Top 5 "Hipster Rap" Acts

“Hipster Rap”, for those of you who have been living in a ditch the past year or so, can be realized simply by imagining the modern version of a fun rap act, as demonstrated earlier by groups like Run DMC, The Beastie Boys, and DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince.

The musical style is all about being different than the rest much like Run DMC was when they made their first appearance onto the rap scene. Run DMC had a sound like no one else had ever heard before and that is what made them so popular.

The production style brought to the table by hipster rap artists is fresh, upbeat, and a lot of the time uses old school samples as a sort of tribute to the artists who influenced them. For example…

On this track by Kidz In The Hall, the chorus samples the Masta Ace hit, “Born To Roll”

The lyrics in hipster rap songs are mostly catchy and fun but can also have content. The point is that they are not consistently serious or silly but either way are memorable. Hipster rappers aren’t afraid to rap about their bikes (Black Mags by The Cool Kids), or seem “nerdy” at all. I have found that although there is no lack of bragging and self-boasting in hipster rap, unlike mainstream rap, the bragging isn’t about how much money they have.

Here are the Top 5 Leaders of The Hipster Rap Movement

#5- The Pack

The Pack is a Berkeley, California based group discovered in 2005 by Bay rap legend, Too Short. The “skater kids” seemingly obsessed with shoes are probably most famous for their hit single “Vans”. Track gets a little annoying after awhile but I must confess, the week after the track first came out you could find me reciting the line…

“You wearin’ coke whites but my Vans look clean”

#4- Jay Electronica

Jay has been under the radar in terms of mainstream exposure in general but has been slowly building his fan base with online music releases, which seems to be an increasingly popular method of putting out music. 

The thing that really blew my mind about Jay Electronica was the track, The Pledge (YouTube), in which he raps over a looped section of the movie score from Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind. Here is a  review of his 2008 release, What The Fuck Is A Jay Electronica.

#3- Kidz In The Hall

Rappers Double-O and Naledge form Kidz In The Hall, a Chicago/New Jersey group known for their hit single Drivin’ Down The Block (Video Above). If the hipster movements continues, this group will be known as one of the trailblazers of the sub-genre.

#2- Wale (Wall-A!)

This DC native rapper is a personal favorite of mine. You might know him from his single “Nike Boots” but what really interested me was his unique style. A lot of his production is based out of Go-go music which is a genre originating from DC. The particular track that got me interested in this guy was “W.A.L.E.D.A.N.C.E.”, a remix of the popular song “Dance” by Justice. The beat is something you never thought would be rapped over until Wale came along.

#1- The Cool Kids

The Cool Kids define hipster rap in almost every way. From this duo’s on-stage performance to the way they dress, they maintain a “fresh” attitude and are one of the nerdiest, funniest, most entertaining rap duos out right now. Here is a review of their 2008 LP, The Bake Sale.

Honorable Mention:

The Knux

HHP Mixtape: I..Will…Not…Lose

Best Diss Tracks

Track Listing/Top 10 Diss Tracks

1. Ether by Nas (Jay Z)

*Although I am a HUGE Jay Z fan, I have to say that this is the greatest diss track of all time. This is what happens when you get in a beef with a lyricist whose mother just died.

2. Hit Em Up by Tupac (Biggie, Lil Kim, P Diddy)

* To tell you the truth the lyrics of this song aren’t that great but Pac’s intensity makes up for it.

3. Nail In The Coffin by Eminem (Benzino)

* Eminem is the perfect artist to create diss tracks. He has a creative mind and isn’t afraid to say anything, thats what makes this track great.

4. Takeover by Jay Z (Nas & Mobb Deep)

* Although it was no Ether, Jay Z’s Takeover is a great diss track.

5. No Vaseline by Ice Cube (NWA)

* Ice Cube’s NWA diss is hilarious, he showed Dre and Eazy who brought them to the top in the first place.

6. 2nd Round Knockout by Canibus (LL Cool J)

* This Canibus track has Mike Tyson backing him up, what could be better that? But seriously, I would have hated to be LL Cool J after this.

7. Checkmate by Jadakiss (50 Cent)

* Jadakiss embarrasses 50 on this track with a calm flow and dope punchlines.

8. 300 Bars & Runnin by The Game (50 Cent, G Unit)

* Just imagining how mad The Game had to be to go 300 bars on G Unit is exciting. 

