Hip Hop

[thirsty moore]

The only Hip Hop album I own is Nas' Illmatic.  It's great.  Does anyone well versed in Hip Hop have other rec's?  I'm looking for something as strong as this one.

[vansmack]

For clarification sake, is there a difference in your eyes between rap and hip hop?

[Charlie Nakatestes, Japanese Golfer]

Well, let's see. There's the Beastie Boys Check Your Head, and um...does Beck count?

[thirsty moore]

Probably not.  Again, I don't know much about either unless it's songs I've heard on the radio.  Is Nas considered Rap or Hip Hop?

[thirsty moore]

Originally posted by Charlie Nakatestes, Japanese Golfer:
  Well, let's see. There's the Beastie Boys Check Your Head, and um...does Beck count?

nm.

[vansmack]

You're asking the wrong member of Indie Yuppie Establishment the difference between rap an hip hop.
 
 But given what you said, I would suggest:
 
 Straight Outta Compton - N.W.A.
 It Takes A Nation of Millions To Hold Us Back - Public Enemy
 Criminal Minded - Boogie Down Productions
 The Message - Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five
 Raising Hell - Run DMC
 Pauls Boutique - Beastie Boys
 The Low End Theory - A Tribe Called Quest
 The Chronic - Dr. Dre
 Radio - LL Cool J
 Enter The Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) - Wu Tang Clan

[hostiledm]

de la soul - de la soul is dead.

[TEM]

I second everything on Vansmack's list -- they're hip-hop classics.  But if you want more albums specifically in the vein of 'Illmatic' (early 90's NY style), check out:
 
 Gangstarr - Hard to Earn
 Pete Rock & CL Smooth - Mecca & the Soul Brother
 Beatnuts - s/t
 Jeru the Damaja - The Sun Rises in the East
 Redman - Whut? The Album

[SalParadise]

Originally posted by vansmack:
  You're asking the wrong member of Indie Yuppie Establishment the difference between rap an hip hop.
 
 But given what you said, I would suggest:
 
 Straight Outta Compton - N.W.A.
 It Takes A Nation of Millions To Hold Us Back - Public Enemy
 Criminal Minded - Boogie Down Productions
 The Message - Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five
 Raising Hell - Run DMC
 Pauls Boutique - Beastie Boys
 The Low End Theory - A Tribe Called Quest
 The Chronic - Dr. Dre
 Radio - LL Cool J
 Enter The Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) - Wu Tang Clan

nice list, but for someone just getting into it now...i think a lot of those would sound really dated.
 
 if the beats are what grabbed your attention on 'illmatic' (great "only hip-hop album" to have, by the way) try these:
 
 pete rock & cl smooth - 'the main ingredient'
 gang starr - 'daily operation'
 tribe - 'midnight marauders'
 
 all 3 of those produced by the same producers who contributed to 'illmatic'...and arguably all of them at their peak.
 
 if it was the words that got your attention...
 
 mobb deep - 'the infamous'
 black moon - 'enta the stage'
 gza - 'liquid swords'
 
 they all paint similar pictures...not quite as great as nas on illmatic though.
 
 as far as more recent stuff, (i don't listen to hip-hop like i used to):
 
 people under the stairs - 'question on the form of an answer' is nice.
 
 j-live - 'the best part' i like as well.
 
 enjoy..

[thirsty moore]

Was hip hop at it's peak in the 90's?  What's the general consensus of current hip hop?  My impression of indie stuff is that's it's pretty, excuse the term, wack.

[twelsh737]

Originally posted by TEM:
 
 Beatnuts - s/t
 

I am not sure what s/t stands for but of the Beatnuts work I would say go with "The Intoxicated Demons EP"
 
 It is tough to find a lot of rap in the vein of Illmatic because part of what makes that a critical success is that it was so different for the time. Of new rap stay away from the stuff on the radio (G-Unit, The Game, ect.) and look for MF Doom or one of his many guests.

[TEM]

Originally posted by tbmtt:
 I am not sure what s/t stands for but of the Beatnuts work I would say go with "The Intoxicated Demons EP"[/QB]

s/t stands for "self titled."  As much as I like Intoxicated Demons, their first full-length LP (also called "Street Level") is a classic in my eyes.

[amnesiac]

Common - Ressurection
 Black Star - Mos Def & Talib Kweli are Black Star
 Mos Def - Black on Both Sides
 OutKast - ATLiens, and Aquemini

[shoot ur shot]

There are so many great records that I don't want to think I left out any so I'll be lame and tell you to pick up a copy of Ego Trip's Book of Rap Lists and go through it so you can be a bit more informed the next time you go record shopping. Also watch the movies Wild Style & Style Wars to get more familiar with hip hop's past. It will give you a more cultural understanding of it. 95.5 and 93.9fm have "old school hour" at 12 & 5pm every Friday. If you are interested in a more contemporary sound (late 90's til now) there's a favorite comp of mine called "farewell fondle em" that highlights some of the best in rap's underground. Speaking of Fondle Em records, the label's owner had this radio show Stretch & Bobbito in NYC from like 1990-2002 and it was the best radio show in the world. It was every Thursday night 1am-5am. If you can somehow track down copies of some of the shows(not too hard if you look) it is the very best introduction to rap i can imagine. I hear they are going to start officially releasing 2disc editions of some of the more classic shows theyve had over the years too.

[thirsty moore]

Familiar with Stretch and Bobbito as I used to date a girl that went to Columbia.  Thanks for the recs everyone.