Hip-Hop has always been one of the most polarizing genres. It seems you either love it or hate it, with few inbetween. This is a sad state of affairs. Hip-Hop (I am including Rap into that term) has offered some of the most rich and diverse music made in this and the last century, and yet an overwhelming majority puts it on the backburner within the context of music. Some go as far as to not even classify Hip-Hop as "music". Which is complete and utter bullshit. It's relatively obvious why people tend to not enjoy Hip-Hop music; because of their limited exposure to the overbloated triple-C mentality (cash-cars-cunts) of this generations asswipe myngomist mainstream hip-hop culture. I completely understand how off putting that is, but what people need to realize is there has been some great fucking music that's been put out within the genre since the early 80s that anybody reading this right now could come enjoy and appericate.
My introduction to Hip-Hop was DJ Shadow (Josh Davis); A now famed artist/producer remembered best for his 1996 debut album Endtroducing. The album is in The Genius Book Of World Records for being the first album ever to feature only samples of other artists. But, not samples of your typical top 40-chart slinger, Endtroducing features hundreds and hundreds of obscure samples from semi-remembered to totally abstract artists and songs on 13 tracks (63 mintues). He used hundreds of old records in a record store basement he spent alot of time in. Davis interlaced these samples and created his own seamless and innovate approach to Hip-Hop to create a modern day classic. Mixing elements of electronic, ambient, trip-hop, and pysch-rock into the fabric of Hip-Hop, Endtroducing is to this day my favorite Hip-Hop album ever.
My first real Rap interest was nasty Nas. It was about two years ago, and I was finding new interest in other people's opinon of music through the internet. I was checking year-end lists and best-of lists, trying to expand my stale horizons and find some great new music. I remember reading a Greatest Hip-Hop Albums Of All Time list somewhere, and saw that Nas's debut album Illmatic from 1994 was at the top spot. So naturally I decided to find this on my Rhapsody account and give it a spin. I was fucking blown away. This was the first Rap album I had ever truely enjoyed and respected, and decided I had to own it. One trip to Best Buy, numerous amounts of car-play, and a couple of years later and it's still one of my favorite albums ever. The deeply poetic lyrics, effortless flow, and muted bass and jazz samples of Illmatic was and still is a high point in the genre. The album feels like your in his shoes on the streets of NY, suffering and doing your best to make it in an unforgiving world that wants to do nothing but throw you away.
The next chapter was Public Enemy, who's first album came out in 1987 on Def Jam records. One of my older brothers (I don't know who's it was) owned It Takes A Million To Hold Us Back, a fact that I realized after seeing it in a shamby toy box for many years not knowing what the hell it was. To think, what's now widely considered the most important document in Hip-Hop music was lying to rest forever in a plastic toy box, forgotten and probably misunderstood by one of my older brothers (who I assume were young when they got it). It now rests safely in my CD collection in my 1996 Oldsmoblie. Chuck D and side-kick Flavor Flav are to Hip-Hop what the Sex Pistols are to rock; raw, angry, and they changed the course of a genre. While everybody else was having fun getting down to this new and fun music scene, Public Enemy were the first group to address real issues on their records and their unforgiving message was unmatched.
Like a punk-rock Rap Group who grew up in poverty, were tired of racist assholes and the white conserative government breathing down their necks, there was nothing out there like Public Enemy. A fact that reigns true to this day. Sure other acts have had political and social lyrics and themes within their music, but none have been as successful in exposing the madness of our culture better than frontman Chuck D; The Malcom X of Rap. Their three classic albums; It Takes A Million To Hold Us Back (1988),Fear Of A Black Planet (1990), and Apocalypse 91... The Enemy Strikes Back (1991) all display an overwhelming awareness of the decline of sanity in our culture. With cheif inspirations like Sly And Family Stone and Parliament, Public Enemy's music is not only self-aware, but funky, jammy, and handy for letting loose a little steam.
It wasn't until I heard OutKast that I learned Hip-Hop had a real funk and groove to it. I recall hearing massive radio hits Ms. Jackson and Hey Ya! back in 5th grade, but I was too stubborn to persue any further. Like Nas, I got into OutKast's albums from online sources. This was about a year ago, and it intrigued the hell out of me. So I went to Rhapsody, typed in OUTKAST, and up loaded the screen. Moments later it had the infamous (FOR SALE ONLY) tag next to the album. Now I actually have to PAY for the fucking album? No way. I did anyway. It blew my head off. Every track of banger jamming funk, maniac laced rhythm, soul, and great storytelling was interesting of a 21 song set. The scheer ambition was scaling. Nobody funks harder than OutKast in the realms of Hip-Hop, and it's a such a shame they stopped making music together.
We're now embarking as close to the present as possible. The latest group to change my view of Hip-Hop was The Beastie Boys. The funny thing is, I use to find them annoying, dumb, and frat-boyish. While the latter idea is true (at least on their first album), it still made for pioneering music that changed the whole genre. To think, three white guys from Brooklyn are in the godfathery of an almost all-black genre. That first album, Licensed To Ill, was innovate as hell. Nothing was on that level. And today we've got media outlets like Pitchfork giving the reissue a 7.9 / 10. What a fucking joke they can't see past the sarcastic aspects of the album. The Beastie's second album, Paul's Boutique, was commerically and critically ignored upon release. Completely misunderstood. Now it's considered one of the best albums ever made. Highly experimental, all-over-the-place, and just too damn future-thinking for 1989, it's the kind of album that is just fucking brillant from Intro to Outro.