9.  The Bitch In Yoo by Common (Ice Cube)

* Usually when you think about Common you don’t think of an artist that would rip somebody apart in a diss track but he demonstrates another aspect of his lyrical skills in this song.

10. Shoot Me A Fair One by Papoose (Fat Joe)

* Papoose’s aggressive flow is perfect for this beat.

Bonus Track:

How To Rob by 50 Cent

* Not necessarily a diss track but a very entertaining song nevertheless. 

Download “Best Diss Tracks” DubMix

Most Entertaining Hip Hop Videos

This post was inspired by the very entertaining hip hop videos I have seen over a few months. They made my day and I hope they make yours too.

Oh You Mad Cuz I’m Stylin On Ya

This is the perfect example of a rap battle gone wrong. What initially happened was the original two rappers (Nyckz and an unnamed rapper) got in a verbal altercation because Nyckz used names of people in his rhymes after a previous agreement not to. This was revealed in the unseen footage. The original rappers were cool about this but the person Nyckz called out, E-N-J insisted on battling Nyckz. Then for a quick summary, Nyckz was straight up killing him, E-N-J was getting embarrassed. So right when Nyckz is going at him the hardest and everybody is laughing, BLAM!!! E-N-J winds up and rocks Nyckz right in the face. You have to see this.

I’m The Best Mayne, I Deeed It!

I really feel bad about liking this video but it’s impossible not to. Eli Porter is a presumably challenged guy in a rap battle with some guy and his rhymes are hilarious. Eli Porter is the greatest rapper alive, and I say that with the utmost amount of sarcasm possible.

The Dope Hip Hop Violinist 

This violinist is crazy good, along with a DJ, he plays instrumentals like Crazy by Gnarles Barkley, The Next Movement by The Roots, and much more…

Lupe Calls Out A Yawning Fan

Lupe Fiasco calls out a fan that he saw yawn at a concert and then thoroughly entertains him! Most likely staged but still a good video.

Ridiculous French Beatboxer

This guy Joseph kills it on the French version of America’s Got Talent, this guy sounds like he’s making 3 different sounds come out of his mouth at the same time. One of the most amazing beatboxers I have ever heard.

Future One-Hit Wonders

One-hit wonders come and go so fast sometimes you don’t even realize it. A couple years ago it was, “Who?! Mike Jones!!!”. Now whenever I mention Mike Jones its “Who??”. The thing is, a one-hit wonder has to be given time to solidify, you never know when a possible artist with only one hit song will bust back into the scene and be popular again. These are a few likely artists to be featured in the top 10 hip hop one hit wonders of 2015.

Soulja Boy

Hit Song: Crank Dat

Don’t deny it. Yuuuuuuuuu! know the song and you probably even know the dance. This track was HUGE, the seventeen year-old made millions of this track and even more off the deals that followed. Because it was so big Soulja Boy is a classic case of a future one-hit wonder, look at the history, the bigger the hit, the more likely the artist will be remembered for only that one song.

Hurricane Chris

Hit Song: A Bay Bay

Although Hurricane Chris has made some hits since A Bay Bay, that is the song he will be remembered for. I can just imagine 10 or 15 years from now looking back at this song and saying, “Oh yeah I remember this song! It played non-stop on the radio and the guy who sung it had beads in his hair, I forget his name.”

M.I.A.

Hit Song: Paper Planes

The thing about this song is that it actually has a deeper message than what meets the ear. MIA had this to say about the songs lyrics,

“I was going to get patties at my local and just thinking that really the worst thing that anyone can say [to someone these days] is some **** like: ”What I wanna do is come and get your money.” People don’t really feel like immigrants or refugees contribute to culture in any way. That they’re just leeches that suck from whatever. So in the song I say All I wanna do is [sound of gun shooting and reloading, cash register opening] and take your money. I did it in sound effects. It’s up to you how you want to interpret. America is so obsessed with money, I’m sure they’ll get it. “

 Still, it is perfect for a one-hit wonder especially because M.I.A. is an international artist. It’s hard for an artist to break into the US mainstream with one song, to do it twice is unlikely.

Get Pumped!!

Need a couple songs for your “pump up”? Check these out.

