Post by Nist on Jan 13, 2006 10:29:24 GMT -5
The first thing people think about after hearing the word hiphop is 50 cent, bling bling, hoes and gangsta mentality. This is a sad thing, because hiphop has more depth than that. what you see on MTV and BET(so I heard, I'm Swedish so I wouldn't know) has become something of their own genre: Hip Pop is what you can call it. I'm going to try to expand some horizons here.
This is a very good post from another forum that I will shamelessly steal:
My own recommendations:
Wu tang clan
They are better than people think. Have a lot of dept and are quite poetic when they want to be
Immortal technique
WARNING. He is a communist. Can't swallow that don't listen.
Athmosphere
If you are a racist prick and wont like some kind of music because you don't like blacks. Well, here we have a very godly white rap group. Bad flow, good rhymes and depth.
Hiphop is based on four 'elements' or cornerstones:
1. Rap/MC
The most obvious one and the most known.
2.DJ/Turntabulism
The hardest and most advanced thing in hiphop. Making beats for people to rap or dance in. You can call this hiphop's main foundations.
3.Break dance
This is bigger than people think it is. Was firstly used to solve gang disputes nonviolently.
4.Graffitti.
You have all seen it. The sad thing is that the best graffiti artists don't need to do vandalism. They can just do the legal spots.
This is a very good post from another forum that I will shamelessly steal:
You turn on the video and put it on to any old station, and you're deemed to hear 50 Cent, The Game, or Eminem. Then you'll think (if you have any taste in music) that it's horrible and so is the rest of rap. Don't worry, that's what allot of people do. I'm here to help you if you're one of those people. Yes, I'll even show you kids who actually think mainstream rap is good.
Now, underground has been around forever. Everyone who wanted to hear something new always headed to underground. You'd hear some class acts like KRS-One, or The Last Emporer. Everyone who would listen to them would love them, unlike people who don't like mainstream rap. Don't get me wrong, some of it is ''okay'' , like Nas for example. I think if that more underground rappers turned to mainstream, they'd get more fans and more airplay. Alot of people don't turn to mainstream for the main reason ; the kids these days don't care about war or fighting. They like candy shops and songs about mocking birds. Why? Because that's what we're fed to each and every day. Is any of it good? No. Do people still listen to it? Yes. It's like an addiction. Horrible music is being played over and over and over again to us. What do we do about it? Just go through it. But now, I'll introduce you to some of the finest Rap and Hip-Hop music has to offer. If you aren't archaic, you should love it.
Blackstar:
Let's start off with my personal favorite rappers, Mos Def and Talib Kweli. In 1998, they released the groundbreaking album, Blackstar . Was anyone listening? No, because they were to busy being fed Snoop Dogg and Busta Ryhmes. Mainstream didn't care for it as they were saying, ''Who the hell are these guys?'' . So the album passed on until it was discovered at a latter time. After hearing Talib Kweli's magnificent first album Quality , and Black On Both Sides by Mos Def . Soon, everyone started listening to Blackstar , and I can tell you, first time I heard it 2 years ago was when I first introduced myself to the fine art of actual rap and hip-hop. Praised as probably the greatest hip-hop album of all time, Mos and Talib became household names, while not turning up on the radios anywhere, they showed thier true talent to the people who want to hear it. My rating :- 10/10
Some tracks you might want to download if you're still unsure ;-
Thieves In The Night
RE : DEFinition
Knowledge Of Self
__________________________________
MF DOOM