So that about does it. I'll say this; Don't get yourself wrapped around the concept that Hip-Hop is a genre for douche bag popular kids, un-intelligent pre-teens, and a dumbed down masses. Alot of Hip-Hop sucks hard. Alot of it doesn't. Like any genre. It's a matter of finding what interests you the most, experiencing it, and living through it. This makes the music worthwhile, meaningful, and expansive to opening the doors to future music to come, in and out of your ear drums; Keep it jamming, loud and proud.
Also, I must add Dj Screw in here, aye. His album 3 in the morning is just too badass to pass up. Good to listen to during late nights in a car, or the anywhere late at night. The slow 60 beats per second is really mesmerizing and it flows incredibly well. If you listen to the whole album its almost one continuous song, a truely great experience for all hip-hop fans and a very unique style of it.
My Recommended Hip-Hop Gateway
1. DJ Shadow - Endtroducing ('96) 2. The Beastie Boys - Paul's Boutique ('89) 3. Public Enemy - It Takes A Million To Hold Us Back ('88) 4. OutKast - Stankonia ('00) 5. DJ Screw - 3 'N the Mornin' (96) 6. Public Enemy - Fear Of A Black Planet ('90) 7. Nas - Illmatic ('94) 8. Dr. Dre - The Chronic ('92) 9. The Beastie Boys - Licensed To Ill ('86) 10. The Beastie Boys - Check Your Head ('92) 11. Prefuse 73 - Vocal Studies & Uprock Narratives ('01) 12. J Dilla - Donuts ('06)
Her Infinite Power Helping Oppressed People - KRS ONE
I love hip hop. I've learned a lot through it and it has driven me to search, learn and understand many things in this mess we call life. It doesn't mean the same thing to me as it did say 5 years ago but I will always love its sweet sweet mixed sounds and lyrics.
Have to add.... I'm from Minnesota home of Rhymesayers!!!!! Loooove that shit!
How you can not mention Tupac is beyond me. No one feels like they mean what they are saying like Pac does. Makes me sad for the state of affairs hip-hop is in today.
On April 21 2011 08:43 JamesSwift wrote: How you can not mention Tupac is beyond me. No one feels like they mean what they are saying like Pac does. Makes me sad for the state of affairs hip-hop is in today.
I never got into Tupac like alot of hip-hop fans have. I'm not saying hes bad, but to be honest i like more instrumental hip-hop styles, lyrics are important but i feel like Tupac is more heavy on the lyrics, which i'snt a bad thing, it just is'nt my style
On April 21 2011 08:49 floor exercise wrote: Aquemini is the best Outkast album, and one of the best hip hop albums of all time. 98 was a good year for southern hip hop
No offense but this whole blog strikes me as pretty much boilerplate "nerdy guy on the internet" rap rhetoric. I'm really bothered by the hip hop discussion on the internet in general because there's a lot of people who have some pretty fuckin serious pretensions about how hip hop is SUPPOSED to be made when they themselves have nothing to do with the culture or its development and(I'm about to sound even more condescending here, but sorry) found out about hip hop by hearing Endtroducing on youtube.
I'm not the most knowledgeable dude about rap and no I don't listen to much Weezy or Drake but I'm not about to say that people only don't like rap because they haven't heard the REAL rap which is naturally my favorite kind. In my case that'd be 90s bay area rap like celly cel, dubee, and ea ski.
DJ Shadow and RJD2 were my gateways into hip-hop. I haven't listened to any instrumental hip-hop in a loooong time, but I might just revisit Endtroducing now that you've reminded me it exists
I couldn't help but notice that you completely neglected the Native Tongues, so here's a little something for anyone interested
On April 21 2011 08:53 Turgid wrote: No offense but this whole blog strikes me as pretty much boilerplate "nerdy guy on the internet" rap rhetoric. I'm really bothered by the hip hop discussion on the internet in general because there's a lot of people who have some pretty fuckin serious pretensions about how hip hop is SUPPOSED to be made when they themselves have nothing to do with the culture or its development and(I'm about to sound even more condescending here, but sorry) found out about hip hop by hearing Endtroducing on youtube.
Ill say that i have no affiliation with the hip-hop culture, i'm just a nerdy white guy from kansas city, but i feel like what i said is'nt even a pretension, its actually a pretty obvious fact at this point in time, i mean have you heard the kind of rap and hip-hop gets played on the radio these days? I mean its so much rubish, and i'm directing my hate of mainstream hip-hop to dumbass teenagers who simply listen to the stuff to buff up there egos and self-essteem, when the actual music plays no real role. That also goes for alot of the rappers that get alot of radio play, its all the same deal, its all got that same bullshit beat and it ant good.
