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[Rafaelcsa]

I've slowly been getting more and more interested in Hip Hop. It really started when I decided to listen to Kanye's Late Registration and found it to be fantastic. I discovered a few more albums (see below), but I'd like some recommendations on more music that might please me.

For some background, I've been into (different types of) rock my whole life. Some of my favorites being: David Bowie, Rolling Stones, The Stooges, Radiohead, Nine Inch Nails, Portishead, Massive Attack, The Clash, Joy Division, Kraftwerk, Velvet Underground, Pixies, Neu, Bauhaus, The Cure, The Who, Fiona Apple.


Hip Hop albums I've enjoyed immensely:

Kanye West - Late Registration
Kanye West - My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy
Kanye West - College Dropout
Common - Be
Jay-Z - The Black Album
Saul Williams - The Inevitable Rise and Liberation of NiggyTardust
DJ Shadow - Endtroducing...
DJ Shadow - The Private Press
Flying Lotus - Los Angeles
THEESatisfaction - awE naturalE
Tricky - Maxinquaye
All Portishead, most Massive Attack


Hip Hop albums that I didn't enjoy that much:

Wu Tang Clan - Enter the Wu Tang
A Tribe Called Quest - The Low End Theory
Dälek - Absence
Kanye West - 808s & Heartbreak
Beastie Boys - Paul's Boutique
Massive Attack - Heligoland


I know that I have some Trip Hop mixed above, but that's because I'm also open to more suggestions for that genre as well. I'm more interested in the musical side of things. I don't care and don't pay much attention to the lyrics (except for a few cases). I also especially enjoy when hip hop tracks mix in some R&B (Kanye's My Way Home comes to mind, for instance). So, GAF, what other great Hip Hop albums would you recommend to this newcomer to the genre?

 

[Esch]

Hip Hop albums that I didn't enjoy that much:

Wu Tang Clan - Enter the Wu Tang
A Tribe Called Quest - The Low End Theory
Dälek - Absence
Kanye West - 808s & Heartbreak

 

[richardhawk]

GAF-Hop, bruh.
http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=515956

 

[Messi]

Nas Illmatic

 

[IceCold]

Looking at your choices you'll most probably like Lupe Fiasco's Food & Liquor.


But you should take a look at some classics like Nas - Illmatic.

 

[GK86]

Check out anything by Atmosphere.

Edit- If you don't listen to the lyrics then forgot them lol.

 

[Stat Flow]

I don't care and don't pay much attention to the lyrics

 

[HiiiLife]

Hopsin - Raw.

 

[EloquentM]

Kendrick Lamar - good kid maad city

Btw kudos for listening to and enjoying my favorite album (Be)

 

[Rastafarian42]

Kendrick Lamar Section 80 or Good Kid MADD City (Beaten DAMN :/)
Kanye West Graduation
Kid Cudi Man on the Moon
OutKast Aquemini or ATLiens.

 

[enzo_gt]

I'd say you care for stuff with stronger production, but you have 36 Chambers and Low End Theory in the didn't like so I'm at a loss for what to suggest.

EDIT: ^ yeah OutKast is a good suggestion actually.

 

[PBY]

Below the heavens

 

[EloquentM]

Below the heavens - blu

Edit: god dammit peter

 

[Vox-Pop]

Nas Illmatic

The best. Still not matched.

 

[blackflag]

You don't like Tribe? Fuck this thread, I'm out,

 

[Gambit61]

Flying Lotus - Cosmogramma is great. I've listened to the whole album so many times now and it still hasn't gotten old for me.

Little Brother - The Minstrel Show is also great

 

[Salsa]

Hip Hop albums that I didn't enjoy that much:

Wu Tang Clan - Enter the Wu Tang

 

[GQman2121]

Hip Hop albums that I didn't enjoy that much:

Wu Tang Clan - Enter the Wu Tang
A Tribe Called Quest - The Low End Theory

You're hopeless.


edit: much better response from Salsa.

 

[Mileena]

Hip Hop albums that I didn't enjoy that much:

Wu Tang Clan - Enter the Wu Tang

Disgrace.

Try Illmatic and if you don't like those two you don't like the genre.

