! WORLD SMASH HIP-HOP ! Rap/HipHop/R&B/ Discussion Thread (explicit warning)

[McCloud]

Game is another one of those boring *** rappers to me. Only reason I even listened to My Life is cause Wayne killed the hook.

http://nahright.com/news/2010/07/01/video-janelle-mon­ae-feat-bob-lupe-fiasco-tightrope-wondamix/

B.O.B. and Lupe and Janelle Monae on some dope ****

 

[Y.b.M.]

Haha I agree with you McCloud...Wayne did a great Job on that hook. Game is not good... all he does is name drop

 

[o-Serin-o]

Anyone here approve of Curren$y?

 

[IAmBlu3]

i don't listen to game either

Game - "My life used to be empty like a glock without a round. Now my life full, like a chopper with a thousand rounds"
expert lyricism lol


eww B.o.B...smh.

Curren$y is alright. that's about it.

 

[Nova9000]

I didn't know we were posting our own stuff in here as well. I rap as well...I'll post some of my stuff in here a bit later...

Lol @ Game. It's crazy how much rap has swayed in 10 years.

EDIT: http://www.smashboards.com/showpost.php?p=10279442&postcount=195

 

[McCloud]

Man blu you must be crazy, B.O.B. is dope as f*8k XD

http://www.hiphopdx.com/index/audio/id.11388/title.kid-cudi-f-kanye-west-erase-me-radio-rip

new cudi is amazing. I like the whole genre bending thing. GQ featured Wale, Drake, and Cudi as the Gangsta Killers... and it's living up to the hype (save for Wale).

Interestingly enough, I've heard the term "post 808s" used several times in the past couple days to describe this new generation of hip hop. It's true, and it's dope. I've always said Kanye's 808s was what killed Auto-tune. Because he took something that everyone was using and did it better than anyone could hope for (lookin at you, T-Pain).

I'm glad to see that there's a new range of emotion coming into the hip hop game. If rappers have to learn to play an instrument and sing a little bit to convey emotions, I'm down. Singing will always have more of an emotional appeal, and it's good to expand your...there's a word I'm looking for but I can't get it out of my head... arsenal or skillset.

 

[~N9NE~]

It's funny, all these new-ish rappers like Cudi, BOB etc. all trying to push the game in a new direction by being themselves and unique all sound the same to me. All these dudes don't impress me.

 

[IAmBlu3]

If rappers have to learn to play an instrument and sing a little bit to convey emotions, I'm down. Singing will always have more of an emotional appeal, and it's good to expand your...there's a word I'm looking for but I can't get it out of my head... arsenal or skillset.

if the only way you can show emotion is by singing, rapping isn't for you. i don't think a person should have to play instruments to be a good rapper. my biggest problem with the singer turnt rapper phenom is that the dudes aren't particularly good at either one. they can't sing(compared to actually singers, i mean. i'm not lowering the bar >.> singing on hooks is cool though) and they're lyrics are slightly above swag surfing to me. anytime i say one of them isn't good, there seems to always be a fan saying "it's not about rapping. they just make good music" lol. but whatever. it's an improvement compared to what's going on right now...i guess.

 

[McCloud]

if the only way you can show emotion is by singing, rapping isn't for you. i don't think a person should have to play instruments to be a good rapper. my biggest problem with the singer turnt rapper phenom is that the dudes aren't particularly good at either one. they can't sing(compared to actually singers, i mean. i'm not lowering the bar >.> singing on hooks is cool though) and they're lyrics are slightly above swag surfing to me. anytime i say one of them isn't good, there seems to always be a fan saying "it's not about rapping. they just make good music" lol. but whatever. it's an improvement compared to what's going on right now...i guess.

Don't get me wrong, I'm about rapping. But the medium leans itself toward certain areas and certain emotions, i.e. how much of the **** (and the urine) you are. It's the reason why there's a hook on successful songs. Because the general populace isn't going to pop in 300 bars and running and appreciate it. The dynamic range for rapping convincingly and emotionally is limited imo. Take Kanye West for example. My personal favorite artist (Lupe is a close second), Kanye's lyricism is dope, punchlines are dope, but when you listen to his songs that aren't primarily sung, they're mostly about his own self awareness, vanity, superstardom. Alternatively, it's about his struggle. Which is great. Hip hop and rap is great for struggle. But part of what makes struggle so appealing emotionally is inner strength and the resolve necessary to overcome struggle. So what you have is supercharged power. But what happens when you feel powerless?

