Can someone point me in the direction of good rap acts?

[coloradodem2005]

Just curious. I have Run-DMC's greatest hits and Beastie Boy's License to Ill. Two Rage albums (Rap-rock). I also have Red Hot Chili Peppers: Blood Sugar Sex Magik.

[preciousdove]

1. Hey I like these MN guys but then they were in my sons wedding.

http://www.interlock.cc/heiru/content_heiru.html

[LastKnight]

2. do a google search for...

Zach de la rocha, he had a solo track release last march (free and legal download, somewhere, if i can only find it) relating to the war, i dont know the date for his album release though.

might wanna check out black eyed peas, not really rap, more a softer hip-hop with a political message of 'question everything' in thier single 'where is the love' one line specifically calls the cia terrorists i think. cant remember. other social commentary on society in general in that one song, i havent heard the whole album though.

public enemy is a pretty good group if your looking for some hardcore stuff, ive heard stuff on internet radio, some of it is political stuff, some not, but its all pretty hardcore and thier considered one of the best rap groups around.

-LK

[Red_Storm]

25. Zachs' joint ...........

www.marchofdeath.com


Waiting for his solo album, hopefully released before i'm a grandfather........

[DS1]

27. Their download is down, I've uploaded a copy to my server here

Thankfully this is public domain :bounce:

http://s91285765.onlinehome.us/misc/marchofdeath.mp3

Right/Alt Click and Save

[Jim Sagle]

3. Good luck!

[kanrok]

45. I'm with you

It's like looking for a "compassionate" conservative

[maggrwaggr]

4. you want dead ones or alive ones?

If you haven't heard NWA's Straight Outa Compton you haven't heard rap.

Funny angry shit!

[giantrobot_2000]

5. ...

Warning: I am a hip hop god.

Cannibal Ox - The Cold Vein (my personal favorite)
Nas - Illmatic (considered by many to be the greatest of all time)
Company Flow - Funcrusher Plus (seminal underground album)
Ice Cube - AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted (good early gangsta rap)
Dr. Dre - The Chronic (world famous)
Beastie Boys - Paul's Boutique, Check Your Head (both excellent)
The Coup - Steal This Album (you will love this if you are a leftist)
Public Enemy - Fear of a Black Planet (required listening)
Mos Def and Talib Kweli - Black Star
Rawkus Records' Soundbombing 2 (THE greatest compilation album ever put out but don't get the first or third, get the second it's the best)

Send me a private message if you want more recommendations.

[thesemodernsocks]

6. More.

Public Enemy-It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back
Pete Rock and CL Smooth-Mecca and the Soul Brother
De La Soul-3 Feet High and Rising
De La Soul-De La Soul is Dead
Afrika Bambaataa-Planet Rock-The Album
A Tribe Called Quest-Midnight Marauders
A Tribe Called Quest-The Low End Theory
Boogiemonsters-Riders of the Storm
Pharcyde-Bizarre Ride II the Pharcyde
Del the Funky Homosapien-No Need for Alarm
Showbiz and AG-Runaway Slave
OC-Word...Life
Poor Righteous Teachers-Pure Poverty
Big Daddy Kane-Long Live the Kane
Stetasonic-In Full Gear
Diamond D-Stunts, Blunts, and Hip-Hop
Boogie Down Productions-Criminal Minded
Boogie Down Productions-By All Means Necessary
Ultramagnetic MCs-Critical Beatdown
Aceyalone-A Book of Human Language
X-Clan-To the East, Blackwards
Black Sheep-A Wolf in Sheep's Clothing
Eric B and Rakim-Paid in Full
Gang Starr-Moment of Truth
Gang Starr-Daily Operation
Gang Starr-Step in the Arena
Raekwon-Only Built 4 Cuban Links
GZA/Genius-Liquid Swords

More recent stuff:

Non-Prophets-Hope
MF Doom as Viktor Vaughn-Vaudeville Villain
Aesop Rock-Labor Days
Dalek-From Filthy Tongue of Gods and Griots

[markses]

9. Yup - Agreed with this list and adding a few more

Good lists here. You'd be pretty safe in assuming that NAS's "Illmatic" is one of the best rap albums ever made.

You might also look at

1) Special Ed "Youngest In Charge" which includes such hits as "I Got it Made," "I'm the Magnificent" and "Think About It."

