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1.00pm
4 December 2010
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Hip hop is great! Unfortunately, for whatever reason, rock fans and older people often don’t get into it. Maybe they’ve heard a lot of Eminem and think everyone is that pointlessly offensive; maybe they’ve heard NWA and think the genre hasn’t progressed since the 80s; maybe they’ve heard Lil Wayne and think everyone is boring. That couldn’t be further from the truth – there’s a wide variety of sounds, subjects and styles in hip hop, and it’s beginning to catch up with rock in terms of volume of great music produced each year.
So, without further ado, here are five hip-hop records you should love if you are a Beatles fan:
If you like “Revolution “, “Gimme Some Truth “, and “Looking For Changes”, try:
Run The Jewels – Run The Jewels 2 (2014)
Run The Jewels is a duo comprised of Killer Mike and El-P (Michael Render and Jaime Meline). El-P is a fantastic producer, which makes the songs easier to listen to if you love melody and complex structures. Moreover, Mike in particular is incredible knowledgeable about politics and racism. There are songs on here about the Prison-Industrial complex (with a Kanye West diss thrown in for good measure), racial police brutality, and unaccountable puppeteers letting Donald Sterling take the flack for them. Zack De La Roche and Gangsta Boo provide stellar feature verses, and Ikey Owens (RIP) plays some fantastic keys. Best of all, it is available for free.
Best song: “Close Your Eyes (And Count To Fuck)”
Next, try: R.A.P. Music by Killer Mike; Cancer4Cure by El-P
If you like psychedelia and love songs, try:
Chance The Rapper – Acid Rap (2013)
This is incredible. It scares me that most of this was made when he was 19 (my age), without any help from a record label. His previous mixtape, 10 Day, was made when Chance was suspended from school for ten days and needed something to do! Acid Rap is much better though. Chance clearly knows his jazz and funk. There are songs about Chicago’s social issues (“Paranoia”), and social commentary runs throughout, but this generally isn’t a political album. Like The Beatles’s stuff, it’s principally about love, drugs, and friendship. Oh, and it’s also free – Chance earns his money from touring.
Best songs: “Good Ass Intro”, “Acid Rain “, “That’s Love”, “Pusha Man/Paranoia” (it’s hard to pick just one)
Next, try: Vic Mensa’s Innanetape; A Tribe Called Quest’s The Low End Theory; Kanye West’s The College Dropout; and Flying Lotus’ You’re Dead!
If you like George Harrison , try:
The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill (1998)
Older posters might remember that this won a Grammy. Lauryn Hill found fame with Fugees; she secured her status as the greatest female rapper of all time with this spiritual soul-rap record that mediates on both love and God ‘s relationship with his people. Probably the best rap album of the 90s, even if it is a bit long.
Best song: “Forgive Them Father”
Next, try: Shabazz Palaces – Black Up; Fugees – The Score; Speech Debelle – Speech Therapy; Frank Ocean – channel ORANGE (this one is very unlucky not to be getting a write-up of its own – probably better than all these albums bar the last one)
If you like a goofy sense of humour, check out:
DangerDoom – The Mouse and the Mask (2005)
MF Doom is the king of underground hip hop. DangerMouse is one of the most highly rated producers of the 00s – you may remember him from records such as the Beatles-Jay Z mashup The Grey Album, Gnarls Barkley’s St Elsewhere, and Gorillaz’s Demon Days. This isn’t the best record by either artist, but it’s Doom’s most accessible, and I really like the skits taken from old cartoons (very Hard Day’s Night). Doom has one of the strongest catalogues in rap and this is probably a better jumping on point than his very best record, Madvillainy.
Best song: “Benzie Box”
Essential MF Doom records: Madvillain – Madvillainy; MF Doom – Mm… Food; Viktor Vaughan – Vaudeville Villain
… and although it isn’t strictly hip hop, Demon Days is a truly great record that will introduce you to many rappers, as will Gorillaz’s next record, Plastic Beach.
Finally, if you just love great music and high-concept albums with complex arrangements (i.e. Rubber Soul to Abbey Road ), you absolutely must listen to:
Kanye West – My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy (2010)
This is, hands down, the best hip hop record ever. Kanye tried to “make a perfect record”. He succeeded. The layered vocals, the strings, the brass, Justin Vernon and Elton John… this would stand very well even without rap vocals on it.
