Ty Burna's All Hip Hop Thread

[The Legendary 23]

I know I haven't been posting on these forums at all recently due to loads of schoolwork, but in this instance it's also why I am here. Just thought I'd let you guys know my junior research topic is about whether or not rap should be blamed for crime rates and violence in urban environments. I am looking forward to doing it, as I will enjoy debating the subject and is a topic I feel relatively knowledgeable about. Feel free to give me a word or to about if you feel so inclined.

 

[Ty Burna]

I know I haven't been posting on these forums at all recently due to loads of schoolwork, but in this instance it's also why I am here. Just thought I'd let you guys know my junior research topic is about whether or not rap should be blamed for crime rates and violence in urban environments. I am looking forward to doing it, as I will enjoy debating the subject and is a topic I feel relatively knowledgeable about. Feel free to give me a word or to about if you feel so inclined.

Well I can't say that I live in the ghetto or that I live in an urban community, however I'll use my knowledge of hip hop history in order to provide an answer to your question. Hip hop started at local block parties in New York, and they were started as a way to get people away from doing crime and illegal activities. Basically it was a movement to give people something to do in the neighborhoods when there really wasn't much there. Now that beings aid obviously hip hop has evolved quite a bit since that day and age, and you look at the coming up of gangsta rap, and I'm assuming this is what the question is referring to, it was seen as encouraging violence and gang activity in ghettos and urban areas. I tend to disagree with that, as most gangsta rappers that came out were simply talking about where they came from, what they went through in their lives, and generally over all discussing the lifestyles that people in those areas have to live through.

Now can hip hop influence people? Sure, however take into consideration people are influenced by media every single day, so to say hip hop would be a sole major contributor would be asinine at best. No the major issues why crime rate and violence are prominent in urban communities are the following:

1. Some people just simply don't believe they have an option. They don't look for other opportunities to better their lives so they resort to falling in with others of the same mindset to commit crimes in order to make money, and often times crimes involve violence.

2. Some people feel they have to join a gang otherwise they will be a target later on. This I got from my friend Cody who group in an ATL ghetto. Now take this into consideration that he is white, and probably one of 4 white people on the entire block. Because of that he joined the Crips gang early, not because he wanted to, but because he felt it would be the best way to protect himself and his mom from any sort of violence or crime being committed against them. The stories he has told me of what he had to do while in the gang was pretty intense, and I can tell he regrets most of the things he did.

3. This sort of pulls together 1 and 2 together, but a lot of people are born in that area and grow up around the violence and criminal activity typical of gangs, so they get used to it and later on decide that if you're around it so much, might as well join up and get your piece of the pie as well right?

So those are three, I"m sure the list could go on, but this kind of shit has been going down for a longer period of time then hip hop has been around. While some artist may seem to glorify guns and violence, how is that any different from popping in Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, or watching Scarface or any other movie considered a Gangster movie? It really isn't and I think most people put too much emphasis on the impact media has on us. However they only point towards "negative" media as having as such a strong impact. Their idea of the media's influence would be similar to seeing a commercial on TV for a Big Mac, and you instantly jump and go: I gotta get a damn Big Mac! Obviously most of us are not like that, and to say that media would be capable of influencing a large percentage of people like an urban area like that is incomprehensible. So can one blame hip hop for crime rates and violence in urban areas? I say no, because people are in tough situations in urban areas/ghettos, and I don't think they sit there listening to hip hop going: Well if they can make it on crime, I know I can too. Nah they're already around it, and have already learned the tricks of the trade. This isn't to say everyone in an urban area are criminals, I'm just talking about the ones that are.

I hope that answered your question enough Legendary, I think this will be a great discussion for the thread.

 

[The Legendary 23]

Thanks Ty, I appreciate the feedback, I decided right as I chose my prompt that I would make a defense in the name of hip hop.

I think that the genre as a whole has fallen victim to meditated cherrypicking by critics. Many people have been condemning the entire lifestyle after quoting an offensive or violent lyric. The whole confrontation between O'Reilly and Nas a while back is a perfect example of the argument. After Nas was booked to perform at Virginia Tech (correct me if I'm wrong about the college), O'Reilly blew up, saying that his presence would be detrimental to the student population. As he often does, O'Reilly spoke down on a subject he knows little about, and unfortunately his voice has a lot of speaking power to the masses.