2) Lord Finesse "Funky Technician" and "Return of the Funky Man." - Truly great stuff.

3) EPMD "Strictly Business" and "Unfinished Business."

4) Mobb Deep, "The Infamous," which includes the brilliant "Shook Ones Pt. II," considered a classic of the East Coast Gangsta genre (Eminem gives the song props by featuring it in Eight Mile, and even using its beats and one of its lines in the the culminating battle).

5) Surprised nobody has mentioned A Tribe Called Quest, either "Low End Theory" or "People's Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm" - both absolutely brilliant albums, with the former able to compete with ANY album, in any genre, released in the last 20 years.

(PS - What gives the original poster the idea that the RHCP is hip hop?? Anyway...)

[thesemodernsocks]

35. Look again.

I mentioned The Low End Theory.

[Kamika]

7. eminems singles boxset

great thing

[INTELBYTES]

8. There are no good rap acts.

nt

[markses]

10. uuuhhhhh

uuuuhhhh

uuuhhhh

speechless

(Oh, yes. It's all a matter of "taste" I suppose - as if taste were innocent or empty of political and social content).

[Bertha Venation]

11. HR 231

The Stop Calling Rap "Music" Act

JMHO.

[markses]

12. HR 232

The Open Contempt for Ignorance Act

JMHO, of course.

[Bertha Venation]

15. Touche!

:) I admit I am ignorant of rap. It has never interested me in the least. That said, everyone who digs it: knock yourselves out & enjoy.

[prolesunited]

13. I'm not really a fan of rap

but check out Paris' Sonic Jihad. It puts rap in a political context.



http://www.guerrillafunk.com/paris/sonic_jihad/

Check out these lyrics. You can download the MP3 for this from the site link I posted.

Evil
They don’t mind you givin’ the latest rap
They don’t mind your being hoes
They don’t mind your being bitches
They don’t mind you being whatever image that Viacom and BET can come up with
But what they don’t want you to know...
Is that you’re the ones that can redefine civilization if you take time to do it

It’s a Guerrilla Funk-orchestrated counter-attack
Formulate and infiltrate ‘em so the people react
See if I was wicked I would pick and stick to a plan
To rule the world and trick ‘em, this is how it’d begin

See I’d have to find a way to keep the people enslaved
Behave, teach the babies it’s my way or the grave
And start with the body, workin’ labor for free
And give ‘em fake religion so they worshippin’ me

And see and when the free labor play out, I’d let it go
But only after I made enough to control
Then I’d tell ‘em that the Afterlife is better than this
And that they should love their enemies when faced with contempt

I’d persist with some history that I would rewrite
In a school system where I’d keep the money too tight
I’d let ‘em all know just where they belong in my world
Turn the boys into felons, makin’ hookers of girls

Swirled up in my plan, build jails to keep
All my prisons full of niggas, have ‘em workin’ for free
See with ghetto-economics in check, I’d keep ‘em broke
Teach ‘em only to respect sports, music and dope

Control the content of lyrics, now only the sound
Of sex, dope and murder in a song is allowed
Tell ‘em “Niggas ain’t shit” every move that they make
And that black is dirty so they never try to be great

Can you relate? I’d laugh, watch ‘em murder for scraps
Set it up so they’d die over crack I provide
Do it right, and I’d see they try to be like me
Try to be the biggest “G” up in these murderous streets

I’d teach, manhood means how many women ya fuck
How many babies you can make, responsibility ducked
Fuck a job, real men are pimps, that’s what I’d teach
And if bitches wanna trip, then them bitches get beat

I’d see it all through, never lose and pass a new law
Give ‘em 3 strikes so the men are constantly gone
Yeah, if I was evil they would think I do no wrong
See it’s lethal how I keep ‘em in their place so long, believe

Chorus:
I got my eyes upon you, and all the things that you do
Some close they eyes but mine can see, all the evil surroundin’ me
So what I’m ‘posed ta do, when I can see right through?
Expose the lies and snatch the sheets, fight the evil surroundin’ me

After all is said and done here and I could afford
I’d concentrate deeply on controllin’ abroad
And think about a way to take control of they land
I’d create a virus made to murder people en masse

Last time was Tuskegee, but now it’s for real
House Bill 15090 would just kill
With germs that would murder with sperm and blood drips
And kill ‘em all worser than burned, they’d die quick

