non-dutch)vocals. Go read a book if you want some deep shiz.
There is a diffrence between Rap and Hip hop. Rap=MainStream BootyShaking Cars Money Money BootyShaking BootyShaking Hoe's Cars Money BootyShaking BootyShaking Hoes and more BootyShaking. I also forgot Money.
Hip hop= Everything from the 90s and below. I can find two lyrics one from Biggie and one from Tupac. Then one from 50cent and one from Jayz. I will post them here and I want you to tell me which one is real rap.
I listen to DJ Krush, Five Deez, Fat Jon, 3582 and J. Rawls. Most of that was simply following Fat Jon's trail on iTunes, although I got DJ Krush from an iTunes reccomendation.
Leedizzle
2007-08-17, 17:42
I really don't think mainstream rap music is hated by that many people really.
At least from what I have experienced in my High School and currently my College is that most people enjoy mainstream rap.
Yes, I believe the image some rappers portray in their videos about women, money, and drugs isn't the life lesson you want to show your kids, but the appeal is the allure of this sort of lifestyle where there are constant parties, drugs, and beautiful women or men in some cases for females. The question is who really wouldn't want a lifestyle that is bathed in luxury?
I'm a rather large fan of mainstream rap from Lil Jon to 50 Cent to Paul Wall. They have all released songs that I can enjoy. Perhaps it is because I don't look to deep into the lyrics or try to absorb meaning from these songs.
For intelligent Hip Hop/Rap, who's the judge? I mean does this some specific criteria before a piece of music becomes intelligent? Is it the message it portrays? Is it the flow? The lyrics? I mean does it have to portray a positive message?
Can it not just appeal to a wide, diverse group of people? Shouldn't music just bring people to listen to it and enjoy it?
Urotsukidoji
2007-08-17, 17:50
Seriously who cares if they rap about bitches and ho's. Rockstars sing about women leaving them /cry or should I say /scream o_O. If you listen to any genré it's same shit different day tbh.
Not all rappers rap about "niggas and bitches" (to them, "bitches" and "hos" are technically the same thing) just like not all rock stars sing about women leaving them. Tony Kakko of Sonata Arctica and James Hetfield of Metallica both include extensive literary references in their vocals (Sonata Arctica's Wolf and Raven is a completely obvious homage to Shakespeare's Macbeth). The extreme power metal band DragonForce tends to sing more about driving a Dire Sword of Frost straight through an orc's head rather than about love. The death metal band Cannibal Corpse sings exclusively about gore rather than love (song titles like "Blunt Force Castration," "Drowning in Viscera," "Hammer Smashed Face," "Dormant Bodies Bursting," and "Hatchet to the Head" are a testament to this). NWOBHM band Iron Maiden prefer epic vocals and high-flying dual guitar wankery, and incorporate poetic and literary references into their songs (check out "The Rime of the Ancient Mariner," which retells the poem of the same name).
In my opinion there are very very few songs with really good lyrics, conentwise that is (and no, I wouldn't count any of those you named, Urotsukidoji). But most of the time I really don't care, since, as 2H-Dragon put it: "Go read a book if you want some deep shiz." :p There are exceptions, of course.
And Leedizzle is right as well. There's nothing that makes universally appealing music inter-subjectively stupid. From a purely subjective point of view I would call lots of it stupid though, but meh. ;)
And to the two metalheads here: Metal is not better than rap. It's funny that you mentioned Sonata Arctica because I would say they're inferior to pretty much every rap-artist I listen to. Don't get me wrong, I like metal as well and the genre has produced some great music and what I said before certainly applies the other way around as well: rap is not better than metal. But I just don't like it when people dismiss a whole genre without ever giving it a serious try, or worse, exclusively listen to only one genre. Not that I would force anyone either. :p
FoxHound9
2007-08-18, 09:25
There is a diffrence between Rap and Hip hop. Rap=MainStream BootyShaking Cars Money Money BootyShaking BootyShaking Hoe's Cars Money BootyShaking BootyShaking Hoes and more BootyShaking. I also forgot Money.
Hip hop= Everything from the 90s and below. I can find two lyrics one from Biggie and one from Tupac. Then one from 50cent and one from Jayz. I will post them here and I want you to tell me which one is real rap.
I can relate to rap being mainstream and all, but I disagree with Hip Hop being restricted to the 90s and below. During the 90s and below the MAINSTREAM hip hop might have been good, but to this day there are plenty good underground mcs and groups that rhyme about anything from politics to romance issues to just partying.
http://myspace.com/blackalicious
http://myspace.com/brotherali
Urotsukidoji
2007-08-18, 16:26
And to the two metalheads here: Metal is not better than rap. It's funny that you mentioned Sonata Arctica because I would say they're inferior to pretty much every rap-artist I listen to. Don't get me wrong, I like metal as well and the genre has produced some great music and what I said before certainly applies the other way around as well: rap is not better than metal. But I just don't like it when people dismiss a whole genre without ever giving it a serious try, or worse, exclusively listen to only one genre. Not that I would force anyone either. :p
IMO, metal is better than rap. However, I do not base this on assumption or ignorance; I tried at least seventeen times in my life to listen to rap, and all seventeen times I hated it. The simple, repetitive beat paired with the intensely rhythmic lyrics with obscenities every other word just grates on my nerves like sandpaper does a block of wood... Here's a prime example:
[Hook]
[Kanye]
That's that crack music nigga
That real black music nigga
La-la-la-la-la-la-la-la
La-la-la-la-la-la
[The Game]
That's that crack music nigga
That real black music nigga
La-la-la-la-la-la-la-la
La-la-la-la-la-la
[Verse 1]
[Kanye]
How we stop the black panthers?
Ronald Reagan cooked up an answer
You hear that?
What Gil Scott was hearin
When our heroes and heroines got hooked on heroin.
Crack raised the murder rate in DC and Maryland
We invested in that it's like we got Merril-Lynch
And we been hangin from the same tree ever since
Sometimes I feel the music is the only medicine
So we cook it, cut it, measure it, bag it,sell it
The fiends cop it
Nowadays they can't tell if that's that good shit
We ain't sure man
Put the CD on your toungue yeah, thats pure man.
How can anyone even like this? Especially the first part, with all the "la-la-la-la-la-la-la-black music." Megadeth's Burnt Ice conveys practically the same message, about drug addiction. The only difference between Burnt Ice and Crack Music is that the former is devoid of racial slurs, idiotic "Crack Music! Black Music!", and sounds much better overall. Believe me, I know... I actually listened to both of them, and Megadeth's song is superior.
You can't extrapolate to a whole genre from the comparison of two songs (neither of which I know, I have to admit). But it's up to you, whether you make the effort and try looking for the good stuff or not.
I myself enjoy discovering new genres (now I do that is...it wasn't always the case) and have yet to find one which doesn't offer multiple great bands/musicians.
2H-Dragon
2007-08-19, 03:29
Not all rappers rap about "niggas and bitches" (to them, "bitches" and "hos" are technically the same thing) just like not all rock stars sing about women leaving them. Tony Kakko of Sonata Arctica and James Hetfield of Metallica both include extensive literary references in their vocals (Sonata Arctica's Wolf and Raven is a completely obvious homage to Shakespeare's Macbeth). The extreme power metal band DragonForce tends to sing more about driving a Dire Sword of Frost straight through an orc's head rather than about love. The death metal band Cannibal Corpse sings exclusively about gore rather than love (song titles like "Blunt Force Castration," "Drowning in Viscera," "Hammer Smashed Face," "Dormant Bodies Bursting," and "Hatchet to the Head" are a testament to this). NWOBHM band Iron Maiden prefer epic vocals and high-flying dual guitar wankery, and incorporate poetic and literary references into their songs (check out "The Rime of the Ancient Mariner," which retells the poem of the same name).
Of course they don't all sing about the same thing. It was just kinda way to make a point that lyrics ain't that important. Hell we listened to them all already, but where still ready to hear some more.
Even if they sing about other things I just don't care tbh. IMO music is for listening. Nothing more nothing less. Of course there are some songs with deep lyrics, but I am not listening to music for the dept of lyrics. If you are looking for some dept and things that will change your views on life I think you are looking at the wrong place.
Wow, I recently got MF Doom's Operation: Doomsday and it's absolutely awesome! I can only recommend it to everyone who hasn't listened to it yet! :D
FoxHound9
2007-08-20, 10:37
IMO, metal is better than rap. However, I do not base this on assumption or ignorance; I tried at least seventeen times in my life to listen to rap, and all seventeen times I hated it. The simple, repetitive beat paired with the intensely rhythmic lyrics with obscenities every other word just grates on my nerves like sandpaper does a block of wood... Here's a prime example:
[Hook]
[Kanye]
That's that crack music nigga
That real black music nigga
La-la-la-la-la-la-la-la
La-la-la-la-la-la
[The Game]
That's that crack music nigga
That real black music nigga
La-la-la-la-la-la-la-la
La-la-la-la-la-la
[Verse 1]
[Kanye]
How we stop the black panthers?
Ronald Reagan cooked up an answer
You hear that?
What Gil Scott was hearin
When our heroes and heroines got hooked on heroin.
Crack raised the murder rate in DC and Maryland
We invested in that it's like we got Merril-Lynch
And we been hangin from the same tree ever since
Sometimes I feel the music is the only medicine
So we cook it, cut it, measure it, bag it,sell it
The fiends cop it
Nowadays they can't tell if that's that good shit
We ain't sure man
Put the CD on your toungue yeah, thats pure man.
How can anyone even like this? Especially the first part, with all the "la-la-la-la-la-la-la-black music." Megadeth's Burnt Ice conveys practically the same message, about drug addiction. The only difference between Burnt Ice and Crack Music is that the former is devoid of racial slurs, idiotic "Crack Music! Black Music!", and sounds much better overall. Believe me, I know... I actually listened to both of them, and Megadeth's song is superior.
I'm not a huge Kanye fan, but that wasn't really about drug addiction... it's about how the gov't and the police infiltrated the black panthers with crack and heroin. It's just not a very good song... and definitely should not be the standard that hip hop is judged for.
Urotsukidoji
2007-08-20, 11:14
Then, I suppose the question would be... what is the best hip-hop/rap song ever? I would love to get into it... I just need a suggestion.
Well, since that's obviously purely subjective I can only speak for myself. And I can't really recommend a single song... but my favorite album is clearly Madvillain's Madvillainy. It's not easy to get into (at least for me it wasn't) but once you got it it's awesome and beyond.
If you don't like it...I don't think I can help you. :p
Then, I suppose the question would be... what is the best hip-hop/rap song ever? I would love to get into it... I just need a suggestion.
Here's my fav rap albums, pretty much every song is good.
1. Nas- Illmatic listen to "Represent"
2. Deltron- 3030 listen to "Mastermind"
3. Lupe Fiasco- Lupe Fiasco's Food and Liquor listen to "Day Dreamin"
SilentKnight
2007-08-22, 07:26
Then, I suppose the question would be... what is the best hip-hop/rap song ever? I would love to get into it... I just need a suggestion.
I don't believe one can name a "best" song ever, at least I can't. To me there are a lot of notable and quality tracks by many artists.
Suggestions: Artist- title
Sage Francis - Runaways, Slow Down Ghandi, Black Out On White Night, Going Back To Rehab
sol.iLLaquists of sound - As If We Existed, Ur Turn, Berlin, Ask Me If I Care
Pharoahe Monch - When The Gun Draws, Truth, New World Symphony
Talib Kweli - Listen, The Manifesto, The Beautiful Struggle, Around My Way
there are tons of other excellent tracks, but this should be enough to start you off.
if you wish I can compile a collection of what I deem to be notable rap songs and upload a RAR file to sendspace.
Then, I suppose the question would be... what is the best hip-hop/rap song ever? I would love to get into it... I just need a suggestion.
try some of kanye's songs from his first album (where he tried to make a sound that was interesting). The albums called college dropout.
I recommend:
Kanye West - Never Let Me Down
Kanye West - Through The Wire
Other songs from other ppl:
Bone Thugs And Harmony - 9mm (if u like rhythm and harmonics, listen to these guys)
Bone Thugs And Harmony - Candy Paint
Bone Thugs And Harmony - Wind Blow
Bone Thugs And Harmony, Felicia - So Good So Right
Bone Thugs And Harmony, Mariah Carey & Bow Wow - Lil' Love
Bubba Sparxxx - Deliverance
Bubba Sparxxx - She Tried
Bubba Sparxxx, Frankie J - Run Away
Bubba Sparxxx, Petey Pablo, Sleepy Brown - The Otherside
DMX - Slippin'
DMX, Mr Vegas, Sean Paul - Here Comes Da Boom
Eminem - Like Toy Soldiers (You might like try)
Eminem - Mockingbird
Ice Cube - You Can Do It
Fort Minor - Remember The Name
Fort Minor - There They Go
Fort Minor - Red To Black
Fort Minor - Right Now
Fort Minor - Where'd You Go
And theres just a few for u :D
Enjoy
SilentKnight
2007-08-24, 15:36
Well, since that's obviously purely subjective I can only speak for myself. And I can't really recommend a single song... but my favorite album is clearly Madvillain's Madvillainy. It's not easy to get into (at least for me it wasn't) but once you got it it's awesome and beyond.
If you don't like it...I don't think I can help you. :p
Madvillain is made of win.
ArtOfRhyme.com usually has some pretty good selections during the course of the week.
Shadow Raven 91
2007-08-25, 13:41
Madvillainly is an amazing album. I Started off with DangerDoom so madvillaniy wasn't to hard to get into for me. Just got the re issue of MM. FOOD and a few songs from Operation: Doomsday. I love DOOM.
Scienz of Life is good also. I like the tracks they produced with DOOM.
Ah, everyone loves Madvillainy. This makes me happy. :D
MF Doom's Operation Doomsday does almost reach the same awesomeness.
Shadow Raven 91
2007-08-26, 15:10
I really don't think mainstream rap music is hated by that many people really.
At least from what I have experienced in my High School and currently my College is that most people enjoy mainstream rap.
Yes, I believe the image some rappers portray in their videos about women, money, and drugs isn't the life lesson you want to show your kids, but the appeal is the allure of this sort of lifestyle where there are constant parties, drugs, and beautiful women or men in some cases for females. The question is who really wouldn't want a lifestyle that is bathed in luxury?
I'm a rather large fan of mainstream rap from Lil Jon to 50 Cent to Paul Wall. They have all released songs that I can enjoy. Perhaps it is because I don't look to deep into the lyrics or try to absorb meaning from these songs.
For intelligent Hip Hop/Rap, who's the judge? I mean does this some specific criteria before a piece of music becomes intelligent? Is it the message it portrays? Is it the flow? The lyrics? I mean does it have to portray a positive message?
Can it not just appeal to a wide, diverse group of people? Shouldn't music just bring people to listen to it and enjoy it?
I agree that some poeple listen to what they want to. I love indie, underground hip hop and despise mainstream rap. At the same time I don't go criticizing people who listen to mainstream. All my friends listen to mainstream and I accept the fact that they enjoy it. The reason I hate mainstrem is that it has altered the reputation of rap. Hip hop is an art form. Some rap could be considered fine poetry written down. When I listen to hip hop I analyze the idea and purpose in the rhyme wheter its to express an opinion on a subjet or to express a completely abstract idea ( MF DOOM for example).
