Work safe rap suggestions, please.

[Nzinga_Seated]

@DKW

I kinda liked Run DMC way back then, but they were never really that popular and it might be hard to find something good. You might want a recommendation. Salt 'n Pepa was wildly popular when I was a preteen, but I don’t think their sassy, hip tone is what they’re going for. (Plus they’re really hard to understand.)

What bizzaro universe were you raised in, that Run DMC weren’t very popular, but Salt 'n Pepa was “wildly popular”?

[myskepticsight]

@Klif

Check out some Jurassic Five. Amazing flow, and good music, too!

Seconded.

[Zabali_Clawbane]

You might try some of De La Soul’s songs, quite a few from their Three Feet High and Rising album are pretty tame. Also from what I’ve heard of Jamil Mustafa’s works, he’s non-violent and non-hating. The song on his profile is very solid, IMO. He’s on Itunes.

[Tapioca_Dextrin]

If you want to please the (much, much) older crowd, you can’t go wrong with Chaucer

And up they stirte, al dronken in this rage,
And forth they goon towardes that village
Of which the taverner hadde spoke biforn.
And many a grisly ooth thanne han they sworn,
And cristes blessed body al torente –
Deeth shal be deed, if that they may hym hente!

becomes

…When he’d said his piece
The rest agreed, and the three friends hit the streets
And went to seek their destiny and provoke a confrontation,
In a drunken rage hoping Death would come and face them.
Their intoxication made them sure of their purpose
And fed the infernal furnace of their courage,
A kernel nourished by these three murderous wretches in denial.

[msmith537]

If you are looking for some more contemporary artists (as in stuff they didn’t play at the High School Class of '91 prom), I would look at the following artists:

Kanye West
Wyclef Jean
Lupe Fiasco
Fugees
Gym Class Heros
Sean Kingston

For some older stuff, people already mentioned De La Soul, Arrested Development, Jurasic Five. I would throw in some Slick Rick, Nice & Smooth, A Tribe Called Quest and PM Dawn.

Most of this stuff is pretty unoffensive (compared to say, Ice Cube or Eminem), but you still want to review each song for language and content.

[jali]

I agree with mssmith - those are good choices that the kids will probably like.

The Walmart version of albums are cleaned up (I’ve heard).

[Viridiana]

How about Skee-lo (of “wish I was a little bit taller” fame)?

[Elendil_s_Heir]

I’ve always liked “No Diggity” by Black Street Productions, and “California Love” by Tupac Shakur and Dr. Dre.

[Least_Original_User_Name_Ever]

@Elendil's Heir

I’ve always liked “No Diggity” by Black Street Productions, and “California Love” by Tupac Shakur and Dr. Dre.

Off the top of my head, “bitches” is in that song.

[tds1273]

Lots of good suggestions here; I’d also add:

Blue Scholars
Busdriver
Del the funky homosapien/Deltron 3030
Dreamwarriors(early 90’s)
Gnarls Barkley
Haiku D’etat
K-OS
Mr. Lif
Nujabes
Ozomatli
Saul Williams
Ugly Ducklings

[Boyo_Jim]

Thanks, here’s what I’ve bought so far:
Mr. Wendal/ Arrested Development
Fight for Your Right/ Beastie Boys
Weapon of Choice/ Fatboy Slim
the breakthrough/ jamil mustafa
the drum/ jamil mustafa
Work It Out/ Jurassic 5
Here Comes the Hammer/ MC Hammer
Too Legit to Quit/ MC Hammer
U Can’t Touch This/ MC Hammer
Walk This Way/ Run-DMC
You Talk Too Much/ Run-DMC
Miami/ Will Smith
Switch/ Will Smith
Bust a Move/ Young M.C.
Fastest Rhyme/ Young M.C.

[Klif]

@Boyo Jim

Thanks, here’s what I’ve bought so far:
Mr. Wendal/ Arrested Development
Fight for Your Right/ Beastie Boys
Weapon of Choice/ Fatboy Slim
the breakthrough/ jamil mustafa
the drum/ jamil mustafa
Work It Out/ Jurassic 5
Here Comes the Hammer/ MC Hammer
Too Legit to Quit/ MC Hammer
U Can’t Touch This/ MC Hammer
Walk This Way/ Run-DMC
You Talk Too Much/ Run-DMC
Miami/ Will Smith
Switch/ Will Smith
Bust a Move/ Young M.C.
Fastest Rhyme/ Young M.C.

With a little rearranging, that’s a MIGHTY fine CD Listing!

[Klif]

…wait, Weapon of Choise? srsly?

Also, I’d like to second US3’s “Cantaloop (flip fantasia)”. And to anyone who doesn’t know that it samples (heavily!) another song, you should all be fans of Herbie Hancock (specifically in this case “Cantalope Man”)