I have read a fair few thread in Music/Art/Literature. However I have yet to see a thread justifying hip hop as a literate music genre. All I am asking for you to do is listen to a few of the links below with an open mind and post your opinions. I understand how hip hop is stereotypically referred to by people as only about guns, bling and bitches (such artists as 50 Cent ect). This type of music is considered by me to be stupid and meaningless. However I do believe that proper hip hop is meaningful and influential.

Listen to some of the videos below and post your verdict.
Jehst - Liquid Diction
Jehst - Holy Water
Asaviour - Field Of Dreams
Brotherman - Heart of Dem

Open minds please.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GE30_8n85bw



I love J3hSt.

Haven't heard that before, yet have it on itunes. Great song though.

They're all singing about viloence, kidnap, guns etc, how is this meant to disprove the stereotype?

Man this music just brings me down, bad vibes. It's depressing and boring, like a bunch of depressed stoned kids. Sorry!

I liked it when black music was uplifting. This music is just stoned wallowing. I did used to listen to some turntablism when I was younger, at least then you don't get the negative lyrics ruining the music.

C'mon, when is someone going to put a positive spin on it and create some new worthwhile hiphop? It's not that hard.

Songs are like people, sometimes happy sometimes sad.

That's how its meant to be.

I'm quite empathetic, sad music brings me down, and I figure there's enough sadness in the world already so I personally don't like to infect myself further... yeah, some people do like sad stuff, I used to, back when I had teenage angst. I don't think the music helped me.
Listening to the stuff in this thread makes me feel sorry for the artists, they don't sound too happy.

I meant to say approve the stereotype, sorry typing faster than I can think.


Sorry that was what I was attempting to achieve. I obviously wasn't very successful.

Interesting inputs. Thanks.

BTW State of mind, i like your avatar man.
Wheres it from? He looks so friendly. He kinda looks goofy but wise at the same time too!!

Sorry, are you one of the artists? I don't mean to offend, everyone has different tastes and ideals. They're all very talented artists, whether its my thing or not.

State of the Mind - I was not a fan of hip-hop for many, many years. Then I came across the East Coast underground genre. In particular Def Jux artists like Aesop Rock, EL-P, Mr. Lif, Rob Sonic, Can-Ox, Cage, etc. This stuff is now one of my favorite genre's out there! This is coming from a guy that grew up on hard-core punk and black, death, and speed metal, as well as classic rock.

I think Aesop is one of the most ingenious artists in the hip-hop world, as well as one of the bests lyricists of all time. I would dare to put his poetic talent in the realm of the likes of Syd Barrett and Ian Anderson. I can't think of one song that Aesop has that is about ill intentions of any kind. He's a beautiful mind (cliche not intended).

Great thread man! I'll check out your links too, as I haven't yet.


Many already have. Here is just a sampling: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZEBGCOCxLgA

Peace!
-idt

http://www.youtube.com/w...AE1M&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/w...2ZrE&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/w...fCgY&feature=related

one of the best live atists I ever saw, definatily got elvated for that one

Mos Def and Talib Kweli are Black Star

Dead Prez, the antidote to the common gangster rappers

K'naan is the best thing you'll ever hear coming out of Somalia

Further study: The Wu-Tang Clan, Zion-I, Roots Manuva, Atmosphere, Flobots, The Roots

Ahh yes TG - All excellent selections. And here's a great one from Lif: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JPz0eC4PkDw

Peace,
-idt

Took me aegis to listen through all of the links posted so far. Listening to all of them has definitely made me realise how many amazing hip hop artists there are out there. Thanks people.


I found him him here: drewfriedman, whilst radomly touring the web a while back.


Great song, much better than all of the other songs I have listened to from Aesop. Great video aswell.


Wow I listened through quite a bit of this. Great music. Nice link.


I'm loving the Dead Prez link, I've always enjoyed Dead Prez. But you like Flobots? Realy?

Got to leave now. I will leave you with this though: Dr.Syntax - Subcultures
EDIT: Sorry to have written so much.

Yea, i love some good hiphop once in a while!

Especially , Dialated Peoples, Aesop Rock, Digable Planets, Atmosphere, Eligh, People Under the Stairs, Cunninlinguists, Pharcyde, Dynamic Syncopation etc....

also lots of electronic hip/triphop like Slotek, Malib, Dalek, Gaslamp Killer, Antipop Consortium, Deckwrecka, , Heliocentrics, Cut Chemist, etc...

I like warm music on cold days!

That Aesop Rock song is great, but I found his other stuff too aggressive. A few of the other suggestions had more positive vibes but I just find that underlying classic hiphop style boring, or the way they agressively spit out words, so I guess it's not just gangsta lyrics turning me off.
Like, Eligh and some of Spiced's other choices sound awesome... until they start rapping. I used to listen to Cut Chemist too, do you like DJ Shadow? He was my favourite turntablist back then. http://www.myspace.com/djshadow

The only rapping style I have really ever liked is MC Paul Barman's on 'Paullelujah' (not his other stuff when he's doing the usual moody hiphop stuff), he's puerile but he makes me laugh, aand he mentions mescaline sometime, yay! Like 'Excuse You', 'The Joy of Your World' and 'The Get Along Song' here http://www.myspace.com/mcpaulbarman

Nighmares on Wax 'Smokers Delight' is still one of my favourite albums. 100% good vibes, rap included http://www.myspace.com/nightmaresonwax

Sorry for going on so much about positivity, it's because I love music and appreciate its power to influence people, so this is a genre that I have always had problems with, but I think it has great potential. I'm genuinely concerned that the negativity of modern hiphop is holding black people down. I'm looking for 'hippyhop', I guess... maybe something with a new rave/afrobeat backing, with some truly positive rapping, that would be really awesome. I bet whoever got it right would revolutionise the genre and do a lot of good for the world and those who listen to it in particular. Uplifting awakening/protest hiphop! Maybe something like M.I.A.'s Paper Planes (the one with The Clash loop) but minus all the crappy gunshots and blingy lyrics and plus a real message. She works with Diplo a lot, Diplo totally rocks but again morally dubious http://www.myspace.com/diplo

Check out Aesop Rock, he is by far my favorite rapper.

Yea, i love DJ Shadow!

Nightmares on Wax are great too, also love 'em, other great DJ's are DJ Spooky he has a very broad musical taste, he's a genius imo, DJ Krush, Dan The Automator, DJ Format, DJ Logic, DJ Food, DJ Kentaro, sometimes DJ Premier but it's not all good, DJ Yoda, DJ Wally, Dj Vladim, Dj Qbert etc, i understand why you dislike the aggressiveness, i also perfer the warm positive vibes, but sometimes i like more heavy hiphop, depends on my mood, but not the gangster stuff, i'm not interested in lyrics about bitches big cars and yewels, but i don't mind aggressive lyrics, as long as they are mature and sincere, and about real life, there's got to be a certain vibe to it though.