| So, it's been a long minute since I've come up on Xanga and posted, but I thought 2+ years was a long time. So, I got rid of all the Spiderman 3 promotional stuff and went to a simple dark blue color.
Since I haven't blogged on here in forever and a day, I thought I'd start off with something I've been thinking about as a blog topic for the longest time. Even though the title of the post is "My Top 5 MCs: Dead Or Alive," it doesn't mean I think these guys are the best ever, they're just guys I really like, both for their musical and lyrical skills.
So, in no particular order, here are my top 5 fave MCs:
Talib Kweli
WHO HE IS
He's more known in the underground game than in mainstream circles. Early on, he teamed up with Mos Def and DJ Hi-Tek to make the groups Black Star and Reflection Eternal, respectively. The song "Respiration" from the album Mos Def & Talib Kweli are Black Star shows off the type of Afrocentric Hip Hop that both Talib and Mos Def were trying to bring to the forefront in the late 90's. Talib continued this movement with DJ Hi-Tek in Train Of Thought, their debut album in 2000. "This Means You" and "Move Somethin'," continued to show off Talib's unique lyrical style and obvious passion for his craft.
It wasn't until 2002 when Talib began to receive more mainstream attention, thanks to the track "Get By," which featured Kanye West, from his first solo album, Quality. From there, Talib's popularity started to climb, as more listeners paid him more mind due to his lyrical style. In 2004, he dropped his second solo album, The Beautiful Struggle, which was fueled by the single "I Try" featuring Mary J. Blige. His latest album, Eardrum, continues to portray his love for Hip Hop and his growing popularity in mainstream.
WHY I LIKE HIM
Whether he continues to stay mainstream or returns to the underground scene, I still like him for the lyrical genius that he is and what he has brought to the Hip Hop game. Not to mention the sick lyrics he spits out in each track.
Listen to:
"Get 'Em High (feat. Kanye West)"
"Listen!!!"
"What They May Seem (feat. Tony Touch)"
"Let Me See (Remix) (feat. Morcheeba)" (this one can be heard on this page)
Similar Artists:
Mos Def
Just like Talib, Mos Def shares the passion to bring Afrocentric Hip Hop to the forefront of music. While both have similar lyrical styles, they can be told apart by Mos' mellower voice. He's also an awesome actor...don't believe me? Watch the movie, Something The Lord Made.
Listen to:
"Speed Law"
"Love"
"Six Days (Remix)"
De La Soul
Talib's main inspiration when he started off, De La Soul has been around since 1987. Using playful wordplay, innovative sampling, and witty skits, the band's debut album, 3 Feet High & Rising, has been hailed as a Hip Hop masterpiece.
Listen to:
"Me, Myself, & I"
"All Good (feat. Chaka Khan)"
"Oooh, Oooh, Oooh (feat. Redman)"
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Nujabes
WHO HE IS
While he may not be an MC, Nujabes has put out a good amount of tracks amazing enough to have him make my list. His real name is Jun Seba and has been producing music since 2003. His album releases have been independent, and in Japan, that is why not many people have heard of him. He has released 4 total albums to date, with his more famous ones being Metaphorical Music (2003) and Modal Soul (2005). From those albums came some of his best songs, including "Feather," "Think Different," "F.I.L.O. (feat. Shing02)," and "Luv Sic Pt. 1, 2, & 3."
Nujabes has also contributed to the soundtrack of the anime Samurai Champloo, where most of his instrumental tracks have been featured, including "Sincerely," and "Battlecry."
WHY I LIKE HIM
His musical style is so diverse. He incorporates cool jazz and soul music, along with flutes, saxophones, and pianos into his tracks. Most of the instrumentals are mellow enough to chill to and can easily fit into any "think about life" scene of a movie. The lyrics in his songs show his struggles in life which you can feel as you hear them.
Listen to:
"Hikari (feat. Substantial)"
"Beat Laments The World"
"Beyond"
"Aruarian Dance" (this one can be heard on this page)
Similar Artists:
Substantial
Nujabes' partner in crime, Substantial is a home-grown talent, hailing from PG County. His lyrics combined with Nujabes' beats bring the music they make to a whole new level and artform.