Next up, I'll show you some of MF DOOM . MF DOOM's name originated by the famous comic series ''Fantastic Four'' where instead of DR. , he used MF (Metal Face) . In all his promo shots he'll have that mask on. Even though he hides his face, he sure doesn't hide his talent. Some strange beats can only be bested by some thick rapping. Part of the band Madvillian, him and his friend Madlib collaborate to make some down to earth rap albums. I'll first start off with Operation : Doomsday. Although not the greatest debut for a budding rap artist, it sure set him apart from typical rappers. MF DOOM is probably most famous for his wacky beats. Some sci-fi spaceship weird stuff. You might not like it at first, but keep listening and it'll grow on you. My rating :- 8/10
Mm...Food? was MF DOOM's next groundbreaking album. Anything between Operation : Doomsday and this album were just samples of his ability. He knew he caught listeners ears with his beats and rhymes. This time he did it for serious. Showing off some of the greatest lyrical skills mixed with some of the weirdest beats, it fits fine. It's actually one of Doom's least ambitious releases and a lot more fun than his previous ones, especially anything released under his dark Viktor Vaughn moniker. Food references and a ton of samples and scratches from old Fantastic Four read-along records keep the album light as Doom takes tired hip-hop topics like "keeping your hoes in check" and turncoat friends and screws with them. You should look out for this album and get your hands on it when you can. My rating :- 9.5/10
__________________________________
Common:
Now finished with MF DOOM, let's go to my new favorite underground rapper influencer, Common . Since I can't fit all pics of album covers into one post I'll just stop so I don't have to make multiple threads. I'll be talking about his latest album, Be. Maybe say this album was the meeting of Chicago's best rapper (Common) with Chicago's best producer (Kanye West) . What do I think about it? I think it's brilliant. Some deep lyrics mixed with some of the best beats by Kanye, this collaboration comes up there with Blackstar . My rating :- 9.5/10
__________________________________
A tribe called quest:
Next! Oh look, it's A Tribe Called Quest. One of the most underrated bands of the 90's, Tribe defied everyone with their intelligent lyrics that couldn't be match. Everyone listened, and everyone knew that The Love Movement was a great album. Some of the track names are weird and once you see them you'll be like ''what the hell?'' . But under the veil that covers the name of the song, if the lyrics. That's what makes Tribe so good. Their lyrics. They use it like a weapon. Of course, they have great instruments and such in songs, but what is said comes up over anything in their songs. My rating - 9/10
__________________________________
Digable Planets:
What's that? You like Jazz and Rap equally? Well, I have the perfect album and band for you. Digable Planets were the first to mix such good jazz with lyrics to match. Probably the most underrated album of all time, Blowout Comb is a must buy. Blowout Comb excelled at pushing great grooves over sunny-day party jams, even when the crew was providing deft social commentary. If you have the money right now, get off your ass, go to your record store and see if they have Blowout Comb . You won't be dissatisfied. My rating - 10/10
__________________________________
Del the funkee homosapien
Let's head back to the west-coast rap and meet Del That Funkee Homosapien. Cousin to the famous Ice Cube , has been busting rhymes out his whole life. Known mostly for his humoristic rap, Both Sides Of The Brain didn't lose that rep. His best album since his debut I Wish My Brother George Was Here back in '91. Although not as good as his first album, Both Sides Of The Brain is still an immensly great album and should be picked up. Rating - 9/10
I Wish My Brother George Was Here . Probably one of the best, if not best debut album for an artist, Del appalled the critics with his rhymes and beats. I Wish My Brother George Was Here. Predating similarly seminal debuts from like-minded artists like tha Alkaholiks, Souls of Mischief, Freestyle Fellowship, and Pharcyde, Brother George takes the Parliament-Funkadelic-derived G-funk sound popularized by NWA and spins it into exciting new directions, replacing gangsta rap's nihilism with a healthy sense of the absurd. Future albums, except for Both Sides Of The Brain fell short, real short on this on. That's why people don't really talk about him.
