# Please recommend some good Hip-Hop.

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-recommend-some-good-hip-hop/123186>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Created:** [August 9, 2002, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-recommend-some-good-hip-hop/123186 "2002-08-09T19:35:12Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 20\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![KidCharlemagne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ed8c4c/32.png) [@KidCharlemagne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KidCharlemagne)\
**Post date:** [August 9, 2002, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-recommend-some-good-hip-hop/123186/1 "2002-08-09T19:35:12Z")

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Im a bit of a jazz cat so take that into account. I need more than a beat and “Y’all y’all!.” I know virtually no Hip-Hop but I do have a Digable Planets album that I like. I also love that tune “Aisle 10” by Scapegoat Wax if that helps. Thanks for the recs.

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**Author:** ![Gazelle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Gazelle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gazelle)\
**Post date:** [August 9, 2002, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-recommend-some-good-hip-hop/123186/2 "2002-08-09T19:42:21Z")

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I can merely recommend my favorites:

**Ludacris** and **Nelly**

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**Author:** ![Gazelle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Gazelle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gazelle)\
**Post date:** [August 9, 2002, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-recommend-some-good-hip-hop/123186/3 "2002-08-09T19:46:10Z")

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I should say, my current favorites.

I love **Eminiem** , too. The lyrics are funny and sad and intelligent… And the accompanying music is DOPE.

Yes, I’m a 33-year-old white female hip-hop fan.

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**Author:** ![webguy1000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/eb9ed0/32.png) [@webguy1000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/webguy1000)\
**Post date:** [August 9, 2002, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-recommend-some-good-hip-hop/123186/4 "2002-08-09T20:18:53Z")

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Kid,

If you’re a jazz fan, you’ll want to stick to hip hop ladies. They’re the only ones to seem to do it with any class.

Check out :

_Miseducation of Lauryn Hill_, by L.H.  
_Acoustic Soul_, by India Arie  
_Who is Jill Scott_, by J.S.

The last one is great mood music with hip hop undertones.

Despite her many accolades, I would avoid alicia keys. She’s very talented musically, but she’s a poor songwriter. The only song I thought was written well on her album turned out to have been written by Prince.

HTH.

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**Author:** ![Gazelle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Gazelle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gazelle)\
**Post date:** [August 9, 2002, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-recommend-some-good-hip-hop/123186/5 "2002-08-09T20:58:13Z")

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Don’t forget Mary J. Blige, **webguy** …

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**Author:** ![cainxinth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7bcc69/32.png) [@cainxinth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cainxinth)\
**Post date:** [August 9, 2002, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-recommend-some-good-hip-hop/123186/6 "2002-08-09T21:06:29Z")

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First please disregard **Canthearya** ’s post, which hopefully was in jest.

Second, a jazz fan looking for quality hip hop is like a blues fan looking for good rock and roll, in other words you’ve made the logical choice my friend. Here’s a smattering of some very chilled out, down-tempo hip hop acts that will not disappoint.

Aceyalone  
Binary Star  
Encore  
The Guru  
Mos Def  
Common  
AiM  
People Under the Stairs  
US3

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**Author:** ![UWmite](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/d26b3c/32.png) [@UWmite](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UWmite)\
**Post date:** [August 9, 2002, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-recommend-some-good-hip-hop/123186/7 "2002-08-09T21:16:28Z")

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I gotta recommend Atmosphere. The Lucy Ford ep is spectacular. The Onion once described this guy as Eminem without the misogyny and homophobia who’d spent way too much time in a midwestern college town. Really smart lyrics and excellent syncopation.

I like The Beastie Boys a lot too. I hated them when all I’d heard was Fight For Your Right, etc. Check out Paul’s Boutique, Hello Nasty or their instrumental album, In Sounds from the Way Out. I can fool people pretty easily into listening to the Boys if I play one of their more jazz/groove tracks first. They don’t know what hit 'em.

Might want to check out some old-school Public Enemy too.

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**Author:** ![Crusoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/49beb7/32.png) [@Crusoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crusoe)\
**Post date:** [August 9, 2002, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-recommend-some-good-hip-hop/123186/8 "2002-08-09T21:29:31Z")

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MC Solaar

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**Author:** ![KidCharlemagne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ed8c4c/32.png) [@KidCharlemagne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KidCharlemagne)\
**Post date:** [August 9, 2002, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-recommend-some-good-hip-hop/123186/9 "2002-08-09T22:08:55Z")

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I just happened to “find a friend” with “I Neva Knew” by Aceyalone - that is exactly what I’m looking for. Great tune. Who is the piano sample of?

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**Author:** ![UrbanChic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/9dc877/32.png) [@UrbanChic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UrbanChic)\
**Post date:** [August 9, 2002, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-recommend-some-good-hip-hop/123186/10 "2002-08-09T22:38:29Z")

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Check out some classic Digable Planets, too.

