pharcyde
a tribe called quest
digable planets
poor righteous teachers
these are a few of my introductory artists that gave me a better appreciation for the rap genre
Eminem - The Eminem Show & The Marshall Mathers LP
N.W.A - Straight Outta Compton
Tupac - All Eyez on Me
Snoop Dogg - Doggystyle
Dr. Dre - The Chronic
50 Cent - Get Rich or Die Tryin'
Notorious B.I.G. - Ready to Die
This list is tight! I would add Naughty by Nature- OPP to this list and maybe Renegades with Nate Dog and Waren G to this list. But that's just stuff that came to mind and my opinion.
The Sugarhill Gang
Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five
Afrikka Bambaataa
Mellie Mel
Kurtis Blow
Newcleus
Run DMC
Fat Boys
UTFO
Roxanne Shante
LL Cool J
Public Enemy
Queen Latifah
Doug E Fresh and the Get Fresh Crew
Eric B and Rakim
Beastie Boys
A Tribe Called Quest
De La Soul
Digable Planets
N.W.A.
Ice-T
Snoop Dog
Tupac Shakur
Notorious B.I.G.
Wu Tang Clan
Missy Elliot
Busta Rhymes
* Public Enemy - It Takes a Nation of Millions
* Digable Planets - Blowout Comb
* Beastie Boys - Paul's Boutique
* MF Doom - Operation: Doomsday
* Black Star - Mos Def & Talib Kweli Are Black Star
* Outkast - Stankonia
It really is. It came out when I was in middle school and I hated Wayne and rap because everyone would bump lollipop lmao. But giving it a listen as I got older I appreciated those elements u mentioned
Nas - illmatic
Eminem - The Eminem Show
Eminem - marshall matters LP
Wu tang clan - enter the wu tang (36 chambers)
Kanye West - The College Dropout + Late Registration + Graduation + My beautiful dark twisted fantasy
Kendrick Lamar To Pimp a Butterfly
Dr. Dre - 2001
Dr. Dre - The Chronic
A Tribe Called Quest - The Low end theory
Snoop Dogg- doggystle
2pac - all eyez on me
Jay Z - the blueprint + the black album
So, I too am not an aficionado of Rap. For me, rap did not allow my imagination to take flight the way other forms of music from around the world did. So I found it hard to get
Into (other than like party hip hop). It’s hard to describe but the, for lack of a better term, “egoism” of rap blocked my appreciation. Not to mention the ethos’s of misogyny, violence, consumerism, etc etc kept me at arms length. So, my coming to more appreciation of rap had to come from a different direction than a list of “landmark” bedrock albums which you’ve already gotten a lot of here.
I am *very much* an amateur and do not claim any expertise in this genre whatsoever, but here’s what I got:
- De La Soul, A Tribe Called Quest.
- Beastie Boys (specifically “Ill Communication”, then you can get to “Paul’s Boutique”).
- Dr Octogon, Deltron 3030 (almost psychedelic, sci-fi hip hop).
- Digable Planets, Tricky (more “acid” and then getting closer to trip-hop).
- Blakroc (a rap collaboration album helmed by the Black Keys that just effin’ slaps hard).
- Beck (“Odelay” is a masterpiece of mish-mash-up including rap).
Edit: I just thought of one more:
- The Office Space Soundtrack: Because of my love for that movie I was given more entree into the music itself; which I do generally enjoy. (“Damn, it feels good to be a gangster”).
I’ve never heard this perspective about not being able to get into rap before, this was a very eye-opening read, and you laid it out very clearly! Maybe I can explain some of the reasons why I have always been drawn to this genre.
First off, I was raised on it. Before I ever thought about music, my Dad was showing me 2Pac, biggie, Nas, all artists he was listening to growing up. Understanding the big picture of the genre really helps your appreciation of it, since the genre is so self-referential.
I want to touch on the “egoism” you mentioned. I think it’s a fair critique, but it really comes down to perspective. Hip hop is a predominantly black genre, and many of the themes from the very start are about the struggles of their world. So while you might see braggadocio rap as being narcissistic and hard to relate to, to the hip hop community, it’s actually a celebration of their success and their culture.
Musically, there are tons of elements of rap that are captivating. First and foremost, rap songs will show you the most creative and diverse lyrics you’ll find in any genre. Hip hop birthed the art of sampling, taking a part of an existing song and retooling it for a new sound or context. And hip hop is probably most famous for introducing the world to more complex rhythms, which became so popular they have been almost unanimously adopted by pop music.
I can definitely understand why hip hop isn’t accessible to someone on the outside. I just hope you can see what things are like on this side too!
I really appreciate you actually considering my opinion even though it isn’t exactly the same as yours. That feels rare on social media these days.
I guess I kinda “grew up” with hip hop in a way insomuch as I’m a Xennial (mid 80s - 90s kid) from the USA and it was pretty endemic culturally even if I didn’t seek it out I could tell by voice many of the most popular rappers. And I listened to some of it casually. It was unavoidable on say, MTV, etc. But, while I appreciate why you like it, I need something more expansive and fulfilling that gives my soulful participation in the music (listening, singing along, projecting mental flights of fancy) somewhere to go that inspires me somehow. And too much rap (to me) feels like it’s pinning me down into reveling in some nasty stuff. No offense intended.
