I just posted this to a musicians forum, bear in mind I'm a musician who's spent the last 20 years learning to play various instruments, mostly bass, then drums, then guitar. I thought maybe this thread might get some interesting responses here too:
Note: I really would prefer that people read this post and hopefully listen to some tunes before responding. I'm not talking about 50cent records or Lil Wayne records:
I know a lot of rockers and old people (hell I'm 34, that makes me old people) and they're always telling me how they don't like hip-hop. There's no musicianship, so-and-so hasn't spent years learning to play guitar or whatever, they're amateurs and their music is simplistic and base and offensive and rubbish, and so on.
I think in a lot of cases those arguments are pretty valid, but y'know most "classic" rock records are really simplistic too, but they still sound great.
I think it would be a shame if anybody was missing out on some great records from what I think was the "golden age" of hip-hop simply because they either never heard them at all or never listened to them properly, so here are some tunes which I think are gloriously creative and musical and funky, and I hope even the most hardened rockers amongst you will give some of them a chance. So please drop your inhibitions for a little while and listen objectively. And tell me honestly if you weren't grooving.
If you've got an opinion to share, I'd love to hear which ones you especially liked or disliked, and why:
1983 - Grandmaster Flash & The Fu ... Five - New York, New York
I'm spoiling you to begin with - you get a young Doug Wimbish on bass. The Furious Five started social consciousness in rap music, but still had very accessible lyrics.
1987 - Public Enemy - Sophisticated Bitch
From the first Public Enemy LP, Yo! Bum Rush The Show. They sampled Heatwave, got Vernon Reid in on guitar, and sort-of quoted Duke Ellington, the beat is just huge. Rap's still pretty immature by this point, but Public Enemy have more to offer in later years...
1989 - De La Soul - Say No Go
Anti-drug tune from 3 Feet High & Rising. I think I've bought that album seven times so far because I either wore it out or bought it as a gift or people stole it from me. Rap started to mature about this time, and this bunch of 19-YEAR-OLD KIDS from Long Island were at the spearhead. Amazing record. Were you this plugged-in at age 19? I certainly wasn't.
1990 - Public Enemy - Leave This Off Your ****ing Charts
From Public Enemy's "Fear of a Black Planet" album, this is basically a hip-hop instrumental by phenomenal scratch DJ Terminator X. If this doesn't get your ass cheeks moving, nothing will. Music doesn't get funkier than this.
1991 - Terminator X feat. The Interro ... to the Scene of the Bass
This album - Terminator X & The Valley of the Jeep Beats - was a flop. Which is a shame, because it's got loads of great old-school grooves like this on it. This track features "The Interrogators", who I've never heard doing anything else. Can anyone tell me where the bassline came from? It's great!
1992 - The Goats - Typical American
What a huge beat. There's no sampling on this record, it's all live musicians and the Goats always gigged with a full live band. All three rappers were smart, charismatic, ego-free and talented. You have to love Oatie's "Bush" T-shirt with the swastika S. That was for Bush senior, of course. I just love this record. The album - a rap CONCEPT ALBUM! that covered the whole of american history - was a flop... It's excellent. I will burn it for anybody who wants it.
1992 - Beastie Boys - So Watcha Want?
Beats don't get heavier than this! The Beasties really found their sound on the album Check Your Head - a healthy mix of goofball skits and huge old-school beats so good that they continued with the same formula into 1994's Ill Communication and it still hadn't got stale. Both records are classics.
1992 - Galliano - So Much Confusion
The first Brit entry on my list. On this album the band featured the excellent Ernie McKone on bass and Mick Talbot (Style Council) on keys. Steve White (Style Council) took drum duties on the debut record, which is well worth having. This is just a sweet groove and an early example of UK hip-hop. Storm Clouds Gather is a better (IMO) earlier tune, but isn't on youtube. You get Steve White on that one.
1993 - KRS-One - Higher Level
Return Of the Boom-Bap is a great record full of tunes like this (you've probably heard Sound of Da Police, this is more laid-back). KRS-One teamed up with GangStarr's DJ Premier for his first "solo" record, and Premier - a brilliant and funky scratch DJ incidentally - is responsible for this mixing this beat.
1994 - Credit To The Nation - Teenage Sensation
Yeah you've probably heard this one, but I bet you haven't heard it for ages! Brummie rapper Matty Hanson aka MC Fusion with Chumbawamba providing production, it's surprisingly catchy! The album was very listenable too.
1996 - De La Soul - Stakes Is High
Beautiful sample, serious messages again from De La Soul, but this time with a beat to match the mood. For me this is jazz hip-hop. By this time the band were established heroes of hip-hop, so they try to use that influence by turning the spotlight on their own scene and deliver some home-truths. These guys just never disappoint.
Finally, we've got to have some ADF:
Asian Dub Foundation - Black White
Asian Dub Foundation - New Way, New Life
Asian Dub Foundation - Real Great Britain
If at least one of those can't move you, wear your anti-rap badge with pride!
