Rap bass lines

[oniman7]

I am normally a rock player but have been trying to expand my horizons a lot lately. Earlier I got a feeling I wanted to listen Eminem, who I enjoy. Most rap I can't stand. Especially whatever's on the radio nowadays. Absolutely hate it.

So I started listening to some of the "classics". Tupac, Biggie Smalls etc. I know almost nothing about rap. However, I noticed that a lot of the older real stuff I really liked, and a lot of it had some pretty awesome bass lines. For instance, Tupac's "Changes".

Anyways, if anybody could give me some advice or some good bass songs to listen to, that would be awesome.

 

[Corbeau]

Have a listen to Grandmaster Flash. Especially "White Lines", which has a great bass line -

 

[kevteop]

That Tupac record is an old Bruce Hornsby tune:

 

[fmoore200]

Yeah, the rap I was brought up on (early - mid 90's gangsta rap) wasn't dance music. It centered mostly in lyricism. Drums usually held time and groove, while bass was a primary melodic instrument.

Today, rap is more dance oriented. Producers like Timbaland and the Neptunes placed more emphasis in the drum part (sometimes to the point that some rap songs don't even have a bass part)..

I don't think either approach is better, but as Master Killah of the Wu Tang Clan said:

"...the dumb are mostly intrigued by the drum.."

(I know that line is taken out of context, so don't flame me )

 

[Zoomie]

Bust a move !

 

[Tupac]

See: Early 90s west coast hiphop. LOTS of funky lines there.

Most of them are synth lines, but they're good. See Invalid Link Removed The slides in that sound like a bass rather than a synth. Invalid Link Removed Sounds like a Ray.

 

[runmikeyrun]

A Tribe Called Quest have some of my favorite bass lines:

Electric Relaxation:
http://youtu.be/ERQzl4xDpXk

Buggin' Out:
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Luck of Lucien:
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RJD2 has some great stuff too:
Smoke and Mirrors:
http://youtu.be/KfZxJV1ykHs

Final Frontier:
http://youtu.be/9-3iNypOkfE

1976:
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As long as you're getting into rap, check out Immortal Technique.

 

[Mr L]

Can't believe no one mentioned the bass line in Rappers delight by the sugar hill gang, such an awesome groove!

 

[CharlieDog]

Party for the Fight to Write - Atmosphere

Leonard Hubbard is awesome. When I first heard this, the part starting at 2:07 blew me away. Didn't expect that. (I don't know what's up with the whole clothing thing on the video. It's the only one I could find.)

I could keep going, but there's my recommendations for now.

 

[Solarmist]

Linkin Park is as rap as I can get.

 

[Matthew_84]

"...the dumb are mostly intrigued by the drum.."

(I know that line is taken out of context, so don't flame me )

LOL, I always took that line basically like that, because I've never clearly heard he said in the line before or after until, "this relentless attack on the track spares none."

It's simple, but I always liked this bassline: Invalid Link Removed

 

[Shakin-Slim]

Digable Planets have all the dope bass lines

 

[SunnBass]

ZAPP & ROGER!!!

 

[Matthew_84]

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Classified "Crossing Lines"

LL Coolj, Method Man, Busta Rhymes & others "Hit 'Em High"

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Method Man & Redman "Maaad Crew"

Those are the best ones not already posted that I can think of. I do prefer the Def Squad version of "Rapper's Delight"

 

[phayes1007]

felt like I had to post this suggestion:


Jedi Mind Tricks - "Serenity in Murder"

awesome awesome, brutal of a rap song. has everything I like to hear in hip-hop: great lyrics w/ an aggressive-but-smooth delivery, moderate-fast tempo, and a solid melody. this is also a good rap song to play with if you're also looking to practice playing/walking in a diatonic key (the whole song is in the key of F minor)... since I feel like the majority of rap/hip-hop songs around are "chromatic" or "atonal" throughout.