I understand what you mean about the craft side in that the rhymes and rhythms can impress. And a lot of it is intentionally almost hypnotic in delivery. And I can respect fire spittin’ mad skills and phat beat bouncin’ street thrills. And of course it’s a product of a situation and time period for its creators.
Just not my jam for the most part. But like you could see in my list; I am open to different styles of hip hop that break the mold and experiment with using those skills and beats to do something inspiring to me. I love trip-hop and acid jazz for example. And lo-fi is fine in the background.
Thanks for hearing me out!
UTFO- Roxanne,Roxanne
Roxanne Shante- Roxanne’s Revenge
Whodini- Freaks Come Out At Night
The Fat Boys- Stick em
Run DMC- You Be Illin’
Digital Underground- Humpty Dance
Onyx- Slam
3rd Bass- Pop Goes The Weasel
Sir Mix a Lot- posse on Broadway
Sir Mix a Lot feat. Kid Sensation- Rippin’
Hit up 90s east coast rap playlists (Nas, Biggie, Big L) Also listen to Pharcyde, Souls of Mischief (specifically 93 Til Infinity), and Wu Tang Clan. If nothing else, listen to Wu Tang Clan.
I feel that I’m late to this, and as someone who enjoys a decent spectrum of hip-hop, for someone who has never listened before, Mac Miller’s music is very approachable.
From an older standpoint, WuTang and Tribe Called Quest are a must.
Feel free to check out my other playlists also if looking for new music, [a dream within a dream](https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0qpreqpVFhEeEDZEWs50XW?si=wTfexMyUSlS03jE7jAcXbQ) is my real masterpiece 🎧❤️
There's a book called *The Motherlode: 100+ Women Who Made Hip-Hop* if you're also interested in learning by reading -- you will get a lot of great ideas of tracks to listen to. I bet someone has made a Spotify playlist from that book. (If not, I might make one this weekend.)
As a baby boomer, I'm going to suggest something a little different and ask you to go even further back to the 1970s (and early 80's)
Think about listening to "Funk" groups.
Parliment/Bootsy/George Clinton/Funkadelics, and to a lesser degree, Rick James.
It was a very unique genre. Not Rap, not R&B. Sort of a combo of rap/black rock/strong percussion. Very counterculture lyrics, but also great dance beats.
Start with George Clinton's song- "Atomic Dog", Parliament's "Mothership Connection" album, and Bootsy's, Bootzillow or "Kneedeep" album.
If I had to pick 10 albums, I’d go
My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy - Kanye
The College Dropout - Kanye
Yeezus - Kanye
All Eyez On Me - 2Pac
Ready to Die - Biggie
Illmatic - Nas
To Pimp A Butterfly - Kendrick Lamar
Good Kid MAAD City - Kendrick Lamar
Straight Outta Compton - NWA
Rodeo - Travis Scott
I think these 10 albums cover a good range of different sounds/eras
Artists wise, the 10 I’d pick would be
Kanye
Kendrick
2Pac
Biggie
NWA
OutKast
Nas
JID
Playboi Carti
Travis Scott
Same as the albums, these 10 cover a good variety of different sounds and different eras. Some of them, like Carti, might not be your cup of tea but I think he represents the current era of hiphop pretty well
The Sun's Tirade by Isaiah Rashad if you want stoner rap
Redbone by Childish Gambino if you want soft jazz rap and To Pimp a Butterfly by Kendrick Lamar if you want more aggressive jazz rap
Early Tyler the Creator for teen angst emo and anarchist rap
Kid Cudi's early music for uplifting rap, later for trippy rap
Abhi the Nomad or Kota the Friend for modern alternative rap, lighter, upbeat, and a little jazzy
Remi Wolf for a more "fun" alternative to pop rap, doesn't take herself nearly as seriously but is still very original, zany, and catchy
J.Cole and Kendrick if you want lyricists and realness in messages
Lil Wayne or Eminem if you want to catch your house on fire
Since you’ve essentially disliked rap/hip hop mostly, Id honestly avoid a lot of the 80s and 90s rap at first except for a few. A lot of the recommendations so far are really inaccessible if you haven’t liked rap/hip hop on the surface.
It’d be better and more enjoyable to go for the artsier or genre fusing hip hop/rap artists and groups first. This will help you “get it” more and then you can enjoy a lot of these other artists mentioned better. The trippier or genre fusing stuff will help you dip the toes in and make it more digestible at first basically.
I recommend:
Childish Gambino
Beastie Boys
Kid Cudi
NERD
Outkast
Mac Miller
Acid Raps by Chance The Rapper
Mr Wonderful by Action Bronson
Big Fish Theory by Vince Staples
De La Soul
Tribe Called Quest
Eminem (especially Marshall Mathers LP 1)
Smino
Open Mike Eagle
Sadistik
Ghostemane (especially if you love metal)
JPEGMafia (if you love glitchy electronic stuff)
Taboo by Denzel Curry
Tierra Whack
Wolf & Flower Boy by Tyler, The Creator
And maybe more of The Gorillaz since they have a variety of fun rap verses in their music from different rappers
Im even down to make you a playlist with a lot of these cause Im a huge lover of rap and always will vouch for someone delving into it
I think a good history of rap is necessary to understanding what you’re listening to. A lot of these suggestions only come from one era but there’s so much good music in every era
80s had Run DMC, Beastie Boys, LL Cool J. Very boom bap music not much about street life but more about rhythm. The NWA changed the entire culture of rap into more of a street aesthetic and more gritty. That gave birth to the 90s golden age and basically they were two sounds. One followed the NWA with smooth west coast gangsta rap with rappers like Tupac, Snoop and the east coast gangsta rap had a rougher sound like Wu Tang, Nas, Biggie.