__________________________________
Handsome Boy Modeling School:
The join of two super producers in Dan Nakamura and Prince Paul, the quirky Handsome Boy Modeling School is created. So far, they've released two albums, the first better than the second. The first, So....How's Your Girl? is one hell of a quirky hip-hop/rap album. The album ends up as more of a showcase for their eclecticism, tailoring productions to their collaborators and creating a colorful universe where classicist rap, turntablism, trip-hop, and electronica all get along comfortably. Parts of the album are surprisingly atmospheric, and rely more on the texture of the sound than the star power of the guest -- which makes sense for a producer's album. My rating - 9.3/10
__________________________________
Deltron 3030
Get ready to be thrown into hyperspace. Get ready to listen to Deltron 3030. Dan the Automator's left-field conceptual brilliance rapidly made him a hero to underground hip-hop fans. For the Deltron 3030 project, he teamed up with likeminded MC Del tha Funkee Homosapien and turntablist Kid Koala, both cult favorites with a similarly goofy sense of humor. Deltron 3030's self-titled debut is exactly what you might expect from such a teaming: a wildly imaginative, unabashedly geeky concept album about interplanetary rap warriors battling to restore humanity's hip-hop supremacy in a corporate-dominated dystopia (or something like that). One of the best , and best spacey, rap album. Pick it up now! My rating - 9.7/10
Now, underground has been around forever. Everyone who wanted to hear something new always headed to underground. You'd hear some class acts like KRS-One, or The Last Emporer. Everyone who would listen to them would love them, unlike people who don't like mainstream rap. Don't get me wrong, some of it is ''okay'' , like Nas for example. I think if that more underground rappers turned to mainstream, they'd get more fans and more airplay. Alot of people don't turn to mainstream for the main reason ; the kids these days don't care about war or fighting. They like candy shops and songs about mocking birds. Why? Because that's what we're fed to each and every day. Is any of it good? No. Do people still listen to it? Yes. It's like an addiction. Horrible music is being played over and over and over again to us. What do we do about it? Just go through it. But now, I'll introduce you to some of the finest Rap and Hip-Hop music has to offer. If you aren't archaic, you should love it.
Blackstar:
Let's start off with my personal favorite rappers, Mos Def and Talib Kweli. In 1998, they released the groundbreaking album, Blackstar . Was anyone listening? No, because they were to busy being fed Snoop Dogg and Busta Ryhmes. Mainstream didn't care for it as they were saying, ''Who the hell are these guys?'' . So the album passed on until it was discovered at a latter time. After hearing Talib Kweli's magnificent first album Quality , and Black On Both Sides by Mos Def . Soon, everyone started listening to Blackstar , and I can tell you, first time I heard it 2 years ago was when I first introduced myself to the fine art of actual rap and hip-hop. Praised as probably the greatest hip-hop album of all time, Mos and Talib became household names, while not turning up on the radios anywhere, they showed thier true talent to the people who want to hear it. My rating :- 10/10
Some tracks you might want to download if you're still unsure ;-
Thieves In The Night
RE : DEFinition
Knowledge Of Self
__________________________________
MF DOOM
Next up, I'll show you some of MF DOOM . MF DOOM's name originated by the famous comic series ''Fantastic Four'' where instead of DR. , he used MF (Metal Face) . In all his promo shots he'll have that mask on. Even though he hides his face, he sure doesn't hide his talent. Some strange beats can only be bested by some thick rapping. Part of the band Madvillian, him and his friend Madlib collaborate to make some down to earth rap albums. I'll first start off with Operation : Doomsday. Although not the greatest debut for a budding rap artist, it sure set him apart from typical rappers. MF DOOM is probably most famous for his wacky beats. Some sci-fi spaceship weird stuff. You might not like it at first, but keep listening and it'll grow on you. My rating :- 8/10
Mm...Food? was MF DOOM's next groundbreaking album. Anything between Operation : Doomsday and this album were just samples of his ability. He knew he caught listeners ears with his beats and rhymes. This time he did it for serious. Showing off some of the greatest lyrical skills mixed with some of the weirdest beats, it fits fine. It's actually one of Doom's least ambitious releases and a lot more fun than his previous ones, especially anything released under his dark Viktor Vaughn moniker. Food references and a ton of samples and scratches from old Fantastic Four read-along records keep the album light as Doom takes tired hip-hop topics like "keeping your hoes in check" and turncoat friends and screws with them. You should look out for this album and get your hands on it when you can. My rating :- 9.5/10
__________________________________
Common:
