Hip-Hop Outside North America
 

Hip-Hop is one of the most prevalent genres of music that can be found all around the world. It's not surprising by any means, I mean when it's stripped down of the production value, it's poetry to a beat. Despite the fact that it's so wide spread, so many people are unaware of what is beyond North America which is a shame because there are some extremely talented musicians who have yet to pierce our market. Seeing as how we have a good amount of people on this forum from outside North America I'm hoping this could become an educational thread to help us expand our horizon. I'll be the first to recommend two artists:

Firstly Dan Le Sac Vs. Scroobius Pip

Traditional rap group, one DJ (Dan Le Sac) and one MC (Scroobius Pip) from Stanford-le-Hope in Engalnd. Incredibly intelligent songs matched with well made beats that really fit the songs. Their 2008 debut "Angles" was one of my favorite albums of that year. I'm not sure what their popularity is like in the U.K. but they're practically unknown here in the U.S. and Canada. The video below is their most well known songs "Thou Shalt Always Kill", I also have their album uploaded so if anyone wants to listen to the full thing (I highly recommend it) just send me a PM.



Dan Le Sac Vs. Scroobius Pip's Last.FM

The other group is one I actually found from this forum called The Herd from Sydney Australia. I found these guys from my Live Band Hip Hop thread that kind of... fizzled out unfortunately. Really got into these guys, specifically the album "The Sun Never Sets". Great instrumental parts and well written, meaningful lyrics.



The Herd's Last.FM

I have a few other groups, but I want to see what becomes of this thread, I don't want to waste my time if it never takes off. So please, if you know of someone from outside North America, please expose them.

I was listening to that Dan Le Sac track today and was going to use it as a future MB comp inclusion :( Great track though.

I was also thinking of throwing one of his tracks for the June comp. I was leaning towards "Letter from God to Man" because it's one of the most poignant songs I've heard in awhile. I've been contemplating doing a cover of it at some open mic night. However, I'm curious, how popular is he in the U.K.? I mean if you were to turn on the radio and leave it on all day, would you eventually hear him?

I did a thread on these before with fair to middling success. Great beats, quality lyrics and from Bristol U.K



a guy who got some bad rep froma few in the U.S.A which pissed me off considering his words are definitely UK-centric and why shouldn't they be? A reggae influence helps too ;)

This is his most famous track:



But stuff like this is better:

Not a damn chance! I don't have the album either. I picked it up on a sampler I got recently.

I think this thread is a really good idea, I personally listen to some french and german hip-hop. Here are some of my favorites.
IAM: La Saga (with Wu-Tang), L'aimant, je danse le mia (samples gimme the night)
NTM: Nique la Police (with cut killer, samples Machine gun funk), Chaqu'un sa mafia (with Nas, samples affirmative action)
Bushido: Flerräter, wenn wir kommen, Dreckstück, alles verloren, sharpshooter, gängbang
Breitbild: Für 1 hets immer no glangt

I need to get some French hip hop, I don't speak it but from what I've heard the way that language sounds and is spoken makes it very easy to get a good flow going

IAM was pretty good I gotta say, French definitely is a good language to rap in.

Anyhow I'm gonna do my best to keep this thread continually bumped with other artists.

So here's another Australian group called True Live who are also a Live Band group too.



True Live Last.FM

I do love The Herd, one of my favourite hip hop acts regardless of nationality. I think I introduced you to them in the live hip hop thread so it's cool to see you kept digging further. I was a bit worried that lyrically, a lot of the more specific references to Aussie politics would put you off.
Summerland is my fav Herd album, I really dig the full time female vocalist they brought in.

Hilltop Hoods are another solid aussie hip hop act, sadly they've adopted a very Americanised style and lyrically they're a bit bland. But some great party music.

And lastly, I've only just encountered Phrase on the radio but his single is pretty damn catchy.

AHh yes thank you very much for The Herd, I've got all 3 of their albums now. It's funny though, I knew of True Live before you made your post in the Live Band Hip Hop thread.

and catchy is an understatement, that song hooked me in faster than a triple ****ed hooker.

Dizzee Rascal (spelling?) is someone I've wanted to get into for a couple of years now.

French Hip Hop
 

Hi guys!
I've red this post and I cannot go further without sharing my favorite french hip hop songs ever! (I'm french)

These songs are quite old but probably the best of french rap (hip hop) history! Enjoy (you'll find them on youtube using the video IDs below).

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artist: NTM
song: ma benz
This song is about doing sexual parties inside a Mecerdes-Benz...

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artist: NTM
song: laisse pas trainer ton fils
The main message is to take care of your son (or children) to avoid them falling in crime or felonies.

