[quote]carlcarlson wrote:
rick ross - the Albert Anastasia ep
dizzee rascal - maths and english
[/quote]
I’d also get Boy in Da Corner from Dizzee Rascal; I think it’s his best one. And yeah, Rick Ross has been on a roll for the past year or so, Albert Anastasia EP and Deeper than Rap are good ones to get.
[quote]LarryDavid wrote:
[quote]WhiteFlash wrote:
[quote]SteelyD wrote:
[quote]WhiteFlash wrote:
Any kind of “style” you’re looking for specifically, or you just trying to get a foundation going?[/quote]
I wouldn’t even know what ‘style’ to ask for, hence, the thread.[/quote]
Touche. Here are some albums you can listen to from start to finish without skipping a track. These should set a “foundation”-
Nas- Illmatic [Classic, one of the top 5 rap albums of all time]
Biggie - Ready to Die [see above]
Mobb Deep- The Infamous [These dudes are not studio gangsters. This shit is grimey]
A Tribe Called Quest- Midnight Maruaders [One of my top 5 “feel good” albums]
Pete Rock & CL Smooth- Mecca and the Soul Brother [some of the best beats you’ll find]
Eric B and Rakim- Don’t sweat the technique [most would tell you to get “Paid in Full”, but this is a better album to me]
Scarface- The Diary [So dope. People really sleep on Scarface as a rapper]
There’s seven albums to get you started man. There are several more that I consider essential, but these are great albums and easy to find.[/quote]
See that? We agree on some stuff :D.
Midnight Marauders is definitely better than Low End Theory, and Ready to Die is probably the greatest rap album ever made. It’s pretty much a perfect album, concept, songs, wordplay, flow, production, everything’s top notch. [/quote]
Ready to Die and Illmatic are my top 2 rap albums ever. When you really sit down and listen to them it’s crazy how good they really are. And, not just for a rap album. They are truly good albums that stand up and hold their own against any album from any genre.
[quote]WhiteFlash wrote:
Ready to Die and Illmatic are my top 2 rap albums ever. When you really sit down and listen to them it’s crazy how good they really are. And, not just for a rap album. They are truly good albums that stand up and hold their own against any album from any genre.[/quote]
This is too true. I once heard a saying, “Everybody don’t like something… but don’t NOBODY not like Ready to Die.”
[quote]SSC wrote:
[quote]WhiteFlash wrote:
Ready to Die and Illmatic are my top 2 rap albums ever. When you really sit down and listen to them it’s crazy how good they really are. And, not just for a rap album. They are truly good albums that stand up and hold their own against any album from any genre.[/quote]
This is too true. I once heard a saying, “Everybody don’t like something… but don’t NOBODY not like Ready to Die.”[/quote]
Haha. I don’t know who said that, but that’s awesome.
Wu-Tang Clan-Enter the Wu-Tang: 36 Chambers
Raekwon-Only Built 4 Cuban Linx 1 and 2
Ghostface Killa-Supreme Clientele, Fishscale
GZA-Liquid Swords
Method Man-Tical
Method Man and Redman-Blackout!
Ol’ Dirty Bastard-Return to the 36 Chambers
Cypress Hill-Cypress Hill, Black Sunday, Temples of Boom
Jay-Z-The Black Album
Hieroglyphics-Third Eye Vision
Jurassic 5-Quality Control, Power In Numbers
Ludacris-Back for the First Time
The Roots-Phrenology, Do You Want More, Things Fall Apart
A Tribe Called Quest-The Low End Theory
Public Enemy-It Takes a Nation of Millions, Fear of a Black Planet
Gang Starr-Full Clip
Nas-Illmatic
Ice Cube-The Predator
NWA-their first album, can’t remember it’s name
Beastie Boys-Check Your Head, Paul’s Boutique, Ill Communication
Andre Nikatina-Conversation With the Devil, I Hate You With a Passion
Great recommendations so far-- thanks. I’m surprised at myself in that I have a bunch of scattered songs from a lot of these artists listed. I just need to dig deeper.
