Is it me or is it really hard to find?
Stuff like Format with Abdominal. Just simple beat, bassline, maybe a couple of other layers, and skillful vocals on-top. Anybody got any recommendations as I'm a complete novice in this area. Nothing aggressive, just nice and laid back.
You could do much, much worse than get involved in the crazy world of
MF Doom, in his many guises.
Madvillainy and MM Food are great places to start. The man has got a mad imagination, the beats and samples are spot on and it's often laugh out loud funny. Especially if you're really high.
Oh, and for my money
the best (or at least my personal favourite) hip-hop ALBUM would be Illmatic by Nas. 10 tracks, 40 minutes, no filler or the crap skits that pollute so many promising hip-hop records. He's never topped it, for me.
and
A Tribe Called Quest - The Low End Theory
Mos Def - Black On Both Sides
3 Feet High and Rising - De La Soul are all classics
Yeh on Illmatic
Although knowing little in the genre, I like the record.
Sage Francis
Human the Death Dance espesh.
Nas - Illmatic
I couldnt agree more with this.
Illmatic is a masterpiece! I think the fact that there are so many different producers and no skits give it a distinctive feel. Its almost a punk rock in attitude, short sparse and direct.
Is it this time of the week already?
Clearly
.
*sigh*
It's only your 2nd post so I'll try and be more helpful... check out http://festivals.drownedinsound.com/articles/2996333
and/or
http://www.drownedinsound.com/articles/2595427
for the standard responses, and I'll throw into that The Chicharones / Josh Martinez / Sleep for some really good slacker stuff; Dirty Diggers & Braintax for some decent UK stuff; and Blackalicious because Blazing Arrow was the first thing I thought of on reading "skillful vocals".
Next!
Uggly Duckling
Are a good fun hip hop group. Jarrasic 5 are also good. MF Doom is excelent as ashstreath85 says. Roots Manuva's album run come save me is awsome especialy Witness (One Hope).
Im faaaar from an expert
But I really like the Roots
This thread comes up time and time again
But for arguements sake...
Public Enemy- Nation of Millions...
Wu Tang Clan- 36 chambers
Nas- Illmatic
Mos Def, Talib Kweli, or them together.
a fwend of mine is bringing out Talib Kweli
watch this space
dilated peoples
dilated peoples-expansion team
mos def-black on both sides
talib kweli-quality
Also,
http://tinyurl.com/5bb8vu
cheers guys
you're all winners
ninja high school
Foreign Legion
Kidnapper Van
DM & Jemini - Ghetto Pop Life
The Pharcyde - Bizarre Ride or Labcabincalifornia
Every time this thread comes up
I play a little game with myself to see if I can guess the rubbish nerdy indie hip hop you guys have already recommended.
This time I lost because no one has said Roots 'only students that smoke shit weed and have greasy hair listen to me' Manuva yet. Although i'm glad to see the utter joke that is ugly duckling has be bandied about so early on.
Also aggressive hip hop is the best kind. I used to be a whiny indie kid who worried about misogyny and what not then I realised i was missing out on a world of amazing music. Now I listen to 'ass n titties' 20 times a day.
you're wrong
the guy who said Ugly Duckling said Roots Manuva.
Personally, I'm waiting on a Jurassic 5 recommendation.
But I like El-P and Aesop, so my opinion is probably meaningless to you....
In which case...
I WIN.
I think el p is pretty good, not really my kind of thing but the company flow album is nice and all. Aesop I really can't stand though.
Company Flow are way better than El-P, I'll give you that
But the last El record is something different to me, and I love it.
Aesop is great. I love his lyrical tangles and crazy metaphors.
But yeah, I'm the epitome of an indie boy hip hopper. So you can shove 'ass n titties' where the sun don't shine sadly...
And i'm sure that's one of the reasons
as to why you're a smug diddy.
It totally is.
Feeling superior about my taste in music is one of my few pleasures in life.
I don't know what I'd do if everyone listened to good music. Cry probably.
The person askin for hip hop was askin for chilled stuff
So I held off with the Clips and Kreak Da Sneak. Uggly Duckling are a good joke though they do there thing pretty well, with some nice beats. Roots Manuva's one hope (one quest) is a freakin banger of a tune I have been to hip hop night where the DJ played that tune 4 times in a row.
Two of my fave albums of the year so far...
...are Sole & The Skyrider Band's self titled and Belly by Food For Animals. Worth checking, even if they don't quite fit your criteria.
that food for animals album is teh good
(p.s. I'm meeting my colleague tomorrow and we'll email you some q's then, k? Sorry for the delay)
Any Will Smith
Particually Willenium
seconded
he is boss
Someday
i'll do a post and the next person will have replied in the right place...
well he was reccomending will smith
that doesnt look right
recommending?
to me?
no in general, so im not suprised he cant understand
the relatively simply board system
Loads of stuff,
try some Del the Funky Homosapian, Percee P, Organized Konfusion (this especially), Eric B and Rakim - they all fit your criteria to a tee.
Also get Edan's Fast Rap mixtape, it's amazing and a great primer to some fantastic music - http://www.discogs.com/release/245640
Company Flow, already mentioned, but, should be again
New Kingdom
Giant Panda
...and the inevitable Jurassic 5.
