The Hip Hop/Rap Thread - Part 1

[MadVillainy]

Ive said this before about various things (Flo Rida, Lil Wayne...even the movie Avatar) Iggy Azalea is gonna fizzle like Dem Franchinze Boys, Mims, Yung Joc, etc. She's just garbage. She's like the female MAcklemore, but worse because at least Macklemore can rap and has some decent songs like And We Danced and White Walls

 

[Dr. Evil]

If Iggy fizzles, that leaves Nicki Minaj as the only female rapper left that a lot of people know.

 

[MadVillainy]

To me Nicki isnt that impressive. Other than her verse on Monster which was sick, she's just be a female Lil' Wayne. Occasionally has a good verse, but is massivley overrated and her voice is annoying


I know a lot of people blame the lack of female rappers on sexism but I think it's for the following reason:
1) A lot of these dope artists arent commercially viable. The closest one I think is Azaelia Banks, but she stays getting in stupid beefs instead of producing quality music. She bad mouthed TI, one of the biggest rappers out now (people seem to forget him though). She bad mouthed PHarrell who is just everywhere musically. And then she went at Nicki Minaj, Lady Gaga, Baueer, and more. All people who it would be a good look for her to collab with. She burned to many bridges to be a success now, unless she releases a song that is 100% undeniable
Angel Haze is good too, but how many "commercial" songs do you see her dropping. Remy Ma getting out of jail is cool, but really she's gonna stay at the street level

2) Not many female emcees are getting signed/co signed. A huge part of Nicki's success was hooking up with Lil Wayne/Young Money, Iggy got put on the map because of TI, Foxy Brown was put on by Jay Z, and the list goes on.
All these other female rappers arent getting put on. Im not the biggest fan of Rick Ross or MMG, but imagine if Angel Haze signed to them. I heard Katy Perry is starting a record label. That would be a good look for Angel Haze or whoever
It's rare for a rapper to just become popular out of the blue these days. Male or female.

I want Eve and Missy Elliot back on top, especially Eve. Eve is married to a billionaire or something now.

We should keep this thread more active, I always wanna talk about hip hop.

 

[Dr. Evil]

Also as I have said, some Rappers don't do much rapping anymore and have essentially been in semi-retirement from rap, doing other things. Queen Latifah, LL Cool J, Ludacris, Will Smith to name a few. They are all still relevant, just not in hip hop music anymore.

Yes, I do consider Will Smith as a hip hop artist. Sure, it's bubblegum type of music, but he would still be considered a rapper or at least an ex-rapper. He may not be the best in regards to flow, but his music is very catchy, even 20 years later. Plus the interesting pairing of him and Jay Z as producing partners on various projects.

I'd be interested to see how Will Smith and Jay Z got together as producing partners.

 

[sweetre15]

Out of the current crop of female emcees, I'd reckon you guys checking out Nitty Scott MC and RapSody. Even though Nitty went more "Bohemian" now she's still pretty good and her Boombox Diaries EP is hardcore hip hop at its finest and Rapsody's series of mixtapes are also quality especially since she has her production handled by the legendary 9th Wonder.

 

[sweetre15]

With that said, Does anyone ever wonder why none of the popular labels today including Def Jam never seem to make it a priority to have multiple talented top-selling artists like in the old days? I mean in Def Jam's old eras they practically had armies of hit making talented artists simultaneously co existing, Death Row records had Tupac, Snoop, Dre, Tha Dogg Pound and Lady of Rage, Bad Boy had Biggie, The Junior Mafia, and Mase etc

Is it a matter of the game being oversaturated with only one commercial sound or a matter of flawed label management?

