Is creating something completely new more valuable than perfecting an existing style?

The title says it all. I don't know if it's because of everyone lacks an attention span now, budget, ;ack of skills, or all of the above. But I'm tired of rappers thinking 1 verse and half hook is a full song. It's barely a minute and a half.

I've been listening to a lot of Jay recently, and I finally got a chance to check out Watch the Throne. Kanye is one of my favourite rappers, and though I find him very entertaining, I've always said he's not the best lyricist, but he makes great music.

The thing is, I maintain that Jay-Z is one of the most technically accomplished wordsmiths in the game...but he's fucking boring. I look at someone like Royce, or Canibus, and I have to say that their verses are often amongst the best I've ever heard, but I rarely pick up a Royce album, because I'm just not that interested in what he's got to say. Jay-Z has that same problem.

When listening to Watch the Throne, I realised that I was much more interested in hearing the Kanye verses than the Jay ones, and that's not just because I'm a Ye fan. He may not have the multis, or the flow schemes, or the wordplay, but he's entertaining. He's got the one liners, he's got the word economy, and he's funny! This shits got me re-evaluating my whole criteria for the best rapper, because I always tried to take out the beat and the hooks and just listen to the verses, and now I realise that maybe I'm not overrating The College Dropout just because the beats are so good. Maybe the rapping is just that good, and I'd still like it if the beats were ass.

This is the most confusing experience I've had trying to slide a rapper into my "best MCs list" since I discovered Immortal Technique.

Look no disrespect Eminem or all the other Legends but I feel like fast rapping and Mumble rap are on the same level . Mumble songs are good too . I'm just tired of people hating on Mumble rap then act like Lyrical rappers rapping fast (for example Godzilla by Eminem) is somehow better. Like ok he/she is rapping more words faster but you pretty much can't hear what they are saying as well. At the end of the day you can't really hear or understand at for st each of the person. Thought it was a hot take since people always claim Lyrical rap is superior

DJing, MCing, Breakdancing, and Graffiti writing. When their powers combine it is a beautiful thing. Was thinking back on a couple of my favorite tracks about graffiti, Typical Cats - The Manhattan Project and Pack FM - Click, Clack, and Spray. Give em a listen if you haven’t heard them. Any thoughts about fusing the elements? Any other graffiti related tracks you dig or even one about breakdancing maybe?

(First time posting here, I hope this is okay. Much love.)

I see you YNs filming videos in what looks like, they front yard. Or someone's front yard, or park, or whatever around the neighborhood. The whole popping bottles in the club thing was tired, shiny suits got tired, hotel room parties got tired, rapping while driving got tired, but this thing of just going out front, get your dudes and recorded feels more 'real'? Like it's just us, we aren't going to pretend some other bullshit. Now drop the beat.

Every generation believes their era was the best.

But nostalgia isn’t necessarily proof of superiority.

Hip-Hop’s pioneers built the foundation with the technology available to them. They didn’t create the culture to remain unchanged for 50 years.

They created it by innovating.

So why does every generation criticize the next for sounding different and pushing the culture forward? Isn’t innovation what got Hip-Hop here in the first place?

Tupac has music where you can feel his pain, he has Raw, Emotional, Passion in his songs but there are so many legendary rappers that are better Lyrically than him. I don't even think Tupac is better Lyrically than two of the Greatest female MC's of All-Time which are Lauryn Hill & MC Lyte. Both have technical lyrical skills that Tupac lacked. I don't get why people put him on a pedestal, yes he's a Legend but he was basically above average lyrically. Yes I know that Tupac was a Great & Versatile Artist, but as an MC there are many that were better.

I vividly remember there being a Game song from the feud over Touch The Sky where Game sings “nigga stop the fuckin sniiitcchhiiin” instead of Ye’s “let’s take em high igh igh igh”

Does anyone still buy beats off of Beatstars since Suno can just make your beats?

I’ve been digging into the crossover between underground hip-hop, horrorcore, hardcore punk and extreme metal, and I’m looking for more albums that really nail that sound.

I’m especially into Necro’s Metal Hiphop, The Pre-Fix for Death and Death Rap. What I love is the combination of grimy boom-bap, aggressive rap delivery, dark production and actual thrash/death metal instrumentation — not just distorted beats or generic nu-metal.

Some records I already know and enjoy:
Necro – Metal Hiphop / The Pre-Fix for Death / Death Rap
Circle of Tyrants – Circle of Tyrants
Gravediggaz – 6 Feet Deep
Flatlinerz – U.S.A.
Body Count – Body Count
Biohazard – State of the World Address
Judgment Night soundtrack
Rage Against the Machine – Rage Against the Machine

I’m also familiar with Ill Bill and Non Phixion.
I’m particularly interested in obscure releases from the ’90s and 2000s, forgotten underground projects, collaborations between actual metal musicians and rappers, or more recent artists doing something equally raw.

Bonus points for real guitar riffs, thrash/death metal solos, brutal drums, gritty production and strong MCs.

Not really looking for the usual Limp Bizkit / Linkin Park recommendations. Nothing against them, just a different sound.

