Tired of skilless noobies rapping about money and sex and how hard they are? I've got good news for you. Believe it or not, hip hop is not dead - it just moved underground. It's been living there for years, and has since grown strong and beautiful. I hope this blog helps people who thirst for real lyricism, worthy content and artistic production find what they seek.
For the uninitiated:
I recommend Thomax's site. He is a producer from Norway who does amazing remixes of underground artists. What's better, he does them for free! Once you're on his site, on the right hand column you will find links to the 4 REMIX-Files albums he's done. Download these full albums right from his site. This will give you a good sampling of various worthy underground artists, and you will hear some of the best beats in the game.
A sample of Thomax's work. One of his recurring motifs is this beautiful, mystical style.
More Thomax work.
Some artists I recommend:
Here's some of my personal favourites.
IMMORTAL TECHNIQUE
Both rapper and political activist, Immortal Technique is, in my opinion, one of the greatest rappers ever. At the moment he is also the King of the Underground. He has a very clear and distinct style, so you can hear every word. What I find makes him so awesome is that he almost always raps about deep subjects, ranging from politics (he's got his own revolutionary, quasi-socialist view of things) to love and regret. And he does it really well - he can entrance you through his music like any truly great storyteller.
The reason you probably haven't heard of him is because he refuses to sign on to major labels. He's been approached to do so before, but one of the subjects he spits his fiery opinion on is the way record labels restrict the freedom of the rapper, resulting in those bland songs about money and sex you hear on the radio all the time.
Here are some samples of his work:
In one of his most touching songs, Immortal Technique tells the story of a woman he once loved.
A story about temptation - one of the most disturbing yet entrancing songs I have ever heard.
Technique raps from the perspective of the downtrodden, oppressed Third World.
BONUS: Tech speaks his mind on things. (As a man who lives by what he says, Technique recently spent time in Afghanistan helping to build an orphanage.)
JEDI MIND TRICKS
These guys were "pioneers" of the Underground. They've been around for years and years putting out quality music, and are probably the most well-known Underground artist around. The producer, Stoupe, is known for his ethereal beats and frontman Vinnie Paz is known for his aggressive growling style. (Jus Allah, third member of the group, left the group for much of JMT's career but recently came back on the last album. He was really shitty on it and I like to pretend he is a completely different person).
An early JMT gem
A depressed Vinnie Paz contemplates suicide.
On the next album that JMT put out, Vinnie Paz renews his will to live.
R.A. THE RUGGED MAN
"I thought I was the illest" - Notorious B.I.G. on how he felt when he heard R.A.'s flow
R.A. has been around for a long time but has only recently released his second album. In my opinion, he's not as deep in terms of subject matter as the previous two artists, but his flow is just sick. Check out his most astounding verse in this song he did with Jedi Mind Tricks, where he raps from his own father's perspective (verse 2):
Verse 2. Just. Sick.
Rugged Man and J-Live spit fire
That's it for this blog. I hope this opens the often obscured door for people on TL who were looking for real hip hop, as well as for people who didn't know they were looking.
On June 03 2010 13:59 Malgrif wrote: what's the difference between real hip hop and fake hip hop? sorry i'm a noob at music =(
Listen to Kanye or Lil Wayne and then listen to the songs on this thread. If you can't tell the difference then you're not ready to see the matrix, or hip hop might just not be your thing.
Not as recent as the stuff in the OP, but I recently discovered the collaboration album that Talib Kweli and Mos Def put out (Black Star) and I can't stop listening to it. Here's a couple of my favorite tracks from that album:
Ugh. IT and JMT are some of the worst perpetrators of non-stop talking about themselves and acting hard. Even people and groups like Murs, Sweatshop Union, Dilated People,The Roots, etc. do it. It's unavoidable in most hip hop, except the really crazy shit like Eligh & Jo Wilkinson. You just have to do it in an intelligent way, which I don't think IT really does. D:
I loved JMT's first album. Violent by Design was ok, but after that I don't really like too much. Like Jibba said they act way too hard and it comes across as fake to me, like they're trying to sell themselves as hardcore rather than being themselves.