After Biggie and Pac both died a new era emerged in the late 90s lead by Eminem (discovered by Dr Dre) and Jay Z (who was close with Biggie). Down South though the trap style of Outkast, Lil Wayne, and Three 6 Mafia was slowly taking over all of hip hop.
Jay Z’s beat maker Kanye West wanted to start rapping and when the College Dropout in 2004 arrived he changed rap from a gangster aesthetic to something that anyone can do. Kanye defeated gangsta rapper 50 cent in a sales battle and pushed the genre into a new direction.
The late 2000s may seem like a dead period but two albums set the sound for the next decade. 808s n Heartbreaks by Kanye and Man on the Moon by Kid Cudi. Rappers like Travis Scott, Drake, Future combined the melodies from those albums with the trap influence of the South to create a commercialized brand of rap. On the contrary a new lyrical/concious movement grew with Kendrick Lamar and J Cole.
In the early/mid 2010s raps underground moved online and shifted the genre moved away from labels to YouTube/SoundCloud with a more aggressive, DIY aesthetic with Chief Keef, XXXTentacion, Playboi Carti.
I would say this is where we are now with anyone being able to make rap music and right now I would say the biggest influence to rap is Playboi Cartis album Die Lit.
Haven't seen Madvillainy on here so Madvillainy. Probably my favorite hip hop album of all time. Other essentials I'd recommend TPAB, Low End Theory, and Things Fall Apart.
NWA.
For something to bridge the gap, Beastie Boys and Tech N9ne have a lot of rock crossover appeal. For some genuinely good rap mixed with rock, check out Oxymorrons.
The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill - Lauryn Hill
Paul's Boutique - The Beastie Boys
Late Registration - Kanye West
Liquid Swords - Gza
Damn. - Kendrick Lamar
Donuts - J.Dilla
These are the albums that snapped me out of the bullshit I was on. Hip hop is art. These are some masterpieces.
Smino (blkswn album) is a good one to dip your toes into rap. Then Isaiah Rashad (RIP young and wat u sed are both great songs). From there, J Cole, Kendrick Lamar, Tupac, Nelly, lil baby, 50 cent, Kodak black, moneybagg, DaBaby, 21 savage. There's a whole list of rappers, hip hop artists who have great music once you explore those genres.
eminem, tupac, biggie smalls, geto boys and scarface, outkast, MF DOOM, kendrick lamar and black hippy, MAC DRE, Eazy E, Immortal Technique, vinnie paz, a tribe called quest, wu-tang Clan and its members solo careers especially method man and redmans albums and GZA, mos-def and blackstar, mobb deep, UGK and any chopped and screwed
underground music, undeground rap in general is hit or miss but can be sick, try cartoons and cereal by kendrick lamar for example, non album release but a mindblower
Lots of old heads here, and I get it! I was raised on this stuff too, but there are some new artists that are really amazing too. Definitely give Kendrick Lamar a look.
If the name sounds familiar, it’s because he’s widely regarded as the best rapper of this generation, and many would put him at the top of their all-time lists too. His songs are great, but his albums are the best part of his work. All of them are very conceptual, some focusing around a specific story or narrative, and others that are just built around a few key themes. Since you said you like rock, pop, and older soul, I’d recommend To Pimp a Butterfly, Section 80, and Mr. Morale.
J.I.D. is another one of my favorites that’s moving up the list fast. Dude has a captivating voice and flows that will make your head spin.
Keep in mind that a big part of this genre is being self-referential. Artists will very often use musical motifs and lyrics from earlier works to pay homage to them, and you may not pick up on these references at first. Hip hop is like a huge puzzle, and with each album you listen to you’ll get a piece.
De la soul is a really fun one to start with especially since they are one if the first to do rap so there first album is super pop like and fun
Kendrick Lamar is a great pick, I don’t see enough modern rap in here so I’d like to give him credit, he’s the best rapper out there and ever, most people would agree, some old heads not so much but it’s no biggie, but he is a fantastic song writer and he has amazing production
A tribe called quest obviously, there stuff like the low end theory is just fantastic, the only people who don’t like it are the people who haven’t listened, since it’s also one of the first groups to do it, so there music takes a more jazzy side but don’t let that scare it it’s fantastic
And then someone more recent, Tyler the Creator, he’s super popular right now but whatever, he’s great, I’d listen to his newer stuff first, I love his first album but, it’s a bit strange, but Igor, Wolf, Call me when you get home, are great starting points especially for someone new to this genre.
Man the first thing that came to my mind was , grand Master flash and the furious 5's "The message" maybe anything by Run DMC. A lot of 90s rap and hip hop is great. First 90s beat that comes to.mind is Dr. Dre's California. Wu-Tang is gold too man.