But it does have some serious spitting. Attention is normally given to a couple of featured verses – Nicki Minaj on “Monster”, Cyhi The Prince on “So Appalled” – and rightly so, because both of those verses are the best thing either of those artists have ever done – but Kanye also goes in really hard on songs like “Gorgeous”, “Power”, “Monster”, and “So Appalled”. Every track has something incredible to recommend, usually both musically and lyrically. There’s politics, there’s humour, there’s grandiose declarations of undying love, there are contributions from great poets like Gil Scott Heron and Shawn Carter. Did I mention Justin Vernon is all over this thing?
Honestly, this stands up to the best that classic and indie rock have to offer. It isn’t Revolver , but it is definitely on a par with, say, Led Zeppelin 4, or The Dark Side Of The Moon, or Plastic Ono Band.
Best songs: “Dark Fantasy”, “Power”, “All Of The Lights”, “Monster”, “Runaway”, “Lost In The World”…
Next: erm, there aren’t any records quite like this. Your best bets are Jay Z’s The Black Album, Kid Cudi’s Man On The Moon series, and Kanye’s earlier stuff.
And now, a brief selection of great records that didn’t quite fit anywhere else:
– Kendrick Lamar – good kid, M.A.A.D. city (widely considered the second best rap album of the last five years; third best if you count channel ORANGE)
– Nas – Illmatic (hip hop’s Sgt Pepper )
– GZA – Liquid Swords
– The Notorious BIG (Biggie Smalls) – Ready To Die
– Freddie Gibbs and Madlib – Pinata (if you like Madvillainy…)
– Young Fathers – DEAD
– Anything by OutKast or Big Boi
Bam! Well done if you read all of that. I’d love to know what you thought (particularly if you listened to any of them for the first time), and I’d love to get any recommendations from any other hip hop heads.
The following people thank The Walrus for this post:
parlance, ewe2, Starr Shine?, Joe, georgiewood, meanmistermustard, Von BonteeI told her I didn’t
1.06pm
1 November 2013
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The Walrus said
Finally, if you just love great music and high-concept albums with complex arrangements (i.e. Rubber Soul to Abbey Road ), you absolutely must listen to:
Kanye West – My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy (2010)
This is, hands down, the best hip hop record ever. Kanye tried to “make a perfect record”. He succeeded. The layered vocals, the strings, the brass, Justin Vernon and Elton John… this would stand very well even without rap vocals on it.
But it does have some serious spitting. Attention is normally given to a couple of featured verses – Nicki Minaj on “Monster”, Cyhi The Prince on “So Appalled” – and rightly so, because both of those verses are the best thing either of those artists have ever done – but Kanye also goes in really hard on songs like “Gorgeous”, “Power”, “Monster”, and “So Appalled”. Every track has something incredible to recommend, usually both musically and lyrically. There’s politics, there’s humour, there’s grandiose declarations of undying love, there are contributions from great poets like Gil Scott Heron and Shawn Carter. Did I mention Justin Vernon is all over this thing?
Honestly, this stands up to the best that classic and indie rock have to offer. It isn’t Revolver , but it is definitely on a par with, say, Led Zeppelin 4, or The Dark Side Of The Moon, or Plastic Ono Band.
Best songs: “Dark Fantasy”, “Power”, “All Of The Lights”, “Monster”, “Runaway”, “Lost In The World”…
I heard All Of The Lights and liked it. Have you seen the movie Runaway?
3.19pm
4 December 2010
Offline “All Of The Lights” is fantastic (despite that dreadful verse from Fergie – how did Kanye let that stay on there?). If you liked that then definitely try “Dark Fantasy” and “Lost In The World”, which are the others with big choral arrangements (and Justin Vernon).
I haven’t seen the “Runaway” film. I must admit, I’ve generally been left cold by the visual side of music. I don’t really watch music videos.
I told her I didn’t
4.35pm
31 March 2008
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Thanks, @The Walrus. Lots to consider here. I’ve heard some of the albums you mentioned (Lauryn Hill, DangerDoom) but my knowledge of rap isn’t very broad. I generally know the big acts (Eminem, Jay-Z) and old school 80s stuff. I have the first two or three Kanye albums but I’m not really a fan, and I’ve never heard MBDTF.
