Hip Hop albums you'd recommend

[2Hearts]

If I'm looking for some good hip hop with creativity and intelligence and without explicit lyrics, where should I look? Surely the videos on MTV are not representative of the entire genre. I know I'd hate for anyone to judge rock by the videos they see on MTV/VH1.

What about Lauryn Hill and A Tribe Called Quest? Do either of these fit the bill?

 

[timothius]

Please find the enclosed list:

 

[AtomicBono]

I don't really know the difference between hip hop and rap, but Outkast is brilliant. Any of their albums are worth checking out, I think my personal favourite is Stankonia, but Aquemini and Speakerboxx/The Love Below are also great.

 

[flangerchorus]

if you can drop your bit about non explicit lyrics then the first 3 Public Enemy albums are some of the best ever

 

[one4u2]

Please find the enclosed list:

 

[HeartlandGirl]

Please find the enclosed list:

And to really answer the question, I'd recommend the first or second album by De La Soul. No parental advisories, really fun music. The first album is called 'Three Feet High and Rising' and the second is 'De La Soul Is Dead.' De La Soul are closely related musically to A Tribe Called Quest. I never listened to ATCQ all that much, but I'd guess they'd be what you are looking for too. Good luck.

 

[brejc]

Rap and Hip-Hop are the worst things to happen to the music industry. It makes me sick that people get rich off singing about drugs, sex, murder and having hot women in their videos. I'd rather shoot myself then listen to those losers.

Sorry, just my opinion, I recommend any U2 album btw! Especially October for you!

 

[2Hearts]

Umm... I already have every U2 cd and love ALL of them.

When listening to today's rap/hip hop, I'm not very impressed. Explicit lyrics are tolerable in small doses, but too much of it shows a lack of vocabulary and/or too much anger for my tastes. It seems to me that the majority of rock cd's do not have the 'Explicit Lyrics' sticker while the majority of rap cd's do have it. All I'm wanting is some quality music that is not sexist and isn't saturated with ghetto attitude.

Thanks for the suggestions so far. I've heard of De La Soul and might just check them out. I used to really like rap in the late '80s, early '90s and Public Enemy just isn't what I'm looking for at this point in my life. I know they're highly regarded and have some good songs though.

 

[martha]

The College Dropout by Kanye West is an amazing record.

It's got a few dirty words on it, but the lyrics, the music, and the production are great. I like it better than my Outkast records even.

 

[flangerchorus]

yeah i knew PE wasnt what you were looking, but i just couldnt help plugging them

 

[Ladera Heights]

I guess I'm the only one here who likes the nasty shit. The 50 Cent album is to rap what HTDAAB is to rock: every song is catchy as hell. Wall to wall hooks and great production. Highly recommended if you don't mind the content.

 

[Ladera Heights]

Oh yeah, and The Game's album is a great soul record. This guy really put his heart into it, but it's not as fun to listen as "The Massacre".

I saw The Game at the Vault 350 in Long Beach in March and what a show. He's got massive presence. He came out of nowhere but had it down like he's been doing forever. After the show, 200 riot cops were outside, and 2 ghetto birds flying overhead, just in case a riot broke out. Pretty hilarious.

 

[2Hearts]

Some of 50 Cent's stuff does sound great, I'll give him that. But the problem is that catchiness is only half the equation for me. When I bought HTDAAB, I didn't just get a bunch of great melodies. I also got some well written (COBL/Crumbs), sentimental (Sometimes), and flat out gorgeous (MD/OOTS) lyrics. There are a number of other rock CDs that have these qualities (even if they don't do it as good as U2) . I just don't understand why there can't be more rap lyrics along these lines.

Kayne West. I was very impressed with Jesus Walks (who wasn't), but he just doesn't seem all that different than the rest. I'll look into College Dropout a little further though.

I guess there just aren't a lot of people out there that object to nasty lyrics (judging by the sales charts).

 

[Ladera Heights]

Fiddy's rhymes are amazing and paint a sinister picture of where he's from. If there is anything objectionable its the complete absence of morality from his behavior.