I don't feel strongly either way about IT. I've listened to his music, it's decent, but none of it really hit me and made me think "this is great" the way that albums like Illmatic, 36 Chambers, Black Star, and Midnight Marauders did.
On June 03 2010 13:59 Malgrif wrote: what's the difference between real hip hop and fake hip hop? sorry i'm a noob at music =(
Listen to Kanye or Lil Wayne and then listen to the songs on this thread. If you can't tell the difference then you're not ready to see the matrix, or hip hop might just not be your thing.
The difference is a combination of production quality, % of hit-worthy songs and some talent. They may have a lot of stuff that you consider too mainstream or pop, but to deny that they can put together great hip hop songs is absurd.
Anyways, I don't think you want your blog to be about that so here's some other suggestions: Aesop Rock, Atmosphere, Blue Sky Black Death (there's 2 bands, both are awesome but only 1 is hip hop), Pharoahe Monch.
This thread needs more MF Doom, Imo. Very solid read and solid groups included. For those looking to start on the path to the best type of hip hop. Then add on some Nas, The Roots, or maybe a dash of Little Brother or AZ.
edit: Don't pretend to hate all mainstream stuff. Kanye might be a douche bag, but he can still put out some real great tracks, as can some other heavy mainstream artists too.
On June 03 2010 14:10 I_Love_Bacon wrote: This thread needs more MF Doom, Imo. Very solid read and solid groups included. For those looking to start on the path to the best type of hip hop. Then add on some Nas, The Roots, or maybe a dash of Little Brother or AZ.
edit: Don't pretend to hate all mainstream stuff. Kanye might be a douche bag, but he can still put out some real great tracks, as can some other heavy mainstream artists too.
Feel free to add MF Doom, Murs, The Cool Kids, etc, here. The blog was meant to be an introductory type of thread so I couldn't include everyone.
As for Kanye, well, we will have to agree to disagree . Although I haven't paid attention to mainstream in years, so I might have missed out on -some- good music.
On June 03 2010 13:59 Malgrif wrote: what's the difference between real hip hop and fake hip hop? sorry i'm a noob at music =(
Elitism and arrogance.
Especially Immortal Technique. He calls for some loosely-defined praxis of pseudo-Marxist straight-up conspiracy theory shit and then juxtaposes it with songs about how he's a dick just because he's a dick. Lacks consistency. And the idea that someone from Brooklyn - don't care how downtrodden you are - would dare to speak for the Third World drips with so much ethnocentric condescension that it almost makes me sad that people buy it, commend him for it.
(One of my friends told me a story about how a friend of his was a cab driver and picked up Immortal Technique from an airport one day. Apparently IT spent most of the time yelling about how the driver should know who he is and how important he was. I'll try to verify the details of this story for the betterment of this thread.)
But if this is going to be a backpacker rap topic then may I plug the Plugs? Stakes is High could be the best album ever that cries about the state of hip-hop for 60 minutes and only really works because of how tight Pos and Trugoy are, but it's still a total step down from Bulhoone Mind State and De La Soul Is Dead, which outdid contemporaries through winks, jeers, and raw creativity.
On June 03 2010 14:18 Gann1 wrote: edit: No love for 3 Feet High and Rising, Jon? It's my favorite De La Soul album!
It has its moments, but De La are really inexperienced on the mic and it shows.
Also, the concept part of the album doesn't work, making like 25% of the album unbearable skits that don't really coalesce into anything. The good shit is good, but overall they'd improve on almost everything with De La Soul Is Dead.
Here's a song that isn't really "hip-hop", but IMO it is a top notch song from when these artists where pretty much nobodies with only a small following here in Houston.
Rather than throw out individual songs I'll give a couple of my favorite rap albums of all time. I'll try to mix it up a little from eras and styles....
