Might not be hip hop, but this would be a good collection for a supra-urban babe like yourself:
Rappers delight Sugar Hill Gang
Can I kick it Tribe called quest
Dub be good Beats International
Connected Stereo MCs
I know you don’t care about me Ziggy Marley
Colt 45 Affroman
River of babylon Wyclef
La di da di Doug E Fresh and Slick Rick
Get a move on Mr Scruff
x
…Boggie Down Productions-the bridge is over(KRS ONE & SCOT LAROCK AT THE TOP)
[sup]Welcome to the SDMB, naomi2003![/sup]
If I had to pick one? Guy’s “Groove Me”.
But it’s not really fair to make me pick just one. Here are my runners up (that haven’t been mentioned):
Non-rap:
Guy - “Teddy’s Jam”
New Edition - “A Little Bit of Love”, “If it Isn’t Love”
Bobby Brown - “Every Little Step”, “Don’t Be Cruel”, “My Perogative”
The Jets - “Rocket 2 U”
Herbie Hancock - “Rockit”
DeBarge - “Rhythm of the Night”
Johnny Kemp - “Just Got Paid”
Al B. Sure - “If I’m Not Your Lover”
Lavert (Featureing Heavy D) - “Just Coolin’”
Just about everything Teddy Riley was involved with was gold.
Rap:
Kid 'n Play - “Rollin’ with Kid 'n Play”
Dana Dane - “Cinderfella”
MC Hammer - “Let’s Get it Started”
Slick Rick - “Children’s Story”
LL Cool J - “I’m Bad”
Whodini - “Freaks Come Out at Night”
Kool Moe Dee - “Wild Wild West”
Man, I long for those lazy summer afternoons watching videos on BET.
Word.
am i black enough for ya? by Schooly D is one of my all time favs. check the album of the same name.
**ultramagnetic MCs ** and 3rd bass also, but i cant remember if thats early 90s or not.
have to agree with de la. say no go, eye know etc. 1st album i ever bought and i still listen to it now. way ahead of its time
Although it’s not what immediately springs to mind when you hear “80’s rap” you should still put some NWA on there. Straight Outta Compton, indeed.
good call on the slick rick songs. the adventures is a great album. i was always partial to “mona lisa”, in all its cheesy glory. also, epmd had some bangers in the 80’s. erick sermon was one of the most overlooked but influential producers in the biz. check “strictly business.” you’ll see where half the late 90’s rap acts got stole their beats. “you gots ta chill”, “let the funk flow”, “you’re a customer”… e-double was the absolute king of sampling.
“plug tunin’” from de la soul, their first single, i believe, is a true classic. “three feet” is quite an album. pos, dave and mase really expanded the rap vocabulary, it’s too bad people only know them as the one hit wonder who recorded “me, myself and i.”
tribe’s first album didn’t get released until spring of 1990, so i guess that album wouldn’t count, but it’s so closely related to de la, you could make an argument for it. “push it along” and “left my wallet in el segundo” are good songs.
“i’m bad” off of ll cool j’s “bigger and deffer” album was probably ll’s best effort. sure, this album had the exrecable “i need love” which still makes people think you can sing in hiphop songs, but it really was ll at the height of his powers. i’d have to say uncle l was the first real rap superstar, so he merits a mention.
eric b and rakim really set the bar, along with krs, back in the late 80’s. the first bdp album and “paid in full” can’t be overlooked as records that really mark the newfound maturity of hiphop.
also, check for ultramagnetic mcs, another overlooked pioneering group. kool keiths rhymes then stack up against anyhting now. his mad genius styles are as entertaining as they are cryptic. “kool keith housing things” and "ease back"stand out. “i’m back, back to smack attack those who wack and lack my experience…” keith is just amazing, and ced g, while not the most engaging rhymer, laces some amazing beats.
What KGS said above. Rap had been dying for a while, then Puffy came and put it out of its misery.
Check out What People do for Money by Divine Sounds.
Make sure you have at least one NWA song on there and follow that up with Ice Cube’s No Vaseline for a little balance.
Dirty Cash by Stevie V
Busta Move - Young MC
and
Going Back to Cali - LL Cool J
My favorites:
“Jam On It” - Newcleus
“Roxanne, Roxanne” - UTFO
Fuck…fuck…fuck da’ police!
Technically it came out in 90 but I gotta give props to The Humpty Dance.
Can’t just pick one. Some of my favorites that haven’t been mentioned yet:
Marley Marl - the symphony
BDP - P is free
Eric B & Rakim - I know you got soul
Kool G Rap - Road to riches
BDK - Ain’t no half steppin’
the DOC - Funky Enough
Late 80s hip hop isn’t for everybody though - it’s a very sparse sound, heavy on drums and low on melody, catchy hooks, etc. PE and De La Soul are the only ones that really get love outside of the hip hop community nowadays.
KGS, you’re seriously mistaken if you believe hip hop produced nothing of value since 1989. I personally feel the period 90-94 blows the so-called golden age of 84-89 out of the water.
And although lyricism has definitely regressed recently, I think sonically hip hop is as interesting and innovative today as it ever was (see: the Neptunes, Timbaland, Earthtone III, Kanye West, Just Blaze, Heatmakers).
what is the difference between hip hop and rap music??