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?
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A lot of mainstream rap actually has purdy good production. That's because more focus goes into the overall sound rather than the lyrical capabilities. Sometimes, it works. But a balance is always nice. Underground hip hop pisses me off sometimes. "Underground hip hop: where monotony is king!" (By the way, don't take that religiously. Hip hop thrives in the underground.)
I highly recommend you pick up:
Nas -
Illmatic
Dilated Peoples -
The Platform
Blu & Exile -
Below the Heavens
Common -
Be
Black Milk -
Tronic
Sample tracks from each artist:
(Note: The 6th Sense and Worst Comes to Worst are not from the albums I recommended.)