The Villi Phanatic Posted May 19, 2009 Share Posted May 19, 2009 Been meaning to make a post like this for a while but never got around to it. Seems like there are plenty of hip hop fans on this board and I've gotten recommendations for albums in the past like eligh's "the preface" and blu and exile's "below the heavens" so I figured I'd start this thread up. I'm intending for this post to become an ongoing thread of sorts for people to add reviews/recommendations of hip hop albums, old or new, for others to check out. Specifically, I'm doing this for lesser known albums (ie. not dre's the chronic or lupe's the cool) but we'll see what direction this thread goes in. And try to give a few links for tracks (youtube has just about every song out there) as well as a brief overview of what the album is like. I don't want this thread to simply turn into cats listing a bunch of albums in their replies with no insight as to what the albums/artists sound like and a lot of time and effort needed for posters to find and check out each album listed and determine what they may like. I'll start off with a mix of some old school and some underground. 1. Smif N Wesson - the Shining (not that unknown but I'm sure a lot of younger cats don't know about it) Arguably the best album from the Boot Camp Clik, the Shining has the typical East Coast NY beats that will get your head nodding from the get. The album has few skippable songs as Tek and Steele's smooth flows mesh with the beats for a great straight through listen with plenty of replay value. "Bucktown" "Wrekonize" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yleRpI2N730&feature=related "Wrektime" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fqht-R7rTPU&feature=related 2. One Be Lo - SONOGRAM (since I always hype up this album I might as well include it now) Solo album from One Be Lo from the group Binary Star. The album, which dropped around 2001, has that Tribe called Quest feel to it with great lyrics and command of the beats from One Be Lo as well as a wide array, yet cohesive mix of styles and song concepts. For an album that dropped post 90s and has 20+ tracks, it quite surprisingly has only a few tracks which I skip and has great replay value as it's stood the test of time over the past decade. As an aside, Pete Rock did a remix of one of the tracks IIRC. "Sleepwalking" "Used 2 Be Fly" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UA-KsaDJoIY "The Ghetto" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D_75Wr1zOak&feature=related "Rocketship" 3. Hard 2 Obtain - Ism and Blues I'm ending my first post with one of the first underground staples from hip hop. Originally dropped in the mid 90s, this album gained wide appeal on the underground over the years with hip hop collectors due to its East Coast jazz influenced boom bap sound and flows. Re-released in the past couple years, this album features the Artifacts on one track and a lead single "L.I. Groove" sampling Rakim. While I don't know if the album quite lived up to the hype by the time I got it after its re-release (probably would have been nearly impossible to considering how much hype I saw about it), it's certainly worth copping and is a solid listen for fans of the NY early-mid 90s hip hop. "L.I. Groove" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FeZO_hZZo3Q "Heels without Souls" "Ghetto Diamond" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R5Z07WP9AZo&feature=PlayList&p=F769851E87705A0B&playnext=1&playnext_from=PL&index=43 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RonArtest15 Posted May 19, 2009 Share Posted May 19, 2009 Good thread idea bro....I'll be back later on w. some more info...but, I'll contribute: Deltron 3030 I don't have the time now to write a summary, but it's one of the most incredible albums that I own in my collection. Beats are insane and Del KILLS on the lyrics.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ccsl2 Posted May 19, 2009 Share Posted May 19, 2009 Nice Thread. As you can see by my sig, get some Little Brother in your life. Phonte's lyrical game is on point. Their latest LP Getback has different producers since 9th Wonder left the group. But therie other albums are The Listening, The Chitlin Circuit 1.5, Minstrel Show, Seperate But Equal (DJ Drama Free Version), Getback, and And Justus For All. I would also peep out Murs, Elzhi as you mentioned, and this new cat Drake. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Villi Phanatic Posted May 19, 2009 Author Share Posted May 19, 2009 I have one little brother album - "justus for all" which is decent and have peeped some snippets and random songs from them otherwise but have thought they're so-so overall. I also own a murs and 9th wonder album that I like (short album with "hustler" and "bad man") though I don't always care for 9th's beats. I'll check out some more little brother albums at some point in the future though (any album in particular you recommend?) I also have a number of del albums, mostly solo as well as the first heiro joint. Don't own deltron though, that's the one produced by dan the automator, right? Had a distinct sound, the "spaced-out" type production if I remember correctly. And if anyone has requests for certain types of albums (ie. you like "the shining" and want suggestions on similar albums or you're interested in underground groups from around 2000), let me know. I probably have well over 500 rap albums in my collection now and was a radio show host for a few years back in the day (was also an mc and hope to get back into the studio at some point but that's another matter altogether). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ccsl2 Posted May 19, 2009 Share Posted May 19, 2009 I have one little brother album - "justus for all" which is decent and have peeped some snippets and random songs from them otherwise but have thought they're so-so overall. I also own a murs and 9th wonder album that I like (short album with "hustler" and "bad man") though I don't always care for 9th's beats. I'll check out some more little brother albums at some point in the future though (any album in particular you recommend?)I also have a number of del albums, mostly solo as well as the first heiro joint. Don't own deltron though, that's the one produced by dan the automator, right? Had a distinct sound, the "spaced-out" type production if I remember correctly. And if anyone has requests for certain types of albums (ie. you like "the shining" and want suggestions on similar albums or you're interested in underground groups from around 2000), let me know. I probably have well over 500 rap albums in my collection now and was a radio show host for a few years back in the day (was also an mc and hope to get back into the studio at some point but that's another matter altogether). Well when I first discovered them the album I heard was The Minstrel Show. So i went from there in worked backwards. So I would get Getback next and then go from there. Thhat album was different because it was the first album that was without 9th Wonder in the group so they used different producers. But the dude in LB is Phonte. He is very talented and he sings as well. He is in this group called Foreign Exchange also. I would peep those albums out also. The first one "Connected", is rapping with some R&B. The second album is "Leave It All Behind", is basically all R&B. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stew Posted May 19, 2009 Share Posted May 19, 2009 Cannibal Ox "The Cold Vein" Cage "Movies for the Blind" Madlib and MF Doom "Madvillian" Blockhead "Music by Cavelight" RJD2 "Deadringer" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cooked Crack Posted May 19, 2009 Share Posted May 19, 2009 Some albums I'm checking out right now. Free album, available http://diznmoon.com/ I was sleeping on this but it's pretty enjoyable and you can stream the entire album. Caged Bird Pt. 1 In The Mornin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Villi Phanatic Posted May 20, 2009 Author Share Posted May 20, 2009 Stew, some decent suggestions (I own madvillain and am ironically listening to rjd2 as I type), but I'm hoping cats will put at least a little blurb/comment and/or song links for each album in their replies so other posters can get a bit of insight into each album and decide what to check out. Cooked crack, cats like zion I are really hit or miss for me song to song and I doubt I would like an entire album from him or others with similar sounds like the freestyle fellowship (who I think he may be down with, right?). With that being said, I'm digging a few of the joints off the album you mentioned and have had the coasting song on steady rotation on a youtube playlist I created recently. The caged bird joint with ali that you linked is dope as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Villi Phanatic Posted May 20, 2009 Author Share Posted May 20, 2009 Figured I'd add another album this morning... a definite classic and great listen for fans of the East coast early 90s sound Masta Ace - Slaughtahouse Best album from former Juice Crew member Masta Ace. Released in 93, the production is great with that East Coast boom bap sound throughout the album. Ace matches the beats with a smooth flow and sharp lyrics. While the singles from later albums like "Born 2 Roll" and "Sitting on Chrome" may have been bigger hits, this album has the best straight through and replay value. "Late Model Sedan" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MxNLgi9BV7Y "Jeep Ass Niguh" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stew Posted May 20, 2009 Share Posted May 20, 2009 Stew, some decent suggestions (I own madvillain and am ironically listening to rjd2 as I type), but I'm hoping cats will put at least a little blurb/comment and/or song links for each album in their replies so other posters can get a bit of insight into each album and decide what to check out. I know, I was just at work, as I am now. Ill get back on and will throw up some lyrics for each album later tonight. RJD2's first album was his best in my opinion if you like hip hop. His other efforts besides "Since Last We Spoke" were a bit more poetic and less hip hop. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stew Posted May 20, 2009 Share Posted May 20, 2009 Also, RJD2 is a DJ and some of his songs dont even have lyrics... still kicks ass though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