This thread is crying out for a Spotify playlist.
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parlanceCan buy me love! Please consider supporting the Beatles Bible on Amazon
Or buy my paperback/ebook! Riding So High – The Beatles and Drugs
Don't miss The Bowie Bible – now live!
4.41pm
22 September 2014
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Just wow, @thewalrus! That original post is such a solid piece of work: informative, well-documented, annotated and entertaining. This kind of scholarship is the very best feature of the Forum, imho. By way of example, I was engaged by your post even though I really don’t care about rap music at all (I did love The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, though–so melodically beautiful). Anyway, 
The following people thank georgiewood for this post:
parlanceI say in speeches that a plausible mission of artists is to make people appreciate being alive at least a little bit. I am then asked if I know of any artists who pulled that off. I reply, 'The Beatles did'.
Kurt Vonnegut, Timequake, 1997
6.14pm
8 August 2014
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The Walrus said
Hip hop is great! Unfortunately, for whatever reason, rock fans and older people often don’t get into it. Maybe they’ve heard a lot of Eminem and think everyone is that pointlessly offensive; maybe they’ve heard NWA and think the genre hasn’t progressed since the 80s; maybe they’ve heard Lil Wayne and think everyone is boring. That couldn’t be further from the truth – there’s a wide variety of sounds, subjects and styles in hip hop, and it’s beginning to catch up with rock in terms of volume of great music produced each year.So, without further ado, here are five hip-hop records you should love if you are a Beatles fan:
If you like “Revolution “, “Gimme Some Truth “, and “Looking For Changes”, try:
Run The Jewels – Run The Jewels 2 (2014)
Run The Jewels is a duo comprised of Killer Mike and El-P (Michael Render and Jaime Meline). El-P is a fantastic producer, which makes the songs easier to listen to if you love melody and complex structures. Moreover, Mike in particular is incredible knowledgeable about politics and racism. There are songs on here about the Prison-Industrial complex (with a Kanye West diss thrown in for good measure), racial police brutality, and unaccountable puppeteers letting Donald Sterling take the flack for them. Zack De La Roche and Gangsta Boo provide stellar feature verses, and Ikey Owens (RIP) plays some fantastic keys. Best of all, it is available for free.
Best song: “Close Your Eyes (And Count To Fuck)”
Next, try: R.A.P. Music by Killer Mike; Cancer4Cure by El-P
If you like psychedelia and love songs, try:
Chance The Rapper – Acid Rap (2013)
This is incredible. It scares me that most of this was made when he was 19 (my age), without any help from a record label. His previous mixtape, 10 Day, was made when Chance was suspended from school for ten days and needed something to do! Acid Rap is much better though. Chance clearly knows his jazz and funk. There are songs about Chicago’s social issues (“Paranoia”), and social commentary runs throughout, but this generally isn’t a political album. Like The Beatles’s stuff, it’s principally about love, drugs, and friendship. Oh, and it’s also free – Chance earns his money from touring.
Best songs: “Good Ass Intro”, “Acid Rain “, “That’s Love”, “Pusha Man/Paranoia” (it’s hard to pick just one)
Next, try: Vic Mensa’s Innanetape; A Tribe Called Quest’s The Low End Theory; Kanye West’s The College Dropout; and Flying Lotus’ You’re Dead!
If you like George Harrison , try:
The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill (1998)
Older posters might remember that this won a Grammy. Lauryn Hill found fame with Fugees; she secured her status as the greatest female rapper of all time with this spiritual soul-rap record that mediates on both love and God ‘s relationship with his people. Probably the best rap album of the 90s, even if it is a bit long.