It just sickens me when Rap went from a form of music that had culture and meaning to a commercialized trend that has been warped by money and the entertainment industry that serves the purpose of getting people to buy certain shoes, spend all their money on useless jewlery and rims for their car. seen dudes that can put 22's on a car but can't afford insurance or at least a door that matches the car. I don't think mainstream rap is the worst thing in the world. I just wish the media would support the underground so people would have a better opnion of this wounderful music genre.
Mainstream is good to listen to sometimes. Every now and then I'll listen to a mike jones or T.I track. Don't concider them really talanted rappers but they have cool voices and nice beats.
nonfiction
2007-08-29, 01:11
Rap's pretty dope. My five favourite rap artists/albums:
Digable Planets / Reachin' (A New Refutation on Time and Space)
Del / Deltron 3030
Pete Rock & CL Smooth / Mecca & The Soul Brother
Diamond D / Stunts Blunts & Hip Hop
Edan / The Beauty and the Beat
Listening to Lupe Fiasco- Da Exam (bootleg) right now and it's :bow:. I can't wait for the new album to come out now.
Neki Ecko
2007-09-11, 23:29
September 11 is the day when Kanye West and 50 Cent are releasing both their CD's (Graduation and Curtis) and I have a chance to listen to K. West CD, it is very good with about 5 - 6 tracks that is very good (Champion, Stronger, Good Life, Homecoming, Big Brother and The Glory). I heard that 50 Cent only have about 2 good tracks from his right now
Leedizzle
2007-09-12, 00:36
Kindred, Bubba Sparxxx's Deliverance has to be way up there in my list of favorite songs.
SilentKnight
2007-09-12, 23:57
For intelligent Hip Hop/Rap, who's the judge? I mean does this some specific criteria before a piece of music becomes intelligent? Is it the message it portrays? Is it the flow? The lyrics? I mean does it have to portray a positive message?
Can it not just appeal to a wide, diverse group of people? Shouldn't music just bring people to listen to it and enjoy it?
How do I judge intelligent hip hop/ rap?
Lyrical content:
How complex and intricate are the rhymes? Are they simple one word one syllable rhymes?
bat, cat, hat
Or are they more complex rhymes like:
lyrically, spiritually, critically
How complex and intricate and diverse are the rhyme schemes used? Once again, simple one word rhymes that only occur in single syllables at the end of the line?
cat, hat, bat
Or more complex multi-syllable schemes?
"I hold the mic and use it like a lightning rod
Silent Knight is the undisputed rhyming god"
Does the rapper only rhyme at the end of each line?
"This is how you spit a rap
Yes I know this sounds like crap"
Or does the rapper make an effort to use internal rhymes?
"Better panic and hide when I'm grabbin the mic
Wrote the art of war to rap and the strategy guide"
How clever are a rapper's lines, how much thought did the rapper put into them, do the lines make you think, do they catch you off guard with some witty reference?
Take something relatively simple:
"My rhymes flow like water"
Compared to something real witty:
"My sharp mind can turn my words into weapons
Headbutt a clock and split an hour into seconds"
Message:
I really do hope the rapper has something more to say than "I like scantily clad women, drugs, expensive cars, jewelry, big houses, etc." or "I'm rich, watch me flaunt my wealth." For me, something with a more socially and politically charged message usually leaves a lasting impression and makes you consider what's being said and really just increases its replay value. Even something abstract and out of the ordinary is a breath of fresh air.
and there's a whole bunch of other criteria I use to judge it that I'm too lazy to type up and post so hopefully you get the drift.
Leedizzle
2007-09-13, 00:29
The criteria you have listed seems reasonable.
Yes, having complexity in both the rhythm, rhyme, and vocabulary in the song does make the rapper seem more intricate and appealing/intelligent, but can't you say a rapper who can produce/collaborate with others to bring a song that can appeal to the general mass intelligent as well?
Rappers are musicians at their base level no matter how many layers of gold and diamonds they have on. That is what they started with and if they can get what ever they produce out and have lots of people listen and enjoy it, can't it be said that no matter how simple or complex their style may be that they are the smartest among the bunch?
SilentKnight
2007-09-13, 01:10
For the most part, I wouldn't consider being able to appeal to the masses by putting out music that they'll easily buy into intelligent, at least not the type of intelligence I'm looking for in rap music and definitely not the type of intelligence I can agree with.
Let's face it, most people out there are pretty much "sheep" in terms of music. Entire masses of people will buy into specific genres just to try and fit in with a certain crowd and feel special. Sell-out rappers know that these people will continue to buy their CDs regardless of musical quality and talent. These people will continue to buy their CDs just to fit in with their own little social circle and so said rappers continue to market themselves as gangsters and thugs with little concern for what they produce.
So basically, they're just good at marketing themselves, that's all. I suppose you could say that that is in a sense clever and intelligent since they're making a lot of money by doing little work. But like I said, it's not the type of intelligence I can agree with or support.
Leedizzle
2007-09-13, 02:07
I always had a problem with the word sellout. I hear it all the time from my more elitist music friends who listen and define themselves to a certain genre of music. This comes more from my friends who listen to punk. It is always around the time when I mention or listen to Green Day. They ramble on about how they sold their souls to the corporate machine.
I think of music as part business and part expression. In the beginning the artist is more expression then business. They create based on that, but as they move further and further along, it becomes more of a business to them. I am a firm believer in that people who enter music and create bands or give out mix tapes and activities like that are always in there to get famous and make bank.
I know that sounds like an incredible generalization of musicians everywhere but that is what I believe. Now, if a musician signs up with a major record label and begin producing songs that are more general and mainstream, I can't comprehend how their fans would begin to call them sellouts when this career move would provide a better living for them and whoever they are with. I always thought that a fan should support the group and if the group begins to detract from their original roots that the fan should equally move along with them or find a new group.
I'm not going to lie here. I'm pretty much a sheep when it comes to music. If it is mainstream I will probably like it. I do not however believe that most people buy their music based on the specific clique they hand around with, except in extreme cases I suppose. Just from my experience of the pasty white kids with the dyed hair and piercings that listen to rock/punk, and the make believe they came from the ghetto black kids who wear do-rags when they actually came from a well off middle class family who listen to rap. Most people buy music because they enjoy that particular flavor.
Now, for your definition of intelligent music, I think most of it has to do with visualization. The examples you said have a layer of complexity that when you listen to it and you catch it, it brings you a certain level of enjoyment. The artist creates a picture and from it you catch the subtle nuances of it.
You can say I'm wrong here if I am, but if the artist can create a picture in the mind of the person listening, isn't intelligent and reaching? An example I can say is 50 Cent's In Da Club. To people who listen to it, I believe they can visualize a club and its atmosphere from just the music. Now the message he portrays might not be family friendly, but most music nowadays aren't.
SilentKnight
2007-09-13, 09:10
If you have a better term than sell-out, I'm all ears.
When an artist starts off with his humble beginnings and ho-hum small following of fans he makes a certain style of music that they enjoy. What's more is he/she has to actually put effort into it, since all he/she really has is artistic integrity to work with.
Now say that artist signs to a major label and decides to make more general and simple tunes and decides, he/she has the money, there's no longer a need to put effort into his/her music and actually try to appeal to the loyal fans that were with him/her since the beginning. The artist is essentially trading artistic integrity for money and giving all those loyal fans the middle finger and saying "Thanks for supporting me when I first started out, but now that I've got a major label contract I don't really need you anymore. So I don't care if you no longer like my music and you've moved on to other artists, I'll still be rich."
What if initially an anime series like Cowboy Bebop started off with little to no popularity, then halfway through the series it gains primetime fame. At the same time, the storyline and animation style of Cowboy Bebop suddenly becomes Dragon Ball Z? I doubt a lot of people are going to be real happy about it. You're saying they should stay loyal and just adapt to it or find something else?
Or what if say, Mozart decided at some point in his career: "Hell, I'm rich now." And because of that, he went from composing his extremely complex concertos and whatnot and instead began making songs along the line of Mary Had A Little Lamb. I mean, hey, he's rich, why does he need to care?
I can respect an artist that wants to experiment and try to diversify his or her style and take it in new directions. I can't respect an artist who no longer feels the need to try because he/she has already recieved his/her royalty check.
"I am a firm believer in that people who enter music and create bands or give out mix tapes and activities like that are always in there to get famous and make bank."
That's EXACTLY what's WRONG with the music business. Want to know where that trend is going to lead the music business? It's going to make modern music simplify and simplify and simplify and simplify until all we have is some dude banging on an empty paint can in the same boring pattern and getting paid for it because it's considered music.
Why? Because if it reaches that point, artists aren't to going to give the slightest damn about creating a catchy melody, the only thing on their minds is the money and how rich they'll be.
I do not however believe that most people buy their music based on the specific clique they hand around with, except in extreme cases I suppose. Just from my experience of the pasty white kids with the dyed hair and piercings that listen to rock/punk, and the make believe they came from the ghetto black kids who wear do-rags when they actually came from a well off middle class family who listen to rap.
Not most people, but enough to keep an artist in business. There's a whole swarm of middle school level to college level kids who continue to buy certain CDs just to fit in with certain social circles. That crowd of sheep is always going to be there, and as long as that crowd is there, sell-out artists just have to keep churning out the same rehashed crap they've been putting out forever because that crowd of sheep is going to buy it without a second thought.
On top of that 50 Cent is a very specific case. He didn't even go the independent, small-time artist route. He got rich and famous simply by riding on and feeding off of the fame and fortune of Eminem and Dr. Dre.
Shadow Raven 91
2007-09-15, 14:30
If you don't mind I would like to put my 2 cents in. SilentKnight I completely agree on your judgment of intelligent hip-hop. "How clever are a rapper's lines, how much thought did the rapper put into them, do the lines make you think, do they catch you off guard with some witty reference?"I could not have said it better. I remember back when i first heard Mr. LIf's Phantom From his album Emergency Rations.That's when i realized that alot of the rap i had been listening to was so simple. Since most rappers reley on thier beat to get people listening thier ryhmes become nothing but the same pattern over and over again doing one syllable rhymes like you said. I have noticed that good mc rap over the beats not under them.
"I get on the mic like are you experienced, but I don't play the gituar, I play my cadence." rap by: Vast Air
Good MCs make thier rhymes a seperate instument from the beat. by using differnt metters and rhyme schemes they create a rhyme that is more impressive and overall more creative. In my opion this is what separates the creative MCs from the rappers who just live of thier simulated gangsta status.
Leedizzle I think you make some valid points. But I also think that sell-out is a proper term for some of these rappers. But what do they sell out?
1. the reputation of hip-hop
I serioulsy hate the gerneral idea people have about rap. When ever I tell someone It's my favorite music genre they make really shallow generalizations on what artist i listen to. I know this is expected but come on. hip-hop is a broad music genre. Gangsta-mainstream-women degrading-braging-immoral teaching-commercialist rap is a very small sub genre that just happens to be mega popular at the moment. Due to "sell-out" rappers carbon coping the same trash over and over again this is the only side of rap most people see. It's a shame these rappers have the reputation hip hop in their hands. Do they see it. With all the t.v and radio air time they get you'd think they should. Or has their love of money and fame driven them to not care.
2. The minds of our youth especialy black youth
I get tired of these lame excussives from rapper saying that they don't intend for young people to listen to their music or they didn't think they were influencing anyone. Thats straight Bull. I was in 6th grade listening to this stuff. Lucky my parents were concerned enough to try and shield me from it. I've heard kids younger than that who can qoute this stuff word for word. Wheter they won't them to or not(most likely do ... record sells), kids and teenagers listen to it. I have had friends that imitated and praised this stuff since they were young. Later in life what do you get? violent attituds, complete disrespect for authority, and poor money management. Seen friends fighting in clubs, spending all their money on excess shoes, jewerly, and clothes and just just having the mindset to go to prison just cause somebody called them a punk. This behavior sound familer. yeah you hear it copyed over and over again just to make that green. Again do these artist see the generation they are conforming? or do they just not care. I'm not saying they have to stop making the music but mabey make it harder for younger kids to listen. Mabey an ad campain on parent awarness or mabey make a speech telling younger kids not to listen to their music or mabey that they don't condone the message in thier music. Opps..... I forgot your record label wont allow you to do that because for a little fast cash and fame you sold out to them.
This can apply to any music genre. I don't blame artist for being a little sell-out. We all wont to make money doing the things we love and if you wont to turn music into a business fine. I won't judge you on that. In my opion money should not mix with music to a such high extent. Most people begain writing poetry because they wanted to express themselves not become famouse and rich. It's kind sad that alot of people nowadaze just write music to be rich and famouse.
"I get on the mic like are you experienced, but I don't play the gituar, I play my cadence." rap by: Vast Air
Good MCs make thier rhymes a seperate instument from the beat. by using differnt metters and rhyme schemes they create a rhyme that is more impressive and overall more creative. In my opion this is what separates the creative MCs from the rappers who just live of thier simulated gangsta status.
Are you talking about spoken word?
Shadow Raven 91
2007-09-15, 21:50
Are you talking about spoken word?
I am not sure what you mean by spoken word. The first example that comes to mind is MF DOOM. Like the begining to "one beer"
"There is only one beer left
Rappers screaming all in our ears like we're deaf
Tempt me
Do a number on the label
Eat up all their MC's and drink 'em under the table like
It's on me
Put it on my tab kid
However you get there
Foot it, Cab it, Iron horse it
You leaving on your face forfeit
I crush the mic hold it like the heat he might toss it
Told him tell they stole it
He told her he lost it
She told him get off it"
I works better if you are familer to the song. couple of things i'd like to point out. Lines 6+7 don't rhyme but they blend in the song very well. Also lines 9-14 contain widely varing syllables but stays to the beat. I'm not saying this is the only thing that makes a flow creative But i've noticed that alot of good rappers are able to pull it off.
I know i talk about DOOM alot. But like i said earlier i just got alot tracks and been hooked lately.
SilentKnight
2007-09-16, 14:03
Are you talking about spoken word?
Not really.
What he's saying is that more talented rappers will let their lyrical content complement the song and add to the overall listening value of it rather than just let a catchy beat do all the work and sacrifice lyrical content altogether.
Ah.
I thought he was talking about having the words completely disconnected from the rhythm.
Daughter!
2007-09-17, 16:13
I don't listen to much of either genre, but I want to get into it a bit more. There's a guy who's not mainstream yet named Lupe Fiasco. He talks about a bunch of different things, mostly having to do with the modern vision of the typical African American and how he doesn't think things that have to do with that are right.
Leedizzle
2007-09-17, 17:32
I'll admit I have never really heard underground rappers or even really any of the rappers that have been listed.
I did try to listen to Talib Kweli on Youtube. I didn't like it at all really. Perhaps I'm a mindless sheep that love the catchy beats and the words are just gravy.
