|
|
|
|
#1
11-09-2005, 10:52 PM
|
|||
|
|||
|
The Essential Music Library: Rap/Hip-Hop
The Essential Music Library project is an attempt to get the many musical minds of the SDMB to sit down and discuss what works are absolutely necessary for a well-stocked musical library. There will be roughly 20 threads detailing a variety of genres so that we can get the depth that would be missing from a single-threaded discussion and the breadth necessary to cover what's out there.
This thread's topic is rap and hip-hop. If your only contribution is going to be a comment to the effect that rap is not music, save yourself the trouble. Previous Threads: Project Planning | Classical | Rock | Jazz | Modern Rock | The Blues | Punk/Post-Punk/New Wave | Opera/Choral Music 
|
| Advertisements | |
|
|
|
|
#2
11-09-2005, 10:55 PM
|
|||
|
|||
|
Paul's Boutique - - Beastie Boys
|
|
#3
11-10-2005, 12:34 AM
|
|||
|
|||
|
Lucas: Lucacentric
Lauryn Hill: The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill Beastie Boys: Ill Communication Arrested Development: 3 Years 5 Months & 2 Days in the Life of Outkast: Aquemini Missy Elliott: Supa Dupa Fly Sole: Finding Live Water Rage Against the Machine: Rage Against the Machine Atmosphere: Lucy Ford Salt n Pepa: Very Necessary
|
|
#4
11-10-2005, 01:17 AM
|
|||
|
|||
|
I'm a bit of a hip hop aficionado (I made money making and selling beats for a few years), so here's my .02.
Boogie Down Productions - Criminal Minded Outkast - ATLiens (moreso than Aquemini, this is the epochal and defining statement by the band and seems to hold more of a place in hip hop history) Notorious B.I.G. - Ready to Die - the defining moment in east coast rap int he nineties. A Tribe Called Quest - "The Low-End Theory" - their finest moment, hands-down. Jungle Brothers - Done by the forces of nature Pete Rock and C.L. Smooth - Mecca and the Soul Brother Peanut Butter Wolf - My vinyl weighs a ton De La Soul - Three feet high and rising Common - Resurrection or Like water for chocolate DJ Shadow - Endtroducing Dr. Octagon - The Octagonycologist Blackalicious - Nia Nas - Illmatic Company Flow - Funcrusher (Plus) Lootpack - Soundpieces: Da Antidote (really covers Madlib and the whole Stones Throw crew) Jay-Z - Reasonable Doubt Gang Starr - probably Step into the arean, but they were really much more effective as a singles group, so I'd say the singles collection. MF Doom - "operation: doomsday" Wu Tang - "Enter the Wu Tang," GZA - "Liquid Swords," and Raekwon - "only built 4 cuban lynx" - that first generation of RZA-produced Wu-tang material remains impeccable and essential. Ghostface (Killah) - you'll say Ironman, but I'm going to go with Supreme Clientele - Ghost's stretching out to include other producers really elevated his whole effect, and "Nutmeg" remains the song to beat. Cannibal Ox - The Cold Vein - remains the rap record of this decade; it simply has not been topped in production, raw wordpower, and overall vibe/vision/effect. More to come.
|
|
#5
11-10-2005, 01:23 AM
|
|||
|
|||
|
Another personal favorite:
Raisin' Hell - Run DMC
|
|
#9
11-10-2005, 06:04 AM
|
|||
|
|||
|
TsK. Not nearly enough east coast old school so far. And NO well-stocked rap/hip hop library is complete without progenitors Gil Scott-Heron and The Last Poets.
... I like VC03's list the best so far. I'm very tempted to mention some neo-soul
|
|
#10
11-10-2005, 08:40 AM
|
|||
|
|||
|
Askia: Neo-soul is great, but isn't there a soul thread coming up? Soul doesn't have to end in the '70s.
