The Best... Rap!

[killerzzz]

What?

Someone had to. ;D

I'll give my input later.

Killerzzz

[Lews]

You mean The Not Worst Rap. The best does not exist.

I'd have to think for a long time about what isn't completely terrible and awful. It's a tough question.

[Elliot Kane]

Well, I wondered if anyone would... and I knew it wouldn't be me! ;D

One of very few types of music I have absolutely no interest in...

[The Sonar Chicken]

I dunno. I've scoured a lot of rap groups/rappers looking for something that doesn't send me reeling. Either I haven't looked hard enough or I probably like those who blend rap into their music 'cos I find a lot of American rap is all about technicality so I prefer a compromise.

I mean: I've listened to stuff like Wutang, Kanye West, 50 cents and a truckload of old school and non-old school.

These are the ones I like: Black Eyed Peas. Or those rap tracks that Nujabes does. Or whenever Regina Spektor starts reeling off into rap. Alicia Keys and possibly 1 to 2 others.

[Cat]

I like anything with Auto Tune

Kanye West, T.I, T-Pain, 50 cent, The Game, Snoop Dogg

It's all good summer music ^_^

[Elliot Kane]

The first time I ever ran across Rap, it was totally new and I quite liked it from that POV. It was different. That would be this guy, who I still have a soft spot for, today.

Smiley Culture

Long vanished, AFAIK.

[killerzzz]

Ok, here I go.

Gonna have to agree with Black Eyed Peas. Try Pump It, it's a good song, catchy with a lot of stuff going on. Silly music video tho >_> .

Not sure about the rapper, but I enjoyed Dub Pistols' Six Million Ways To Live. Interesting feel.

Eminem. Surprisingly different because BAM, many of his songs have a point to them. What do you know? ;D I mean, in rap? Anyhow, also catchy, and I gotta respect how he can go from the "gangsta rap" to the mature rap to the comedy rap. Listen to all of Just Lose It which is hilarious, starring Eminem's comedy persona: Slim Shady. Or if you want an actual good and touching rap, here's When I'm Gone.

Handlebars by Flobots is a great song. Not sure about other rap from this one, but this song is enough to make the list.

Gorillaz. I like some of their stuff. Usually pretty older-school sounding, I think. Not even sure if they're considered rap, but close enough for comfort. Feel Good Inc. is nice and trippy. ;D

Gym Class Heroes have very lively and catchy beats. Clothes Off is a good example of that.

Stutter by Joe is very stylish, playing on the name with the singing style. I like this version better except for the little verse from the featured rapper in the middle. -_-

I would include Kanye West, but his songs start to sound so much alike that I'm getting tired of them slowly.

K-Os. Their stuff is nice and jazzy rap. Crabbuckit and Man I Used To Be are nice and catchy.

MC Hammer (aka Young MC): everyone's heard his stuff. Best known for Can't Touch This, I prefer Bust A Move.

I like this sad song by Ne-Yo, soft rap, So Sick.

P.O.D. has songs you've probably heard around. I like their Youth Of The Nation. Good and depressing, just how I like it.

2pac. I surprised myself by actually having alot of his music. I didn't even know I was a 2pac fan. ;D Changes.

Oh Yeah! The Kansas City Shuffle from Lucky Number Sleven! Jazzy again!

And here comes a list of single songs from groups/singers that I enjoy for no good reason. : P
Children's Song by Trick Daddy (touching), Be In Tokyo by Teriyaki Boyz (catchy), Einstein and Breathe by Tech Nine (weird/catchy), Space Jam by... the movie? (catchy), Umbrella by Rhianna (catchy)
No I... by Raghav (soft/catchy), Hey Ya by Outkast (party!), I Against I by Mos Def and Massive Attack (catchy), Runaway Love by Ludacris (touching), Dance With The Devil by Immortal Technique (sad story), Gangstar's Paradise by Coolio (?), etc.

Don't worry about that bottom list, just the above stuff.

Killerzzz

[The Sonar Chicken]

This btw seems pretty cool:

Complain Neighbour by Tippa Irie
www.youtube.com/watch?v=HVgOez607UA

Damn... listening to him now on myspace... think I recall him from black eyed peas and he's pretty cool. ;D

Apr 27, 2009 21:53:38 GMT Elliot Kane said:

The first time I ever ran across Rap, it was totally new and I quite liked it from that POV. It was different. That would be this guy, who I still have a soft spot for, today.

Smiley Culture

Long vanished, AFAIK.

That sounds kinda cool. Too bad the song got cut off.

