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benpaco
Who's gonna watch you die?
Age: 27
Location: California
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- #1
- Posted: 05/27/2014 18:48
- Post subject: Hip Hop and America
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Hey all! I'm doing a history report on how hip-hop and American culture have related to each other and grown with each other throughout the years. While I know some about hip-hop, I don't know as much as some of the others of you. I'm looking for a few specific things:
1 The real classic/most important hip-hop albums.
2 Hip-hop songs which deal with politics in America or socioeconomic statuses.
and 3 Albums and or songs that aren't "Same Love" which deal with homophobia in hip-hop, either that the song is homophobic (or even just uses slurs towards gay people), or that it is pro-gay rights (such as Frank Ocean's open letter or T-Pain's interview regarding that, though preferably I'd love songs/albums).
I hope some of you can help! Thanks!
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drakonium
coucou
Location: More than one
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- #3
- Posted: 05/27/2014 21:20
- Post subject: Re: Hip Hop and America
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| benpaco wrote: | | 1 The real classic/most important hip-hop albums. |
| lethalnezzle wrote: | Aight, here are what I consider to be landmark albums in hip-hop. The list is in no way complete (I've neglected the Mannie Fresh No Limit / Cash Money sound that helped the careers of Juvenile, Birdman and Lil Wayne, whilst the Three 6 Mafia get no love either despite what they did for the genre. Also, there's no sign of The Geto Boys despite them being the first breakout stars from the South, whilst originators such as Kurtis Blow or the Sugarhill Gang aren't deemed worthy of a mention. There's no DMX or Ja Rule or Ludacris or, more recently, T.I., despite their importance in shaping the sound of commercial hip-hop over the last decade or so. There's also no room for Lauryn Hill or The Fugees. Great artists like Common and The Roots also can't find a place. It may not seem very fair, but I've narrowed it down to a bare minimum based somewhat on my tastes and somewhat on what I consider to be the general consensus, but there's always going to be something missing). Needless to say, everybody should own all of these, including the honourable mentions:
Run-DMC - Raising Hell (1986)
Established hip-hop as a mainstream force, simple as that. It's not too much of a stretch to say that we might, without the crossover success of Run-DMC, be talking about hip-hop as a fad that happened in the '80s.
Honourable mentions: LL Cool J - Radio (1985), Beastie Boys - Licensed To Ill (1986)
Eric B. & Rakim - Paid In Full (1987)
Before Rakim, rappers used to just rhyme the last syllable of each line and that was acceptable. Rakim paved the way for internal rhyme scheme and technique to come to the fore, and is basically the father of modern rapping.
Honourable mentions: Slick Rick - The Great Adventures of Slick Rick (1988), The D.O.C. - No One Can Do It Better (1989), Kool G. Rap & DJ Polo - Road To The Riches (1989)
Public Enemy - It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back (1988)
Angry and in-your-face, both the album's political stance and its' Bomb Squad production were hugely influential. Ice Cube's solo career would take on a very different slant were it not for this album, rappers such as Mos Def, Pharoahe Monch and Talib Kweli may never have had the same careers without Chuck D's influence, and producers like El-P would never have thought to draw from the same dark sonic palette.
Honourable mentions: Boogie Down Productions - By All Means Necessary (1988), EPMD - Strictly Business (1988), Ice Cube - AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted (1990)
NWA - Straight Outta Compton (1988)
The first gangsta rap album to go truly mainstream, and one that had huge repercussions throughout popular culture. It had been done before, but never had it found its' way into so many middle-class white households. This album must've scared the shit out of a lot of parents, but its' main influence is probably in the fact that it created a period of West Coast gangsta rap dominance that lasted half a decade, despite the genre being invented in New York.
Honourable mentions: Too $hort - Born To Mack (1987), Ice-T - Power (1988)
De La Soul - 3 Feet High and Rising (1989)
This album basically showed how far sampling could be pushed (or at least, how far people thought it could be pushed at that time), and also brought a sense of lyrical playfulness to a genre that was bogged down in gangsta posturing and militant Nation of Islam doctrine. It was also the first hip-hop album to utilize skits (for better or worse).
Honourable mentions: Ultramagnetic MCs - Critical Beatdown (1988), Beastie Boys - Paul's Boutique (1989)
A Tribe Called Quest - The Low End Theory (1991)
Perfectly bridged two generations of music by matching jazz with hip-hop in new and exciting ways. Proved that sometimes a James Brown or Incredible Bongo Band sample just doesn't cut it, and created a coherent masterpiece whilst doing so. To my ears, at least, this album is the first completely coherent hip-hop "classic album" (not to say I don't love others - there are earlier hip-hop albums that I prefer to this), but it sort of set the benchmark that albums such as Illmatic and, more recently, Kendrick's GKMC have attempted to live up to, i.e. hip-hop to be taken seriously.
