Who's into rap here?

[Guiscard]

I liked Young Buck before G-Unit. I liked him & D-Tay back when he did the Young Buck & D-Tay albums. Of course I like Tupac, Bone Thugz, didn't care much for NWA or Eazy-E, Mos Def, Snoop Dogg & Talib Kweli are ok. I liked some of Kanye West's songs like We Don't care, but none of his songs that got famous...theres some
...btw didn't Mos Def appear to general audience for the first on the Chappelle's Show?

Ok here's a few songs you might like (in no particular order):

Butta Verses - Work
Sean Price - P Body
Blackstar - Respiration
X-Clan - Prison
Masta Ace - H.O.O.D.
Leak Bros - Gimmesumdeath
Gza - Beneath the Surface
Immortal Technique - Bin Laden
Aceyalone - Doin' My Job
Jeru Tha Damaja - 99.9 Percent

[Guiscard]

Ok, I was pretty excited when Kyle told me about that freshie guy.

After a couple of days, I've noticed this stuff is kind of boring. Most of it lacks melody.

If you're looking for melody I'd definitely recommended a UK rapper and musician called Plan B. He's released a pretty rare mixtape called Paint It Blacker which samples loads of interesting tracks like the rolling stones, nirvana and Leonard Cohen... Download Catch A Light feat. Jose Gonzalez if you an find it. His debut LP, Who Needs Actions When You Got Words, is absolutely top class too.

[2dimes]

Well enjoy the new thread people.

I'm going to eat some bruch, I assure you there will be brown sauce consumed, Harry Palmer brand.

Later.

[Genghis Khant]

You might hate to hear this if you're into the real thing. I'm kind of digging Eminem these days.

I actually quite like his first album, it's very tongue in cheek. It's just a shame that he started to take himself seriously after that.


Guiscard, are you into French hip hop at all?

[UCAbears]

I am into rap but mostly rock

[glide]

What bothers me about rap is these three things:
a) it always seems to come down to "a pissing contest" between the "talker" (I refuse to call them singers!) and his competition.
b) for some reason it seems to be convincing white kids they are cool if they pretend they are ghetto boys....(don't those poor people have it hard enough without you twits trying to steal their "thunder"?)
c) listen closely to the background music. From the stuff I've heard....90% of the music is either "swiped" from old songs, or simply a combination of old songs. The musicians can probably create their own stuff...but apparently that's not the point.
But..that being said.....to each his own.....just please please please don't inflict that crap on me unsolicited. My old quad stereo can still fire back. Don't make me bring out the ZZ Top and Bob Seger!

[Guiscard]

What bothers me about rap is these three things:
a) it always seems to come down to "a pissing contest" between the "talker" (I refuse to call them singers!) and his competition.
b) for some reason it seems to be convincing white kids they are cool if they pretend they are ghetto boys....(don't those poor people have it hard enough without you twits trying to steal their "thunder"?)
c) listen closely to the background music. From the stuff I've heard....90% of the music is either "swiped" from old songs, or simply a combination of old songs. The musicians can probably create their own stuff...but apparently that's not the point.
But..that being said.....to each his own.....just please please please don't inflict that crap on me unsolicited. My old quad stereo can still fire back. Don't make me bring out the ZZ Top and Bob Seger!

This deserves a proper response:

a) No-one calls them singers unless they actually sing. They're rappers. They rap. Self-promotion and one-upmanship is certainly a major part of Rap music, but it isn't the only part and it has a big place in the scene. When you're an up and coming MC you ply your trade at MC battles by being the wittiest, most intelligent, fastest and most insulting rapper in the room. You've got to be able to make up 8 bars of freestyle basically on the spot, often based around topics given to you seconds before. Its intensely hard to be the best. I spend a lot of time in the scene and have recorded tracks with good rappers and mediocre ones. As I said before, this is only ONE aspect. There are plenty of rap tracks which don't have a single diss in them. Many tracks provide brilliant social commentary, are intensely political or provoke a stark atmosphere through brilliant lyrical imagery. If you want examples I can provide them.