Ooh found a fanpage for him on myspace. Oh wait, he has access to it, too! Quick, EK, ask him what he's doing now. ;D

www.myspace.com/smileyculturefans

[Elliot Kane]

Dunno... My tolerance for Rap is a lot lower, these days ;D

[mysterd]

This is gonna be a discussion and a half for me, since I grew up pretty much on hip-hop.
I'll do a few now, maybe some more later.

Nas -- One of the best lyricists of all time. Illmatic is probably my favorite LP of all time. Short, clocking in at around 39 minutes -- but, it's pure no bullcrap and no filler; with very few guest appearances (AZ raps with Nas on one track and Q-Tip only does ONE chorus hook) -- unlike most of Nas's other LP's. Easily, Illmatic is Nas's best work. "Memory Lane (Sittin' In Da Park)" is one of the best rap songs I've ever heard with flawless production from DJ Premier and incredible storytelling from Nas. Nas has been known for having complex rhyme schemes and great storytelling abilities -- which is obvious that he has been influenced by MC's such as Slick Rick and Rakim. As a lyricist, sometimes he's hard to figure out completely, as he might take multiple listens -- and there might be hidden messages in there, if you look just closely enough. He had an incredible feud with Jay-Z and lyrically slaughtered him (Ether) -- and has even done songs with him after that feud (Black President, Success). Nas has touched on subjects such as how hip-hop has been watered down in the years especially in the mainstream channel of rap music (Hip Hop Is Dead -- the song and the entire album), took on Fox News for its propaganda (Sly Fox), took on illegal downloading (Testify), crushed 50 Cent in a subliminal diss (Queens Get The Money), alluded to existence of other species existing (We're Not Alone), and other things.

Eminem -- Em is one of the best -- especially when it comes to the wordplay. The cadence; the flow; multiple syllables in a rhyme scheme; internal rhyming; switching flows up with different styles, tones, and speeds. Em has rapped about all kinds of topics -- from incest (Insane), to bullying (Brain Damage), drugs (Drug Ballad), to his mother (probably in too many songs to count -- Cleaning Out My Closet, My Mom, etc etc), celebrities (We Made You, The Real Slim Shady), death (Good Die Young with D12), his ex-girlfriends (Bagpipes from Baghdad, Kim, Bonnie and Clyde 99) his albums getting re-reviewed by Internet web-sites (Careful What You Wish For), and so on. I would say Marshall Mathers LP is his best work, so far. Obviously, Em's Slim Shady character has been influenced by Redman -- just that Em will take it sometimes to serious levels that Red never seems to often take it to with his other personas (Dr. Trevis and Funk Doc persona).

Redman -- I think he's the most consistent MC in the rap game today. He's often laced with the funk of Erick Sermon's beats or Rockwilder's beats -- and runs with those best. Red comes up with more punchlines and has more with in him than you can shake a stick at -- and he often some off-the-wall stuff, too. I would say "Whut? Thee Album" and "Muddy Waters" are his best LP's.

Wu-Tang Clan - Arguably, the best huge super-group of rappers ever comprised. You have ODB's insanity and wildness (RIP) -- which often reminded me of a more experimental Busta Rhymes; GZA/Genius's incredible storytelling and complex rhyme schemes; Method Man's wittiness and personality; Raekwon's storytelling ability; Ghostface's often surreal-laced rhymes; and of course RZA's incredible production and off-the-wall kung-fu flick samples; Inspectah Deck and Masta Killa's technical lyricism; and U-God's rough voice and blunt delivery. In "36 Chambers", they all sound extremely hungry and are battling often in their rhymes -- often, with each other (which they actually were when creating this album, for who gets mic time on a song and who doesn't). "Enter The 36 Chambers" is their best LP as a group, if you ask me. For their best solo LP's, I'd say it'd have to be between Raekwon's cinematic "Only Built For Cuban Linx", GZA's "Liquid Swords", and Method Man's "Tical."

[kilgoretrout]

The only rapper I will ever listen to. Immortal Technique. The best , political , social , and some of it heartbreaking.

[Lews]

I [Censored]ing hate Auto-Tune with a passion.

Lupe Fiasco is very, very good.

Public Enemy is good.

Jay-Z and Eminem are okay.

Beastie Boys are entertaining!

[mysterd]

Jun 29, 2009 5:12:33 GMT Lews said:

I [Censored]ing hate Auto-Tune with a passion.

I think the over-usage of it is what is really drivin' me crazy.

It drives me crazy when people who can actually sing -- such as Mariah Carey (see Obsessed) and T-Pain -- use it when there's really no clear need to.

Also drives me nuts when people who can't sing try to sing too much with the auto-tune and use it too much even when they decide to rap in the song, as well -- see Kanye West and Lil' Wayne.

Lupe Fiasco is very, very good.

Agreed 100%.

Food & Liquor and The Cool were very good.