 

[mltplkxr]

Prefuse 73 - One Word Extinguisher

to go with Flying Lotus and DJ Shadow

 

[Jimothy]

Lupe Fiasco - Food & Liquor, The Cool
ASAP ROCKY - Live.Love.A$AP
Killer Mike - RAP Music

 

[Rafaelcsa]

The Wu Tang album does nothing for me, sorry. I only liked "Shame on a Nigga" from it.

The Low End Theory is actually one that I may be unfair saying I didn't like. I usually enjoy the first few tracks but then change to something else. I'd say I'm indifferent towards it.

I'll try Nas, Outkast and some of the other suggestions. Thanks, guys.

 

[DJ Crimson]

Yèa

 

[~Devil Trigger~]

...sigh...


well, Wu-Tang 4Ever sounds "cleaner" than Enter the Wu-Tang,

so try it out, maybe you'll like it

 

[IceCold]

You could try some Bone Thugs (E.1999 Eternal) since you don't care much about lyrics. The album has sick production (samples some beats from Eternal Champions!) and melodies.

 

[amnesiac]

Best instrumental hip hop album EVER.

 

[HiResDes]

Captain Murphy - Duality
Jonwayne - Everything you can find
Cities Aviv - Everything you can find
Paul Banks - Everybody On My Dick Like They Supposed To Be
Isiah Toothtaker - Illmatic 2
Antwon - End of Earth
Kno - Death is Silent
El-P - Cancer 4 Cure
Rob Sonic - Alice in Thunderdome
Tricky - False Idols

 

[Macca]

Hopsin - Raw.

This guy knows his Hip Hop.

 

[Linkhero1]

Anything by 2Chainz

 

[EloquentM]

Idk why y'all are giving him albums that are inaccessible by today's standards. Let him get fully acclimated first then introduce him to the classics. Maybe then he can revisit those albums.

 

[Macca]

Idk why y'all are giving him albums that are inaccessible by today's standards. Let him get fully acclimated first then introduce him to the classics. Maybe then he can revisit those albums.

Hmm, this is true.

OP, skip that Hopsin recommendation until you know a little more about Hip Hop.

 

[EloquentM]

Dead

 

[Vman]

Lupe Fiasco Lasers is pretty good. Good radio hip-hop

 

[Allforce]

Gang Starr - Hard To Earn
Gang Starr - Moment of Truth

 

[Macca]

Lupe Fiasco Lasers is pretty good. Good radio hip-hop

Quoted for truth.

 

[Switch Back 9]

. I don't care and don't pay much attention to the lyrics (except for a few cases).

So, GAF, what other great Hip Hop albums would you recommend to this newcomer to the genre?

Ummm.... If you don't care about the lyrics you're missing the entire point of the genre. Go back to rock.

 

[Linkhero1]

Ummm.... If you don't care about the lyrics you're missing the entire point of the genre. Go back to rock.

He's different, yeah he's different.

 

[HiResDes]

You know what he'll probably like Jay Electronica too.

Oh shit and Blackstar!

 

[Dramos]

A lot of good mentions here, I'll recommend whatever hasn't been mentioned:

Black on Both Sides - Mos Def
Desire - Pharoahe Monch
Can I Borrow A Dollar? - Common Sense (Common back in the days)
Fantastic, Vol.2 - Slum Village
The Cool - Lupe Fiasco
Food & Liquor - Lupe Fiasco
How I Got Over - The Roots
Game Theory - The Roots
HIII - DJ Honda
The Idea of Beautiful - Rapsode (Female MC)
1999 - Joey BadA$$
The Minstrel Show - Little Brother
Madvillainy - Madvillain
The Main Ingredient - Pete Rock & C.L. Smooth
Mecca and The Soul - Pete Rock & C.L. Smooth
Midnight Mauraders - A Tribe Called Quest
Low End Theory - A Tribe Called Quest
The Miseducation - Lauryn Hill (Female MC)
Moment of Truth - Gang Starr
The Preface - eLZhi
The Salvation - Skyzoo
Rock City - Royce da 5'9"
Section 80 - Kendrick Lamar
Friday Night Lights - J.Cole
We Are The Streets - LOX
Kiss of Death - Jadakiss


If you want more suggestions just let me know!