Anyway, I like all that backpacker shit, but I'm going to try to drag us away from it a bit. Also, I think I'll add some important singles, because hip hop can be a very singles-driven genre. Albums: Run-DMC - Raising Hell Beastie Boys - Licensed To Ill Beastie Boys - Paul's Boutique (Much better than LtoIll, but really, the former has so much history that it can't be denied). Public Enemy - It Takes A Nation of Mill De La Soul - 3 Feet High and Rising Erik B and Rakim - Paid In Full Tribe Called Quest - The Low End Theory Ice Cube - Amerikkka's Most Wanted Nas - Illmatic (One hot album every ten year average) Wu-Tang Clan - Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) Jay-Z - Reasonable Doubt (Classic, should have gone triple) Jay-Z - Blueprint (I don't really like Jig any better than Nas, but he does have two totally undeniable, classic records) Notorious B.I.G. - Ready To Die 2Pac - All Eyez On Me NWA - Straight Outta Compton ("You are now about to witness the strength of street knoweldge"). Outkast - Aquemini Outkast - Stankonia (I know the true heads think Aquemini is the better record, but you can't deny the singles on this, nor the experimentation). Dr. Dre - The Chronic Snoop Doggy Dogg - Doggystyle (Undeniable, but I'm going to say this anyway: listen to the singles. Isn't this just some of the best shit ever?) Eminem - The Marshall Mathers LP Dr Dre - 2001 DJ Shadow - Endtroducing (Why instrumental hip-hop is good) Kanye West - The College Dropout ("When you talk about classics does my name get brought up?" Damn right it does.) Dizzee Rascal - Boy In Da Corner (There's a whole lot of great grime, but this is the most cohesive statement) Missy Elliott - Miss E... So Addictive (Timbo and Missy's finest) Talib Kweli - Quality (The best compromise between his commercial stuff and his Rawkus stuff) Mos Def - Black On Both Sides The Roots - Phrenology (yeah, it's too long, and there's some stupid shit on there, but it's still a great record). Cannibal Ox - The Cold Vein Mos Def & Kweli - Black Star David Banner - Mississippi Some Singles: (not meant to be completist, rather, to plug some gaps. Also, this isn't to imply that these artists are necessarily lesser than those listed above) Sugarhill Gang - Rapper's Delight Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five - Rapper's Delight Afrika Bambaata - Planet Rock Sir Mix-A-Lot (I'll bow to the novelty. Everyone, no matter what you're into, recognizes this track.) Warren G - Regulate (Mmm... G-funk) Busta Rhymes - Gimme Some Mo' The Clipse - Grindin' (Clipse should be huge, but they've been fucked with distribution. Neverhtless, this is one of their best, and of the best neptunes beats ever, as well) Diplomats - Dipset Anthem (Dipset, bitch! The movement, sadly, can't be summated with an album, because their best stuff is spread across dozens of mixtapes - pick up a Cam record or one of the Diplomatic Immunitys if you require a full length release. Still, this track is all their strengths packed into four minutes. Ay!) Li'l Jon and the Eastside Boyz ft. The Ying Yang Twinz - Get Low (You can't ignore the south, and although this is by no means the first crunk song, it was the one that put it up in the stratosphere) Ludacris - What's Your Fantasy (Luda doesn't really make great albums, but he sure can do singles) Mike Jones ft Slim Thug and Paul Wall - Still Tippin (The culmination of years of rappers working in the Texas underground. To be fair, this list should be discussing DJ Screw, UGK and Chamillionaire, too, but just use this track as a starting point to introduce you to H-Town.) 50 Cent - In Da Club (Think what you will about the man, this is the sort of thing he does best, and it's a Dre banger, so it's pretty much perfect. But then again, for street cred, you can pick up "How To Rob an Industry Nigga" instead.) Well, that's all for now, but this list is seriously lacking some Slick Rick, KRS-One, Master-P, Cash Money and LL, so if anyone wants to fill those gaps, that would be good. Also, maybe a general overview of the Def-Jux and Anticon camps (cLOUDEAD, maybe?). Hmm, and maybe some Jurassic 5 for all the people who don't like proper hip-hop (yeah, I like their stuff, and they're probably significant enough to be mentioned, but, really, the only people who think they're the best out just haven't been listening to enough hip hop).
|
|
#11
11-10-2005, 08:51 AM
|
|||
|
|||
|
Quote:
Also, I can't believe I brought up Texas without mentioning Scarface. Definitely get some Scarface.
