Your Favorite Rappers?

When it comes to rap music, there are two main things that attract me in an artist: their rhyming capabilities and the overall depth of their lyrics. So when I hear some of these garbage mainstream rappers nowadays, it makes me wonder why the hell people enjoy their talentless music. I honestly haven't turned on the radio in months, because it's all just pure trash. I have a few main rap artists that I listen to.

Immortal Technique: He's really political, and he can also rhyme pretty nicely, plus his music is at times educational, talking about history and things like that. His music sometimes takes a conspiratorial slant, and he raps about everything from the New World Order to wars to 9/11 being an inside job. Here's one of my favorite songs of his:

...The blasphemy of a nation,
Got my back to the wall cause I'm facin' assassination,
Guantanamo Bay federal incarceration,
How could this be the land of the free and the home of the brave?...

But when he's not being deep and political, he can also spit some nice rhymes and metaphors. His music definitely is graphic at times, but obviously it's just exaggerations meant to evoke that "DAMN!" factor

I'm a weapon that fires,
lyrical projectiles with no mercy,
I'm cold blooded like reptiles,
touch a pregnant _____ and make her give birth to a dead child,
everytime I flex styles,
_____'s vacate the premises and become exiles,
I manufacture rhymes like textiles of X-files,
and lighten juveniles...

Diabolic: I first got interested in Diabolic's music when I heard him spit some fire on Immortal Technique's Dance With The Devil bonus track:

...I'll watch you topple flat,
go ahead and holla back,
can't freestyle-- you're screwed off the top like bottle caps,
beneath the surface,
I'm overheatin' your receiver circuits by unleashin' deeper verses than preists speakin' in churches,
what you preach is worthless,
your worship defeats the purpose,
like President Bush takin' bullets for the secret service...

So after hearing that, I decided to check out his music, and it's truly awesome. He can rhyme with unbelievable skill, and he's really political and deep too.

Soldiers logic,
capture the essence and hold it hostage,
like passengers controllin' cockpits with loaded glock clips,
won't stop till pigs fly on solar comets,
chased by exploding rockets through hell while it's frozen solid,
Nostradomus predicted the approach of 'Bolic,
wit' a weapon armed like Megatron's shoulder socket...

His rhymes and metaphors will leave your jaw on the floor. If I had to recommend any artist to check out, it's definitely him, because he's really underrated for how incredibly talented he is.

Here's a song that shows his more political side, and he reminds me a lot of Immortal Techinque:

Freedoms been overthrown by skull and bones scroll and key,
Lunatics upside down crucifix on their rosary,
Its the home of the brave land of the supposed free,
And trilateral commission expeditions overseas,
Opposing me's a socially accepted secret known to me...

...Like lets get it on act righteous cause a fast crisis,
Double gas prices and blame the fact we tax-hyped it,
But observing optics can see through a vermins logic,
To just turn a profit and fatten halliburtons pockets...

(Early) Eminem: Eminem is definitely one of the most talented rappers our there when it comes to rhyming. There aren't many that can compare, especially with his older music. His lyrics aren't really political or too deep or anything, but the insane rhymes make up for it. Here's one of his older songs:

...Clinical studies show that I'm cynical,
There's no one who's identical to my fresh and authentic flow...

Here's a bunch of rare freestyles combined. It's hard to say which ones are freestyles and which are written, because he spits a verse which is later used in the song As The World Turns, but they're all still dope. My favorite one is probably the last one which starts at 6:00

...So when I drop the science,
______ ______'s tell me to stop the violence,
start a fire and block the hydrants,
I'm just a mean person,
you've never seen worst then,
so when Slim gets this M-16 burstin',
you gettin' spun backwards like every word of obscene cursin' on the B side of my first single with the clean version,
stoppin' your short life while you're still a teen virgin,
unless you get a kidney specialist and a spleen surgeon....

I could probably find 50 videos I'd like to post to illustrate his skill, but I'll just post a few more

...Gimme eleven Excedrin,
my head'll spin,
medicine'll get me revvin' like a 747 jet engine...

...A braniac with a cranium packed full of more uranium than a maniac Saudi Arabian...