 

[Cosmic Bus]

Blackalicious - Blazing Arrow got me interested in hip hop for a while, although as a downside, it rarely gets better than this.

 

[Macca]

Ummm.... If you don't care about the lyrics you're missing the entire point of the genre. Go back to rock.

Why? There's a lot of good hip hop where the lyrics are trash.

 

[Switch Back 9]

Why? There's a lot of good hip hop where the lyrics are trash.

If the lyrics are trash then good hip hop it ain't. I dont give a fuck for "sick beats" if what the MC is spittin is garbage.

 

[Rafaelcsa]

Btw kudos for listening to and enjoying my favorite album (Be)

"Be" might well be the best hip hop album I've heard so far. It's really, really fantastic. Is there anything else like it on Common's catalogue or elsewhere?

Ummm.... If you don't care about the lyrics you're missing the entire point of the genre. Go back to rock.

I don't get this. It's music. It's not (just) poetry. It must have musical qualities as well. What stops someone from enjoying that side of the equation more?

Mind you, I love many Bob Dylan albums and not really because of the lyrical content (which is mostly great, in any case). I just enjoy his actual music a lot and focus on that. Why can't I do the same with hip hop?

 

[CountBlack]

good kid mAAd city/Section80/Overly Dedicated - Kendrick Lamar
The Warm Up/Friday Night Lights/

Spoiler

Born Sinner

- J. Cole
return of 4va/4va n A Day/King Remembered In Time - Big KRIT
Pilot Talk 1/2, New Jet City/ Stoned Immaculate/Cigarette Boats/Covert Coup - Curren$y
Kush & OJ - Wiz Khalifa
Habits & Contradictions - ScHoolboy Q
Control System - Ab-Soul
Live.Love.ASAP/LongLiveASAP - ASAP Rocky
Man on the Moon 1+2/A Kid Named Cudi - Kid Cudi
The VS. EP - Macklemore

Spoiler

fuck u gaf-hop

Those are some of the newer artists and music that I personally enjoy.

Wouldn't say its for everybody though

Ummm.... If you don't care about the lyrics you're missing the entire point of the genre. Go back to rock.

 

[HiResDes]

Blackalicious - Blazing Arrow got me interested in hip hop for a while, although as a downside, it rarely gets better than this.

Yes!

 

[Switch Back 9]

"Be" might well be the best hip hop album I've heard so far. It's really, really fantastic. Is there anything else like it on Common's catalogue or elsewhere?


I don't get this. It's music. It's not (just) poetry. It must have musical qualities as well. What stops someone from enjoying that side of the equation more?

Mind you, I love many Bob Dylan albums and not really because of the lyrical content (which I is great, in any case). I just enjoy his actual music a lot. Why can't I do the same with hip hop?

Hip hop may be a combination of several elements, but it is, at its heart, a lyrical based genre. You can enjoy it for whatever reasons you like obviously, but in my opinion if you don't care about the lyrics then you're really missing out on the bulk of what the genre has to offer and what most of its adherents are so passionate about.

 

[VARIA]

Dungeon Family - Even in Darkness

 

[Coreda]

Frank Ocean's 'Channel Orange' (great modern hip hop/R&B vibe, worked on with Kanye)

Example tracks: Super Rich Kids, Thinking About You

Jay-Z's 'Reasonable Doubt' (classic, one of the best, outstanding production too)

Example tracks: Dead Presidents II, Feelin' It, Regrets (the whole damn album)

 

[RC]

Hip Hop albums that I didn't enjoy that much:

Wu Tang Clan - Enter the Wu Tang

I don't care and don't pay much attention to the lyrics (except for a few cases)

Hip-Hop isn't for you.

 

[mltplkxr]

Hip hop may be a combination of several elements, but it is, at its heart, a lyrical based genre. You can enjoy it for whatever reasons you like obviously, but in my opinion if you don't care about the lyrics then you're really missing out on the bulk of what the genre has to offer and what most of its adherents are so passionate about.

Inclussiveness is also at the heart of the genre and what made hip hop outgrow its fad status. Wouldn't you say?