b)Sure there is a significant aspect of middle class white kids acting 'ghetto' and all that. It is a bit of a blight on the scene, but more often than not those kids are only into really commercial pop-rap. Nobody takes them seriously. They're not stealing anyone's thunder. I'm white, and probably lower middle class / working class, but in the UK the scene isn't quite as racial as in the US. I've certainly faced racial slurs and disses regarding my colour as a producer and DJ but underground hip-hop generally judges you on the quality of your tracks rather than the amount of melanin in your skin.

c) The 'background music' you speak of is my passion. I create tracks for rappers to record over or as instrumentals. You're talking about sampling, which again is undeniably a huge part of hip-hop culture. Sampling is about taking something brilliant and re-working it to create something entirely new. It takes hours of work to create even a basic loop, and I have a huge amount of respect for the guys that spend hours and hours digging in crates of old vinyl in junk shops to discover obscure old funk records with great drumming that you really can't replicate today. Then they take those drum parts and spend hours cleaning them up, cutting them into hits, adding in other loops and hits. Its taken me years to learn even the basics. Sampling isn't even an expected part of hip-hop, though. You can do perfectly well making completely original tracks, even using live bands (The Roots use an entirely live band and record through intense jamming sessions).

[Sammy gags]

I got into the songs that make fun of other rappers. My favorite is the remake of Nelly's Grillz, called Pop A Pill by Young Buck, Hi-C, Lil Murda, & D-Tay

[Sammy gags]

I liked Young Buck before G-Unit. I liked him & D-Tay back when he did the Young Buck & D-Tay albums. Of course I like Tupac, Bone Thugz, didn't care much for NWA or Eazy-E, Mos Def, Snoop Dogg & Talib Kweli are ok. I liked some of Kanye West's songs like We Don't care, but none of his songs that got famous...theres some
...btw didn't Mos Def appear to general audience for the first on the Chappelle's Show?

Ok here's a few songs you might like (in no particular order):

Butta Verses - Work
Sean Price - P Body
Blackstar - Respiration
X-Clan - Prison
Masta Ace - H.O.O.D.
Leak Bros - Gimmesumdeath
Gza - Beneath the Surface
Immortal Technique - Bin Laden
Aceyalone - Doin' My Job
Jeru Tha Damaja - 99.9 Percent

Thanks for those, I like all of them that are on limewire

[mibi]

Suggested listening,

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sJ7w-z4BvMo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HpP-8tJ-9Js
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=09AYVC470MA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DwRlS2UVHA8
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rx5aVI2zsFE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9VL0mB8ILeo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1dRjsaaK7uo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4mwgbHimKuE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NZcgBEUBaHg
and finally
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sAZbBS0a3GU

[Guiscard]

listen closely to the background music. From the stuff I've heard....90% of the music is either "swiped" from old songs, or simply a combination of old songs. The musicians can probably create their own stuff...but apparently that's not the point.

As an extra comment, about 8-9 hours work on a 'swiped' track just saved as a fucking corrupt file and I've lost the entire fucking track... I about threw my laptop across the fucking room... Goddamn bastard computers. That'll teach me not to back up files regularly...

[Guiscard]

Suggested listening,

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sJ7w-z4BvMo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HpP-8tJ-9Js
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=09AYVC470MA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DwRlS2UVHA8
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rx5aVI2zsFE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9VL0mB8ILeo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1dRjsaaK7uo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4mwgbHimKuE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NZcgBEUBaHg
and finally
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sAZbBS0a3GU

Good stuff. Especially the Company Flow track (nice to see some graff influence) and the Mr Lif one is tight too.

[Guiscard]

Also, not to mpropate a massive hip-hop spam fest, this video gives me hope for modern rap music:

http://marcopolobeats.com/nostalgia.html - Marco polo feat. Masta Ace - Nostaliga

[Genghis Khant]

...
Guiscard, are you into French hip hop at all?