Listen to:
"Ain't No Happy Endings (feat. Nujabes)"
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Common
WHO HE IS
This cat has been in the rap game for a long time...since 1992 to be exact, when he dropped his first album, Can I Borrow A Dollar? and stayed in the underground until the late 90's. Even though his fifth and sixth albums, Like Water For Chocolate and Electric Circus, respectively, did pretty well, it wasn't until his seventh album, Be, that Common gained a more mainstream following. Featuring artists like Kanye West and John Legend, Be, became an instant classic and was hailed as one of the best albums of all time. In songs like "Testify," "The Corner," and "They Say (feat. Kanye West & John Legend)," Common shows off his eclectic style of rapping full of soul that many think is similar to Neo Soul.
WHY I LIKE HIM
While he may not be any more, I still think Common is very underrated as an artist and should be recognized more for his earlier works rather than his newer stuff. His rapping has more of a spoken word feeling to it, which gives the lyrics more life and allows you to feel what he is saying. I also like that he has many tracks, such as "It's Your World, Pt. 1 & 2 (feat. The Kids)" where he speaks over a back beat sounding like a free flow painting a scene with words.
Listen to:
"Go! (feat. Kanye West & John Mayer)"
"Come Close (feat. Mary J. Blige)"
"Gladiator"
"I Have A Dream"
"The Light (feat. Jill Scott)" (this one can be heard on this page)
Similar Artists:
Q-Tip
A former member of A Tribe Called Quest, Q-Tip raps with a similar style as Common, as can be seen in his debut album, Amplified, which dropped in 1999. Currently, he and Common are planning to start a group called The Standard.
Listen to:
"Vivrant Thing"
"Breathe & Stop"
Jill Scott
To me, she's the female version of Common, as she tends to use poetic flows in her songs and is also a part of the Neo Soul movement in R&B. She infuses jazz, spoken word, and Hip Hop into her songs. Just like Common, I think she is underrated even though all her albums have reached gold certification.
Listen to:
"A Long Walk"
"Gettin' In The Way"
"Golden"
"Bedda At Home"
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Nas
WHO HE IS
Also known as Nasir Jones, Nas has been regarded as, arguably, the best lyricist to ever bless the microphone. Many others beg to differ and think one of the three other artists I have listed as "similar artists" is. His first album, Illmatic (1994), is seen as one of, if not, the best records of all time. With singles such as "It Ain't Hard To Tell" and "One Love," the album is praised as having some of the best flows, quickly establishing Nas as a Hip Hop icon. His second album, It Was Written, released in 1996, continued to show Nas' raw lyrical talent, but it also marked his crossover to mainstream.
Nas' two albums that followed, I Am... and Nastradamus, saw a sharp decline in his ability to reproduce the success that Illmatic and It Was Written brought him, leading many, especially Jay Z, to wonder if Nas was a one album hit wonder. From these allegations, came a feud between Nas & Jay Z, leading Nas to release Stillmatic in 2001. With songs like "Ether" and "Got Ur Self A...," the album showed that Nas was not dead in the game. As of late, Nas and Jay Z have publicly squashed their beef and even collaborating on each other's albums.
WHY I LIKE HIM
Nas is one of the artists whose albums I actually buy, which shows how much I support him. I like that fact he raps about his own history, growing up in the project and the struggle he had to go through, making his songs real, unlike other artists who rap about a life they know nothing about. He's not afraid to speak his mind, which has gotten him into trouble at times, but shows that he's willing to tell it like it is.
Listen to:
"If I Ruled The World (Imagine That) (feat. Lauryn Hill)"
"Street Dreams"
"Hate Me Now"
"Made You Look"
"Rewind"
"One Mic" (this one can be heard on this page)
Similar Artists:
Jay Z
Named by MTV as the greatest MC of all time, Jay Z, like Nas, grew up in impoverished conditions fighting and eventually making it out. A self-made millionaire, he has shown, through his lyrics, that he is well deserving of the "G.O.A.T." status. Jay Z has ventured out into clothing, managing, and even co-owning the New Jersey Nets.