About the impressionable populace of people, I mean is it really the rappers fault? In Tupac Shakur's song Changes he states that he lives the way that he is responsible for what he does and that he isn't responsible for what ever other black male does. The rapper sings about the life he/she leads that is filled with glamor and glitz, and if someone buys into that isn't it their fault?
Shadow Raven 91
2007-09-17, 23:49
Your right. it is their fault. Still I stick to what I said befor. They may say they don't want to influence people but they do. They can't avoid it. People, more importantly teenagers imbrace this simulated life style because they were influenced by these rappers. That is just the end of it. Should the artist take full responsibility? of course not. They are not forcing people to follow thier example. Peer pressure in school also plays a big roll. But they can not avoid the fact that they have influence over a generation. I've been listenting to Arrested Development, which is befor my time, and heard thier message. They were mainstream hip-hop and expressed a positive view of life. They influenced thier generation of young Black men and Women to better themselves, not to fall into a love and lust for money and material things, and how to love and repspect one another. Their was even a song about helping single mothers who had children befor marriage. This is what teenagers need to hear. These rapper have millions of fans that idolize them, that want to be them. Almost every guy i meet that wants to rap just wants to so he can "ball" like his favorite rapper. These fans are the olnly reason they got where they are. They should at least try to help them.
SilentKnight
2007-09-18, 18:40
I'll admit I have never really heard underground rappers or even really any of the rappers that have been listed.
I did try to listen to Talib Kweli on Youtube. I didn't like it at all really. Perhaps I'm a mindless sheep that love the catchy beats and the words are just gravy.
About the impressionable populace of people, I mean is it really the rappers fault? In Tupac Shakur's song Changes he states that he lives the way that he is responsible for what he does and that he isn't responsible for what ever other black male does. The rapper sings about the life he/she leads that is filled with glamor and glitz, and if someone buys into that isn't it their fault?
It's both the rapper's fault and the listener's fault. It's the listener's fault in that he/she is so willingly and easily buying into the random nonsense that the rapper is spewing out. At the same time, the rapper is at fault for continuing to target impressionable people and hence promoting and encouraging such a lifestyle and practice.
I don't necessarily see it as buying into or supporting one lifestyle or another.
I have friends who listen to symphonic metal and power metal, and I know they could give less a damn about dragons and elves. I listen to rap because I find the stories they tell to be compelling, nothing more.
I don't think there's actually been any formal studies in the influence of rap on its target group anyways. I'm sure most urban youth listen to it because they identify with it, not because they think it exemplifies how they should be living.
SilentKnight
2007-09-21, 04:14
I don't necessarily see it as buying into or supporting one lifestyle or another.
I have friends who listen to symphonic metal and power metal, and I know they could give less a damn about dragons and elves. I listen to rap because I find the stories they tell to be compelling, nothing more.
I don't think there's actually been any formal studies in the influence of rap on its target group anyways. I'm sure most urban youth listen to it because they identify with it, not because they think it exemplifies how they should be living.
Trust me, a lot of rich surburban white kids among many other people buy into gangster rap solely for the image and nothing more.
The Boondocks blatantly makes fun of this among tons of other things commonly seen in commercialized gangster rap.
zakopayne
2007-09-21, 15:58
Rap is the best thing to hit the world...Besides cable...
And Jay-z is the best rapper alive.
Very true, i don't even like rap very much but i will listen to cali love and some other west coast stuff. My fav is finnish rap tho, Steen1 and Jonnti and shaka are my favs.
And sage francis is good, ty for posting :D
Shadow Raven 91
2007-09-21, 17:30
Trust me, a lot of rich surburban white kids among many other people buy into gangster rap solely for the image and nothing more.
The Boondocks blatantly makes fun of this among tons of other things commonly seen in commercialized gangster rap.
The Boondocks is great. It's funny, I hear people say they love it all the time but I don't think many get the message. It also had two Madvillainy tracks, All caps and Strange Ways. I heard Fancy Clown and Raid were there too but i don't remember. All great tracks BTW
I was checking out sage francis on Itunes. I only heard 30 sec. clips but i don't get it. Could someone recommend some tracks?
zakopayne
2007-09-21, 21:58
The Boondocks is great. It's funny, I hear people say they love it all the time but I don't think many get the message. It also had two Madvillainy tracks, All caps and Strange Ways. I heard Fancy Clown and Raid were there too but i don't remember. All great tracks BTW
I was checking out sage francis on Itunes. I only heard 30 sec. clips but i don't get it. Could someone recommend some tracks?
Runaways Is A good one by him. I like makeshift patriot and broken wings too.
Some other good rap is gorillaz. Great instrumental and i love the lyrics.
Is Gorillaz considered rap...? I don't think so.
Anyway, you should all check out MF Grimm's American Hunger. I took notice of him since Grimm was featured on one track on DOOM's Operation: Doomsday. And I wasn't disappointed, it's a 3-CD-album which was released last year and is great throughout.
zakopayne
2007-09-23, 15:07
Yeah gorillaz has times that they rap, im not sure quite what they would be classified as though.
xxxplizit
2007-09-23, 15:47
Yeah gorillaz has times that they rap, im not sure quite what they would be classified as though.
I'm pretty sure it's Alternative Hip-Hop.
Just got finished listening to the new Wu Tang - 8 diagrams and it's bad, even worse then The W which was IMO their worst album before this.
Ghostface's new album I hope won't disappoint as much as this album did. But it's Ghostface so I'm not too worried.
An interesting article I just found too.
Wu-Tang Vs Rza, "You Don't Rob Your Friends... You Might As Well Be Pimpin' Me," Says Rakewon
Thursday - November 8, 2007
Raekwon is so unhappy with Rza's direction with the new Wu-Tang Clan album that he threatened to release another Wu album without fellow member Rza.
In a recent interview with Hip-Hop personality Miss Info, Rae said that he and the other members of Wu are very unhappy with Rza's heavy guitar-layden beats on the group's upcoming comeback disc, 8 Diagrams. So much so that they will come out with a follow-up album if changes aren't made to this one, or of it's not permanently shelved.
"Rza's tryin to create too much of a orchestra, piano ...he's trying to do too much of this guitar @#!* like he got a guitar on his @#*$ing back," Raekwon said. "We don't want that and the fans don't know us for that." [Watch Here]
Rae said the rift began with musical critiques by the group members of Rza's new sound.
"'This is a new sound trust me.,I know where I'm at and I'm the Rza, just trust me,'" Rae said Rza told the group. "No, we're not trusting you because we're not walkin outta the studio happy. It's his vibe. He's like a hip-hop hippie right now."
After much back and forth, According to Raekwon, Rza still refused to change the music.
"Now it's to the point where it's like, yo B, I'm not havin it ... I'm not cosigning that," Rae said. "If you got seven or eight brothers telling you blah, blah, blah, you gotta take heed to that. You been out-voted, B."
But at this point, the group is already over budget and the album is pretty much finished. Though Rae said nobody's happy with the project except Rza, it looks like it will hit the street as is. If that happens, Rae said he and the other members will release Shaolin vs Wutang, a response album without Rza.
Sometimes it isn't a bad idea to split. Rza's direction in music has obviously changed now. They should either compromise or release an album without him. Its that simple. Fans will have to choose if they want members of Wu to collab together again, or they want the familiar style of Wu. To me, I'd rather have the latter...
SilentKnight
2007-12-12, 19:46
Lupe Fiasco's latest album The Cool is made of fucking epic win. Run, walk, drive, fly, crawl, etc to the store to buy it, steal it, etc.
Racketman
2007-12-12, 21:32
Would I get mauled to death for liking MC Frontalot?
Lol.
Its your preference, even if millions say he's a shitty rapper. Different opinions..
Shadow Raven 91
2007-12-13, 18:53
Lupe Fiasco's latest album The Cool is made of fucking epic win. Run, walk, drive, fly, crawl, etc to the store to buy it, steal it, etc.
Cool, I'll check it out when they release it on itunes. I would like to say after reading this tread i decided to check out Deltron 3030 and I was completely blown away. I remember positive contact from Tony Hawk underground but i had no clue who it was. IMO it's up there with Operation Doomsday. Del is now one of my favorite rappers.
aka Providence
2007-12-15, 10:31
mm, to be honest, before lurking around this thread, i didn't care for rap and/or hip-hop. following the suggestions of you guys on what to listen, i was honestly pleasantly surprised to find myself being very interested on the genre.
in a nutshell, i love both metal (five or six years and still running), rock, and now rap (i'm a bit of a noob; but i really like the stuff i don't hear on radio). personally, i think the argument of rap/metal being better than the other is very silly (lame if i want to be blunt). metal and rap are two different things, and both of them having pros and cons.
at metal:
pros: in my opinion, metal uses more (or at least has a high focus) on instrumentals. it's not much metal if you only have vocals, after all. sometimes you don't need to focus on lyrical content, and sometimes it is hard to understand the singing when it's basically screaming (children of bodom), or lyrics you can't really connect with (dragonforce).
cons: at its worst, screaming, and then lyrical content (violence, anger, stuff that you don't want little cildren to hear). i personally don't turn to music to channel my own emotions, but that doesn't mean people do the same thing.
ar rap/hip-hop:
pros: the lyrical content and vocals are more in focus, but the instrumentals add some depth in atmospere. the pace is sometimes slower compared to rock or metal (when you add the instruments in), but that doesn't remove that 'hardness' i like in metal.
cons: you (or at least myself) need to focus more in listening or understanding the lyrics. personally, it's also impossible for me to sing along to rap music, and i can't rock out (act like an idiot) as compared to when i listen to rock or metal.
in the end, i really have no idea what i'm talking about. :heh:
SilentKnight
2007-12-30, 22:34
mm, to be honest, before lurking around this thread, i didn't care for rap and/or hip-hop. following the suggestions of you guys on what to listen, i was honestly pleasantly surprised to find myself being very interested on the genre.
in a nutshell, i love both metal (five or six years and still running), rock, and now rap (i'm a bit of a noob; but i really like the stuff i don't hear on radio). personally, i think the argument of rap/metal being better than the other is very silly (lame if i want to be blunt). metal and rap are two different things, and both of them having pros and cons.
at metal:
pros: in my opinion, metal uses more (or at least has a high focus) on instrumentals. it's not much metal if you only have vocals, after all. sometimes you don't need to focus on lyrical content, and sometimes it is hard to understand the singing when it's basically screaming (children of bodom), or lyrics you can't really connect with (dragonforce).
cons: at its worst, screaming, and then lyrical content (violence, anger, stuff that you don't want little cildren to hear). i personally don't turn to music to channel my own emotions, but that doesn't mean people do the same thing.
ar rap/hip-hop:
pros: the lyrical content and vocals are more in focus, but the instrumentals add some depth in atmospere. the pace is sometimes slower compared to rock or metal (when you add the instruments in), but that doesn't remove that 'hardness' i like in metal.
cons: you (or at least myself) need to focus more in listening or understanding the lyrics. personally, it's also impossible for me to sing along to rap music, and i can't rock out (act like an idiot) as compared to when i listen to rock or metal.
in the end, i really have no idea what i'm talking about. :heh:
that's good, excellent to be exact
I started this thread solely for that purpose (granted life has been keeping me hecka busy so I'm not all that involved). This thread is here so that all the more experienced hip-hop/ rap listeners could come together, throw down their playlists, trade thoughts and opinions, and newcomers could come in, lurk, and ask for more if they liked what they were finding.
and I'm getting what you mean by you need to listen and understand what's being said so you can't really just go nuts and rock out. For me, I like being able to listen to the artist skillfully convey a message or tell a story, it has a value in itself.
I don't really see the point of people coming in here just to bash rap/hip hop. If you have no interest in rap/hip hop, there is no reason to be in here right? Maybe that's just my opinion.
As for me, unfornately I'm not a huge underground fan, mostly because I'm a huge beat fan. I'm more on the instrument side ordeal which is why I also like rock/metal. With that being stated, I think there is quite a few good hip hop artists out there. Chamillionaire latest album was great, going so far as even dissing al sharpton HAHA. I was a bit shocked when he didn't pull any punches, with the biggest titles being morning and evening news.
With that said, I will still rate these people as lyrically talented that most of the time does talk about issues and ordeals.
Eninem
Andre 3000
Big Boi (matter of fact, outkast lol)
Chamillionaire
Nas
Cannibus (even though I don't think he's really mainstream)
lil wayne (unfornately talks about mainstream crap mostly but can still throw a lyrical punch)
Ludacris (Same as above)
Busta Ryhmes (Same as previous 2)
Rap is quite fine in my books right now, but since I have fluctuating music tastes, my opinion may change in a few month's time ^^;;
I used to think that rap is basically fast talking over a beat track, and therefore had no skill. But now, as I listen, I can see that the lyrics of rap songs are pretty deep, more so than, say metal. And the beats are pretty appealing to me, like in Nelly's "Grillz".
But of course, some rappers and songs out there are pretty crap, even from a bystander's view. 50 Cent, most of his tracks, I find, are so...brainless. The content, vids, are mostly "dem hos, money, F** dat Sh!t, mah n!gg@s". Search "I Get Money" for a truly rubbish rap song from 2 quarters.
Daughter!
2007-12-31, 15:30
Has anybody listened to Lupe Fiasco's The Cool yet? I haven't gotten the chance. If so, does it still pack the same punch as Food and Liquor/
Rap is quite fine in my books right now, but since I have fluctuating music tastes, my opinion may change in a few month's time ^^;;
I used to think that rap is basically fast talking over a beat track, and therefore had no skill. But now, as I listen, I can see that the lyrics of rap songs are pretty deep, more so than, say metal. And the beats are pretty appealing to me, like in Nelly's "Grillz".
But of course, some rappers and songs out there are pretty crap, even from a bystander's view. 50 Cent, most of his tracks, I find, are so...brainless. The content, vids, are mostly "dem hos, money, F** dat Sh!t, mah n!gg@s". Search "I Get Money" for a truly rubbish rap song from 2 quarters.
I Get Money was more of a statement then anything else imo, and a very well versed 1 at that.
as for beats, the beats these days suck, if u want beat look into rap music thats not crunk/hyphe esque and stuff pre 2004. Nowadays the musics more to accompy one while "wilin out" where as b4 the beats were truly bumping, but thats just my opinion.
P.s. pre crunk/hyphe and 04 rap music had more instrument emphasis too, e.g. flute solo in Lil ghetto boy by dre n snoop
SilentKnight
2008-01-01, 17:03
Has anybody listened to Lupe Fiasco's The Cool yet? I haven't gotten the chance. If so, does it still pack the same punch as Food and Liquor/
i'd say it packs even more of a punch than Food And Liquor
ReizoSan
2008-01-02, 12:46
Well you have to like Eminem then after that it would only be Chamillionaire because in his latest album he doesn't swear once :eyespin: because i always hate rappers keep swearing and the n word, they use it too much in songs and takes it away from the music.
Then Kanye West as i like his smooth style and good beats. :p
Well you have to like Eminem then after that it would only be Chamillionaire because in his latest album he doesn't swear once :eyespin: because i always hate rappers keep swearing and the n word, they use it too much in songs and takes it away from the music.