Honourable mentions: Jungle Brothers - Straight Out The Jungle (1988), Gang Starr - Daily Operation (1992), The Pharcyde - Bizarre Ride II The Pharcyde (1992), A Tribe Called Quest - Midnight Marauders (1993)
Dr. Dre - The Chronic (1992)
Popularized the West Coast G-funk sound that replaced James Brown samples with George Clinton interpolations and live music. Shaped the classic West Coast sound and image that has remained prominent ever since. Launched the career of Snoop Dogg and consolidated the career of the now legendary Dr. Dre.
Honourable mentions: DJ Quik - Quik Is The Name (1991), Snoop Doog - Doggystyle (1993)
Wu-Tang Clan - Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) (1993)
Holding off on its' influence for a second, just look at the number of major careers it launched - Raekwon, Ghostface, Method Man, ODB, GZA, RZA. Now, to its' influence: it helped to sculpt the gritty NY sound that I love more than any other, helped to create the cult of the personality in hip-hop, helped to form the street slang that has been so prominent in hip-hop since.
Honourable mention: GZA - Liquid Swords (1995)
Nas - Illmatic (1994)
If The Low End Theory was the first classic rap 'album' in the traditional sense, then Illmatic perfected the mold. Thought by many to be the greatest rap album of all-time, its' memorable beats courtesy of the best who ever did it (DJ Premier, Large Professor, Q-Tip, etc.) and introspective, almost abstract rhymes about street life made it a standout that had a huge hand in shaping hip-hop ever since. Ask virtually any conscious or backpack rapper that started rhyming post-'94, and - virtually to a man - they'll tell you Illmatic was their Bible.
Honourable mention: Mobb Deep - The Infamous (1995)
The Notorious B.I.G. - Ready To Die (1994)
The first album to successfully marry massive crossover pop hits and 'songs for the ladies' with hard gangsta rap. Whatever it is he actually did, Puffy's influence is clear in terms of the massive pop hooks and sugary smooth beats, which serve as the perfect foil to Biggie's simultaneously smooth yet rugged flow. This album is essentially the blueprint for every crossover street rapper since, from Jay-Z to Ja Rule to 50 Cent.
Honourable mentions: 2Pac - All Eyez On Me (1996), The Notorious B.I.G. - Life After Death (1997), 50 Cent - Get Rich or Die Trying (2003)
Raekwon - Only Built 4 Cuban Linx... (1995)
Mafioso rap is such a large strand of hip-hop, particularly on the East Coast, and this is the ultimate mafioso rap album. The protagonists (Rae and Ghost) sounded like gangsters from the movies, and this really is the pinnacle of the cinematic, slang-laden, Tony Montana-influenced subgenre of hip-hop, that as recently as Roc Marciano's Reloaded has produced a great album.
Honourable mentions: Kool G. Rap & DJ Polo - Live and Let Die (1992), Scarface - The Diary (1994), AZ - Doe or Die (1995), and...
Jay-Z - Reasonable Doubt (1996)
...which added a radio-friendly sheen to said mafioso rap, helped to invent the idea of being a hustler first and foremost in hip-hop, and launched the career of the biggest rapper in the world.
Honourable mention: Nas - It Was Written (1996)
UGK - Ridin' Dirty / Outkast - ATLiens (both 1996)
Both of these albums were completely instrumental in shaping and popularising the funky Southern sound that became so massive and influential in the mid-to-late '90s. They had an organic, at times psychedelic, always funky sound that artists continue to try and emulate to this day (just look at Big K.R.I.T.). Also, without the four rappers across these two albums, we'd be looking at a very different landscape in terms of lyrics and flow. Arguably the two best rappers of 2012 both owe a lot to UGK and Outkast - Freddie Gibbs is a direct descendant of Bun B, whilst there's a whole lot of Andre 3000 in Kendrick Lamar's rhyme structure.
Honourable mentions: UGK - Too Hard to Swallow (1992), Outkast - Southerplayalisticadillacmuzik (1994), Goodie Mob - Soul Food (1995), Outkast - Aquemini (1998)
Company Flow - Funcrusher Plus / Black Star - Mos Def and Talib Kweli are Black Star (1997/1998)
Rawkus Records launched the careers of some of the underground's biggest names, essentially pushing backpack rap into the mainstream and shaping the sound of underground hip-hop in ways that are still prominent today. Its' Soundbombing and Lyricist Lounge compilations showcased Rawkus' wide variety of talents, most notably Mos Def and Talib Kweli. Company Flow's El-P went on to form indie label Def Jux, another label which helped to shape - and whose name is synonymous with - underground hip-hop.
Honourable mentions: Mos Def - Black on Both Sides (1999), Various Artists - Soundbombing II (1999), Cannibal Ox - The Cold Vein (2001)
Jay-Z - The Blueprint (2001)
Jay-Z is the only artist with two albums in this list (unless you count Raekwon), and with good reason too - The Blueprint was the pad which helped launch producers Kanye West and Just Blaze into the stratosphere. All of a sudden, chipmunk soul beats were de riguer, and you couldn't escape them. Jay-Z single-handedly made these producers - and their particular sound - cool, and hip-hop has never looked back.