Note: I really would prefer that people read this post and hopefully listen to some tunes before responding. I'm not talking about 50cent records or Lil Wayne records:
I know a lot of rockers and old people (hell I'm 34, that makes me old people) and they're always telling me how they don't like hip-hop. There's no musicianship, so-and-so hasn't spent years learning to play guitar or whatever, they're amateurs and their music is simplistic and base and offensive and rubbish, and so on.
I think in a lot of cases those arguments are pretty valid, but y'know most "classic" rock records are really simplistic too, but they still sound great.
I think it would be a shame if anybody was missing out on some great records from what I think was the "golden age" of hip-hop simply because they either never heard them at all or never listened to them properly, so here are some tunes which I think are gloriously creative and musical and funky, and I hope even the most hardened rockers amongst you will give some of them a chance. So please drop your inhibitions for a little while and listen objectively. And tell me honestly if you weren't grooving.
If you've got an opinion to share, I'd love to hear which ones you especially liked or disliked, and why:
1983 - Grandmaster Flash & The Fu ... Five - New York, New York
I'm spoiling you to begin with - you get a young Doug Wimbish on bass. The Furious Five started social consciousness in rap music, but still had very accessible lyrics.
1987 - Public Enemy - Sophisticated Bitch
From the first Public Enemy LP, Yo! Bum Rush The Show. They sampled Heatwave, got Vernon Reid in on guitar, and sort-of quoted Duke Ellington, the beat is just huge. Rap's still pretty immature by this point, but Public Enemy have more to offer in later years...
1989 - De La Soul - Say No Go
Anti-drug tune from 3 Feet High & Rising. I think I've bought that album seven times so far because I either wore it out or bought it as a gift or people stole it from me. Rap started to mature about this time, and this bunch of 19-YEAR-OLD KIDS from Long Island were at the spearhead. Amazing record. Were you this plugged-in at age 19? I certainly wasn't.
1990 - Public Enemy - Leave This Off Your ****ing Charts
From Public Enemy's "Fear of a Black Planet" album, this is basically a hip-hop instrumental by phenomenal scratch DJ Terminator X. If this doesn't get your ass cheeks moving, nothing will. Music doesn't get funkier than this.
1991 - Terminator X feat. The Interro ... to the Scene of the Bass
This album - Terminator X & The Valley of the Jeep Beats - was a flop. Which is a shame, because it's got loads of great old-school grooves like this on it. This track features "The Interrogators", who I've never heard doing anything else. Can anyone tell me where the bassline came from? It's great!
1992 - The Goats - Typical American
What a huge beat. There's no sampling on this record, it's all live musicians and the Goats always gigged with a full live band. All three rappers were smart, charismatic, ego-free and talented. You have to love Oatie's "Bush" T-shirt with the swastika S. That was for Bush senior, of course. I just love this record. The album - a rap CONCEPT ALBUM! that covered the whole of american history - was a flop... It's excellent. I will burn it for anybody who wants it.
1992 - Beastie Boys - So Watcha Want?
Beats don't get heavier than this! The Beasties really found their sound on the album Check Your Head - a healthy mix of goofball skits and huge old-school beats so good that they continued with the same formula into 1994's Ill Communication and it still hadn't got stale. Both records are classics.
1992 - Galliano - So Much Confusion
The first Brit entry on my list. On this album the band featured the excellent Ernie McKone on bass and Mick Talbot (Style Council) on keys. Steve White (Style Council) took drum duties on the debut record, which is well worth having. This is just a sweet groove and an early example of UK hip-hop. Storm Clouds Gather is a better (IMO) earlier tune, but isn't on youtube. You get Steve White on that one.
1993 - KRS-One - Higher Level
Return Of the Boom-Bap is a great record full of tunes like this (you've probably heard Sound of Da Police, this is more laid-back). KRS-One teamed up with GangStarr's DJ Premier for his first "solo" record, and Premier - a brilliant and funky scratch DJ incidentally - is responsible for this mixing this beat.
1994 - Credit To The Nation - Teenage Sensation
Yeah you've probably heard this one, but I bet you haven't heard it for ages! Brummie rapper Matty Hanson aka MC Fusion with Chumbawamba providing production, it's surprisingly catchy! The album was very listenable too.
1996 - De La Soul - Stakes Is High
Beautiful sample, serious messages again from De La Soul, but this time with a beat to match the mood. For me this is jazz hip-hop. By this time the band were established heroes of hip-hop, so they try to use that influence by turning the spotlight on their own scene and deliver some home-truths. These guys just never disappoint.
Finally, we've got to have some ADF:
Asian Dub Foundation - Black White
Asian Dub Foundation - New Way, New Life
Asian Dub Foundation - Real Great Britain
If at least one of those can't move you, wear your anti-rap badge with pride!
I also like Cha'millionaire's Ridin' Dirty. I grew up on rock, but I don't mind a bit of anything. Jordan Knight (from New Kids on the Block) had good solo R'n'B.
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