|
|
#12
11-10-2005, 10:39 AM
|
|||
|
|||
|
Quote:
Someone list the Geto Boys! And how did I forget the Black Star album? Life-changing.
|
|
#13
11-10-2005, 10:41 AM
|
|||
|
|||
|
Quote:
|
|
#18
11-14-2005, 03:39 PM
|
|||
|
|||
|
I'm totally behind everyone's lists so far, so I won't bother repeating but I will add a few I don't think have been mentioned: (Yes I'm so lazy I can't do a CTRL+F. If they've already been said, I'll just pretend like they're SO GOOD they deserve repeating
 )Deltron 3030 -- Deltron 3030 ("I must appeal to you people with your faculties, cuz everybody else is gonna laugh at me") Del the Funky Homosapien -- No Need For Alarm (mmm...cello beats) Dr. Octagon -- Octagonacologyst ("Think about it, if you was there standing looking at me, What would you do, if I hit your face with dog doodoo?") Various classic Wu Tang, including: Enter the 36 Chambers, Wu Tang Forever, GZA -- Liquid Swords, Raekwon -- Only Built 4 Cuban Links Roots Manuva -- Brand New Second Hand ("Weakheart disciples keep weakheart friends, Always had a hate for what their weakhearts defend") Aesop Rock -- Float OK, this is hard for me. For example, I'd agree that Aquemini is fantastic by Outkast, but ATLiens is equally classic for me. I don't know that I'd say one belongs in an "Essential Collection" but the other doesn't. Yeah, lets throw Stankonia in there too. I feel similarly about many others.
|
|
#22
11-14-2005, 09:24 PM
|
|||
|
|||
|
A Tribe Called Quest - Midnight Marauders; The Low End Theory
Nas - Illmatic; Stillmatic De La Soul - 3 Feet High and Rising; De La Soul Is Dead Dr. Dre - The Chronic Wu-Tang Clan - Enter the 36 Chambers; Forever Raekwon - Only Built for Cuban Linx GZA - Liquid Swords (NOT Legend of the Liquid Sword) Black Star - Talib Kweli and Mos Def are BlackStar Talib Kweli - Reflection Eternal; Quality Notorious BIG - Ready To Die; Life After Death Tupac - All Eyez on Me; Me Against the World Common - Like Water For Chocolate; Be Arrested Development - 3 Years, 5 Months & 2 Days in the Life Of... Gang Starr - Moment of Truth Ghostface Killah - Ironman, Supreme Clientele Madvillain - Madvillainy Jay-Z - Reasonable Doubt Public Enemy - Fear of a Black Planet; It Takes A Nation Of Millions Boogie Down Productions (BDP) - Criminal Minded; By All Means Necessary Beastie Boys - Pauls Boutique, Check Your Head, Licensed to Ill DMX - It's Dark and Hell is Hot Blackalicious - Blazing Arrow Big L - Lifestyles of the Poor and Dangerous Eminem - Marshall Mathers LP; Slim Shady LP PM Dawn - Of the Heart, of the Soul and of the Cross The Utopian Experience Organized Konfusion - Self-Titled; Stress Souls of Mischief - '93 to Infinity Masta Ace - Long Hot Summer Pete Rock and CL Smooth - Mecca and the Soul Brother Kanye West - The College Dropout LL Cool J - Mama Said Knock You Out NWA - Straight Outta Compton Ice Cube - Amerikkka's Most Wanted
|
|
#23
11-15-2005, 01:03 AM
|
|||
|
|||
|
I dunno how much they count, but I sure love The Streets. The most melodic hip-hop like music I've heard. The most melodic actual hip-hop I've heard is Kanye West.
