Ice Cube and stone-cold classic beats.

B

baboon2004

Darned cockwombles.
I heard both Amerikkka's Most Wanted and Death Certificate for the first time this week (both released well before I was into hip-hop), and am absolutely stunned that barely anyone ever mentions these in the same breath as Public Enemy's classic LPs. Tight, overactive funk that (in my opinion) easily outdoes anything produced by more lauded artists such as the Wu-Tang.

What other hip-hop gems have I been missing? I'm particularly interested in albums where the beats stupefy. I can think of very few offhand - the Blueprint, Black Planet...what else?
 
echevarian

echevarian

babylon sister
Kool G Rap and DJ Polo

They are the blueprint for everything afterwards.

The two albums I would recommend would be

Wanted: Dead or Alive and Live and Let Die.


DJ Polo made some truly sick beats, check out the song Rikers Island.

Samples Kraftwerk in a way that reminds of grime, fifteen odd years ago.
 
F

Finn

New member
Black Planet sticks out a pretty grossly among those classic records.

Obviously Straight Outta Compton, while not having the sonic magnitude of the Cube records, has a obvious fraternity with them, ... Don't forget Ice-T O.G., Jeru, D.O.C., etc. But those Cube records are pretty tough to match.
 
G

gumdrops

Well-known member
if you like amerikkkas, obviously check out PE's fear of a black planet, but also check out the first young black teenagers album and the son of bazerk album. both were produced by the bomb squad. as far as stuff like death certificate, maybe try the first da lench mob and kam albums, also try out wc and the maad circle, early geto boys and early scarface too.
 
M

mms

sometimes
weird i was thinking about these albums for the first time in about 10 years today and thinking how much i lovedthem at the time but no longer owned them
yeah really bright wicked production -
they were bomb squad productions so there you go
also valley of the jeep beats - terminator x
da lench mob - guerrillas in da mist and
redman -whut fit the style i think you are after.
and the inbetween single by ice cube that was release between the two albums called kill at will has a mental meldley of tracks and some good bits

there was another bombsquad artist called son of bazerk which was just mad - big early kind of version of the kind of mad ol dirty style from memory - a very stylised avant pop act but brilliant imaginative mad production
 
B

baboon2004

Darned cockwombles.
Funny you should mention Redman's 'Whut' - was really disappointed by that one, tho' on paper it sounds like something I would love. But then Redman is no Cube.
 
M

mrchrispy

Member
Although namedropping a group as mainstream as the Beastie Boys on your first post is probably not the best way to build a rep on dissensus, Paul's Boutique is all about the stupefying beats. Easily their best effort. Before they started taking themselves too seriously, dabbling in eastern religions, and attracting fawning reviews about how they're a rap group that "plays their own instruments!"

Also some stupefying gems from Kool Keith with when he was in Ultramagnetic MC's on Critical Beatdown and, though it's not quite as old, Dr. Octogan - Dr. Octagonecologyst.
 
M

mms

sometimes
mrchrispy said:
Although namedropping a group as mainstream as the Beastie Boys on your first post is probably not the best way to build a rep on dissensus, Paul's Boutique is all about the stupefying beats. Easily their best effort. Before they started taking themselves too seriously, dabbling in eastern religions, and attracting fawning reviews about how they're a rap group that "plays their own instruments!"
Click to expand...

funny group the beasties - personally i liked their first lp alot more - frat boy silliness over big beats and metal - dumb fun - something totally missing from alot of hiphop nowdays - same goes for bands like the fat boys - not big into the collabs like the twist and wipeout but that level of self effacing silliness is something that hip hop could do with - innocent imperfect teenage boy relationships on wax plus buff was a fantastic beat boxer too.
 
B

baboon2004

Darned cockwombles.
Lots of absolutely OTM answers - totally agree re Cypress Hill (the first few tracks of Black Sunday were seminal too IMO), Kool Keith and the Beasties, who have all produce coherent album-length 'statements' as well, in the manner (well, not quite the manner...) of Ice Cube and PE.
 