Then Kanye West as i like his smooth style and good beats. :p
Exactly, I was absolutely shocked when I listened to his entire album and didn't hear a single cuss word. I checked and see if I downloaded the clean version or something hahaha. Especially when you listen to the track rock star, because chamillionaire doesn't cuss in the song or even album, when lil wayne did his verse, he stuck out like a sore thumb imo. It was odd, and strangely distasteful lol.
d.sinclair
2008-01-04, 02:10
thanks to silentknight for making this thread, i've been lurking it for awhile and i've picked up good stuff. really helps hip hop newbs like me get started with the genre.
incidentally, being the elitist classical geek that i was, i used to hate hip hop/rap, but my composer friend who is also a big hip hop fan convinced me that the genre has its own merits and it makes no sense to compare one genre of music to another. i also learned that it's actually pretty damn hard to make a beat, which i always took for granted in a song, and that beats and lyrics can get pretty complicated and deep. so yeah, now i'm getting into hip hop.
talking about mainstream, "mindless" tracks...yeah a lot of it sucks, but there's a reason why people like 50 cent are popular. you gotta give credit to the producers. a lot of mainstream stuff is really well produced, even if the artist or lyrics arent great. it takes skill to make crap popular...
ReizoSan
2008-01-04, 07:55
Exactly, I was absolutely shocked when I listened to his entire album and didn't hear a single cuss word. I checked and see if I downloaded the clean version or something hahaha. Especially when you listen to the track rock star, because chamillionaire doesn't cuss in the song or even album, when lil wayne did his verse, he stuck out like a sore thumb imo. It was odd, and strangely distasteful lol.
It made it feel awkward when he Lil Wayne said that, but i feel rappers only cuss or use the N word because they don't know how to rhyme the last sentence so its easier just doing that, Chamillionaire doesn't need to do it as his rhymes are very well thought of and go really well, obviously quite a few lines he does are geared towards the government but i think thats ok.
talking about mainstream, "mindless" tracks...yeah a lot of it sucks, but there's a reason why people like 50 cent are popular. you gotta give credit to the producers. a lot of mainstream stuff is really well produced, even if the artist or lyrics arent great. it takes skill to make crap popular...
50 Cent just brought something different at the time to rap, he got away from other artist with his great beats and style, in my opinion look at most of the rappers now and they in some way have used 50's style, i thought of 50 as the new level for rap, but now there is more people breaking away from 50 and now his time has come to retire but he did make rap big even if you have him or love him.
I don't really like his rhymes they are userly pointless in my opinion, i go for people who bring something different to the table of rap, like M.O.P who use metal over rap etc...
Lil' Wayne is...awesome...Dedication 2=Win on a official mixtape
Lupe Fiasco...monster
Kanye West...genius
But I don't listen to much stuff like Jim Jones, but the beats get me...
Some of my favorite rap/hip-pop CDs of all time
A Tribe Called Quest- Anthology
Beanie Sigel- The Solution
50 Cent- Get Rich or Die Tryin'
Jay-Z- Reasonable Doubt
Jay-Z- The Blueprint
Nas- Stillmatic
Nas-Illmatic
Clipse- Hell Hath No Fury
Lil' Wayne- Dedication II
Lil' Wayne- Tha Carter II
Lil' Wayne- Tha Drought III
Lupe Fiasco- Lupe Fiasco's Food and Liquor
Lupe Fiasco- Lupe Fiasco's The Cool
Kanye West- The College Dropout
Kanye West- Graduation
Young Jeezy- Let's Get It!: Thug Motivation 101
DJ Jazzy Jeff- Return of the Magnificent
Styles P- A Gangster and A Gentleman
The Roots- Things Fall Apart
50 Cent isn't really a rapper anymore imo...there isn't anything he's said that I haven't heard frequently on a "Shoot-em Up" mixtape/CD...At least if you're gonna say it, throw in a couple metaphors, like Lil' Wayne does or something...
Hmmm, good thread, shows what Rap and Hip-Hop are all about. To me, Rap and Hip-Hop are 2 totally different genre's. Rap is more of a "Hardcore/Gangsta" style, while Hip-Hop is a "Softcore/Pop" style of music. I'll just lay down some people of both genre's.
Rap -
50 Cent
Krayzie Bone
Lil Wayne
Wu-Tang Clan
(For starters)
Hip-Hop -
Kanye West
T-Pain
Jim Jones
There's about 3 other people I see as both. Diddy (P Diddy, Sean Combs, whatever), Dr. Dre, and T.I.
Jim Jones isn't hip-pop...If you've heard Hustler's P.O.M.E. (Product Of My Enviorment) it's more rap than hip-pop...
Meh, well, I couldn't think of any more hip-hop artists, so, yeah.
I had to lol @ Krayzie Bone being labeled rap while Jim Jones was hiphop, both words are pretty much interchangeable these days anyway... anyway the year ended quite well with Lupe's new album and Joe Buddens Mood Musik 3 Mixtape. Also Lil Wayne has all the potential in the world, pity it's wasted most of the time. He's a beast on a lot of mix tape tracks and I know he surprised a lot of people when he outdid Outkast on that Hollywood track. Too bad his features on the Kanye and Jay-Z albums sucked ass, hopefully his next Carter album is good, I feel he misses Mannie Fresh on the boards (Takeover tracks on Mannie's album were nice)... Mannie Fresh is so underrated because of his Cash Money affiliation.
Joe Budden...gets no respect from me XD Lil' Wayne's lyrical flow is vicious...Tha Carter III has no choice but to be good cause Tha Carter II was monster. Jay-Z's 90's days were great too...Reasonable Doubt can't be beat....but back to Wayne...Honestly, he makes more sense when he's high (seeing as how most to all of his songs are done while he is) haha...Georgia Bush's hidden track on Dedication II was vicious too. Also on that topic, Cassidy is a lyrical beast too, he could slaughter Wayne...He put Freeway in the dust..(not that he was that nice anyways but still)
Oh yeah. If any of you have ever heard a complete Dipset album; Have you ever noticed that as long as they say the Byrdgang call (actually a sector of a gang) at the end of the verse, people think it's good. Sad but true...JR Writer and Hell Rell are nice though...Cam'Ron is just funny...His diss tracks are priceless.
King Lycan
2008-01-10, 16:38
Hip Hop thread woot never knew there was one:heh:
I got Lupe Fiasco's The Cool and its awesome especially the lycrics but he is kinda like Talib Kweli
but ny fav rapper of all time is Snoop Dogg best rapper IMO and Sexual Eruption was a beast :love:
Sabaku Kyu
2008-01-12, 16:14
Oh yeah. If any of you have ever heard a complete Dipset album; Have you ever noticed that as long as they say the Byrdgang call (actually a sector of a gang) at the end of the verse, people think it's good. Sad but true...JR Writer and Hell Rell are nice though...Cam'Ron is just funny...His diss tracks are priceless.
Julez Santana from Dipset is also pretty good. Cam is probably the most mainstream, though with the most hit songs, I always liked "What means the world to you" and "Horse and Carriage"
Seen a couple of posts about Lupe Fiasco. He is an excellent artist. I remember hearing him Kanye's Late Registration album, then I saw him in concert a couple of times. The first time I saw him live he was the opening act for the Roots (a great hip-hop band). He performed "Kick, Push" and "He Say, She say" from Food and Liquor and sounded great. I ended up buying his new albums, now I'm hooked.
BTW, Does anyone else think that Soulja Boy's songs are just weak? There's almost no rhyming at all. I don't really understand how he got so popular.
The first Dipset album and the mixtapes before it had some great beats from the Heatmakers, too bad they run that style into the ground as well as falling in love with rhyming the same word with a different meaning. Down & Out was a tight track off Cam'Rons last album, mainly thanks to the beat from Kanye.
I really want a proper version of What's Really Good ft DMX, the mixtape version had that beat from Eddie Murhpy's Coming To America when his dad is driving around at the end of the movie which was just an awesome sample, pity it couldn't be cleared.
I don't think Lupe's new album The Cool is as good as Food and Liquor, I do like it slightly more then Da Exam though. Ghostface's The Big Doe Rehab was kinda meh as well.
Julez Santana from Dipset is also pretty good. Cam is probably the most mainstream, though with the most hit songs, I always liked "What means the world to you" and "Horse and Carriage"
Seen a couple of posts about Lupe Fiasco. He is an excellent artist. I remember hearing him Kanye's Late Registration album, then I saw him in concert a couple of times. The first time I saw him live he was the opening act for the Roots (a great hip-hop band). He performed "Kick, Push" and "He Say, She say" from Food and Liquor and sounded great. I ended up buying his new albums, now I'm hooked.
BTW, Does anyone else think that Soulja Boy's songs are just weak? There's almost no rhyming at all. I don't really understand how he got so popular.
Yeah I agree with you, Juelz gets play in mi casa...You should listen to the duo mixtape with Lil' Wayne "Blow: I Can't Feel My Face" or his "Back Like Cooked Crack" mixtapes...good stuff..
I have all 3 Kanye albums...strait crack.
And Soulja Boy? Beat and hook, thats all it is. Crank That Soulja Boy's song is beat and one catchy hook, and it's addictive to some.
Like me, if the song has a good beat i'll let it rock for a while till the rhymes start to make no sense and piss me off...And the ?uestlove? F-in drumset beat monstah.
@Westlo: If you mean Diplomatic Immunity Vol.1, then yeah, that was pretty good, but I remember when Purple Haze was suppost to come out...that thing got pushed back so many times, and the songs kept getting released, it just lost all of the potency when it came out...i'm not really a Dipset fan though, Jim Jones couldn't rap for a dime, Hell Rell (Though as nice as he is) is probably never gonna get his album put out, Only ones really good there are Juelz and Cam...just cause those two actually make money. Jimmy's sales went so damn far down the tubes....Freakin' Sesame Street CDs coulda went platinum faster than Hustler's P.O.M.E...all the beats are so repetitive...ahh I could rant on about it but I won't...
Soulja Boy is just Kriss Kross for a new generation, that's your answer.
I don't listen to much rap most of the time, only when I want to shuffle things up, but I'm kinda itching for something new and huge to drop... Last I heard was the new Ghostface and Wu Tang cds and they were only okay. Maybe I should check out the new Lupe Fiasco, I liked Food & Liquor all right but it seemed a little too Kanye-ish if you know what I mean. All that fancy symphonic production was like giving me cavities.
Unfortunately, I don't like rap and hiphop much, and here are my reasons:
1. When I listen to music, I look for an appealing/beautiful melody, harmony, or something to that degree, most rap songs don't offer this, since they consist mostly of speech.
2. I just don't like lyrics much in general from any genre of music, since more often than not, the lead singer is too overbearing, and it's difficult to hear anything in the background, unlike a good symphony.
3. Alot of the things that rap songs promote are questionable (killing cops, rape, drugs, etc.), and even more use profanity.
jigenbakuda
2008-02-24, 18:54
Unfortunately, I don't like rap and hiphop much, and here are my reasons:
1. When I listen to music, I look for an appealing/beautiful melody, harmony, or something to that degree, most rap songs don't offer this, since they consist mostly of speech.
2. I just don't like lyrics much in general from any genre of music, since more often than not, the lead singer is too overbearing, and it's difficult to hear anything in the background, unlike a good symphony.
3. Alot of the things that rap songs promote are questionable (killing cops, rape, drugs, etc.), and even more use profanity.
Oh buddy I feel sorry for you... I think you have not heard enough rap. I agree with you on all your points, I guess but I will try to add a little understanding for those who read this and possibably agree with you.
1. Appealing and beatuiful melodies are quite personal words, as I may think ymo`s 1000 knives is a beautiful with a stupendous melody and a catchy beat. You might think its utter garbage. Uhm... I would say most rap songs I used to listen to (don`t listen to rap anymore) were melodic and had interesting harmonies. Now because most rap beat are short and repetitive (but still in a aba form, while some even have more complex forms, but using aba as it is most common), I think that solme people forget to listen to the harmonies and such. Now I was never one for popular music, so that may have been the reason I heard much more melodic rap songs. If you want to hear melody and harmony, try anything by pharrell, timbo, dr.dre, snoop, devin the dude, nas, beats by the pound, or bone-thugs and harmony (strongly suggest east 1999, so classic). I think the main problem is people pay too much atrtention to the words... there have been some really good rap songs (musically).
2. Can`t say anything here, words and puns are the meat of rap. But are you saying that you don`t listen to any music with lyrics? Like you don`t listen to rock, enka, choral, country, house, nothing, just instrumental music? Do you listen to funk? Or are you saying that you don`t like rap because it has words?
3.Ah profanity, the words of the gods, lol. Well since I`m from the hip-hop culture, I do not mind profanity. I use it very frequently. They are verbal exclaimation (spelling?)marks. Yea if you don`t like cussing rap is not for you, lol. The questionable material they promote... Uhm I have never heard about a rap song talking about rape... never closest thing was telling a girl she had to have sex with everyone, if she wish to have sex with the superstar. But thats not rape, she had a choice... low self esteem does it every time. I have not heard a song about killing cops since like the early 90`s, but maybe its more frequent than I think. Drugs is a whole other thread OTZ but why is it so bad? So many americans use drugs, so shouldn`t those people be entitled to hear music about one of their past times? Now is your problem with lyrics about selling drugs or consuming drugs?
I'm not really too into hip-hop.
However, there are a few albums I've enjoyed (admittedly those with more pop leanings. I also like live instrumentation on hip-hop songs).
Lupe Fiasco's Food and Liquor and The Cool.
Gym Class Heroes' Cruel as School Children
And a couple songs by The Roots.
Hmmm, good thread, shows what Rap and Hip-Hop are all about. To me, Rap and Hip-Hop are 2 totally different genre's. Rap is more of a "Hardcore/Gangsta" style, while Hip-Hop is a "Softcore/Pop" style of music.
Er...
Hiphop is the culture, the style isn't it?
Rap refers to the music of that culture since it means Rhythmic African Poetry....
Not saying you're wrong and I'm right or anything but.. I think your assumption might be a little off
Personally a fan of some of Kanye's works as well as Common.
I'm not sure if this is limited to just American groups but... so far, at least what I've heard, Epik High's Tablo has one song out there called "Lesson One" which I find to be really addicting. Whether or not you agree with what his lyrics are about, is up to you. Oh, keep in mind that Epik High IS a Korean hip-hop group and so, they mostly rap in Korean. However, "Lesson One" IS in English with two versions out; the regular version and the remix version.
for people into intelligent rap/hip-hop i was surprised not to see a mention of DJ format.
if you want something intelligent to listen to, that is seriously for you.
just lyrics from one song :
DJ Format - Ill Culinary Behaviour Lyrics
[ VERSE 1: Abdominal ]
Well Hello And Welcome
If You Could Wipe Your Feet On The Doormat
Please, Come In - Oh Format...