It’s still not clear to me from the lists what these all fall under. If these were ‘blues’ or ‘metal’ or ‘jazz’, there would certainly be qualifiers as to what they fall under. Beastie Boys in the same grouping as Method Man and Wu-Tang? Just asking.
Just looking at what I have, I have a bunch of stuff on/similar to DB Cooper’s list. I seem drawn more towards the heavier/headier stuff than some of the ‘poppier’ stuff.
50 Cent
Wu-Tang/MMan- Bring the Pain
MMan/Redman
Cyprus Hill
Ice Cube
I don’t think there are many sub-genres to hip-hop that really matter. All the nerdy white college kids that spend hours ruthlessly sub-categorizing their music listen to bands like Spain and Oneida. You’ve got Gangster-Rap, and Backpack-rap, a couple of groups that act like they’re blurring the boundaries but really aren’t, and that’s pretty much it. Everything else is negotiated on a per diem basis. Scarface is gangster today but horrorcore tomorrow. Things like that.
[quote]Otep wrote:
I don’t think there are many sub-genres to hip-hop that really matter. All the nerdy white college kids that spend hours ruthlessly sub-categorizing their music listen to bands like Spain and Oneida.[/quote]
I’m not looking to sub-categorize for the sake of sub-categorizing.
I’m a musician, mixer, and audio-chemist. Like art, I know what I like and what I hate and I try to understand why that is. I know what type of metal I’m drawn to. Ditto blues and jazz. I don’t know how to explain it, but music pulls me inward and I try to understand that place I go to when I’m absorbed in it and why some things across any type of music draws me in and why other types of music don’t do much for me.
I know what type of rap I’m drawn to and I’m trying to understand the lineage of that so I can trace back and figure out what it is about it I’m drawn to lyrically and rhythmically.
For a lack of ever keeping up of where some of these artists have come from and who were their influences, I look to see what they ‘fall under’. What is it about Wu-Tang that pulls me in versus DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince that really doesn’t do too much for me. Are they the same lineage of music? I don’t know.
[quote]SteelyD wrote:
Great recommendations so far-- thanks. I’m surprised at myself in that I have a bunch of scattered songs from a lot of these artists listed. I just need to dig deeper.
It’s still not clear to me from the lists what these all fall under. If these were ‘blues’ or ‘metal’ or ‘jazz’, there would certainly be qualifiers as to what they fall under. Beastie Boys in the same grouping as Method Man and Wu-Tang? Just asking.
Just looking at what I have, I have a bunch of stuff on/similar to DB Cooper’s list. I seem drawn more towards the heavier/headier stuff than some of the ‘poppier’ stuff.
50 Cent
Wu-Tang/MMan- Bring the Pain
MMan/Redman
Cyprus Hill
Ice Cube
[/quote]
I get what you’re saying [in your post after this one, too], but a lot of that is stuff you’ll just have to take your time figuring out.
Are you drawn by the sound of the production, or the lyrics, the personalities of the MCs, you have to figure that out. And the answer will vary from artist to artist too, probably. If it’s the overall sound, probably the first place to look is the producers of the album and who else they work with. Producers albums can be useful here, too, as producers will make albums of their own with guys they like to work with. If it’s lyrics I’m sure if you mentioned it here with some favourite songs/albums people could make better recommendations.
As far as the Wu-Tang Clan goes, there really isn’t a forefather/influence to their style [just ask Ol Dirty Bastard, haha], so it’d be hard to really go backwards. But as far as after, they have a boatload of solo albums from their members, as well as affiliates, so there’s a place to start. They also were one of the first guys before NY started having more hardcore gangsta rapper/groups getting popular. Get the first Biggie album [Ready to Die], get the Mobb Deep album WhiteFlash recommended [and their next two as well]. Wikipedia isn’t the best resource but as a start it’s great, so just look up Enter the Wu-Tang, I’m sure there’s a lot on it’s influence.