Another point I've thought about is if violent hip hop tracks can be credited to crime rates and violence, then logically, positive and inspirational tracks can be credited to a desire to hold strong and do good. Tupac's "Keep Ya Head Up" is a perfect example of a song that implores the listener to do exactly that -- keep their head up. On the note that by no stretch of the imagination I live in poverty, I must assume that such songs are emotional fuel to many in urban neighborhoods. In short, songs that focus on the kinder side to ghetto life are disregarded or unknown to hip hop critics.

 

[X]

It's been far too long since I've posted in here Ty. Thanks to CM, I've been listening to this cat Kid Cudi quite a bit. Yeah, I guess I'm not really in the loop for current popular rap, because apparently he's all over the radio. What do you want? I don't listen to the radio anymore.

Anyways, I've been REALLY digging his new album (which technically hasn't hit stores yet), it's got to be some of the best shit I've heard from the mainstream in quite a while. The guy is extremely talented, and I absolutely love his flow. What's even better though is the people he gets to produce his tracks, because they're all incredibly creative and very much in the vein of alternative rap, everything from electronica to jazz-rap is mixed in. I get the feeling Ty is probably going to rip me apart for liking this guy, but oh well. I fucking love him. Here's a few of his songs that I've been really jamming to the last few days. The beat for the first song in particular is simply ingenious in my opinion, and makes you just want to dance. Great flow. The second song is some of the best introspective lyrics I've heard from a mainstream rapper in fucking FOREVER, and I can really, really identify with alot of the things he's saying.

​

So go on Ty...rip me apart.

Thoughts on Kid Cudi guys?

 

[Cena's Little Helper]

Does anyone else here listen to German hip-hop? I only speak a little bit of German, so, I can't really speak on the lyrical content of the songs I listen to, but, for the most part, the beats and flow are amazing. I would highly recommend that people check out Bushido, Chakuza, and Sido. Here's a little taste:

[youtube]F40-2SkZvN8[/youtube]​

 

[SK]

It's been far too long since I've posted in here Ty. Thanks to CM, I've been listening to this cat Kid Cudi quite a bit. Yeah, I guess I'm not really in the loop for current popular rap, because apparently he's all over the radio. What do you want? I don't listen to the radio anymore.

Anyways, I've been REALLY digging his new album (which technically hasn't hit stores yet), it's got to be some of the best shit I've heard from the mainstream in quite a while. The guy is extremely talented, and I absolutely love his flow. What's even better though is the people he gets to produce his tracks, because they're all incredibly creative and very much in the vein of alternative rap, everything from electronica to jazz-rap is mixed in. I get the feeling Ty is probably going to rip me apart for liking this guy, but oh well. I fucking love him. Here's a few of his songs that I've been really jamming to the last few days. The beat for the first song in particular is simply ingenious in my opinion, and makes you just want to dance. Great flow. The second song is some of the best introspective lyrics I've heard from a mainstream rapper in fucking FOREVER, and I can really, really identify with alot of the things he's saying.

So go on Ty...rip me apart.

Thoughts on Kid Cudi guys?

I'm right with you X, got the album yesterday and I've been very very impressed with it. I thought Cudi was going to go the way of Kanye and I'm really happy to say he hasn't. He is though completely different to any other rap, album is packed with jazz, soul, electronica and even some psychadelic samples, it's really good. Lyrically the album's a bit weak, only a few tracks are lyrically strong - Soundtrack 2 My Life being one like you said.

This album is great when drunk or high I think, but if your looking for gangsta lyrics and hard hitting tracks, your not going to get any. But even though he might not be conventional rap, I gotta say I really liked the album, it was a bit different, and i'd give it a 7/10.

 

[Ty Burna]

It's been far too long since I've posted in here Ty. Thanks to CM, I've been listening to this cat Kid Cudi quite a bit. Yeah, I guess I'm not really in the loop for current popular rap, because apparently he's all over the radio. What do you want? I don't listen to the radio anymore.

