Lately I’ve been enjoying the Epic Rap Battles of History series on YouTube. A lot of it is so-so, but some of the episodes are extraordinarily clever.
I’m two-clicking a link to Thor vs. Zeus as a representative example of what I’ve found entertaining. The lyrics are pretty salty so don’t play it at work.
This is a fun rap, imo, because the puns are clever and a lot the references require a decent grounding in the subject matter to fully appreciate. Other raps I’ve enjoyed in the series are Shaka Zulu vs. Julius Caesar and Isaac Newton (played by Weird Al!) vs. Bill Nye.
Anyway, I know that hip hop runs as wide a gamut, quality-wise, as any other form of entertainment. I’m looking for examples of artists whose lyrics and subject matter are going to engage my brain in a positive way. Profanity is fine when it’s going somewhere, and endless repetition bores me quickly.
Chamillionaire’s “Hip Hop Police” really is fun, especially with the video, I thought. Same with Slick Rick’s “Children’s Story” (again, with the video). The two songs are somewhat related (and both feature Slick Rick).
Del the Funky Homosapien and collaborators’ Deltron 3030 is a rap space opera concept album, set in 3030AD. It’s maybe not exactly what you are looking for, but it is good.
It’s worth pointing out (since I wasn’t clear) that I’m not solely interested in humorous stuff. Anything that makes particularly good use of language would be cool to listen to.
I find Eminem particularly clever when he’s being the playfull over the top degenerate (I suppose what he calls his “Slim Shady” persona).
The OP might also consider Macklemore & Ryan Lewis
Some Wu Tang for sure. ODB was hilarious and Ghost Face Killer all kinds of a genius. Wu is great, but not everyone is “clever”.
Edit: Kendrick Lamar isn’t clever on the face, but what he does with the rhythm and rhyme in his lyrics is astounding. Check out backseat freestyle (no link I’m on my phone) but it’s crazy.
I think Childish Gambino’s (aka Donald Glover) album *Culdesac *was very good, rhyme-wise. His other albums since have been real snooze-fests but that one was tight.
Oh, and Talib Quali. Reflections eternal is the album you want. Also Blackstar where he teamed up with Mos Def. OutKast also has neat stuff going on in their middle albums. Stankonia has the hits, but it’s hard to go wrong. Big Boi blows my mind.
The smash Broadway show Hamilton by Lin-Manuel Miranda is celebrated because his raps are complex, cover a lot of historical ground accurately and fun.
I came here to recommend Hamilton. Which NPR had before the Original Cast Recording’s release; I think it’s now on Spotify.
Yes, excellent use of Rap & Hip Hop–hear Hamilton & Jefferson battle out matters of public policy. Lin-Manuel Miranda also shows his knowledge of R&B, Mainstream Broadway & a touch of British Pop. The last for George III…
I’ll be investigating the other options on this thread. Not wishing to be a racist old fogey, I’d worked at developing an intellectual understanding of these new genres. Now I realize they can be really good…