The Hip-Hop Thread

I've been spinning To Pimp a Butterfly repeatedly this week. Not only does it stand well to the test of time, I think I like it even more now.
 
Who Knows Why
The reasons we live and the reasons we die
You can't figure this one, so why try
God help my soul as I testify
And I won't lie

 
So, since @The Flash has spoken so highly of it, I not only tried out Lamar's To Pimp a Butterfly, but I actually listened to it about five times by now, so as to give it a proper chance. And - surprise, surprise - I really like it. I could live without stuff like For Free? (Interlude) myself, but in general it was a very satisfying experience that has only grown upon me during the repeated listens. I don't really even mind that he's so heavy with his subjects.

However - and I might have already said this - just as with Outkast, I have a hard time accepting this as "hip hop". That is, both this album and the Antlanta duo are not something I would instantly recommend to a hip hop fan and I am often in the mood for these even if I'm not in the mood for hip hop in general (which, honestly, I'm not that often). I don't know what I want to say with this, but thanks for the recommendation! :ok:
 
Kendrick is generally well liked among hardcore Hip Hop fans. The only real criticism I've seen is that there's too much Funk/R&B influence. I can see that if you're more into more raw and aggressive beats, which Kendrick showed he could do with the followup EP, but Hip Hop as a whole has been moving away from that this decade. So it's similar to saying that the only "real" Metal came out in the 80s. The style is evolving. I think TPAB will go on to be a landmark Hip Hop album.

I've been going back to the classics myself. Finally got around to Wu Tang Clan 36 Chambers, as well as several of the Wu Tang solo projects. The group chemistry in Wu Tang is great, they all complement each other excellently. I also dig how cinematic these albums are.

I've also been impressed with A Tribe Called Quest. Love Hip Hop with a heavy Jazz influence. Probably the best produced classic Hip Hop album I've heard so far, the only other that comes close is The Chronic by Dre. Also great chemistry within that group.

Finally, listened to Notorious BIG's first album last night. Really good stuff. I love BIG's flow and, like Wu Tang, he is great at creating a cinematic experience with his music. Check out The What for some Hip Hop with great flow.
 
Mosh said:
Finally, listened to Notorious BIG's first album last night. Really good stuff. I love BIG's flow and, like Wu Tang, he is great at creating a cinematic experience with his music. Check out The What for some Hip Hop with great flow.
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I second that. His debut was really amazing. The second is not that good, though, IMHO. Too long and ... bloated in general.

Mosh said:
I've been going back to the classics myself. Finally got around to Wu Tang Clan 36 Chambers, as well as several of the Wu Tang solo projects. The group chemistry in Wu Tang is great, they all complement each other excellently. I also dig how cinematic these albums are.
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Wu-Tang seem to be probably the hip hop artist with the biggest crossover appeal for some reason, with the possible exception of Beastie Boys. Good for them, at least the debut and the first batch of solo records are awesome.
 
Heard the new Kendrick Lamar. Started off great but faltered as it went on. "DNA" and "Pride" are the standout tracks. Nowhere near as good as Good Kid Maad City or To Pimp a Butterfly, sadly.
 
Yea it meanders a bit. Gave me the exact opposite feeling as TPAB. Where TPAB started off really strong with Wesley's Theory and then managed to continue to build up from there, Damn peaks with DNA and it's all downhill after. Doesn't feel like he's innovating on this album as much as he was on his past projects. Also I'm sure there's a concept in there but I miss the in-your-face themes.

It is even more stripped down than Untitled Unmastered and not quite as interesting. Musically it's probably the least interesting album he's made. At the same time, I can't fault him for moving on from the funk/r&b/jazz sound that dominated the last two projects.

On the plus side, Kendrick is still one of today's best rappers (if not the best) and he has some great verses on here. The lack of features and the more stripped down beats give him more prominence.

Also loved Rihanna's appearance. I like her in general but thought disliked her last album, so that was something of a redeeming moment for me.

Edit: The fourth album is tough. I felt the same way about The Mountain going into Affinity by Haken. When you've created a masterpiece it's really hard to follow it up. A lot of artists really strike gold on their 3rd or 4th album and then almost inevitably disappoint afterwards. Maiden had the same problem with Seventh Son, even though that was further into their career. They spent 8 years building up to that moment, where do you go from there?

I thought Kendrick had the right idea by doing an EP of "leftovers" hot off the heels of TPAB. It continues the momentum and also softens the blow of having to followup such a gargantuan album. Damn feels more like another sidestep rather than the true followup to TPAB. Maybe he has something more ambitious in the works? I was surprised at how quickly he came out with another album considering how long TPAB took.
 
I've decided (and the YT rap critics had some part in this decision) to improve my hip-hop/rap knowledge. I don't know how much time will I be able to invest in it, but this is still a very huge world and I've barely scratched the surface.

The stuff I'm familiar with so far: I know Eminem by heart, I know my Beastie Boys, Wu-Tang (incl. some of the solo records, though there was way too much of that in general, TBH), Outkast, Kendrick Lamar, Public Enemy, Dre's Chronic, Snoop, N.W.A. (mainly still with Ice Cube), Biggie, I believe I heard some 2pac (Eyes and World) and I certainly heard something by Nas, Nelly and 50 Cent. The rest I don't remember at all and would have to probably listen to again.

So, @The Flash , @Mosh , anyone, please feel free to throw recommendations at me, I'm interested what you would consider "essential knowledge" :) I don't really want to get into Kanye West yet (he's way too big a dick for me, sorry) and I would like to avoid possibly famous, but stupid rappers like 2 Chainz, Tyga and Daddy Yankee (well, maybe they're not stupid, but my first impression wasn't that great). Also, I realise there are many "essential" artists (meaning they might have played an important part in the genre's history) who ... are really not that essential in general, like Coolio and MC Hammer, so I guess I won't be listening to those in the foreseeable future.

I definitely want to check out this one

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Grand_Don't_Come_for_Free

Supposedly it's a hip-hop opera done in the "rock opera" style, that is, various characters etc. It has good reviews too.

Other stuff I'm inclined to go through would be Pharoahe Monch, A Tribe Called Quest, Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five, Lecrae, Pharcyde, Logic, Wiz Khalifa, Busta Rhymes and Lube Fiasco. And Xzibit, because I really liked the instrumental version of Paparazzi :D
 
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I'm no hiphop expert and haven't heard many of the classics myself. Looking at your list, you probably heard more of them than I did, actually.

A Tribe Called Quest, A Tribe Called Quest, A Tribe Called Quest. That's my recommendation for you. People's Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm and The Low End Theory, especially.
 
Okay, thanks! What album's the best to start with? Or alternatively, your favourite?

EDIT: Okay, I've seen your edit. :D Thanks :)
 
The Flash said:
I'm no hiphop expert and haven't heard many of the classics myself. Looking at your list, you probably heard more of them than I did, actually.

A Tribe Called Quest, A Tribe Called Quest, A Tribe Called Quest. That's my recommendation for you. People's Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm and The Low End Theory, especially.
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This word for word.

Other than that, Kendrick Lamar, Anderson Paak, Clipping, Run the Jewels
 
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