We Got Company, Where's My Manners, Let Me Take Your Coats
I Hope You're Hungry For Some Flavorful Quotes
Which I Whipped Up Myself, I'm Really Hopin That You Like It
I Call It The Abdominal Special, I Eat A Hype Dish
Format? I Think He's Still In The Kitchen
Slavin Over Platters, You Know, Cooking Rhythms
Come Again? Oh, He Said That The Beats Are Finished
I Guess All That's Left To Do Is Just Remix It
You Say You Wanna Help, Okay, How About You Set The Table
And What's This, A Beautiful Patch Cable, For Me?
Really, You Shouldn't Have
Please Excuse Me, I'ma Just Go And Grab
A Spare Apron To Keep Your Gear Fresh
Format, Where's The Food, It's Rude, We Have Guests
[ CHORUS: Abdominal ]
Dinner's Served, So Yo, Come And Get It
Abdominal And Format Cookin Up The Splendid
Concoctions, Explosions Of Flavor
Check The Ill Culinary Behaviour
You Need Seconds? Yo, Come And Get It
Abdominal And Format Whippin Up The Splendid
Delicacies, Explosions Of Flavor
Check The Ill Culinary Behaviour
[ VERSE 2: Abdominal ]
Okay, You're Right Here, And If You Could Sit There
Format Needs The Chair Closest To The Kitchen
In Case He Needs To Fix The Snare
Which I'm Sure Will Be Crispy Enough
Ah-Ah-Ah, We're All Hungry, But Before We Tuck
In And Stuff Our Faces, We Really Must Say Graces
My Turn, So Here Goes, Lord, Thank You For Bangin Beats We Lace
And Of Course The Microphones That We Rap Into
Amen, That's Through, So Let's Eat, Pass The Loops, Bro
Soup? No, I Said Loops, So
Delicious With The Fishes, Nutritious
Servin Roasted Rapper, That's The First Dish On My Wish List
Just Gobble It Up, Then Proceed To Lick The Plate Clean
Taste The Cuisine Whipped Up By The Great Team
Of Culinary Experts, Ab And A Digit
Between 3 And 5 Followed By A Non-Shiny Finish
For-Mat For The Punchline-Inept
Keep Eating Cause There's Tons Of Food Left
Really, You Just Have To Taste Some Home-Cooked
[ CHORUS ]
[ VERSE 3: Abdominal ]
I Got The Feeling That Everybody Is Ready For Dessert To Be Served
But Before I Bring It Out I Got Somethin To Say First
Abdominal Junior, You Will Get Nothing, Young Man
Until You Finish Those Breaks On Your Plate
Cause All Across The Land There Be Starvin MC's
Who'd Be Happy To Rock To Beats Like These
You Should Be A Little Bit More Considerate
And Think Of This Before Pushing Your Dish Away Without Finishing It
And While I'm At It, Get Your Elbows Off The Damn Console
Really, Where's Your Manners?
I'm Ashamed To Have To Scold You Right In Front Of Our Guests
But You Leave Me No Choice
I'm Truly Sorry That I Had To Raise My Voice
But My Son's Behaviour Simply Inexcusable
And If I Don't See Some Improvement Soon, My Fuse'll Blow
Is That Clear, Mister? Good, I'm Glad We Understand One Another
Now Go Help Your Brother Little Format
Clear The Table, Put The Leftovers In Some Tupperware
So Tomorrow We'll Have Supper Prepared
Oh What's That, You Say You Must Be Leaving?
Such A Pity, What A Lovely Evening
Well, Thanks For Coming, We Must Do It Again Sometime
I Hope You Ate Enough - Of Our Beats And Rhymes
myself i like :
andre 3000/outkast
damian jr gong marley
kanye
dj shadow,
eminem,
massive attack (if you can put them here!),
nwa,
de la soul,
run dmc,
dizzee rascal,
handsome boy modelling school,
dan the automater,
but seriously, if you havent heard it, dj format- music for the mature b-boy = WIN
and listen to the avalanches as well, even though they dont fit in, you can hear the influences. the new album due this year is supposedly hip hop as well.
for myself i admit that hiphop and rap arent one of my favorite types of music, but there are exceptions to the rule.
x
qtipbrit
2008-04-24, 19:31
Hiphop is the culture, the style isn't it?
Rap refers to the music of that culture since it means Rhythmic African Poetry....
That may be so, but nowadays they're usually regarded as different genres of music.
In my opinion, hip-hop refers to the style in which the music is more upbeat and quicker, what is usually played at parties and whatnot, while rap refers to a more mellow beat, and is less so "party music".
Most of the newer stuff is more "hip-hop"ish, while a good deal of the older style is "rap".
Of course, this is all my view, and it probably differs from yours.
As for my opinion, I generally don't listen to rap unless I'm out partying, which is progressively becoming rarer and rarer. I don't hate it, nor do I like it, though there are usually some exceptions.
The occasional song is catchy and I'll listen to it for a short bit, though not very often do I pick up a random rap song.
I find that eminem is one of the few rap artists who has released several songs I enjoyed, generally because they didn't follow the newer "ho's and money" thing, and are often quite catchy as well.
kingsky123
2008-04-25, 17:26
does daft punk and chromeo count as hiphop?
Format's rhyme scheme must be like Rocafella artist Freeway and be all over the place because he doesn't rhyme conventionally more than half the time.
Shadow Raven 91
2008-04-25, 19:12
That may be so, but nowadays they're usually regarded as different genres of music.
In my opinion, hip-hop refers to the style in which the music is more upbeat and quicker, what is usually played at parties and whatnot, while rap refers to a more mellow beat, and is less so "party music".
Most of the newer stuff is more "hip-hop"ish, while a good deal of the older style is "rap".
Of course, this is all my view, and it probably differs from yours.
As for my opinion, I generally don't listen to rap unless I'm out partying, which is progressively becoming rarer and rarer. I don't hate it, nor do I like it, though there are usually some exceptions.
The occasional song is catchy and I'll listen to it for a short bit, though not very often do I pick up a random rap song.
I find that eminem is one of the few rap artists who has released several songs I enjoyed, generally because they didn't follow the newer "ho's and money" thing, and are often quite catchy as well.
Personaly i see Hip-hop as more the old school style with drumbeats, dj scratch work, and emphasis on the actuall lyrics. I see rap as club and gangsta music with loud synth bass, catchy chorus, and less emphasis on the lyrics. i normally don't separate between Rap and Hip-Hop but i concider most of the hiphop/rap we see nowadays as just rap, or more like pop music.
those wanting to hear more dj format,
gc2mbfilFFs
*bump* i want to hear opinions on format! chsthnkbi
ApostleOfGod
2008-04-29, 15:18
Yeah, the industry's going nowhere now.. I'm a big fan of Rap and Hip hop, although I'll listen to any genre, but it's also a hobby thing for me.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jQdC8VPAhlA
Friend produced the track, I rapped it. Just my thoughts and expressions, nothing big. But it's not about the money cash hoes. I don't want to be reppin' for that kind of dirt. Anyways, enjoy the track if you decide to hear it.
I'm not really too into hip-hop.
However, there are a few albums I've enjoyed (admittedly those with more pop leanings. I also like live instrumentation on hip-hop songs).
Lupe Fiasco's Food and Liquor and The Cool.
Gym Class Heroes' Cruel as School Children
And a couple songs by The Roots.
Lupe fiasco, this guy is really good. In france it's hard to get info about good american rappers, cause here only gangsta rappers really pierce. I like dizzee and Kanye too. and a bit of busta rhymes.
vin.dictive
2008-07-01, 20:56
Ahhh.... props to you SilentKnight for creating this thread. Even if I'm a year late. :heh:
Hehe... I haven't updated my collection for yonks now, maybe for a good year or two... so to kick off - here's some albums that I've been into recently: (and hopefully my tastes haven't tolled much since I haven't listened for yonks as well :p)
Ivan Ives - Iconoclast
Ivan Ives - Eat Pop or Die
Outlandish - Breed & Barrels Of Water
Outlandish - Closer Than Veins
Strange Fruit Project - The Healing
Exile & Lokey - Fool
Exile & Lokey - Lucid Traveler
Scarface - Made
Shad - The Old Prince
L.E.G.A.C.Y. - Project Mayhem
Lupe Fiasco - The Cool (ashamed that it was out since December... I know)
Nujabes - Hydeout Productions 1st Collection
Nujabes - Hydeout Productions 2nd Collection
Nujabes - Metaphorical Music
Nujabes - Modal Soul
I'm feeling that I have a lot to catch-up on. :D
Ever since discovering it on the Smokin' Aces soundtrack, GZA's Liquid Swords has grown on me for the past few months because of the brilliant lyricism it possessed, with double entendres, symbolism and hidden meanings. Besides, another reason I liked it so much was his inclusion of soundbites from old kung-fu and samurai films.
LustfulEnvy
2008-07-04, 00:41
Jurassic 5 is one of my favorite Hip hop groups. Try the songs quality control, The Influence, whats golden, work it out, red hot and concrete school yard. There really good, try them out sometime.
skyfirefly
2008-07-04, 05:29
i gotta say right now about hip hop im digging T-pain and Flo-Rida's LoW :P
Makes me dance... >_<
Haven't listen to rap music for a while, last hip hop record i bought was Jurassic 5's Feedback. But a rap duo just caught my attention recently, The Cool Kids, they have a myspace page (http://www.myspace.com/thecoolkids), worth checking out.
Ever since discovering it on the Smokin' Aces soundtrack, GZA's Liquid Swords has grown on me for the past few months because of the brilliant lyricism it possessed, with double entendres, symbolism and hidden meanings. Besides, another reason I liked it so much was his inclusion of soundbites from old kung-fu and samurai films.
Liquid Swords is pretty much my favorite hip hop album of all time.
King Lycan
2008-07-05, 21:21
Anyone here Three Six Mafia's New Album :love:
For creative, intelligent and funny lyricism, I would recommend Busdriver. ;)
Shadow Raven 91
2008-07-20, 12:48
For creative, intelligent and funny lyricism, I would recommend Busdriver. ;)
Props for mentioning Busdriver. He's not what you would expect from a rapper but really interesting. Temporary Forever is my favorite album.
Daughter!
2008-07-20, 23:28
Aesop Rock anyone?
HayashiTakara
2008-07-21, 01:12
All I have to say is that modern day Hip Hop / Rap / whatever, sucks. The 90's was where it was at, with NAZ, Biggie, TuPAC, Wu Tang, Dr. Dre, Bone Thugs, etc...
Monkey D. Luffy
2008-07-21, 01:19
^Boot Camp Click, A Tribe Called Quest, Outkast, Ice Cube. So many good artists.
Aesop Rock anyone?
Yes, did you like his newest album "None Shall Pass?" I thought it's easily one of his best efforts since "Labor Days."
^Boot Camp Click, A Tribe Called Quest, Outkast, Ice Cube. So many good artists.
A Tribe Called Quest and Ice Cube are clearly artists of the 90s though. :p
Ice ist still active, yes, but he was on his peak with AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted and Death Certificate - at the beginning of the nineties.
(I'm not saying there don't exist great hip hop artists today, don't get me wrong.)
Monkey D. Luffy
2008-07-21, 22:16
A Tribe Called Quest and Ice Cube are clearly artists of the 90s though. :p
Ice ist still active, yes, but he was on his peak with AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted and Death Certificate - at the beginning of the nineties.
(I'm not saying there don't exist great hip hop artists today, don't get me wrong.)
Yeah I see what you're saying, that's what I was referring to. There were so many artists that dropped the best of their material in their prime which was in the '90's. Even though some are still active they haven't managed to release anything as good as their early material like Outkast with their first three albums, Mobb Deep's sophmore and third albums and the many classic albums that came from the Boot Camp Click family.
ApostleOfGod
2008-07-21, 22:40
Chamillionaire's A Milli remix = ChaMilli Remix
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lI_veiipE90
It's pretty sick. Check it out.
King Lycan
2008-07-22, 14:01
Yea I love Chamillionaire's mixtapes..especially his screwed and chopped versions
i am a big hip hop and rap fan i listen to the game, 2pac, lupe fiasco, nas, big l, and much much more but i hate 50 cent and soulja boy no disrespect to any who listens to them.
King Lycan
2008-07-31, 21:02
Yea i can't stand soulja boy..he is a disgrace to hip hop
Daughter!
2008-07-31, 22:01
Jesus, I hate Souja Boy. The production is just awful.
Yes, did you like his newest album "None Shall Pass?" I thought it's easily one of his best efforts since "Labor Days."
Yeah! In fact, I like it almost as much as Labor Days. What stands out for me the most is Blockhead's production. He gets better and better and better with everything he does.
Shadow Raven 91
2008-07-31, 22:47
Jesus, I hate Souja Boy. The production is just awful.
Yeah! In fact, I like it almost as much as Labor Days. What stands out for me the most is Blockhead's production. He gets better and better and better with everything he does.
Yea the album is great. “Non shall pass” and “Coffee” (even though I love the songs) had me a little worried that Aesop changed his style but that really was not the case. Labor Days is still his best work in my opinion. Have you heard is earlier album Float? Good stuff.
I agree Souja Boy is garbage. Crappy lyrics + Crappy production= garbage
no offence if you like him (not sure why)
Monkey D. Luffy
2008-07-31, 22:55
Blockhead is great, one of the best underground producers out there. His work with Aesop and other artists has been superb but to me his best work has been his instrumental albums.
"Music By Cavelight", "Downtown Science" and his newest one "Uncle Tony's Coloring Book"are all incredible with "Music By Cavelight" being his best in my opinion.
Currently listening to Public Enemy's "It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back". Being against the flow, I love to turn this up loud in the shop so that I can counter the current tide of hype and the garbage, make the kids wake up and know who's Chuck D and Flavor Flav.
With still frightening freshness and relevance even for nearly 20 years, I wish some of us have this album to give proper balance to our tastes in hip-hop music.
skyfirefly
2008-08-12, 05:26
Yea i can't stand soulja boy..he is a disgrace to hip hop
finally i though i was the only one who thinks the guy sucks! :mad:
his music never sounded so good >_<
no offense to his fans if he did :rolleyes:
finally i though i was the only one who thinks the guy sucks! :mad:
his music never sounded so good >_<
no offense to his fans if he did :rolleyes:
Yeah I never liked his music as well. But someone's digging his music, cause I saw another Soulja boy music video when i was channel surfing the other day.
The new Gza album isn't too shabby.
King Lycan
2008-08-15, 06:12
Have to agree with you on that one :heh:
I've always enjoy Prince Paul and Kool Keith, personally. Princess Superstar, MC Paul Barman, Aesop, Jurassic 5, and Hieroglyphics Crew are some other of my favorites. There are plenty more, but I don't think the point of the thread was to create a list of all the hip-hop/rap you listen to.
Lately, I've been really into Immortal Technique. The guy is really raw, and some of his music is really disturbing in a lyrical sense (check out "Dance with the Devil" as a good example), but the beats in his music are awesome, his lyrics have a "true" feel to them, and he has a really uncanny ability to link his rhymes and flow with his beats. I've heard a bit of his freestyle as well, and it's pretty outstanding.
