The Hip Hop Thread - for the nerds that think they're black

[ShinyUmbreon189]

^ I just don't like what rap has become. It's all about money and nothing more. I find it ridiculous that you gotta go to old school or underground to find good stuff. If you know what "flow" is then you would understand what I'm saying. You gotta have flow to be considered a good rapper. Most radio can't flow now. Wiz Khalifa is mainstream but he doesn't "suck". I wouldn't say he's that good either but he can "flow". This Plane is a good example of flow. Or Hero "freestyle". Rakim has the best flow I've ever heard. Fat Joe has good flow cos he can switch it around, Biggie is another example of a good flow rapper, Bun B, Nas, Ice Cube, Tupac, Eminem, etc have great flow as well. Without flow it's not rap. Just because you can rhyme in a song doesn't mean it's good. You don't gotta rhyme for it to be a song. I've heard lots of good rappers make songs where they didn't rhyme really at all. Rhyming just shows the skill you possess. I'm not talking about rhymes like dog, hog, fog, fall, call, ball, flow, blow, dro, oh, etc. I'm talking about 2 or more syllabul words like. Remember, dismember, December, century, penitentiary, cemetery, miracle, spiritual, lyrical, etc. Flow is what makes it sound good and mainstream don't have that.

[Hammerheart]

But rap hasn't become anything, just a different niche of it is in the spotlight at the moment. Why is it a problem that you have to look underground or go old school? Just because the good stuff isn't popular doesn't mean it doesn't exist. It's still there and for all underground implies that it's hard to come by, it really isn't. Yeah I get it can be frustrating that people percieve the genre to be something it's not, but at the end of the day, I like what I like and the opinions and validations of others are of no consequence to me.

And I'll admit I am somewhat new to the genre, but I feel know what flow is.
What do you think of this? Would you say he has a good flow? I feel he does, but like I say, I'm no expert.

[ShinyUmbreon189]

Eh, I can't really decide. It's just weird lol. Here I'll post a song and I want you to listen to it maybe this will help you learn what flow is.



Basically flow is the rhythm the rapper uses when spitting a bar. The emphasis and pitch makes it up too.

[Hammerheart]

Yeah I thought so, the phrasing and where your beats fall in your sentences and how you structure them and stuff.
That track didn't grab me much, I think for me personally the actual musical element is just as important as the rapping. I think that's why I love the Lost Children of Babylon's first album so much. But your track just felt a bit safe/generic from a musical standpoint.



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RtzGcloH6kw
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PPsxjulLsiE

[ShinyUmbreon189]

The first rapper sounds similar to a Immortal Technique/Nas. Yea he can flow pretty well. What's up with all the science stuff tho?


Imo this dude one of the best flow in rap now.

[Hammerheart]

Put bluntly I find the Science stuff (which in the case of the Lost Children of Babylon usually relates to Nuwaubian teachings such as Dr. York's The Holy Tablets) interesting. I like spiritual stuff, I like mythological stuff, I like conspiracy theories, and I like the sort of pseudo-science esoteric knowledge stuff. It's interesting to listen to, and I feel it helps with the overall feel. It's subject matter that is less grounded in reality and as such I feel it becomes something else, something more ethereal, more transcendent. But of course the music and beats are very important with that, the new age dreamy laid back feel coupled with rhymes about really deep stuff just add to the overall.

I don't really care about life in the getto rapped over some hard hitting but musically sparse beat. I acknowledge there's an audience for it, but it's not my thing.

[ShinyUmbreon189]

Put bluntly I find the Science stuff (which in the case of the Lost Children of Babylon usually relates to Nuwaubian teachings such as Dr. York's The Holy Tablets) interesting. I like spiritual stuff, I like mythological stuff, I like conspiracy theories, and I like the sort of pseudo-science esoteric knowledge stuff. It's interesting to listen to, and I feel it helps with the overall feel. It's subject matter that is less grounded in reality and as such I feel it becomes something else, something more ethereal, more transcendent. But of course the music and beats are very important with that, the new age dreamy laid back feel coupled with rhymes about really deep stuff just add to the overall.

I don't really care about life in the getto rapped over some hard hitting but musically sparse beat. I acknowledge there's an audience for it, but it's not my thing.

I respect that. Not everyone's gonna like the same rapper and I know that. Some people prefer Gangsta rap over inustrial rap, freestyle over crunk rap, underground over ragga rap etc. There's lots of different genres inside the rap genre and most people only like a couple of them.

[Hammerheart]

Yeah very true. It's the same with most genre's, you just have to explore a bit and find your niche.
I've been into metal for about 11 years now, and there's styles/sub-genres I still don't like or listen to.

[ShinyUmbreon189]

Yeah very true. It's the same with most genre's, you just have to explore a bit and find your niche.
I've been into metal for about 11 years now, and there's styles/sub-genres I still don't like or listen to.

Same here. Metal and rap is my music. I got into rap about 6 years ago but really started getting into it about a year ago even tho I researched for 5 to 6 years. I just think underground sounds good. I respect all rappers for what they do even they might suck. They may have a family and rarely see them because of they're music and that's why I respect them. I couldn't handle staying up 40 hours straight recording 1 song, I couldn't handle performing at a show and not sleeping because of another show, they go through a lot and that's why I respect them. Whether it be Lil Wayne, Waka Flocka, or Soulja Boy. I respect Tupac and Dr. Dre the most for what they did to rap. They changed how rap sounded for a better and not worse. Listen to the song Changes by Tupac. People say, "Oh Tupac's just a thug, he only raps about gangsta stuff, killing people, raping people, etc." when in reality he wanted to "change" the world. He wanted to end the wars on the streets, end the gangs selling drugs to the youth, change the way we treat eachother and for that I got nothing but mutual respect for the man.

[Dragontail]

Anyone hear "Thrift Shop" from Macklemore? Quite an interesting song.

[Hammerheart]

Here's my first hip hop album of 2013 that I've got, and it's also free which is quite nice. Some nice features too like Bliss and White Lotus. (even if I do still find it weird listening to Antahkarana Heru Ki Nabu because of his French.)


http://www.sendspace.com/pro/dl/xr03fy

[lollygag]

I always liked 50 Cent. His lyrics were hilarious. My favorite song of his is "Candy Shop".

[John Wallrein]

Anyone hear "Thrift Shop" from Macklemore? Quite an interesting song.

I'm gonna pop some tags

I always liked 50 Cent. His lyrics were hilarious. My favorite song of his is "Candy Shop".

hahaha that was a good song. So deep...


Anyway my favorite artist right now is Lupe Fiasco. Not in any specific order but my top 5 favorite songs of his:

1. Battle Scars
2. Words I Never Said
3. Never Forget You
4. Little Weapon
5. Around My Way

honorable mentions:

The Die
The Show Goes On