Listen to:
"The City Is Mine (feat. Blackstreet)"
"Renegade (feat. Eminem)"
"Song Cry"
"Say Hello"
Notorious B.I.G.
One of the pioneers of East Coast Hip Hop, Biggie is regarded as the best MC of all time. Just like Nas, Biggie grew up in the poorer parts of New York City and began rapping when he was in his teens. His first album, Ready To Die, has been certified 4x Platinum with hits like "Juicy" and "Big Poppa." His sophomore album, Life After Death, powered by "Hypnotize" and "Mo' Money, Mo' Problems (feat. Puff Dady & Mase)" is considered by many to be his best ever.
Listen to:
"One More Chance (feat. Faith Evans)"
"Notorious Thugs (feat. Bone, Thugs, & Harmony)"
"Going Back To Cali"
"Dead Wrong (feat. Eminem)"
2Pac
Along with Biggie, 2Pac is seen as a semi-pioneer of the East Coast-West Coast battle. His works, such as "Me Against The World" are more known for advocating political, economic, social and racial equality, as well as his raw descriptions of violence, drug and alcohol abuse and conflicts with the law. Like Nas, he is not afraid to speak his mind and tell is like it is in his music.
Listen to:
"I Wonder If Heaven Got A Ghetto"
"Changes"
"Keep Ya Head Up"
"Thugz Mansion (feat. Anthony Hamilton)"
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Lupe Fiasco
WHO HE IS
Initially put off by the vulgarity and violent imagery of Hip Hop, Lupe started rapping after hearing Nas' It Was Written album. Before becoming well-known by listeners because of his first album, Lupe Fiasco's Food & Liquor, he put out many mixtapes, making him famous throughout the internet. His first album brought a fresh and new style that the Hip Hop scene had been missing for a long time. Tracks such as "Kick Push" and "Daydreamin' (feat. Jill Scott)" helped to increase his popularity amongst Hip Hop listeners.
Lupe's second album, The Cool, released in 2007, was received with much anticipation and was revered for his story-telling style of rhyming as can be seen on "Hello/Goodbye (Uncool)." Lupe is set to put out three more albums and then a final one titled L.U.P.End which will mark his bowing out of the game.
WHY I LIKE HIM
As stated, Lupe uses a story-telling style in most of his songs, which I like a lot. He also raps about real life, exposing parts of his past on every track, as well as rapping about political issues that aren't heard about on rap songs too often. He takes great pride in his being a Muslim, and isn't afraid to proclaim it on his tracks. I just wish other artists wouldn't be afraid to do this, especially Christians, aside from P.O.D. and contemporary Christian artists. I am actually glad he changed his mind about ending his career after three albums because his style will definitely help Hip Hop and bring it into a new era.
Listen to:
"Hip Hop Saved My Life (feat. Nikki Jean)"
"Streets On Fire"
"Fighters (feat. Matthew Santos)"
"American Terrorist"
"He Gets The Girl"
"Little Weapon (feat. Bishop G & Nikki Jean)" (this one can be heard on this page)
Similar Artists:
A Tribe Called Quest
Q-Tip's former group, A Tribe Called Quest, reached its peak of popularity in the mid-to-late 90's. The group is regarded as iconic pioneers of Alternative Hip Hop music, a genre I like to associate with Lupe Fiasco.
Listen to:
"Scenario (feat. Busta Rhymes)"
"Electric Relaxation"
"Bonita Applebum"
"Check The Rhime"
The Roots
Their first album, Do You Want More?!!!??!, was seen more as an alternative album, rather than a Hip Hop album, quickly garnering the group an Alternative Hip Hop title. Like Lupe, The Roots take a different approach to their style relying more on live instrumentation. It wasn't until their fourth album, Things Fall Apart, released in 1999, that they were more widely recognized.
Listen to:
"You Got Me (feat. Erykah Badu)"
"Rolling With Heat (feat. Talib Kweli)"
"Stay Cool"
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So there you have it, my top 5 MCs (even though one isn't a true MC). Now I want to hear from you...do you agree with me? Disagree? Who's in your top 5?
Holler at a brother! |
