New Rap

forclosure

Well-known member
The 2nd disc of Kendrick album is really great. (The tracks where he sings with autotune sound so Kanye to me.)

I'm glad he's such a huge rapper, really. I can't imagine many rappers on this commercial level (that I've heard anyway) talking about the things he talks about on "Auntie Diaries" and "Mother Sober" e.g.

The 1st disc might be too but I need to revisit it cos I felt like it slipped me by yesterday.

There's things about him as a rapper that put me off when I hear a single song that make a lot more sense in the album form.

I feel like he rarely makes bangers and rarely delivers succinct punchlines/quotes like e.g. Drake and Pusha T but he's a much more fascinating performer, persona and writer than either of them.

Sometimes his ventriloquist voices get on my nerves, but again stretched over a whole album they stick out less than when I hear a single.

I revisited "Sing About Me" yesterday and that one actually makes me want to cry. And listening to his older music like "Hol' Up" and "The Heart pt 1" makes me kind of yearn for a slightly simpler version of Kendrick who 'just' rapped to rap beats in a fairly straightforward and technically dazzling way. But of course him constantly trying to evolve and do something new is what makes him worthy of attention on this scale.
sounds like you got alot out of this Kendrick album

i'm a bit surprised not lie cause this kind of rap you'd usually be like "i like it but really i feel like i shouldn't be listening to it cause its nerd shit deep down"
 

forclosure

Well-known member
@Corpsey also i imagine the autotune track sounds so Kanye to you because he's managed to manipulate the perspective that he was the one who pioneered the usage of it in rap when really he just used it at the height of it being deemed this "controversial" tool in rap

when you really clock it he's the most "zeitgeisty" rapper/producer ever and his defenders like to play it as though his decision making is more artistically inclined than other rappers lol
 

Corpsey

bandz ahoy
I mean that's kind of the attitude I went in with – not so much the "it's nerdy" thing as its going to be artsy.

In his post GOODKID music (which I gave a rave in Wire, fwiw) esp. I've found some of his vocal eccentricity annoying or weak–sounding. And the rapid flows are sometimes a bit tedious, like Eminem's flow in his post MMLP/TES career. When I revisited his older stuff I thought it was much tighter and less strenuous – but I can see there's emotion that goes into that evolution of delivery. (And maybe there's a comparison here to be made with Eminem, who I feel like started yelling louder and louder the more famous/infamous he got, aware of the size of the audience, straining to prove himself or whatever. It's interesting to see how performers react to being so in the spotlight.)

I'd say some of these problems persist for me in that some of it sounds incoherent/laboured and there are many times when I don't even enjoy the rapping but I really do admire the AMBITION of it all.

The point re: the song sounding like Kanye – take your point re: Kanye making autotune seem like his. But it's the combination of autotune with a gospel sort of background which reminds me of Kanye ("Father Stretch My Hands")


I mean there's no way you can hear this song and not think of Kanye right?
 

Corpsey

bandz ahoy
Not giving the credit to Kanye necessarily there either I know he works with a whole army of producers/songwriters...
 

Corpsey

bandz ahoy
I really liked DAMN too actually, esp. the MikeWillMadeIt beats...

Never really listened to TPAB for some reason, don't think the snippets I heard really hooked me in (I really love "These Walls" which is probably the most commercial song on there?)
 

forclosure

Well-known member
i doubt i'll get around to this album but i did hear that Auntie Diaries track and all i have to say on it (cause i feel like the 2 or 3 trans users on this forum are better suited to talk about it than any of us who usually use it) as well meaning as it is it's very clunky.

It comes off like a slightly better version of Macklemore's Same Love to me

with Chance the rapper colouring book,kanye's business and that track i've never really liked how syrupy they get with all the trapings and signifiers of gospel
 

forclosure

Well-known member
Detroit producer Top$ide has a new album out with Shaudy Kash whose kind of underrated as far as Michigan rappers go
He's got a slick flow that reminds me more of like a old regional Westcoast rapper than say Lonnie Bands, RMC mike or any of those guys but he's good, this freestyle over E-40's Dusted and Disgusted is what got me initially interested in him
you don't often hear people freestyle over E-40 beats
 