Anyways, I've been REALLY digging his new album (which technically hasn't hit stores yet), it's got to be some of the best shit I've heard from the mainstream in quite a while. The guy is extremely talented, and I absolutely love his flow. What's even better though is the people he gets to produce his tracks, because they're all incredibly creative and very much in the vein of alternative rap, everything from electronica to jazz-rap is mixed in. I get the feeling Ty is probably going to rip me apart for liking this guy, but oh well. I fucking love him. Here's a few of his songs that I've been really jamming to the last few days. The beat for the first song in particular is simply ingenious in my opinion, and makes you just want to dance. Great flow. The second song is some of the best introspective lyrics I've heard from a mainstream rapper in fucking FOREVER, and I can really, really identify with alot of the things he's saying.

​

So go on Ty...rip me apart.

Thoughts on Kid Cudi guys?

Oh X, how I would love to rip you apart over a hip hop artist, but in this case it ain't gonna happen because Kid Cudi is pretty damn good to be honest with you. I got one of his albums downloaded after hearing about him, and I liked the sound, sort of like an alternative/electro hip hop style that's unique and something I haven't heard before. His style does sort of fit the new Cleveland hip hop scene, as lately the Northern part of Cleveland has been moving towards an alternative hip hop sound while Southern Cleveland is moving towards the flashier Dirty South style. The man has very good lyrical ability like the second song that you played their X, and for once the mainstream hip hop actually found someone good.

I have to say I'm really enjoying how more alternative hip hop artists are getting more attention lately. You look at Kid Cudi, Lupe Fiasco, Atmosphere, Aesop Rock, Sage Francis, Dialated Peoples, etc etc etc, and all of those artists are getting some major love from mainstream hip hop fans. As far as Kid Cudi goes, I see a lot of great things coming from him, as long as he continues to do his thing and doesn't let Kanye influence him too much, and doesn't allow it to all get to his head. Reading his bio, I don't think he'll have much of an ego, and when he started rapping, his influences were The Pharcyde and A Tribe Called Quest. So how could I hate on a man for having those artists influence him as a rapper? Just because the man isn't hard or has a gangsta rap flow, doesn't mean I have to automatically hate him, hell I have a ton of alternative hip hop, Heiruspecs, Atmosphere, Brother Ali, Doomtree, Murs, and the list goes on. I got much love for the alternative hip hop scene, so please X, don't think I"m just into the hardcore rap, I like my softer laid back stuff as well.

 

[blood and thunder]

apparently only built for cuban linx 2 is awesome - i haven't ever properly gotten into the first tho, just random tracks...anyone else digging the new release?

 

[Rizza]

apparently only built for cuban linx 2 is awesome - i haven't ever properly gotten into the first tho, just random tracks...anyone else digging the new release?

YES!!!! Only Built for Cuban Linx II does not disappoint in comparison to its predecessor, which is a HUGE compliment seeing how high just about everybody thinks of that album, myself included. I've only got 15 tracks from the album, but so far this(and U -God's Dopium) is probably one of the best newer hip hop albums I have listen to in along time. The album still has that Mafiso sound to it, though it might have been toned down a little, or maybe it just seems that way since no one can reproduce or give the same gritty, mostly string sound, that RZA threw together for the original Only Built for Cuban Linx. The lyrical content is the same IMO, and in this case I actually couldn't ask for more, seeing how Raekwon and Ghostface tore it up on the original. Overall, out of the 15 tracks that I have everyone is good, border lining great. This Album is destined to be a classic and I suggest everybody and anybody that enjoyed the original to pick this album up immediately.

 

[jmt225]

After hearing "Soundtrack 2 My Life" this morning thanks to X, I downloaded Kid Cudi's new album immediately and I have to say... it is pretty great.

Out of 15 songs, there are 7 of them I really, really dig. I haven't been able to claim something like that from a NEW rap artist in what seems like a fucking decade. This guy is awesome. Up Up and Away, My World, and Heart of a Lion are three of the best hip-hop tracks I've heard in quite sometime.

And while I can't stand Kayne as a rapper or person for that matter, the guy is TREMENDOUS producer and Kid Cudi's album is all the proof you need to convince you that that is indeed a fact.

 

[X]

After hearing "Soundtrack 2 My Life" this morning thanks to X, I downloaded Kid Cudi's new album immediately and I have to say... it is pretty great.