I don’t know much about Cypress Hill so I can recommend anything there, sorry. I don’t know a lot about Ice Cube’s solo stuff, but if your favourite Cube stuff are from the albums where the Bomb Squad did a lot of the beats you should look into Public Enemy, who also worked with the Bomb Squad.
50 Cent’s kind of a guy who made a more pop friendly gangsta rap, even in his early days. Maybe get some DMX [his first three LPs]? No exactly pop but good aggressive tunes. Also get the Dre album I recommended, 2001. You probably already have some songs of it anyway. Get the Game’s first two records too. Young Jeezy, too. I think you should get The Inspiration, and Thug Motivation: 101, by him. Also good simple gangsta rap with good beats and aggressive lyrics. I would seriously recommend getting the two albums made by producer The Alchemist. Good beats, hard lyrics. I think one of the records is called Chemical Warfare. Also get the Clipse record I recommended.
EDIT: Regarding 50. You might like the guy for his ability to sing a hook more than his rapping [and also the beats]. I think that’s his biggest talent, and it’s definitely the reason he and Nelly got famous. Neither were great rappers but they could sing hooks like motherfuckers. If that’s the case, look into Chamillionaire. He’s AS GOOD a hook singer as 50 or Nelly, with the bonus that he’s also an AMAZING rapper. Effortless doesn’t even begin to describe his delivery.
So you listen to this racist anti-white garbage ‘Nature of the Threat’ and you’re white? That’s absolutely pathetic.
MFDOOM is the best ever. The entire madvillain album is rigoddamndiculous. Fabolous is the best of what is currently around.
Steely-- Glad you’re interested in learning mroe about hip-hop. I’m with you on the artistic feeling towards music, but it seems a lot of people don’t consider rap music. Whatever.
There’s been a lot of good suggestions, I have to give props to all for some good albums.
Personal favorites listed are Aesop Rock and Atmosphere, guess I’m just a white boy at heart.
Now, for some that I haven’t seen listed, I’ll give a mix and try to label it simply.
Dj Shadow, the man himself. This is a unique track for Shadow, being a very distinct Hyphy track. That’s a San Francisco Bay area style, unmistakable. Even if this doesn’t do it for you, you should check out the rest of Shadow’s work. I highly recommend “Entroducing” to anyone who likes hip-hop, although it is an instrumental album. Changed my life.
This is about as Gangster Rap as it gets. The artist, X-Raided, is serving a 25-life sentence for murder. Very explicit lyrics, funny as hell, some decent beats, terrible production. No shock there, he raps through the phone on his second album.
RIP: Pimp C. One of two members of UGK, Houston rappers. This is a very accessible song, he has much harder beats and a lot of cameos. This album, Pimpalation, is a classic in my book.
Dilated Peoples. They walk the line between backpackers and gangster. Very classic style, awesome dj cuts, clear and positive lyrics. Expansion Team and Neighborhood Watch are the two albums I fell in love with.
Straight Funk. Lyrics Born is half of the group Latyrx, with Lateef the Truth Speaker being the other. Fun stuff, similar to Blackalicious.
There’s an intro into the underground. A little random, but that’s the beauty of hip-hop, imho.
There’s some good shit here, thanks.
This past week I needed to step out of my box for work and get my head somewhere else, so I’ve been heavy on some of this stuff. I’m pretty psychotic with respect to musical taste and pretty much listen to every/anything.
Keep 'em coming.