Simon Says by Pharoahe Monch

This song would be the PERFECT to wake up to if you don’t mind a head banging beat and Pharoahe Monch yelling “Get The Fuck Up!” to you every morning. The lyrics fit perfectly for a song to wake up to and the beat will have you up and alert in seconds. Beware though if you do wake up to this song its likely that you will have it stuck in your head all day.

New York Giants by Big Pun & MOP

Big Pun and MOP, need I say more? This track goes hard.

New York Giants – Big Punisher/M.O.P.
RiotMaker by Tech N9ne

Personally, I’m not a Tech N9ne fan but this song gets you pumped no matter what, check it out…

Riotmaker – Tech Nine

Most Original Rap Songs

There are a lot of rap songs out there that aren’t creative, they aren’t smart or interesting, they’re just catchy. Most of these songs have lyrics that either restate the same topic over and over again like money, cars, women, or how good the rapper is. But these songs I am about to show you are creative and fun to listen to, check em out.

Rewind by Nas

This is the song that inspired this post. Nas’ wordplay and creativity are CRAZY in this song. The basic idea is that he is telling a story of something that happened to him, but his lyrics are literally telling the story backwards. The idea is hard to grasp if you don’t listen to the song but once you do you won’t be disappointed.

Storytelling for a rapper in general is hard but to tell a story backwards is almost unimaginable. 

Here’s An Example:

“My nigga Jungle utters out somethin crazy like, “Go he there”
Sittin in back of this chair, we hittin the roach
The smoke goes back in the blunt, the blunt gets bigger in growth
Jungle unrolls it, put his weed back in the jar”

Listen Here

Rewind – Nas
Alphabet Aerobics by Blackalicious

I originally thought that Papoose was the father of this idea but was later informed that Blackalicious did it first. I hadn’t ever heard the song before but after hearing the first version of the Alphabetical Slaughter, I concluded that the original is better. Blackalicious goes through the entire alphabet rhyming together words that start with the same letter. In a sense, alliteration. The song is cool to listen to and you have to just imagine how hard it was to make this.

Dr. Carter by Lil Wayne

Love him or hate him this was a good idea for a track. He raps that he is a doctor who’s patients are various dying hip hop artists who he tries to revive to save hip hop. Lyrically, this song is without a doubt the best on Tha Carter III.

Dr. Carter – Lil Wayne
Others:

Stan by Eminem

D.E.M.O.N.S. by Elzhi

Phone Tap by Nas & AZ

Warning by Biggie Smalls

Robin Hood Theory by Gangstarr

East Coast Hip Hop Essentials

Hip hop originated in the East Coast and it is fair to say that at least 50% of hip hop legends are east coast rappers. To name a few, Biggie, Krs-One, Wu Tang Clan, Run DMC, Nas, Rakim, and Jay Z. These are East Coast produced albums that you need to have in your collection…

#10

Illadelph Halflife by The Roots

In an Interview Malik B of The Roots said that they were really trying hard to make this album good and not be sucked into the sophomore curse. They Succeeded. 

#9

The Low End Theory by A Tribe Called Quest

This album is the definition of classic, it went against the popular sound of the west coast G-Funk during that time and still came out on top.

#8

The Infamous by Mobb Deep

The lead single on this album “Shook Ones Pt. II” is one of the greatest songs of all time.

#7

Paid In Full by Eric B. & Rakim

Eric B. & Rakim are arguably the greatest duo ever and this was their best work. At the time, this album was unlike anything anyone had ever heard.

#6

Blackstar by Mos Def & Talib Kweli

’98 like ’88 before it was a great year for hip hop and this album was on top of them all. A second album from the duo has been patiently waited for but hasn’t happened yet, some say the cause is fear of not satisfying expectations.

#5

Reasonable Doubt by Jay Z

This non-skip album revolutionized hip hop and popularized mafioso rap. It is consistently included in the greatest overall albums of all time.

#4

Enter The Wu-Tang: 36 Chambers

If you don’t have this album in your collection you should be ashamed to call yourself a hip hop fan. The Wu’s debut album is filled with hardcore tracks that will have you raping along in no time.

#3

Only Built 4 Cuban Linx by Raekwon

Great debut album by a great artist. RZA showed production unheard of for that time while Raekwon set the stage for future artists like Jay Z by laying down a pioneering mafioso rap album.

#2

Ready To Die by Biggie Smalls

This album by The Notorious BIG is responsible for reviving the East Coast in a time when 2pac and Snoop Dogg representing the West were dominating the rap industry. It received a 5/5 from The Rolling Stone which is a rare occasion.