See to understand, you could witness the plan
Through the green-monkey sham they would think it began
And while we argue over the cost, they’d all die
With generations all being lost with no fight

I’d continue with the pain, make it oh-so plain
I’d manipulate the market for my capital gain
Keep the people all broke and confused and underclass
Give my homies all executive bonuses through the crash

And if the heat get too hot, I’d plant a bomb
Or wreck a plane, just like Hitler back in the day
And scare all the people, they’d forget about me
They’d forget about elections and the way that we cheated

See me blame it on a foreigner and non-white men
Celebrate my gestapo with a positive spin
Then manipulate the media - it’s U.S. first
Get the stupid-ass public to agree with my words

Then I’d make the play, takin’ all their freedoms away
Incarcerate anybody that’ll get in my way
Make ‘em censor any media that challenge the mold
Give ‘em bullshitty shows just like Anna Nicole’s

Control the message in the music - it’s gangsta fo’ sho’
Give ‘em diamonds, never tell ‘em ‘bout the conflict zones
Never tell ‘em ‘bout the murder in Sierra Leone
Never tell ‘em how the diamonds make ‘em murder their own

It’s all too easy, if I was evil that’s how I’d rock it
Make sure that my propaganda won’t ever stop it
Got 120 channels, but it’s nothin’ to watch
Now 11:55 be the time on the clock, believe...

[ncrainbowgrrl]

37. I'm also not a rap person, but Paris' album rocks my world (more lyrics)

Sheep To The Slaughter


Easily I approach, the microphone, in this land of jokes
Can’t leave it alone, cause ya know, I could see right though
Corrupt plans and these bullsh*t scams and untruths
We livin' in a maze, different days and times
The world is a stage, most truth is a lie
In this propaganda matrix, the sheep just die
For these murderous conservatives with corporate ties
Deny knowledge of the truth, ignorin’ the poor
They just human ammunition for these capital wars
Just human ammunition and collateral d
That’s why millions of us holla risin’ up in the streets
And when ya see me understand I’m representin’ a voice
The majority would feel if ever given a choice
I don’t need this seedy media they only annoy
Cause the only ones that wanna scrap ain’t never deployed
Who do the fightin’ for these rich white folks, and they wars
No it ain’t Drew Carey, Dennis Miller or stars
Fox News, Mike Savage, Bruce Willis or Rush
Won’t be MSNBC, CNN or a Bush
Never Toby Keith, Hannity, O’Reilly or Clint
Ain’t ClearChannel - know they ain’t supportin’ dissent
Ain’t Blair, Kid Rock, or Tom Cruise or vows
Of James Woods, Rob Lowe, Tom Selleck or Powell
Not Arnold Schwarzenegger, he ain’t gonna shoot, or
Ted Nuget cause in war the targets got weapons too
Ain’t Cheney, Rumsfeld, Halliburton or Ridge
Or Ann Coulter, or Joseph Lieberman or the rich
Or any b*tch up in congress, they just make laws
When it comes to fightin’ - we the ones that end up in gauze
So when you say "support that murderer," I have no applause
Even if he got his jumpsuit on - we pay the cost

[Red_Storm]

14. Start with these ............

A few all time classics


2Pac - All Eyez On Me
2Pac - Me Against The World
Nas - Illmatic
A Tribe Called Quest - The Low End Theory
Dr Dre - The Chronic
Eric B & Rakim - Paid In Full
Public Enemy - It Takes A Nation Of Millions
KRS-One - Return Of The Boom Bap
Pete Rock & C.L. Smooth - Mecca and The Soul Brother

Great Recent Albums

The Roots - Things Fall Apart
Jurassic 5 - Power In Numbers
Reflection Eternal - Train Of Thought
Outkast - Speakerboxxx/The Love Below
Nas - God's Son

[KeepItReal]

16. Check these out...

Here's some selections from groups that do not hail from the East Coast...

Outkast - Pick an album...it's all good...especially their latest "Speakerboxx/The Love Below"

Geto Boys - "We Can't Be Stopped"

Tupac - "Greatest Hits"

Juvenile - "400 Degrees"

Mystikal - "Y'all Ain't Ready"

AMG - "B*tch Betta Have My Money" (if you like dancing and can get past the cussin, that is)

Interestingly, I noticed that none of the posters mentioned the Notorious B.I.G.'s "Life After Death". Y'all just forgot about that one right?

