Non US Hip-Hop. How do you feel about it?

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Non US hip hop is limited exclusively to Dizzee Rascal.

I know it's grime, but it still counts

I guess if you include those that use hip hop influences then I'd include:

The Streets
MIA
Massive Attack
Portishead
Unkle
DJ Krush
Nujabes
 
I'm not a massive fan of most non-US hip-hop that I've heard, but less an indictment of anything from outside the States and more of my general ignorance talking. Grime, on the other hand, is one of my favorite genres but that's a totally separate genre that has little to do with hip-hop for the most part. Still, D Double E is one of the best MCs ever.
 
English accent in Hip Hop is a no go. Can't take it seriously. Ali G in a yellow tracksuit in Staines comes to mind.
 
Well I love Korean hip hop. Stuff like 3rd Coast and Mighty Mouth from the music game series DJ Max and Pump It Up respectively. Those Korean music games got me interested in a lot of Korean hip hop actually and it's cool 'cause majority of it is bilingual (Korean/English lyrics).
 
With the non-English ones, I can't tell if they are spitting fire or not. Lady Sovereign has ruined UK rap for me. I hate the rap from my country (Canada).
 
I generally don't like it if it comes with a distinctive non-US centric accent/dialect. The historical cultural aspect of hip hop is its most important quality to me and it is distinctively American. There's a profound cognitive dissonance associated with European rap, i.e., regardless of the quality of the rapping. I've tried to remedy this bias, but the music is too much a part of who I am personally, to address it. I find it unfortunate.
 
I really like Bocafloja from Mexico City. This is real hip hop not some cholo shit. I saw him live a couple months ago in Tijuana. Cool dude, drank a beer with him and talked about the scene for a bit.

Check him out for sure.

Here's a newer song.
 
Kimosabae said:
I generally don't like it if it comes with a distinctive non-US centric accent/dialect. The historical cultural aspect of hip hop is its most important quality to me and it is distinctively American. There's a profound cognitive dissonance associated with European rap, i.e., regardless of the quality of the rapping. I've tried to remedy this bias, but the music is too much a part of who I am personally, to address it. I find it unfortunate.
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it's a shame, cause as someone not from america, it means i can enjoy other not only local hip-hop artists, but also from all over the world and not have that sort of hang-up in my head. even non-black hip-hop artists!~
 
RockTurtle said:
it's a shame, cause as someone not from america, it means i can enjoy other hip-hop artists from all over the world and not have that sort of hang-up in my head.
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Agreed. Though some of the Korean rappers being brought up within Hallyu idol guidelines have a hilarious and sad outlook on rap.

Exhibit A, YG's Bobby:

Interviewer: What about it specifically?

BOBBY: Well first, it has a manly charm. Um.. just rawness. There is no embellishment to it.

Interviewer: It’s cool because it is honest, without pretending or trying too hard?

BOBBY: That’s right, that’s right. That’s what I like about it: there is an aura to it even when it’s just there without doing anything. I keep falling deeper into it because of that. Hip-hop isn’t just music; it has a culture. Like when you’re simply hanging out with your friends and high-five each other, that’s hip-hop. For example, waking up in the morning and going to school without showering, that’s hip-hop too.. It’s just raw.
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The accent leads to flows that sound clunky as fuck. I've heard some UK rap that sounds cool but usually I'm far more impressed by the production.
 
One of the few grassroots American genres that didn't translate well over the pond. No other country could capture hip hop without sounding like a local translation or making it so indistinguishable from its origin it became its own genre. Even though hip hop itself is an amalgamation of a number of international influences, it's still a completely US experience. While Europe ran with rock and roll, house and techno, no-one does, or has ever done, hip hop better than the originators.
 
PhoenixDark said:
The accent leads to flows that sound clunky as fuck. I've heard some UK rap that sounds cool but usually I'm far more impressed by the production.
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This was my inclination too, but figured maybe it was that American bias I mentioned earlier. But yeah, many accents just seem terrible bound to a hip hop bar structure to my ears.
 
Kimosabae said:
I generally don't like it if it comes with a distinctive non-US centric accent/dialect. The historical cultural aspect of hip hop is its most important quality to me and it is distinctively American. There's a profound cognitive dissonance associated with European rap, i.e., regardless of the quality of the rapping. I've tried to remedy this bias, but the music is too much a part of who I am personally, to address it. I find it unfortunate.
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It really is unfortunate because it goes against the message of Hip Hop. Hip Hop culture is a global phenomenon because people all over the world experience similar struggles like being poor or racism and discrimination. It connects people like no other genre. This is a good thing and we should embrace it.
 
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