Now finished with MF DOOM, let's go to my new favorite underground rapper influencer, Common . Since I can't fit all pics of album covers into one post I'll just stop so I don't have to make multiple threads. I'll be talking about his latest album, Be. Maybe say this album was the meeting of Chicago's best rapper (Common) with Chicago's best producer (Kanye West) . What do I think about it? I think it's brilliant. Some deep lyrics mixed with some of the best beats by Kanye, this collaboration comes up there with Blackstar . My rating :- 9.5/10
__________________________________
A tribe called quest:
Next! Oh look, it's A Tribe Called Quest. One of the most underrated bands of the 90's, Tribe defied everyone with their intelligent lyrics that couldn't be match. Everyone listened, and everyone knew that The Love Movement was a great album. Some of the track names are weird and once you see them you'll be like ''what the hell?'' . But under the veil that covers the name of the song, if the lyrics. That's what makes Tribe so good. Their lyrics. They use it like a weapon. Of course, they have great instruments and such in songs, but what is said comes up over anything in their songs. My rating - 9/10
__________________________________
Digable Planets:
What's that? You like Jazz and Rap equally? Well, I have the perfect album and band for you. Digable Planets were the first to mix such good jazz with lyrics to match. Probably the most underrated album of all time, Blowout Comb is a must buy. Blowout Comb excelled at pushing great grooves over sunny-day party jams, even when the crew was providing deft social commentary. If you have the money right now, get off your ass, go to your record store and see if they have Blowout Comb . You won't be dissatisfied. My rating - 10/10
__________________________________
Del the funkee homosapien
Let's head back to the west-coast rap and meet Del That Funkee Homosapien. Cousin to the famous Ice Cube , has been busting rhymes out his whole life. Known mostly for his humoristic rap, Both Sides Of The Brain didn't lose that rep. His best album since his debut I Wish My Brother George Was Here back in '91. Although not as good as his first album, Both Sides Of The Brain is still an immensly great album and should be picked up. Rating - 9/10
I Wish My Brother George Was Here . Probably one of the best, if not best debut album for an artist, Del appalled the critics with his rhymes and beats. I Wish My Brother George Was Here. Predating similarly seminal debuts from like-minded artists like tha Alkaholiks, Souls of Mischief, Freestyle Fellowship, and Pharcyde, Brother George takes the Parliament-Funkadelic-derived G-funk sound popularized by NWA and spins it into exciting new directions, replacing gangsta rap's nihilism with a healthy sense of the absurd. Future albums, except for Both Sides Of The Brain fell short, real short on this on. That's why people don't really talk about him.
__________________________________
Handsome Boy Modeling School:
The join of two super producers in Dan Nakamura and Prince Paul, the quirky Handsome Boy Modeling School is created. So far, they've released two albums, the first better than the second. The first, So....How's Your Girl? is one hell of a quirky hip-hop/rap album. The album ends up as more of a showcase for their eclecticism, tailoring productions to their collaborators and creating a colorful universe where classicist rap, turntablism, trip-hop, and electronica all get along comfortably. Parts of the album are surprisingly atmospheric, and rely more on the texture of the sound than the star power of the guest -- which makes sense for a producer's album. My rating - 9.3/10
__________________________________
Deltron 3030
Get ready to be thrown into hyperspace. Get ready to listen to Deltron 3030. Dan the Automator's left-field conceptual brilliance rapidly made him a hero to underground hip-hop fans. For the Deltron 3030 project, he teamed up with likeminded MC Del tha Funkee Homosapien and turntablist Kid Koala, both cult favorites with a similarly goofy sense of humor. Deltron 3030's self-titled debut is exactly what you might expect from such a teaming: a wildly imaginative, unabashedly geeky concept album about interplanetary rap warriors battling to restore humanity's hip-hop supremacy in a corporate-dominated dystopia (or something like that). One of the best , and best spacey, rap album. Pick it up now! My rating - 9.7/10
My own recommendations:
Wu tang clan
They are better than people think. Have a lot of dept and are quite poetic when they want to be
Immortal technique
WARNING. He is a communist. Can't swallow that don't listen.
Athmosphere
If you are a racist prick and wont like some kind of music because you don't like blacks. Well, here we have a very godly white rap group. Bad flow, good rhymes and depth.
Hiphop is based on four 'elements' or cornerstones:
1. Rap/MC
The most obvious one and the most known.
2.DJ/Turntabulism
The hardest and most advanced thing in hiphop. Making beats for people to rap or dance in. You can call this hiphop's main foundations.
3.Break dance
This is bigger than people think it is. Was firstly used to solve gang disputes nonviolently.
4.Graffitti.
You have all seen it. The sad thing is that the best graffiti artists don't need to do vandalism. They can just do the legal spots.