Best song: “Forgive Them Father”
Next, try: Shabazz Palaces – Black Up; Fugees – The Score; Speech Debelle – Speech Therapy; Frank Ocean – channel ORANGE (this one is very unlucky not to be getting a write-up of its own – probably better than all these albums bar the last one)
If you like a goofy sense of humour, check out:
DangerDoom – The Mouse and the Mask (2005)
MF Doom is the king of underground hip hop. DangerMouse is one of the most highly rated producers of the 00s – you may remember him from records such as the Beatles-Jay Z mashup The Grey Album, Gnarls Barkley’s St Elsewhere, and Gorillaz’s Demon Days. This isn’t the best record by either artist, but it’s Doom’s most accessible, and I really like the skits taken from old cartoons (very Hard Day’s Night). Doom has one of the strongest catalogues in rap and this is probably a better jumping on point than his very best record, Madvillainy.
Best song: “Benzie Box”
Essential MF Doom records: Madvillain – Madvillainy; MF Doom – Mm… Food; Viktor Vaughan – Vaudeville Villain
… and although it isn’t strictly hip hop, Demon Days is a truly great record that will introduce you to many rappers, as will Gorillaz’s next record, Plastic Beach.
Finally, if you just love great music and high-concept albums with complex arrangements (i.e. Rubber Soul to Abbey Road ), you absolutely must listen to:
Kanye West – My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy (2010)
This is, hands down, the best hip hop record ever. Kanye tried to “make a perfect record”. He succeeded. The layered vocals, the strings, the brass, Justin Vernon and Elton John… this would stand very well even without rap vocals on it.
But it does have some serious spitting. Attention is normally given to a couple of featured verses – Nicki Minaj on “Monster”, Cyhi The Prince on “So Appalled” – and rightly so, because both of those verses are the best thing either of those artists have ever done – but Kanye also goes in really hard on songs like “Gorgeous”, “Power”, “Monster”, and “So Appalled”. Every track has something incredible to recommend, usually both musically and lyrically. There’s politics, there’s humour, there’s grandiose declarations of undying love, there are contributions from great poets like Gil Scott Heron and Shawn Carter. Did I mention Justin Vernon is all over this thing?
Honestly, this stands up to the best that classic and indie rock have to offer. It isn’t Revolver , but it is definitely on a par with, say, Led Zeppelin 4, or The Dark Side Of The Moon, or Plastic Ono Band.
Best songs: “Dark Fantasy”, “Power”, “All Of The Lights”, “Monster”, “Runaway”, “Lost In The World”…
Next: erm, there aren’t any records quite like this. Your best bets are Jay Z’s The Black Album, Kid Cudi’s Man On The Moon series, and Kanye’s earlier stuff.
And now, a brief selection of great records that didn’t quite fit anywhere else:
– Kendrick Lamar – good kid, M.A.A.D. city (widely considered the second best rap album of the last five years; third best if you count channel ORANGE)
– Nas – Illmatic (hip hop’s Sgt Pepper )
– GZA – Liquid Swords
– The Notorious BIG (Biggie Smalls) – Ready To Die
– Freddie Gibbs and Madlib – Pinata (if you like Madvillainy…)
– Young Fathers – DEAD
– Anything by OutKast or Big Boi
Bam! Well done if you read all of that. I’d love to know what you thought (particularly if you listened to any of them for the first time), and I’d love to get any recommendations from any other hip hop heads.
Not sure if I’d agree with that, it’s a big claim. Amazing record, but there are better. Jay Z’s ‘Reasonable Doubt’ for one is better as a hip-hop album in my opinion, as is ‘illmatic’. Well done on the list though.
9.22pm
14 December 2009
Offline I went through a bit of a hip-hop phase around 1992-94 – unfortunately my interest peaked around the time the music itself was changing. Lawyers started cracking down on songs that were built out of samples that weren’t cleared, and it subsequently cost the artists a lot more, and so they quit overloading their tracks with identifiable bits of classic James Brown and Led Zeppelin and Ohio Players recordings, making them much less interesting for me to listen to. And of course now Kanye & T-Pain and many others are addicted to those Autotune effects, which I despise. My favourite rappers will always be Ice Cube (both with NWA and on his first three solo recs) and Roxanne Shante. As for more (relatively) recent stuff, Outkast, Eminem, and The Coup have all released albums I’d be happy to listen to when I’m in the mood for some hip-hop – which is very seldom, these days. I dunno, the stuff’s everywhere now, and it seems like a little goes a long way.