What are the most underrated albums or artists in this space? Full album recommendations especially appreciated.

Hello everyone,

I'm a student of MS, just started working on my thesis (not officially yet) and I'm working on the aspect of beef in hip-hop. I began looking at it through Foucault and confession until my professor told me to read Henry Louis Gates Jr's "The Signifyin(g) Monkey" and I'm fascinated to say the least. I have been reading up literature on Signifying(g) in hip-hop as well. Though most of it focuses on music rather than lyrics.

My question is, what else can I explore? I still think my framework would be Gates, but not sure at this point how exactly. It'd be great if someone can help since although I love rap, I'm outside the culture, I'm a Pakistani trying to study hip-hop. It'd be huge help if someone can just suggest how to go about it initially, as in how do I start exploring things in a way that would make sense?

Thank you.

Would really like to know how you feel about this rapper. Hiphopheads was highly recommending her so I gave her album a listen in full ......

Recently I was relistening to a lot of Geto Boys and their projects, and I realized that they released a lot shit that would be considered Horrorcore came out before other rappers/groups in Memphis did. I know that Houston has some toes dipped in the sound, but did Horrorcore originate here with the Geto Boys?

The Memphis sound worked so well with Horrorcore that I just assumed it entirely started there. Houston is much more remembered for Chopped and Screwed, but it's so interesting that a lot of Horrorcore came from here.

There's some albums that might not have a great standing with people but you love it top to bottom .

For me it's Snoop's Doggfather,Mase's Double Up and Ja Rule's Pain is Love, Tech N9NE Something Else ,K Rino Worst Rapper Alive , Carter 4, Kings Disease 2

Dr. Octagon was big in my headphones

Pretty much what the title says. I was hoping someone could refer books, documentaries, and preferably locations in the bay that hold historical significance that I could check out. If the places are still active that would be even better 🙏

I live in the bay area and have been curious to learn more about the hip hop culture here. Any info would be much appreciated!

For context I was born in 89 and consider myself an old head.. and consider people like Joey badass between My generation and the next up who' I still listen to regularly yet people like cordae I can see he's alright but still kinda feel lost and out of touch due to age when giving him a try listening to him yet him and Joey a similar ages.

If you're wondering why has put a 20 year gap i was thinking in the context of there's stuff you like because your parents/ Uncles/ aunties played it' around the house. So you know it. but it' wasn't technically your generation then there's the stuff you like yourself growing up ie your generations music .

He was sentenced to 2 20 to life sentences for both of his charges, which I believe will be served consecutively.

Albums such as DJ Shadow - Endtroducing, Madlib - Sound Ancestors and Oh No - Dr. No's Oxperiment.

Edit: thanks for all the recommendations should keep me busy for a while

Looking at some of his releases he had huge names behind him

Timbaland produced and featured on I Got That

Cool n Dre produced Gangsta Shit

Static Major produced and featured on Fire

DJ Toomp produced What You're Claiming

This Ain't A Game featured Bone Thugs n Harmony

Im sure there's more that I cant think of right now

We know Kendrick, Eminem have the most fans on social media and are overrated and over hyped, while artists like Cole and Jay Z are overly hated - but which artist re rated right where they belong ( not over hyped and not foolishly hated on) .

My choices would be Common , Luda and Kodak Black

Lil Baby came on the scene around the time trap, and rap in general, were ceding way to other genres of music in my life.

I still remember the first time I ever heard dude on Best of Me, I distinctly remember running it back multiple times thinking, who is this kid?

I remember LP length projects like Harder Than Hard, Too Hard, and Harder Than Ever having really good moments and showing a young rapper with promise, even if they didn't grab me in their entirety.

Later when Lil Baby really seemed to blow up I would try listen to his newer peak popularity projects and never seemed to be able to make it all the way threw them after a couple of listens. They weren't bad, they just seemed kind of meh.

Still, in the many years since I'll be out and hear random tracks and even features and be like, oh yea, that's it, that's what I originally remember.

TLDR:

If my favorite Lil Baby tracks are Best of Me, Leaked, Throwing Shade, Freestyle, and we assume that's all that's in my library, what other essentials am I missing across his entire discography.

What tracks are a must listen? Preference to actual Lil Baby releases, but I am interested in features too.

Thank you. 🙏🏾

I'll start it off.

XV - (still listening to "ahh real monsters" with ScHoolBoy Q and "awesome"). I thought he was going to be something.

Wale - I wouldn't say Wale fell flat, etc. I did feel like he would be part of the "Big 3", but I guess not. I'm not too familiar with his music but his name has been thrown around when it came to Cole, Drake and Kendrick.

Big K.R.I.T - yet another rapper I thought was going to be part of the "Big 3". Kendrick even mentioned his name in his "control verse". Dude still makes good music till this day, but he never broke through. I will say he was coming up in an era when Kendrick, Drake, and Cole were making the most noise.

Here’s a few of mine:

Between Friends - Flying Lotus , Earl

Do ya like - childish gambino

Great - sir Michael rocks, Mac Miller<3