[papomaster]

Hi everyone!

I've found recently this cd : The roots - Do you want more ??!? and like it very much. What other rap cds (or groups) do you recommend with the same quality of music and sound? What I love about the cd : The complex bass rythms, no repetitions throughout the cd, the jazzy parts added to the bass tempo, the quality of the singing, finally (and really important) the tonal and spectral balance of the mastering.

I've read somewhere that Nas - Illmatic was a good place to start.
Please make the suggestions coming.

 

[MonolithTMA]

I'm very picky about my rap/hip-hop. Do you want more??!? is my favorite by The Roots. It had such a raw, organic feel to it that I found to be lacking in later albums.

I tried listening to NAS, but to me it sounded like all the other mainstream crap out there.

The only other act that I really enjoy is A Tribe Called Quest. Midnight Marauders is a good place to start.

 

[tru blu]

Yeah, Tribe (you can try The Low End Theory, too) and maybe Gang Starr, for that particular sound you're looking for. I actually think the Roots' records got better as they got funkier, though. The one I go back to (and recommend most often) is Phrenology.

 

[Coltrane]

A Tribe Called Quest is probably your next best move. Anything besides a Love Movement is great.

You might want to try ATliens and Aquemini by Outkast as well. Both quite jazzy with a healthy dose of live instruments.

 

[MonolithTMA]

I just thought. You might Dig some Guru - Jazzmatazz. Also there is a great CD called Red Hot and Cool, that has a bunch of great artists. You might want to check out Digable Planets, Me'shell Ndegeocello, and MC Solar.

 

[golgi]

I'm always partial to the RUN DMC albums King of Rock, Raising Hell, etc.

 

[Amplitude]

Try out Black Star (Mos Def+Talib Kweli) - Black Star.

 

[Tone Def]

Google "The Source 5 mic albums" and start there. The Source's five mic rating is considered by many to be the gold-standard in rap.

 

[mcmyers]

I like the various incarnations of Daniel Dumile (aka MF Doom, Viktor Vaughn). The Madvillain album Madvillainy got a lot of publicity a few years back, because it was a collaboration with the highly-regarded producer Madlib, but I actually like more songs off his Viktor Vaughn CD, Vaudeville Villain, which uses a series of guest producers. He's constantly collaborating and using different personas, but the music is almost always good and the rapping is even better. Check him out.

 

[BassheadJazz]

Just about every release by the Roots (except for The Tipping Point) is outstanding, so I'd continue to go through their catalog-- Things Fall Apart and Phrenology are particularly special. Even though they're not exactly jazz-oriented, they're superbly done. Some other suggestions would be N.I.A. and Blazing Arrow by Blackalicious and Black on Both Sides. Of course you can never go wrong with the Outkast albums mentioned either.

 

[MonolithTMA]

It's funny, after Do You Want More?!!!??! I have almost every Roots CD except Things Fall Apart and Phrenology. I'll have to check those two out.

 

[Tone Def]

Quote:

Originally Posted by BassheadJazz /img/forum/go_quote.gif Just about every release by the Roots (except for The Tipping Point) is outstanding

May I ask why? I thought it was pretty ok. Not their best work but it was ok.

 

[tru blu]

Yeah, folks always come down on The Tipping Point, but it's not a substandard album. (Particularly love the track "Boom!") I like it much more than their early stuff, but last year I found a best-of, Homegrown! The Beginners Guide To Understanding the Roots, Volume One, that cherrypicks the early albums quite nicely. It's almost worth it just for Ahmir ?uestlove's liner notes, which contain interesting "behind the scenes" info on each song.

 

[BassheadJazz]

Quote:

Originally Posted by tru blu /img/forum/go_quote.gif Yeah, folks always come down on The Tipping Point, but it's not a substandard album. (Particularly love the track "Boom!") I like it much more than their early stuff, but last year I found a best-of, Homegrown! The Beginners Guide To Understanding the Roots, Volume One, that cherrypicks the early albums quite nicely. It's almost worth it just for Ahmir ?uestlove's liner notes, which contain interesting "behind the scenes" info on each song.

x2 on their Beginners Guide albums, I love the liner notes. As far as The Tipping Point is concerned, I don't particularly hate the album, it just lacks the depth and replay value that their other albums had, IMO. There are definitely some stand out tracks on it-- as you mentioned "Boom!"-- I love that song. Overall though, it seemed to me as if the band, wanting to get out of their relationship with Geffen, released a rushed product that didn't create the same lasting effect as their other stuff. Just one guys opinion though.

 

[Sarchi]

N.W.A., Public Enemy, Biggie, Nas, Cypress Hill, Fugees.