Cheers, y'all

[Red_Storm]

17. Damn ! .........Can't believe I left Biggie out........

Life After Death - A Classic, Essential


Im not a fan of Southern hip hop (especially crunk)


Some more recent albums full of great hip hop

Gang Starr - The Ownerz
Common - Electric Circus
Talib Kweli - Quality
50 Cent - Get Rich or Die Tryin

[KeepItReal]

18. Let me get specific for ya

If you're not big on groups from the Dirty Dirty... check out these specific tracks...

Geto Boys: "F*ck a War" - Bringin the real to BushDaddy
"Where's My Trophy" - Clowning the music biz
"Mind Playin Tricks on Me" - A CLASSIC

Juvenile: "400 Degrees"
"Back that Ass Up" - Club Classic

UGK: "One Day You're Here"

Cheers!

p.s. that Talib Kweli is tight!

[Red_Storm]

20. hold on...........

I don't think all of the dirty south is wack , I do like some of the stuff that Luda, Outkast, Mystikal, Lil' Wayne put out but i'm from NYC so ya know, i'm reppin east coast hip hop to the fullest!!!.....I heard that Geto boys song, it's hot , anyone bringin it to Bush got my support !

[Deja Q]

19. I'm partial to MC Hammer...

Up 'til 1993, most of it after that wasn't as good but he was probably bummed out after the backlash when he sold out. (which is sad as rap artists sell out today and don't get boycotted to death...)

[NightTrain]

21. Some personal favorites from the past 15 years or so

"Baby Got Back," Sir Mix-A-Lot
"Big Poppa," The Notorious B.I.G.
"Dear Mama," Tupac
"Doggy Dogg World," Snoop Doggy Dogg
"Dre Day," Dr. Dre
"Fuck The Police," NWA
"Gangsta's Paradise," Coolio
"Gin and Juice," Snoop Doggy Dogg
"How I Could Just Kill A Man," Cypress Hill
"The Humpty Dance," Digital Underground
"I Ain't Mad At Cha," Tupac
"If I Ruled the World," Nas
"It Was a Good Day," Ice Cube
"Jump Around," House of Pain
"Keep Ya Head Up," Tupac
"Killing Me Softly," The Fugees
"Mama Said Knock You Out," LL Cool J
"Me So Horny," 2 Live Crew
"Method Man," Wu Tang Clan
"Mind Playing Tricks on Me," The Geto Boys
"Missing You," Puff Daddy
"Murder Was the Case," Snoop Doggy Dogg
"My Homies," Ice-T
"My Hooptie," Sir Mix-A-Lot
"My Love (You're Never Gonna Get It)," En Vogue
"Nuthin' But a 'G' Thang," Dr. Dre
"O.P.P.," Naughty by Nature
"Pop Goes the Weasel," 3rd Bass
"Regulate," Warren G. and Nate Dogg
"Set Adrift On Memory Bliss," P.M. Dawn
"Shoop," Salt'n'Pepa
"Stay Real," EPMD
"Steady Mobbin'," Ice Cube
"Tennessee," Arrested Development

[Red_Storm]

22. great stuff

Can make some really hot mix cd's with all those songs !!!

[NightTrain]

23. "Hot mix CDs," you say?

Makin' up those bad boys is my specialty! Check out my Homemade CDs webpage some time:

http://home.comcast.net/~soulexpress4/cd.htm

[Red_Storm]

24. pretty cool ...

I love soul music...........I finally bought a good burner last year, a great investment..........

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

44. NT you need this disc!

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=105&topic_id=602807#607546

[CO Liberal]

26. Just Point AWAY From Eminem

He's useless. His 15 minutes of fame should have been up long ago.....

[Red_Storm]

28. I have to disagree........

the kid's got major league skills and I think he's going to be around for a while...........

[Kamika]

29. uhm

Can you say why? All his albums except the first one has been great

[Red_Storm]

31. uhm ........

his lyrics are tight
can freestyle against anyone
has good flow
producing skills coming along well


Anymore questions?


