Aug 13, 2020 Well, I agree with you there. I will never understand the need or want to police music, culture, art or entertainment.
Aug 13, 2020 Yeah probably like 90% of my favourite rappers are from NY. Other 10% would be UK. I f---s with the gritty hard-hitting beats and aggressive but lyrical bars that come out of that scene. UK Hip Hop is heavily influenced by NY hip hop and has a similar darkish vibe and emphasis on lyricism. I'm not surprised I think London as a city is more similar to NY in many ways than NY is to L.A. or Atlanta. Colder climates make better hip hop lol. Chicago's good too. For me, the golden period of hip hop is the post-Illmatic (1994?) to the rise and domination of Trap (2005?) era. 94-98 is a bit better than 99-04, esp mainstream wise, but theres a lot of quality all over that era. At least the things I look for in a good rap artist were a lot more common then compared to post 2005 (and especially post 2010).
Aug 13, 2020 NY has a distinct sound, esp Brooklyn where everything’s gotten more melodic over the years but the lyricism is still there. With Griselda ushering a renaissance up in Buffalo, and Drill taking over Brooklyn and Queens, NY has been making a pretty solid comeback imo. I f--- with LA and Chicago heavy too. you into the drill scene at all? also, you got any recs for London artists with a heavy NY sound? I’m not big into U.K. Rap besides like, J Hus, skepta, giggs, and slowthai. Dave pretty cool too, and Stormzy is aight when he’s on his grime s---.
Aug 13, 2020 Tbh slob on my know or other songs like that are just as disgusting (or not) as this one
Aug 13, 2020 Don't forget to the sLums bois in MIKE, sixpress, navy blue, King Carter, Medhane, Black Noi$e etc! Still niche amongst the rap landscape but they're making noise from NY for sure
Aug 14, 2020 I haven't been following US hip hop for a good few years now. I love Griselda (and related artists like 38 Spesh, Che Noir etc.) I think Joey Bada$$ is dope and I like guys like Your Old Droog as well, but outside of a handful I haven't heard or heard of many MCs from New York who have come out in the last 5 years. I sort of switched off from US Hip Hop when every new artists seemed to be either xanax addicted mumble rapper or a socially conscious pretentious c---- who is less intelligent than he thinks. But I'm sure there's some great talent coming out of NY recently that I've overlooked. I'd be very interested in checking out these more melodic but still lyrical Brooklyn MCs, if you have some song or artist suggestions you could give me. Drill is pretty big in London, it's notorious as well because media links it to crime rate, which means the middle class know about it lol even though it seems to be made primarily by teenagers in gangs. I've heard a handful of songs people have played me, musically I liked it more than trap (but less than east coast hip hop sound) but lyrically it all seemed a bit basic and on the same subject matter (stabbing the "ops" in various ways). But it's a subgenre I'm interested in checking out a bit more, shouldn't hold a strong opinion if I've only ever heard 5 or 6 songs. so J Hus, Giggs, Skepta, Stormzy I would class more as grime than hip hop. That's definitely not the type of rapper I'm thinking of when I say they come with a NY sound. Grime is kind of synthy/electronic carribbean and UK street inspired, much moreso than US inspired. But I differentiate between "grime" (which is a very british/london form of rap) and "uk hip hop" (which existed before grime, and which has always existed with plenty of quality, but which gets a lot less exposure both in the UK but esp in the US). UK Hip Hop is the stuff I would link to NY rap. This post is getting long so I'll list suggestions in a next post
Aug 14, 2020 1. Jehst - his debut album is considered by some to be the UKHH Illmatic - it's the first really interesting, lyrical, clever UKHH album released really (around 2001). One of his songs (prod. by Beat Butcher) 2. Klashnekoff - UKHH legend. In the 2000s this guys was the dopest and hardest lyricist in London. His debut album is "The Sagas of..." is a UKHH classic. He dropped his 4th album last year, and imo it's one of the best UKHH albums ever. He's matured, and talks about more emotional topics than the debut LP (like his mother's illness/death, depression)...but he's still hardcore as f--- and lyrical as f---. One of his songs (single from his debut that exploded him on the scene): 3. Lowkey - another legend. He's done songs with Immortal Technique and the Outlawz. Often very political/pro-Palestine, but I prefer his non-political s--- tbh. Like this b-----r: 4. Rhyme Asylum - some of the darkest, most lyrical rap in existence. Done songs with Ill Bill, Diabolic, Crooked I, Copywrite. This group is the best in the world at wordplay, but they can do great concept songs as well. Pure grit. Here's one I like:
Aug 14, 2020 ^these are all from the 2000s. If you're looking for something recent, you can't go wrong with a record label called High Focus Records. Some of their artists and recent songs: 1. Fliptrix - 2. Leaf Dog - strong accent, so may be more difficult to get used to/enjoy than some others. This guy is NY inspired through and through though. Incredible producer as well (makes all his own beats and produces for many others)...one of the best creators of UK boom bap both lyrics and beats - 3. Four Owls - probably the biggest/most well known UK Hip Hop group. Worked with DJ Premier a few times - 4. Cyrus Malachi - incredibly good dark UKHH inspired by NY - 5. Ed Scissortongue - something a bit different with this one. He's unique, lyrical and poetic, touches on dark topics, but quintessentially british. Similar vibe to NY mcs like Ka or some Roc Marci, musically, but lyrically his stuff is usually either conceptual or slightly abstract...but always interesting and always dope. (Cyrus Malachi isn't signed to High Focus Records, his crew has their own label, but he's dope as f--- and maybe the closest to that dark underground NY sound I like so I slotted him in there)