LustfulEnvy
2008-09-24, 00:08
It pains me to see how people use rap and hiphop to solely rise the charts to earn money. They totally disregard the fact of using rap to reform society and tell the hardships living in poverty like most in the 90's. I personally think Lupe Fiasco is too underated. The guys a lyrical genius with nice flow! He also doesn't rap about sex, drugs, violence or money. Check out his song "Kick, Push" He excellently uses skateboarding as an analogy for the hardships of fitting in.
I also listen to old school rappers from the '90's like Run D.m.c. or Tribe called Quest.
Soulja Boy is just a phase, half the globe hates his music. Before you know it he'll be back on the streets, making a living, selling crack.
Shadow Raven 91
2008-09-24, 21:13
The new Gza album isn't too shabby.
I just started to get into Gza. After listening to Liquid Swords and Beneath the Surface he has become one of my favorite MCs. His new album is good but not as good as his previous releases. though I like the song "alphabets" it feels more like old school Gza. he's my favorite member of Wu-Tang, but Raekwon and RZA are good too.
Yea i can't stand soulja boy..he is a disgrace to hip hop
Most songs from Soulja Boy (and this goes to most southern crunk) are designed only for those who go to clubs/parties and have a good time. I never listen to the likes of Soulja boy in private unless I'm in a party full of people who will be brave enough to chant the chorus from Crank Dat Soulja Boy:heh:
wingdarkness
2008-09-25, 16:51
I just started to get into Gza. After listening to Liquid Swords and Beneath the Surface he has become one of my favorite MCs. His new album is good but not as good as his previous releases. though I like the song "alphabets" it feels more like old school Gza. he's my favorite member of Wu-Tang, but Raekwon and RZA are good too.
Anyone still listening to LiquidSwordz in 2008 gets big rep...
When the Mc's CAME, to live out the NAME and to perform some had to sniff COC*INE...
Although the Wu has fallen off severly (except for my favorite Ghostface Killah) at a moment in time they were really some of the most unique voices ever to hit wax...
Witty Unpredictaple Talent And Natural Game...
Edit: I forgot to note, while he isn't nearly as successful as most the clan they almost all to a tee have stated at some point that GZA has the best rymes...On the first few albums they would have rap-offs to see who would ryhme on what song and from my memory it was said that GZA used to win all the time...
rainnydaiis
2008-09-26, 16:43
So many people hating on Soulja Boy, I don't think hes all that horrible. I mean you got to start somewhere right? Who knows maybe one day he'll get better. "maybe"
LustfulEnvy
2008-09-26, 21:45
So many people hating on Soulja Boy, I don't think hes all that horrible. I mean you got to start somewhere right? Who knows maybe one day he'll get better. "maybe"
I like the instrumentals for his songs. IMO he should become a producer rather then a rapper. Its true that he "could" get better but he is mostly only doing it for the fame and money by the looks of it. His lyrics are not the best thought out either. He also very cliche in the mainstream area.
Anyone still listening to LiquidSwordz in 2008 gets big rep...
1995 ain't that long ago. Lotsa people are listening to stuff much older than that. Then there's the ones who only live in the musical past (even within a genre as young as hip hop).
I tend to ignore age and try to discover the best from whenever. It's not like the good music of today is being promoted into your face anyway.
Shadow Raven 91
2008-09-27, 10:48
So many people hating on Soulja Boy, I don't think hes all that horrible. I mean you got to start somewhere right? Who knows maybe one day he'll get better. "maybe"
I’m not hatin on Solja boy. Honestly, the song is catchy and I understand why people like his music. Still to me his music is certified garbage. I’ve seen people make more complicated beats on FL Studios in less than 10 min. If he was just some guy on the internet or something he wouldn’t be so bad. There are people who do not consider their occupation as a hip-hop artist make better music and write better lyrics then him. I’ll admit some of his songs make me laugh, but he is an extreme case in which mediocre music becomes mad popular and makes tons of money. I give him cred though. As a one hit wonder he still hanging on and he is very in touch with his fans.
ps. Is anyone else thinking currentday Mc Hammer?
ApostleOfGod
2008-09-29, 21:06
Soulja's hip hop today. What's the game right now anyways? All songs revolve around money, in different paraphrases. I personally came to like Soulja - he uses the internet, is someone teenagers probably cope to, and apparently a pretty face for the black ladies. Perhaps even others. In any case, he's also not plain stupid. His lyrical content ain't good obviously, but he's business smart and a good artist - the man produces his own tracks and everything. This guy gets more $$ than other artists making tracks because he does his own things.
Also, if you havn't seen his youtube videos (of which he updates and uploads frequently, I guess to keep in touch with the fans and play with them a bit at times, as well as making money, explained soon), he says he doesn't try very hard. Also, he does say that he's doing it for the money. He gets paid 2 cents per video view, and 15 cents per person commenting. Lol you should have seen it after he came out about that on his video. Everyone commenting was like "15 cents" or "I'll pay 15 cents to say you suck, or f you Soulja man" and of the like. Pretty jokes, society and how standalone complexes work :). All in all, he's business smart. He even maintained his fanbase after all this too. :) Luck and timing's been with this man for the whole ride.
I don't know why that guy gets talked about so much. It's not like that's the first time an artist has been successful with some (one?) really shitty tracks. Nobody cares about his music. At least not if they care about music in general. Heck, I haven't even heard the track in any club around here.
Anyway, while I don't want to diss your post as a whole, the sentiment quoted below is so misconceived that I can only call it stupid:
he's (...) a good artist (...). This guy gets more $$ than other artists making tracks because he does his own things.
meh Rich Boy beats Soulja in my books!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=40xVfPHRQwo
King Lycan
2008-09-30, 16:23
LOL
Of course he does ..
Look for his song Rollin Rollin its really good :D
ApostleOfGod
2008-09-30, 18:19
I don't know why that guy gets talked about so much. It's not like that's the first time an artist has been successful with some (one?) really shitty tracks. Nobody cares about his music. At least not if they care about music in general. Heck, I haven't even heard the track in any club around here.
Anyway, while I don't want to diss your post as a whole, the sentiment quoted below is so misconceived that I can only call it stupid:
He's more than your average One Hit Wonder. And his One Hit Wonder (Crank That) came at the right time with the right things. Especially with the dance, people jam into that stuff.
Not all hot songs are played at clubs. DJs probably don't love Soulja boy all that much either. Besides, club music is more techno than hip hop.
As for the blow at my post, instead of dotting it off to make things look useless and dumb to the point, you should try to understand the context I'm using it in. Since you understand that he became successful with garbage tracks, I'll go on to say that I don't remember saying he's a good rapper. Or a great musician. But the man makes music - hip hop music. The ones which are accepted today by people. And he gets fame and money for it. That's what matters to him anyways.
Once again, in that sense, he's business smart, and he's a good artist. Not a good rapper, but a good artist, because he meets certain criterias of a good artist. Yes, he lacks the "rapping" component, but he's still gettin' fame and gettin' paid for what he does. A rapper's rapping skills judge how good of a rapper he is. When you look at the theme of an artist, it takes on a broader picture. Thus, all I did was explain from a fair point of view and a bigger perspective.
Hope you can understand and change your mind about calling me stupid. Thanks.
LOL
Of course he does ..
Look for his song Rollin Rollin its really good :D
Man i've been spoiled.
I think nothing from Rich Boy will ever be as good as "Throw some D's":(
I swear, When I heard "Throw Some D's" debut back in December 2006 on radio, me and my friends went crazy! The chorus and the instrumental combination of that track was sick!
LustfulEnvy
2008-09-30, 20:53
That song was my Jam for WEEKS! I still listen to it in my ipod. Throw some D's on that BEACH!!!
Throw some D's > Reportcard
He's more than your average One Hit Wonder. And his One Hit Wonder (Crank That) came at the right time with the right things. Especially with the dance, people jam into that stuff.
Not all hot songs are played at clubs. DJs probably don't love Soulja boy all that much either. Besides, club music is more techno than hip hop.
As for the blow at my post, instead of dotting it off to make things look useless and dumb to the point, you should try to understand the context I'm using it in. Since you understand that he became successful with garbage tracks, I'll go on to say that I don't remember saying he's a good rapper. Or a great musician. But the man makes music - hip hop music. The ones which are accepted today by people. And he gets fame and money for it. That's what matters to him anyways.
Once again, in that sense, he's business smart, and he's a good artist. Not a good rapper, but a good artist, because he meets certain criterias of a good artist. Yes, he lacks the "rapping" component, but he's still gettin' fame and gettin' paid for what he does. A rapper's rapping skills judge how good of a rapper he is. When you look at the theme of an artist, it takes on a broader picture. Thus, all I did was explain from a fair point of view and a bigger perspective.
Hope you can understand and change your mind about calling me stupid. Thanks.
I don't know enough about how he does his business (say: whether he does it himself or not) to pass judgement here. Since he does sell I can't disagree with you though - the business side works.
Basically, our disagreement seems to come down to one word - artist. You're using it in a way I can't accept, art does not inherently have anything to do with how smart you're at making business. I don't think you can call him an artist at all.
Also, I didn't mean to call you stupid, if it came across that way, I apologise.
ApostleOfGod
2008-10-01, 15:02
I don't know enough about how he does his business (say: whether he does it himself or not) to pass judgement here. Since he does sell I can't disagree with you though - the business side works.
Basically, our disagreement seems to come down to one word - artist. You're using it in a way I can't accept, art does not inherently have anything to do with how smart you're at making business. I don't think you can call him an artist at all.
Also, I didn't mean to call you stupid, if it came across that way, I apologise.
Thanks for coming to terms. And yeah, I can see how "artist" doesn't suit your taste for what I'm trying to say, but its the word I see fit to use, I mean I can't say he's a good rapper right? :)
Basically, there are a lot of good rappers out there, unsigned hypes and other stuff, but I find that while they are rapping and perhaps making tracks, they havn't reached the point of becoming a "Rap Artist" you know? I know people like The Game, Snoop Dogg, Fifty, and those guys are Rap Artists. And if you take it in the context of Rap being a Spoken Word Art, Soulja doesn't come close to a good artist. But once again, I'm just using this term to say that he's done well in the rap industry thus far, as a whole. Clearly his lyrics aren't the astonishing aspect of his style. But he's still a rap artist, despite what he puts out. So basically, I guess I'm really just trying to give him credit as a rap artist for making it so far in the game, rather than just keeping low after his One Hit Wonder, which was Crank That (Soulja Boy).
My misuse of terminology my man. My bad. But yeah, Soulja's still at it. Fortunately, for his fanbase comprised of mainly girls, everything's cool; on the other hand, the misfortune is that he's shifting hip hop to fun and games, where "Real rap" doesn't really exist anymore. Just my 2 cents again.
XxChris43xX
2008-10-01, 17:56
Samurai Champloo Playlist (http://www.imeem.com/umbongo/playlist/ZhAXOwzw/samurai_champloo_music_playlist/)
Samurai Champloo has the best hip hop beats I've ever heard made by Japanese artists/DJ's.
King Lycan
2008-10-02, 21:34
Mobb Deep is really good i love them :D
rainnydaiis
2008-10-02, 22:21
Does anyone listen to Common and Atmosphere? I've been listening to their music quite a bit as of lately. I use to listen to a huge load of Eminem / Tupac / Biggy / Bone thugs, but lately Commons music is addicting to me.
ApostleOfGod
2008-10-04, 09:51
I used to listen to Common - He's my type of guy, and so is Lupe, but for some reason some of their tracks don't really appeal to me. The Corner is one of the few Common tracks which I used to listen to. All in all, he's good and unique. I'm just not too fond of him yet.
rainnydaiis
2008-10-04, 18:47
I used to listen to Common - He's my type of guy, and so is Lupe, but for some reason some of their tracks don't really appeal to me. The Corner is one of the few Common tracks which I used to listen to. All in all, he's good and unique. I'm just not too fond of him yet.
Yeah I wasen't really fond of him either until I started listenig to his song I have a dream. After I heard that, I put it on repeat and just kept listening to it for a couple of days and then I decided to listen to his other stuff and it was to my liking.
Here's Chris Rock talking about how hard it is to defend Rap Music and Hip Hop today...
Also mentioned: Tupac (THUG LIFE!), Lil' John (WHAT???)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z9A2I-X7b-w&feature=related
LustfulEnvy
2008-10-05, 14:54
Here's Chris Rock talking about how hard it is to defend Rap Music and Hip Hop today...
Also mentioned: Tupac (THUG LIFE!), Lil' John (WHAT???)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z9A2I-X7b-w&feature=related
Haha I lol'ed! The GOVERNMENT hates RAP! Its funny how he says SKEET-SkEET!
rainnydaiis
2008-10-05, 16:22
Never Scared performance was wonderful, especially how he said its hard to defend rap, when all its talking about its sex/women/drugs/money. I found that part pretty interesting.
Check out this new talent!
The best of late 2008!!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gnha_sN05Dk&fmt=18
King Lycan
2008-10-12, 10:42
I don't like that song >/<
How about T.I's new album ?
This song is more than a decade old... and I still listen to it when I roll on the streets of Vegas Strip, Downtown LA and Compton :cool:
0PTeZESQxV0&fmt=18
Chopped & Screwed for the slow people...
WHcRn0RbEas
gencbiba
2008-11-23, 12:13
MC Breed died today... Shame... Here's some good joints for y'all.
Ain't No Future In Yo Frontin' (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nj31LWPjFoc)
Gotta Get Mine (feat TUPAC) (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VEX57o9G0Ow)
And here's a badass compilation video that has some of the best songs EVER.
Video 1 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bVYwcXMyLEs)
Video 2 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ks0lSKXbUc4)
Wing Zero
2008-11-24, 14:29
I have a huge liking for Eazy E's music, I'm abit more old school as I use to listen to Ice T, public enemy and NWA, alot of gangster rap but now I just listen to Nas, Jay z and afew old tracks from Big L and Tupac.
The villian is back, MC Ren bringing out a new album soon, I listened to the first two songs and there good. Mc ren will always go with lyrics over beat.
And here's a badass compilation video that has some of the best songs EVER.
Video 1 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bVYwcXMyLEs)
Video 2 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ks0lSKXbUc4)
Thank god most stations still play old school during lunchtime.
I used to live in LA, and the radio stations there play better old school mix!
any suggestion for a good Asian hip hop/rap band?
i only knew a few such as Funky Monkey Babys, Soul'd Out and Heartdales..
snowmaiden05
2008-11-27, 13:23
^does Home Made Kazoku, Orange Range and FLOW fit the scene?
does Home Made Kazoku, Orange Range and FLOW fit the scene?
thanks for the suggestion but i,m already familiar with those band..
any list for non-Japanese band?
To me this is as Asian as it gets.
Why... (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q2xo-ND7QnI&fmt=18)
by Gloc 9
Dubbed as the fastest rapper in the Philippines, GLOC-9 can easily rap up to 200 words per minute.
So fast yet so clear, that one can easily understand and relate to the words he is expressing. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SNKpZ1ejpTk)
For GLOC-9 (or Aries Pollisco in real life), rap is an expression -- an expression of both his thoughts and emotions. A story of what he went through or is still going through now, especially of what he dreams of becoming in the not so distant future.