Isn't it? That song is the one that really sticks out to me the most on the album, it's a practically a perfect rap song. The beat is creative and deep and really gets your head bobbing, Cudi's flow on the song is pitch-perfect, and the lyrics tell a great story that really immediately lets you know who Cudi is, where he's from, and what he's all about. I love that he isn't afraid to talk about things like his emotions and missing his dead father, such a breath of fresh air after so much "party in the club" and "fuck my girl" songs that dominate modern rap radio.

Out of 15 songs, there are 7 of them I really, really dig. I haven't been able to claim something like that from a NEW rap artist in what seems like a fucking decade. This guy is awesome. Up Up and Away, My World, and Heart of a Lion are three of the best hip-hop tracks I've heard in quite sometime.

All props go to CM on this one, he's the one who introduced me to him, I'm just trying to spread the word a bit. I'm a big fan of alternative hip hop, and Cudi is one of the best I've seen in a while. Honestly I think he's even better than Lupe Fiasco, who I think is a tad bit overrated.

And while I can't stand Kayne as a rapper or person for that matter, the guy is TREMENDOUS producer and Kid Cudi's album is all the proof you need to convince you that that is indeed a fact.

Kanye is an egomaniac, but I can't believe how many of you guys seem to hate him as a rapper. I mean, can we atleast recognize his talent as a lyricist and rapper? Because there's no denying that he's a damn fine rapper, who can rap about anything from Gucci to glocks. He's one of the very best, if not the very best producer in hip hop right now as well. I'm not a fan of him as a person either, but his first two albums are pure gold in my opinion. Especially when compared to the rap that was dominating the charts at the time he came around (I'll take Kanye over Nelly any day of the week).

 

[blood and thunder]

nah i don't really rate him as a rapper - he's passable but his flow, lyrics etc are probably just average, it's his music which sets him apart I'd say.

 

[Hyorinmaru]

Let's try this here seeing how my thread in the bar room failed miserably

Elevated Minds

This is a new unsigned band that started following me on twitter so I started following them and i got linked to their MySpace Page which is the only place they have music up. Here's what they say about their own music: Southern California hip-hop with a horror twist!

They only have 5 songs up on their MySpace but i would have to agree. I probably wouldn't know Southern Cali hip hop if it took a shit in my bed but these songs have a definite Horror vibe that would make me classify it as Horrorcore.

I go this off their twitter page

Up and coming male/female rap duo from southern California with a new style of hip-hop and self produced beats!

Elevated Minds

 

[X]

Sorry Milenko, horror rap died when the Gravediggaz stopped making albums to me. I can't stand the new "horror rap" scene with ICP and Twiztid. Necro is okay sometimes. Horror rap is pretty much dead to me nowadays though.

Anyways, Ty brought up the other day an idea for a kind of "series" in this thread about introducing everyone to an underground act, be it local or not, for everyone to check out. Well, I couldn't help myself, so I'm here to introduce you guys to some Boston legends, 7L & Esoteric. These two Boston rappers have been producing some of the best underground and alternative work over the last 13 years, and have worked with everyone from Jedi Mind Tricks to Inspectah Deck and even John Cena. Yes, you read that right, Esoteric has worked with WWE Champion John Cena (he had a guest spot on the track "Beantown" on his album). Granted Cena is a shit rapper, but hey, that's a cool little fun fact huh? Cena loves rap, and being from Boston, it's obvious he's a fan of 7L and Esoteric. These two are also prominent members of the Army of the Pharaohs crew, along with Jedi Mind Tricks and Apathy (anyone who doesn't know Apathy...well I'll have to use him as my next entry into this series).

Anyways, on to the music. These are just a few of my favorite cuts from them, 7L is the producer, and Esoteric is the rapper, and they're easily one of my favorite, if not my all time favorite underground group. The only way to describe 7L's beats is like a mix between the old school and a wierd "outerspace" kind of feeling to them, similar to Deltron 3030 with maybe a bit of DJ Premier influence with the samples.

