Because I am forced to listen to it everyday...

[The Amazing Rando 0]

First off, I hate rap music. Generally speaking anyway. Anything that follows under the catagory of "bling" and the more hardcore gangsta stuff ...i just can not get into it at all.

 

I work in fast food, and am basically forced to hear decent-to-horrible rap music every single day. I have never really been a big fan of the genre, but would like to see if YOU, the helpful TSMers, can help me see the light and to show me the way, if there is a way to be shown.

 

I'll take anything, barring what i spoke about above. There is nothing that would make me want to listen to either of those. Period.

[Giuseppe Zangara 0]

Atmosphere is total pussy shit, so you'd probably like him.

[Giuseppe Zangara 0]

Just check out any rapper that's been on the Warped tour. You'd probably like all of them.

[Special K 0]

If you like 'happy' rap that's pretty good, I would reccomend De La Soul, maybe Acelyone. You should listen to Deltron 3030 because it's fucking badass, it's a concept album about a brave new worldish society.

[lomasmoney 0]

Exactly what do you delcare hardcore. 50 cent and Game type dudes, or scary ass dudes like DMX, MOP, that actually sound and look like they've done the shit they speak of on their albums. Here is some good shit to listen to: Outkast, Nas, Jay-Z (someone please explain to the masses that he isnt a pop rapper like half the mindless drones who only listen to the catchy singles say), Rakim, Ice Cube, Public Enemy, Wu Tang, Fugees, Big L. That's pretty much all quality music to listen to that will get you started. Also, I recommend DJ Quik moreso because he's just a bad ass producer with some amazing beats.

[Corey_Lazarus 0]

M. C. LARS.

Check out "iGeneration" NOW, bitches.

 

Also see Ill Mitch, or else he'll punch you.

[Nighthawk 0]

Pfft. 50 is harder than DMX. DMX never got shot in the mouth.

[lomasmoney 0]

Pfft. 50 is harder than DMX. DMX never got shot in the mouth.

DMX is a worldwide rap star, one of a handful to have two #1 albums in the same year, starred in hit movies, and he's still doing gully ass shit to go to jail, like stealing dudes cars' at the airport, if that doesn't scream real-life hardass as opposed to Two Quarters who leaves all the thug activities up to Tony Yayo and Young Buck. And besides just because you have been shot doesnt mean you are that tough. Hell, I could walk out the door of my house and get capped 12 times right now by the guy I crossed over at the rec building and survive. Does that make me hard, HELL NO, it makes me really, really durable.

[Guest cosbywasmurdered]

stealing cars and abusing dogs is gangsta yo'

[Nighthawk 0]

Ice Cube, Public Enemy, Wu Tang

You won't like these, Rando. There's an outside chance Rakim could be construed as bling, but maybe not.

 

DMX's behavior screams crack addict. Anyway, no rapper is harder than Slick Rick. Nigga got deported. Nobody else can beat that.

[Steviekick 0]

Check out the Roots and Jurassic 5.

[lomasmoney 0]

Ice Cube, Public Enemy, Wu Tang

You won't like these, Rando. There's an outside chance Rakim could be construed as bling, but maybe not.

 

DMX's behavior screams crack addict. Anyway, no rapper is harder than Slick Rick. Nigga got deported. Nobody else can beat that.

actually he didnt, and why in the hell would Rakim be considered bling, because he wore a big ass gold chain like everyone in the late 80s. The dude is flat out one of the best on the mic that I have ever heard. As for Cube and PE. two of the finer rap entities ever, and why exactly wouldn't he like them

[razazteca 0]

Here is some nonthreatening hip-hop:

 

Cryme

Rawkilla

MC Mowgli

Chronic Crew

Black Bean Sauce

Credit to the Nation

Mdoc

Pulse

Zaki

Da Bomb & Euphemia Burke

[Nighthawk 0]

why in the hell would Rakim be considered bling, because he wore a big ass gold chain like everyone in the late 80s. The dude is flat out one of the best on the mic that I have ever heard. As for Cube and PE. two of the finer rap entities ever, and why exactly wouldn't he like them

Yeah, because he wore a big ass gold chain. Cube rapped about guns and killing people all the time. PE were far too political for his tastes and generally violent. According to what he said he didn't want to listen to, they fit.

 

People never understand these threads. He's outlined his scenario, and you're supposed to tell him things that he would like within those guidelines, not whatever random rap acts you think are good.

 

Speaking of scenario... you might like Tribe Called Quest.

[razazteca 0]

Just get the soundtracks to the Tony Hawk Pro Skater video games.

[The Ill One 0]

I bet he'd like some of Wu-Tang Clan. Not to hijack the thread, but uh, I don't feel the need to create a new thread. What is some good threatening, "hardcore", abusive rap? The "hardest of the hard" if you will.

[razazteca 0]

Irv Gotti and Suge Knight keepin' it real, dog.

[cbacon 0]

k-os. Fine Canadian rapper.

[Nighthawk 0]

Whatever you hear, don't listen to Necro. He sucks so bad it's not funny.

 

As for what's hard... Geto Boys. Yeah... they're probably the best at that sort of thing. Onyx's Bacdafucup which is a really good album aside from being menacing and abrasive. Get that. Boogie Down Productions' Criminal Minded and By All Means Necessary are essentials. Dayton Family... they're from Flint and you can tell. The very political and Wu-associated Killarmy.

Some early Esham. KKKill the Fetus and Judgement Day vol. 1. The rest of his early stuff was hard, but not that good. The first three NATAS albums (Esham's group... mixing Satan, suicide and acid in with the ghetto hostility). That stuff's more fanciful than realistic, but still pretty harsh.

