Blitz da ambassador: Dear Africa
Some classic french hiphop:Oxmo Puccino, NTM and Nas, Stomy Bugsy
Some classic french hiphop:Oxmo Puccino, NTM and Nas, Stomy Bugsy
Black Moon: Stay real
Love the smooth vibes on this. Works well in a strip club, or so I hear...
Whats your favourite wayne project?
Am I the only one who finds the juxtaposition of the words "commercial" and "hip hop" incredibly depressing? I'm not naive enough to think that hip hop artists weren't motivated by money in the 80's and early 90's, but the commercial side of it didn't seem as omnipresent in the actual music as it is today. Depresses the feck out of me. Still some great stuff to be found, though (Lupe's new album is a classic, imo).
There's a lot of great stuff to be found, more so than ever actually. People just think they have to be restricted by what top 40 and radio feeds them.
Dedication 2 was Lil Wayne's peak. He murdered every beat on that tape. The hottest rapper during that period, as Carter 2/3, and all his features showed.
I've always seen this thread as an awesome placeholder for all the turn-up/trap/club singles and albums that would be out of place in Hectic's thread, which places more emphasis on the pure quality of the lyrics and beats. There is a lot of great music being made on all ends of the spectrum, but music that caters to the lowest denominator (dumbed down content, glitz and violence) will always be more popular, it's how it's always been. Puffy's No Way Out hit 7,000,000 records sold within a few months; Illmatic didn't get to platinum until 2001, 7 years after it's release. Just the way of the world.
Hip Hop had to be dumbed down in order to get that mainstream appeal, which enabled record labels to invest more in Artistes which then made them dictate the way music was being produced and released, even in the 90s you had your fair share of Underground rappers and Mainstream rappers but it wasn't as apparent as it is now due to the fact that the radio was the primary source of music and if you didn't make it on the radio your appeal would be restricted to people in your borough/street/neighbourhood etc.
Commercial Hip Hop is the only type of Hip Hop every one can relate to , from the usual braggadocio to turn up music to general feel good music - every one relates to it, you hear it in the clubs and you dance, you listen to it during smoke sessions, in your car etc but then certain "hip hop heads" still criticise these songs for being simplistic and would boast of listening to complex artistes with wordplay etc forgetting that these commercial songs aren't meant to be complex, besides Hip Hop was originally feel good music, parts of it came from Calypso music which was Afro caribbean rhythmic music and "Kool Herc" laid out the blueprint for hip hop music and culture which was built upon jamaican tradition of impromptu toasting, boastful poetry and speech over music.... So when people say "Hip Hop is dead" in reference to the modern day commercial hip hop music they are actually contradicting themselves as this "turn up" music,dancing etc is the true essence of Hip Hop.
Jay z perfectly broke it down in the second verse of "Moment of Clarity" when he said
I dumb down for my audience
And double my dollars
They criticize me for it
Yet they all yell "Holla"
If skills sold
Truth be told
I'd probably be
Lyrically
Talib Kweli
Truthfully
I wanna rhyme like Common Sense
(But I did five Mil)
I ain't been rhyming like Common since
He has always been criticised for dumbing down his lyrics since Reasonable Doubt (classic), people criticise him for it but go to the clubs and sing along to his dumbed down songs e.g. "Holla", complex rhymes don't get you fat checks, you have to make people move, Reasonable Doubt wasn't really popular when it came out, people had to revisit it to appreciate it - infact it took Hov 3 albums to get to #1 on the charts and Vol 2 was when he began to make that mainstream transition with Hard Knock Life - funny thing is after Vol 2 was #1 on the charts every single album from Hov since then has gotten to #1..(13 - more #1 albums than every single musician ever.... had to throw this in as a stan
).I think this thread is worded perfectly - adding the "commercial" has enabled people to upload whatever they want as long as it is Hip Hop without being criticised - Young Thug,Drake,Wale,Kendrick,Kanye,Juicy J etc it really doesn't matter, if it was just the "hip hop thread" a lot of so called hip hop heads would act as watchdogs to criticise certain types of music which can be very annoying, in all honesty.
He was really the best rapper alive during that period, he was untouchable - killed every feature,hook and song ... those were the days
GOAT song
I think Lil Wayne was the last consensus great rapper to be honest, from 05-08 he was destroying things. I can't believe he's only 32 and it honestly hurts me to admit I have no interest in any new rap project he has to offer anymore. I've always been far more intrigued by how guys like Cam'Ron, Gucci Mane and Lil' Wayne put their words together as opposed to Nas, Jay-Z and Eminem.
Hopsin, not heard that name for a while. Looked out for him for a while but he never put a lot of new stuff out at the time and I just forgot about him.
Always expected that he'd eventually get a bit more of a buzz going. Has he put anything out recently or is he working on any new projects?
Jon Connor is another one. When I heard he'd signed with Dre I thought we'd hear a lot more of him but he's been relatively quiet.
He was supposed to retire to Australia but he said it was just a prank .. he was probably trying to get more buzz and see the reactions of people (i personally don't think anyone cared)....He has an album coming out this year though.
He is one of those rappers that are very skilled but beg for attention.
That song was my favorite from the album, but Fashawn - The Ecology absolutely exceeded my expectations, definitely album of year contender by end of year haha
Recommend me some good stuff please... preferably for drinking... no Lil Wayne though.
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Nice song. Still don't rate Big Sean as a really good rapper.
Sean album already seems old to me. Still playing that Drizzy tape.
Wayne's verse on Deep was good though, good to see.
Wayne's verse on Deep was good though, good to see.
Based on? bars,content,sales,projects?
Wayne should stick to guest verses, i don't trust him on his own anymore - he murders peoples songs though
I don't know what you've listened to already but i'll assume you're a casual listener of the newer stuff. Just some club bangers here...you've probably heard them all
ilovemakkonen: Tuesday
Rich gang: Flava
Rich Homie Quan: Walk thru
Tyga feat Young Thug: Pass the hookah
Bobby Shmurda: Hot nigga
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Not enough Jeezy and TI in this bitch
Jeezy: Holy Ghost
T.I feat Common: Goodlife
Jeezy: Holy Ghost
T.I feat Common: Goodlife
Thanks Lou, I appreciate it. Hard to find good stuff these days when I don't have a starting point. I've basically been listening to early 90's hip hop for the last two decades, with the occasional contemporary album whenever recommended by a friend.
I figured. I wouldn't say those are great songs, but they are party jumpers for sure and current. Here's a few more with more lyrical content. Just an assortment and not brand new but good. I don't know where to start because you've missed a lot haha. Have you listened to Kendrick Lamar? You might like him.
Schoolboy Q: Studio
Kendrick Lamar: Pussy and Patron. From one of his early mixtapes, its my fav track of his
J. Cole: Let Nas down- Nice ode to Nas from a young MC
Kenrick Lamar: I (love myself)
I would recommend Kendrick Lamar's 'Good kid Maad city' as a good starting point. Also J.Cole's 'Born sinner'.
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"Know Yourself" has a nasty wicked drop. Blast this in the club at your own risk.
Kanye West - All Day
Yeezus Christ.
Yeezus Christ.
Damn Kanye! Loved this performance
Imagine if this was the sound for Yeezus.
All Day sounds so stuuuuuuupid, god damn.
Yeah Lou, I love that Rich Homie shit.
Thats whats up
New album name and cover, why is he going into that shit again, he's become a fecking creepo, feck you Ye. In before thousand leaks of the CD.
its either going to be a modern classic or a trash album, with Ye there is no in between.
He hasn't made one trash album
Yeezus lover?
Yes sir
Fair enough