JNHNQOZ2LVg
artist: I AM
song: petit frere
tells how it's easy for a young boy watching his brothers doing bad things to become like them.

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artist: I AM
song: L'empire du coté obscur
Star Wars parody

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artist: SNIPER
song: Trait pour trait
Singers explain that they're not bling-bling even if they've met success.

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artist: SNIPER
song: graver dans la roche
*** Sorry, I haven't found the official video ***
This song is about how their names will be "carved in stone" ... later.

I picked up this comp The Rough Guide to African Rap a while ago that's pretty good. Here's one of the songs from it (I can't remember what country this group is from):

I went to see Le Sac and Scroobius last year and they were quite excellent on the night, tore the place down.

However, i was disappointed with the album, there are 4 or 5 great songs but unfortunately there is just as much filler.

I like Task Force from the UK. British accents make everything more fun.

Dizzee is grime, though his new stuff could be considered hip-hop.

Shad is a really good Canadian Rapper:

YouTube - Shad - The Old Prince Still Lives at Home

Jehst is another very good British hip hop artist. Return of the Drifter is pretty sweet.

I was a big fan of most of the album, the only filler I found was Rapper's Battle, Fix, Back from Hell, and Development. The last song "Waiting for the Beat To Kick In" was arguably the best on the album. I remember I was walking to work on a Saturday morning and I had that playing on my mp3 player and each of the pieces of advise the people in the song give him were pieces of advise that I took to heart. Especially the one about being in control of your own emotions the "How hard is it to say you're in a good mood then just be in a good mood?" I never really thought of it that way and it made me realize how selfish I was being and how much of life I was taking for granted. That alone put Scroob on my "heroes" list.

I thought Grime was a form of British Hip Hop or something.

It is, but it's a subgenre, much like gangsta rap is a subgenre of hip hop.

Jehst is a good English rapper, check im out.

Grime is pretty good ****, Boy better know, Dizzee Rascal, Skepta, and Kano is probably my favourite grime artist.

I know absolutely nothing about French hip-hop and this isn't a hip-hop group, but have you heard this track? Makes me agree with your statement about the flow.

Cocorosie - Bisounours

not sure if he was mentioned but i always liked MC Solaar and he's french hip hop

Best rap from around the world?
 

I can say for example Fonky Family (it's french rap) with the song "La furie et la Foi ".... what do you guys recommend?

wow, thank god someone on here isn't stuck in america. There's great rap music from all around the world. (is this in the right section btw? there is a rap section).

Anyway, here's a great display of how universal rap really is. (the british emcee - stig of the dump aka stevie ****head totally tears this **** apart).




"yo this is some pure freestyle invention,
representing london, berlin and paris like french connection,

"i'm so funky they can barely understand me in my own country"




"i'm known to sever jaws, take a bite out the big apple and dispose of the core"


the essence of hip hop lives on through the true emcees and fans.

- Peace, love and unity.
Awesome signing out.

I listen to Soprano and L'Algerino, but not really sure what they're saying when I can only understand a couple words. Not really sure what to recommend, but I listen to those two.

There is alot of good Grime from UK but if that's too "weird" for regular hip hop maybe try Sway from UK, Hannibal & Soppa from Finland or perhaps old Tommy Tee from Norway

Meh, didn't really get into the grime scene at all. Sway's first album and mixtape was okay but everything after that was terribly weak. If I was trying to get people into UK Hip Hop I would stay well clear of the entire grime scene to be honest. I'd go more in the direction of the battle scene or people like Rhyme Asylum.

Control Machete from Mexico are pretty great. I'm sure if they're still around or not but I dig their late 90s stuff. For example:




Another spanish language hip-group I'm a fan of is the Cuban husband and wife duo Obsesión. I can't find a video to link for them but they're pretty mellow sounding, sort of a Cuban version of Digable Planets.

I'm digging this

I've heard France has a pretty strong rap scene, would love some recommendations if anyone has any.

Too bad they already broke up. 3 great albums though.

Relieved (New Generation Big Band Remix)


Their track with Talib Kweli

Old school rap

NTM




The Fonky Family


IAM


Keny Arkana


Mc Solaar, Booba, Sefyu...

Stromae a Belgian rapeur (French lyrics).

A French hip hop/rap/jazz band.

The Radio Radio are from New Brunswick. They sing in chiac, a mix of french and englilsh.

Beat Assailant
 

The singer is American but lives in Paris since 2001. The musicians are French. It's enough sophisticated and classy.



with Ben l'Oncle Soul a talented young french soul singer

That was some good stuff.

I like Aussie hip-hop