Common - Resurrection Fugees - The Score Cypress Hill - Skull n' Bones (Untitled and Black Sunday are as equally as good) Nas - Illmatic Wu Tang - Enter the Wu Biggie - Life after Death UGK - Ridin Dirty Camp Lo - Uptown Saturday Night MF Doom / Ghost Face - Operation Ironman To be honest I don't know why I started on this list. I have too many to name and listing even some of these feels like I'm leaving out 50 other absolute classics. I'll leave the list there as all good suggestions for people looking for great albums to sink their teeth into (most being classics).
On June 03 2010 13:59 Malgrif wrote: what's the difference between real hip hop and fake hip hop? sorry i'm a noob at music =(
Listen to Kanye or Lil Wayne and then listen to the songs on this thread. If you can't tell the difference then you're not ready to see the matrix, or hip hop might just not be your thing.
The difference is a combination of production quality, % of hit-worthy songs and some talent. They may have a lot of stuff that you consider too mainstream or pop, but to deny that they can put together great hip hop songs is absurd.
I haven't followed underground hip hop in a long time but I agree with this. The subject matter doesn't determine the quality of a song. Kool G Rap with his mafioso style were some of the best rap from the 90s and also deeply influential to most of today's mainstream rap. You can argue guys like lil wayne are average in their craft as MCs but I'm sure that's not what he cares about. The production of mainstream hip hop nowadays is as good if not better than underground production if only because major studios use better equipment.
What I've always hated have been underground guys who pretend they're on a higher level, have better artistic ethics whether in their efforts to bring back the old school and whatever shit they chant or to rid hip hop of its materialistic culture, so that those guys can try to convince you they make better music when in fact although a lot of underground artists may be talented, most of the saviors of hip hop types are far from qualified to deride all of mainstream on the grounds of its supposed poor "artistic" quality, as if rapping about slanging and bitches shaking their booties automatically makes the track drivel because its subject matter is indecent.
Again I do think many of the multi platinum rappers have average talent but I think the same for many many many of the popular underground "true" hip hop artists.
@Jibba, Slug in his earlier albums is probably the most self-deprecating rapper ever.
On June 03 2010 14:18 Gann1 wrote: edit: No love for 3 Feet High and Rising, Jon? It's my favorite De La Soul album!
It has its moments, but De La are really inexperienced on the mic and it shows.
Also, the concept part of the album doesn't work, making like 25% of the album unbearable skits that don't really coalesce into anything. The good shit is good, but overall they'd improve on almost everything with De La Soul Is Dead.
Edit: sorry for the triple post. :\
Can you clarify about the inexperience part? I haven't listened to their albums in so long but 3 feet high sounded pretty good as I remember. I realize people are divided over de la soul is dead but just to have the concept for a concept album at that time in hip hop was pretty amazing imo.
On June 03 2010 13:59 Malgrif wrote: what's the difference between real hip hop and fake hip hop? sorry i'm a noob at music =(
Listen to Kanye or Lil Wayne and then listen to the songs on this thread. If you can't tell the difference then you're not ready to see the matrix, or hip hop might just not be your thing.
On June 03 2010 13:59 Malgrif wrote: what's the difference between real hip hop and fake hip hop? sorry i'm a noob at music =(
Listen to Kanye or Lil Wayne and then listen to the songs on this thread. If you can't tell the difference then you're not ready to see the matrix, or hip hop might just not be your thing.
I like Kanye, (atleast i used to like him )
Some of his old stuff actually had meaning, and I felt I could relate to it.
But IMO his new stuff is only good for dancing at a club and shit, but not casual listening..
On June 03 2010 13:59 Malgrif wrote: what's the difference between real hip hop and fake hip hop? sorry i'm a noob at music =(
Listen to Kanye or Lil Wayne and then listen to the songs on this thread. If you can't tell the difference then you're not ready to see the matrix, or hip hop might just not be your thing.
I like Kanye, (atleast i used to like him )
Some of his old stuff actually had meaning, and I felt I could relate to it.
