Recommend an old white guy some Hip-Hop.
After growing weary of my sad assortment of Public Enemy, Beastie Boys, and MC Frontalot tracks I recently embarked on a concerted effort to flesh out my mostly alt-rock music collection with some smart hip-hop trackage. I could use some suggestions from you younger and/or hipper types.
Here's the thing: for the most part the whole hard-ass gangsta act feels tired. And I'm not into blatant misogyny and pimp personas. It's a drag, because I totally dig Notorious B.I.G.'s sound, for example–I love the grooves on Ready to Die and Life After Death–but the lyrical content is a dealbreaker. Call me a patsy, but there it is. It's why I've avoided the genre for so many years.
Here's what I do like: early Mos Def/Talib Kweli (Black Star is awesome), Blackalicious (Blazing Arrow and Nia), Fugees. I've also got some Common, Digable Planets, Tribe Called Quest, Jungle Brothers, Nas (Illmatic), Dilated Peoples. Massive Attack's hip-hop leaning tracks (old and new) also float my boat. I've just recently discovered most of the above and I'm looking for more.
Anyone have any recommendations–labels, artists, albums? Or, even better, single tracks. I'm on an itunes binge.
XboxLive: Fly GWJ | PSN: The _Fly | AoC: Wiccana/Invicta/Dark Templar
Aesop Rock - None Shall Pass
Great album. If you're looking for a track to test out, see if you can find Daylight by Aesop Rock. My favorite rap track ever.
"Even though that place should only be fifteen or twenty minutes away geographically, in actual practice - between the hours of four and seven - Redmond might as well orbit the Earth." - Tycho, Penny Arcade
Guru in 3.. 2.. 1..
XBLive: Thin J
PSN: Thin_J
I don't imagine master craftsmen leaping away from completed projects and shouting "Done, motherf*ckers! - 1Dgaf
In no particular order.
Jedi Mind Tricks
MF Doom
MadVillain
WuTang's new album hits Dec. 11th
Aslan
Start with that..
go here also
http://www.myspace.com/thesecretorder
Some of this stuff gets pretty deep..
Aint nothing new about the world order..it's been playing since the day they put George Washington on a quarter
Down in the Park with a friend called Five.
http://wumusicgroup.com/
Most Lil'Wayne is good.
I love black star as well.
Dead Prez is good, especial Dem Skoolz.
Killer Mike is good, especially Blam-Blam.
Busta Rhymes, Jay-Z and Nas also get a nod in my book.
MC Chris for the win and round it out with some Wu-Tang and ODB.
Have at them.
*Legion* wrote:
Pharcyde
De La Soul
Jurassic 5
Outkast (Aquemini)
Old school Wu-Tang (36 Chambers still one of my fav CDs, Triumph)
Ghostface Killa (Pretty Toney album)
Jay-Z
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Wow, Demi beat me to it. I absolutely love Aesop Rock. One of these days I should get uncheap and actually buy his music (I fell into it in college).
Fletcher wrote:
I'd recommend MF Doom - maybe start with Madvillainy (his collaboration with Madlib) or Vaudeville Villain (where he uses his pseudonym, Viktor Vaughn). He has a dirty, dusty sound - a lot of his drum samples will be composed of drum hits with their tail ends cut off, for example.
I also dig Clipse's album, Hell Hath No Fury, which has fantastic production - its sparse, but also very rich, and the rhymes float smoothly across the top.
XBL Gamertag: Magmarok GWJ
Steam ID: Magmarok
www.indefinite-articles.com
Also..
Avoid everything that is labeled Rap or Hip-Hop on MTV, Radio, and in general major labels.
awful.. brutally awful.. essentially modern day blaxploitation.
Aint nothing new about the world order..it's been playing since the day they put George Washington on a quarter
Down in the Park with a friend called Five.
http://wumusicgroup.com/
Don't forget Kool Keith and Del the Funkee Homosapien (Paticularly the Deltron 3030 album. Primo!)
Sephirotic | I am your future...swallowed up in fire | PSN: Sephirotic
Nothing Gangster, just pure Hip-hop...Currently if you want the freshest hip-hop (as opposed to hard core rap a.k.a "Dat Gangsta Sh*t") look to the "Chi", they've taken over that category in recent years with the following artists:
Common: Finding Forever (2007)
Common: Be (2005)
Website: http://www.common-music.com/
Lupe Fiasco: Food & Liquor (2006)
Lupe Fiasco: The Cool (*To be released in December 2007)
Website: http://www.myspace.com/lupefiasco
Kanye West: Graduation (2007)
Youtube Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rvKzt-ZagWk&feature=related
...If dat b*tch can't swim, she's bound to drizzown!
I had the same impression. That's why I asked you guys.
