Rap - should I be worried...?

I've never had any interest in rap, nor listened to any (except inadvertantly on the radio). A few months ago I found a 50p copy of Dr Dre 2001 on vinyl at the car boot. Now I knew it was rap & he (they?) had a link with Eminem (who I had actually heard of). Got stacked in amongst all the other ' must listen to some time' vinyl - this is now a big pile...
Today, after a long lunch with just a couple of beers, I've just put it on (& I hasten to add this after Ole Coltrane, Beyond Skin & a bit of live Kraftwerk, so yes, my taste may be questionable) & am listening now. Apart from the lyrics/language (it's OK, the kids are in bed..) I find myself quite liking it..quite a lot...
Uh Oh...should I be worried....especially being the wrong side of 40...

 

I quite like that one too. Regulate by Warren G is also good but theres very little 'gangster' stuff I listen to, largely pointless. Loads of good other rap though. No you shouldn't be worried, you should be proud of maintaining an open mind.

 

Definitely not. A lot of the people involved in making some of the best rap and hip-hop are the wrong side of 40 anyway, so what does it matter how old you are as a listener? Pick up some Public Enemy, The Roots, Mos Def, EPMD, Boogie Down Productions and NWA, and any others you can find at 50p a go - if you don't like them, there's a vibrant second hand market for decent hip-hop vinyl on ebay so you wouldn't lose anything.

 

It's easy to dismiss without giving it a chance, and fair enough, there's a lot of crap out there. Some of the stuff by the likes of Dre and Snoop, while not really my prefered style of hip hop has some great MOments. If you like the likes of funkadelic and parliment, you'll be able to spot a lot of familiar beats.

Oh, and I wouldn't be suprised if Dre's older than you

 

start with afrika bambaata and move on from there with the othewrs mentioned. I'd add some Ice-T and Jungle Brothers.

 

Cripes...NWA and Ice T have been suggested! Thats enough to turn anyone off a genre. Realise that there is a massive variety of hiphop music. Try Jurrasic5 as the flipside to Dre etc, that may lead you down a whole new side to the genre, its much less "gansta" so might offer more in the "lyrics/language" department. If that doesn't float yer boat check out some Nas (first album is a classic) some Wu Tang (and affiliates). Those artists will open up a whole new world once you check the recommendations on Amazon. i.e the "Customers who bought this also bought..." bit. Kanye West albums are pretty good too and should get you some cred...or rolled eyes! with your kids!

Nothing to be ashamed of...hiphop is the biggest genre of music in the world right now and has some incredible talents and varieties. Theres lots to discover.

 

The simply vinyl 36 chambers by Wu Tang is a good press

 

Heavymental - how can you anything bad about Ice-T and NWA? These guys are classics.
Unlike Kanye and Jurassic5.

But then Im an old skool fool who thought that hiphop stopped developing around 10 yrs ago. IMO it should all be called Hip Pop.

 

yeah, I've got some old stuff from Ice T...great!

"...you go on and on and don't stop, got sticky fingers from a butt of a shotgun..."

 

Should I be worried?

Yes. Definitely.

 

Seconded.

 

Poppycock

 

Ignoring the common image of "Rap" and looking amongst the dross and the sh*te there is some great music you could love. You mentioned Kraftwerk - one early and seiminal track takes the core synth melody of Trans-Europe Express as its theme - the classic "Planet Rock" Africa Bambaata and the Soul Sonic Force. This, played on the first Walkman I ever listened to, was my introduction to Hip Hop and changed my view. It's a great track especially because it reflects the true nature of Hip Hop (rather that "Rap") it's eclectic, inventive and difficult to define.

You might try to check out early Run DMC - dated but significant, Public Enemy - political and essential, Ice T is much misunderstood IMO - the irony and anti-gangsta message seems missed on many and he really did bring something new to the "game" in terms of acid basslines - the true west-coast originator IMO before he became characterised as a "Gangsta Rapper".

Eric B and Rakim, Big Daddy Kane, Notorious BIG, Mos Def, The Roots, Tribe Called Quest (a must) and whatever you do dont miss Del La Soul - 3 feet high and rising changed the landscape at the time and still represents many people's image of De La, but they moved on and the far less popular but superior Buhloone Mindstate is a superb album and arguably my favourite Hip Hop LP of all time.

NWA were raw and deservedly contraversial at the time - significant? Oh yes indeed, but worthy? not sure, too much negative baggage - though spawned a matured and talented Dre

Wu Tang, Jeru the Damaja, Black Sheep,

Recent/current: Jay Z, Common.

Reflecting the UK: Skinnyman is talented, no doubt.

The greatest "rap" of all time? "Beat Bop" Ramelzee vs K Rob

All my utterly opininated opinion of course

Edited to add: cant believe I forgot to mention Mobb Deep! Heavy, dark, but very compelling and at times disturbing.

 

Cynic - try to ignore the bling, there's gold amongst the heaps of bollox

 

Whatever happened to OverlordX?

Ahhh, happy memories

 

Theres a place for old skool stuff and lots of it is great...I love Rakim (18th Letter is a great album by the way) but some of the original gangsta stuff is just too raw and aggressive. The bay area stuff brings the feeling back to good time hiphop plus its innovative and original and has a sense of humour. Sugarhill style. But how can you say it isn't developing? I was listening to Blackalicious on the way to work today...thats lyric writing that hasn't been around before as far as I'm concerned.

Anyway I'm just saying that recommending NWA is likely to turn people right off. Its also the kind of stereotypical hiphop that most people think of when you say you like rap music! Macho and agressive, most people don't imagine there is another side to it.

And J5 albums will always be highly regarded....in a few years they'll be seen as classics. Maybe not Kanye but College Dropout is a good fun album worth owning.

 

I'd agree. Whilst NWA must be taken seriously in terms of how they changed the scene at the time, a) most of their core tracks are extremely dated and b) they dont do anything to highlight the quality music and positivity which exists in the genre.

It might seem contradictory to recommend Mobb Deep, but some of their material is so real and well put together it really has to be given credibility IMO. Naturally it's a given that they can be classified as Gangstas.

 

Out of interest what would people list as some essential old school albums?

 

By old school are you going back to pre-81 or just 86 onwards?

 

Well I guess post 86...although interesting to hear seminal works before then.