Hip-Hop

[Riddick]

sorry if i'm listing any artist that have already been.

mobb deep
dmx
devin the dude
xzibit
westside connection
clipse
ludacris
ol dirty bastard (i know wu tang was mentioned but their solo albums are good)
method man
gza
raekwon
outkast
young jeezy
rick ross
M.O.P.

[Mr. Maul]

[youtube]DdWQ94Zqzs8[/youtube]

[youtube]XMlm3Uz8s_g[/youtube]

[youtube]UTBLdj4Nuq8[/youtube]

[youtube]RAbaDgmHpn0[/youtube]


[FONT=Verdana][SIZE=1][COLOR=DimGray]Discuss.












[/COLOR][/SIZE][/FONT]

[AzureWolf]

I am by no means an expert, but I really like Fort Minor: We Major album featuring Green Lantern. And I give a thumbs up to Jedi Mind Tricks that has already been mentioned.

[eleanor]

[font=trebuchet ms] Such a random post, but Eminem's verse on "Forever" totally kills everyone else's. Kanye has been letting me down recently.[/font]

[Magus]

[size=1][color=navy]Wow, I feel so far behind since I really just listen to a lot of mid to late 90's hip hop. (And I hardly ever listen to the radio anymore) I've heard quite a few of the newer stuff, but a lot of it's not all that memorable.

I will always be a fan of rappers that have that fast flow style, or rather I'll try and listen to it if they have that style. You can probably figure out who I listen to with that.

Bone Thugs N' Harmony - I'll listen to pretty much anything they put out. I heard a couple of their newer songs (new to me since I've been out of the loop since 2006) and from what I heard I have quite a bit of catching up to do.

Twista - I'm not exactly sure if I really want to hear anything else from him at the moment.

Busta Rhymes
Outkast

I've heard both T.I. and Jay-Z rap pretty fast at one point. Yeah, I am pretty far behind though. I also hear that I'm not missing out on much with the genre as well... "shrugs"[/size][/color]

[Zapcannon]

The lack of hyphy in here sickens me. Lets prescribe some e40, mac dre, the pack, young squad etc...

[conpiracymonki]

[size=1]
I didnt notice anyone mention Lupe yet :o

You should definitely check out both his album releases. 'Food & Liquor' has a sound of its own imo in terms of production; lyrical content isnt even necessary to bring up.. zombie hustlers, robot daydreams, skateboarding doubling as a metaphor for drugdealing, the effect of media.. His second album 'The Cool' might be easier to get into for a first-timer because the production's [strike]a little tinny and[/strike] a bit more mainstream and the hooks are catchier. They're both absolutely amazing though.

[b]Now on with the youtube links![/b]

[b][u]Here are a few songs by underground artists[/b][/u]:
[url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K8Rx-ypy-zk"][b]Inverse - So Far[/b][/url]
[url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lfr3BDj-ScA"][b]Inverse - Spotlight[/b][/url]
[url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qk6tDFPMu-g"][b]Inverse - So True[/b][/url]
[url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=av3VQXiNk4s"][b]CunninLynguists - Nothing To Give[/b][/url]
[url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UkKe4u48p2g"][b]Move.meant - Yesterday[/b][/url]
[URL="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lhyvow6Y4iI"][b]Kidz In The Hall - Wheelz Fall Off[/b][/URL]

Masai - Momentum
[youtube]ljVxnQC8C0w[/youtube]
^I think you can download his album free at [URL="http://centraldigit.com/"]centraldigit.com[/URL].. it has a couple more great tracks, namely [url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eSI5p8Axjpo"][b]Roleplaying[/b][/url], I Dont Mind, Let 'Em Know, and Listen To Me. His brother JPlus's album is also there, which contains the gem [URL="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BN0AxG_D3_A"][b]I Know[/b][/URL].

[b][u]Better known artists:[/b][/u]
[URL="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8RMfINTdc7w"][b]Clipse - Freedom[/b][/URL] (Their new album 'Til The Casket Drops' is probaly better to start off with because it has a more accessible sound)
[URL="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NuZQxyeAbFM"][b]Joe Budden - Walk With Me[/b][/URL] (an old classic song imo. Budden has gold scattered through his catalog. His songs are generally very moody but great. Check out his most recent mixtape/album 'Escape Route'. Other good tracks from his discography include: [URL="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0B8k_QHYQvw"][b]Whatever It Takes[/b][/URL], [URL="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0B8k_QHYQvw"][b]Just To Be Different[/b][/URL], [URL="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q7WbANsPnrw"][b]Under The Sun[/b][/URL], [URL="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Mn81TZFOwc"][b]Long Way To Go[/b][/URL], [URL="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4KbTZPKSwdI"][b]Calm Down[/b][/URL], and the 15-minute epic [URL="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=teQC0rKl884"][b]Who?[/b][/URL])
[URL="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DQKhkcZaCEk"][b]Saigon - Believe It[/b][/URL]

Joell Ortiz - Hip Hop (Remix featuring Jadakiss & Saigon))
[youtube]DQKhkcZaCEk[/youtube]
^I'll put more up later. For now, see also [URL="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nHgUFHll3aM"][b]Move On[/b] (Remix featuring the rest of Slaughterhouse)[/URL]

