The Rap Education Thread (hip-hop, genre, albums, beastie boys, the roots)

TR8 · 08-29-2009, 06:43 PM

Very interesting. Theres lots of stuff I just learned.

overdoser · 09-24-2009, 11:36 AM

what do you guys feel about Louis Jordan being called the first rapper??

I can believe it, cause in the middle of his songs he just goes into some talking spiel :P

skrawtastic · 10-05-2009, 08:34 PM

follow that train of rationale and opera becomes the first hip-hop

KelleeMaizeFan · 10-19-2009, 10:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by overdoser

what do you guys feel about Louis Jordan being called the first rapper??

He influenced a lot of styles, but Jordan was more influential in the rock and roll, blues and R&B scene. What makes you think he may have been the first rapper? Or even a rapper at all?

I'm not sure who the absolute first is, but I know Kurtis Blow was one of the first mainstream rappers to ever be signed.

overdoser · 10-23-2009, 07:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Irish_Bastard

First of all with no disrespect towards The American Population but you guys elected one of the most un-intelligents persona's in the world today. I quote from one of Bush's campaign speeches.

"I beleive that human beings and fish can co-exist peacefully"

I didn't vote for him. and it's not cool to just ASSUME everyone on this site is republican. whered you get that quote from The Anarchist Cookbook movie?

Eminem did not go around callin his **** hate rap and neither does Technique.

overdoser · 10-23-2009, 07:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KelleeMaizeFan

He influenced a lot of styles, but Jordan was more influential in the rock and roll, blues and R&B scene. What makes you think he may have been the first rapper? Or even a rapper at all?

I'm not sure who the absolute first is, but I know Kurtis Blow was one of the first mainstream rappers to ever be signed.

just the fact that he would just go off on rants in the middle of his songs like in Caldonia. not a lot of artists doing that then.

and I don't consider him a rapper. even though I said that, I guess I mean he influenced people who BECAME the first rappers maybe.

Straightswagg21 · 11-19-2009, 08:48 AM

Very well done. Loved it!!

PuebloFuerte · 12-07-2009, 03:10 PM

Very interesting article...although I had a general insight into Hip Hop history, this helped to clarify things. One question how comes conscious rap tends to have lesser beats than their more commercial counterparts? For example I dislike most things G Unit stand for glorifying gun culture etc, but I must admit their swagger and beats are among the most contagious out there...is their a conscious rapper that can equal those beats?

Captain Awesome · 12-10-2009, 03:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PuebloFuerte

Very interesting article...although I had a general insight into Hip Hop history, this helped to clarify things. One question how comes conscious rap tends to have lesser beats than their more commercial counterparts? For example I dislike most things G Unit stand for glorifying gun culture etc, but I must admit their swagger and beats are among the most contagious out there...is their a conscious rapper that can equal those beats?

Since nobody else replied...

I think saying the beats are "lesser" is a bit harsh, personally i don't like club beats i like beats that actually sound hip hop (hard for me to describe). Anyway here's a few underground/independent artists you should check out, they've all worked with great producers or have great producers in their stable.

FYI i'm not saying i like all of these rappers but i'm trying to keep it limited to rappers with some sort of lyrical ability lol (and who fit what you want - good production)

^^ Zion I are all about making young black males think differently and see the world for what it is.

^^ chali 2na is by far one of the most underrated rappers in america, check out his solo stuff and anything by jurassic 5 if you haven't already. Lyrically the guy is phenomenal.

JMT are one of the few rap groups in america worth listening to now. Vinnie Paz is a dope rapper but this isn't a great example because rugged man (featured on this track - second verse) pretty much dominated the entire thing. Great production but it's not for the club (obviously). Problem with wanting conscious rappers on club beats is that the majority of the time that kind of beat doesn't suit the topic they're rapping about.

immortal technique^ a politcal rapper who's big on conspiracy theories, i'm not his biggest fan but he's decent. Worth a listen. Biz zoo, the guy on the 2nd track seems to be decent as well but i've never managed to find any of his stuff aside from being featured on this lol.

Now this is some great production. The rap group is an american group called cyne who are decent. But the producer is a japanese producer called Nujabes, he is by far one of the greatest and most underappreciated producers of our time. He doesn't do so much rap production now he just enjoys making instrumentals usually with a jazz or funk kind of feel, the majority of the time his music is really chilled out.