 

[MadVillainy]

Def Jam has a lot of hit artists:
Kanye
Big Sean
2 Chainz
Rick Ross
YG

Interscope has too many to count,

 

[sweetre15]

Def Jam has a lot of hit artists:
Kanye
Big Sean
2 Chainz
Rick Ross
YG

Interscope has too many to count,

Well maybe they do but most of their hit artists today seem to mostly be through people on affiliate labels (Roc A Fella, Maybach, and GOOD music) and while their were some like Ludacris and Jay Z back in the day their were just as many on the actual Def Jam label itself. Sadly though none of the guys mentioned are "quality" IMO especially since Ross fell off after Deeper Than Rap and Kanye fell off when he dropped Yeezus.

However, I do think that they can have something great if more was put into promoting Nas, Common, The Roots, and Big KRIT.

 

[RockSP]

Yes, I do consider Will Smith as a hip hop artist.

Seeing as that's how he first became famous I can't see why you wouldn't. Summertime was probably the last song I liked by him but and I've never been a fan of his movies for the most part, but dude's place in hip-hop history is unquestionable.

 

[HeyZeus]

I'm listening to lots of Lil Herb, Curren$y, Ab-Soul, Danny Brown and Yung Lean right now.

 

[Colossal Spoons]

If Iggy fizzles, that leaves Nicki Minaj as the only female rapper left that a lot of people know.

Enter Rah Digga and Chyna Whyte. Man I miss those two.

We should keep this thread more active, I always wanna talk about hip hop.

The genre is just not in a good place right now. I've started to go back and get into artists and albums I always meant to. I'm on a Pharoahe Monch and Binary Star kick right now.

 

[Flint Marko]

Haha chyna whyte. I haven't thought of her in years.
I was a big fan of Three 6 Mafia growing up, and to see Juicy J come back into the limelight has been fun to watch. He's obviously ignorant, simple, loud rap but it's about as fun as you can get in my opinion.

 

[Colossal Spoons]

Please, if I had a kid I'd totally support his line of tumblers "Trippy Cups" haha

 

[MadVillainy]

The genre is just not in a good place right now. I've started to go back and get into artists and albums I always meant to. I'm on a Pharoahe Monch and Binary Star kick right now.

I think the genre is fine. It's kind of like the film business. Sure there are movies and artists who arent that good. You have your Chief Keefs (even for "turn up music" he's not that good, Gucci Manes, Adam Sandler comedies, and I, Frankensteins; but there are also things like Killer Mike, Common and movies like Edge of TOmorrow or Grand Budapest Hotel.

Hip hop is fine.

 

[Colossal Spoons]

That's good. The genre needs cats like you to ride for it until death do you part lol. I diversified my bonds many years ago and ventured out into metal and EDM. It's nice to have places to retreat to when the latest Migos track drops

 

[sweetre15]

I've been talking about old Def Jam music so much lately because I figured one way to reignite my interest in Hip Hop is to go back to basics with releases from the label that made Hip-Hop music into a big business.

 

[sweetre15]

Busta Rhymes says he feels there's something missing in Rap today.

"I just feel like balance is always necessary and I think that’s part of the reason why a lot of the way the climate shift happens," Busta says in an interview with XXL. "I think there’s balance that is needed.

If we had a little more balance, the way the **** would feel overall would be a lot different. For me, I come from a time when balance was primary in the 1990s. I’m not trying to live in the past 'cause I’m not about that. It just seems to me that the past was a lot more forward-thinking. Everybody is trying to make it a primary respective law to not copy each other’s **** and not try to sound like each other’s ****. Everybody put time into thinking what is the next new way you do things so you stand alone and you stand out.

That’s the way the balance was maintained, upheld and upkept. Everybody had their own lane and everybody stayed in it. And if you tried to evolve, you evolved in your own way and in your own lane of doing you. Today, when you go in the club, eight different mother****ers' **** sound like one long record to me."

http://www.hiphopdx.com/m/index.php?s=news&id=29667

Do you guys agree with Busta?

 

[MadVillainy]

No I think he's wrong. Very wrong. There is just as much, if not more, balance.