808s dawg. Rap is about giving power to the struggle. Singing's about losing power, about desperation, about bottoming out. Of course, you can write dope bars about it, but it's way too easy for it to become trite, preachy, boring, etc.

I think it's a good thing that new rappers are (mostly) taking back their own hooks, sometimes changing them to choruses. Of course we want to avoid the idiocy that often comes along with having guest singers on your hooks (if one more white girl says she only wants to listen to Hayley Williams sing the chorus, I'm gonna explode)

That's my take on the singing-rapping deal. I personally try to combine a little bit of both, though I do tend to focus on my lyrics because I don't have an incredibly dynamic vocal range. (second tenor to bass. Crazy for an Asian kid...)

If I post the first song I ever recorded, y'all need to promise not to laugh XD

 

[IAmBlu3]

(if one more white girl says she only wants to listen to Hayley Williams sing the chorus, I'm gonna explode)

hahaha


that's cool.

anyway, looking forward to your track...i won't laugh

speaking of kanye, i heard everyone on his label, including himself, are supposed to drop all their albums on sept. 14. i dunno if that's a good marketing ploy...

on another tangent, anybody listen to Children Of The Corn? they gave me a whole new respect for Cam'ron and Big L...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cFlUSfxlz-I

 

[~N9NE~]

Camron during Children of the Corn
Beans before the cops came through and tried to grill em
I'm talking 95 Big L before they killed him!

Aaaahhhh!

Lol nah never really checked their stuff properly.

 

[Luigitoilet]

Uh, that's gotta be some crazy Kanye dickriding to say he did autotune way better than T-Pain. If T-Pain is worth anything, it's his technical skill and creativity with autotune. Hell, he helped design the iphone autotune app.

 

[McCloud]

Uh, that's gotta be some crazy Kanye dickriding to say he did autotune way better than T-Pain. If T-Pain is worth anything, it's his technical skill and creativity with autotune. Hell, he helped design the iphone autotune app.

I give the man credit for popularizing the sound, but what did he do with it? He didn't break new ground. He didn't make an experimental, dark, and highly personal album. He made a bunch of hits. He is a hit maker, but he's not a game changer.

I don't believe in dickriding if the credit is warranted. T-Pain did nothing to advance the genre of hip-hop using autotune. If you've got album reviews talking about hip-hop POST your album, then you've done something significant for the industry. Ain't nobody talkin bout how Thr33 Ringz changed the game up.

Enfin, what's the Iphone app got to do with his technical creativity? I highly doubt that Teddy Pinder was doin more than lending his name to the app.

tl;dr Dickriding is only for wack artists who don't do **** (Charles Hamilton bandwagon, Soulja Boy, Game after Hate it or Love it, Young Buck, Gucci Mane, the rest of Young Money, cept maybe Tyga)

 

[Luigitoilet]

eh, I worded my point badly, but I think it is disingeneous to discredit T-pain, out of all the people who jumped on the bandwagon after he popularized it, just because he's the most popular and ubiquitous. 808's is a good album, I just don't think it revolutionized the technique anymore than T-Pain did. It was so talked about because it was a completely different direction for Ye, and he actually knocked it out of the park.

 

[Tom]

Big Boi's solo album is the ****. It's amazing.

I guess I like Erase Me by Cudi, but not that much. But when I heard RevOfEv it seriously sounded like Cudi stumbled into the studio and rambled off some **** - even for an intro to an album it would be awful. I don't really have high hopes for Mr. Rager anymore =/

 

[Y.b.M.]

I haven't got the chance to check out Big Boi's Album....I've been waiting to hear it. I know it's going to be fire... everyone is crazy about Andre 3K but Big Boi is the truth...

 

[rhan]

Anyone here approve of Curren$y?

I fux with Curren$y.

SN: I just DL'ed Frostwire. Hook me up with dope tracks.

 

[soap]

All T-Pain does is win

 

[McCloud]

All T-Pain does is win

lol'd buckets.

Luigi, I see your point with it, and I do enjoy Teddy Pinder. I think if he can get away from DJ Khaled long enough to do some soul searching tracks that'd be dope too. He can sing without auto-tune as well, which is nice.

