[Jake]

Not sure how well this will be received in the Malazan forums, but I'm determined to try.

Hip-hop and Rap are two of the most notorious genres in today's music. Both are characterized as being all about money, women, drugs, guns, etc. The rap and hip-hop that isn't about these things is fake, filled with auto-tuned voices and unimaginative lyrics. I agree.

I'm here to tell you about underground hip-hop and rap. While there is some underground rap that is equally horrible to mainstream rap, the lack of a need to be signed to some major record label allows a flowering of interesting, and different rap music. I encourage anyone to share what they like in the replies, but I will leave you with an example.

The Blue Scholars are a hip-hop duo made up of a Middle-Eastern DJ, and a Filipino MC. Many of their songs are politically charged, which is a pattern in underground music, it seems. Whether or not you agree with the statement, watch the video. It is haunting, and the music is good.

http://www.youtube.c...h?v=En8DwCeKa6M

[Whisperzzzzzzz]

DELTRONNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN

[Binder of Demons]

JAY ELECTRONICA - Exhibit C


Not often you hear a rapper talk about his time living homeless on the streets.

[Binder of Demons]

Whisperzzzzzzz, on 25 February 2011 - 05:21 AM, said:

DELTRONNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN

Hey Whisperzzzzzz,
Heard this on a mix CD a DJ friend of mine made years ago, and I had no idea who the track was actually by. So now i finally know. Mystery solved.

And for that you receive rep.

Cheers.

This post has been edited by Binder of Demons: 25 February 2011 - 08:57 AM

[Cyphon]

What you want to go is take a plate and feed yourself up on some good hip hop.

Take a little of The Roots,
a Little J5,
a sprinkling of a Tribe called Quest,
Some pubic enemy,
Buck 65,
Lupe Fiasco,
Dead Prez,
Mos Def,
Common,
Roots Manuva,
Aim,
and finally Aesop Rock.

and then come back and ask if good hip hop is just about ho's and bling.

If anyone else has some good recommendations, let us know.

[Binder of Demons]

If you're going back a while, then it's worth checking out one of the original master's of rap, RAKIM. His delivery is truly awesome at times.
Erik B. and Rakim - Paid in Full


A bit later, you had this mighty track by the DISPOSABLE HEROES OF HIPHOPRISY
Disposable Heroes of Hiphoprisy - Television (the drug of the nation)

The Disposable Heroes then morphed into SPEARHEAD, who also produced some great tunes with a social message. Spearhead's style wasn't as harsh, though the message remained much the same. The front man for both projects, Michael Franti, is still performing but he's more singer than rapper these days.


And while he wouldn't really be considered underground (he sure as hell ain't mainstream either though), MF DOOM is worth a listen. His stuff is also pretty patchy but has flashes of pure genius. I'll have to ask a buddy of mine which would be the best DOOM album to listen to.


Have to say though, I'm not that well up on rap these days, as I was always more of a fan of instrumental hip hop artists like DJ SHADOW. And it's more often that I will hear a rapper doing guest vocals for artists i like (which was how i first heard of Roots Manuva for instance).

I look forward to seeing some more suggestions

[Binder of Demons]

For a completely different feel, you could check out the beat poet/rapper Saul Williams. His output is patchy to say the least, but it can be awesome. more recently he has been collaborating with Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails.
This is an old track of his, which i first heard on a Ninja Tune records compilation.
Saul Williams - Twice the first time



And for something nice and light, but with a good message, have a listen to SHAD, a rapper from Kenya (but who grew up in Canada). His latest album TSOL saw an impressive step up in production.
SHAD - Listen

Another track off the album worth listening to is "Rose Garden"

[Tapper]

I'm hurt there is as of yet no mention of:

Talib Kweli
Ill Bill/ Non Phixion
House of Pain/ La Coka Nostra (ok, not the best example)
The Herbalisers numerous collaborations with Jean Grae
Delinquent Habits
The Beastie Boys (how can you forget them?!?!)
Guru/ Gangstarr
Rahzel

and

DJ Shadow.