[Dr. Zoidberg 0]

Andre Nicatina is pretty cool, I guess...I dunno, i'm not a big rap guy.

 

 

I would say Notorious B.I.G., but...you already said.

 

Ummmm...Kanye West. He's really good...so are N.E.R.D.

 

 

...YAAAY!!

[lomasmoney 0]

Well N.E.R.D. isn't rap at all, and Dayton Family, let's just say I've been through Dayton Ave and its fucking pretty crazy around there.

[Nighthawk 0]

By the way, By All Means Necessary is not really all that harsh, but you can't justifiably recommend any BDP without including it. It's one of the best rap albums ever, and it wasn't even the best released that year. The 5 year period from 87 to 91 was insane... I'd take the rap albums released in that period over any other 5 years worth of albums. Crazy boom period there.

[The Amazing Rando 0]

Meh. "Non-threatening" isn't really what i was heading for. And for the record I actually don't mind things like PE. Now DMX on the other hand i could just never get into. Not that he was "too hard" or anything, just that I couldn't stand him for more than like 5 seconds at a time.

 

I will, however, look into the Wu-Tang, i actually do have the Fugees first album around here somewhere from back when i was a simple-minded teen, and Jay-Z falls under the "DMX 5 second rule" for me.

 

 

 

Be back with comments after I actually d/l some of this stuff.

[Ed Wood Caulfield 0]

I recommend Outkast. They seem to be a favorite amongst non-rap fans.

 

And I'll recommend The Beastie Boys too. Paul's Boutique is one of the best rap albums ever, IMO. They turned sampling into an art form with that album. If you want to see The Beastie Boys at their best, get Paul's Boutique. And I also recommend Public Enemy. Public Enemy is one of the best rap groups ever. The best, IMO.

 

You could also look into Quarashi. They're an Icelandic white rap group that merges different styles of music together to form one awesome song after another. They don't rap about bling-bling, and they're not hardcore gangstas. They have a somewhat nerdy image actually. In their early albums, they rapped about nothing really, but their new album, Guerilla Disco, is filled with stories rapped by their new lead rapper, Tiny. They released only one album in America, Jinx, but that album is hard to find, so your best bet is to go to http://www.tonlist.com because that is the only place on the internet where you'll be able to download all their albums in their entirety. You'll have to sign up first in order to download, but it's free, so I'm sure that won't be a problem to you.

[The Amazing Rando 0]

i actually dig Quarashi, though i've only listened to two or three tracks. I've debated picking up one of their albums for like 6 bucks.

[Ed Wood Caulfield 0]

You should get it man. "Mr. Jinx", "Transparent Parents", "Tarfur", "Baseline", and "Stick 'Em Up" are all excellent excellent songs. Jinx is one of my all time favorite albums. It's in my Top 5 for sure. It's really awesome. "Mr. Jinx" holds the title of Catchiest. Song. Ever! I refuse to believe that anyone, rap fan or not, cannot love that song.

 

But like I said, you'll find all of Quarashi's other albums, including Jinx, at http://www.tonlist.com, so just sign up, and you're free to download as much as you want. All of Quarashi's albums are great, but I happened to like Jinx more than I did Guerilla Disco. Although, that maybe because I was so use to their original lead rapper, Hossi, that I found it hard to get use to Tiny. But maybe that will change, who knows. Still, check them out. You won't regret it.

[Guest Agent of Oblivion]

Whatever, IDRM, Necro is so bad it IS funny.

 

Considering my upbringing and environment, I don't hear a great deal of rap music outside of DMX, Jay-Z, Eminem, or Wu Tang, or rap music in spanish that I hear at work. I like rap based on whether or not the production is interesting, and if I find the guy's voice to be entertaining. I like Tech Nine because of that. He does a lot of talking about demons and killing people too, so that's alright.

[iggymcfly 0]

DMX isn't very good. He screams way too much when he should be rapping. Ludacris and Nelly are also no-talent hacks that you'll want to stay away from.

 

I'd definitely recommend Deltron 3030 for a really talented rapper that's got a little different sound than thte typical screaming sort of rap that you might be sick of.

 

As far as other good rappers, Nas, Jay-Z, Andre Nickatina, Joe Budden, and yes 50 Cent are still making good stuff now.

 

If you want to look into a little bit older stuff, look into Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, and Eminem. I'm including Eminem in the older group because his last couple albums aren't that great, but the Slim Shady LP is one of the best albums ever.

[Nighthawk 0]

Marshall Mathers LP was better. I found Slim Shady too childish to be all that good.

 

Anyway, now that I see what you mean Rando, I'll say you'll be safe with all that old stuff I mentioned before. Get those Boogie Down Productions albums. Sure, the first one was gangsta, but they invented gangsta. It's like the Beatles being a boy band. You definitely wouldn't mind Rakim and he is one of the best. LL Cool J up to 1990. Big Daddy Kane, Kool G Rap, Too $hort, EPMD... the list goes on. There's a goldmine of stuff from the period. Also, maybe check out DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince. Will Smith's later career unfairly overshadows that stuff, but everybody should hear He's the DJ, I'm the Rapper at least once.

 

Hey, Agent, you ought to try Esham, if you like Tech N9ne. He used a ton of metal samples, along with many other eclectic production techniques. It's a crap shoot on whether you'd find his voice entertaining. He doesn't really sound like anyone else. Anything from the two albums I mentioned above should be good.

[Golgo 13 0]

I don't believe I saw Madvillain mentioned. Look for their album, as well as Madlib and MF Doom's other stuff, often released under their alter egos, so look on AllMusic for all that. In addition to them, you may want to consider Kool Keith (again, though, more goofy alter ego stuff with him).