[keanej6]

ok most rap doesn't appeal to me, especially party rap and Reggaeton, but lately i've been listening to some hip hop, mostly binary star's "masters of the universe" and deltron 3030. while those two are by far my favorites, i also like dead prez, westside connection's "bow down", some jmt though it's hit or miss with them, kool keith, heiroglyphics...

a few have recommended living legends. i'm pretty much looking for good beats and half decent meaningful lyrics. thanks in advance.

 

[Thelonious Monk]

as a white suburban teenage male, i'm obviously an expert on this subject.

alt hiphop (what you're listening to, you backpacker you):
Cannibal Ox - The Cold Vein
The Coup - Steal This Album [size=xx-small](has a track feat. Del, too)[/size]
Jurassic 5 - Power In Numbers
RJD2 - Deadringer

pure hip-hop:
People Under The Stairs - Original Soundtrack
The Pharcyde - Heiroglyphics
Wu-Tang Clan - Enter the Wu-Tang/36 Chambers
Genius / GZA - Liquid Swords
Mac Dre - Ronald Dregan Dreganomics
The Roots - Things Fall Apart

especially wutang, puts, pharcyde and the coup.

 

[tru blu]

All hip-hop is somebody's party...

Mr. Lif - I Phantom
Akrobatik - Balance
Mos Def - Black On Both Sides
Aesop Rock - Daylight EP
Brother Ali - Shadows on the Sun
The Roots - Phrenology
Extra Yard: The Bouncement Revolution (UK stuff)
Lupe Fiasco - "Kick Push"

 

[Chopha]

I agree with Thelonious Monk on a few points;

Wu-Tang Clan - Enter the Wu-Tang/36 Chambers
Genius / GZA - Liquid Swords
The Roots - Things Fall Apart

But you should also check out:
Gang Starr – Moment of Truth
Cypress Hill – IV, Black Sunday

/Chopha

 

[Thelonious Monk]

oh yeah, gang starr is absolutely essential.

 

[Chopha]

Word!

Ohh, I forgot to mention that Wu-Tang Clan's double album "Forever" is also worth a check.
Not as sharp as the first CD "Enter the Wu-Tang/36 Chambers", but it has some really really heavy tracks on it.
Worth the money...

/Chopha

 

[Blockman86]

Great suggestions so far, don't forget to check out Sage Francis as well.

 

[Tonic]

A few more....

Soul Position (RJD2 & Blueprint) - 8 Million Stories
Blueprint - 1988
One Self - Children of Possibility
Dangermouse and Jemini - Ghetto Pop Life

Also check out DJ Vadim & DJ Krush

 

[fat pat]

atmosphere- the lucy ford ep

brilliant album, easily slug's best

 

[mtkversion]

Little Brother - Their ENTIRE catalog is worth checking out ... " dope beats, dope rhymes what more do ya'll want " - my favorite group for the past 2-3 years ...

MURS & 9th Wonder - Murrays Revenge

Joe Budden - Mood Muzik II

One.Be.Lo - S.O.N.O.G.R.A.M

Sean Price - Monkey Barz

AZ - A.W.O.L

 

[Bisco82]

Little Brother X2. All 3 of their Cds (the listening, chitlin Circuit 1.5, and the Minstrel Show) are top notch. Personal favorite is Chitlin Circuit.

Now, you gotta love Foreign Exchange's album called "Connected" that's Phonte of Little Brother working with Overseas Dj Nicolay from the Netherlands. The beats are AMAZING. you can even get the instrumental cd, just as you can with 3030.

If you like the out there 3030 album, do check out Viktor Vaughn "Viktimizor" Its a great album. I also like his other personality MF DOOM, particularly "operation doomsday" and "Madvilliany".

If beats are what you want, Foreign Exchange is THE place to start. For some good lyrics, you gotta check on 7L and Esoteric

I also second Akrobatik's cd Balance, and would also recommend his group "the Perceptionists" with Mr. Lif.

Before I finish, we cannot forget the classic Aesop Rock stuff... namely "float" and "Labor days"

You're welcome

 

[Altoids]

Might as well get cozy with the whole Def Jux label. Then check out Prefuse 73, cLOUDDEAD, Doseone, Busdriver, Odd Nosdam, Boom Bip, all them *****. Never been a big fan of Sage, Aesop and them. Don't know why.

 

[Shizelbs]

The Roots
Common
Dilated Peoples*
Jurassic 5
Swollen Members
Del Tha Funkee Homosapien
Mos Def*
Black Star
Talib Kweli

*my favorites

 

[error401]

Must add a nod to The Herbaliser and K-Os. These two groups got me out of 'hiphop is garbage' mentality.

 

[monolith]

Some of these might be repeats, but that should just serve to strengthen the recommendation:

Sage Francis - A Healthy Distrust
Strange Fruit Project - The Healing
RJD2 - Deadringer (arguably more electronic than hip-hop, but still good)
Roots Manuva - Run Come Save Me
Glue - Seconds Away
Sebutones (Buck 65 & Sixtoo) - 50/50 Where it Counts <--- particularly good
MF Doom - MM..Food?
Guru - Jazzmatazz
Aesop Rock - Labour Days
Louis Logic - Sin-A-Matic
Del tha Funkee Homosapien - I Wish My Brother George Was Here

All that stuff is pretty universally acceptable. You might also want to try stuff like these, which aren't so much universally acceptable but are remarkable lyrically:

Jedi Mind Tricks - Violent by Design
Army of the Pharaohs - The Torture Papers
Canibus - 2000 B.C. (or anything else by him)


I've left off obvious classics like Straight Outta Compton and Three Feet High and Rising for obvious reasons.