Hip to tha hop
Further to recent debates on the value of percussive vocals and Jay Z's suitability for a summer rock festival I propose a sharing of hip hop gems. I've never really found a magazine that covers new and interesting hip hop in the way I like to read it and I rarely hang around at house parties with youths in baseball caps and sportswear so I often find it difficult to find new stuff to listen to.
Apart from the obvious stuff - Kanye West, NWA, Nas, Beastie Boys, Public Enemy, Run DMC and, yes, Jay Z - I have also recently (past couple of years) discovered and enjoyed,
Skinnyman - Council Estate of Mind
Mitchell Brothers - A Breath of Fresh Attire
Madvillain - Madvillainy
Peanut Butter Wolf's the Jukebox 45s
Plan B - Who Needs Actions when You've Got Words
Roots - Things Fall Apart
The Pharcyde - Bizarre Ride II
Klashnekoff - The Sagas of
Jedi Mind Tricks - Violent By Design
RJD2 - Deadringer
Jehst - Falling Down
...oh yeah and... Immortal Technique - Revolutionary Vol 2
Anyone care to offer up some recomendations or, at the very least, start up a Nas/Jay Z style 'beef'?
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Madvillain
If you like Madvillain, check out MF Doom's other projects. The Dangerdoom album is fantastic, and his King Geedorah and Viktor Vaughn records are also good.
And he was born in London.
Quasimoto
Thanks for starting this blog and the reccs so far.
Why not try;
Quasimoto "The Unseen" for same late night lunacy.
Justin Warfield "My Field Trip To Planet 9" Rhymes and beats to make you laugh and smile.
People Under The Stairs. A couple on emusic. Try "Question In the Form Of An Answer" for a good time listen.
Deep Puddle Dynamics - The Taste of Rain... Why Kneel
Released by the Anticon label in 2000 and showcasing the talents of Sole, Alias, Doseone and Slug. Feels like a proper album as opposed to just a collection of tracks. A high watermark for cerebral hip-hop. I love Doseone's labyrinthine second verse on The Scarecrow Speaks (below)
Cheers,
Have downloaded, will consume later.
Roots Manuva
I'd rate Awfully Deep as the best British rap album ever and the most self-aware rap I've ever heard.
Possibly why it wasn't a bug hit.
Michael Franti
I find the eponymous Disposable Heroes of Hiphocracy good but a bit Bernard Right-On at times, but his next project Spearhead's 1st lp, Spearhead, a really warm, positive, tuneful, thoghtful rap album.
On the gangsta side (can't believe I'm writing this) Ice Cube's solo lp The Predator bears repeated listening, as sadly for a middle-aged man does the first Snoop Dog album if (sometimes I can, sometimes not) you can get past the lyrics. Same goes for Dr Dre's The Chronic.
The Chronic...
... is great but 2001 is just truly magnificent, it was probably that album more than anything else that made me realise gangsta rap was something worth investigating rather than just dismissing out of hand like so many seem to do.
Couldn't agree more.
Dre back with a point to prove.
Some good recent stuff, singles not albums...
Akala - Bullshit
Comedy, tragedy, history
Blackalicious - Supreme powers
Supreme people
Powers
Dead Prez - B.I.G. Respect
No love
Hood News
Fatlip - What's up fatlip
Lil Wayne - Intro
Blooded
Duffle bag Boy
Mitchell Brothers - She's got it all wrong
Plan B - Raking the dead
Talib Kweli - Just to get by
Lupe Fiasco - Superstar
Lupe Fiasco
Superstar - heard that on the radio this evening. Fine tune I thought. I believe this was a big hit but it passed me by somehow. Looking at other songs by him on You Tube he does seem a pretty good, thoughtful lyricist. I would like to know more decent new hip hop so these recommendations are helpful.
One Stop shop
The Rub-a Dj show on Brooklyn radio has a series called the History of Hip-Hop.At the moment they've just finished the 90's.
http://brooklynradio.net/the-rub/
Each show has a tracklisting,so it's easy to follow up on any track you like.