OK, not very underground, some of them, but then, Public Enemy, Mos Def, Common and The Roots are also too well known/followed to be underground.

Oh, and someone already named Shadow. Who is insanely good - saw him perform live last year and was blown away.

This post has been edited by Tapper: 25 February 2011 - 03:26 PM

[stone monkey]

I saw DJ Shadow about 10 years ago... He was great on the decks but incredibly BORING otherwise...

Love me some MF Doom though. I have most of his Special Herbs discs... Lots of good stuff on those... The 3 disc special collection of them is pretty good

[Tapper]

stone monkey, on 25 February 2011 - 09:29 PM, said:

I saw DJ Shadow about 10 years ago... He was great on the decks but incredibly BORING otherwise...

He brought a vj this time around, who projected stuff on a celluloid cocoon Shadow was doing his deck stuff from. Every now and then, he'd spin it open and you'd see him tweaking buttons.

Not spectacular tor exciting to see, but sound and skill was just awesome.

[worry]

Plenty of this stuff is great and all, but what's so bad about rapping about money, drugs, and guns? There's plenty of great mainstream rap, and plenty of great underground rap that covers the popular topics.

This post has been edited by worrywort: 25 February 2011 - 10:57 PM

[Beezulbubba]

Boogie Down Productions and KRS-One.

* old school, but should be included in a rap/hip hop aficionado's catalogue.

[Binder of Demons]

worrywort, on 25 February 2011 - 10:57 PM, said:

Plenty of this stuff is great and all, but what's so bad about rapping about money, drugs, and guns? There's plenty of great mainstream rap, and plenty of great underground rap that covers the popular topics.

Fair point I guess. Personally, I can admire and appreciate the production of a lot of the mainstream rap, but i find the lyrics to be frankly offensive at times (I hate such blatant misogyny), as well as being boring if I'm honest (i grow weary of guys rapping about how tough they are).

What annoys me i suppose, is that you have these artists who can be brilliant wordsmiths, and yet they chose to write the same trite nonsense again and again. That's why i often prefer to listen to instrumental hip-hop so i can hear the beats without it being spoiled by stupid lyrics. Or tracks which have an MC, where the MC's vocal delivery just ties things together but the lyrics are relatively unimportant beyond the rhythm (which is why many MC's use the same rhymes again and again).

I guess for me what it boils down to is that much of the rap that i dislike is all about the individual rapper and his/her ego, while the stuff i like is more about the song and it's message.

[Sir Thursday]

I've been listening to some Pharcyde recently...Passing Me By

Good stuff.

Also, enjoy the lyrical stylings of MC Abdominal (ignore the DJ Yoda tag on the video, he's nothing to do with this - all Abz and Format)! He's awesome.


ST

This post has been edited by Sir Thursday: 26 February 2011 - 03:19 AM

[Cyphon]

Got to agree with Binder ala Ganster rap.

Also good shout with Talib Tapper, left him off my list, but he deserves a spot.

[Avatar]

One of my favourites:

This post has been edited by Avatar: 28 February 2011 - 08:16 PM

[Rhand]

Some of my favourites:

Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five - The Message

Dead Prez - Hip Hop

Doug Lazy - Let it Roll

Although the last is more Hip House than actually Hip Hop, it's still really good.

[POOPOO MCBUMFACE]

Blackalicious - old school hip hop, pretty feelgood
Sky is Falling

Cage - produced by DJ Shadow and featuring sound samples from SINISTAR
Grand Ol' Party Crash

Dalek - drone rap, not for everyone but worth a listen
2012 (The Pillage)

El-P - probably one of my favourites
Deep Space 9mm
The Overly Dramatic Truth
Stepfather Factory

Aesop Rock - mentioned already
9-5er's anthem

[Thelomen Toblerone]

At the moment I'm loving Binary Star, Immortal Technique, and Atmosphere - all well worth a punt!

[Whisperzzzzzzz]