greg
Its a G thing
Trouble is the word "album". I think early seminal "works" are tracks rather than albums.
Having said that the place to start IMO is an album - "The Last Poets" by The Last Poets (1970). In many ways this (as far as I understand things) was pretty much the basis from which rapping evolved as a specific form of spoken word performance in NYC. This is a heavy record and does make Public Enemy look tame though you can see a main influence on Chuck D. Interestingly The Last Poets recently collaborated with Common who is my personal current fave.
The hard bit about the 70's is simply the fact block party performances werent recorded (other than on mix tapes) so the "early" (ie. not very early at all) hip hop releases which appeared with tracks like "Rapper's Delight" were really pop parodies of block party performances used to try and leverage some trade from a growing form of music not yet (at that time) tapped. Strangely tracks like Rappers Delight are often wheeled out by people as their "hey look how long I've been into Hip Hop" disc, yet the very same people would never ever consider listening to The Last Poets.
Blondie's "Rapture" was considered a bit of a joke in Hip Hop circles (though I like it). Again this is often cited as one of the earliest recordings but whether it's reflective of anything I'm not really convinced.
Also during the early 80's it's difficult to define exact where Hip Hop and Electro separate. For this reason alone I'd say everyone should own: Street Sounds series "Electro 1", 2, 3, 4, 5 and "Electro Crucial". There are all sorts of tracks from a whole range of artists and all really are excellent (after 5 things tailed off in quality terms IMO).
The absolutely seminal "Beat Bop" Ramelzee vs K Rob is vital - luckily it's on Electro 2. the original 12" would generally set you back £50 so get Electro 2 and save £25+.
"Planet Rock" is a must have and links clearly with both the early Hip Hop scene in the South Bronx (after Bambaata switched from gang leader to plain leader of the Zulu Nation) and the contrasting work of Kraftwerk.
"Hip Hop Be Bop (Don't Stop)" - Man Parrish. If you dont own a copy go and bid for one right now! "Boogie Down Bronx" is also well worth owning.
"The Message" - Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five still stands the test of time and I think it's a great track as is "White Lines" and both tracks are very applicable to the current state of the UK so are pertinent.
Kurtis Blow (Russell Simmons first act) laid down a number of supposed classics, though they have dated and he could easily be accused of starting the slide into Hip Pop.
"Run" Simmons started out DJing at Kurtis Blow shows. Later Run DMC tracks such as the basic but classic (IMO) "Sucker MC's" and "It's Like That" accelerated Hip Hop's move towards the mainstream of pop music. This takes us up to around 84.
I felt 85 was where things lost their way (in my mind anyway), though 86 saw the emergence of Ice T and, regardless of him being blamed for creating Gangsta Rap (which is more the product of gangsters deciding to start rapping than anything else) to me he brought a new sound, that of the west coast, which was quite distinct from the east coast sound. It must be said that whilst he started his career as a criminal, that his music (to which he turned to and away from crime) was always set around the theme of crime not be worth it. If anyone missed that message you need to listen more carefully to his lyrics. His first album "Ryhme Pays" is mediocre as a whole but "6 in N Mornin" and one other track (I'll have to dig it out to remember which) are outstanding. His second album Power was ground breaking at the time and I think pretty excellent.
87 saw the emergence of Public Enemy in the form of "Yo Bum Rush the Show" which is essential though not all tracks live up to the acclaim. "It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back" is excellent and utterly essential....
Eric B. & Rakim "Paid in Full" and "Follow the Leader" were well loved and deservedly so.
Big Daddy Kane "The Wrath of Kane" was a track I loved then and now. In a way he was the Jay Z of his generation I suppose.
KRS One and DJ Scott La Rock "By All Means Necessary" influenced many and is worth having.
That takes us up to the 90's
Having said that the place to start IMO is an album - "The Last Poets" by The Last Poets (1970). In many ways this (as far as I understand things) was pretty much the basis from which rapping evolved as a specific form of spoken word performance in NYC. This is a heavy record and does make Public Enemy look tame though you can see a main influence on Chuck D. Interestingly The Last Poets recently collaborated with Common who is my personal current fave.
The hard bit about the 70's is simply the fact block party performances werent recorded (other than on mix tapes) so the "early" (ie. not very early at all) hip hop releases which appeared with tracks like "Rapper's Delight" were really pop parodies of block party performances used to try and leverage some trade from a growing form of music not yet (at that time) tapped. Strangely tracks like Rappers Delight are often wheeled out by people as their "hey look how long I've been into Hip Hop" disc, yet the very same people would never ever consider listening to The Last Poets.
Blondie's "Rapture" was considered a bit of a joke in Hip Hop circles (though I like it). Again this is often cited as one of the earliest recordings but whether it's reflective of anything I'm not really convinced.
Also during the early 80's it's difficult to define exact where Hip Hop and Electro separate. For this reason alone I'd say everyone should own: Street Sounds series "Electro 1", 2, 3, 4, 5 and "Electro Crucial". There are all sorts of tracks from a whole range of artists and all really are excellent (after 5 things tailed off in quality terms IMO).
The absolutely seminal "Beat Bop" Ramelzee vs K Rob is vital - luckily it's on Electro 2. the original 12" would generally set you back £50 so get Electro 2 and save £25+.
"Planet Rock" is a must have and links clearly with both the early Hip Hop scene in the South Bronx (after Bambaata switched from gang leader to plain leader of the Zulu Nation) and the contrasting work of Kraftwerk.
"Hip Hop Be Bop (Don't Stop)" - Man Parrish. If you dont own a copy go and bid for one right now! "Boogie Down Bronx" is also well worth owning.
"The Message" - Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five still stands the test of time and I think it's a great track as is "White Lines" and both tracks are very applicable to the current state of the UK so are pertinent.
Kurtis Blow (Russell Simmons first act) laid down a number of supposed classics, though they have dated and he could easily be accused of starting the slide into Hip Pop.
"Run" Simmons started out DJing at Kurtis Blow shows. Later Run DMC tracks such as the basic but classic (IMO) "Sucker MC's" and "It's Like That" accelerated Hip Hop's move towards the mainstream of pop music. This takes us up to around 84.
I felt 85 was where things lost their way (in my mind anyway), though 86 saw the emergence of Ice T and, regardless of him being blamed for creating Gangsta Rap (which is more the product of gangsters deciding to start rapping than anything else) to me he brought a new sound, that of the west coast, which was quite distinct from the east coast sound. It must be said that whilst he started his career as a criminal, that his music (to which he turned to and away from crime) was always set around the theme of crime not be worth it. If anyone missed that message you need to listen more carefully to his lyrics. His first album "Ryhme Pays" is mediocre as a whole but "6 in N Mornin" and one other track (I'll have to dig it out to remember which) are outstanding. His second album Power was ground breaking at the time and I think pretty excellent.
87 saw the emergence of Public Enemy in the form of "Yo Bum Rush the Show" which is essential though not all tracks live up to the acclaim. "It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back" is excellent and utterly essential....
Eric B. & Rakim "Paid in Full" and "Follow the Leader" were well loved and deservedly so.
Big Daddy Kane "The Wrath of Kane" was a track I loved then and now. In a way he was the Jay Z of his generation I suppose.
KRS One and DJ Scott La Rock "By All Means Necessary" influenced many and is worth having.
That takes us up to the 90's
