hip-hop, where to begin?

gumdrops

Well-known member
Dubquixote said:
ps. all this shit sucks and doesn't even belong in the same thread as rakim and nas. it's almost insulting

they so do belong! i would take any of those albums over nastradamus, it was written, i am or any of rakim's solo albums. i kind hate madlib on the whole but madvillain is probably one of his best projects.
 

domtyler

Teasmaid
DonRuba said:
I'm just dying to know where you have lived and what you have listened to before. Can't you please tell the readers of this thread a little bit about your self and your musical background?

No offense, but to me it's just unimaginable that ANYBODY could be this clueless about hiphop in the year 2005. I have a hard time trying to believe you're not kidding. The fact that you immediately think that pretty much all of it is great music after having been into hiphop for two days or something makes me doubt your seriousness even more.


First off, I don't think all of it is great, I just don't think it's polite to say that I think such-and-such is shit when someone's taken the time to think about a recommendation. Sunday-school upbringing probly...

Musical background?!? First record bought aged 7 was House of Fun, Madness. Voice broke doing falsetto singalong to Liberian Girl, Michael Jackson. Then the acne years of The Police, Led Zepplin, The Smiths, The Pixies (saw them live) and related angsty rock. College led to erm... can't really remember but did buy a lot of jazz so Coltraine, Chet Baker, Miles etc..Oh and pulp and Blur and Bjork and Portishead and all that new good stuff. And since then I've bumbled along grumbling about Topofthepops becoming crap and how ringtones sell more than hit singles, the descent to fogeyism I guess.

Anyhow like I said I have heard some (very little) of this stuff before but not really listened to it, I think I had a slightly wrong idea of what the genre contained... I have pretty eclectic listening habits but up till now Hip-hop has been in my blind spot. I think this is probably the case for a lot of us - how much country and western do you listen to? Or did you hear a Garth Brooks song once and it spoiled the whole scene for you? (That's just a hypothetical, you might love C&W, you might even love Garth, I dunno.)

So that's the deal, I really wasn't yanking on chains when I asked for suggestions and almost all of the stuff I've listened to in the last few days has been new to me. My horizons have been widened again.
 
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Dubquixote

Submariner
doh, the drunken late night post strikes again and with it the requisite feeling of regret ;)

ok, madvillainy and doom are ok but i can't be bothered with def jux.
 

Immryr

Well-known member
i can understand how you could not be bothered with alot of, if not most, of the stuff def jux put out. but funcrusher plus is an absolute hip hop classic and i find it hard to believe that any fan of hip hop would not like it.

the cold vein is also an awesome album, but i can understand how some people might not like this so much.



(yes i know funcrusher plus wasnt actually released on def jux)
 
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zhao

there are no accidents
DavidD said:
I think that album is great! Why don't you like it?

Fantastic Damage was a total let down for me, long time Co Flo fan, first because of the muffled, muddy, shitty production, and second because of the meandering, directionless vocal performance. I mean I didn't expect catchy hooks or anything, just sum'n that delivers a punch, which this didn't.
 

baboon2004

Darned cockwombles.
gumdrops said:
anyone getting into hip hop should probably know that rakim is generally considered the yardstick for what makes a 'good rapper', not least just because rappers constantly doff their cap to him whether its ras kass, juelz santana or nas. even 50 cent on that game single says something like 'my favourite rapper used to say check out my melody'. rakim isnt my personal favourite, but some rakim songs to check would be

I must say that for me too, Rakim never featured among my favourites. Just don't understand his legendary status - in fact (shoot me) I would go so far as to say that he can be a bit boring, on the (albeit rare) occasions that Eric B's beats are substandard.

Was interested to know opinions about the best rappers of all times from people on here. That is: the rappers who can enliven even mediocre material/beats. My ten (in no order)

Nas (circa Illmatic or Stillmatic)
Slick Rick
Big L
Missy Elliott
Eminem
Jay-Z
Ice Cube
Dizzee Rascal (again, shoot me, hip hop purists)
Bun-B
Ludacris

(and Kool G Rap as the eleventh)
 

baboon2004

Darned cockwombles.
Oh yeh, and re undie rap, not v ken on it myself, but you can't argue with tracks like 'Krazy Kings' from Funcr Plus
 
C

captain easychord

Guest
confucius said:
second because of the meandering, directionless vocal performance. I mean I didn't expect catchy hooks or anything, just sum'n that delivers a punch, which this didn't.

yeah i would agree that el-p's mcing on that album is almost universially unlistenable. listen to the instrumental version of the LP if you get the chance, it's SO much better honestly. all this texture in the production gets submerged by his relentless barking.
 

gumdrops

Well-known member
does no one quite like el-p's barrage of lyrics? i like the fact that not only is the production really messy (he actually said it was his version of the bomb squad's 'noise') and abrasive, he adds to it with the way he rhymes. i know he overdoes it, but hes not *totally* off meter or devoid of timing, hes just a bit too wordy. and as far as wordy rappers, id rather listen to el-p anyday than talib kweli
 

head

removin the cobwebs
baboon2004 said:
What's with the hate for Kweli? I thought some of the tracks off 'Reflection Eternal' were stunning.

that album, 'quality', great. that was the best that late 90s hip hop had to offer. paving the way for newer stuff like immortal technique, some of the best of the 00s.

there's been some mad strange replies in this thread too; take everything you read in here with a grain of salt. people are pushin old school and new stuff and bashin both at the same time, not really recognizing the east/west/southern/mid-west sounds and the rest. just take your time, figure out the sounds you like, then look for similar artists.
 

gumdrops

Well-known member
whats funniest about this thread are the replies where people lapse into hip-hop speak. its like dissensus turning into sohh for a minute!
 

zhao

there are no accidents
head said:
east/west/southern/mid-west sounds

who are some good midwest acts? I ain't heard none o that shit.

hiphop speak? whachu sayin'? dis how I flo on the day to day mu'fuka
 

Immryr

Well-known member
confucius said:
who are some good midwest acts? I ain't heard none o that shit.

hiphop speak? whachu sayin'? dis how I flo on the day to day mu'fuka

J Rawls, Lone Catalysts, Five Deez, Rubix, Atmosphere, is Sage Francis from the mid west?? i think he is, not 100% though.

none of this stuff is amazing imo, but some of its decent. i really like Rubix as an mc but i havent heard too much stuff by him.
 

Grievous Angel

Beast of Burden
Lovin this threaad. Big up domtyler for posting the question. I don't know 90% of what's been mentioned (I stopped after PE) and I think a big dl session is coming.
 

head

removin the cobwebs
- sage francis is new england

mid-west i don't dig on as much but it started to get more notice back when nelly first came out and has gotten bigger since. they got their whole thing goin, they play with their accents a lot... 'err'body in the club get tipsy' and the rest. can't rec too many groups just cuz i mostly just hear it when i'm out and recognize the vibe/sound.

and kanye's mid-west himself.
 
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