This is blackalicious, and in my opinion this is their best song. The hook is great, expresses hip hop very well.

here's a few more underground/indie rappers but these guys aren't really "conscious" rappers. Just good rappers with good beats who aren't mainstream lol.

AZ - Typical gangster rapper but an incredible lyricist. nas blew up but in my opinion AZ should have been the one who became famous. Lyrically he surpasses Nas in every way. Produced by DJ Premier who i'm sure you're familiar with even if you don't know it.

Blu and Exile - really chilled, really good flow, nice lyrically. Good production. Enjoy.

Celph Titled - a horrocore/gangster rapper who is lyrically quite strong but imo is very repetitive (meaning every song sounds the same) he needs to mix it up a bit. Anyway, enjoy..

Tech N9ne - makes club music, occasionally does darker stuff. Lyrically reasonably strong. Great flow/rhythm, strong delivery. If you're looking for something you would hear in a club but that isn't in the mainstream this is the guy for you.

There's many more and i'm sure others will reply to you. I'm going to continue this list in another post since this one's getting a little big. But i'm going to step outside of america (because i.m.o rap is universal and america is just the tip of the very chilled out iceberg). Some of the best rappers in the world are outside of america.

Captain Awesome · 12-10-2009, 03:45 AM

Next up...

A couple of australian rappers (one is technically american since he was born their) who are in my opinion the best lyricists around right now.

For those who struggle to understand the accent (not sure why people struglle with it..but whatever) i will happily post the lyrics, just ask. They have a good producer as well.

^ Highlight of that song imo

"From mimicking thugs, thinking the lyrics were dope,
to gettin' no satisfaction 'cause it was mirrors and smoke
From a home of hip-hop, to a land owned by rock,
from rhyming to my mirror, to thousands blowin' the spot,
But through all of the cheers, and the boo's and the beers,
was just a kid on the bus, headphones glued to his ears,
Who just grew through the years to pursue with the tears,
the blood, sweat & make somethin' with his crew and his peers,
See it was hip-hop that put three lost souls on a map,
from showin' us the country, to puttin' clothes on our back,
And from finding myself in my mic's reflection,
to this musical marriage that gave my life direction"

next up is another australian rapper called Pez, great lyrically and great production. I hate seperating rap music by countries but if i had to, australia is where i would want to be right now.

"He's lost
In the world of the stars, with the girls and the cars
He's lost
and he wants that dream but he's unable to see
He's lost
now on the road they map so there's no way back
He's Lost!"

More Aussie hip hop, this time probably the biggest aussie rap group (commercially) The Hilltop Hoods. Lyrically brilliant and responsible for getting me into aussie rap and expanding my taste in rap.

"we got one world, still we take it in stride,
in this one life we stand still waiting to die."

"Now if life is what you make it it’s time to build,
Man I’m for real aint no telling what this life will yield,
I’m a career man, 'cause I career off any path,
That would lead me to a start of financial gains I’m scarred,
We learn from our mistakes, that makes me a scholar on,
Being a walking talking **** up and a better man for being wrong"

More aussie rap...

Dialectrix - outcast. Good flow, decent delivery, very strong lyrically.

the next rapper is a british rapper, these guys do bragging/horrorcore style stuff but they also do conscious type stuff with a dark feel to it. Easily the best rap group in the u.k, one of the strongest lyrically in the world imo. Great production (imo) and this one doesn't have the entire group on it, in fact it's just one of the members. A rapper named possessed, hopefully you can udnerstand the accent because lyrically this guy is close to being untouchable. His punchlines, wordplay and metas are insane.

"I'm eating out of coffins and caskets
everyone in my 'field of vision's', Just 'crops for the harvest' "

"I got master degree burns, After a heat stroke of genius"

"Haven't started to rap yet, this is just the sound of my breathing."

"Tormented by growing pains of my ever evolving brain"

"Rubbing salt into bullet wounds just to make the slug dissolve"

Next is another british rapper. Lyrically he's close to flawless. And he's a conscious rapper. First track is him performing a track called alphabet assassin, the concepts been done before and he even mentions papoose at the start (he did a similar track shortly before this one). Second track is more political (talking about the "war" with palestine and israel) and of the conscious kind of rap you are looking for.

well i hope you enjoy something out of this giant list lol

09-24-2009, 11:36 AM	#82 (permalink)
overdoser God Of Thunder Join Date: Sep 2009 Posts: 102	Louis Jordan??? what do you guys feel about Louis Jordan being called the first rapper?? I can believe it, cause in the middle of his songs he just goes into some talking spiel :P

