Neither does Nas' Illmatic, although everyone seems to rave about it on BEA.
I'd argue that Illmatic isn't a great place to start if you're approaching hip hop as a rock/pop fan (which I was when I got into the genre). When I first started listening to the genre I was always looking for elements of rock in the songs, assuming that rock influences would be what made the best hip hop great. It was with this mindset that I first heard Illmatic, and honestly I was super bored. Looking back, I realize this was a terrible way to approach the genre because hip hop is it's own thing, and letting go of any preconceived notions of what makes music great will help you enjoy it more. Though this is true with any genre, as Luigii said. Now I realize that Illmatic is a masterpiece, but the greatness in that album is the dense lyricism and rhyming, not the music, which was tough for me to realize back then. I wouldn't blame someone who's just getting into the genre if they didn't care for it.
That Ka song reminded me of Edan's Beauty and the Beat, which has some rock samples in it and might be another good place to start:
Link [/url] _________________ And it's hard to be a human being. And it's harder as anything else.
Wu-tang was definitely harder hitting and more aggressive, too aggressive for this peace-loving introvert.
A Tribe Called Quest was more palatable, perhaps because of the melodic content of the samples in the accompaniment: familiar because of other music I like, but then again too repetitive to hold interest alone, for me. A lot of variety in the M.C.s but cohesive as an album. I liked the laid back tempos.
I found myself offended by the N word, and funnily A Tribe Called Quest had a whole song explaining the cultural and generational re-appropriation of the word. Still, it rubs me the wrong way. But what does that matter, I'm a white guy on the other side of the world?
Also, a fair bit of misogyny, which is not to say that hip-hop is the only guilty genre. White blues men to Guns'n'Roses are just as guilty.
I realise this is only a surface impression of these albums. Realising that it's just a different culture to mine, I have to look beyond the surface differences to find some sort of common ground of human experience to connect with it.
This is an album I actually had in 1993, and ditched somewhere along the line, but it's an interesting case in point. It's part of what would've been called acid jazz in 1993. I'm a guitarist, and so can relate to it on that level, but ultimately it's not a great jazz guitar album, and neither is it a great hip-hop album, but sadly it's probably as close to what I can relate to in hip-hop in the year of 1993, at this point. It's worst moments are towards smooth jazz, but it's best moments are where it moves towards more urban influences. In a way, it's probably what Wes Montgomery would've done in the same era, and Ronny Jordan is probably a fan of Wes' A&M records.
Wu-tang was definitely harder hitting and more aggressive, too aggressive for this peace-loving introvert.
A Tribe Called Quest was more palatable, perhaps because of the melodic content of the samples in the accompaniment: familiar because of other music I like, but then again too repetitive to hold interest alone, for me. A lot of variety in the M.C.s but cohesive as an album. I liked the laid back tempos.
I found myself offended by the N word, and funnily A Tribe Called Quest had a whole song explaining the cultural and generational re-appropriation of the word. Still, it rubs me the wrong way. But what does that matter, I'm a white guy on the other side of the world?
Also, a fair bit of misogyny, which is not to say that hip-hop is the only guilty genre. White blues men to Guns'n'Roses are just as guilty.
I realise this is only a surface impression of these albums. Realising that it's just a different culture to mine, I have to look beyond the surface differences to find some sort of common ground of human experience to connect with it.
Firstly, it's great your even interested in trying rap music, my brother and I could never get my Dad interested ever, even though both of us love it.
Secondly, as for that word, just know that it is in a completely different context than being used as a racial slur. In the context of (most) rap songs, it's simply just another term to refer to another person. You're British, I assume, so think of it as the way some (not all I'm sure) people might use the word c*nt to refer to each other in a casual conversation. That word in particular is not quite as offensive in British English as it is in American English. However, I totally understand if it makes you uncomfortable. It's something I grew up with, so I have much more exposure to it.
Since you listened to Wu Tang, I'm wondering what you would think of this mash up album that was made called "Wugazi" using Wu Tang verses with the punk band Fugazi's music.
I know Common isn't exactly regarded as super cool in the Hip Hop sphere, but it's no secret he's one of my favourite artists, and his album 'Be' was a huge stepping stone to getting me into hip hop, which is now one of my favourite genres.
It's upbeat, optimistic, and it wouldn't even make your nan blush, all while being introspective on the innercity. Kanye's production here is super soulful and melodic, so anyone with a more traditional ear should feel right at home.
My girlfriend got it for me on vinyl just last month and it sounds criiiiiisp for a mid 2000s hip hop record.
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