I've been into hip hop for a good 5-6 years now, after I finally got over the whole "you can't spell 'crap' without 'rap'" phase of my adolescence. The gangsta rap of the '90's and early '00's never did anything for me, and actually pretty much contributed to me thinking all rap/ hip hop was useless, but thanks to the power of the Internet I found a whole layer of hip hop that seemed to dislike the mainstream stuff as much as me. Anyways here's a rough list of my favourite artists and albums.
Aesop Rock - Labor Days
One of the earliest albums I got into, and one I still listen to on a pretty frequent basis. I'm still trying to figure out what Aesop is trying to convey in his lyrics, which means they never get dull. His latest album, Skelethon is currently one of my favorite albums of 2012.
Blackalicious - Blazing Arrows
Gift of Gab was the first emcee to really make me stop and think "god damn". First song I heard was "Alphabet Aerobics" and it wasn't until he was at the G's or H's that I realized he was rapping the alphabet. I love his flow, his wordplay, and his lyrics, which find the perfect balance between being inspirational, while not being cheesy (something mainstream country artists desperately need to learn). Chief Xcel is also a great DJ, who puts sampling to good use, while not going overboard with it.
CunninLynguists - A Piece of Strange
Last year's Oneirology was on a pretty constant rotation in my car, but I have to give it up to the Southern trio's 2005 album, which really cemented their dominance in the underground scene, while simultaneously getting respect from some of the more mainstream publications. Kno's pitch-perfect production shines all throughout this album while Deacon the Villain and Natty just killed it throughout on the lyrics. Some great guest performances from Cee-Lo, Tonedeff, and Immortal Technique as well, speaking of which...
Immortal Technique - The Martyr
If you're familiar with Immortal Technique then this mixtape might be kind of a surprise given his well-received Revolutionary Vols. 1-2, but I have to give it to The Martyr for just stealing the show at the tail end of 2011. I mean at this time I thought my favorite hip hop album of the year was going to go to CunninLynguists or Kendrick Lamar and was just weighing out the pros and cons of their respective albums, then Tech just comes out of nowhere, drops a mixtape for free, tells people to burn it for everyone they know, and then just kills it for the next hour... on a mixtape! I mean occasionally a hip hop artist will put a couple of gold nuggets on a mixtape to get the buzz flowing, but ever since Lil B and some of these new artists have come along releasing mixtapes every month or so, the format seems to have been diluted a little bit. Here's Tech offering up an entire album of hitters for free, and while I don't always find myself agreeing with everything he has to say, I will not say the man is ill-informed, and despite his rough demeanor, he is one of the people I would love to find myself in a debate with.
Dälek - Absence
This is easily one of the heaviest albums I own and is probably the best example I can think of for industrial hip hop. While Immortal Technique is heavier in his lyrics, Dälek are more subdued in that area, but just come out full force in the beats department. It feels like this album was recorded in the middle of an industrial factory during their busiest day of the year, and with politically and socially charged lyrics, this is definitely a group to look out for if you like your music to have meaning.
Deltron 3030 - Deltron 3030
The space hip-hoddessy (I died a little inside by writing that) album that still acts as the entryway for newbies to the wonderful world of hip hop. Easily the best example of Del's rhyming abilities, flow, and word play, with some of Dan the Automator's best production and Kid Koala's best scratching. While the story the album is telling isn't all that great, it is cool to see sci-fi and hip hop mixed together. I have deliberately been avoiding any press coverage of the much anticipated Event II except the release date, which is apparently in November.
K'Naan - The Dusty Foot Philosopher
I'll admit, I was more attracted to K'Naan by his story than his voice, I mean this is a guy who lived in Somalia up until '91 when the civil war broke out, and the stories of his youth were always quite fascinating to listen to. The Dusty Foot Philosopher definitely is a little weak in the production, and K'Naan is still a little unsure of where his niche is, but he does know how to tell a story and make a point, which is why I prefer this to the more watered down, but commercially viable followup album Troubadour.
MF Grimm - The Downfall of Ibliys: A Ghetto Opera
Grimm's debut album has a bit of a grim story behind it (see what I did there?) Basically it was recorded in 1-day while Grimm was out on a $100,000 bail for conspiracy and narcotics charges, and produced over two years before being released while he was still incarcerated. Like with Deltron 3030 the album attempts to tell an intricate story while also writing songs about current event topics.
That's enough for right now.
