Hip-Hop Thread [ARCHIVED] Genre • Page 1020

The Phife Dawg album is pure joy. The production is soulful and old school in a good way, Phife sounds great and you can really tell he (and the guests) were having fun. Also, drums and hooks! It's just a really fun, good listen. It's also a little bittersweet though, because you can tell he had many years of great rap music left in him.

 

It’s interesting you describe it that way bc his passing (and death in general) is all over that album. But you’re right, it still somehow feels fun and full of life. A couple of tracks made me tear up on my first listen awhile back. Beautiful album.

 

This is true. They definitely address his sickness and death regularly, but they managed to turn it into a celebration (in true Hip Hop fashion). I probably should have mentioned it though.

Anyway, I feel like people slept on it partly because it took a while to actually come out after the (excellent) single. That's a shame. It should be heard.

 

It's interesting because my other favourite rap album of the year is by this Austrian rapper (in Viennese German, so sharing it wouldn't have much use) and big parts of the record are about how he didn't amount to anything as well as the death of his mother, but it is somehow still a warm and optimistic record.

 

Essential 90s East Coast records with production similar to Illmatic and The Infamous?

 

There’s a lot of them, I suggest looking up the producers on Illmatic and going from there

 

Also if you somehow haven’t heard them, you should listen to Enter The Wu-Tang and Ready to Die right away

 

Jeru The Damaja’s first two. Group Home. Das EFX.

Lotta Premier production in there too and he worked on a fair bit of Illmatic.

 

Yep, grew up with these. I haven't really gotten into Quest yet, though, so I'm going to do Midnight Marauders and also Doe or Die next.

 

Mid 90s Redman might be a good bet too. Although probably a bit more lighthearted. Well, for 90s east coast hip hop anyways haha.

Then you’ve got Big L too. Can’t forget him. Black Moon and The Beatnuts are worth a listen too.

 

You can also check out the D.I.T.C. extended universe. That’s some East Coast rap with hard drums and bars.

 

This. Lotta production from Lord Finesse who I think worked on Illmatic too.

EDIT: Ignore me, I’m thinking of Large Professor. Still listen to D.I.T.C. though

 

If both of them are involved as well as Pharrell as rumoured? God damn.

 

Another walk, another album. I listened to the new Wordsworth album. For those that don't know: he's an underground rap veteran (and middle school teacher). Some of you might know him from being a member of Masta Ace's supergroup eMC. Anyway, the production isn't amazing but it does the job, and he can still rap and still has a lot to say. I enjoyed listening to what he has to say (it's one of those albums) and I definitely recommend it, especially if you're into rappers like Maste Ace or Oddisee.

 

I feel like Das EFX is underrated and/or too forgotten. Hold It Down can still destroy any car stereo.

 

Yeah, definitely. I feel a lotta classic stuff from that time gets overlooked as it was when the West coast was at it's peak.

 

tde finally going to have someone drop an album

 

Yeah right

 

no one listens to ab soul so they’ll for sure drop it

 

I haven't thought about Ab Soul in years goddamn

 

I used to love Control System. Hard drop off after that one though. I'll check out the new one.

 

I think sample drill might have jumped the shark

 

I'm actually very excited for Ab-Soul to finally drop

 

I never got the Ab-Soul hate. I’m not a fan but he to me sounds more or less like at least five other rappers Ab-Soul haters seem to like.

 

New Lukah is unsurprisingly great...