for Пан Жыжма i usually just use an online translation.
Buck 65 started off for me on Dark Was the Night with the song "Blood PT.2" amazing!!

You're right, lyrics do play a significant part of hip hop considering that without them it's really just computer engineered drum beats, however it is a really neat way to see just how prevalent the genre really is. Certain languages really work well as well, most notably French. The way the words are pronounced really give it a nice flow, however the meaning can become convoluted after the translation. I really enjoy foreign hip hop to be honest, in the past few months I've done my best to expand that part of my music folder and have come across some really good artists like Violadores Del Verso, Relax, MC Solaar, and IAM. Sometimes it's nice to be blissfully ignorant to what the subject matter of the song is and just enjoy the beat and the flow of the lyrics.

Yeah, it definitely allows you to enjoy the song from a different perspective, and notice things that you may have taken for granted beforehand.

It also really depends on how you're listening to your music. For instance if you're looking for something to just kind of play in the background while you do something else that's grasping over 50% of your attention, it's wonderful for that because the lyrics become totally secondary almost to the point where you don't even really notice that they're there. However my opinion is a little skewed because I listen to a lot of music while I'm high and that can have certain effects on my perception.

1: Eminem
2: Akon
3: Jay Z
4: Beatles
5: Nas
6: Public Enemy
7: Everlast
8: Led Zeppelin
9: Andree 3000
10: Will.I.Am

Someone link me to this Beatles rap!! :)

Well, there's always the Gray Album.

same

dj BC's Meet The Beastles (Beatles/Beastie Boys mashup) is better than the Gray Album, IMO.


My ten (off the top):

Public Enemy
El-P (more for production, but whatevs)
Ghostface Killah
GZA
Cage
Ice Cube
M.F. Doom
Scarface
M.U.R.S.
Chino XL

I could go on forever listing them,
but cause i'm lazy, i'm gonna take the top of my last.fm (which is inaccurate cause i haven't scrobled since they started charging):

Not including groups:
10. Immortal Technique
9. Nas
8. Prozack Turner
7. Necro
6. Buck 65
5. Wordburglar
4. NOAH23
3. KRS-One
2. Del tha Funkee Homosapien
1. Aesop Rock

Including groups:
10. Dilated Peoples
9. De La Soul
8. Deltron 3030
7. Jurassic 5
6. Cypress Hill
5. N.W.A.
4. Public Enemy
3. Dead Prez
2. Aesop Rock
1. Beastie Boys