On April 21 2011 09:01 CosmicHippo wrote: Ill say that i have no affiliation with the hip-hop culture, i'm just a nerdy white guy from kansas city, but i feel like what i said is'nt even a pretension, its actually a pretty obvious fact at this point in time, i mean have you heard the kind of rap and hip-hop gets played on the radio these days? I mean its so much rubish, and i'm directing my hate of mainstream hip-hop to dumbass teenagers who simply listen to the stuff to buff up there egos and self-essteem, when the actual music plays no real role.
Whoa, pretty judgmental aren't we. There is ABSOLUTELY nothing wrong with liking mainstream hip-hop music. I mean, I know its cool and all to think "lololol dumb mainstream radio rap for stupid fucks lolololol im so cool listening to music over 20 years old". This kind of attitude actually irks me more than the supposed "rubbish mainstream music". You are condescending towards the people who do not give older music a chance but aren't you the same? People need variety in their lives, there is nothing wrong with listening to some catchy beats once in a while.
Have you ever gave some of the mainstream new up-and-coming rappers a chance?
I agree with some of your choices, but you left out a lot of great artists. You might not have liked tupac for his heavy lyrics, but some of the songs from All eyes on me focused a lot more on the music than the lyrics. Also I'm really surprised you left out Kool G Rap. I really got into his music around the same time as Outkast. Also for some fresh blood in that list. I would suggest anything some a fist in the thought by Snowgoons.
On April 21 2011 09:01 CosmicHippo wrote: Ill say that i have no affiliation with the hip-hop culture, i'm just a nerdy white guy from kansas city, but i feel like what i said is'nt even a pretension, its actually a pretty obvious fact at this point in time, i mean have you heard the kind of rap and hip-hop gets played on the radio these days? I mean its so much rubish, and i'm directing my hate of mainstream hip-hop to dumbass teenagers who simply listen to the stuff to buff up there egos and self-essteem, when the actual music plays no real role.
Whoa, pretty judgmental aren't we. There is ABSOLUTELY nothing wrong with liking mainstream hip-hop music. I mean, I know its cool and all to think "lololol dumb mainstream radio rap for stupid fucks lolololol im so cool listening to music over 20 years old". This kind of attitude actually irks me more than the supposed "rubbish mainstream music". You are condescending towards the people who do not give older music a chance but aren't you the same? People need variety in their lives, there is nothing wrong with listening to some catchy beats once in a while.
Have you ever gave some of the mainstream new up-and-coming rappers a chance?
no doubt i'm being very judgemental, and no i'm not the same. I actually feel that way, and I dont believe in variety of music choice if it means listening to un-meaningful music that I do not enjoy. I listened to the songs you posted up and I liked the first two songs, i thought the first one was very good, the background music and the way the lyrics flowed worked really well. But the last four songs i was'nt totaly in tune with. But still, i think you have this feeling that i'm somebody who biasly says mainstream rap sucks because its not as great as the older stuff and i have'nt gave it a chance, which i really have, i hear it alot of the radio and i dont like it at all.
On April 21 2011 09:22 downmaster wrote: I agree with some of your choices, but you left out a lot of great artists. You might not have liked tupac for his heavy lyrics, but some of the songs from All eyes on me focused a lot more on the music than the lyrics. Also I'm really surprised you left out Kool G Rap. I really got into his music around the same time as Outkast. Also for some fresh blood in that list. I would suggest anything some a fist in the thought by Snowgoons.
I dont listen to a alot of hip-hop, so theres alot of artists i have'nt herd. I have'nt heard of Kool G rap or Snowgoons, but i'll listen to some of there stuff on youtube, reccommend any songs?
The Good Die Young by Kool G rap is a pretty good song.
All in your mind Knuckle up At war Black Snow- By Snowgoons are amazing songs IMO. I can't stop listening to them. Also BTW Snowgoons is an underground hip-hop artist. Probably why you haven't heard of him.
i listened to grandmaster flash's the message a few weeks ago and i've come to really respect the genre more than i ever had. i've always listened to it, but it's weird seeing how far downhill hip hop went.
Good stuff. I would say you gotta have Dr. Octagon on there. That album was a huge gateway for a lot of people, launched Automator's career, exposed the wider world to Qbert's brilliance and introduced a ton of new hiphop fans to Kool Keith. It as a silly yet awesome vibe throughout that makes it very accessible and memorable while being of the highest quality. It holds up extremely well too.
I absolutely love DJ Shadow. He's a real pioneer in the art of turntablism. Also, I'm a huge fan of Outkast and the Beastie Boys. It's sad that people pigeonhole hip-hop without listening to what amounts to actual "artistic" hip-hop. None of that cars-cash-cunts business of the modern autotuned, overpayed pretenders.
On April 21 2011 12:34 gamecrazy wrote: I absolutely love DJ Shadow. He's a real pioneer in the art of turntablism. Also, I'm a huge fan of Outkast and the Beastie Boys. It's sad that people pigeonhole hip-hop without listening to what amounts to actual "artistic" hip-hop. None of that cars-cash-cunts business of the modern autotuned, overpayed pretenders.
damn stright, but id say dj shadow is more of a real pioneer in the art of sampling
EPT