Speaking of, motherFU** DJ KHALED. I cannot believe that guy gets LEAD CREDIT on tracks. Seriously dude, all you do is COME IN AND YELL ON THE TRACKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKK

I had more k's but they stretched out the screen XD

edit fuuuuu still stretched

 

[~N9NE~]

 

[Jane]

Mccloud, glad to see theres another big kanye fan :D although im kind of ashamed of how much i like him due to him being such a gay fish



blu - LOLOLOLO NEWFOUND RESPECT FOR L. never thought id see the day. but im very glad you came around


Also, fuu, right when i get home im DLing new big boi and new cudi






And last, but certainly not least - i love tpain xD

 

[rhan]

LMFAO! nHow can anyone take him seriously?

 

[o-Serin-o]

Don't get me wrong, I'm about rapping. But the medium leans itself toward certain areas and certain emotions, i.e. how much of the **** (and the urine) you are. It's the reason why there's a hook on successful songs. Because the general populace isn't going to pop in 300 bars and running and appreciate it. The dynamic range for rapping convincingly and emotionally is limited imo. Take Kanye West for example. My personal favorite artist (Lupe is a close second), Kanye's lyricism is dope, punchlines are dope, but when you listen to his songs that aren't primarily sung, they're mostly about his own self awareness, vanity, superstardom. Alternatively, it's about his struggle. Which is great. Hip hop and rap is great for struggle. But part of what makes struggle so appealing emotionally is inner strength and the resolve necessary to overcome struggle. So what you have is supercharged power. But what happens when you feel powerless?

808s dawg. Rap is about giving power to the struggle. Singing's about losing power, about desperation, about bottoming out. Of course, you can write dope bars about it, but it's way too easy for it to become trite, preachy, boring, etc.

I think it's a good thing that new rappers are (mostly) taking back their own hooks, sometimes changing them to choruses. Of course we want to avoid the idiocy that often comes along with having guest singers on your hooks (if one more white girl says she only wants to listen to Hayley Williams sing the chorus, I'm gonna explode)

That's my take on the singing-rapping deal. I personally try to combine a little bit of both, though I do tend to focus on my lyrics because I don't have an incredibly dynamic vocal range. (second tenor to bass. Crazy for an Asian kid...)

If I post the first song I ever recorded, y'all need to promise not to laugh XD

My mind = blown.

I don't understand; I like Kanye, but Lupe has him by the balls.

 

[Luigitoilet]

I consider Lupe a better rapper/lyricist, but Kanye has got more excellent production and general musicianship. Lupe is beastmode but Kanye's more enjoyable to listen to, imo.

 

[Y.b.M.]

Lupe is a monster... He says a lot of things that most listeners need to hear. I don't do Kanye anymore since he's down with Secret Society's and stuff. But he does make good music...

 

[o-Serin-o]

I'm still cool with Kanye, but...

C'mon. Lupe is just a beast.


EDIT: Kid Cudi is kinda like a water-downed Lupe imo.

 

[McCloud]

Lupe is a monster... He says a lot of things that most listeners need to hear. I don't do Kanye anymore since he's down with Secret Society's and stuff. But he does make good music...

oh my god. please don't tell me you're one of those illuminati people.

edit - I heard of Lupe through Kanye West. Kanye is something I got through high school with. I couldn't run cross country for 6 months cause my parents pulled me off the team and so I would do pushups and situps every night to Jesus Walks and eventually I just asserted myself to get back on the team.

I love Lupe's lyricism. He's one of the only artists you truly need to read lyrics to while you listen. But the others are right in that Kanye has a knack for showmanship and production knowledge. I would say they're both top ranked above everyone else for me, but Kanye has that personal growth factor that lets me make a more emotional connection with him. Lupe I look up to as an artist, a lyricist, and a person.

Also, his Enemy of the State mixtape is so hot it's a nuke flying into the sun.

Here's my first recording, with caveats:

1) No microphone. I recorded acapella off of my camera's ****ty microphone and tried to sync it with the instrumental. Not the best idea.
2) I'm aware I'm not really saying anything of substance. It was an entry for a hip hop mixtape (Jin) and I'm trying to grow as a rapper both lyrically and melodically. This focuses more on the latter. Plus, it's a mixtape, so **** yeah I'm the ****, and all that.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FRtFWoyR3_U

Haters gonna hate.