B

baboon2004

Darned cockwombles.
From my own vaults, here's a few more artists of a similar ilk (none reach the standards of Cube's solo joints, but all have something which makes them stand out production-wise):

Madlib, my fave hip-hop producer save the Bomb Squad;
Dead Prez (1st album, 1st side);
Big L (Lifestyles of Da Poor and Dangerous, much underrated IMO);
Showbiz & AG, from what I've heard;
some Talib Kweli singles
Black Moon

Problem with all of these (save Big L, and there the production isn't at all as technicolour as the Bomb Squad) is that the rappers involved can't hold a candle to Ice Cube, Chuck D etc.

I suppose the thought underpinning the initial question is that, much as I love Dj Premier, so much of hip-hop (at least pre-Timbaland/Mannie Fresh/Neptunes) seemed to be Premier-derived monochrome-type stuff, which is why the sheer verve and colour of those Cube albums grabbed me....
 
P

Pearsall

Prodigal Son
have you ever heard an album by some guy named Nine called 'Cloud Nine'? Ridiculously gruff voiced guy from the Bronx? I've always thought that was great.
 
T

tom pr

Well-known member
Samples Kraftwerk in a way that reminds of grime, fifteen odd years ago.
Click to expand...
As did Afrika Bambaataa in the 80s with 'planet rock'. I didnt ever realise that until someone pointed it out the other day.

You could always try The cold vein by NY group Cannibal Ox if you're looking for prominant production- El-P on the boards is very reminiscent of the bomb squad with the big layered walls of sound, but the overall feel is a lot darker and bleaker, ala early rza.. Vast Aire and Vordul are the MCs, and they're both excellent.
 
B

baboon2004

Darned cockwombles.
Excellent recommendations - thanks. Downloaded a coupla tracks from Young Black Teenagers and Son of Bazerk - Shocklee et al are surely gods.

Re Cannibal Ox, never really got the El-P thing - just seems too self-consciously grimy to me... COmpany Flow were a'ite, but never anything more to me. Too stilted by half.
 
S

SIZZLE

gasoline for haters
Organized Konfusion also needs to be mentioned here. Brilliant incisive lyrics and very strong production. Check 'releasing hypnotical gases' for a very vitriolic attack on the first gulf war as well as the retread of 2 years ago 'Agent Orange', amazing wobbly synth tune with Pharaohe spitting raw acid on the powers that be. For those that don't know this was the original group of Pharaohe Monch and Prince Po, who are still both around in one form or another. Check also the tune 'Hate' from their Equinox LP, written from a white supremacist POV, brilliant and chilling.

EPMD are also CRUCIAL for the beats, absolutely seminal influence on a great deal of stuff.

I'd definitely second the Kool G Rap and Big L mentions. Seminal NYC gangsta rap, pretty much must hear stuff.

Also Dead Prez's 'Let's Get Free' has interesting great production and advocates armed overthrow of the US government, definitely going pound for pound with PE and Cube in the anger stakes.
 
G

gumdrops

Well-known member
if you want to hear a modern take on the bomb squad, check out el-p's fantastic damage album. he said he was directly inspired by the bomb squad in interviews when the album was released.
 
M

mms

sometimes
Pearsall said:
have you ever heard an album by some guy named Nine called 'Cloud Nine'? Ridiculously gruff voiced guy from the Bronx? I've always thought that was great.
Click to expand...

totally lush - really gruff voice - good stuff
 
B

baboon2004

Darned cockwombles.
Will give EPMD and El-P another chance based on the comments here and the fact that everything said so far has been absolutely OTM.

Thinking 'bout Dead Prez, The Coup are another great (socially) politicised rap group, taking up the PE mantle for a while there. With excellent production too. Any more 'biters' on the political anger rap canon of the late 80s/early 90s?

As said above, must admit that DJ Premier doesn't always do it for me. While 'Just to Get a Rep', 'Mass Appeal' and his remix of 'Ebonics' are seminal, inventive beats, I just don't go for a lot of Gang Starr stuff. Seems ultimately too bland. Is that Guru's fault, or something inherent in the music?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top