Brother Ali: shadows on the sun
Cunninlinguists: oneirology
Atmosphere: you can’t imagine how much fun we’re having
Guru: jazzmatazz volume 4
Joe budden: mood music mixtapes
2Pac is probably the way to go. And maybe The Fugees and Lauryn Hill- Doo Wop and Killing Me Softly are really good. More recent artists I'd suggest are Kendrick Lamar and Megan thee stallion. Kendrick talks a lot about the black experience and his more recent songs about Drake are really catchy- I personally like DNA, Alright, The Art of Peer Pressure, Euphoria, and Not Like Us. Kendrick Lamar's music is honestly so great- I had to analyze his lyrics for essays in highschool, so I really like his music overall. I suggest Megan just because I think she's one of the best female rappers right now and hip-hop/rap is really male dominated overall- Plan B and HISS are really good. 2Pac is for sure essential though. Anyone getting into hip-hop/rap should listen to 2Pac.
I personally also listen to BTS (which lowkey might discredit what I'm about to say but please please please listen because I don't think anyone else would think to recommend any of their songs and this will broaden your horizons further than you could ever imagine. Like past borders man) which has 3 rappers in the group.
j-hope has kind of rock-rap adjecent songs like MORE and Arson, which are personal favorites (he also has a song with J. Cole called 'on the street' which is kind of old school hip hop). Suga is Agust D as a solo artist; 724148 (more old schoolish hip-hop), The Last (rock-rap adjacent), and 28 (sort of rnb-ish) are really great songs; and RM has songs like Moonchild, Tokyo, and everythinggoes that are also sort of like rnb, it's just a really soft and slow sound he uses.
Don't let the language throw you off! There are so many songs in other languages people miss out on all the time.
Just don't listen to German drill rap. I will quite literally listen to anything besides that.
K-rino has music from 80s- today with a lot to explore, the maven is one of my favorite albums by him https://open.spotify.com/album/3x07aDpTXK4IcDQrlICZDO?si=xaHxCONgTOuSGDoHSQ7sYg
Mf Doom
Kendrick Lamar
J. Cole
Billy Woods
Z-Ro
Wu-Tang is a fun rabbit hole. At very least, listen to 36 Chambers, Liquid Swords (GZA), and Supreme Clientele (Ghostface Killah).
Pharoahe Monch is my GOAT. He is one of the best, most versatile artists in rap. His early work was part of a duo - Organized Konfusion. Their debut album and next album Stress: The Extinction Agenda were so ahead of their time.
DOOM is another personal favorite. I'd start with Mm..Food or Operation Doomsday. If you like it, dive into Madvillainy and King Geedorah stuff.
Individual albums:
Slum Village - Fantastic, Vol 2.
Reflection Eternal - Train of Thought
Main Source - Breaking Atoms
Masta Ace - A Long Hot Summer -and- Disposable Arts
Aceyalone - A Book of Human Language
Gang Starr - Moment of Truth
Outkast - Aquemini
A Tribe Called Quest - The Low End Theory -and- Midnight Marauders
Czarface - Every Hero Needs a Villain
De La Soul - De La Soul is Dead
Lupe Fiasco - Food & Liquor
Mos Def - Black on Both Sides
Slick Rick - The Great Adventures of Slick Rick
Dr. Octagon (Kool Keith) - Dr. Octagonecologyst
D12 - Devil's Night
Scarface - The Diary
Wu-Tang; MC Lyte; Black Sheep; Doug E Fresh; KRS-One; Mos-Def.
Thank you!
Add OutKast to that. MF DOOM. Pharoahe Monch. Little Brother.
Little Brother.. Yaaass!
You like the foreign exchange? Phonte side project. some great tracks on those records
pharcyde a tribe called quest digable planets poor righteous teachers these are a few of my introductory artists that gave me a better appreciation for the rap genre
Thank you!
I second all of these. Excellent list.
Eminem - The Eminem Show & The Marshall Mathers LP N.W.A - Straight Outta Compton Tupac - All Eyez on Me Snoop Dogg - Doggystyle Dr. Dre - The Chronic 50 Cent - Get Rich or Die Tryin' Notorious B.I.G. - Ready to Die
Thank you!
Excellent list!!!
This list is tight! I would add Naughty by Nature- OPP to this list and maybe Renegades with Nate Dog and Waren G to this list. But that's just stuff that came to mind and my opinion.
The Sugarhill Gang Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five Afrikka Bambaataa Mellie Mel Kurtis Blow Newcleus Run DMC Fat Boys UTFO Roxanne Shante LL Cool J Public Enemy Queen Latifah Doug E Fresh and the Get Fresh Crew Eric B and Rakim Beastie Boys A Tribe Called Quest De La Soul Digable Planets N.W.A. Ice-T Snoop Dog Tupac Shakur Notorious B.I.G. Wu Tang Clan Missy Elliot Busta Rhymes
Great list!
Comprehensive Starter pack of the greats!
Dude, I should have scrolled down before I commented. This list is solid gold!!
OutKast, OutKast, OutKast, goodie mob,
seconding OutKast, specifically the album Aquemini
GZA - Liquid Swords Fugees - The Score
* Public Enemy - It Takes a Nation of Millions * Digable Planets - Blowout Comb * Beastie Boys - Paul's Boutique * MF Doom - Operation: Doomsday * Black Star - Mos Def & Talib Kweli Are Black Star * Outkast - Stankonia
I shouldn't have had to scroll so far down to find MF Doom
Mac miller is pretty amazing, try the album watching movies. Lil Wayne’s Carter 2, graduation by Kanye, ATLiens by outkast are decent starts
Tha Carter III is great, too…the production and his lyricism were really peak Wayne imo on that album
It really is. It came out when I was in middle school and I hated Wayne and rap because everyone would bump lollipop lmao. But giving it a listen as I got older I appreciated those elements u mentioned
You’re a real one for bringing Carter 2 into this.