Lupe Fiasco
Common - Be, Like Water for Chocolate
ATCQ - Low End Theory, Midnight Mauraders
Wu-Tang (1993-2002)
The Roots - Do You want More?!?, Illadelph Halflife, Game Theory, Phrenology
MF Doom - Madvillainy, Viktor Vaughn
Danger Doom
De La Soul post Daisy Era stuff is better (especially Stakes is High) The Grind Date
Eric B and Rakim - Follow the Leader
Notorious BIG - Ready to Die and Life After Death
Makaveli/Tupac - 7 day theory
Nas - Illmatic, Stillmatic, Hip Hop Is Dead, The Lost Tapes (my favorites from Nas)
There have been a lot of great recommendations for ya Steely…
[quote]Otep wrote:
I don’t think there are many sub-genres to hip-hop that really matter. All the nerdy white college kids that spend hours ruthlessly sub-categorizing their music listen to bands like Spain and Oneida. You’ve got Gangster-Rap, and Backpack-rap, a couple of groups that act like they’re blurring the boundaries but really aren’t, and that’s pretty much it. Everything else is negotiated on a per diem basis. Scarface is gangster today but horrorcore tomorrow. Things like that.[/quote]
I listen to a lot of rap - I mean A LOT of rap - and I’d never heard the term “backpack rap” until reading a thread here a few months ago. To me there’s gangster, lyrical and mellow and maybe something else to describe older stuff like Big Daddy Kane or something, but I usually just call that old school rap. Gangster’s Mobb Deep/Geto Boys. Mellow’s Tribe/Pharcyde. Lyrical’s Canibus/Eyedea. It’s all rap to me, and I dig what’s good. Actually had an arguement with a friend 'cause he said rap’s a music, Hip-Hop’s a lifestyle. I told him he took that shit way too seriously. Oh, I call most of todays commercial rap “shit”.
Fuck that bogus hyphy shit from DJ Shadow. You wanna hear some real Bay Area hip-hop? Andre Nickatina.
[quote]polo77j wrote:
Lupe Fiasco
[/quote]
x2
Very underrated.
I would also reccomend:
Lil Wayne - No Ceilings Or Da Drought 3 - Good Starters
Gorilla Zoe - Welcome to the Zoo Or Don’t feed the animals - You’ll either love him or hate him.
Young Jeezy - Thug Motivation Or Anything by him, they are all the damn same.
Nelly - His Earlier stuff is great.
T.I. - Can’t go wrong with anything by TI
B.I.G. - Not a huge fan, but i like his best of.
Drake - Marijuana Mixtape - Great mixtape.
Dr Dre - The Chronic - Gotta have it
^ has the chronic not been said already? BLASPHEMY!!
Forgot, The FUCKING Big Tymers.
[quote]WhiteFlash wrote:
[quote]Otep wrote:
I don’t think there are many sub-genres to hip-hop that really matter. All the nerdy white college kids that spend hours ruthlessly sub-categorizing their music listen to bands like Spain and Oneida. You’ve got Gangster-Rap, and Backpack-rap, a couple of groups that act like they’re blurring the boundaries but really aren’t, and that’s pretty much it. Everything else is negotiated on a per diem basis. Scarface is gangster today but horrorcore tomorrow. Things like that.[/quote]
I listen to a lot of rap - I mean A LOT of rap - and I’d never heard the term “backpack rap” until reading a thread here a few months ago. To me there’s gangster, lyrical and mellow and maybe something else to describe older stuff like Big Daddy Kane or something, but I usually just call that old school rap. Gangster’s Mobb Deep/Geto Boys. Mellow’s Tribe/Pharcyde. Lyrical’s Canibus/Eyedea. It’s all rap to me, and I dig what’s good. Actually had an arguement with a friend 'cause he said rap’s a music, Hip-Hop’s a lifestyle. I told him he took that shit way too seriously. Oh, I call most of todays commercial rap “shit”.[/quote]
Same thing here, but I asked a couple of friends who know a lot more about rap and they pointed out the term is old and well-used, but not so often anymore becuase if you don’t know by now…
That’s KRS-ONE’s line. And I agree. That is, in fact, exactly how you can tell someone takes it too seriously.