Great albums you must hear from The 90's
Runaway Slave-Showbiz and AG
Breaking Atoms-Main Source
Funky Technician-Lord Finesse and DJ Mike Smooth
Stunts, Blunts and Hip Hop-Diamond D
Take a Look Around -Masta Ace
A Wolf in Sheep's Clothing -Black Sheep
Anything with Prince Paul
Anyone of The Wu Tang Clan solo albums especially
Only Built 4 Cuban Linx-Raekwon(doesn't get any better)
Finding Good new stuff is hard and i find myself going back to the late 80's and 90's for my Hip Hop these days.
Rappers worth checking out are
Common
Pharoahe Monch and his old group Organized Konfusion(Very Jazzy)
Talib Kweli.
The JayZ/Nas Beef tracks ""Takeover"/"Supa Ugly" and "Ether"/"Stillmatic" are excellent. Nas won. Ether kills JayZ.
Well
Obviously hip hop beefs are pathetic and childish macho posturing, however if you overlook some of the lyrics (I rock girls, you rock fellas, etc) I think Ether is one of the finest rap tracks ever created.
Also...
Ta for the radio recomendation, I'll try and find it on my wifi radio jobby gadget. There is a great show on a local community radio station I'm involved with called The Hip Hop Years which looks at different years, what was happening in the world at the time and the rap records that were released. It's fascinating stuff and he's got great taste.
http://www.209radio.co.uk/shows/profile.php?show=hiphopyears
Company Flow
I know next to nothing about hip hop, but I'd recommend any of the Company Flow albums.
Michael Franti and Spearhead was a good call too, how could anyone be depressed about anything after listening to 'Everyone Deserves Music'?
A question...
When I first heard 'The Message' and 'White Lines (Don't Do It)', I thought both records were incredibly exciting and different, and still do. If I'd known what rap was back in 1981-2, I'd have thought I'd have become a big fan.
But it didn't turn out that way. For me, those early rap records are still by far the best that have ever been released. But I have to admit I could write my entire knowledge of rap on the back of a postage stamp.
Can anyone recommend me a compilation of the very early years of rap (pre-Run DMC?) that would unearth more gems like the ones mentioned above? I truly love those records, it would be good to hear them again alongside some tracks that I've never heard before.
The comp you're looking for is..
Disc 2 of The History of Hip Hop - http://www.amazon.co.uk/History-Hip-Hop-Classics-Parental/dp/B00067ZPO8
Featuring Grandmaster Flash, Kurtis Blow, Big Daddy Kane, Afrika Bambaata etc, then perhaps try the other two more recent discs for a turn.
I tend to agree
much as I would like to say otherwise. I have not heard better than those eighties records. I would also add Paid in Full by Eric B and Rakim as another good one. And these were hits. I hear a modern tune from time to time but nothing really grabs me, too much rap and not enough hip hop it seems. I accept I may be hearing the commercial crap end of things though. I am sure there is good stuff but I don't really hear it much anywhere I listen.
list
http://www.rocklistmusic.co.uk/ego_trip_page_2.htm#1979-85
Gives a list of Great early Hip Hop albums.Ego trip magazine is Staffed by serious Hip Hop heads.
Good topic, I only listened
Good topic, I only listened to guitar-based stuff for years, but discovering hip hop opens up a whole world.
A couple of great early compilations I know - The Definitive Groove Collection: Sugar Hill Records and Various: Dread Meets B-Boys Downtown.
More recently, Ghostface Killah's recent albums - Fishscale is amazing, More Fish the out-takes, and his latest, The Big Doe Rehab is pretty good even if it hasn't generated the kind of acclaim its predecessor did. And Talib Kweli's 'Get By' is a favourite track of mine.
Wax Taylor
Just got played on Tom Robinson. Liked it on first hear. I guess there is current hip hop I can like after all. I prefer it when there are more instrumental bits, as in this case.