Hip hop / rap

[Bloated Slutbag]

Many times when someone recommend "experimental hip hop", trying to show how different it is from the mainstream or "usual" hip hop, I have exactly same feel as I have when people try to show how various underground forms of dub / reggae type of stuff is so noisy, obscure and hard.

Oh, I completely agree with both of you there. It does seem pretty pointless to insist on exceptions when the rule apparent abounds. BUT. I like to imagine that in forums such as these most of us are looking very precisely for exceptions. I don`t mean lame attempts at crossover, I just mean shit that often seems to spit in the face of easy categorization. I know I`m preaching to the converted here so this is really a non argument.

I couldn't care less about classic hip hop, good hip hop, experimental hip hop, or even hip hop in general. In fact, I tend to lump all music with a discernable beat under the broad heading "disco". Or I would, if I could be bothered to label anything. So obviously IDM like Cloaks or Autechre fit the bill. But so do all forms of punk, metal, grindcore, jazz, etc. Disco, the lot. Call me closed-minded, but I couldn't care less for the vast majority of that shit. As far as I`m concerned, it`s all worthless cock-suck of American capitalism.

Hip hop is simply an easier target. And largely safe because the laughability is so eminently apparent. The others are, as stated, far more pernicious - and far more worrying for it.

[tisbor]

I don't know anything about hip hop music except that i can't stand more than a few seconds of most of it, so i'll delight you with some retarded (literally) italian rap:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iRiWSmGz5E8

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S8Q6RYZ_7EA&feature=related

i guess this almost became a subgenre, at least in Italy. I'm sorry most of you will not be able to understand the lyrics, but probably it's for the best.


I did see Dalek live once, and they were good.

[GEWALTMONOPOL]

PUBLIC ENEMY = Radical political slogans, militant racial themes, revising and decoding society and history. Repetitive and fairly hard edged music plus uniforms.

I think it goes without saying that, even on the most shallow of levels, Public Enemy has something to offer any fan of industrial.

[FreakAnimalFinland]

Maybe should mention one cross-over of hip hop & noise. Umpio did split 7" with Ronskibiitti. Honestly I have not yet dared to listen that, but I'll do it maybe later today.  Umpio could be known to people here, but Finnish language Ronskibiitti. Maybe this track is more "abstract" and weird, where often flow of vocals hardly even relates to broken beats.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qEM5RJ8jmvQ

[ImpulsyStetoskopu]

PUBLIC ENEMY = Radical political slogans, militant racial themes, revising and decoding society and history. Repetitive and fairly hard edged music plus uniforms.

I think it goes without saying that, even on the most shallow of levels, Public Enemy has something to offer any fan of industrial.

Yes, this project is my one of the most favourite from this genre. I like their "It Takes A Nation Of Millions To Hold Us Back" and "Fear Of Black Planet" - music from these albums have many psychodelic/experimental moments. Scratching is very unique, massive and complicated. I don't know simillar sound and used techniques, but, as I mentioned, I am not a big fan of these genres, and I haven't listened too much.

[Desperate]

I think the first record I ever bought was Run-DMC's first LP, back in 1985 (in grade school at that). I have never been a huge hip-hop/rap fan, at least until the last few years. I keep coming back to that Run-DMC album because of its uniqueness, as it is so sparse...just those 808 beats and rhymes with some scratchin' behind it. The only thing that comes a bit close to that style is the older, electro stuff like Mantronix, etc. As far as other bands go, I really like the first N.W.A. album, the classic Public Enemy stuff, Eric B and Rakim, EPMD, Brand Nubian, and Boogie Down Productions. A track like "Straight Outta Compton" by N.W.A., to me, is so full of anger (lyrically) that it's on par with anything that's come out of punk, metal, industrial, pe, etc. And Public Enemy has always, musically, reminded me of the more chaotic Nurse With Wound stuff, as there seems to be all sorts of things going on in the music at once.

[icepick method]

I listen to mostly east coast american battlerap style stuff and a bunch of white backpacker stuff. My favorite is Jedi Mind Tricks, though the last couple albums have been pretty weak. Also a bunch of def jux records related stuff, cannibal ox, aesop rock, 7L&esoteric, (old) cage, anticon, RJD2, megaherz, jacki da motormouth, arsonists, beastie boys, First wu-tang album, Black Moon, Immortal Technique, Canibus, cLoudead is ok, copywrite, dangerdoom (thou always thought mf doom sounded like a poorman's ODB), Das EFX, Deltron3030, Gang Starr, GraveDiggaz (mostly just the first album), Non phixion, ill bill, death grips, Mr. Lif, KGP (one of the only horrorcore rappers that really sounds scary), Geto boys,  Louis Logic, Mobb Deep, Public Enemy, Quasimoto, sage francis, sick jacken, The Weathermen. Donno if ghettotech counts but i can rock out to bitch ass darius and dj godfather too.
EPMD gets namechecked by a lot of bands i like but it never clicked for me. Same with Dalek. Should probably give it more time. 

