Imakandi

I think this is the right thread, and subforum for this, if not then I apologize and it would be nice if a mod would tell me where to post it! I was originally going to post this in the Soul section but I think that Hiphop is better.. or not, guess I ended up posting this in the Soul section somehow. Anyways,

I have loved a band from a certain sub genre of Hiphop/ Rap which I think is considered Soul, or Neo Soul for a decade, but I can't find much like them. I love the Gorillaz, and more recently an Asian artist Diggy-Mo'. Some of their stuff is more Rap than Soul, but the songs I love from them mix the lyrical qualities of Hiphop with upbeat Soul in a way that I really want more of. I've asked around before for bands similar to these guys without success (on different forums), and really hope you guys know of some! To be blunt Rap is one of the only genres I outright don't like, and I'm not sure why I love this style of Soul and Hiphop.

The bands I listed have a rap/ hiphop vocal style, but, I don't know how to explain it. Rap always feel very negative to me, even when I can't understand the lyrics. These bands, the tone, the rhythm, the melody and the lyrical style of their voices always feel positive. Maybe its easier to explain by just linking some songs. The lyrics (the story the song tells, I mean) themselves don't matter, but the tone and rhythm do. I don't know if its alright to post butchered Youtube links because any link isn't allowed from new posters and I don't know how else to explain why I like them, except by listing songs I like.

Diggy-Mo'
Tfbkts3STkk Bakusou Yume Uta
W0kzvRy0Vhs Stay Beautiful
Oop3PBy0CkY Juves
Youtube keeps deleting Diggy-Mo' songs, but these are still some of his best! I had to replace a few songs with live version (why does Youtube delete unknown artist's songs, seriously!). The energy in Juves is bloody amazing! I'll risk uploading songs myself if you want to hear other ones I like.

Soul'd Out:
raOO98pwvnc Voodoo Kingdom
This is one of my favorite Soul'd Out songs, I like most of their songs that Diggy-Mo' leads, the rest are hit or miss.

Gorillaz:
cO6RM779CU4 A huge compilation, and one of the first results from Youtube.
Tomorrow Comes Today is slower and more atmospheric, the second, Clint Eastwood is more upbeat and has a more lyrical focus. 19/2000 becomes super positive and pop-like, the rhythm in this song is perfect.
Deltron 3030:
Q7_jbluF0qo 3030
This is closer to rapping, but still has that upbeat and very positive hiphop vibe. This is also the best rap I've ever heard.
The Roots:
BbfBYq1iS4 How I got Over (Album)
I recently discovered this band, so I haven't listened to it extensively. Apparently Diggy-Mo' takes inspiration from them according to Wikipedia. Some of the lyrics are a bit too close to rap for my tastes, but it doesn't have the negative quality I usually feel in most rap. Alot it of also has hiphop style vocals, and other upbeat positive lyrics.

I prefer Diggy-Mo's solo style over the other 3 bands, but giving 4 sources helps to explain what I like about them. I apologize if I messed anything up with the post, sorry that the post got a bit long, but I really like these bands! All the butchered links are the songs listed next to them, and I expect most of the Diggy-Mo' stuff to get deleted soon. Two or three songs I've been sharing with people were deleted from Youtube this week -_-.