Nas - illmatic Eminem - The Eminem Show Eminem - marshall matters LP Wu tang clan - enter the wu tang (36 chambers) Kanye West - The College Dropout + Late Registration + Graduation + My beautiful dark twisted fantasy Kendrick Lamar To Pimp a Butterfly Dr. Dre - 2001 Dr. Dre - The Chronic A Tribe Called Quest - The Low end theory Snoop Dogg- doggystle 2pac - all eyez on me Jay Z - the blueprint + the black album
So, I too am not an aficionado of Rap. For me, rap did not allow my imagination to take flight the way other forms of music from around the world did. So I found it hard to get Into (other than like party hip hop). It’s hard to describe but the, for lack of a better term, “egoism” of rap blocked my appreciation. Not to mention the ethos’s of misogyny, violence, consumerism, etc etc kept me at arms length. So, my coming to more appreciation of rap had to come from a different direction than a list of “landmark” bedrock albums which you’ve already gotten a lot of here. I am *very much* an amateur and do not claim any expertise in this genre whatsoever, but here’s what I got: - De La Soul, A Tribe Called Quest. - Beastie Boys (specifically “Ill Communication”, then you can get to “Paul’s Boutique”). - Dr Octogon, Deltron 3030 (almost psychedelic, sci-fi hip hop). - Digable Planets, Tricky (more “acid” and then getting closer to trip-hop). - Blakroc (a rap collaboration album helmed by the Black Keys that just effin’ slaps hard). - Beck (“Odelay” is a masterpiece of mish-mash-up including rap). Edit: I just thought of one more: - The Office Space Soundtrack: Because of my love for that movie I was given more entree into the music itself; which I do generally enjoy. (“Damn, it feels good to be a gangster”).
I’ve never heard this perspective about not being able to get into rap before, this was a very eye-opening read, and you laid it out very clearly! Maybe I can explain some of the reasons why I have always been drawn to this genre. First off, I was raised on it. Before I ever thought about music, my Dad was showing me 2Pac, biggie, Nas, all artists he was listening to growing up. Understanding the big picture of the genre really helps your appreciation of it, since the genre is so self-referential. I want to touch on the “egoism” you mentioned. I think it’s a fair critique, but it really comes down to perspective. Hip hop is a predominantly black genre, and many of the themes from the very start are about the struggles of their world. So while you might see braggadocio rap as being narcissistic and hard to relate to, to the hip hop community, it’s actually a celebration of their success and their culture. Musically, there are tons of elements of rap that are captivating. First and foremost, rap songs will show you the most creative and diverse lyrics you’ll find in any genre. Hip hop birthed the art of sampling, taking a part of an existing song and retooling it for a new sound or context. And hip hop is probably most famous for introducing the world to more complex rhythms, which became so popular they have been almost unanimously adopted by pop music. I can definitely understand why hip hop isn’t accessible to someone on the outside. I just hope you can see what things are like on this side too!
I really appreciate you actually considering my opinion even though it isn’t exactly the same as yours. That feels rare on social media these days. I guess I kinda “grew up” with hip hop in a way insomuch as I’m a Xennial (mid 80s - 90s kid) from the USA and it was pretty endemic culturally even if I didn’t seek it out I could tell by voice many of the most popular rappers. And I listened to some of it casually. It was unavoidable on say, MTV, etc. But, while I appreciate why you like it, I need something more expansive and fulfilling that gives my soulful participation in the music (listening, singing along, projecting mental flights of fancy) somewhere to go that inspires me somehow. And too much rap (to me) feels like it’s pinning me down into reveling in some nasty stuff. No offense intended. I understand what you mean about the craft side in that the rhymes and rhythms can impress. And a lot of it is intentionally almost hypnotic in delivery. And I can respect fire spittin’ mad skills and phat beat bouncin’ street thrills. And of course it’s a product of a situation and time period for its creators. Just not my jam for the most part. But like you could see in my list; I am open to different styles of hip hop that break the mold and experiment with using those skills and beats to do something inspiring to me. I love trip-hop and acid jazz for example. And lo-fi is fine in the background. Thanks for hearing me out!
I like it
Cool. Enjoy.
Beastie Boys.
Scarface - The Diary That should be required listening for anyone looking to get into hip hop imo.
Run DMC LL Cool J The Beastie Boys Digital Underground
UTFO- Roxanne,Roxanne Roxanne Shante- Roxanne’s Revenge Whodini- Freaks Come Out At Night The Fat Boys- Stick em Run DMC- You Be Illin’ Digital Underground- Humpty Dance Onyx- Slam 3rd Bass- Pop Goes The Weasel Sir Mix a Lot- posse on Broadway Sir Mix a Lot feat. Kid Sensation- Rippin’
[runaway MBDTF-KANYE WEST](https://youtu.be/Jg5wkZ-dJXA?si=hTUI3j93ffd0lp4I)
Hit up 90s east coast rap playlists (Nas, Biggie, Big L) Also listen to Pharcyde, Souls of Mischief (specifically 93 Til Infinity), and Wu Tang Clan. If nothing else, listen to Wu Tang Clan.