[DAZMCFC]

Artist: N.W.A.
Album: Straight Outta Compton
Song: Straight Outta Compton

You are now about to witness the strength of street knowledge

Verse One: Ice Cube

Straight outta Compton, crazy motherf**ker named Ice Cube
From the gang called Niggaz With Attitudes
When I'm called off, I got a sawed off
Squeeze the trigger, and bodies are hauled off
You too, boy, if ya f**k with me
The police are gonna hafta come and get me
Off yo ass, that's how I'm goin out
For the punk motherf**kers that's showin out
Niggaz start to mumble, they wanna rumble
Mix em and cook em in a pot like gumbo
Goin off on a motherf**ker like that
with a gat that's pointed at yo ass
So give it up smooth
Ain't no tellin when I'm down for a jack move
Here's a murder rap to keep yo dancin
with a crime record like Charles Manson
AK-47 is the tool
Don't make me act the motherf**kin fool
Me you can go toe to toe, no maybe
I'm knockin niggaz out tha box, daily
yo weekly, monthly and yearly
until them dumb motherf**kers see clearly
that I'm down with the capital C-P-T
Boy you can't f**k with me
So when I'm in your neighborhood, you better duck
Coz Ice Cube is crazy as f**k
As I leave, believe I'm stompin
but when I come back, boy, I'm comin straight outta Compton

Chorus:

[City of Compton, City of Compton]

[Eazy E] Yo Ren
[MC Ren] Whassup?
[Eazy E] Tell em where you from!

Verse Two: MC Ren

Straight outta Compton, another crazy ass nigga
More punks I smoke, yo, my rep gets bigger
I'm a bad motherf**ker and you know this
But the pussy ass niggaz don't show this
But I don't give a f**k, I'ma make my snaps
If not from the records, from jackin the crops
Just like burglary, the definition is 'jackin'
And when illegally armed it's called 'packin'
Shoot a motherf**ker in a minute
I find a good piece o' pussy, I go up in it
So if you're at a show in the front row
I'm a call you a b***h or dirty-ass ho
You'll probably get mad like a b***h is supposed to
But that shows me, slut, you're composed to
a crazy muthaf**ker from tha street
Attitude legit cause I'm tearin up s**t
MC Ren controls the automatic
For any dumb muthaf**ker that starts static
Not the right hand cause I'm the hand itself
every time I pull a AK off the shelf
The security is maximum and that's a law
R-E-N spells Ren but I'm raw
See, coz I'm the motherf**kin villain
The definition is clear, you're the witness of a killin
that's takin place without a clue
And once you're on the scope, your ass is through
Look, you might take it as a trip
but a nigga like Ren is on a gangsta tip
Straight outta Compton...

Chorus:

[City of Compton, City of Compton]

[Dr. Dre] Eazy is his name and the boy is comin...

Verse Three: Eazy-E

...straight outta Compton
is a brotha that'll smother yo' mother
and make ya sister think I love her
Dangerous motherf**ker raises hell
And if I ever get caught I make bail
See, I don't give a f**k, that's the problem
I see a motherf**kin cop I don't dodge him
But I'm smart, lay low, creep a while
And when I see a punk pass, I smile
To me it's kinda funny, the attitude showin a nigga drivin
but don't know where the f**k he's going, just rollin
lookin for the one they call Eazy
But here's a flash, they never seize me
Ruthless! Never seen like a shadow in the dark
except when I unload, see I'll get over the hesitation
and hear the scream of the one who got the last penetration
Give a little gust of wind and I'm jettin
But leave a memory no one'll be forgettin
So what about the b***h who got shot? f**k her!
You think I give a damn about a b***h? I ain't a sucker!
This is the autobiography of the E, and if you ever f**k with me
You'll get taken by a stupid dope brotha who will smother
word to the motherf**ker, straight outta Compton

Chorus:

[City of Compton, City of Compton]

[Damn that s**t was dope!]

[spurgistan]

N.w.A. What rap is, and should always be
just wondering though, why'd you censor out most stuff but leave the n-word in? sure, it's part of their name, but still...
oh, and has nobody mentioned jurassic 5 yet? for shame.

[Sammy gags]

They are holding on to what's golden
I remember them & OutKast were on the Tony Hawk & Mat Hoffman games' soundtracks. I used to like OutKast until they released the Speakerboxx album & I heard them in the Rosa Parks Remix

[DAZMCFC]

Public Enemy Lyrics - It Takes A Nation Of Millions
Rebel Without A Pause
Ridenhour - Shocklee - Sadler - Rogers

Yes - the rhythm, the rebel
Without a pause - I'm lowering my level
The hard rhymer - where you never been I'm in
You want stylin' - you know it's time again
D the enemy - tellin you to hear it
They praised the music - this time they play the lyrics
Some say no to the album, the show
Bum rush the sound I made a year ago
I guess you know - you guess I'm just a radical
Not a sabbatical - yes to make it critical
The only part your body should be parting to
Panther power on the hour from the rebel to you