The first one is a verse from No Apologies, but the other four I haven't heard until I saw this video. The last one is my favorite:

I'm keepin' it raw,
illegal like Malique and Jamal(?),
cause I don't believe in the law like I'm Steven Seagal,
flippin' off the police while Im leapin' the wall,
take a bunch of Tylenol and fall asleep in the mall...
(the rhyme pattern continues for like 6 more bars)

Even though many of those freestyles could arguably have been pre-written, in this video, words are thrown at him every 20 seconds and he spits a sick freestyle off the top: Alright, enough about Eminem

Tupac Shakur: While Tupac's rhymes may not always be the greatest, he's definitely one of the deepest rappers who has ever lived. I've struggled to find any rapper that compares to his lyrics.

A place to spend my quiet nights,
time to unwind,
so much pressure in this life of mine,
I cry at times,
I once contemplated suicide,
and would've tried but when I held that nine,
all I could see was my mama's eyes,
no one knows my struggle,
they only see the trouble,
not knowin' it's hard to carry on when no one loves you,
picture me inside the misery of poverty,
no man alive has ever witnessed struggles I've survived...

Biggie Smalls: Although some people tend to take sides in the whole Tupac/Biggie beef, I like them both. Tupac has his deep lyrics, and Biggie has his sick flow.

...smokin' mad Newports
'cause I'm due in court
for an assault that I caught in Bridgeport, New York...

...What is this relentless approach to know if I'm broke or not?
Just cause I joke and smoke alot,
don't mean I don't tote the glock...

Wu Tang Clan: Wu Tang is a great rap group, and I think their first CD is definitely the best one. Everyone had their own style and their own rhymes/lyrics to offer.

...The Wu is too slammin for these Cold Killin labels,
Some ain't had hits since I seen Aunt Mabel,
Be doin artists in like Cain did Abel,
Now they money's gettin stuck to the gum under the table...

...Raw I'ma give it to ya, with no trivia,
Raw like coc aine straight from Bolivia,
My hip-hop will rock and shock the nation,
like the Emancipation Proclamation...

Outsidaz: An extremely underrated rap group, the Outsidaz remind me a bit of Wu-Tang, because everyone brings their own unique style, and together they make an awesome rap group.

...Guess who's back in the house,
Axe and the Outz,
that wack crap you yappin' about gets you cracked in the mouth...

D12: While some of their songs aren't too great, lots of their music is really sick. They're not too deep, but they're just a rap group who spits dope rhymes sort of like the Outsidaz.

By the age of aquarious,
my mindstate was gregarious,
various opponents whose stature was hilarious,
like you-- throwing fairy dust,
then frowning on a whack chorus,
Proof was on the scene before Nat Morris,
cold as a black forest in these starving streets...

Here's one where Eminem starts it off, and this is one of the best verses of his that I've ever heard rhyme-wise.

...Rappers wanna be screenplay actors, so I'm givin' their spine fractures like linebackers from the Greenbay Packers...

Non Phixion: They're a pretty underrated rap group, and they can be pretty deep in their lyrics, and they also have good rhymes.

...Money ain't the root of evil, it be much more than that,
American taught me to kidnap and torture cats...

This cop bring the city hoppin like a rocka with binoculars,
Took me and these 2 Rastas and a mobster cat for hostage,
Said that we were imposters,
He's an impatient government agent,
From the United Nations and said we had the proper information,
About the aliens, vegetarians, devils and aryans,
These are civilized Barbarians we'll ______ bury them....

I also have lots of Tech N9ne's music, although I don't really enjoy it that much anymore. Still, he's a really talented rapper. I also have some of Ice Cube, Snoop Dogg, and Dr. Dre's music, but I'm not huge fans of them anymore either.

I enjoy Deltron, Nas, and Cannibus is alright too.

reply to post by AkumaStreak


You know it's funny, in an Outsidaz song, the chorus is a sample from an Eminem verse where he says "We be hangin' on the block til dawn, stayin' spaced out like Dr. Octagon", so I checked out his music after hearing that. To be honest, I didn't enjoy it very much...

I've been meaning to check out KRS-One. From what I've heard of his music, I've liked it. I just got done listening to that song you posted, it's pretty dope.