#1

Illmatic by Nas

You knew it was coming. Illmatic is considered my a good percentage of hip hop fans as the greatest hip hop album of all time despite its length. (9 Full Tracks) Nas’ lyrical abilities shocked everyone and the albums production was top of the line featuring productions by Large Professor, Pete Rock, DJ Premier, and Q-Tip.

All these albums are must-haves for any hip hop fan.

T Dub

10 Greatest Solo Debut Albums, Part 2 (#5-#1)

I’ve brought you what I think are the top 10-5 of the best debut solo hip hop albums (see here). Let’s have a look at my top 5.

Click on album title for download. See comments for passwords if necessary.

#5

Jay-Z – Reasonable Doubt

When released in 1996, this album was pretty much 

slept on compared to it’s standing today. Jay-Z brought us his unique style of witty lyrics and talks mainly about his previous encounters with crime.

#4

Ice Cube – AmeriKKKa’s Most Wanted

Fresh out of N.W.A, this hard-hitting 1990 album showcased Cube’s talent on his own. Cube talked about the social issues in America with vivid imagery with his amazing and sometimes humorous lyrical approach. As if this wasn’t enough, the following year he came with an even better and harder album.

#3

Dr. Dre – The Chronic

Another N.W.A member makes the top 5. This is arguably the best produced hip hop album of all time and with Snoop Dogg helping out on the vocals, this album was the highlight of the G-Funk era. This album is a definite classic and a 90s gem.

#2

The Notorious B.I.G. – Ready To Die

This was the first glimpse we got of a true legend who didn’t get a fair crack at the rap game. This album showed how his flow was easily one of the best in the game and he had some amazing and controversial lyrics to go with it.

#1

Nas – Illmatic

It couldn’t have been anything else could it? The Queensbridge native brought us some of the most prolific lyrics ever heard and some amazing production from some of the best producers in the game.

Feel free to leave a comment to give your own opinion or to report any problems with links, etc.

10 Greatest Solo Debut Albums, Part 1 (#10-#6)

It’s very important in hip hop to start off with a bang as most of todays established artists debut albums have been great albums. I’m going to look at what I think are the 10 greatest solo debut hip hop albums of all time.

Click on album title for download. Big L password is “reality”.

#10

KRS-One – Return Of The Boom Bap

KRS-One had shown us how great he was on the mic with Boogie Down Productions. This showed us that he could do it by himself too. Most of his other efforts pale in comparison to this classic. This is one of my favorite albums of all time.

#9

Ghostface Killah – Ironman

Few thought Ghostface would be the one carrying Wu Tang on his back in its later days. This album is a true classic and a must for any Wu Tang Clan fan. Raekwon gives his fare share of bars on this as Ghostface did on Only Built 4 Cuban Linx.

#8

Big L – Lifestylez ov da Poor & Dangerous

This is the only album Big L was able to bless us with while he was alive. Released in 1995 it is real east coast classic. It was gritty and Big L showcased his lyrical talent and his horror-core rap style.

#7

Raekwon – Only Built 4 Cuban Linx

This is Wu Tang member Raekwon’s first solo effort, with some assistance form Ghostface Killah. This album was also released in 1995. It’s raw lyricism, amazing storytelling and gritty production makes it a standout album of the 90s.

#6

Snoop Dogg – Doggystyle

This album had to make the list without a doubt. Released in 1993, it was a juggernaut of an album selling over 5 million copies. Dr. Dre was in top form for the production and Snoop was as smooth as could be on the vocals.

Part 2 coming soon.

Leave a comment if there’s a problem with links, etc.

Albums Of The Year (Download)- 2006

Alright, ready to go back another year and countdown some of the best albums?

If not, too bad because it’s going to happen anyway, Enjoy!

Favorite Albums-

1. Fishscale by Ghostface Killa

2. Food & Liquor by Lupe Fiasco

3. Game Theory by The Roots

4. Hip Hop is Dead by Nas

5. The Shining by J Dilla

Underrated Album Of The Year- Heroes In The City Of Dope by Zion I & The Grouch

Honorable Mentions-

I didn’t include instrumental albums but if I had Donuts by J Dilla would have been included.

I have not included a download link for J Dilla’s albums for obvious reasons.

Questions? Suggestions?

Hit up the comments