Is hip hop what it used to be?

[g force]

Some pertinent discussion on this Guardian blog

http://blogs.guardian.co.uk/music/2007/02/looking_for_a_rap_attack.html

Alan McGee talking arse as usual - he's clearly not listened to a lot of hip-hop bar the stuff in the charts. Yes, PE were sublime, yes KRS-ONE had interesting things to say, but his argument is overly simplistic.

Plenty have rappers have made political statements, but maybe not on record. Kanye West's barely concealed rage on the hurricane Katrina appeal was the best example.

Ghostface Killah's Fishscale was sublime, ATLiens by OutKast had elements he talked about and were ambitious works - hell they're practically concept albums.

 

[Iam]

Or take, Deltron 3030 or Later That Day which *are* hip-hop concept albums, and Alan McGee is a twat who clearly hasn't heard anything outside what's on the radio in years..

 

[pk]

Alan McGee signed Oasis, touting them as the best band since the Beatles.

Shows what a cunt he is.

And I hate the fucking Beatles.

 

[pk]

Boogie Boy, I'll reply later... i'm on a PDA with a tiny keyboard...

 

[Iam]

Plenty have rappers have made political statements, but maybe not on record. Kanye West's barely concealed rage on the hurricane Katrina appeal was the best example.

That got radio play, maybe.

 

[Boogie Boy]

What "reckless"?

No - I don't think this is 'Reckless' as featured on 'Breakdance'. This is different and has appeared on a few bootlegs from Germany in recent years.

BB

 

[Gumbert]

pedantry but...

Most of the MCs I know will check Rakim or Chuck D as great rappers but rarely mention more modern guys - even though there are some phenomenally skilled rappers out there today.

I'm sure you mean eric b... Rakim was the dj

 

[Iam]

No he wasn't.

 

[DJ Squelch]

pedantry but...


I'm sure you mean eric b... Rakim was the dj

Nah, Rakim is the rapper.
http://www.discogs.com/artist/Rakim

 

[Gumbert]

fair enough 'twas a while since I got that stuff out of the bag...

 

[top_biller]

Eric B and Rakim were the first MC/DJ group to put the DJ first, IIRC.

Alan McGhee got it right about Follow The Leader, however you might dis his lack of credentials.

"a record so explosive and finely wrought that it has to be heard to be believed"

I bought that record on 7" age 12 and played it over and over and over. It was way before it's time.

"Follow me into a solo
Get in the flow - and you can picture
like a photo
Music mixed mellow maintains to
make
Melodies for MC's motivates the breaks
I'm everlastin, I can go on for days and days
With rhyme displays that engrave deep as X-rays
I can
take a phrase that's rarely heard, flip it,
Now
it's a daily word"

 

[The_Reverend_M]

"Follow me into a solo
Get in the flow - and you can picture
like a photo
Music mixed mellow maintains to
make
Melodies for MC's motivates the breaks
I'm everlastin, I can go on for days and days
With rhyme displays that engrave deep as X-rays
I can
take a phrase that's rarely heard, flip it,
Now
it's a daily word"

Just reading that sent shivers down my spine

 

[spoone]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DJ_Yoda

Dj yoda

 

[Pigeon]

It lost much of it's initial sense of humour when wankers like Ice T hopped on the bandwagon...

Ice T was witty as fuck.