Scarface.........




Rakim.............



IceCube





Greatest?

2Pac

Period.

Sage Francis

reply to post by TupacShakur


OMG, a Hip Hop related post on ATS.

I eat, sleep and breathe Hip Hop. I collect Hip Hop from the 80's to now and have over 90,000 songs on my hard drive.

My 10 favorite rappers are of right now would be:

10. Illogic
9. Aceyalone
8. J-Live
7. Masta Ace
6. Gift of Gab
5. Cise Starr
4. One Be Lo
3. Pharoahe Monch
2. Elzhi
1. Canibus

reply to post by IEtherianSoul9


I'll check 'em all out! I have a list of a bunch of artists that I've heard are good, and want to listen to to see if I like them, so I'll add those 10 to that.

reply to post by Josephus


He sounds pretty political and educated. I like the music video that goes along with that first song.

I don't think I stressed it enough in the OP. Check out Diabolic's music! If you like rap music, you will love his music. Listen to one song and you'll be hooked, I promise.

There's a nice juicy star waiting for the first person who listens to one of his songs and tells me what you think about it

reply to post by IEtherianSoul9




I remember Master Aces,Born to roll.

I couldn't get that out of my head for like 6 months.......

Now I always thought this rapper was underrated...........

Beat is phenomenal,and lyrically,what can you say?

BTW,tells ya how old I am.....

This is an underground group, but they're really deep with their lyrics, i recommend this song to people who like rap and a little bit of jazz.

Hold on sorry gotta figure out how to embedd these videos.

Alright that should work hahah

Lots of history and conspiracy related lyrics. I could post links all day lol.

Guru



MF DOOM



Q-Tip



Raw Poetic



Other favs - Cise Starr, Nas, Special Ed, One Be Low, Talib Kweli, Common, Black Thought and A lot of the mentions so far in the thread.

I feel compelled to state that as someone who spent years in the recording industry working with some of the most incredible musicians, singers, and overall talent I could ever have imagined I consider it an outright insult to these people any time I see the two words "rap" and "music" in the same sentence. They simply are not the same. Rap certainly does not require the performer to have any musical ability or singing talent, and they rarely even attempt to fake being musicians.

I understand my opinion could be inflammatory, but I do my best to keep it to myself and let others make the decision for themselves as to how they either enjoy or do not enjoy that genre. I also understand that many young (and possibly some older folks such as myself) may have, and are entitled to, a different viewpoint. However, the violence, profanity, disrespect, and overall attitude of the lyrics I have heard do not do anything to endear the rap industry to those who otherwise would want to offer the benefit of a doubt. As for my home, because of the concerns I just mentioned, my son will have to be an adult before he is allowed to make this decision for himself and I could not consider myself a responsible parent if I willingly allowed him willful exposure to it.

Still, I would add that if the overall ethics and attitude was addressed by the industry and fashioned itself into a more acceptable product for our society, I would be more than willing to revisit the concept because I do love music.

I am trying hard to voice my opinion as just an opinion and not be confrontational. I ask readers to understand that I am well aware this is a private decision for myself and instead of pushing a personal agenda on others, I wanted to share my thoughts as an opposing view.

Good luck in your quest. I would gladly respond to civil debate and discussion.

reply to post by samstone11


They (at least the good ones) focus on the lyrical content rather than the cool sounds made by their instruments. I can understand where people like you are coming from when you say that, but really, compare the lyrics to any rock song, and they are trash compared to most good rap music. Beatles, Zeppelin, ACDC, you name it.

The lyrics never rhyme, and they never have much to say. It's more about having a catchy tune.

I like to hear good lyrics that rhyme. It's not as simple as talking over a beat, especially when you really examine the complex rhyme schemes that some rap artists have.

Rappers (again, the good ones, not the mainstream garbage) focus on rhymes and lyrics rather than having beats sound cool. That's the producers job.

If you like drums and guitar, cool. I've played the drums for years, but I listen to strictly rap music. But saying that there's no talent associated with rap music, they're lazy, it's just people talking, and stuff like that is stupid IMO.

You're right though, they are graphic and vulgar, but that's the way I like it!