1. You have your "ratchet rappers" like Migos, Chief Keef, and Juicy J
2. There are your alternative rap acts like Kanye, Drake, Kid Cudi, B.o.B.
3. There are street rappers like Pusha T, Young Jeezy, and Freddie Gibbs.
4. Old heads like Snoop Dogg, 50 Cent, and Jay Z
5. White rappers like Eminem, Mac Miller, and Action Bronson
6. Female rappers like Nicki Minaj, Iggy Azalea (ugh), and Angel Haze
7. Kendrick and YG are new West Coast
8. Troy Ave and A$AP Rocky are new age NYC
9. Killer Mike, TI, and Big KRIT are killing it in the south
10. Hip-Pop acts like Flo Rida and Pitbull
11. Not to mention the countless good "underground" acts.

There is so much diversity in rap. You dont have to like all the acts (lord knows I dont), but the balance is still there. People need to stop complaining. And complaining about what's playing in the club is silly. Of course in the club most of the songs are gonna sound the same. It's "turn up" music

 

[Dr. Evil]

Pitbull = yuck

Although I do understand why he's so popular.

 

[MadVillainy]

Pitbull is good at what he does. He's actually wasnt a bad rapper back in the day before he went pop.
Im not gonna lie he has a good amount of songs I like to hear at parties or if Im in a partying mood.

It's all about balance. If everyone sounded like Pitbull I'd be annoyed but him and Flo Rida are the only hip pop acts making a lot of noise. And both of them make fun songs to party too

 

[Dr. Evil]

Some of his songs are good, especially his collaborations.

I like Flo Rida

 

[MadVillainy]

You know who's a surprisingly smart rapper? Waka Flocka. I dont mean book smart, but the way he's transitioning into EDM music is a really good move. He has the energy and delivery that is good for an EDM song.

 

[Colossal Spoons]

Haha, Lord knows Waka ain't book smart. That 106&Park interview will live on forever. I agree though, he's a welcome change form the usual EDM track featuring Lil Jon. Trap music(EDM, not rap trap) is the best

 

[sweetre15]

No I think he's wrong. Very wrong. There is just as much, if not more, balance.

1. You have your "ratchet rappers" like Migos, Chief Keef, and Juicy J
2. There are your alternative rap acts like Kanye, Drake, Kid Cudi, B.o.B.
3. There are street rappers like Pusha T, Young Jeezy, and Freddie Gibbs.
4. Old heads like Snoop Dogg, 50 Cent, and Jay Z
5. White rappers like Eminem, Mac Miller, and Action Bronson
6. Female rappers like Nicki Minaj, Iggy Azalea (ugh), and Angel Haze
7. Kendrick and YG are new West Coast
8. Troy Ave and A$AP Rocky are new age NYC
9. Killer Mike, TI, and Big KRIT are killing it in the south
10. Hip-Pop acts like Flo Rida and Pitbull
11. Not to mention the countless good "underground" acts.

There is so much diversity in rap. You dont have to like all the acts (lord knows I dont), but the balance is still there. People need to stop complaining. And complaining about what's playing in the club is silly. Of course in the club most of the songs are gonna sound the same. It's "turn up" music

I think he's criticizing more from the standpoint of what seems to qualify for "Radio rap" these days. While he can't say that about ALL hip hop obviously, the fact that a lot of rappers are jumping on the DJ Mustard bandwagon right now, kinda adds merit to what he's saying. Every track from YG's Who Do You Love on down to TI.'s No Mediocre sounds almost exactly the same and they are all produced by DJ Mustard's uninspired ass.

I mean when The Neptunes, No I.D, Just Blaze, Kanye, Cool and Dre, Dr.Dre, Swizz Beatz and even Eminem would produce radio tracks for people, there were trademarks to their production style but their beats didn't sound so damn identical like all these tracks being produced by DJ Mustard, Bangladesh or even Hit Boy and T-Minus to an extent.

 

[chamber-music]

Enter Rah Digga and Chyna Whyte. Man I miss those two.

Rah Digga had a guest verse on Talib Kweli's latest album and she was awesome.

Shabazz Palaces, SpaceGhostPurrp and G Side I like.