I still haven't picked up the Kanye album. I always meant to after hearing his production skills on "Dreams" from The Game album.

 

[Earnie Shavers]

I don't think there's a genre of music that suffers from what is played on the radio more than hip-hop. If all you know of hip-hop is lyrics about guns/cars/women/drugs and video clips that only feature the same, you are only hearing the bottom 5%.

Are you actually going to go and by an album based on a recommendation, or are you going to do a spot of downloading first to check some stuff out?

 

[timothius]

To be honest. I will say that I do appreciate some rap/hip hop songs. But it gets what I dub "punk syndrome" where one song is fine, 2 is acceptable, but too much more is just tedious.

One thing I do like about that industry however is the whole relationships and fueds behind the music. I find it completely intruging.

 

[Ladera Heights]

I don't think there's a genre of music that suffers from what is played on the radio more than hip-hop. If all you know of hip-hop is lyrics about guns/cars/women/drugs and video clips that only feature the same, you are only hearing the bottom 5%.

But ain't life about bitches and money?

 

[2Hearts]

Earnie, I was hoping that there's a side of hip-hop that may be below the radar of most folks, but exceeds the mainstream artists in both decency and ability. If you know of anyone, then I'd certainly take your recommendations seriously. I just like to have some idea of what I'm buying before I purchase a CD. I used to not be like that, and now I have dozens of cd's that I'll never listen to again. I'll take a risk, but not a totally blind one.

 

[Ladera Heights]

2Hearts, seriously though, you should check out hip hop magazines like The Source and Vibe and small ones like XXL and Rime. They report on the underground stuff too, not just mainstream gangsta shit. Even Rolling Stone highlights some of the more interesting stuff going on.

If you have access to usenet, go to alt.binaries.sounds.rap-hiphop. People are always posting a good variety of stuff.

 

[starsgoblue]

KRS 1

Intelligent, creative and bumping. Try out I Got Next

 

[hippy]

The Streets

Start with Original Pirate Material


Though this might be cheating since it's British




Also Dizzee Rascal "Boy in Da Corner"


Which is also British....

 

[Angela Harlem]

There's some great Australian hip hop artists you might like. Two up, The Herd, Hilltop Hoods. we cant do links here, can we? if you have patience, some p2p networks might pay up.

 

[Angela Harlem]

you send it* links.

 

[Aardvark747]

Check out Nas' back cat. for good lyrics and decent songs. Tho there are still a few explicit lyrics!

Illmatic
Stillmatic
God's Son
It Was Written
Nastradamus

Are all great albums

 

[Earnie Shavers]

I think what you might like is more along the lines of...

Jurassic 5, I'm sure you've heard of? Check out songs like 'The Influence', 'Whats Golden' etc. Boppy, slick, technicaly excellent, but also good clean fun.

Also a group called Blackalicious. Off their album "Blazing Arrow" you'd probably like 'Make You Feel That Way', 'Brainwashers', 'Aural Pleasure' and a few others. Their stuff is more melodic, subjects ranging from relationships to politics. Not a pussy in sight.

Also a group called Ugly Duckling for pure fun and boppiness.

 

[OnFire]

The Clash, Sandinista.

 

[Eliv8]

Go oldschool Sugarhill Gang - Rappers Delight.

 

[Muggsy]

some albums I like


* Orishas (cuban rap, ) - a lo cubano
* Cypress Hill - Temples of Boom
* Cypress Hill - Black Sunday
* Outkast - Stankonia (I like the track "Xplosion" with B real )
* Dj Muggs - Dust
* Soul Assasins - (all their compilates are great)
* the Fugees - The score

 

[daygloeyes2]

The Roots-Phrenology
Outkast-Speakerboxx/The Low Below, Big Boi and Dre Present...Outkast, Stankonia
Jay-Z-The Black Album, The Blue Print, Vol. 2:Hard Knock Life
N.E.R.D.-In Search Of...

 

[2Hearts]

Go oldschool Sugarhill Gang - Rappers Delight.

Uh...no.