illone Posted May 20, 2009 Share Posted May 20, 2009 sicknature - honey im home Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ccsl2 Posted May 21, 2009 Share Posted May 21, 2009 Villi, I am dropping some songs from different little brother albums for you to peep out. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vsMM8JQ10hk "Can't win For Losing" - Getback CD "Starvation feat. Chaundon -The Chitlin Circuit 1.5 CD "For You" - The Listening CD "Good Clothes" - Getback CD http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NcgualTn0dc Foreign Exchange (Phonte and Producer Nicolay) "Raw Life" - Connected CD Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
richard saunders Posted May 21, 2009 Share Posted May 21, 2009 Sounds like a large collection of backpacks....eghhhh Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Toe Jam Posted May 21, 2009 Share Posted May 21, 2009 Thanks for this thread. I'm getting real sick of the ****ing bull**** that keeps coming out in the mainstream. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ccsl2 Posted May 21, 2009 Share Posted May 21, 2009 Thanks for this thread. I'm getting real sick of the ****ing bull**** that keeps coming out in the mainstream. I can't remember the last time I listened to music on the radio. Thank goodness for the Internet and Ipods. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LeftCoast Skinz FAN Posted May 21, 2009 Share Posted May 21, 2009 Mighty Underdogs: Jake ONE: Jake ONE is doing an album with Freeway. Freeway is one of the most underrated MCs out. It should be fire. Heltah Skeltah: Speaking of the BCC, you have to check this one out. Other than the Smiff n Wesson joint in the OP, this is the other hot **** from the BCC. A must listen from beginning to end. I will comeback and drop more must haves. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ccsl2 Posted May 21, 2009 Share Posted May 21, 2009 Little Brother has a track on that Jake One joint...called "Bless the Child" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Dominion Monarch 06 Posted May 21, 2009 Share Posted May 21, 2009 I came here to say Cannibal Ox's "The Cold Vein" because it's easily my favorite hip-hop record of all-time. Glad someone else mentioned it already. Here's a link to the first track on record entitled "Iron Galaxy" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9DVNwyCymUw I HATE pitchfork, but this review is actually pretty decent, this is just the conclusion of the review, click the link to read it in it's entirety : http://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/1284-the-cold-vein/ Ultimately, Cannibal Ox inherit the mantle of the Wu-Tang Clan: you can polish your rhetorical teeth endlessly, but when your appetite is for violence you stay mired in the muck you rose from. At times you can't tell whether they want to break conventions or heads, or whether it's an either/or proposition. But witness the transition from disgust to critique here: "With beats that have to be registered as sex offenders before presented to the public/ I'll exfoliate your face with the acid inside my stomach/ Binge and purge/ We live in thirty-second blurbs/ And if consumers stop existing we forget how to use words/ Just ****in' eat each other 'til the next ice age occurs. " Here's to Cannibal Ox transcending the Wu's paranoid conspiracy theories and truly dropping critical science. But enough of the bull****, The Cold Vein is going to be on everybody's year-end list of the best underground hip-hop. Consume it, just watch it doesn't consume you. a bit from wiki: The Cold Vein was generally received well by critics, drawing many favorable comparisons to the 36 Chambers-era Wu-Tang Clan.Many praised El-P's production work, with CMJ contributor Brian Coleman writing "Producer El-P, of the now-defunct Company Flow, gives this Harlem-bred and Brooklyn-based vocal duo of Vast Aire and Shamar what usually sounds like a full goth orchestra perched in a dank basement, with thick synth strings, simulated outer-space found-sounds and choppy, pounding drums." Allmusic contributor Jack LV Isles was also impressed by El-P's beats, writing "El-P (a serious candidate for producer of the year) lays out some of the most lushly intriguing sounds and beats that feel as herky-jerky as they sound gilded with silk." The album was also noted for its profound lyrical content; many critics and fans felt Vast Aire's and Vordul Mega's lyrics painted a vivid picture of a poverty-stricken New York.