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Recommend some Hip-Hop

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VPhys

Member
I need some new Hip-Hop CDs and I'm beginning to think I've tapped out the genre with my current collection.

I already have:

2-pac - all eyes on me, Better Days
50
Outkast (all 5)
Black Eyed Peas - Elephunk
Busta - E.L.E
Camp Lo
Cee Lo - Soul Machine
Clipse
Common - Like Water for Chocolate, Ressurection
DJ Quick - Balance and Options, Rythmalism
DMX - everything up to Flesh of my Flesh, not interested in anything post that
Eminem - (all 3)
Gang Starr - the Owners
Jay- Z - The black album, Blueprint 1 and 2, Vol 2 Hard knock life, reasonable doubt
Jurassic 5 (both)
Kayne West
Kurupt - Kurption, Streets (not interested in any of the others)
Ludacris - (both - though I dont listen to them anymore)
Missy Ellitot - Under Construction pts 1 and 2, da real world (her best)
Mos Def - black both sides
Black Star
NERD - Fly or Die, IN search of
Nas (all 4)
Notirous BIG - life after death, born again, ready to die
pete rock and cl smooth - the best of pete rock and cl smooth
redman - docs the name
snoop - doggystyle (not interested in any others)
talib kweli - reflection eternal
the neptunes present clones
the roots - do you want more, things fall apart, idellahe halflife
timbaland and magoo - tims bio, under construction
tribe called quest - anthology
twista - kamikaze
warrent g - regulate (not interested in any others)

So any recommendations along these lines?
 

demon

I don't mean to alarm you but you have dogs on your face
I barely listen to any rap, but I have stuff by The Roots, People Under The Stairs, New Kingdom and Cypress Hill. I'm sure you're familiar with CH, but the others I think aren't as well known and I really like them.
 

levious

That throwing stick stunt of yours has boomeranged on us.
based on your collection you should check out

Mos Def's new ep

all of Gangstarr's previous plus any Jeru the Damaja you can find

Tupac, 2pacalypse

Can't go wrong with more Cee-Lo

How much do you like that Pete Rock collection? Your list seems to be missing a lot of turn of the decade stuff from late 80's to early 90's. Native Tongues... what is that Tribe Called Quest anthology? A best of, or a complete collection?

Oh, more

Public Enemy

Wu Tang's first album plus Genius' Liquid Swords and ODB's Return to the 36 Chambers.

Del the Funky Homosapien

Leaders of the New School... only two albums, but both are fantastic and really show how great Busta Rhymes once was.

and no Beastie Boys?

No KRS-One? Start with Return of the Boom Bap, then go to the beginning with Boogie Down Productions' Criminal Minded... then continue.
 

KingGondo

Banned
Dizzee Rascal: Boy in da Corner
The Streets: A Grand Don't Come for Free (Original Pirate Material is probably a better introduction, though)
 

Odoul

Member
Cee-Lo - CL Green and His Perfect Imperfections
Outkast - ATLiens, Aquemeni, Stankonia
Obie Trice - Cheers
Styles P- Gangster and A Gentleman
Royce 59 - Rock City
Juvenile - Juvie The Great
 

VPhys

Member
How much do you like that Pete Rock collection?

I basically got it for Reminisce. But I forgot to mention the other Pete Rock CD I have which is Soul Survivor, which is probably in my top 15 favorite CDs.
 

Brendonia

"Edge stole Big Ben's helmet"
Some good recommendations already, some more you may enjoy:

You MIGHT like Tech N9ne - Anghellic and Absolute Power.

Nas has 6, you could even count 7 albums. Illmatic, It was Written, I Am, Nastrodamus, Stillmatic, The Lost Tapes, and God's Son. Which ones are worth owning is not quite so clear cut.

Some Ice Cube maybe, War disc, Peace disc, Lethal Injection etc.

Nappy Roots' first album was pretty good, called Watermelon, Chicken and Gritz... give it a shot.
 

levious

That throwing stick stunt of yours has boomeranged on us.
VPhys said:
I basically got it for Reminisce. But I forgot to mention the other Pete Rock CD I have which is Soul Survivor, which is probably in my top 15 favorite CDs.

you should definitely look into that time period then, I consider it the peak of hip hop.

Totally forgot to mention Eric B and Rakim

Also first Fugees album... Blunted on Reality... no matter what you think of them now, check this one out.