But IMO his new stuff is only good for dancing at a club and shit, but not casual listening..
808 wasn't really a dance album, it was an emo album that got turned into that. Kinda like Kid Cudi stuff. I don't think his new single is great, but it sounds like he's going back to Dropout territory, plus he samples King Crimson which always deserves props.
On June 03 2010 13:59 Malgrif wrote: what's the difference between real hip hop and fake hip hop? sorry i'm a noob at music =(
Listen to Kanye or Lil Wayne and then listen to the songs on this thread. If you can't tell the difference then you're not ready to see the matrix, or hip hop might just not be your thing.
I like Kanye, (atleast i used to like him )
Some of his old stuff actually had meaning, and I felt I could relate to it.
But IMO his new stuff is only good for dancing at a club and shit, but not casual listening..
808 wasn't really a dance album, it was an emo album that got turned into that. Kinda like Kid Cudi stuff. I don't think his new single is great, but it sounds like he's going back to Dropout territory, plus he samples King Crimson which always deserves props.
I assume you're talking about Power, it is OK, but his voice seems too high pitched, I say either use fucking autotune or do it the old way. And yes songs like Heartless are my musical guilty pleasure, seriously I like it alot O_O, when it seems to go against everything I enjoy musically.
Yeah, there are certain parts that bug me about Power, but at least it evens out at the end.
I guess the nice thing about "underground" rap is that it's caused everyone to start putting out more free mixtapes. Like, I think that new Soulja Boy thing sucks but at least no one has to pay for it, and there are a lot of really good ones out there.
i was on that site the other day and laughed about how much of it applies to me, especially this one
I would say that was funny, and I laughed a bit at first because it applied in some ways to me, too...But I took a bit of offense to it. First of all, whether comedic or not, that post was totally untrue. I listen to jazz because I'm a musician who appreciates incredibly complex and interesting styles of play. I get a high off of the key and timing changes that are obviously apparent alongside the amazing melodies... I love listening to Dave Brubeck and such. And the reason I'm into these 2 bands isn't because I wanted to be a part of a specific community. It was because these are 2 of only a few really good underground Hip-Hop artists. I stayed away from the genre because the violence, drug references, and crude nature of the lyrics in so many rap / hip-hop songs. All it ever did was make me angry. I love the Blue Scholars and Common Market because the lyrics are anything but that. Much of the music is about life in general, referring to many different aspects of growing up wherever you may be... in the Blue Scholar's case, it's South Seattle. Really, I'm open to any kind of music as long as it's good. I love independent rock. I love jazz. I love blues. My taste goes from The Beatles, to the blue scholars, to Jimi Hendrix, to the Postal service, to Dave Brubeck, to death cab for cutie, to elliott smith, to common market and many more.. its just a lot of different stuff. I'm sure you were just posting that for the heck of it, but I still can't appreciate the post too much because of the gratuitous amount of ignorance attached to it. Sorry if I bothered you with my rambling.. It's not even you... i just can't appreciate that website at all
Dude you should check out the comments on that youtube video haha one that just busted my gut was "All asians are gangers. We all have guns and knives, too!" Hmm... scary >_>;;
On June 04 2010 03:52 Gann1 wrote: Deltron 3030 is one of my favorite albums ever. As far as I know it's the only hip-hop concept album about the future!
Totally forgot about that one. I listened to it with a friend, though i don't have the album. He listens to it occasionally. It's really interesting.. only heard it once through... and a few songs more than once.. so I can't say I remember all of the lyrics... But I will say I did like it quite a bit.
EPT![[image loading]](http://wknc.org/blog/post/wp-content/uploads/jedi.jpg)
![[image loading]](http://grandgood.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/R.A.-The-Rugged-Man-Legendary-Classics-Volume-1.jpeg)
. Although I haven't paid attention to mainstream in years, so I might have missed out on -some- good music.![[image loading]](http://www.mixtapetorrent.com/system/files/deathnote.jpg)
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