[1] Gavin Mueller of Stylus Magazine wrote about "The F-Word", a song addressing unrequited love: "Moments like these show not only the skill of Can Ox’s MCs, but the potential for hip hop lyrics to work on as many levels as the finest English poetry." The Cold Vein landed on many 'best of 2001' lists and even some best of the decade. and finally the album art and artists themselves the man behind the beats this is a must listen and must own for any fan of hip-hop. it honestly sounds like it was recorded and produced in deep space. i looooooooove love love love it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LeftCoast Skinz FAN Posted May 21, 2009 Share Posted May 21, 2009 Little Brother has a track on that Jake One joint...called "Bless the Child" That **** is hot!!!!!!! One of my favorites is the one with Freeway and Brother Ali called "The Truth." You should check this guy out too, Ave Stites: Really good Hip Hop music. I recommend it to anyone. Definitely check this one out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ccsl2 Posted May 21, 2009 Share Posted May 21, 2009 That **** is hot!!!!!!! One of my favorites is the one with Freeway and Brother Ali called "The Truth."You should check this guy out too, Ave Stites: Really good Hip Hop music. I recommend it to anyone. Definitely check this one out. yeah Man Little Brother are my dudes...and the dude Phonte is my favorite MC behind Jigga. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Villi Phanatic Posted May 21, 2009 Author Share Posted May 21, 2009 Heltah Skeltah: NocturnalSpeaking of the BCC, you have to check this one out. Other than the Smiff n Wesson joint in the OP, this is the other hot **** from the BCC. A must listen from beginning to end. I'm not feeling nocturnal as much as most cats. There's a few joints I like including of course "leflaur leflah eshkoshka" but overall, I don't care much for the album and felt it didn't live up to the hype by the time I gave it a listen. I'd easily put it behind Enta Da Stage as well as the Shining and would personally put it behind OGC's Da Storm as well. I can't remember the last time I listened to music on the radio. Thank goodness for the Internet and Ipods. Same here... last time I was listening to the radio was when I was doing college radio around 2000... and I haven't really checked for hot 97 since probably back in high school or early college and it had already been getting worse for a few years by then... long, long gone are the days when you'd actually turn it on for battle of the beats or the top 5 at nine... Thanks for this thread. I'm getting real sick of the ****ing bull**** that keeps coming out in the mainstream. No problem. I plan on adding a hundred or so albums to this thread over time as I have plenty of not so well known old school and underground releases from the past 20 years that I'd recommend... but then again, I plan on doing a lot of things so we'll see what happens... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abdcskins Posted May 21, 2009 Share Posted May 21, 2009 Man, this is my area of expertise. I've been listening to hip hop since I was 12 and have an extensive hip hop collection. I also can't stand the mainstream and have a lot of knowledge about the underground. I am at work right now so I'm just gonna list some personal favorites, old and new. I'll give some synopsis later. Insight- Blast Radius Oh No- The Disrupt Black Milk- Popular Demand Sean Price- Jesus Price Supastar MF Doom & Madlib- Madvillainy Organized Konfusion- Stress: The Extinction Agenda A Tribe Called Quest- Midnight Marauders Ghostface Killah- Ironman Wu-Tang Clan- Enter the Wu-Tang: 36 Chambers Eric B & Rakim- Let the Rhythm Hit 'Em Raekwon- Only Built For Cuban Linx GZA- Liquid Swords J Dilla- Donuts Cappadonna- The Pillage Bronze Nazareth- The Great Migration(album in my sig) Hell Razah- Renaissance Child Sunz of Man- The Last Shall Be First City Slick- The Antique Black Jedi Mind Tricks- Violent By Design Quasimoto- The Unseen Souls of Mischief- 93 'til Infinity Wu-Tang Meets the Indie Culture Showbiz and AG- Goodfellas OC- Jewelz Gangstarr- Hard to Earn One Be Lo- S.O.N.O.G.R.A.M. Black Moon- Enta Da Stage Buckshot & 9th Wonder- Chemistry Little Brother- The Minstrel Show Pete Rock- Soul Survivor Chino XL- Here to Save You All Honestly I could go on all night. Also, I saw someone list Hard 2 Obtain- Ism & Blues. Excellent choice, that is a slept on gem from the mid 90's. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WVUforREDSKINS Posted May 21, 2009 Share Posted May 21, 2009 Cunninlynguists "halfanimal" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h6k5jwllFfA love the eminem sample...they are up there with the top tier MC's Bucktown...home of the original gun clappaz. Love that song C-Rayz Walz is another great artist. His metaphors leave my head spinning. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Captain Wiggles Posted May 21, 2009 Share Posted May 21, 2009 The Goats. Tricks of the Shade and No Goats No Glory. They were compared to acts like Public Enemy and Cypress Hill. Probably why I liked them so much. Too bad they didn't last. Good luck finding a real copy since they've been out of print for over 12 years. Torrents are most likely the best way find these albums. Here some info on them: http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=11:apftxqt5ld0e~T1 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Goats Just found they have a MS page. Kinda surprised since they broke up in 96'. http://www.myspace.com/thegoats1992 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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