HIP HOP

From Billboards Hip Hop/R&B

I stopped at number 12. No point in beating a dead horse. We different standards of what filth is, and that's fine. Just don't try to pass this genre off as wholesome. And of course filth/raunch isn't limited to Hip Hop, its just far more prevalent in a higher percentage of songs.





I'll look for your link and listen to it.

Like I said, you CANNOT look at the hip hop billboards and expect to find good music up there (might be something decent up their every month or so). Honestly, I just looked at the top 50 and I don't know any of the songs up there because I don't listen to popular rap, mainly because it is BS.

I'll try to crank out half a dozen links in the next hour or so and we can critique some of the music. I'll try to post links to music that is child appropriate. Some of it will still have one or two curse words but the message of the lyrics will be way more meaningful than "Lollipop" by Lil Wayne. lol

And paistemage is right. A lot of the stuff on the top charts is basically hip hop music for the clubs. In my opinion, that was fine back in the early 2000's when Usher and Fifty cent were some of the only major rappers making popular club music. Now it's like, every new hip hop artist needs to come out with an album that can be played in the club.
People don't like having to look hard to find good music, I had to look for almost 6 months to find all of the conscious rappers that I listen to right now.
 
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Snare is totally right and backs my point.

I know eminem, he is popular, and RECOVERY is his best album, EVER.

Past that, those charts are foreign to me.

MfDoom isn't on them.
 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r5dk1P_638s This is "Thieves in the Night" by Mos Def and Talib Kweli.
It is about the true essence of black people, not what the outer appearance is.
Take note of the lines: "Not strong, only aggressive. Not free, only licensed. Not compassionate, only polite. Now who the nicest? Not good, but well behaved."
Also notice the jazz influence of the instrumental. Good music + thoughtful lyrics = superior rap music like this.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jWnUV_ZQ3go This is "Respiration" by Mos Def and Talib Kweli ft Common. It is describing what New York is like, how the people live, etc.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6bG2NaeGOwk This is "Definition" by Mos Def and Talib Kweli. This is just a lyrical treat for rap listeners. This is one of those "fast rapping songs". Please read the lyrics along with the song. Think of it as your sheet music to a difficult piece of music.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=32Qr5oKKP-M This is "Dear God 2.0" by The Roots ft Monsters of Folk.
There are no lyrics with this video but this one is slower so you can probably follow it without the lyrics. I advise you to watch the video while listening. This song is about A LOT of the evils of humanity right now and the evils of the music industry. Also notice that there is no cursing in this song.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GQNvKA0nL5Y This is "Ghetto Gospel" by Tupac. It samples Elton John's 1971 hit, "Indian Sunset". Tupac is pretty much begging for an end to street violence for the sake of the younger generation. He believes it is their fault that the current generation is so attracted to violence. The first verse is the most important. No cursing in this song either.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XjcNtJrgH00 This is "Conflict Diamonds" by Lupe Fiasco. It is about how when we buy jewelry (diamonds) we are fueling genocide and child labor in Africa. There are a lot of historical references to people like Cecil Rhodes. He was probably one of the cruelest men in history. He owned the De Beers diamond company when the Europeans got to South Africa in the 1850's. He used to tell his men to cut off the hands of whoever they shot, to show that they didn't waste any ammunition. A lot of times, they would just cut of the hands of innocent people (often children) because they wanted to fire off a few rounds. (Just a small history lesson). The only curse word is an "F-bomb".

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J7TRczgjvLs This is "Hip Hop Saved My Life" by Lupe Fiasco. Lupe Fiasco's two albums are a fictional story and in this song it describes how his main character made it out of the ghetto. 1 dropping of the "a" word as far as profanity goes.

This is all that I'm going to post for right now. Anyone is free to give their thoughts on these songs.
 
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Yeah mos def, either in black star or by himself is pretty amazing, I like the Eccentric album.

Tupac-What else can be said.

The roots- check the Album they did with John Legend.

Good examples of provocative stuff.
 
Yeah I always liked those Lupe fiasco songs.
 
Yeah mos def, either in black star or by himself is pretty amazing, I like the Eccentric album.

Tupac-What else can be said.

The roots- check the Album they did with John Legend.

Good examples of provocative stuff.

Thanks. I actually have an entire Youtube account dedicated to the best hip hop and amatuer drummers on Youtube. I feel like I'm responsible for promoting the genre. I was just arguing with someone on a classical music video about stereotyping hip hop. Suprisingly, everybody agreed.

I treat hip hop like I treat classical music.
The lyrics in hip hop = the notes and rhythms in classical music. If the rapper has to cuss every other word in all of his songs then he's a "grade 1 or 2" rapper. Rappers like Mos Def and Talib still cuss but they use a MASSIVE vocab, set of similes and metaphors, and abstract thought in their music. So they would have "grade 5 or 6" music. I think that's the best compare and contrast example that can use to describe it.
All the stuff on the top charts is grade 1 or 2 music that everyone can get.

Someone stated earlier that they don't see the appeal in rap. Well, I look for rap that requires me to analyze it. Lupe Fiasco uses historical references in a lot of his songs ("Hurt Me Soul" is my favorite). That appeals to me. If you guys liked the songs I just posted...well I have 100 more in my favorites list on my ipod and Youtube account. And I'd say about 1/4 of them are better or as good as the songs I posted. That's the appeal that I find in rap music.

Edit: I've been listening to that Roots and John Legend album since it came out. The "live in studio" versions of "Lil Ghetto Boy", "Hard Times" and "Can't Write Left Handed" are the best songs on the album as far as musicianship goes. You can find them on Youtube. Haven't seen anything like that since the 70's.
 
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Please back up your statements. I'm open to some examples you can provide.
I'll look for your link and listen to it.