Man, did you ever call that.
Thanks for the stuff so far, guys. Looking forward to checking it out.
XboxLive: Fly GWJ | PSN: The _Fly | AoC: Wiccana/Invicta/Dark Templar
I think Kanye West is great for those who enjoy the gangsta sound without the gangsta lyrics. He's reflective in his songs, he raps about his weaknesses. It's quite a stark contrast to the cartoon characters like 50 Cent.
XBox Live: ChrisLTD | Live Messenger: ChrisLTD at hotmail dot com | Steam: ChrisLTD | Wii Code: 6445 2828 5100 8399
Eric B. & Rakim
EPMD
Cypress Hill
Gang Starr
I also recommend The Predator by Ice Cube, but it might not necessarily be for you.
LiquidMantis wrote:
Can't say it's really new but you might enjoy checking out artists from the Heiroglyphics label.
Xbox live:Scaphism
Like a good curry, they burned me twice. - ApplepieChamploo
Killarmy is awesome. They are affiliated with the Wu-Tang clan. Silent Weapons for Silent Wars is one of my favorite hip-hop albums. Definitely worth a look.
Dr Dre's The Chronic is another great album. Songs like Let Me Ride and Lil' Ghetto Boy have more of an older R&b and Jazz influence while High Powered has more of a classic Hip-hop sound. The album is a little heavy in both content and lyrics though so it may not be for you.
Links NSFW.
I also love El-P's I'll Sleep When You're Dead too. Best track is "Flyentology." Second best is "Up All Night."
"Even though that place should only be fifteen or twenty minutes away geographically, in actual practice - between the hours of four and seven - Redmond might as well orbit the Earth." - Tycho, Penny Arcade
*head bobbing*
"Has got to be the sure shot"
The Moment of Truth album was my sh*t (and Mass Appeal on the "Hard to Earn" album is an undeniable classic)....
...If dat b*tch can't swim, she's bound to drizzown!
Bobby Digital (RZA)'s work on the soundtrack to Ghost Dog: Way of the Samurai still gets regular play in my rotation. It isn't new but it is pretty damn good. I think the beats trump the lyrics, but it is all around good stuff.
We all know that there is no quicker way to empty a joke of its peculiar magic than to try to explain it -- to point out, for example, that Lou Costello is mistaking the proper name "Who" for the interrogative pronoun "who," etc. - D.F.Wallace
Bah, Kolbo beat me to the Pharcyde and Jurassic 5 nominations. Seconded!
Prederick wrote:
5th Aesop Rock (I'm too lazy to find it, but I love the video for none shall pass),
And at the risk of sliding too pop-mainstream: Missy Elliot. She's like my secret shame. I dunno why, but I feel like that girl can do no wrong.
Gamertag: GWJ Rabbit | Last.fm
"Think of it as 'grinding SO rep in the Kitchen instance.' " - Montalban
I wholly approve of your taste in hip-hop.
If you don't mind buying entire albums, CD Baby has a nice selection of different sounding stuff (and more subgenres than I ever knew existed). You can also do "sounds like..." type searches (e.g. Common, Mos Def).
I think they work as an intermediary for getting tracks up on iTunes, but I'm not sure.
I recently picked up:
Know One - Know One's Home
Animate Objects - Riding In Fast Cars With Your Momma
All very non-gangsta.
*bookmarks page*
Great thread!
Xbox Live : Aries GWJ PSN : AriesGWJ
Saul Williams
Dabrye
Dr. Octagon
The Shapeshifters
All great stuff!
- eric
Saul Williams!
Xbox Live Gamertag : Barab
EVE: Hannibal Dax
Also can not forget Prefuse 73.
- eric
Umm. I got nothing.
Xbox Live tag Gorilla800lbs
Blackalicious
Big L
D.I.T.C
Others hit on Deltron3030, Lupe, Kayne West, Common, Mos Def, etc etc. On a side note you may want to grab a copy of DJ Kicks "Nightmares on Wax" Good stuff in there.
"We are at war, and the enemies are...the publishers. No, they're not. It's not that easy. The enemies are mediocrity, laziness, and fear, and they exist in all of us." - Tim Schafer
XBL- Devmani
Man, horror rap is woefully under represented. You guys like blasting zombies, but no one mentions Gravediggaz? Fo' shame.
(Hard to convey a sly tone on the internets)
Xbox Live: Stilgar Black
Some great MN Hip Hop (yes Minnesota) check out http://www.rhymesayers.com/.
Brother Ali and Atmosphere are my favorites.
"Uranus is positioned for summer surprises." - from Tarot.com's mailing list
Xbox Live Gamertag - Yoreel
Sorry, I missed your mention of Tribe in the post. Long day at work.