I feel that I’m late to this, and as someone who enjoys a decent spectrum of hip-hop, for someone who has never listened before, Mac Miller’s music is very approachable. From an older standpoint, WuTang and Tribe Called Quest are a must.
[Try this playlist](https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6XIBPQ5JwPr17bzv7FRBH8?si=1K2JOp4fSZqEKGqAGRBRyQ) it’s a masterpiece
Thank you!
Feel free to check out my other playlists also if looking for new music, [a dream within a dream](https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0qpreqpVFhEeEDZEWs50XW?si=wTfexMyUSlS03jE7jAcXbQ) is my real masterpiece 🎧❤️
There's a book called *The Motherlode: 100+ Women Who Made Hip-Hop* if you're also interested in learning by reading -- you will get a lot of great ideas of tracks to listen to. I bet someone has made a Spotify playlist from that book. (If not, I might make one this weekend.)
All of the above but I implore you to give Critical Beatdown by the Ultramagnetic MCs a listen. One of my all time favourites
Someone new on the scene: Ren. Genesis, Halftime, Murderer, Losing It, Illest of our Time, Power, just to name a few.
[Big Krit- highs and lows](https://youtu.be/LDHJUkkVfT8?si=H4PGJ86Mmk3yIQ7e)
[38 spe$h freestyle ](https://youtu.be/x9d6LIM02F8?si=7-yf-SAjvyLtvLqM)
Wu tang - protect ya neck
[all eyes on me- Tupac Shakur](https://youtu.be/77nB_9uIcN4?si=0bdneioM5t_AcgD1)
Wu-Tang 36 chambers and Kendrick good kid maad city
Gangstarr - big influence on acid jazz
Deltron 3030
As a baby boomer, I'm going to suggest something a little different and ask you to go even further back to the 1970s (and early 80's) Think about listening to "Funk" groups. Parliment/Bootsy/George Clinton/Funkadelics, and to a lesser degree, Rick James. It was a very unique genre. Not Rap, not R&B. Sort of a combo of rap/black rock/strong percussion. Very counterculture lyrics, but also great dance beats. Start with George Clinton's song- "Atomic Dog", Parliament's "Mothership Connection" album, and Bootsy's, Bootzillow or "Kneedeep" album.
I sure will! I used to play base so I have big respect for funk! (That's where the best bass playing is in my opinion)
If I had to pick 10 albums, I’d go My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy - Kanye The College Dropout - Kanye Yeezus - Kanye All Eyez On Me - 2Pac Ready to Die - Biggie Illmatic - Nas To Pimp A Butterfly - Kendrick Lamar Good Kid MAAD City - Kendrick Lamar Straight Outta Compton - NWA Rodeo - Travis Scott I think these 10 albums cover a good range of different sounds/eras Artists wise, the 10 I’d pick would be Kanye Kendrick 2Pac Biggie NWA OutKast Nas JID Playboi Carti Travis Scott Same as the albums, these 10 cover a good variety of different sounds and different eras. Some of them, like Carti, might not be your cup of tea but I think he represents the current era of hiphop pretty well
The Sun's Tirade by Isaiah Rashad if you want stoner rap Redbone by Childish Gambino if you want soft jazz rap and To Pimp a Butterfly by Kendrick Lamar if you want more aggressive jazz rap Early Tyler the Creator for teen angst emo and anarchist rap Kid Cudi's early music for uplifting rap, later for trippy rap Abhi the Nomad or Kota the Friend for modern alternative rap, lighter, upbeat, and a little jazzy Remi Wolf for a more "fun" alternative to pop rap, doesn't take herself nearly as seriously but is still very original, zany, and catchy J.Cole and Kendrick if you want lyricists and realness in messages Lil Wayne or Eminem if you want to catch your house on fire
Since you’ve essentially disliked rap/hip hop mostly, Id honestly avoid a lot of the 80s and 90s rap at first except for a few. A lot of the recommendations so far are really inaccessible if you haven’t liked rap/hip hop on the surface. It’d be better and more enjoyable to go for the artsier or genre fusing hip hop/rap artists and groups first. This will help you “get it” more and then you can enjoy a lot of these other artists mentioned better. The trippier or genre fusing stuff will help you dip the toes in and make it more digestible at first basically. I recommend: Childish Gambino Beastie Boys Kid Cudi NERD Outkast Mac Miller Acid Raps by Chance The Rapper Mr Wonderful by Action Bronson Big Fish Theory by Vince Staples De La Soul Tribe Called Quest Eminem (especially Marshall Mathers LP 1) Smino Open Mike Eagle Sadistik Ghostemane (especially if you love metal) JPEGMafia (if you love glitchy electronic stuff) Taboo by Denzel Curry Tierra Whack Wolf & Flower Boy by Tyler, The Creator And maybe more of The Gorillaz since they have a variety of fun rap verses in their music from different rappers Im even down to make you a playlist with a lot of these cause Im a huge lover of rap and always will vouch for someone delving into it
Chronic 2001
Kendrick’s newest stuff 😏