Here's a Cage track where he talks about watching his gf die of spinal meningitis:
"Stare in her eyes to look past horror
Morphine tolerated, I'm out coppin' horse tranq for her
Like I won't have to go through hell again
Her skin is like saran wrap, barely hangin' from her skeleton
With each one of her ribs defined
My crib's designed
To keep the light out cause she can't lift the blinds
Drifting behind, I'll be outta friends soon
Nobody visits the guy that keeps the body in his bedroom
She's barely alive and taking life from me
With no appetite but the meningitis is still hungry
Wants to make love
But I had to substitute it with holding hands while we take drugs"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6NSirMeeX3g

[codeine]

IMO the best hip-hop was produced in Memphis, Tennessee during the early 90's. Thugs rappin bout satanism and exorcism over very lo-fi beats with perfect drum machine and synth sounds.

TOMMY WRIGHT III
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xx0cSdOlnPU 

GANGSTA BOO
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b7Et6sEsvO0

9 TRA FAMILY
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=axTcXvY1f8o

[Reprobate]

Definitely big on the memphis shit too. I love all of the early three 6 stuff when Lord Infamous was involved and they did all of the occult stuff. One of my favorite tracks from the Hypnotized Camp Posse: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WfdetH2hhF8
Love the use of the Art of Noise sample.
Here's another memphis favorite. Creepy: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fd3MuK6-W5k

I love the ignorant stuff just as much as the conscious hip-hop. Sometimes it's fun to listen to stupid stuff. I see the unanimous appreciation of Public Enemy, which I definitely share. I don't listen to too much current hip-hop, besides Death Grips and Danny Brown. I have a lot of love for MF Doom (primarily Madvilliany, thanks to Madlib's genius.) Nas' Illmatic is one of my favorites along with Biggie's Ready to Die. Whether it's east coast, west coast or the South, I have a lot of favorites. I haven't seen too many posts about appreciation for producers- who play a GIGANTIC part in hip-hop. To the ones who posted about how they hate rap/hip-hop or think it's ignorant, etc.- I can understand that from a lyrical perspective, but what about the actual music?

[enmity]

My favorites of all time:

Run DMC - Raising Hell
Beastie Boys - License to Ill
NWA - Straight Out of Compton
Eazy E - EZ Duz It

I like hip hop when they actually used a dj with 2 turntables.

[d_i_v_i_d_e]

hey, first post here. been following this board for a while now. listen to a lot of (past and present) rap/hip hop, but thought the artist Gunplay, from Miami, was worth mentioning in this discussion:



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cq_3rdnEODs

you might guess his aesthetic choices have raised some eyebrows.

[Andrew McIntosh]

Do people go on hip-hop forums and discuss Power Electronics?

[Bloated Slutbag]

They might, if they heard SKM-ETR's "Break Your Face" (via The Rugged Meat Cleaver)

True Thug Electronics?

[Bloated Slutbag]

It does seem pretty pointless to insist on exceptions when the rule apparent abounds. BUT. I like to imagine that in forums such as these most of us are looking very precisely for exceptions.

For instance, I don't read this forum to confirm that Noisembryo is still widely regarded as a benchmark in the field. But I am amused and intrigued when a self identified Merzfister suggests that everyone check out Method Man's Tical – not because it's got a lot of classic Wu bangers, but because the production is plain grim. Seriously sounds like what you might get if the 80's CMI roster were to put out a rap album. Crank the bass and it's pure dirgeambient loops. No breaks in atmos. Lots of standouts, but in the context of what this song purports to be about I love the production here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lR8HGw-h7gE&feature=fvwrel

This was later massively sanitized into a major R&B hit with some chick, but whatever. On the doubled up chorus Meth sounds like he's threatening to punch his bitch in the face – and this is a love song! Hilarious. And appropriate.

And the ambiguity of the lyrics, re-

I'm realizing you didn't have to fuck with me
But you did
And now I'm going all out kid
And I got mad love to give

...you can almost see him winding up for the one-two face-pummeling.

OK, not everyone may read ambiguity into this song the way I do. But that's a big part of why I read these forums.

EDIT put it another way. I don't read this forum to be updated on the latest in experimental rap, or metal, or Muslimgauze, or Motion Picture soundtracks, per se. I'm interested in reading the slightly unhinged take on these forays into soundmaking that you might get from a power electronics industrial noise experimental avantgarde ambient fan. By way of example, the most entertaining (readable) entry into this thread by far is Andrew McIntosh's grumpy rant. I may not necessarily get that in a hip hip forum.

[icepick method]

PE shows need more headspinning b-boys.