First Brand Nubian album, none of the others.
 

VPhys

Member
and no Beastie Boys?

Which should I start with, Paul's Boutique?


--Nas has 6

Yeah I knew there were more Nas albums. I have illmatic, it was written, i am, and stillmatic. Don't like the others. I have the Ice Cube greatest hits.

--No KRS-One

Just noticed this gap. I'll definitely have to check it out.

Can't go wrong with more Cee-Lo


Cee-Lo - CL Green and His Perfect Imperfections


On the list.
 

Mumbles

Member
Pretty much anything from Common, except maybe Can I Borrow A Dollar.

Pete Rock & CL: Mecca and the Soul Brother, and Main Ingredients.

Tribe Called Quest: Low End Theory, Midnight Marauders, Low End Theory, People's Instinctive Travels..., Low End Theory.

Redman: Whut? Thee Album.

And buy more Gangstarr - especially their earlier stuff (eg. Step into the Arena)

And now let's Branch out a bit...
J-Live: All of the Above
Leaders of the New School: A Future without a Past
Aceyalone: A Book of Human language or All Balls don't Bounce (But not Love & Hate)
Blackalicious: Anything
Roots Manuva: Run Come Save Me. Brand New Second hand is good, too.
People Under the Stairs: The Next Step.
De La Soul: 3 Feet High and Rising, De la Soul is Dead, Buhloone Mind State
Goodie MOB: Soul Food
Del the Funkee Homosapien: Anything
Souls of Mischief: '93 Till...
Reaekwon the Chef: Only Built 4 Cuban Linx
Phaycyde: Bizarre Ride 2 tha Pharcyde
Kool G. Rap & DJ Polo: Pretty much anything
Jedi Mind Tricks: Violent by Design
Atmosphere: God Loves Ugly
Cypress HIll: Cypress Hill
Company Flow: Funcrusher Plus
El-P: Fantastic Damage
Brand New Heavies: Heavy Rhyme Experience Volume 1
Ultramagnetic MCs: Any
Kool Keith (and various aliases): any
 

Guzim

Member
B000002WPI.01.LZZZZZZZ.jpg

B000000OUJ.01.LZZZZZZZ.jpg

B00000J7IR.01.LZZZZZZZ.gif
 

Syphin

Banned
Mausberg - Nonfiction
luniz - operation stackola
above the law - uncle sams curse
Roscoe - young roscoe philaphornia
DJ Quik - Safe and Sound
Foesum - Perfection
Tha Dogg Pound - Dogg Food

B00004ZDTR.01._PE_SCMZZZZZZZ_.jpg
B000000W98.01._PE_SCMZZZZZZZ_.jpg
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B00009L548.01._PE_SCMZZZZZZZ_.jpg
B00000GBZ1.01._PE_SCMZZZZZZZ_.jpg
B000003117.01._PE_SCMZZZZZZZ_.jpg
B000003ABQ.01._PE_SCMZZZZZZZ_.jpg
 

Mason

Member
Tapped out the genre? You haven't even tapped in.


You still need:

The Roots - Phrenology
Common - Electric Circus
Deltron 3030 - Deltron 3030 (THE BEST hip-hop album of all-time)
Del the Funky Homosapien - any album


Just to get started.
 

miyuru

Member
I always loved Mase's debut album, Harlem World. The new Method Man album was really good too (Tical 0 - The Prequel).

Ah, I'm so commercial, but it's all good ^_^
 
Does anyone else know the Blue Scholars? I downloaded some of their stuff from Blue School weeks back and it's quite good. Old school sounding.
 

VPhys

Member
So Pharenlogy is good? I'm still undecided on that one since I've heard mixed reviews.


What about this?

B00007FGLT.01._PE21_SCMZZZZZZZ_.jpg


Syphon that's some intersting stuff that I forgot about. Brings back meomries. I have Dogg Food, it's a classic.
 

Blackie

Member
Mumbles said:
Pretty much anything from Common, except maybe Can I Borrow A Dollar.

Pete Rock & CL: Mecca and the Soul Brother, and Main Ingredients.

Tribe Called Quest: Low End Theory, Midnight Marauders, Low End Theory, People's Instinctive Travels..., Low End Theory.

Redman: Whut? Thee Album.