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**Author:** ![mouthbreather](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a698b9/32.png) [@mouthbreather](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mouthbreather)\
**Post date:** [August 9, 2002, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-recommend-some-good-hip-hop/123186/11 "2002-08-09T22:40:17Z")

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With all due respect, **Canthearya** , I don’t think there is very much jazz influence in Nelly’s, Ludacris’, or Eminem’s styles.  
My suggestions, for a jazz fan looking to try out some hiphop.

Tribe called Quest’s **Low End Theory**  
Anything by The Roots, **Illadelph Halflife** is my favorite.  
Jurassic 5’s **Quality Control**.

Also, I will echo **cainxinth’s** suggestions of Mos Def, Common, and US3.

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**Author:** ![KidCharlemagne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ed8c4c/32.png) [@KidCharlemagne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KidCharlemagne)\
**Post date:** [August 9, 2002, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-recommend-some-good-hip-hop/123186/12 "2002-08-09T23:48:52Z")

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This is really good stuff so far - I think I found me a new music. If you happen to know individual tunes that really stand out lemme know. Thanks again.

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**Author:** ![Biggirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biggirl/32/3294_2.png) [@Biggirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biggirl)\
**Post date:** [August 9, 2002, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-recommend-some-good-hip-hop/123186/13 "2002-08-09T23:48:55Z")

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My fav: Outkast.  
And, not at all hip-hop, but you did mention being a jazz fan and I had a thread about it here very recently-- salsa (called latin jazz by the snooty).

Still searching for circa 1970s Willie Colon.

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**Author:** ![Gazelle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Gazelle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gazelle)\
**Post date:** [August 10, 2002, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-recommend-some-good-hip-hop/123186/14 "2002-08-10T22:55:36Z")

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**cainxinth** and **mouthbreather** , I _said_ that all I could do is recommend my favorites.

I do NOT appreciate the condescending attitude from either of you.

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder… I happen to appreciate a wide variety of music, including the artists you have both mentioned. I also enjoy mainstream hip-hop. Can you handle that, or will you continue to belittle me for something that is completely subjective?

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**Author:** ![Gazelle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Gazelle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gazelle)\
**Post date:** [August 10, 2002, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-recommend-some-good-hip-hop/123186/15 "2002-08-10T23:01:05Z")

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**KidCharlemagne** , go ahead and disregard my posts… I had no business recommending anything without taking your jazz penchant into consideration.

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**Author:** ![cainxinth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7bcc69/32.png) [@cainxinth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cainxinth)\
**Post date:** [August 10, 2002, 11:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-recommend-some-good-hip-hop/123186/16 "2002-08-10T23:30:46Z")

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**Canthearya** , my apologies, I in no way intended to condescend to you.

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**Author:** ![Dryga\_Yes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/838e76/32.png) [@Dryga\_Yes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dryga_Yes)\
**Post date:** [August 11, 2002, 11:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-recommend-some-good-hip-hop/123186/17 "2002-08-11T11:37:58Z")

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Mike Ladd/The Infesticons should be perfect. Check out The Herbaliser, too.

Other than that, have you listened to instrumental hip-hop/turntablism/ambient breakbeat/trip-hop? (a lot of overlap between these genres) You could try DJ Shadow, Prefuse 73, Kid Koala, Cut Chemist, RJD2, Tricky…

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**Author:** ![Blackhawkeye](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/c4cdca/32.png) [@Blackhawkeye](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blackhawkeye)\
**Post date:** [August 11, 2002, 1:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-recommend-some-good-hip-hop/123186/18 "2002-08-11T13:04:14Z")

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Pretty much the entire def jux label is on fire right now. Albums in particular:  
Aesop Rock “Labor Days”, “Daylight”  
RJD2 “Dead Ringer”  
Cannibal Ox “The Cold Vein”  
El-P “Fantastic Damage” \<---- Album of the Year, so far

Non Def Jux acts:  
Sage Francis “Personal Journals”  
Atmosphere “Lucy Ford EP’s”, “Overcast!”

Older Stuff:  
Common “One Day It’ll all Make Sense”, “Resurrection”  
The Roots “Do You Want More?”, “Things Fall Apart”  
De La Soul “De La Soul is Dead”, “Buhloone Mindstate”, “Three Feet High and Rising”, “Stakes is High”  
A Tribe Called Quest: “Midnight Marauders”, “Low-End Theory”  
There’s more, but it’s a start.

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**Author:** ![gex\_gex](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/94ad74/32.png) [@gex\_gex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gex_gex)\
**Post date:** [August 11, 2002, 1:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-recommend-some-good-hip-hop/123186/19 "2002-08-11T13:29:45Z")

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It ain’t two turntables and a microphone, but you have to check out Portishead. You should love this. Melancholy smoky jazz feeling with hip-hop beats and gorgeous female vocals.  
Massive Attack is good, too.

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**Author:** ![Blackhawkeye](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/c4cdca/32.png) [@Blackhawkeye](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blackhawkeye)\
**Post date:** [August 11, 2002, 1:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-recommend-some-good-hip-hop/123186/20 "2002-08-11T13:34:39Z")

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That’s TRIP hop, he asked for HIP hop.

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