I've just gotten into hip-hop. I only have a few cds in the genre, but I might get a few Public Enemy ones. There's one song of there's I especially like, but I can't remember the name. It starts out with: "Bass! How low can you go?" Rapper's Delight is also an excellent song.
|
|
#24
11-18-2005, 02:21 PM
|
|||
|
|||
|
Quote:
Anyhoo, you losers have named everything I was going to say, so I'll have to get obscure on you mofos.  Down by Law - Murder rap (one of the best songs ever made)
|
|
#25
11-18-2005, 03:26 PM
|
|||
|
|||
|
Quote:
Anyhoo, you losers have named everything I was going to say, so I'll have to get obscure on you mofos. Down by Law - Murder rap (one of the best songs ever made)
|
|
#26
11-18-2005, 03:39 PM
|
|||
|
|||
|
Quote:
And in case noone has mentioned them (or I missed them): Killah Priest - Heavy Mental RA The Rugged Man - Die, Rugged Man, Die
|
|
#27
11-18-2005, 04:32 PM
|
|||
|
|||
|
Quote:
World Eater, yep, that's them. They really grew on me.
|
|
#28
11-18-2005, 04:33 PM
|
|||
|
|||
|
Quote:
Man, I thought I was the only person who liked and/or remembered that album. I know their first album (Reachin') sold a lot better and earned them a Grammy (ok, technically it was for the single Cool Like Dat, but close enough), but Blowout Comb is just so much better IMO, and would definitely be one of my top 10 rap albums ever. Qwertyasdfg, I like your list a lot. Some really good lesser known stuff there. But if I can quibble a little bit, while I love the mention of Masta Ace, if I was gonna include just one of his albums it would have to SlaughtaHouse. Also, I like Strictly 4 My N.I.G.G.A.Z. over any of 2pac's later stuff, but I'm probably deeply in the minority there. And off the top of my head, some stuff I'd include that hasn't been mentioned: Tha Alkaholiks - 21 and Over King Tee - Tha Triflin Album The Beatnuts - Street Level Black Moon - Enta da Stage Jeru the Damaja - The Sun Rises in the East The Pharcyde - Bizarre Ride II the Pharcyde Jedi Mind Tricks - Violent by Design Atmosphere - You Can't Imagine How Much Fun We're Having Jurassic 5 - Quality Control The Roots - Illadelph Halflife (significantly better than Phrenology IMO) Slick Rick - The Great Adventures of Slick Rick X-Clan - Xodus Kool G Rap and DJ Polo - Road to the Riches The D.O.C. - No One Can Do It Better Compton's Most Wanted - Music To Driveby I'd probably think of some more that haven't been mentioned, given some time, but the above is a good start. Oh, and just to show that I'm not completely out of touch with the current rap scene, here's a couple 2005 releases that I think are pretty good: Paul Wall - The Peoples Champ Three 6 Mafia - The Most Known Unknown
|
|
#30
11-18-2005, 04:38 PM
|
|||
|
|||
|
Oh, and of course, I post and immediately think of something else I wanted to mention, so...
Gravediggaz - 6 Feet Deep (it was gimmicky as hell, like all of "horrorcore rap", but it's still very good) And on preview, damn, I should have thought of that one, Ogre. I've had the Soul Food CD since it came out, and it's tight.
|
|
#33
11-18-2005, 10:54 PM
|
|||
|
|||
|
man, we got some heads up in here. good stuff.
I didn't see KRS-One mentioned (I probably skimmed over it); I Got Next is one of my favorite albums by him. I have to strongly second recommendations for The Pharcyde and Digable Planets. two of the most chronically and tragically overlooked hip-hop ensembles out there. no one I've ever introduced to them has disagreed. gotta bring it back to Texas though. anybody here ever heard of UGK? those boys can flow. great production on the earlier albums. I picked up Ridin' Dirty sometime in the 90's and I never put it down. last but not least, and my personal favorite, Devin the Dude. you will NEVER hear this guy on the radio. most explicit lyrics you've ever heard, not angry though, just right off the tongue like smoke off a blunt. you may recognize him from songs with Scarface, Dre, Too Short, and he was the sole redeeming value on the stupid Jay-Z/R. Kelly crossover album. his self-titled first album is critical to any serious rap enthusiast; even friends of mine who hate rap but smoke a lot of weed can recite every lyric.