Walting middle class suburban cunts who hate J5 because they don't rap about Glock 17s and selling drugs should all meet with the sort of violent death that they wank over whilst they're fantasising about shoot outs in Guildford high street.
J5 are great, end of story.
I don't like J5 because they make boring retrograde music
that recycles the same early nineties rap clichés ad infinitum. They could rap about guns all they liked but it still wouldn't change their weak ass beats, unremarkable voices and total lack of charisma.
lol
but true
J5 are awsome for their DJ's
Cut Chemist & Nu Mark are amazing live. I rember them doin Leeds fest and making a massive bass drone that nearly made you fall over it was the loudest most in ya face thing that day at leeds.
reppin' all time high
ayrshire hip hop. 100% bangin.
nothing says o.g. like a free album.
http://www.last.fm/music/All+Time+High/From+The+Dawn+Of+Time+We+Came....
Young MC's Stone Cold Rhymin'
an oldie but a goldie. Funky good time hip hop without the tiresome posturing - should fit the bill of what you're looking for.
also download Digable Planets
if you go for one track get Rebirth Of Slick (Cool Like Dat).
Way in with my bit on El-P and Aesop
They're both quality, latest El-P reminds me of Can Ox which can only be a great thing.
Whoever said Sage Francis esp Human whatever (his new one) you need to listen to something else. Not only is that the worst hip hop album ive heard in years, but SF lost it time ago! His Non Prophets album was good and Personal Journals was nice, but rest is pretty shite.
Brother Ali is awesome!
Giant Panda
Blackalicious
Gift of Gab
Dilated Peoples
People Under The Stairs
ta da!
Buck 65...
Talkin' Honky Blues - beautiful album
yeah
It doesnt get much better than Cannibal Ox.
Did anyone like Mos Defs 2nd and 3rd? The second one was well jazzy but with lots of weird rage against the machine riffing on it. A bit weird!? One id worked out which songs not to listen to it was ok.
3rd one was alright, nothing amazing but had some good tracks on it.
Jurassic 5
Ugly Duckling
DJ Format etc etc
...are not only the worst type of hip-hop, they're also verging on being the worst type of music ever created. It's so inane and bland.
White-friendly hip-hop is the worst watered-down shit ever.
Um, however, if you're not really into the gangster, misogynistic hip-hop (and why not, it's plainly the best) and prefer more laid-back stuff then 'The Blueprint' by Jay-Z is the best place to start.
if it's laid-back hip-hop I would suggest the following:
Souls of Mischief - 93 'til Infinity
Native Nuttz - The Nativez Are Restless
Freestyle Fellowship - Innercity Griots
A Tribe Called Quest - Midnight Marauders
Blackalicious - Blazing Arrow
Pete Rock & CL Smooth - Mecca and the Soul Brother
Jeru the Damaja - Wrath of the Math
Charizma & Peanut Butter Wolf - Big Shots
Jean Grae - Attack of the Attacking Things
all very good, and I reckon those albums would be a decent route into rap.
Binary Star
Mr Lif
Common
Big L
Aceyalone
Dr. Octagon
GZA
Jeru the Damaja
Eric B & Rakim
It's in no way difficult to find good hip-hop.
Madkap
"Look Ma Duke, No Hands". It's pretty diffult to get hold of, but you can get a taster of it on DJ Format's "A right earful vol 1". So, so good.
Mr Lif
I haven't herd from him in ages hes damn good
akala
i just heard him thus making me a couple of years out of date...but this is great stuff.
otherwise cyne released 2 incredible and very underrated albums (underrated on here, in the general public, in the critical press - everywhere).
NWA
?
MC 900 foot Jesus
"welcome to my dream" is a classic.
Boogie Down Productions - Criminal Minded
fills yr criteria to a teeeee, get it!!
not simple but essential:
main source - breaking atoms (fuckin uber essential)
jeru the damaja - the sun rises in the east
lord finesse and dj mike smooth - funky technician
ultramagneti mc's - critical beatdown
big daddy kane - long live the kane
diamond d - stunts, blunts n hip-hop
showbiz & a.g - runaway slave
mf grimm - scars and memories
black moon - enta da stage
InI - centre of attention
kid capri - the tape
krs-one - return of the boom bap
mad lion - real ting
o.c - word...life
pete rock & c.l smooth - mecca and the soul brother
slum village - fantastic vol 2
etc
ultimate force - i'm not palyin
common sense - can i borrow a dollar?
common sense - resurrection
A.D.O.R - the concrete
and don't forget old school
Jungle Brothers!
Jurasic 5
a tribe called quest
nwa
public enemy!
To whoever said Mr Lif
He was over in UK touring last year. Was mint!
.
NWA - Straight Outta Compton
Boogie Down Productions - Criminal Minded
Public Enemy - It Takes a Nation Of Millions To Hold Us Back
De La Soul - 3 Feet High And Rising
Dr Dre. - The Chronic
the only hip hop i listen to:
Roots Manuva
De La Soul
Jurassic 5
Wu Tang Clan
Dizzee Rascal
i don't really need anymore, as ignorant as that sounds. they give me my fill