 

[IAmBlu3]

Take away Lupe's lyricism and make him sing = CuDi. speaking of dickriding, i think plenty of people do the same with lupe. some actually say he's better than nas >_>

there's only one dj khaled song i can listen to. his fat ass makes most tracks unbearable but his track Victory with Nas and John Legend is DOPE.

t-pain's aight. i like Buy You a Drank and Can't Believe It. he loses points for being in love with a stripper, tho. not gangsta smh.

i need to check out Sir Lucious Left Foot: The Son of Chico Dusty(go ahead. think of a better named album -__-)

 

[rhan]

I'm still cool with Kanye, but...

C'mon. Lupe is just a beast.


EDIT: Kid Cudi is kinda like a water-downed Lupe imo.

I'd listen to Cudi before I'd listen to the other two.

New Kayne is wack. Old Kanye was a hellava lot better.

 

[Luigitoilet]

I liked 808's okay, but does anyone know if the new Kanye is gonna be like that? I can't take two whole albums of autotune ballads.

speaking of Kanye, this video is hilarious, someone throws a penny at Ye and he makes a little song about it with his autotune voice hahaha

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IWDscH4qvb4

 

[Jane]

i dig it, mccloud!

 

[McCloud]

i dig it, mccloud!

Thanks! I'm in the process of writing for my first mixtape and attempting to do more than just think of clever ways to say I rock... so we'll see. Hopefully out by December.

@Luigi You heard Power yet? Every producer/artist working with Ye has stated it's going to be a classic hip hop album. I guess that's why he named it in the progression.

Speaking of, that **** is hilarious. Good *** Job...

As far as Big Boi goes, he was at my school for our festival this year, I was abroad, but I'm kind of excited for his new album. I prefer three stacks by a long shot, but BB throws it down too.

Chopped and Screwed and Freeze are my favorite Teddy Pinders cause they're sooo freakin fun to dance to.

 

[L/A/W]

kanye used to be better but he's still got talent
but my favorite song of his is and will probably always be two words

also I hate lupe meatriders, he's great but his hardcore fans give him too much credit

edit: good stuff mccloud
double edit: luigi that video was tight haha, poor fan though that would suck for them

 

[McCloud]

kanye used to be better but he's still got talent
but my favorite song of his is and will probably always be two words

also I hate lupe meatriders, he's great but his hardcore fans give him too much credit

edit: good stuff mccloud
double edit: luigi that video was tight haha, poor fan though that would suck for them

ok I gotta get off this ****ing forum so I can actually sleep (5 am in Paris) but TWO WORDS IS THE DOPEST. I'm going in over that at some point. freeway didn't do a good job though.

I am a hardcore Lupe fan but I'll refrain, I get that his style ostracizes sometimes. I'm just glad he keeps his lyrics from being too preachy. I hate that. Asher Roth (lolwho?)'s A Milli remix was the epitome of what bores the **** out of me when people get high and mighty about hip hop needing to be something other than money cars girls.

Man, that's what men have sung/talked about since the beginning of time. We might be a little more vulgar, but yeah.

edit-Thanks!

 

[L/A/W]

on the freeway note, how do you guys feel about him?
he became semi-popular here in Seattle after his collaboration with Jake One
I think he's okay but nothing real special, others can simply rap better than him imo

 

[Luigitoilet]

Thanks! I'm in the process of writing for my first mixtape and attempting to do more than just think of clever ways to say I rock... so we'll see. Hopefully out by December.

@Luigi You heard Power yet? Every producer/artist working with Ye has stated it's going to be a classic hip hop album. I guess that's why he named it in the progression.

I just now finally heard Power, it is ****ing boss.

 

[jugfingers]

new madvillain joint paper mills.


I dare you to hate on this.



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Kmd9SxV6A8&feature=related

 

[DerpDaBerp]

I can't really listen to Kanye. I have been impressed by him on more than one occasion in his songs, but I just can't bring myself to appreciate a man's work if I can't respect him outside of his art.

 

[IAmBlu3]

i like kanye. i can't really hate on a man that realizes he's talented lol.

about freeway: he's okay. haven't tried listening to anything outside of Stimulus package.

 

[soap]

im actually not crazy about lupe, very lyrical but he is a little too nonchalant for my tastes, almost like he doesn't even care that much. He has some real solid tracks under his belt tho.

kanye is just a beast

khaled is ****ing gay

"WEE THE BEST!"