Radio - suckers never play me
On the mix - just O.K. me
Now known and grown when they're clocking my zone it's known
Snakin' and takin' everything that a brother owns
Hard - my calling card
Recorded and orderd - supporter of Chesimard
Loud and proud kickin' live next poet supreme
Loop a troop, bazooka, the scheme
Flavor - a rebel in his own mind

Supporter of my rhyme
Designed to scatter a line of suckers who claim I do crime

Terminator X

From a rebel it's final on black vinyl
Soul, rock and roll comin' like a rhino
Tables turn - suckers burn to learn
They can't dis-able the power of my label
Def Jam - tells you who I am
The enemy's public - they really give a damn
Strong Island - where I got 'em wild and
That's the reason they're claimin' that I'm violent
Never silent - no dope gettin' dumb nope
Claimin' where we get our rhythm from
Number one - we hit ya and we give ya some
No gun - and still never on the run
You wanna be an S.1 - Griff will tell you when
And then you'll come - you'll know what time it is
Impeach the president - pullin' out the ray-gun
Zap the next one - I could be you're Sho-gun
Suckers - don't last a minute
Soft and smooth - I ain't with it
Hardcore - rawbone like a razor
I'm like a lazer - I just won't graze ya
Old enough to raise ya - so this will faze ya
Get it right boy and maybe I will praise ya
Playin' the role I got soul too
Voice my opinion with volume
Smooth - no what I am
Rough - cause I'm the man

No matter what the name - we're all the same
Pieces in one big chess game
Yeah - the voice of power
Is in the house - go take a shower boy
P.E. a group, a crew - not singular
We were black Wranglers
We're rap stranglers
You can't angle us - I know you're listenin'
I caught you pissin' in you're pants
You're scared of us dissin' us
The crowd is missin' us
We're on a mission boy

Terminator X

Attitude - when I'm on fire
Juice on the loose - electric wire
Simple and plain - give me the lane
I'll throw it down your throat like Barkley
See the car keys - you'll never get these
They belong to the 98 posse
You want some more son - you wanna get some
Rush the door on a store - pick up the album
You know the rhythm, the rhyme plus the beat is designed
So I can enter your mind - Boys
Bring the noise - my time
Step aside for the flex - Terminator X

[Huckleberryhound]

I bought Run d.m.c & Aerosmith when i was like 13 years old, and it came out in the charts. I bought Beastie boys first album, and i Like Faith no More

Rap is OK, as long as it's intellectual, funny, or if it is used in a bigger piece or album for effect.

Catch Faithless for some good Rap/dance.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c-MfC7pw1AM

[DAZMCFC]

i did not censor it. the site where i copied it from censored it.
they must not of thought the n word was wrong.

[Guiscard]

i did not censor it. the site where i copied it from censored it.
they must not of thought the n word was wrong.

Are you into UK hip-hop at all?

[Guiscard]

...
Guiscard, are you into French hip hop at all?

Oh, yeh definitely. I don't understand the language but to me French is one of the most lyrical languages to rap in. Seems to flow like no other language.

I'm into stuff like IAM, Funky Family, Saian Supa Crew, NTM... All good stuff with a great vibe. Best soundtrack to summer BBQs by far.

[Genghis Khant]

Yup, IAM are awesome. Check out Akhenaton's solo album, Meteque Et Mat. I prefer it to any of the stuff he's done with IAM.

La Brigade are well worth a listen too if you like NTM, and also check 113 for a bit of a smoother sound.

[Guiscard]

Yup, IAM are awesome. Check out Akhenaton's solo album, Meteque Et Mat. I prefer it to any of the stuff he's done with IAM.

La Brigade are well worth a listen too if you like NTM, and also check 113 for a bit of a smoother sound.

Nice. I've got a couple of Akhnaton tracks and they're pretty good, and I'll check the rest when I get the chance. Do you speak French? Sometimes I'd love to know what they're spitting... Could be the most lyrical bollocks but it flows so nicely.

[Genghis Khant]

I speak French, but I still only catch less than half of what they're saying. As you said, the rhythm and flow of the language is what does it for me.