There are links all over this thread, you may want to click on some of them.
 
Yeah quest has great snare tone. He is the epitomy of patience, and just rocks it , all the time.
 
The Roots, ATCQ, Blackalicious, Del The Funkee Homosapien, Jurassic 5, Sweat Shop Union, Typical Cats, Danger Doom, Cool Calm Pete, Surreal and the Sound Providers, People Under The Stairs, Aesop Rock.

These are all great rap artist with great beats!
 
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dangerdoom, doom and madlib, and mfdoom doing anything. the album madvilliany is awesome.
 
Oh yeah, this post is directed towards hip hop fans.
I wanted to help support a guy named Vinnie Dewayne. I'm serious, I am 100% POSITIVE that this guy has the potential to be a Lupe Fiasco or J Cole. Very talented, I thought he was a pro rapper when I first listened to these songs. He only has one mixtape but he is very talented.

Listen to these two songs:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vZxMm0feOT4 This one is called "Damn" (don't be turned off by the title. It's very "real")

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TjjJrAChzko&feature=related This song is called Stray Bullet.
He's 19 right now, and tell me how many people can rap like this at that age? He's doing it from the viewpoint of someone that has a lot of life experience.
The instrumental is classical music with violins and such, with a hip hop beat on the drums.

He's from Portland, Oregon. A good rapper out of that state is extremely rare (I don't know of any) but he could put them on the map in the underground.

Suprisingly, I have more views on my own channel with no uploads than he does with an entire mixtape. That's like some crazy talented drummer not being able to find an audience to play for. The people that do listen to him will support him but he'll be wasted talent. If you are familiar with hip hop, support this guy, or take a listen to his mixtape.

Edit: This is the intro to the mixtape. Nice beat. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MraxQaKC2Aw
 
@ snare Not bad at all, the strings on that "Stray Bullet" joint are nice.

You familiar with the Money Making Jam Boys at all?
 
Yessssirrrrr. Black Thought, Dice Raw, STS, P.O.R.N, and Truck North. The link below should give you a healthy amount of material.

The Toca Tuesday freestyle is absurd.

http://nahright.com/news/index.php?s=money+making+jam+boys

Holy crap, my ears are blowing up (in the good way)! Most of those guys were in the "How I Got Over" album. All of them are killing it. And uhhh...could you tell me which order they are rapping in? lol I'm only familar with Black Thought and Dice Raw. Haven't listened to enough of the others.

Edit: *bows down to Black Thought* Damn. That last verse was craaazzzy.
 
I believe its Black Thought, then Truck North, P.O.R.N, STS (who is my favorite young'n right now), and then Black again. I don't think I heard Dice at all, then again he may have been doing the beat on it.

Seriously though, cop that The Prestige mixtape, it's full of bangers man.
 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r5dk1P_638s This is "Thieves in the Night" by Mos Def and Talib Kweli.

-> Rhythm section was decent. Not so much the lyrics.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jWnUV_ZQ3go This is "Respiration" by Mos Def and Talib Kweli ft Common.

-> Downer song, language, music is unchanging; it goes nowhere.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6bG2NaeGOwk This is "Definition" by Mos Def and Talib Kweli.

-> Again with the language!! Not a song I want my daughter to hear.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=32Qr5oKKP-M This is "Dear God 2.0" by The Roots ft Monsters of Folk.

-> Instrumentation had a nice groove. Don't agree with his perception of events.


-> Too much wallowing in despair. I find the use of 'Ghetto Gospel' peculiar. Gospel means the Good News (of Jesus Christ). What good news is there about the ghetto?


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XjcNtJrgH00 This is "Conflict Diamonds" by Lupe Fiasco.

-> I'll give credit for subject matter. Too much: "yeah", "uh-huh", "know what I'm sayin" and the like. Also a bit of cursing.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J7TRczgjvLs This is "Hip Hop Saved My Life" by Lupe Fiasco.

Hurt Me Soul -> I'll give credit for the subject matter, but I don't agree with his assessment on world events.

Game Theory -> Too much thug for me.

I've listened to all your links and a good portion of the names that were dropped by others in this thread. Yes, there are some songs that don't have cursing and a couple were OK, but overall there is still an issue with the language used.

The subject matter doesn't help either. This genre is made for a certain population. I don't believe that population is served well by listening to the messages presented in these songs. There's a primary current of victim hood that's presupposed in the genre. That leads to a string of life complaints but no solutions. Social conscientiousness songs are fine, but I prefer those that aren't downers.
 
Well..yes an no. I can't stomach a lot of the urban secular stuff, but I rather like artists like Lecrae, Tedashi, Trip Lee..I guess these artists would be urban style rap moreso.

I do like playing me some break beats though.. Get behind the message or not.. These boyz are takin it to the streets baby!!!

Lecrae ~ Don't waste your life..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7RWEllqh5J0&feature=related
 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hum_5TUhAOs

Now that is music. Great sound, great percussion section, great drummer, great brass section. Stage performance and stage presence. No one grabbed their crotch or took off their shirt. You could understand the lyrics. If you weren't tapping your feet or doing the chair dance then you have no soul or rhythm. Let's see, we need a band for the prom. Ummm, Earth wind and Fire, or Fitty Cent, or maybe, Biggy Smalls, or maybe Eminem. Let me get back to you. As if.

So your saying the best type of music is music that would be fit for prom?

Anyway, many of the more popular rappers of today bring a lot of energy on stage and are a stage presence. People wouldn't go to see eminem in concert if all they did was watch him stand there and rap.

It's one thing to dislike hip hop but it's another thing to say it's not music. Just because hip hop is different from other genres of music doesn't mean it's not music. That's just being narrow minded.
 
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