[underground]

Yeeeeah man  Flava is a proper heavyweights of hip hop track, Craig Mack was up there in the wings with that voice...

Freddie Foxxx was one of those guys too...


I never mentioned Primo in my rants but he's consistently on the numbers with everything I love, and has been since the moment I could associate the Gang Starr records with an actual DJ, that 'boom, bap' style defined my initial appreciation of the genre and with a few exceptions, is all I want to hear even now....

Not my selection, I'm not that crazy about some of the MCs, but some nice concise DJ Premier produced joints:



A lot of rap would be very different without the DJ / Producer carrying it.

[SA Chris]

It all kicked off with New York DJs playing the 'break' bit of the same record repeatedly across 2 turntables, to keep the crowd dancing.

This video about the origin of the commonly used "Amen Break" is pretty cool

[robertostallioni]

I never mentioned Primo in my rants but he's consistently on the numbers with everything I love, and has been since the moment I could associate the Gang Starr records with an actual DJ, that 'boom, bap' style defined my initial appreciation of the genre and with a few exceptions, is all I want to hear even now....

Amen to that. There are too many G-Starr hits to put here but, er, ever had your hoop shot?



always makes me smile. Lyrically outrageous.....

Guru - "I'm struggling to find something to rhyme with "Bruce Willis". Oh, I've got it......."

"lemonade was a popular drink, and it still is. I get more props and stunts than Bruce Willis."

"Like a rhinoceros, my speed is prosperous, and pure knowledge expands from my oesophagus."

Class

[underground]

Love it. I always got a great feeling every Friday night when Westwood's intro music on Radio 1 came on with the 'feelin' satisfaction from the street crowd reaction'

Anyway... not even had a chance to hear it yet but the July Nougold had landed care of A-Up and Bedos:

Nougold

[Falling Down]

Another absolute classic from the golden age. 93 'til infinity.

[tommytwotone]

Nice to see a bit of Primo-love going on here.

Think I referenced this in my original post about quality control, but he steps in to rescue the otherwise-average "I Am" by providing the beat for "Nas Is Like":

[underground]

Another one of those tracks where the MC should have stayed at home.... Primo's carried a load of rubbish MCs, but thre are some guys who can really spit lyrics who need a proper DJ.

[underground]

Some more Primo goodness, with a voice and lyrics every bit deserving of a Hall & Oates treatment.

I've seen Jeru live a few times and he's been a pleasure and a gem every time. His voice is as powerful live as it it is on record - i.e no horrible shouting, and loads of sense to speak...


And this, one of my all time favourites - 'Da Bitchez', quite a pointed attack on vacuous women, complimentary of most others, and the baddest baddest combination of beats and lyrics I ever heard.



I don't make a habit of calling women 'bitches', by the way.... I think these are not mysoginist lyrics but who knows.

[andy_e]

  When you lie an' you talk about something you don't know, it's so whack that it's bound to show.

[fatneck]

Just stumbled across this, highly enjoyable relaxed HH...

[underground]

Just stumbled across this, highly enjoyable relaxed HH...

Liking that...

I was having a think on the bus home from work, flicked through 46 Primo produced tracks and thought 'these all sound like Primo tracks always sound' which is great in some ways but only when an amazing MC is present, and realised that it's only this year that I've been actively looking for new hip hop since now I don't have so much time or equipment to play any of my funk records - it was off the back of funk that I got into hip hop in the first place due to the sampling bizniz. And I thought about the last more modern styled tracks that really impressed me, I could only remember 2, from a couple of years ago (when I was last doing the odd radio show with some real DJs who bought records and played them) and they're both UK artists:

Talking about spitting lyrics out, Tor Cesay does it, I bloomin love this one:



And a Skrein track, love this too. Looking it up again makes me realise I need to start taking notice again....

[underground]

I love the fact that youtube provides suggestions, already I've found a newish banger 



Which reminds me, some promising man in Sheffield, friend of a friend Critic being one of my faves:



http://www.youtube.com/user/SHEFFCRITIC#p/u/1/eIhdTaV8p40

Totally recommend downloading 'The Chronicles of Critic' but it doesn't seem to be available any more. Nice little 'sheff live freestyle' from the radio show I used to ruin

[andybfreeman]

Just stumbled across this, highly enjoyable relaxed HH...

enjoyed that! the chilled vibe reminded me a bit of some old uk stuff, including this gem from taskforce

[underground]

Back to the battles (or at least freestyles), no idea if it's still on (I've only ever heard them from the compilation albums of the freestyles) but there's a lot of stuff on youtube from 'the wake up show' with Sway and King Tech off the radio in San Francisco, they did loads of interviews with big names like Biggie, KRS One, RZA, Eminem etc. and always demanded that these MCs 'catch rec' by standing up and freestyling over whatever beat King Tech chucked out. Some of them turn out stuff that's obviously in their 'freestyle repertoire' and I've heard the same rhymes in different places, but one guy that always impressed me was Supernatural - so on point with the freestyle that he had to be tested using random subjects, and he always kills it - has his own charm in terms of style and stuff but I love the spontaneity and sheer skill of the guy:



and if you can sit through the interview (worth listening to but the guy is a pain), some more in action (5:20 for the flow to start)

[underground]

Just some NY shit from the old days:

[underground]

And after hearing the latest Nougold bizniz, I'm utterly blown away by these particular bangers:



(the J Rawls album is fuggin brilliant)

some instrumental pad hitting, but choice samples and enough to get a bad neck off:



And Action Bronson, seen this guy's name but heard this and boom, I'm in:



And ooooh, Blu and Exile:



an Impressions sample, this is what I so love about hip hop... just that little soul-y vocal thing going on...

no idea what the music sample is.

Love this thing too, although it's one of few J Dilla things I really really like:



The impressions version is hard to find, but they covered the Five Stairsteps, which is an absolute soul banger:



Five stairsteps being best known for this utter beauty:



 Crikey, I could be here all night and probably will be but that's probably enough going on about music for one night

[underground]

Nice, just wish this didn't have any Nate Dogg style singing...

M-Trey - Nomad (Official Music Video)

Do love it in the right spot mind... the Nextmen pimped these two on one of their podcasts.... that was a good day





RIP Nate Dogg

[underground]

Guru....

RIP Guru - Keith Alam, Gifted Unlimited Rhymes Universal - we talk about Primo but Guru was the other half of Gang Starr and he was an MC of the highest order...





Here's what the Gang Starr meant when they refer to 'the real':



The fucking real...


bedtime.

[robertostallioni]

Fine example of what is required



I always come back to this with Gangstarr. GURU's fine lyrics, and class sampling from Prem.

Tonz o guns are in the streets nowadays, Its big money and you know crime pays.

Some of the Gangstarr tracks have the best understated aggressive/offensive posturing lyrics going, such as

Gladiators?



Basketball?


Perfect example of GURU's flow. Illest brother. Ear Chocolate.



A great look into life in early '90's Brookyln. Spent many hours listening too these albums, immersing myself in these words.

Growing up in BROOKLYN

[underground]

Oh my word:

[underground]

Many times I've lamented my failure to learn French at school; MC Solaar being one of them:

[underground]

Braggin' Writes

[underground]

and what are we doing with a Hip Hop thread without Q and Mos?


Barry White banger...


Aretha aceness...

[Pantontino]

Heard this on the radio today and was transported back in time - what a killer track:

[andybfreeman]

Oh my word:

  shit the bed, that's awesome