|
|
#34
11-19-2005, 09:35 AM
|
|||
|
|||
|
Quote:
Anyway, I'd like to fifth, sixth, and seventh Paul's Boutique. It's hugely popular with critics and, judging from the copies of Dust Brother's-style production seen in the mid 90s, influential with musicians as well. It also has the best music of any rap album I've ever heard, as well as the best delivery of lines. Lyrics aren't so great, but the groundbreaking music is enough to put it in the essential list. Can't remember the albums, but: Young MC DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince. These, along with the breakout artists of the early 80's, contributed immensely to the mainstreaming of rap. There are plenty of people who otherwise look down on rap that like something by these artists (as well as the 5 or 6 breakout raps that started it all in the imagination of America.) Someone mentioned Sir Mix-A-Lot, most likely referring to Baby Got Back. While I don't have the album that that's on, I do have and love SWASS. It stands out as an evolution over most of the rap out there previously, which seemed to either be faithful recreations of a street party (NTTAWWT,) rockers getting in on it for the novelty, dancing posers, or MC's rapping over studio musicians. SWASS seems to be more along the lines of the Beatles, as an example of the rap artist as a singer/songwriter rather than an MC/DJ.
|
|
#35
11-29-2005, 10:20 PM
|
|||
|
|||
|
Hip Hop 101:
2Pac - All Eyez on Me 2pac - Strictly 4 my niggaz 50 CENT- get rich or die tryin 50 CENT-the_massacre Arrested Development - 3 years Beastie Boys - Ill communication Beastie Boys - License to Ill BEASTIE boys - pauls boutique BEASTIE boys - to the 5 boroughs big pun - captial bone thugs-n-harmony - e1999 eternal from blasphemy Boogie Down Productions - criminal minded busta rhymes- the coming capone n norega - the war report CEE-lo-cee-lo_green_is_the_soul_machine Clipse - lord willin common - like water for chocolate Coup - Party Music Cypress Hill - black sunday D12 - Devil's Night De La Soul - 3 feet high Del the Funky Homosapien - i wish my brother george was here Deltron 3030 dmx - it's dark and hell is hot Dr. Dooom - first come Dr. Dre - 2001 Dr. Dre - The Chronic Dungeon Family - even in darkness Easy E - impact of a legend Eminem - The Eminem Show Eminem - The Marshal Mathers LP Eminem - The Slim Shady LP EMINEM- encore ~ Eric B & Rakim - Paid in Full flipmode squad - the imperial fugees - the score GAME-the_documentary gang starr - daily operation ghostface killah - ironman Goodie Mob - Soul Food Grandmaster Flash - message G-UNIT-beg_for_mercy GZA - liquid swords Handsome Boy Modeling School - so hows your girl ice-t - original gangster JAY Z- black album Jay-Z - Hard Knock Life JAY-z - reasonable_doubt Jay-Z - Unplugged Jay-Z- The Blueprint 2 Jedi Mind Tricks - Violent by Design Jurassic 5 - Quality Control KANYE west - college dropout KANYE west- late registration Kool Keith - Black Elvis K-OS - joyful rebellion krs one - krs one ll cool j - i can't live without my radio Makaveli - The 7 Day Theory Method Man & Redman - blackout method man-tical MISSY elliot - the cookbook Missy Elliot - under construction Mobb Deep - infamous mos def & talib kweli - black star MOS def- new danger mos_def-black_on_both_sides Nas - Illmatic Nas - Stillmatic NEPTUNES - clones nerd - in search of Notorious BIG - Life After Death Notorious BIG - Ready to Die NWA - straight outa compton Outkast - Aquemini Outkast - ATlients OUTKAST - speakerboxxx-the love below Outkast - Stankonia Peanut Butter Wold - My Vinyl People Under the Stairs - OST Pharcyde - Bizzare Ride II Prince Paul - Prince Among Theives Public Enemy - It takes a nation of millions to hold us back puff daddy & the family - no way out Raekwon - only built Redman - Whut Thee Album roots - illadelph halflife roots - phrenology roots - things fall apart Run DMC - Raising Hell RZA - bobby digital Snoop Dogg - Doggystyle Snoop Dogg - Paid the Cost to be the Boss Spearhead - Chocolate Superhighway talib kweli - reflection eternal Tribe Called Quest - Low end theory Tribe Called Quest - Midnight ultramagnetic mcs - critical beatdown warren g - regulate... g-funk era Wu-Tang - Enter the 36 Chambers xzibit-restless
|
 |
| Bookmarks |
| Thread Tools | |
| Display Modes | |
|
|
Linear Mode