And all of his albums are solid not just the first one

[markses]

32. Eminem's lyrics and flow are fantastic

And I don't know anybody in hip hop who would disagree. The guy is good. Just a sample of one of his more popular efforts:

So what do you say to somebody you hate (what? )
Or anyone tryin to bring trouble your way?
Wanna resolve things in a bloodier way? (yup)
Then just study a tape of n.w.a.!
One day I was walkin by, wit a walkman on, when I caught a guy
Give me an awkward eye (what you lookin at? )
And strangled him off in the parkin lot, wit his karl kani
I don’t give a fuck if it’s dark or not
I’m harder than me tryin to park a dodge
When I’m drunk as fuck
Right next to a humungous truck in a two-car garage {*crunch*}
Hoppin out wit two broken legs, tryin to walk it off
"fuck you too bitch, call the cops!"
I’ma kill you and them loud ass motherfuckin barkin dogs
And when the cops came through
Me and dre stood next to a burnt down house
Wit a can full of gas and a hand full of matches
And still weren’t found out (right here)
From here on out it’s the chronic 2
Startin today and tomorrow’s the new
And I’m still loco enough
To choke you to death wit a charleston chew
Chuka Chuka Chuka
Slim shady - hotter then a set of twin babies
In a mercedes benz
wit the windows up
When the temp goes up
to the mid 80’s
Callin men ladies; sorry doc but I been crazy
There’s no way that you can save me
It’s okay, go with him hailey (da-da? )
-----snip---

Let's review: still loco enough to choke you to death with a charleston chew? The guy is friggin' sick as hell.

That said, there is a certain petulance to Eminem's delivery that - I dunno - lacks the nobility of a NAS or Rakim, and the smoothness of a Q-Tip. He's his own thing, to be sure, but it's a little off for me. Moreover, there are any number of African American rappers who are as good or better, but never get the marketing or exposure to do what Eminem has done. And Eminem freely admits this. He always points to the Elvis line, or an Elvis status.

At the end of the day, though, Eminem's shit is tight.

[corporatewhore]

39. i totally agree Like my rap like my punk

political angry and not on mtv

[Kamika]

40. I guess you like Eminem then

He's pretty politicly angry

[JanMichael]

30. The Coup with Boots Riley. Very Good Lefty Rap/Hip Hop.

OK, REALLY Leftist...I saw Boots at the "TellUs the Truth" http://www.billybragg.co.uk/news/news_story.php?id=34 concert in Tampa in November. He played with Tom Morello (RATM), Billy Bragg (Leftist Punk Folk singer), Jill Sobuele, Steve Earle, Mike Mills (REM) and Lester Chambers.

I'm not so much into hip hop/rap but I'll be getting one of the Coup CD's as soon as one of those fascist music sellers stock them:evilgrin:

http://www.thecoup.net/site/root.htm

http://www.theavclub.com/avclub3506/avfeature3506.html

[absyntheNsugar]

33. I always liked US3

But then again, I came of age in the late 80's/early 90's

[JanMichael]

34. kick

it?

:kick:

[jimbo fett]

36. "MC 900ft. Jesus." No, I'm not kidding. That's the real name.

More like experimental rap/jazz than what you'll hear on the radio.

[corporatewhore]

38. Dead Prez

any dead prez

[Capn Sunshine]

41. Check out TUPAC

he's unbelieveable. Sometimes thuggish, and this got him killed,but his political commentary is awesome.

[corporatewhore]

42. Oh yes tupac was great

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

43. Michael Franti and Spearhead's Stay Human is AWESOME!

Here are a couple samples..he has a new CD out too, Everybody deserves music!

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B00005BGUT/103-6195074-1968667?v=glance

[frylock]

46. some lesser played, yet talented camps would include..

Ultramagnetic MCs
Digible Planets
Dilated Peoples
Jurassic 5
The Roots
Jedi Mind Tricks
Mos Def
Del Tha Funkee Homosapien

Also, just about anything produced by Dan 'The Automator' Nakamura (see Handsome Boy Modeling School, Deltron 3030, Dr. Octagonecologyst...).

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

47. and Disposable Heroes of HipHopracy

[frylock]

48. ohhhh hell yes!!

can't believe I forgot them!

[jimbo fett]

51. Absolutely DHH. AND Consolidated.

[frylock]

49. oh yeah.. nearly forgot the wu..

ya gotta check out 'Enter the 36 Chambers'.

[corporatewhore]

50. Mos Def Public Enemy also