Grr. Perhaps they’re. I’m going to learn to proofread one of these days…
You don’t have to excuse yourself for not liking Nelly. You could excuse yourself for your characterization of people who do like Nelly as mindless ramees of TRL too clueless and out of it to know what is good hip hop. You could acknowledge that your criteria for what is good hip hop is yours and yours alone.
No one has said you have no taste. I’m beginning to wonder if you and I are reading the same thread meanie.
Hahaha. Biggirl, you make me laugh. 
I am greatly disappointed with Nelly. ‘Hot in Here’ is a huge letdown from his anthemic ‘(Hot Sh–) Country Grammar’.
Eminem is like the quintessential artist–permantly pissed off, ready to lash out at himself and anybody else, barely stabilized by his familial relationships. Also, he is more self-critical than probably any vocalist you will ever hear, certainly more so than any rapper. Many were waiting for him to transcend his perchant for cursing and mysogyny, so when ‘Lose Yourself’ was dropped to the public, it is embraced as the crossover Second Coming.
Blah. I think people like Timbaland and the Neptunes do people like Missy, Nelly, Jay-Z, and the like a world of good. People listen to them because of the very very catchy pop-type beats, which make people want to get up and dance. Which explains with the Neptunes are all over the MTV set and are now producing records for pop people, like IIRC Justin Timberlake. Not that I’ve ever heard a Justin Timberlake song in my life. I will agree with Biggirl – relatively talentless rappers who can crank out a good beat or loop (or get with the Neptunes or Timbaland) go much farther than people who can’t sing but who write good music. coughWyclefcough
There is a lot of good stuff in rap/hip-hop if you are willing to go out and look for it. If you are looking for quirky, fast rap which is both funny and new-sounding, I would recommend Del tha Funky Homosapien. Almost anything he touches with Dan the Automator is pretty good. Their collaboration with old-school rapper Prince Paul in Handsome Boy Modeling School is pretty good and very fresh sounding. Still, I think the best rappers I’ve ever heard are Wu-Tang or Snoop Dogg. Although the Roots and Tribe Called Quest are excellent as well.
Perhaps coughWyclefcough isn’t fair. I mean, his first solo album and the Fugees album are really addictive. So I will amend – coughPuffycough or whatever he is wanting to be called this year.
Both. Eminem is an extremely good lyricist. His subject matter is lacking and he ends up talking about the same things on most of his tracks, not to mention his voice sucks, which are a few of the reasons I don’t really like him much, but he’s a good writer.
As far as other people go, Talib Kweli seems to have been done ad naseum in this thread already but checkout his Blackstarr album with Mos Def, that’s pretty damn good.
Any Sway & King Tech albums are excellent and most of them have Eminem on at least a track or two. I don’t like his albums at all but I can’t deny liking the stuff he’s done on the wake up show.
If you like Eminem you would probably really love Chino XL. Talks just as much shit with just as good rhymes but somehow doesn’t come off as immature sounding.
I can’t believe no one has mentioned KRS-ONE. One of the greatest MCs of yesteryear and today, he has good beats, good rhymes, and good subject matter, plus close to 20 years experience. Currently considered by some to be “the grumpy old man of hip-hop” due to a recent spat with Nelly (which Nelly started. For no reason. Stupid punk kid.) Definately check out his stuff. It shines.
Cisco, you rock.
Its not the down its the up beat.
The Streets is absolutely brilliant. I cannot recommend him highly enough. Plus he applies liberal use of the word “geezer” which makes him a hero in my book.
“Soldiers Slaying looks like geezers raving”.
I make bangers not anthems: leave that to the Artful Dodger!
My main complaint with Eminem is that he wastes the talent he’s got.
I mean, come on:
Eminem - White America
Avril Lavigne - Sk8er Boi
Tech N9ne - Slacker
For all his talent, he sure shares some great company in terms of lyrical subject.
Laugh, sneer. It’s kinda hard to tell the difference.
For more rump-shaking (I think profundity has been adequately covered) try The Terror Squad or Titan. Latin hip hoppers know how to get the party started.
Titan is rap? Wow. I once heard a song of theirs on MTV2 and (not knowing who they are) bought the single, assuming they were some Latin American big-beat DJ combo. Might have to check out a bit more by them – any recommendations?
Oh, and as well as seconding mention of The Streets (don’t mug yourself) I’d like to really push MC Solaar, who sounds better than any other rapper I’ve heard.
Various points I’d like to make:
I think the Neptunes are overrated. They’ve overstayed their welcome as far as I’m concerned. A Timbaland beat is pretty recognizable, but at least he stays original. Pharrell and his boys hit it big and then sold about 3 beats about 30 times and now they’re all we get to hear.
YMMV.
gex gex mentioned the Black Eyed Peas. I can live without them. I constantly get their albums mixed up (Behind the Front or The Love Movement; which came first? BtF, right?), but their recent output has been uninspired. The earlier album of those two is quite good, IMHO.
A Tribe Called Quest hasn’t been mentioned. Q-Tip went solo and spiralled off into irrelevance, but I think they were at the forefront of the groups that were popularizing that more cerebral brand of hip-hop. And they made some damn good records.
MeanOldLady included Jay-Z in her list of “talentless hacks.” Jay-Z may have many faults, but being talentless is not one of them.
You’re right Crusoe. Titan is more funky electronica. Take a listen to Come On Feel the Noise (not a remake of Quiet Riot) and Afila el Colmillo on the y tu mama tambien soundtrack.
Jay Z is a hack. Certainly we are not putting him in the same category as Tribe and Black Eyed Peas.
Let me guess. MeanOldLady, you’re about 20 years old? When I was about that age, I thought I was the last word on all things musical too.
Wow, he read my profile. Good job, Yookeroo.
IOW I was right.
Also must mention Ozomatli. Not completely hip hop, but they sure set the party on fire.
Reading a profile… that’s some great detective work there.