Honourable mentions: Scarface - The Fix (2002), Kanye West - The College Dropout (2004)
Madvillain - Madvillainy (2004)
Perhaps a strange choice, but I think it is only now - almost a decade on from its' release - that we will begin to see the impact this album has had on a generation of hip-hop artists. The most recent album on this list has shown its' influence heavily in a few of 2012's releases, most notably Action Bronson's Blue Chips, Captain Murphy's Duality and Earl Sweatshirt's single 'Chum'. I believe the bizarre, almost ADHD sonic palette and vivid abstract rhymes of Madvillainy will come to be seen as major benchmarks in a rap industry that - thanks to our post-regional landscape and instant access culture - is growing increasingly weird. And that can only be a good thing.
Honourable mention: J Dilla - Donuts (2006) |
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Mercury
Turn your back on the pay-you-back last call
Gender: Male
Location: St. Louis
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benpaco
Who's gonna watch you die?
Age: 27
Location: California
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- #5
- Posted: 05/27/2014 23:13
- Post subject:
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Oh my god those are helpful, thank you both so much. If anyone has anything to add, especially on point 3, that'd be great!
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HigherThanTheSun
Gender: Male
Age: 33
Location: UK
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- #6
- Posted: 05/28/2014 00:43
- Post subject: Re: Hip Hop and America
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On point 1 I'd mainly refer to lethal's post. In terms of cultural impact I'd say the most important of those artists would be Run DMC, Public Enemy, NWA, Biggie, Jay Z.
Point 2 I'm not really sure about. I mean the socioeconomic position of most rappers informs their music, but in terms of specifically rapping about it I'd have to think. Lethal probably knows!
On point 3 I'd listen to Big L's Lifestylez ov da Poor & Dangerous
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sp4cetiger
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- #7
- Posted: 05/28/2014 00:57
- Post subject:
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In addition to lethal's awesome post (which I'll now use to supplement my listening lists), be sure to look into some old school hip hop, which wasn't typically album-oriented. Some of the notable artists include Grandmaster Flash, Afrika Bambaataa, and the Sugarhill Gang. I don't listen to them much, but if you're going to write about the history of hip hop, they're pretty essential. I think drak had a thread about that recently...
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RepoMan
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- #8
- Posted: 05/28/2014 02:33
- Post subject:
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[quote=benpaco"]point 3 Albums and or songs that aren't "Same Love" which deal with homophobia in hip-hop[/quote]
| benpaco wrote: | | Oh my god those are helpful, thank you both so much. If anyone has anything to add, especially on point 3, that'd be great! |
I don't have much too add on hip hop at all (in fact, I think Lethal just outed my entire hip collection  ). But I loved Eminem's first two albums (Slim Shady & Marshal Mathers) and I remember that there was a lot of controversy at the time about his homophobic content of those albums.
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Kool Keith Sweat
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- #9
- Posted: 05/28/2014 02:44
- Post subject: Re: Hip Hop and America
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| benpaco wrote: | | 3 Albums and or songs that aren't "Same Love" which deal with homophobia in hip-hop, either that the song is homophobic (or even just uses slurs towards gay people), or that it is pro-gay rights (such as Frank Ocean's open letter or T-Pain's interview regarding that, though preferably I'd love songs/albums). |
The documentary Paris Is Burning on the queer rap scene in NYC (back in the '80s/'90s), and the current queer rap scene in NYC (et al.) which includes Zebra Katz, Le1f, Mykki Blanco, and Big Freedia (all of which have relatively popular singles, and play major festivals) would be a good place to start. Lil B also put out the album I'm Gay (less about sexuality and more about positivity), at which DMX was shocked at. As hip hop consumption has become mainstream, and today's culture is shifting towards acceptance of homosexuality and other sexuality/gender issues, queer rap is only growing, and homophobia in rap is becoming less accepted.
EDIT: here's a couple articles
http://pitchfork.com/features/articles/...nted-swag/
http://thequietus.com/articles/12903-ze...-interview
http://thequietus.com/articles/13046-le...tree-house
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benpaco
Who's gonna watch you die?
Age: 27
Location: California
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- #10
- Posted: 05/28/2014 04:16
- Post subject:
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I feel like I've somehow come full circle here. KKS, you were the first one that got me to listen to Madvillain, as well as some other favorites (such as Rawhyde and Rap Album One), it's great to see your input here.
As to sp4cetiger, I'd love some idea of what I'm missing at the moment in the terms of early rap. I've so far covered DJ Kool Herc, The Incredible Bongo Band, Grandmaster Flash, Afrika Bambaataa, Sugar Hill Gang, Queen Latifa, and Run-DMC thus far. Before I continue on past 1984 to start introducing other movements of rap, such as Beastie Boys, is there anything specific you can think of I missed?
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