Hip Hop for Beatles fans? Maybe try the Beastie Boys ‘ ’89 masterpiece Paul’s Boutique – several tracks are built on Beatles samples (Ringo drumbeats!), and the album closes with a huge medley that seems inspired by Abbey Road (and even the album cover was taken in the middle of the street.) (And no bloody autotune!)
The following people thank Von Bontee for this post:
The Walrus, Joe, parlance, ewe2, Starr Shine?Paul: Yeah well… first of all, we’re bringing out a ‘Stamp Out Detroit’ campaign.
10.22pm
8 November 2012
Offline This is the perfect thread to mention that my nephew posted this instrumental on his Facebook:
I thought it was interesting they’d named themselves after a Beatles song, so I looked them up on Wiki and found that Heltah Skeltah originally called themselves the Fab 5. They were discovered by Fab 5 Freddy, so it could be a clever double-play.
(BTW, I would post the version with singing, but it’s got waaaaay too much of the N-word, and that’s the primary reason I don’t listen to much hip hop.)
parlance
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Von Bontee11.23pm
4 December 2010
Offline Von Bontee said
And of course now Kanye & T-Pain and many others are addicted to those Autotune effects, which I despise.
I don’t think Kanye’s use of it is any different do, say, ADT. “Blood On The Leaves” is one fantastic use (though I’m not keen on the juxtaposition of sample and lyrics), and the use of it on Keef and JV on “Hold My Liquor” is utterly spectacular.
Some explicitly chart-orientated artists don’t use it in a creative way, but I do think people turn their noses up at it prematurely sometimes.
I told her I didn’t
1.29am
1 December 2009
Offline Yep, that’s me! I always turn up my nose and shut my ears. It’s not HOW they use it that bothers me – it’s just a sound that infuriates me no matter what, like rubbing a balloon or a whining child. I have no ideological objection to it, it’s just a personal instinctive reaction. My problem, nobody else’s. (It may have been Daft Punk’s “One More Time” playing endlessly every day on the radio at the office a decade ago that sent me over the edge from annoyance to hatred.)
Anyways, enough negativity. One of my alltime favourite tracks in any genre (along with Public Enemy’s massive (and Yoko namedropping!) “Bring The Noise”) is this unstoppable Roxanne Shante offering. What a voice! The way she rides that funky drummer beat, punches every syllable in the chorus, only to relax and almost audibly grin while delivering the “…and have a nice day!” punchline…awesome.
The following people thank vonbontee for this post:
parlanceGEORGE: In fact, The Detroit Sound. JOHN: In fact, yes. GEORGE: In fact, yeah. Tamla-Motown artists are our favorites. The Miracles. JOHN: We like Marvin Gaye. GEORGE: The Impressions PAUL & GEORGE: Mary Wells. GEORGE: The Exciters. RINGO: Chuck Jackson. JOHN: To name but eighty.
12.38pm
31 March 2008
Offline @Von Bontee said
Hip Hop for Beatles fans? Maybe try the Beastie Boys ‘ ’89 masterpiece Paul’s Boutique – several tracks are built on Beatles samples (Ringo drumbeats!), and the album closes with a huge medley that seems inspired by Abbey Road (and even the album cover was taken in the middle of the street.) (And no bloody autotune!)
I’m not sure why I’d never heard this before today – I remember it getting so-so reviews upon release but growing in stature as the years passed. Anyway, I really like it, particularly Looking Down The Barrel Of A Gun and Car Thief. Thanks for the tip.
The following people thank Joe for this post:
vonbonteeCan buy me love! Please consider supporting the Beatles Bible on Amazon
Or buy my paperback/ebook! Riding So High – The Beatles and Drugs
Don't miss The Bowie Bible – now live!
9.18pm
Reviewers
14 April 2010
Offline I’m not a huge fan of the genre but have heard songs that I liked – though I could not tell you the names of the songs/artisits cuz I just don’t know.
Anyway, I just popped in to see wht this was all about. Imagine my delight at spotting the return of @The Walrus. Hello old friend – welcome back.
The following people thank Zig for this post:
parlance, The WalrusTo the fountain of perpetual mirth, let it roll for all its worth. And all the children boogie.
