Well this was gonna be the album that I was take a little paragraph to. I cannot get over how amazing this album is, sure it is not as all-round sound as Labour Days, but any album with Prosperity on it, is gonna be brilliant. Aesop is one of the only hip-hop artists that I actually enjoy, barring ATCQ, and this album is definitely a good start for anyone wanting to keep away from the generic hip-hop sound.

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I am not a hip-hop connoisseur: of all the musical genres on the planet, hip-hop tends to fall more into a genre I respect rather than a musical area that I feel ravenous to explore. This isn't the genre's fault: I just see too little variety in too many places.

However, in the case of recently deceased Japanese hip-hop producer Nujabes and his various collaborations, there must be some kind of magic at play: from his sampling to production to the beats and rapping itself, this man was my golden calf and idol amidst a seeming abyss of disinterest. And nowhere did he prove how powerful and singular he was as an artist and a songwriter than in 2005's Modal Soul, which would prove to be his last solo studio work.

From the syncopated piano of 'Feather' and Cise Star's opening lines - 'Light as a feather when I'm floating through / Reading through the daily news / Measuring the hurt within the golden rule - to the fading beats and tides of synth in 'Horizon', this is classy chilled out music performed and arranged to a near quantum ideal: it doesn't feel calculated, but the instrumental flow of things is so godly it might as well be.

In short, this is hip-hop that you can drive along to as easily as you can soar and dream with while the rain comes down outside. It might be too smooth for some folks here, but those that don't mind a little peace in their 'Pod might end up praising this as much I do.

Nice choice Anteater. I do prefer Modal Soul personally but he had a great ear for a tune.

Keep them coming people. I will add mine just before a new genre is announced.

**** it I'm doing an EP. It's one of those long EPs that may as well be a full album.

Blue Scholars - The Long March EP

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Blue Scholars are easily one of the best rap groups these days. Formed by two University of Washington students in Seattle, their lyrics tackle all sorts of social problems, often relating to Seattle itself. They particularly focus on youth. The beats are usually pretty laid back and jazzy, and very catchy. MC Geologic raps with a flow of his one, and the duo works together fantastically; the beats seem made for his voice and style of rapping. The last song, a remix of Sagaba, is still one of my favorite hip hop songs, with smooth production, a very upbeat catchy rhythym, and fun lyrics.

alright something classic right here...



Snoop Doggy Dogg - Doggystyle 1993

the american dream ain't it? the persona was built so tight right from the get go with George Clinton doing an intro to some of the dirtiest funk since his own late 70s output. even with multiple guest spots it's still all Snoop's show, as a debut you can tell they knew they had gold on their hands. the album can even kind of be seen as conceptual with the killing of the gangsta and the birth of da pimp.

i was 17 when a friend of mine got this cassette. we listened to the crap out of that tape while burning stupid amounts of gasoline in his old man's crown victoria haha.

http://static.howstuffworks.com/gif/...990916-260.jpg PIMPIN'

Haha - good album. I actually bought the CD eventually. I never listen to it anymore but I still often get the phrase 'Lodi Dodi We Likes Ta Podi' stuck in my head at random moments. The best g-funk of all in my opinion.

Man I used to LOVE that Snoop CD...played it to death in my pimp Honda Accord in the 90s. :D