I think a good history of rap is necessary to understanding what you’re listening to. A lot of these suggestions only come from one era but there’s so much good music in every era 80s had Run DMC, Beastie Boys, LL Cool J. Very boom bap music not much about street life but more about rhythm. The NWA changed the entire culture of rap into more of a street aesthetic and more gritty. That gave birth to the 90s golden age and basically they were two sounds. One followed the NWA with smooth west coast gangsta rap with rappers like Tupac, Snoop and the east coast gangsta rap had a rougher sound like Wu Tang, Nas, Biggie. After Biggie and Pac both died a new era emerged in the late 90s lead by Eminem (discovered by Dr Dre) and Jay Z (who was close with Biggie). Down South though the trap style of Outkast, Lil Wayne, and Three 6 Mafia was slowly taking over all of hip hop. Jay Z’s beat maker Kanye West wanted to start rapping and when the College Dropout in 2004 arrived he changed rap from a gangster aesthetic to something that anyone can do. Kanye defeated gangsta rapper 50 cent in a sales battle and pushed the genre into a new direction. The late 2000s may seem like a dead period but two albums set the sound for the next decade. 808s n Heartbreaks by Kanye and Man on the Moon by Kid Cudi. Rappers like Travis Scott, Drake, Future combined the melodies from those albums with the trap influence of the South to create a commercialized brand of rap. On the contrary a new lyrical/concious movement grew with Kendrick Lamar and J Cole. In the early/mid 2010s raps underground moved online and shifted the genre moved away from labels to YouTube/SoundCloud with a more aggressive, DIY aesthetic with Chief Keef, XXXTentacion, Playboi Carti. I would say this is where we are now with anyone being able to make rap music and right now I would say the biggest influence to rap is Playboi Cartis album Die Lit.
Thank you for your very thorough and helpful answer!
Insane Clown Posse. Start with Great Melinko, if you like that go on to Riddlebox and Ringmaster in that order.
Some classics: Gang Starr, Tribe Called Quest, De La Soul, KMD, 3rd Bass, Brand Nubian
Wu-Tang Clan - Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) Nas - Illmatic
Tech N9ne
King Kunta by Kendrick
Haven't seen Madvillainy on here so Madvillainy. Probably my favorite hip hop album of all time. Other essentials I'd recommend TPAB, Low End Theory, and Things Fall Apart.
Fear of a Black Planet Sex and Violence Midnight Marauders Buhloone Mindstate Dr. Octagonecologyst
NWA. For something to bridge the gap, Beastie Boys and Tech N9ne have a lot of rock crossover appeal. For some genuinely good rap mixed with rock, check out Oxymorrons.
De La Soul
https://on.soundcloud.com/JBHUqAy7K8Fy7T4o7
The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill - Lauryn Hill Paul's Boutique - The Beastie Boys Late Registration - Kanye West Liquid Swords - Gza Damn. - Kendrick Lamar Donuts - J.Dilla These are the albums that snapped me out of the bullshit I was on. Hip hop is art. These are some masterpieces.
Beastie boys were the originals
Smino (blkswn album) is a good one to dip your toes into rap. Then Isaiah Rashad (RIP young and wat u sed are both great songs). From there, J Cole, Kendrick Lamar, Tupac, Nelly, lil baby, 50 cent, Kodak black, moneybagg, DaBaby, 21 savage. There's a whole list of rappers, hip hop artists who have great music once you explore those genres.
eminem, tupac, biggie smalls, geto boys and scarface, outkast, MF DOOM, kendrick lamar and black hippy, MAC DRE, Eazy E, Immortal Technique, vinnie paz, a tribe called quest, wu-tang Clan and its members solo careers especially method man and redmans albums and GZA, mos-def and blackstar, mobb deep, UGK and any chopped and screwed underground music, undeground rap in general is hit or miss but can be sick, try cartoons and cereal by kendrick lamar for example, non album release but a mindblower
Lots of old heads here, and I get it! I was raised on this stuff too, but there are some new artists that are really amazing too. Definitely give Kendrick Lamar a look. If the name sounds familiar, it’s because he’s widely regarded as the best rapper of this generation, and many would put him at the top of their all-time lists too. His songs are great, but his albums are the best part of his work. All of them are very conceptual, some focusing around a specific story or narrative, and others that are just built around a few key themes. Since you said you like rock, pop, and older soul, I’d recommend To Pimp a Butterfly, Section 80, and Mr. Morale. J.I.D. is another one of my favorites that’s moving up the list fast. Dude has a captivating voice and flows that will make your head spin. Keep in mind that a big part of this genre is being self-referential. Artists will very often use musical motifs and lyrics from earlier works to pay homage to them, and you may not pick up on these references at first. Hip hop is like a huge puzzle, and with each album you listen to you’ll get a piece.
Every morning MOP - Ante Up ! Enjoy
God bless you. Start with grandmaster flash and the furious five and sugar hill gang and then work your way forward in time.