And buy more Gangstarr - especially their earlier stuff (eg. Step into the Arena)

And now let's Branch out a bit...
J-Live: All of the Above
Leaders of the New School: A Future without a Past
Aceyalone: A Book of Human language or All Balls don't Bounce (But not Love & Hate)
Blackalicious: Anything
Roots Manuva: Run Come Save Me. Brand New Second hand is good, too.
People Under the Stairs: The Next Step.
De La Soul: 3 Feet High and Rising, De la Soul is Dead, Buhloone Mind State
Goodie MOB: Soul Food
Del the Funkee Homosapien: Anything
Souls of Mischief: '93 Till...
Reaekwon the Chef: Only Built 4 Cuban Linx
Phaycyde: Bizarre Ride 2 tha Pharcyde
Kool G. Rap & DJ Polo: Pretty much anything
Jedi Mind Tricks: Violent by Design
Atmosphere: God Loves Ugly
Cypress HIll: Cypress Hill
Company Flow: Funcrusher Plus
El-P: Fantastic Damage
Brand New Heavies: Heavy Rhyme Experience Volume 1
Ultramagnetic MCs: Any
Kool Keith (and various aliases): any

Hell fucking yeah. For Kool Keith I'd suggest you start with his Dr. Octagon album, though, cause I consider that to be his best work.

Almost everything recommended in this thread is great. You people really know good hip hop.

Also, I consider Electric Circus to be a fairly sub par common album. Probably a 7.5 out of 10 album on my scale. You already got his best stuff.
 

spangler

Member
I heartily second the recommendation for the Ultramagnetic MC's Critical Beatdown. The reissue just came out in the last month or two and it really is an essential album in any hip-hop collection.

The Def Jux recommendations are solid as well. I'd start with El-P and Cannibal Ox. Mr. Lif is great as well. Definitely pick up Company Flow's seminal Funcrusher (plus/reissue) also. Did anyone mention Murs previously? If not, somebody should have. The Living Legends are good and Atmosphere is pretty popular with many people but not to my tastes.

The thread starter has the seeds of a decent collection but is very, very far from "tapping out the genre" as the multitude of responses has indicated.

PS - Forgot to mention Aesop Rock specifically. I loves that guy. Any of the Def Jux comps would be a great starting point. Check out the website to download a few samples. After you've fallen under that Def Jux spell, pick up the Rise of the Robots DVD. Entertaining stuff for the fans.
 

Mumbles

Member
VPhys said:
So Pharenlogy is good? I'm still undecided on that one since I've heard mixed reviews.


What about this?

B00007FGLT.01._PE21_SCMZZZZZZZ_.jpg

Honestly, I didn't like Phrenology much. Too far away from their other stuff. Do You Want More is still my favorite from them, and things slowly went downhill from there.

I loved Electric Circus, though.
 

Blackace

if you see me in a fight with a bear, don't help me fool, help the bear!
Ok you need Dilated Peoples...(all of them)... Afroman (both of them) The DOC (No one can do it better) And any E 40 you can find.. (newer stuff is put together better, but the older stuff is off the hook also)
 

isamu

OMFG HOLY MOTHER OF MARY IN HEAVEN I CANT BELIEVE IT WTF WHERE ARE MY SEDATIVES AAAAHHH
How anyone went through this thread without recommending:

Ice Cube
X-Clan
Poor Righteous Teachers
Bran Nubian
Grand Poobah
&
Das Efx

...is beyond me.
 

Lambtron

Unconfirmed Member
Just about everything that I would recommend has been named, namely Enter the Wu (which is completely out of hand, seminal, and amazing) and the Def Jux stuff (especially Cannibal Ox, and Mr. Lif is fucking hot). There's so many different styles that it's pretty hard to tap out the entire genre. I saw Madvillainy listed, but I would also add Vaudeville Villain.

So, my whole-hearted recommendation:

B000005CEY.01.LZZZZZZZ.jpg


I can't recommend anything else on that level, let alone above it. It's so... different. It's gritty and heavy, with tons of rock influence, but it's definitely hip-hop. After being bored of hip-hop due to the extremely heavy rotation it had everywhere in the early 90s, a guy I know lent me this disc, and it renewed my faith in hip-hop. A guy set up a website devoted to them recently with some mp3s and info... and I can't remember where it was! I posted it here before, though. I don't know, if you're skeptical, hunt down that site, and check out some clips. It's great.
 
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