12-10-2009, 03:45 AM	#90 (permalink)
Captain Awesome On A Rampage Join Date: Oct 2009 Posts: 317	Next up... A couple of australian rappers (one is technically american since he was born their) who are in my opinion the best lyricists around right now. For those who struggle to understand the accent (not sure why people struglle with it..but whatever) i will happily post the lyrics, just ask. They have a good producer as well. ^ Highlight of that song imo "From mimicking thugs, thinking the lyrics were dope, to gettin' no satisfaction 'cause it was mirrors and smoke From a home of hip-hop, to a land owned by rock, from rhyming to my mirror, to thousands blowin' the spot, But through all of the cheers, and the boo's and the beers, was just a kid on the bus, headphones glued to his ears, Who just grew through the years to pursue with the tears, the blood, sweat & make somethin' with his crew and his peers, See it was hip-hop that put three lost souls on a map, from showin' us the country, to puttin' clothes on our back, And from finding myself in my mic's reflection, to this musical marriage that gave my life direction" next up is another australian rapper called Pez, great lyrically and great production. I hate seperating rap music by countries but if i had to, australia is where i would want to be right now. "He's lost In the world of the stars, with the girls and the cars He's lost and he wants that dream but he's unable to see He's lost now on the road they map so there's no way back He's Lost!" More Aussie hip hop, this time probably the biggest aussie rap group (commercially) The Hilltop Hoods. Lyrically brilliant and responsible for getting me into aussie rap and expanding my taste in rap. "we got one world, still we take it in stride, in this one life we stand still waiting to die." "Now if life is what you make it it’s time to build, Man I’m for real aint no telling what this life will yield, I’m a career man, 'cause I career off any path, That would lead me to a start of financial gains I’m scarred, We learn from our mistakes, that makes me a scholar on, Being a walking talking **** up and a better man for being wrong" More aussie rap... Dialectrix - outcast. Good flow, decent delivery, very strong lyrically. the next rapper is a british rapper, these guys do bragging/horrorcore style stuff but they also do conscious type stuff with a dark feel to it. Easily the best rap group in the u.k, one of the strongest lyrically in the world imo. Great production (imo) and this one doesn't have the entire group on it, in fact it's just one of the members. A rapper named possessed, hopefully you can udnerstand the accent because lyrically this guy is close to being untouchable. His punchlines, wordplay and metas are insane. "I'm eating out of coffins and caskets everyone in my 'field of vision's', Just 'crops for the harvest' " "I got master degree burns, After a heat stroke of genius" "Haven't started to rap yet, this is just the sound of my breathing." "Tormented by growing pains of my ever evolving brain" "Rubbing salt into bullet wounds just to make the slug dissolve" Next is another british rapper. Lyrically he's close to flawless. And he's a conscious rapper. First track is him performing a track called alphabet assassin, the concepts been done before and he even mentions papoose at the start (he did a similar track shortly before this one). Second track is more political (talking about the "war" with palestine and israel) and of the conscious kind of rap you are looking for. well i hope you enjoy something out of this giant list lol __________________ "If we're all merely players in a play on this great stage, the problem is the script writers ain't on the same page, I echo through the mountain when I'm singing in the air, from my lab a lad with lavish lyrics living in his lair." "Wake up and listen, hear what's not for the public's ears Pinocchio poets played by profiting puppeteers"

08-29-2009, 06:43 PM	#81 (permalink)
TR8 Groupie Join Date: Aug 2009 Posts: 12	Very interesting. Theres lots of stuff I just learned.

10-05-2009, 08:34 PM	#83 (permalink)
skrawtastic Groupie Join Date: Oct 2009 Posts: 1	follow that train of rationale and opera becomes the first hip-hop

11-19-2009, 08:48 AM	#87 (permalink)
Straightswagg21 Groupie Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Ottawa Posts: 8	Very well done. Loved it!!

12-07-2009, 03:10 PM	#88 (permalink)
PuebloFuerte Groupie Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: London Posts: 9	Very interesting article...although I had a general insight into Hip Hop history, this helped to clarify things. One question how comes conscious rap tends to have lesser beats than their more commercial counterparts? For example I dislike most things G Unit stand for glorifying gun culture etc, but I must admit their swagger and beats are among the most contagious out there...is their a conscious rapper that can equal those beats?