hip-hop, where to begin?

[qwerty south]

Kool Moe Dee's Top 50 MCs from his book "There's A God On The Mic" (list found on net)

50.Just-Ice
49.Mack 10
48.Foxy Brown
47.Spoonie Gee
46.Fat Joe
45.Jeru The Damaja
44.Criag Mack
43.MC Shan
42.Lil Kim
41.Big Pun
40.Slick Rick
39.Kurupt
38.Mystikal
37.Keith Murray
36.Doug E. Fresh
35.Ice-T
34.Guru
33.Snoop Dogg
32.Run
31.Kurtis Blow
30.Scarface
29.Black Thought
28.Common
27.Xzibit
26.Pharoahe Monch
25.Heavy D
24.Busta Rhymes
23.Will Smith
22.GZA
21.Ras Kass
20.Redman
19.MC Lyte
18.Ice Cube
17.Method Man
16.Treach
15.Jay-Z
14.Kool G. Rap
13.Tupac
12.Queen Latifah
11.Nas
10.Lauryn Hill
9.Biggie
8.Chuck D
7.LL Cool J
6.Grand Master Caz
5.Kool Moe Dee
4.Big Daddy Kane
3.KRS-One
2.Rakim
1.Melle Mel

 

[In Moll]

doug e. fresh, slick rick - the show

 

[minikomi]

no qtip or phife dog on the list? ?



its warming up down here in aus (approaching summer), and ive just transfered midnight marauders to tape again.. ah, the joys of biking around listening to tribe called quest on a sunny day

 

[stelfox]

Lovin this threaad. Big up domtyler for posting the question. I don't know 90% of what's been mentioned (I stopped after PE) and I think a big dl session is coming.

paul, i'll compile a 20-track folder of my favourite stuff from this year fro you if you like. message me or email me and i'll tell you where it is in slsk or something.

 

[Dubquixote]

Have I gone blind or is BIG L not on that list?

Doesn't seem possible, considering many people call him the greatest mc of all time.

Anyone not familiar should check out D.I.T.C., which consisted of Big L, Fat Joe, Diamond D, Kid Capri.

 

[DavidD]

O.C. was in DITC too. His solo album is a great one.

I think Rakim's solo stuff is underrated. He hooked up with Premo and Suavehouse on the same record!

Like gumdrops I think El-P's rapping is perfect for the beats, and I could never understand why everyone hates his rapping so much. Its not traditionalist 'good' nor is it more 'progressive' or any bullshit like that but it works and the lyrics are not the Aesop Rock-style nonsense everyone makes them out to be either.

I think its funny to see Bun-B in these lists when he wouldn't have been mentioned even a year ago! But its good, obviously. Not that I was down w UGK before Big Pimpin or anything, just sayin.

I've recently 'rediscovered' 2pac; its a weird thing to say since he's probably still the most popular rapper living or dead but I loved his stuff when I was like 10 11 years old ("Dear Mama," "Keep Your Head Up" etc) and then when I really started getting into music nerd-style i sort of avoided listening for some reason. Anyway point is Pac is definitely someone worth being familiar with. "Me Against the World" is a good starting point.

 

[Octopus?]

I don't think I saw any mention of it, but The D.O.C.'s "No One Can Do It Better" is absolutely essential.

Completely second the recommendation of "Soul Food" by Goodie Mob. If ever any album was crying out to be Chopped & Screwed...

 

[DJ PIMP]

Mobb Deep - Amerikaz Nightmare

A total masterpiece...

 

[Pearsall]

Like gumdrops I think El-P's rapping is perfect for the beats, and I could never understand why everyone hates his rapping so much. Its not traditionalist 'good' nor is it more 'progressive' or any bullshit like that but it works and the lyrics are not the Aesop Rock-style nonsense everyone makes them out to be either.

I've always found that I admire 'Funcrusher Plus' more than I enjoy it. I think the whole sound and effect is quite impressive, but at the end of the day I want crispy electronic sounds, lots of bass, and shouting (and thus I want something else).

That 'Cold Vein' album is something else entirely (since we're on undie stuff). Fuck that was a pointless purchase.

 

[DJ PIMP]

Oh, man, the Cold Vein is lovely. I put that on and get the tingles.

"It seems like everyone wants something from me."

"Yeah tell me about it, its a cold world out there. Sometimes I think I'm getting a little frosty myself."