“The name Gloc-9 was given to me by a friend, Ronald Solanga of Death Threat,” according to the artist himself. “It was probably associated to me because of the way I rap -- the speed, the clarity of the words,” he added. Gloc-9 went on to share that, “It was when I heard the song Cold Summer Nights of Master Rapper Francis M., that I got inspired and decided to get into rapping.”
He has earned nominations for Favorite Male Recording Artist and Favorite Music Video (for the song Sayang) in the MTV Pilipinas Video Music Awards 2004, as well as for Best Rap Recording in the 17th Awit Awards.
With all the achievements he has earned, GLOC-9 cements his reputation as one of the Philippines' finest and fastest rappers.
Are there any J Dilla (see the screenname) fans around here? He wasn't really a rapper, though he was a member of Slum Village back in the day. He could rap, but he specialized in making beats, which were very much awesome. Could listen to his Donuts instumental album without break, and it has 31 tracks on it.
Immortal Technique is raw and a great lyricist, but there are times when I need to take a break from the conspiracy theories...on occasion.
Tech N9ne? Yep.
Madvillian & Stones Throw? Uh huh.
Guilty Simpson? Look him up, he's pretty mint when he's with Dilla at least.
Tupac? Is a given. And this (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ttGdgVS5KoM) is so true.
Kanye West? I have his all albums but the new one (808s & Heartbreak), the Auto-tune is nice for one song, but after an entire album of it, I doubt I could take it.
He's more than your average One Hit Wonder. And his One Hit Wonder (Crank That) came at the right time with the right things. Especially with the dance, people jam into that stuff.I'm suprised that "YAAHHH BITCH YAAHHH" never became an internet meme.:p
Here's Chris Rock talking about how hard it is to defend Rap Music and Hip Hop today...
Also mentioned: Tupac (THUG LIFE!), Lil' John (WHAT???)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z9A2I-X7b-w&feature=relatedThis is funny, becuase I used to have really long arguments defending rap and hip hop when comparing it to other American music. It was actually easier than I thought sometimes, at least as counterpoints to what was being thrown at me.
I just stopped after a while, though, not really worth it.
gencbiba
2009-02-10, 07:22
JDillas was good. I got his Pay Jay album, that was never really released at all except for the internet. I like his Pharcyde productions.
IM not a rapper or hiphop or somethin but ill recomend one.. it's a japanese hiphop music here it is
its from anime called "gantz"
OST..
here it is.. Super Shooter by RIP SLYME
PUFlhekafT4 hope you like it
Scorpian
2009-02-14, 17:45
I like what the OP is trying to do so I will actually put up an effort to break it down a little bit for people who actually wanted to give rap a chance but don’t know where to look because all they hear and see is the bullshit the radio stations and music video channels shove in our ears :rolleyes: Heres a very small guide to help point you in the right direction.
Rap is brand new compared to a genre like rock n roll, and its not as wide but there still are a decent amount of niches in it. This is no official categorization, but this is how I view it and I don’t think you can go wrong with it. (and btw, this list is only a quick run down for anyone looking to get into it, its about the current people and its in NO WAY complete. There are a lot of people I didn’t mention that are really good):
Real Rap: okay everyone in this category has lyrical skill, even if they only concentrate on one subject or style of word play. These people actually worked hard at their craft, went to the studio, and basically it takes a lot of skill to do what they’ve done.
Culture/Politics/self-improvement/righteousness: These guys mainly focus on the bolded text above. They rap about current events, fucked up laws, and about struggles in life. Now I put emphasis on “mainly” because they sometimes dabble in the other below from time to time, but its still good.
Talib Kwali – this guy is really good. This is his genre all the way, and even though he rarely dabbles in other niche genres, you wont be bored.
Mos Def – One of the greats (in my book). My favorite album by him is “Black on Both Sides”. He really mixes it up in terms of style, and the majority of it is contained in this category. You’ll have fun listening to this album, and he sounds like he had fun creating it.
Lupe Fiasco – a new guy on the scene but with a refreshing sound, especially compared to all the trash that’s playing on the radio. If you can, check out “The Cool”. My favorite track is “Dumb it Down”, in a nutshell, he explains why theres so much shit out there right now, and affirms that he wont turn his music into shit just to sell a few more records. He’s pretty good and is definitely worth a listen.
Canibus** – Okay, this guy is one of the greatest lyricists to ever hold a microphone. His career is a tragedy, he really should have gone way farther than he did. He fits in this category and gangster rap, and you will be blown away by a lot of his work. His beats are pretty bad, but many people feel that was done intentionally to ruin his career – and it is ruined. Either way, listen to any of his freestyles, and on his albums check out “Channel Zero”, “Buckingham Palace”, or really almost anything. His lyrical skill and word play are insane. Please come back and comment if you do.
Nas**– My personal favorite MC. I put him in this category but really he could fit in just about anywhere because his content touches all bases and he can still be among the best in any genre. He has interesting metaphors and his song content can REALLY make you think about your life. His latest album is “Untitled” and it was excellent. Many people don’t like gangster rap, but this guy can still make it meaningful. “I gave you Power” is one of his most creative songs where he raps from the point of view of a gun that is tired of killing… This guy is extremely creative; the worst thing about him is his production/beats, but with his creative style, you most likely wont even mind.
Jay-z** – the best for last. When he says hes the master of all flows, hes not joking. I put him in this category, but he can really fit anywhere he wants, he talks about EVERYTHING. He is the most consistent, and he can come into anyone’s category and beat them at their game. His worst album imo was “Kingdom Come” and “Dynasty” but you really can’t go wrong with any of his albums they’re still really good. Listen to “Meet the Parents”, “Where you from”, “You Must Love Me”, omg theres so much. Please come back and post your opinion on those. Imo he is the best ever (nas is still my fav. Though), because he is the most complete.
Gangster Rap: okay, I know I know, this is the genre that gets the most hate. But its really not as bad as people make it seem. It can be fun to listen to and they still make good use of metaphors. These guys are still pretty damn good, and mostly everyone knows that its just music… MOST normal people anyways. :rolleyes:
Jadakiss: This guy is fuckin’ nice. His metaphors and slick comments are really fun to listen to and he has some funny skits. His voice is also a big asset – and even though hes mostly a gangster rapper he’ll dabble a bit into Nas’ genre, and you wont get bored with his albums.
Beanie Sigel: He’s a beast, really aggressive, hardcore shit. You can tell hes not just making shit up either. Fun fact for those of you who don’t know, he battled Jadakiss twice and won both times. But, I still like Jadakiss better, his albums keep me more interested.
DMX: yeah, hes long gone and his career is over. BUT.. listen to his first two albums, they are incredible. And, he dropped them both in the same year – they both went over platinum. Hes definetly one of the best gangster rappers ever, and he probably has more content and substance than anyone else in here. Please, listen to the song “Damien” on his first album… (and the 2nd part of that is on his second album btw, excellent shit)
Fabolous: Yeah that’s how he spells his name lol. But hes also a beast. Hes quick and drops punchlines at you really fast, sometimes you’ll get a delayed reaction and realize what he just said and laugh about it. Sometimes the punch lines can get a bit old though.
Club music: This is the stuff that gets a lot of air time. I don’t listen to it much but when you’re in a club, yeah you’ll have fun with it. Im not even going to mention many of these guys here because you’re probably tired of hearing this shit on the radio anyway. I know I am, which is why I don’t waste my time listening to the stupid radio.
T.I. : Hes one of the few southern rappers that I take seriously. He has a good flow and his lyrics are on point. He dabbles between ganster rap and club music.
Ludacris: He used to be just a club song type of rapper but hes gotten WAY better. Hes been moving away from this category actually.
BULLSHIT RAP: Okay this stuff is straight up trash. I don’t even really want to even call it rap music. But, guess what? Its what these assholes are playing on the radio the majority of the time and its really what gives the entire rap genre a bad name. It takes little to no skill to be like these guys, most of them are really just gimics, or they came up because of their image (or both). I HATE THIS SHIT. Its like a rap version of bullshit pop music, stuff that people listen to for shits n giggles.
“soulja boi” – hopefully hes about to crash, I heard when he actually made an album it sold like 30k copies… What really gets to me is that he actually thinks hes good, and talks shit about Nas (of all people) and other REAL RAPPERS.
“chingy” – this guy is already done, but when he was around omg. They played his video all fuckin day. Talk about dumbing down society.
”TPain” – This guy is trash. He has no real talent, he just makes decent beats and uses voice distortion. Zero substance, no real lyrical skill, just trash.
You know what , fuck it pretty much ALL (Southern Crunk Music): most of this stuff is trash. Its just one chorous for the entire song over a beat with ridiculous bass. Its mostly played in clubs, but for some reason its been getting crazy radio play for the passed few years. Theres really no lyrical content and ZERO substance. Honestly, anyone can do this stuff.
This list was just a brief intro, theres way more than this, but if you didn’t know where to go or you didn’t know if this stuff had any real substance there you go. Please don’t base your opinion on the trash you hear on the radio, that stuff doesn’t give it its justice AT ALL. This genre can be really fun and a great genre to listen to if you give it a chance and know where to look. Hope you have fun - Scorpian
Oh, and in case anyone was wondering heres my top 5 (alive):
1. Jay-Z
2. Nas
3. Jadakiss (yeah, he got beat by Seigel but hes more of a complete rapper, and better overall)
4. Eminem
5. Beanie Siegel
SilentKnight
2009-03-11, 21:15
Never really dug Jay-Z enough to place him on my top 5 rappers list.
Now I respect Jay-Z as an artist and all, don't get me wrong, but the whole paying tribute to BIG by using a bajillion of his lines didn't float well with me.
Eminem? Whack. He had moderate skill back in the days of Infinite and the Slim Shady LP, but seriously, nowadays he's just purely trash.
Rakim is at the top of my favorite rappers, always has been and always will be. Beyond Rakim, my other favorites are kinda just lumped together in a random list.
A nice little website for the skeptics to check out is artofrhyme.com
A good selection of songs to check out on the AOR Radio, most of them reviewed relatively comprehensively under the New Joints category.
If anything, on the current playlist I'd recommend the skeptics to check out:
Atmosphere - Guarantees
C-Rayz Walz - In Your Soul
Cy Yung - Hip Hop's Forever
k-os - Zambony
Novel - Mad World (nice spin-off of Gary Jules' original)
Now On - Party Like A Politician (really deep song)
Tonedeff - Warden
On a different note, People Under The Stairs is a pretty production heavy group worth checking out.
Guilty pleasures at the moment: Estell and Kanye - American Boy
Ya Boy - We Run LA (lol, this dude's from the bay, NorCal, but here he is repping LA)
Shadow Raven 91
2009-03-15, 12:44
Nice to see you posting again SilentKnight. Been getting into some old school stuff like Rakim, KMD, A tribe Called Quest, Public Enemy, etc. Just wondering around what year did Rakim really become popular? Also on Skate they labeled the song "know the ledge" as "Juice" which is correct?
Dr.dre and Snoop dogg? Don't these heavy hitters deserve some mention? They brought out the era of rap that I will never forget, same goes to Tupac. Still one of my favorites to this day is Still D.R.E, no sticks, no stem, no seeds oo that sticky icky. Also from the "new guard" im digging the game, especially after breaking out of fiddies circle. Most hip hop on the radio is pretty bad, because you'd never hear lupe on stations that play chris brown and his like.
Sinfully Naomi
2009-03-17, 20:48
Wait. I don't really understand the title of this. And.... there's intelligent hip hop/rap? O.o
In all honesty, I love classic hip hop, rather than the pure crap that plays now. Especially 90s things. Call me crazy, but I think those were the best beats of any songs. ^^ I really have to say this. I can't see intelligent rap because of everything I see now:
Birdwalk
Lolipop
and Stanky Legg, just to name a few. It's songs like these that make me disrespect hip hop all together, which is mainly the reason why I can't stand it. Other things I hate is the way they materialize women, and treat them badly, pure crap IMO, is all I can say.
My favorite rapper of all time has to be Eminem, sure he made some pretty stupid songs at times like Smack Dat. But he also had a lot of meaningful, and helpful songs, with a very nice flow, and some hot rhymes as well. :heh:
Hip Hop is pretty much dead as everyone says, I don't see why people try to "ressurect" it with stupid songs that get them no respect, with the exception of the people stupid enough to buy the CDs and put money in these rapper's pockets, honestly.
Also, I feel I have to say this. I am African American. I come to expect some kind of stupid comment like "Oh, you a cracker." or something like that from time to time. I just had to put that out there.
gencbiba
2009-03-17, 22:09
I don't like backpackers...
I'll get back to topic though, and say that you can find great rappers...
DMX
Mobb Deep
Xzibit
Big L
blah blah blah
SilentKnight
2009-03-18, 04:12
I don't like backpackers...
I'll get back to topic though, and say that you can find great rappers...
DMX
Mobb Deep
Xzibit
Big L
blah blah blah
lol backpacker, haven't heard that term kicked around in a long time
I actually don't see anything wrong with backpackers. If anything it's like, the reason why someone would adhere to being a backpacker so strongly is because he/she fails to see anything of true quality in the mainstream. If anything it makes you come to grips with the current state of hip hop and how much the culture has changed since the days of Kool Herc, EPMD, etc.
Hip Hop is like any genre out there in that you have to make an effort to find quality material.
For skeptical listeners, the underground hip hop scene is definitely a good gateway as it presents a dense collection of unique artists without having to sift through the T-Pain's and Soulja Boys.
Listening in to some of the better acts of the mainstream sometimes requires somewhat of a aesthetic appreciation of hip hop culture and the street life.
If you're looking to just drop by the local record store and pick up a record at random though:
Talib Kweli
Gym Class Heroes
Lupe Fiasco
Pharoahe Monch
The Roots
Common
Sinfully Naomi
2009-03-18, 06:35
I know I'm gonna seem stupid for this. But what's a backpacker?
SilentKnight
2009-03-18, 17:26
I know I'm gonna seem stupid for this. But what's a backpacker?
Basically someone who listens solely to the underground to an over-zealous degree and exercises extreme bias against the mainstream.
In context it usually refers to a collective of people who act like they have touched upon everything there is to hip hop culture simply by delving into the independent labels, when in fact they haven't even gone so far as to trace rap music back to its roots and humble beginnings.
Either way, it's not a term for newcomers to worry about. Just listen to what you find appealing (be it Sage Francis, Deltron, etc.) and move on to mainstream or whatever when you're ready. Keep an open mind to suggestions and don't dismiss them before you've given them a shot.
King Lycan
2009-03-19, 20:02
yBkftatyR_s
AHHHHH CRANKKSSSS
Sinfully Naomi
2009-03-20, 07:55
Basically someone who listens solely to the underground to an over-zealous degree and exercises extreme bias against the mainstream.
In context it usually refers to a collective of people who act like they have touched upon everything there is to hip hop culture simply by delving into the independent labels, when in fact they haven't even gone so far as to trace rap music back to its roots and humble beginnings.
Either way, it's not a term for newcomers to worry about. Just listen to what you find appealing (be it Sage Francis, Deltron, etc.) and move on to mainstream or whatever when you're ready. Keep an open mind to suggestions and don't dismiss them before you've given them a shot.