Enjoy, and please tell me what you guys think (especially you Ty):

​

 

[blood and thunder]

​

first of all, this isn't a "who do you personally prefer" thread because i don't care plus it's just a pointless argument to have. what i'm going to ask is which one is the bigger "star", and who out of the two will go down in history as a giant of the genre/music as a whole? on the one hand you have jay-z, who i just watched a documentary on. a massive star in the hip-hop world with crossover appeal, this dude has headlined massive tours (so has kanye mind you) and even managed to get a headline slot at glastonbury, where by all accounts he was awesome. the guy has a massive media empire, as well as other things such as clothing and stuff. he's been pretty prolific album wise, although would it be incorrect to say that he hasn't really made an "impact" with all of them?

kanye got his break producing jay-z songs, so this is why i'm making the comparison. out of the two i would argue he has greater mainstream appeal - sure, jay-z collaborated with link park and is friends with chris martin, but kanye was pretty much everywhere for a length of time, and is pretty ingrained in popular culture, more so than jay-z i'd argue. his albums are more towards the pop aspects of hip hop, but they're generally well received and he knows how to generate publicity in the same way jay-z knows how to run business. i'm not sure on the answer to my own question, as i believe there's no clear cut answer, but what do you guys think?

 

[The Legendary 23]

Jay-Z, hands down, is the bigger star. Seriously, it shouldn't even be debatable. Through his 13 year career, Shawn Carter has been making big impressions on the hip hop genre. He can be credited with how the industry has been shaped today, and his influence is undeniable. His friendship and work with Biggie Smalls alone puts him above Kayne West. Currently, Kanye has found a massive following, and, granted, has produced many of Jay-Z's hits ("A Dream" specifically comes to mind).

Regardless, my vote goes to Jay-Z, by a long shot.

 

[Ty Burna]

I"ve ignored you my precious, I'm so sorry, here, let me make it up to you with some sweet sweet music recommendations.

Er...What's up y'all? I know X started the underground/independent artist recommendation (idea stealing bastard ), and I believe I have slacked off properly long enough adding something to the mix here. Before I begin, 7L and Esoteric was a great recommendation X and I applaud you for bringing them to my attention. I'm really digging a lot of their music right now.

Anyway, I'm gonna kick this off with an artist who's been mostly known out West, and actually has an album on a major record label now, but still kind of an underground artist. That man, is Murs. Now if you play Madden, you may remember a few years ago when the following song was on the game as menu music:

[YOUTUBE]O5gtdNENxsk[/YOUTUBE]

I could only find live footage of this song, but it's just as good live as it is recorded. Trust me on this I saw him live here in Bismarck, and the dude was off the hook. Simply put Murs is got a great flow, and he's got some pretty interesting introspective lyrics in a lot of his music. Following up we have another song:

[YOUTUBE]2UFbhSV2230[/YOUTUBE]

This song has more of a mainstreamish sound to it I will admit, but damn if the man didn't bring some fire to the beat. Again he brings the lyrical content to a maximum tilt, and I really dig this song. Some other songs to post:

[YOUTUBE]Vmf4fQz2DCU[/YOUTUBE]

This is a song Murs made in response to Rick Ross stealing his beat (You can reference what went down earlier in the hip hop thread here.)

And just like Esoteric, Murs has also worked with the WWE Champ John Cena:

[YOUTUBE]iYVi1JDhjG0[/YOUTUBE]

I'm gonna finish up with the videos, and just post a song I thought was kind of a fun song, reminds me of the house parties I used to throw when I was younger:

[YOUTUBE]GeixrdnlKSA[/YOUTUBE]

So if ya haven't heard of Murs, ya have now, He's one of the best up and coming rappers out there, check him out, download his music, go purchase albums, whatever. But this dude needs to be bigger than he is at this time.

 

[Pimpin]

Damn it's been a long time since i've posted in this thread.

Anyways yeah I agree with Ty that Murs is definitely one of the best up & coming rappers out there today. It really is a damn shame that his following is not bigger than it currently is right now cause Murs definitely has the talent to be really big. I mean he's got a great flow & his lyrics are interesting to say the least. I'd have to say my favorite song out of that list that Ty put up on there was definitely the one where he responded to Rick Ross stealing his beat. That song was great & his lyrics are damn sure better than the lyrics that fat ass Rick Ross did with that particular beat.

So yeah Murs definitely should have a bigger following than he has right now & definitely check out more of his stuff cause it's really good & way better qualitly than what is presented in the main stream music today.

 

[Big Sexy]

My recommendation for an unknown/independent artist is Del tha Funkee Homosapien.