And thats just the opening samples!

I rest my head on 1 15
But miracles only happen on 34th
So I guess life is mean
And death is the median
And purgatory is the mode that we settle in (no doubt)

...

Battered wives, molested children,
roaches on the floor, rats in the ceiling.
Cats walk around New York with two fillings.
One is in their mouth, the other does the killing.

 

[captain easychord]

i can't believe the hate for the cold vein, that album is amazing! it's the straight goods imo.

 

[gumdrops]

i never much liked vast aire, and since hes on half of the cold vein, i prefer the oxstrumentals to the proper version of the album - el-ps beats actually work really well without the vocals.

the stuff he did for co flow was great (the rapping seems a bit embarassing now though, kinda like the rap equivalent of overtly wanky prog), but what hes made on def jux has virtually all been quite stunning i think. hes obviously one of the most singular producers in hip-hop from the last 8-10 years and i think a lot of hip hoppers dislike him cos his beats are too cold, unfunky (although to me, his beats do have kind of a sadistic sense of danceability), unrelentingly dark, and industrial-ish. their loss though. at least his beats are still rock-HARD, which is more than i can say for most producers these days.

 

[AshRa]

Has anybody mentioned Ghostface yet? He's the only rapper that I still actually get excited about these days.

 

[mms]

i never much liked vast aire, and since hes on half of the cold vein, i prefer the oxstrumentals to the proper version of the album - el-ps beats actually work really well without the vocals.

the stuff he did for co flow was great (the rapping seems a bit embarassing now though, kinda like the rap equivalent of overtly wanky prog), but what hes made on def jux has virtually all been quite stunning i think. hes obviously one of the most singular producers in hip-hop from the last 8-10 years and i think a lot of hip hoppers dislike him cos his beats are too cold, unfunky (although to me, his beats do have kind of a sadistic sense of danceability), unrelentingly dark, and industrial-ish. their loss though. at least his beats are still rock-HARD, which is more than i can say for most producers these days.

i love it - i love the fact its so hard and cold too - vast aire is a likeable mc and its as if he is struggling with that cold base that tuff ridgid musical platform he's been given . a simple guy trying to negotiate his place within the sound world .i agree about the instrumentals too almost as enjoyable but aires voice is great -

btw anyone checked out wu-tang meet the indie mcs yet - i'm very impressed with it - more than i ever expected - a left hand path comeback !

 

[tryptych]

What do you think of the Vast Aire and Mighty Mi record? I had hopes for it, but can't really seem to get into it.

My fave Def Jux LP has got to be Mr Lif "Phantom", especially those Edan produced tracks... I guess it's that old-school-but-new-school sound that they have.

 

[evergreen]

vast aire is a likeable mc and its as if he is struggling with that cold base that tuff ridgid musical platform he's been given . a simple guy trying to negotiate his place within the sound world .i agree about the instrumentals too almost as enjoyable but aires voice is great -

apparently they recorded the vocals before they'd ever heard the beats -- EL-P might have shaped the beats from the rhymes -- kind of amazing.

btw anyone checked out wu-tang meet the indie mcs yet - i'm very impressed with it - more than i ever expected - a left hand path comeback !

this seemed a bit contrived to me -- does the album gel or does it have more of a compilation feel?

 

[baboon2004]

Have I gone blind or is BIG L not on that list?

Doesn't seem possible, considering many people call him the greatest mc of all time.

Anyone not familiar should check out D.I.T.C., which consisted of Big L, Fat Joe, Diamond D, Kid Capri.

Re Big L - surely he is the best?

Also Showbiz & AG were in DITC - great albums from them too..

 

[baboon2004]

OK, *was*

 

[Ryan]

Avoid the Cold Vein...it's crap.
Gotta get somne tribe called quest for attitude free, great hip hop, in particular 'midnight marauders' and 'people's instinctive travels and the paths of rhythm'.
Timeless albums that still stand out, get em get em get em.

 

[mms]

Avoid the Cold Vein...it's crap.
Gotta get somne tribe called quest for attitude free, great hip hop, in particular 'midnight marauders' and 'people's instinctive travels and the paths of rhythm'.
Timeless albums that still stand out, get em get em get em.

i've always thought the tribe were a bit boring - the student who's not into hip hop really's second group of choice next to the beasties. Give me the attitude any time really