[kunuggs]

Check out some instrumental (mostly) hip hop, there are no lyrics to screw it up

. Most of these have already been mentioned, but whatever

DJ Shadow
RJD2
DJ Krush
Four Tet
Prefuse 73
Blockhead
Alias
Cut Chemist
Dan the Automater
El-P
Lusine (and Lusine ICL, same thing)
Nightmares on Wax
Ratatat

*check out the song My Story by B.E.N.E.F.I.T. if you can find it. Not instrumental like the rest, but conscious and all that jazz

 

[Feanor]

I second the Jurassic 5 recommendation. Also, check out Micheal Franti and/or Spearhead.

Four Tet is cool, but I wouldnt call it Hip-Hop

 

[mtkversion]

T.I - What U Know About That - Eh on the hook/lyrics although he is getting at Lil Flip, but that beat .... epic proportions.

 

[Whitebread]

I have to say that Will Smith's old stuff is good. It is not intelligently concieved (at least the lyrics) or politicially charged, but it does really make you feel good. The songs are always up beat, the lyrics are almost always clean and happy and the rhymes are simply but pleasing and or course it has that old school sound. I like to pop it in every now and then. I do think it deserves some reconigition.

 

[CLum]

I bet most of you people would write him off because he is mainstream but Nas is extremeley intellegent.

 

[sahwnfras]

Ya no doubt Nas is the champ. Illmatic is one of the best rap albums ever made.

 

[NightWoundsTime]

The Coup - Steal This Album. My favorite hip-hop album ever. It's both hilarious and deeply moving, sometimes at the same time.

 

[BigTNZ]

If anyone is looking for Intelligent, concious, political lyrics.
Saul Williams is your man.
His music is quite dark, some of it is very rock oriented.
Amazing spoken word rapper though

 

[antiant]

Quote:

Originally Posted by BigTNZ If anyone is looking for Intelligent, concious, political lyrics. Saul Williams is your man. His music is quite dark, some of it is very rock oriented. Amazing spoken word rapper though

how is his music dark? i'd love to hear that explanation...agreed@saul recommendation in fact i just picked up his new book "The Dead Emcee Scrolls" anyone check it out yet? hmmm saul really needs his own thread, that would be interesting and to dissect his stuff etc

 

[sahwnfras]

Quote:

Originally Posted by CLum I bet most of you people would write him off because he is mainstream but Nas is extremeley intellegent.

I dont know why people write off mainstream rappers. There not bad at all (well maybe the ones nowadays) but the old school and like mid & late 90 mainstream had some amazing rappers, that would ruin any underground kid. And they can actualy rhyme. Like when i hear some of these underground kids, they suck half their songs they rhyme off the same word for the whole song.

 

[kwitel]

Quote:

Originally Posted by sahwnfras I dont know why people write off mainstream rappers. There not bad at all (well maybe the ones nowadays) but the old school and like mid & late 90 mainstream had some amazing rappers, that would ruin any underground kid. And they can actualy rhyme. Like when i hear some of these underground kids, they suck half their songs they rhyme off the same word for the whole song.

whose writing off old school rappers?
I listen to Tribe, De La, EPMD, Gangstarr, Mobbs Infamous, Dre's Chronic, etc. as much now as I ever did.
In fact, listening to "trife life" as I type.
I think "the Infamous" is the greatest hip-hop album ever.