Del is the younger cousin of Ice Cube, but their styles are completely different. Del has been known to partake in the use of certain psychedelic drugs, so he definitely has a unique style. He's probably not for everyone, but he can spit with the best of them. I'll let the songs speak for themselves.

[youtube]u9vimihLXCU[/youtube]

[youtube]2onfblJrSBM[/youtube]

[youtube]13CJ77DGsBI[/youtube]

I think he's dope, but again probably not for everyone.

 

[Ty Burna]

Let's keep this rollin, I'm gonna bring up a rapper from the West Coast this time, and the crazy shit is, he's recorded damn near all his albums from behind bars. I'm talkin bout tha man X-Raided. He's not very well known on the mainstream scene, and the quality of his tracks aren't the greatest, but what the fuck else you gonna do when you're making tracks behind bars. Anyway, X-Raided started out in 1990 when he recorded an album with another underground legend Brotha Lynch Hung. However X-Raided got locked up in 1992 when he and other gang members broke into a woman's house and killed her. X claimed he didn't shoot the gun, but didn't deny he was there. Infamously, on the cover of his first album Psycho Active shows him holding a .38 to his temple, and allegedly this was the murder weapon used in the shooting.

Well stories aside, the dude is pretty damn good, he can flow fairly quick, and he doesn't make any bubblegum club songs, the dude puts out straight gangsta rap, and he's got some wicked stories. Again the quality ain't the greatest, but check him out:

[YOUTUBE]bD-IUyiEAA0[/YOUTUBE]

[YOUTUBE]RirHS1EsiAE[/YOUTUBE]

[YOUTUBE]QCFf73FBS3U[/YOUTUBE]

[YOUTUBE]0WKDeaonI4Y[/YOUTUBE]

 

[TheFreshPrints]

So if ya haven't heard of Murs, ya have now, He's one of the best up and coming rappers out there, check him out, download his music, go purchase albums, whatever. But this dude needs to be bigger than he is at this time.

Well, I don't know about up and coming. Dude has been putting out material since '93. But he definitely doesn't get enough shine. So, props for trying to put people onto him.

These albums still sit in the rotation. And I never get tired of "Risky Business". Haha.

 

[MattMoses]

So I've been going through my old hip-hop stuff lately, and got reminded just how awesome the early 90's were....KRS-One, Black Moon, Boogie Down Productions, Lords of the Underground, Main Source, Geto Boys etc. But I have to say Bizarre Ride II The Pharcyde by The Pharcyde is my favourite record from back then. Tight, jazzy beats, humorous yet clever lyrics, distinct rhyming styles, live instrumentation as well as sampling Funk and R&B artists such as James Brown, The Meters and Jimi Hendrix. Sadly, they went downhill from then on, and all their releases since their second album Labcabincalifornia have been mediocre at best. I believe they have a record coming out sometime this year...Back II The Pharcyde, or so I've been told. I'll be looking forward to it but don't have my hopes up.

People's thoughts on The Pharcyde/early 90's Hip-Hop? Easily my favourite time period for this genre.

 

[Freddy4190]

Ty! I wanna thank you man for suggesting "Sickology 101" back in my thread a few weeks ago. I'm listening to it now, and i'm in love with it. It's fucking sweet.

 

[falconsault]

I don't know if this has been mentioned yet, and I'm too lazy to read back through the posts in this thread to check, as well as too lazy to get on wiki to check the release date.

However, I just picked up K.O.D. by Tech N9ne and having lived 45 minutes from KCMO for the last five years I love everything Techa Nina has done. K.O.D. is a great album, I think I'm still a fan of Killer more so than K.O.D. currently, but I'm digging every single track on this cd. Show Me a God was an excellent song to set the mood of the album and everything else just completely fits to Tech N9ne's style.

Anyone else's thoughts? Agree or disagree?

 

[X]

Honestly I've never been much of a Tech N9ne fan. My boy is always playing him, and frankly I always thought he was terrible. Granted it was one CD from the guy and I probably just disliked him so much because of how often I had to hear it. His flow didn't impress me, his lyrics didn't, and the beats I thought were trash.

That said, I think I'm going to give him another chance. He's playing in Worcester I believe next week and a few friends of mine are going, so I think I'll go along. I've heard he puts on good shows, I just hope he's alot better than what I remember from that CD.