Rap - should I be worried...?

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

 

Good work Greg! Are we going to get a post 1990 instalment?

 

I'd 2nd the electro series, BDKane, and all the above - I would add that a later addition worthy of mention would be the 'ultramagnetic MCs'.

You may have heard cool keith (from the ultras) on the prodigy album 'fat of the land'.

I also liked K9 posse, overlord X and King Sun - but my timelines are getting a bit skewed now.

//lamboy

 

Robs,

You have heard and liked Dr Dre's album 2001 - it is good and very, very different to much of the other stuff people have willy-waved about above. He is an excellent producer and nobody quite has the same signature sound as him.

If you like Dr Dre, then buy more Dr Dre: just stick to 'The Chronic' and possibly the first Snoop LP if you can tolerate puerile lyrics.

If you think that liking one "rap" LP will mean you will like lots more then you may waste a lot of money. See above.

Rap is a very broad church, choose your flavour with care.

 

I wouldnt call making some personal recommendations about early hip hop willy waving. There's some solid quality music and why would anyone who likes The Chronic just want to listen to the early 90's west coast sound. Seems like you got an axe to grind pal.

 

<holds handbag to chest>

Ooooooooh!

<puts down handbag>

PMT Lord?

 

Someone pop a cap in his ass.

 

LoL

 

Greg, post #21, well done, sir. That is the best post I have ever seen on ZG.

 

Going back to the album that started this thread...Still D.R.E is hell of a tune. That harpsichord(?) hook is one of the best I've heard. Definately one of the best hiphop tunes going from that side of the genre...proper head nodding good and pure swaggering machismo. Makes you feel proper gansta!

 

you're gonna get blasted, you dumb ass b*stard...

 

Thanks for all the info guys (& special mention in dispatches for Greg!).
Interesting...I guess my definition of 'rap' just got expanded...which is more of an indication of my ignorance of musical genres than anything else... I already have Message, 3 feet high and rising, & a few other bits & pieces that could be on the fringes I guess - arrested development, a tribe called quest. One of my most played of all time is Us3 Hand on the torch, which I guess is a hip hoppy trippy sort of rappy thing? Maybe thinking of Dr Dre as 'rap' is akin to thinking of Motorhead as 'Rock'.
Good here init?
Off to listen to St Matthew's Passion now ;-)

 

Kool Keith under his various guises is a fav of mine. His (As Dr Octagon) album "Octagonecologyst" is probably my fav vocal hip hop album.

It's a great starting point for a MOre experimental take on hip hop with the likes of Del the funky hoMOsapien (of Gorillaz fame), also rapping on it. Beats are done by Dan Automator, who has some great solo work.
Del and Dan also did an album under the name Deltron 3030, which also features turntablist Kid Koala. KK's solo stuff is also well worth checking out. Both fun and funky, and several others on here have mentioned him before too.

These aren't really recommendations for someone based on just liking the one Dre album. It's a different style of hip hop. But this seems to be turning into a general thread, so there you go....

 

I come from the Shaolin slum, and the isle I'm from
is comin through with nuff niggaz, and nuff guns
so if you wanna come sweatin, stressin contestin
you'll catch a sharp sword to the midsection
Don't talk the talk, if you can't walk the walk
Phony niggaz are outlined in chalk
A man vexed, is what the projects made me
Rebel to the grain there's no way to barricade me
Steamrollin niggaz like a eighteen wheeler
with the drunk driver drivin, there's no survivin

 

yeah thats a goodun

 

Simply Vinyl's latest offer (3x180g lps for £18.00, 3x160g lps for £15.00) may be of interest to posters on this thread, as it contains quite a number of albums/artists discussed here, as well as a number of other excellent non-rap records.

I ordered 12 albums in total (3 160g, 9 180g) and it came in at under £90.00 including postage. If you're interested:

http://www.simplyvinyl.com/

 

I have my shopping basket open in the other window. I'm trying to cut down too but thats too good an offer to miss!

 

That's what I thought, too. Order Bobby Byrd's 'Best of', if you haven't already got any of his stuff, and find out where the hip-hoppers get the samples from...

 

I tend to try and self impose a ban on buying anything in the run up to christmas. But t'is indeed a good offer!

 

Who can resist the chance of the first 3 Public Enemy albums on 180g vinyl? Or the best of Run DMC for a fiver? 'Nevermind' on vinyl for 6 quid? Go on, you know you want to...