Oh, I see. Well, I don't think I exercise extreme bias against mainstream.... mostly because I don't know what's mainstream, and what's not. Nevertheless, I just don't happen to understand it, and I don't really have a will to learn about it. Im my opinion, it's not that great, but it's only an opinion. =/
Shadow Raven 91
2009-03-20, 15:02
Basically someone who listens solely to the underground to an over-zealous degree and exercises extreme bias against the mainstream.
In context it usually refers to a collective of people who act like they have touched upon everything there is to hip hop culture simply by delving into the independent labels, when in fact they haven't even gone so far as to trace rap music back to its roots and humble beginnings.
Either way, it's not a term for newcomers to worry about. Just listen to what you find appealing (be it Sage Francis, Deltron, etc.) and move on to mainstream or whatever when you're ready. Keep an open mind to suggestions and don't dismiss them before you've given them a shot.
Never heard that term before. When I first discovered the indy-hiphop scene i was definitely headed down that road as you can probably tell by my posts a year or so before. I do understand the cultural impact mainstream hiphop artist have had on the culture. I never liked Tupac or Snoop. i consider them talented and respect their legacies but would never purposely listen to their music. Honestly i cant stand when some one disses everything rappers like lil wayne do just because of who they are. I personally hate his guts but the man has obviously shown he is capable of a clever rhyme time to time. He probably dumbs his stuff way down for his target audience
Believe it or not intelligent hip-hop is not an oxymoron. Some very intelligent-poetic music has be dropped in the last year or even months. Sadly you really have to look for it.
yBkftatyR_s
AHHHHH CRANKKSSSS
damn son that's raw as hell!
That piece sounded like a prototype of what's to be the mainstream in the 2000s.
I don't like backpackers... I don't mind most backpackers, as long as they don't start a rant on how much a particular rapper sold out *cough*Lupe Fiasco*cough* becuase he went mainstream after I mentioned liking a song of his that I heard on the radio.
Hell, I heard grumblings of Immortal Technique, of all people, selling out simply because he may have had a low budget music video for "Dance with the Devil (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qggxTtnKTMo)". Now, that's just bogus.
Oh, I see. Well, I don't think I exercise extreme bias against mainstream.... mostly because I don't know what's mainstream, and what's not. Nevertheless, I just don't happen to understand it, and I don't really have a will to learn about it. Im my opinion, it's not that great, but it's only an opinion. =/Mainstream basically is what you see on TV or hear on Power radio stations. In other words, commercialized for the most part. There are exceptions, many people still consider Black Star underground, even as individuals.
Not exactly hard to figure out.
Wait. I don't really understand the title of this. And.... there's intelligent hip hop/rap? O.oYes, yes there is, but I believe that "The Quality Hip Hop/Rap Discussion" or simply "The Rap Discussion Thread" would have probably been fine. SilentKing probably thought that you would have your normal rap bashing to the nth degree otherwise, justified or not. People have been civil for the most part.
I personally hate his guts but the man has obviously shown he is capable of a clever rhyme time to time. He probably dumbs his stuff way down for his target audience.Lil' Wayne is actually a rather intelligent guy, it would be easier to see if you could understand what the hell he saying half the time.
I lol hard when I heard that Plies of all people of all was a working nurse before he started in the biz. That's just hilarious.:D
gencbiba
2009-03-23, 22:47
I know a backpacker and sometimes he's way too ignorant. I love how Big L suddenly became "underground" after he died and DMX is loved by backpackers as well. Last time I checked Big L was pretty much mainstream and DMX has always been a mainstream rapper with incredible skills.
Sinfully Naomi
2009-04-02, 08:19
Mainstream basically is what you see on TV or hear on Power radio stations. In other words, commercialized for the most part. There are exceptions, many people still consider Black Star underground, even as individuals.
Not exactly hard to figure out.
Yes, yes there is, but I believe that "The Quality Hip Hop/Rap Discussion" or simply "The Rap Discussion Thread" would have probably been fine. SilentKing probably thought that you would have your normal rap bashing to the nth degree otherwise, justified or not. People have been civil for the most part.
I feel like I lost I.Q. points from not knowing that.... I thought it was like a certain style from each artist that just happens to be similar(flow, ect.) And all of the rappers just got put into a certain gourp that just happened to be called mainstream, oh well.
So the word "intelligent" was just put there as a failsafe to say: "No n00bish bashing comments, or anything like that" I understand.
I'm nto really here to bash any hip hop or anything. I just wished to state my opinion on it, and tell that I prefer the older style of rap to the newer style.
all I have to says is "i'm on a boat"
R7yfISlGLNU
^ "I'm on a boat!"
That's kinda catchy, just like other anime songs that I stumbled upon .
Sinfully Naomi
2009-04-05, 20:45
I laughed at how T-Pain was an echo for everything he said like "Muthaf**ka" XD
Ha, I discovered where those gifs with the dancing guys in animal suits came from!
pkjTM4AfYdU&feature=related
It's DJ Format and Jurassic 5. Pretty cool song, too.
http://i223.photobucket.com/albums/dd229/mattkidd24/dancing_bear.gifhttp://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i198/little-ash/thmoving-33.gif
I laughed at how T-Pain was an echo for everything he said like "Muthaf**ka" XD
yep
Sorry man but even I think Soulja Boy has redeeming talent... just listen to his latest song "Kiss Me Thru The Phone."
Shadow Kira01
2009-04-24, 15:34
I don't like rap but Lotus Juice is an exception because of Trinity Soul and P3.
SilentKnight
2009-04-28, 21:18
Interesting thought
I think we should make a playlist/compilation for the rap skeptics/haters/etc. to check out and introduce them into the genre.
So everybody put down say.....4 suggestions? 2 Underground/Indie and another 2 mainstream
Artist - Track title
Jedi Mind Tricks - Uncommon Valor (A Vietnam Story)
Immortal Technique - Dance With The Devil
Common - I Have A Dream
Talib Kweli - Beautiful Struggle
Since you aimed at the more 'conscious'(as people like to call it) stuff SilentKnight, I'll post some less so, but still tasteful.
Underground:
Hieroglyphic - Make Your Move (9th Wonder Remix)
J Dilla, Blu, Jontel - Sun in My Face
Mainstream:
Nas - 2nd Childhood
Outkast - Ms. Jackson
Just cuz I'm fanboy:
J Dilla: Nothing Like This<---More about the beat and video over lyrics.
Shadow Raven 91
2009-04-29, 21:37
Underground
Killah Priest - Profits of Man
Aesop Rock & C-Rayz Walz - Bent Life
Mainstream
GZA - Liquid Swords
kanye West - Stronger (minus kanye's lyrics)
ps. Excellent picks SilentKnight, R A The Rugged Mans's verse on uncommon valor was the illest verse i have ever heard. Should definantly go down in music history
KimmyChan
2009-05-01, 09:03
I don't mind some hip-hop, and only v.rarely SOME, but I can't stand rap I'm afarid :p
Man gave Big Pun's first album a spin lately for the first time in while, he rhymed multis so effortlessly.
KimmyChan
2009-05-01, 11:29
My boyfriend's the one who's completely and utterly into rap & hip hop :p
His CD tower is practically full to bursting with them, especially Tupac, his fave :)
SilentKnight
2009-05-10, 07:38
My boyfriend's the one who's completely and utterly into rap & hip hop :p
His CD tower is practically full to bursting with them, especially Tupac, his fave :)
You should try offsetting that Tupac collection with some Lupe Fiasco or some Sage Francis or some Common.
Btw, I should mention that your concept of hip hop and rap is misinformed. Hip-Hop is a cultural movement, so I believe what you mean is that you enjoy select sub-categories of rap, take for example....conscious, political, etc. and can't stand others.
On a different note, perhaps we should categorize the suggestions so that I can organize different lists for people to browse through and expand upon.
My forte is pretty much cerebral/conscious rappers, so I'll let you guys list your best recommendations from your respective categories.
Btw, I thought there was some forum rule about linking to songs or something, so I didn't link any of my recommendations.
I feel Hip Hop has become a format now that is less toward the ideas of Intelligent thinking and more toward material possessions. Obviously, there's still rap out there that is creative an original in content, however the majority of popular rap groups rap about money, cars, "hoes", and other various material needs. This is because it is easy for one to get popular rapping about said materials, because those who can't obtain said possession have a extreme addiction to hearing about what it is like to own such objects. Basically, most modern rap tends to connect to the public not by intelligent thought but instead by material need, which says a lot about our society in general...
I listen to older rap sometimes, such as NWA. I will listen to some more modern rap groups such as Jurassic 5, but I don't really have a large library of rap anymore. Any recommendations of rap that ISN'T of material needs and childish idealization of possessions?
Unfortunately, I don't think rap will ever be able to escape the niche it's fallen into now, insofar as the words are concerned. It seems to me that, initially, rap was about the expression of feelings, and the want to be recognized for the work these artists were putting into their art, when other forms of music were still dominating the air waves. As rap began to come more into the mainstream, people realized that they could bank on this growing popularity with simple things like a good beat and occasionally striking lyrics. Suddenly, as the money started rolling in, rap artists began living the high life. When you look at where many of these people came from, and how hard they worked to get where they are now, it's not too surprising to think that their art may have been manipulated by what they were acquiring; it was what they were in search for all along. Of course, this is purely speculation on my part, but I think it's human nature to want to celebrate the things you earn after working so hard to get them.
As for recommendations of a non-material nature, I'd highly suggest Saul Williams' album Amethyst Rock Star. He's more of a slam poet, but with some beats behind it, his poems make for amazing hip hop. I'd also suggest MC Paul Barman's Paullelujah and, if you can find them, the Immortal Technique albums Revolutionary Vol 1 & 2. Again, I don't think you're ever going to be able to completely escape the materialization of the music itself (J5 isn't particularly materialistic, but even some of their songs deal with those things), but these are a few of the artists I've found who seem to focus less on the material things, and more on the message.
SilentKnight
2009-05-12, 08:52
Unfortunately, I don't think rap will ever be able to escape the niche it's fallen into now, insofar as the words are concerned. It seems to me that, initially, rap was about the expression of feelings, and the want to be recognized for the work these artists were putting into their art, when other forms of music were still dominating the air waves. As rap began to come more into the mainstream, people realized that they could bank on this growing popularity with simple things like a good beat and occasionally striking lyrics. Suddenly, as the money started rolling in, rap artists began living the high life. When you look at where many of these people came from, and how hard they worked to get where they are now, it's not too surprising to think that their art may have been manipulated by what they were acquiring; it was what they were in search for all along. Of course, this is purely speculation on my part, but I think it's human nature to want to celebrate the things you earn after working so hard to get them.
As for recommendations of a non-material nature, I'd highly suggest Saul Williams' album Amethyst Rock Star. He's more of a slam poet, but with some beats behind it, his poems make for amazing hip hop. I'd also suggest MC Paul Barman's Paullelujah and, if you can find them, the Immortal Technique albums Revolutionary Vol 1 & 2. Again, I don't think you're ever going to be able to completely escape the materialization of the music itself (J5 isn't particularly materialistic, but even some of their songs deal with those things), but these are a few of the artists I've found who seem to focus less on the material things, and more on the message.
Immortal Technique is recommendable in very regulated doses. While his lyrics are about as anti-materialistic as you can get, a lot of his social views are extreme and aren't for the faint of heart (his albums are called "The Revolutionary" for a reason).
For the more mainstream acts, you can look into:
Lupe Fiasco
Talib Kweli
The Roots
Common
Pharoahe Monch
More obscure artists:
Atmosphere
Sage Francis
sol.illaquists of sound
Glue
Del Tha Funkee Homosapien / Deltron
Tonedeff
There are plenty of other tasteful rappers that I didn't mention, but I'll start you off with these guys to give you a good gateway to expand on.
Yeah, I wouldn't suggest getting Immortal Technique's albums in their entirety unless you support his conspiracy theorist lyrics, are anti-American in general, or don't give a crap what the lyrics are as long as it sounds good. The complexity of his lyrics and flow are great, but his subject matter can get a bit irritating, especially if you're a happy super awesome All-American American like me.
@Youkai
I generally don't mind raps about materialism, since for the majority of people, the material things is part of the American Dream. Ya know, the nice house with the nice car etc., etc. Let's face it, you can't be totally happy if you have to worry about getting evicted next month.;)
But, I do have rappers in which material things aren't their main subject.
-Dilated Peoples
-Saul Williams (Most people refer to him as a poet, he'll argue that it's same difference)
-MF Doom/Madvillian
-Quasimoto
-Dead Prez
-Slum Village
-Redman
-Mos Def
-Pharcyde
-Aesop Rock
-Elzhi
-Aloe Blacc
-Hieroglyphics
-Tribe Called Quest
-De La Soul (ESPECIALLY De La Soul, look up 'Stakes is High')
Also, other ways to find artists you like would be Youtube. To go one of the aforementioned rappers and look up a song, then look through the related videos on the side. You'll get far, I guarantee it.:)
Looking by producer is a good way as well. My not-so-hidden fanboyism for J Dilla aside, by looking through him, I discovered Elzhi, Slum Village, Phat Kat, Black Milk & Madlib, who brought me to MF DOOM, which brought me to Danger Mouse. . .you get the picture. It's becuase a lot of these producers generally associate themselves with only a couple rappers in their career.
Shadow Raven 91
2009-05-13, 16:43
To add to the list without overlap
Mr. Lif
Akrobatik
GZA
Masta Killah
Killah Priest
John Robinson
Grieves
Canibus
Snak the Ripper
Cannibal Ox
Vast Aire
Vordul Mega
kool Keith/ Dr. Octagon
Gift of Gab
C-Rayz Walz
MF GRIMM
Public Enemy
RZA
Insight
Illogic
Murs
And there is still more that i want to list. Youtube and itunes is your friend for finding new artist.
god dammit Dolla just got popped (http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,520594,00.html) in the west side!:upset:
Senbon Zakura
2009-05-23, 01:07
My favorite Rap/Hip Hop peoples are Biggie Smalls, Tupac, Rage Against the Machine, Cypress Hill, Immortal Technique, Army of the Pharaohs, and Lupe Fiasco. But don't debate if Tupac is better than Biggie :( that would turn into a small war. You should see some of the comments on Youtube videos of Biggie/Tupac...people are so unintelligent and ignorant, it makes me sick.
fourtwenty
2009-05-23, 04:08
I'm into NWA, Eazy E, Pac, older stuff for some of their messages and stories.
I like the newer mainstream stuff (Wayne, Jeezy, Khaled stuff) if I'm hanging out with friends, party music, etc.
You just have to take it for what it is, not my favorite genre of music but it serves its purpose.
Hey look. And rapper that middle class suburbia can relate to!
874BflNyd40&feature=related
Senbon Zakura
2009-05-25, 21:11
Hey look. And rapper that middle class suburbia can relate to!
874BflNyd40&feature=related
LOL.
I don't consider him a rapper. I consider him comedy rap. Asher Roth is kind of funny but he's a joke.
Tee hee...rap pun.
vBulletin® v3.8.4, Copyright ©2000-2009, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.