luka

Well-known member
great year in retrospect

Best Rap, 1999​





1. Juvenile f/ Mannie Fresh & Lil Wayne - "Back That Azz Up" (Mannie Fresh)
2. Mobb Deep - "Quiet Storm" (Havoc)
3. Dr. Dre f/ Snoop Dogg. Nate Dogg & Kurupt - "The Next Episode" (Dr. Dre & Mel-Man)
4. UGK - "Wood Wheel" (Pimp C / John Bido - "Intro")
5. Jay-Z - "Jigga My N***a" (Swizz Beatz)
6. Pastor Troy - "No More Play In GA" (Pastor Troy)
7. Ghostface Killah - "Apollo Kids" (Hassan)
8. B.G. - "Cash Money Is An Army" (Mannie Fresh)
9. Ol' Dirty Bastard f/ Kelis - "Got Your Money" (The Neptunes)
10. Trick Daddy f/ Trina - "Nann" (Righteous Funk Boogie)
11. DMX - "What's My Name" (Self)
12. Hot Boys - "Tuesday & Thursday" (Mannie Fresh)
13. MF DOOM - "Doomsday" (MF DOOM)
14. The Clipse - "The Funeral" (The Neptunes)
15. Pharoahe Monch - "Simon Says" (Pharoahe Monch)
16. Silkk The Shocker f/ Mystikal - "Ain’t My Fault 2" (Craig B)
17. The Lox f/ Drag-On - "Hot 97 Freestyle" (Swizz Beats - "Scenario 2000")
18. Tear Da Club Up Thugs f/ Big Tymers & Hot Boyz - "Hypnotize Cash Money" (DJ Paul, Juicy J & Mannie Fresh)
19. Method Man & Redman - "Da Rockwilder" (Rockwilder)
20. Dead Prez - "Hip Hop" (Dead Prez)
21. Charli Baltimore f/ Ghostface Killah - "Stand Up" (RZA)
22. Project Pat - "N***as Got Me Fucked Up" (DJ Paul & Juicy J)
23. Slick Rick - "I Own America (Part 1)" (Ty Fyffe & Clark Kent)
24. Cool Breeze - "Cre-A-Tine" (Organized Noize)
25. The Roots f/ Eve & Erykah Badu - "You Got Me" (The Grand Wizzards)
26. Andre Nickatina - "My Rap World (Remix)" (Andre Nickatina & Dion Pete)
27. Yungstar f/ Lil Flex & Jasmine - "Knocking Pictures Off Da Wall" (Jhaime Music / Jermaine Dupri / DJ Screw)
28. Lil Wayne - "The Block Is Hot" (Mannie Fresh)
29. Mos Def - "Ms Fat Booty" (Ayatollah)
30. Drag-On f/ Juvenile - "Down Bottom" (Swizz Beatz)
31. Beatnuts - "Watch Out Now" (The Beatnuts)
32. E-40 - "Big Ballin With My Homies" (Ant Banks / Sir Mix-A-Lot - "My Posse's On Broadway")
33. Kurupt f/ Xzibit - "Calling Out Names" (Fredwreck)
34. Youngbloodz f/ Big Boi - "85" (P.A.)
35. Nas - "Nas Is Like" (DJ Premier)
36. Eightball & MJG f/ Cee-Lo - "Paid Dues" (Mr. DJ)
37. Z-Ro - "Blue 22 Freestyle" (DJ Screw / O’Dell - "Major Players")
38. Beanie Sigel f/ Memphis Bleek - "1000 Bars" (Swizz Beatz - "Banned From TV")
39. Eastsidaz f/ Butch Cassidy - "G’d Up" (Battlecat)
40. Eminem - "My Name Is (Original Version)" (Dr. Dre)
41. Fiend - "Talk Like I Bring It" (KLC)
42. Outsidaz (Pace Won) - "The Rah Rah" (Ski)
43. T.W.D.Y. f/ Mac Mall & Too Short - "Players Holiday" (Ant Banks)
44. Snoop Dogg f/ Nate Dogg & Xzibit - "Bitch Please" (Dr. Dre)
45. Gang Starr - "Full Clip" (DJ Premier)
46. Guerilla Maab f/ Peaches - "Rise" (Rakesh)
47. Common f/ Sadat X - "One-Nine-Nine-Nine" (Hi-Tek)
48. Mac Dre - "Fish Head Stew" (Will "Flexxx" Hankins)
49. 50 Cent f/ The Madd Rapper- "How To Rob" (Trackmasters)
50. Lil Troy f/ Big T, Fat Pat, Hawk, Lil Will & Yungstar - "Wanna Be A Baller" (Grim)

100. Ja Rule - "Holla Holla" (Irv Gotti & Tai)

[Full Youtube Playlist]



2000 >>
 

luka

Well-known member
typically perverse, contrarian list but still covers lots of great stuff even if the order is demented
 

Corpsey

bandz ahoy
Martorialist's best rap singles from 1999

1. Pharoahe Monch - Simon Says
2. UGK - Wood Wheel
3. Lil' Wayne - Tha Block Is Hot/Juvenile - U Understand?
4. Mystikal ft. OutKast - Neck Uv Da Woods
5. Screwball - F.A.Y.B.A.N
6. Mobb Deep ft. Lil' Kim - Quiet Storm remix
7. Slick Rick ft. Big Boi - Street Talkin'
8. Dr Dre ft. Snoop, Kurupt & Nate Dogg - The Next Episode
9. Common ft. Sadat X - 1999
10. Bumpy Knuckles - A Part Of My Life
11. Gang Starr - Full Clip
12. Silkk The Shocker ft. Mystikal - It Ain't My Fault
13. Project Pat ft. Gangsta Boo - Ballers
14. Beatnuts - Watch Out Now
15. Young Bleed - Give And Take
16. Sir Menelik ft. Grand Puba & Sadat X - 7XL
17. O.D.B ft. Kelis - Got Your Money
18. Pastor Troy - No Mo' Play in G.A
19. The Clipse - The Funeral
20. R.A The Rugged Man - Stanley Kubrick

Highly recommended blog post: http://themartorialist.blogspot.com/2009/12/best-rap-singles-of-noughties-99-09.html
 

forclosure

Well-known member
alot of these songs are very much noz favourites so i'm not surprised

but what it does get across is that '99 was very much the year of Mannie Fresh and Swizz Beatz
 
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