• TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
    Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
    Join free Log in
    Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.

Favorite Hip-Hop/Rap Tracks

#102
birdman14 said:
This thread is kind of a result of all the "I just don't get rap. Why it all bad?" threads recently. It seems like there's a dearth of knowledge in our general community about rap music, with many assuming that Flo Rida and Future represent all that rap has to offer. Therefore, this thread is dedicated to all the tracks you're currently listening to/enjoy that can fall under the tent of rap music. The more variety, the better.

Note: Yes, most of these songs have swears.

I guess I'll start:

Before David Bowie made an album of this name, Black Star was a late 90s super group of Mos Def and Talib Kweli. They only made one album, but it's absolutely fantastic.


What happens when you combine a Wu-Tang member and Instrumental Fusion group? Ghostface Killah's newest album.


Deep Cut Alert: The only thing I know about this track is that it samples Portrait of Tracy. It's pretty tight.


I needed to include a track of Tribe Called Quest's new album.


This was the first track I had heard from Earl Sweatshirt, and I sat in silence for a half hour trying to figure out what happened.


I'd add Kendrick or Chance tracks as well, but I'm sure they'll be very well represented before long.

Edit: also check out this thread! The Hip-Hop Variety Thread!
Click to expand...

It's debatable if some of you guys consider this type of stuff hip hop or rap. I do. But I tend to like stuff that A. has actual instruments played by people and not just chopped up samples and B. Songs that actually have a message beyond the typical degrading of women, drugs, and glorifying a criminal lifestyle.



 
#105
NSJB said:
Yeah, I bought a vinyl copy the second I could! Have you seen the video for Kirby? It honest to god has the cutest calico in it.
Click to expand...


Ha - I love it! I really like when hip-hop has a sense of humor (not necessarily funny hip-hop, but not taking itself too seriously). Just makes it more fun.

Another great track with Aesop, but the album this is from (Dark Time Sunshine - ANX) is seriously good:
 
  • Like
Reactions: NSJB
#107
Great posts everyone! I'm only halfway through the thread to this point, but I love how varied the tracks are. I'll jump back in and add some more.

Dope track from Danny Brown's new album:

Some jazzy Common for you:

Flying Lotus:

Jay Electronica goes IN on this track:


As much as Kanye is derided for his antics and public persona (sometimes accurately), his ability to make tracks like this still make him one of the top rapper/producers in the game:
 
#109
I actually kinda like Rae Sremmurd's "No Flex Zone".
(explicit lyrics)


And the Beastie Boys "No Sleep 'Til Brooklyn" is based on the Smoke on the Water chords. A band I was in did a mash up of both songs, 1 verse Brooklyn, 1 verse Smoke rapped.

I've laid down some bass tracks for a pretty talented rapper from Cleveland, even written some stuff myself. We have one where I play the intro to Jesse's Girl in parts of it, he starts of rapping about Jesse's Girl and then into other stuff.

We're working on one where I play the bass line to the Barney Miller Theme, and I'm writing my own based on the bass line from Dazed and Confused, called the Creeper. They call me the creeper.
 
Last edited:
#112
Dana R Gregory said:
Rap/Hip-Hop used to be fun. Back in the late 80s and early 90s they used to play Rap/Hip-Hop in the upstairs lounge at the Industrial/Alternative night club I went to every weekend. You could dance to Industrial/Alternative music downstairs and then go up stairs to dance to Hip-Hop and every one got along just fine. No attitudes, no arguments or fights, and this was a multi ethnic/multi racial crowd. I have many, many fond memories of those times. I liked the old school rap from the 80s like Public Enemy, Naughty by Nature, KLM, Sugarhill Gang, Beastie Boys, Rob Bass and the Jamacian rap like Shabba Ranks and King Yellowman. As I said, back in those days it was fun and everyone had a good time. :D
Click to expand...

If you lived in NYC at the time, then I would guess the club was Webster's Hall.
 
#114
ZAR14 said:
Not a fan of Rap/Hip Hop. Don't listen to it!
Click to expand...

Have you listened to any of the 3 pages of posts before yours? Upshot is the thousands of hip hop songs out there have gone through a pretty good filter here, big time-saver. Personally, I haven't heard a genre of music that doesn't have some songs I like, but there are some genres I listen to more than others. But that's me. If there's music you don't like, that's fine. But keep searching for good music, and if you stretch & check out genres you're less familiar with, you might learn something you can apply to your music.

There's isn't a sharp dividing line between genres, either. In the Big Picture, it can be said that American music in the past 100 years is just Blues; doesn't mean you have to like Riff Raff.
 
#115
Jloch86 said:
Fact: That's Ron Carter playing bass on Excursions.

I agree with your thoughts on Wu Tang and Mobb Deep as well. Haunting, chill rhythms and sophisticated, heartfelt lyrics. They painted a true picture of the garbage environment they grew up in.
Click to expand...

Cool fact cheers! I also know he played on Verses From The Abstract (only because Q-Tip shouts him out!)

Couldn't agree more with you about Mobb Deep and Wu.

I see your next post..Nas is a beast as well. My favourite song is Halftime.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Jloch86

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back