10.55pm
4 December 2010
Offline vonbontee said
Yep, that’s me! I always turn up my nose and shut my ears. It’s not HOW they use it that bothers me – it’s just a sound that infuriates me no matter what, like rubbing a balloon or a whining child. I have no ideological objection to it, it’s just a personal instinctive reaction. My problem, nobody else’s. (It may have been Daft Punk’s “One More Time” playing endlessly every day on the radio at the office a decade ago that sent me over the edge from annoyance to hatred.)
Seriously, give this bad boy a try:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hsgx7ZPSrfQ
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vonbonteeI told her I didn’t
1.36am
1 December 2009
Offline Haha, I actually OWN Yeezus, believe it or not! A friend recommended it, raving about its strangeness. And yeah I see what he (and you) were referring to – that’s a strange track. I liked parts of it (especially the bit with the electronic pulse and the feedback sample – I swear that sample sounds familiar) and hated parts of it even more (the spoken/intro bits, and especially that bloody autotune!! Really, it’s apparent that Kanye and other individuals are as in love with with that sound as I am repulsed by it), and parts of it reminded me of Pink Floyd circa Wish You Were Here/Animals. Definitely a weird one.
GEORGE: In fact, The Detroit Sound. JOHN: In fact, yes. GEORGE: In fact, yeah. Tamla-Motown artists are our favorites. The Miracles. JOHN: We like Marvin Gaye. GEORGE: The Impressions PAUL & GEORGE: Mary Wells. GEORGE: The Exciters. RINGO: Chuck Jackson. JOHN: To name but eighty.
1.03pm
4 December 2010
Offline There’s only one credited sample.
Well, a lot of Kanye’s stuff isn’t going to be for you, but autotune is by no means pervasive in his music or hip-hop generally. His production style is very sample heavy – MBDTF contains samples from King Crimson and Black Sabbath (and autotuned Smokey Robinson…)
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vonbonteeI told her I didn’t
1.16pm
Reviewers
Moderators
1 May 2011
Offline Why would you autotune Smokey?
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vonbontee"I told you everything I could about me, Told you everything I could" ('Before Believing' - Emmylou Harris)
2.51pm
14 December 2009
Offline Why autotune Smokey? A way of paying homage, I guess.
The Walrus said
There’s only one credited sample.
Well, a lot of Kanye’s stuff isn’t going to be for you, but autotune is by no means pervasive in his music or hip-hop generally. His production style is very sample heavy – MBDTF contains samples from King Crimson and Black Sabbath (and autotuned Smokey Robinson.
Ice-T sampled “Black Sabbath” (the song) on his ’89 album, but borrowing from King Crimson – that’s a new one on me! “21st Century Schizoid Man”, no doubt?
Paul: Yeah well… first of all, we’re bringing out a ‘Stamp Out Detroit’ campaign.
9.49pm
4 December 2010
Offline meanmistermustard said
Why would you autotune Smokey?
So Rick Ross could rap over it.
Von Bontee said
Why autotune Smokey? A way of paying homage, I guess.The Walrus said
There’s only one credited sample.
Well, a lot of Kanye’s stuff isn’t going to be for you, but autotune is by no means pervasive in his music or hip-hop generally. His production style is very sample heavy – MBDTF contains samples from King Crimson and Black Sabbath (and autotuned Smokey Robinson.
Ice-T sampled “Black Sabbath” (the song) on his ’89 album, but borrowing from King Crimson – that’s a new one on me! “21st Century Schizoid Man”, no doubt?
Yes:
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vonbonteeI told her I didn’t
11.50pm
8 January 2015
Offline I like the classic white boy hiphop, the Beasties, Eminem, and an Australian band The Herd. There’s quite a thriving Aussie hiphop scene now, once we got over the idea that Aussie accents are perfectly ok in hiphop (oh we couldn’t admit we wanted to even DO hiphop for some stupid reason), but I like the Herd, because they’re very cheeky like Beasties and keep it real Aussie style. They’ve been around for years now, here’s a good track:
I'm like Necko only I'm a bassist ukulele guitar synthesizer kazoo penguin and also everyone. Or is everyone me? Now I'm a confused bassist ukulele guitar synthesizer kazoo penguin everyone who is definitely not @Joe. This has been true for 2016 & 2017 
but I may have to get more specific in the future.