[b][u]Mainstream artists:[/u][/b]
[URL="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=99YmNk-XoW0"][b]Nas & Damien Marley - Strong Will Continue[/b][/URL] (Cant wait for their collabo album coming soon. My personal fav Nas album is Stillmatic but almost all of them are awesome. You might wanna work backwards though. [URL="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9-K4812NZHo"][b]Victory[/b][/URL] - A new song featuring a Nas verse.. the man hasnt lost a step)
[URL="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=85GZ8AsWvV4"][b]Young Buck - Court Date[/b][/URL] (I think he might be my favourite Southern solo artist. Can make real touching music as well as bangers: [URL="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jrFKmLoe-ls"][b]Laugh Now Cry Later[/b][/URL], [URL="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yIwkg5OCv4w"][b]My Whole Life[/b][/URL], [URL="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=blPxQ3NI5UM"][b]What Did Y'all Do[/b][/URL], [URL="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BH_zlsiL3-M"][b]New York City[/b][/URL])

[b][u]Songs from some of the newer artists:[/b][/u]
[URL="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-dyPeGDeS3o"][b]J. Cole - Lights Please[/b][/URL] (The next one to watch imo)
[URL="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hV7VvPFv8eQ"][b]Nipsey Hussle - The Hussle Way[/b][/URL]
[URL="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7I1QxABdYYc"][b]Wale - Nike Boots[/b][/URL] (This isnt about shoes if you pay attention, honest lol. Wale > rest of the freshmen. Between his album 'Attention: Deficit' and the mixtape 'Mixtape About Nothing', there's something for everyone)

Kid Cudi - The Prayer
[youtube]J1PohBgoimM[/youtube]

[b][u]Had to plug a few UK hiphop artists too:[/b][/u]
[URL="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kUCFlzrkclg"][b]Akala - Comedy Tragedy History[/b][/URL] (Delivered two great albums in 'It's Not A Rumour' and 'Freedom Lasso'. Tracks to check out: [URL="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tcHkLs3vsIQ"][b]Shakespeare[/b][/URL], [URL="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Ebzzz5nVqA"][b]Defeated[/b][/URL], [URL="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6i6KKGU5jfs"][b]Something Inside My Head[/b][/URL])
[URL="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5uf95c1Lmew"][b]Sway - This Is My Demo[/b][/URL] (Very fast rapper when he wants to doubletime. Has a knack for making good intro songs, if nothing else lol. Also see: [URL="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zRUz19V_SQk"][b]True Stories[/b][/URL], [URL="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xe0GoCB5eZ0"][b]Fit 4 A King[/b][/URL], [URL="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XfSJsJuGzs8"][b]Walk Away[/b][/URL] and [URL="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IolCDqB6KSE"][b]Pray For Kaya[/b][/URL])
[URL="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y5SeifyyHb0"][b]Kano - Layer Cake[/b][/URL] (A bit more typical sound but not bad. If the first of the following isnt accessible enough of a sound for you, then just give up lol: [URL="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xiRQh2digp0"][b]This Is The Girl[/b][/URL], [URL="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3mzaifm1FyM"][b]Hustler[/b][/URL], [URL="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WSPw_b1iRAY"][b]Hunting We Will Go[/b][/URL], [URL="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n2VFF4_tto0"][b]Ps & Qs[/b][/URL])

Skinnyman - F* The Hook
[youtube]gNtEM1lRlQA[/youtube]

--
..urgh. This post wasnt what I expected it to be. All the formatting took it out of me lol. I'll make some other posts some other time :)[/size]

[Zen]

[size=1]
[b]Wale[/b]'s song "Nike Boots" has been out for [i]atleast[/i] two and a half years, if not three.

I'm a big fan of his remix of Justice's "D.A.N.C.E." called "WALEDANCE".[/size]

[conpiracymonki]

[size=1]
lol I didnt say it was new, I said it was a song by a newer artist (by which I meant he's only recently dropped his debut). W.A.L.E.D.A.N.C.E<3 Didnt realise I missed it out.. it was supposed to get an individual mention for the same reason as Nike Boots ie. since it isnt on the album or the mixtape I mentioned (original > remix, so didnt count that).
[/size]

[Heaven's Cloud]

[quote name='AJeh'][size=1]
lol I didnt say it was new, I said it was a song by a newer artist (by which I meant he's only recently dropped his debut). W.A.L.E.D.A.N.C.E<3 Didnt realise I missed it out.. it was supposed to get an individual mention for the same reason as Nike Boots ie. since it isnt on the album or the mixtape I mentioned (original > remix, so didnt count that).
[/size][/QUOTE]

I really enjoy Wale's "Attention Deficit", it is probably one of the more solid hip-hop albums to drop, most of the tracks are really good (I really like "Prescription", it is an insanely well produced track).

I think hip-hop has really stepped up its game in the last two or three years. I grew up with guys like Snoop, Tupac, Biggie, and Dre, and as good as they are the production/composition/sampling today blows their stuff out of the water. I think we are living through the "Beatles" age of hip hop right now, where the pioneers have laid down a great foundation but artists are really taking the musical aspect of their art to the next level.