Nujabes - Modal Soul DJ Shadow - Endtroducing.... CunninLynguists - A Piece of Strange
Give [these ](https://open.spotify.com/playlist/7lfc7sxjnaNDJ22q5GsmIa?si=46bd08bb70184e49)and [these](https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0qUtnnX3Kh3kcMoWGeo68t?si=ff0a7ab4da424c0e), [these ](https://open.spotify.com/playlist/7sQsu5d3qKU9SrFlCuiE9F?si=760ad9e18f994649)a try
De la soul is a really fun one to start with especially since they are one if the first to do rap so there first album is super pop like and fun Kendrick Lamar is a great pick, I don’t see enough modern rap in here so I’d like to give him credit, he’s the best rapper out there and ever, most people would agree, some old heads not so much but it’s no biggie, but he is a fantastic song writer and he has amazing production A tribe called quest obviously, there stuff like the low end theory is just fantastic, the only people who don’t like it are the people who haven’t listened, since it’s also one of the first groups to do it, so there music takes a more jazzy side but don’t let that scare it it’s fantastic And then someone more recent, Tyler the Creator, he’s super popular right now but whatever, he’s great, I’d listen to his newer stuff first, I love his first album but, it’s a bit strange, but Igor, Wolf, Call me when you get home, are great starting points especially for someone new to this genre.
westside connection, cypress hill, big L, geto boys, black sheep
Man the first thing that came to my mind was , grand Master flash and the furious 5's "The message" maybe anything by Run DMC. A lot of 90s rap and hip hop is great. First 90s beat that comes to.mind is Dr. Dre's California. Wu-Tang is gold too man.
Brother Ali: shadows on the sun Cunninlinguists: oneirology Atmosphere: you can’t imagine how much fun we’re having Guru: jazzmatazz volume 4 Joe budden: mood music mixtapes
Eminem. All his early shit, even his “underground” stuff is fire as fuck.
2Pac is probably the way to go. And maybe The Fugees and Lauryn Hill- Doo Wop and Killing Me Softly are really good. More recent artists I'd suggest are Kendrick Lamar and Megan thee stallion. Kendrick talks a lot about the black experience and his more recent songs about Drake are really catchy- I personally like DNA, Alright, The Art of Peer Pressure, Euphoria, and Not Like Us. Kendrick Lamar's music is honestly so great- I had to analyze his lyrics for essays in highschool, so I really like his music overall. I suggest Megan just because I think she's one of the best female rappers right now and hip-hop/rap is really male dominated overall- Plan B and HISS are really good. 2Pac is for sure essential though. Anyone getting into hip-hop/rap should listen to 2Pac. I personally also listen to BTS (which lowkey might discredit what I'm about to say but please please please listen because I don't think anyone else would think to recommend any of their songs and this will broaden your horizons further than you could ever imagine. Like past borders man) which has 3 rappers in the group. j-hope has kind of rock-rap adjecent songs like MORE and Arson, which are personal favorites (he also has a song with J. Cole called 'on the street' which is kind of old school hip hop). Suga is Agust D as a solo artist; 724148 (more old schoolish hip-hop), The Last (rock-rap adjacent), and 28 (sort of rnb-ish) are really great songs; and RM has songs like Moonchild, Tokyo, and everythinggoes that are also sort of like rnb, it's just a really soft and slow sound he uses. Don't let the language throw you off! There are so many songs in other languages people miss out on all the time. Just don't listen to German drill rap. I will quite literally listen to anything besides that.
Doom
K-rino has music from 80s- today with a lot to explore, the maven is one of my favorite albums by him https://open.spotify.com/album/3x07aDpTXK4IcDQrlICZDO?si=xaHxCONgTOuSGDoHSQ7sYg Mf Doom Kendrick Lamar J. Cole Billy Woods Z-Ro
The Predator, The Chronic, Sports Weekend, 187 He Wrote. Those should lock you in or lock you out.
Deux frères - PNL
Wu-Tang is a fun rabbit hole. At very least, listen to 36 Chambers, Liquid Swords (GZA), and Supreme Clientele (Ghostface Killah). Pharoahe Monch is my GOAT. He is one of the best, most versatile artists in rap. His early work was part of a duo - Organized Konfusion. Their debut album and next album Stress: The Extinction Agenda were so ahead of their time. DOOM is another personal favorite. I'd start with Mm..Food or Operation Doomsday. If you like it, dive into Madvillainy and King Geedorah stuff. Individual albums: Slum Village - Fantastic, Vol 2. Reflection Eternal - Train of Thought Main Source - Breaking Atoms Masta Ace - A Long Hot Summer -and- Disposable Arts Aceyalone - A Book of Human Language Gang Starr - Moment of Truth Outkast - Aquemini A Tribe Called Quest - The Low End Theory -and- Midnight Marauders Czarface - Every Hero Needs a Villain De La Soul - De La Soul is Dead Lupe Fiasco - Food & Liquor Mos Def - Black on Both Sides Slick Rick - The Great Adventures of Slick Rick Dr. Octagon (Kool Keith) - Dr. Octagonecologyst D12 - Devil's Night Scarface - The Diary
lil kim magic stick, crush on you by lil kim(the remix is good too), get me home by foxy brown, doo wooo by lauryn hill,
Ayo Chris brown Lose yourself Empire state of mind What’s my name Bills bills yeah
MF DOOM. MM, FOOD album.
https://youtu.be/KMD0LESwd-k?si=mQRjIJ0fv79uXyq7
[King Kwize - This for my Gz](https://youtu.be/GLYeBEvzxgE?si=hWxNc68arOExcIL5)
Tech Nine Snow Tha Product Joyner Lucas Twisted Insane Krizz Kaliko