UKFF Hip Hop Thread

[Chest Rockwell]

Oh, @wandshogun09 if you've never heard it, this is my favourite track that flips that sample. The wordplay here is incredible and so dense and always makes me laugh. When Sway as good he was great..

 

Edited May 26, 2021 by Chest Rockwell

[SuperBacon]

18 minutes ago, Chest Rockwell said:

Oh, @wandshogun09 if you've never heard it, this is my favourite track that flips that sample. The wordplay here is incredible and so dense and always makes me laugh. When Sway as good he was great..

 

Pacewon-I Declare War is an absolute classic. Love Sway too.

[Jazzy G]

My little sister's got me into listening to Four Owls. They're quite interesting. 

[Dead Mike]

Just got tickets for Run The Jewels, It's 12 months away but nice to have stuff to put in the calendar.

Marlowe are touring too. One of my favourite albums of last year. Its a decent tour too!

[SuperBacon]

Been a while, so there's a fair few things I want to highlight so apologies in advance of the rambling post.

Music wise, the best thing I have heard in ages (probably all year) is Bruiser Wolf-Dope Game Stupid. It is an incredible album. On Danny Brown's label, he is a cross between him, E-40, Too Short, Snoop, Suga Free and in all honesty Quasimoto. I had to check a million times that he wasn't from LA (he's actually from Detroit) as he sounds SO west coast.

Over some really beautiful, dusty beats, he weaves funny, stupid raps about selling drugs, guns and the fact that he made it out, but I'm doing it a massive disservice with that. His flow is probably the most unusual and unique I've heard in a while, and at times he sounds so urgent and jerky, it's like he's free styling. The stand out is  Chess Move$ below (Big L reference line as well), but the closing track Momma Was A Dopefiend, when he drops the comedy and bravado, is a fantastic baring of the soul. I can't wait to hear more ( @Chest Rockwell I have a hunch you'll dig this album)

Speaking of Danny Brown, I've been working my way through this interview with him. He's such an engaging, funny dude and I can't wait for his next release. https://codacollection.co/films/a-conversation-with-danny-brown

The DMX album is...not good. Him, Jay-Z and Nas on one track in 1998 interests me, but in 2021? Nah. Jay's verse is unspeakably shit as well. I did like the track Letter To My Son, which is obviously even more bittersweet now. But yeah, not a great one overall. Great interview with Swizz Beats (TIL he was married to Alicia Keys) here about X and the album: https://www.theguardian.com/music/2021/jun/01/swizz-beatz-dmx-was-a-hero-he-would-give-clothes-off-his-back-to-the-homeless

Another cracker from Evidence from his upcoming album (but he's lost his drum samples like Alchemist here) 

I know there's a lot of L'Orange fans on here, and this interview with him was really great. https://www.cabbageshiphop.com/lorange-the-cabbages-interview/

Haven't checked the latest from him and Namir Blade yet, but know it will be good shit as always.

Mad Skillz found a beat tape Dilla gave him and realised he passed up one of the all time dope beats. His face when he realises. 

This on Big L's estate will make you angry, but is a great read (the dude fighting his corner is worth following on Twitter as well, as he seems like he could snap at any time and just start naming people liable)

https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-features/big-l-legacy-estate-1170642/

I've been going through a really bad bout of depression recently and listening to quite a bit of Mac Miller (only got into him quite recently) and 2009 is one of the most beautiful and heartbreaking songs I've ever heard. It's on constant repeat at the moment. (if you haven't seen his Tiny Desk, I urge you to watch it. It's tough knowing what happened shortly after, but a wonderful performance)

Lastly @jazzygeofferzif you're liking what Four Owls do, you could do a lot worse than explore some of their solo stuff. The Verb T album Good Evening is great and features this stomper where Ocean Wisdom smashes it (again)

and the Leaf Dog album Dyslexic Disciple which has this tune The Legacy that features a million rappers (stand outs Smellington Piff, Cracker Jon and Jack Jetson who absolutely murders his verse. Shout to Dirty Dike for referring to a bumhole as a "rinky dink party slot" though)

 

[Chest Rockwell]

Cheers for those interviews and articles.. Will enjoy working my way through them.

I'll give that guy a go, but generally if I hear 'Detroit' I'm going in with very low expectations. I think one album from Danny Brown is about the only thing I'd actively choose to put on. (That just goes for rappers obviously, not producers).

[SuperBacon]

2 minutes ago, Chest Rockwell said:

Cheers for those interviews and articles.. Will enjoy working my way through them.

I'll give that guy a go, but generally if I hear 'Detroit' I'm going in with very low expectations. I think one album from Danny Brown is about the only thing I'd actively choose to put on. (That just goes for rappers obviously, not producers).

Trust me, he is as far from the 'Detroit' sound as you can get. That track posted will give you a flavour of what he's like but the whole thing is like a 70s funk/blaxploitation infused film from the west coast. It's mad and I can't stop playing it.

Detroit wise? Elzhi and Phat Kat are both great, but yeah it's not the best city for top, top, top (Jamie Redknapp TM) rappers

[Chest Rockwell]

Oh actually, I tell a lie.. Finale - a pipe dream and a promise is a brilliant album.

Elzhi is a snoozefest.

[SuperBacon]

10 minutes ago, Chest Rockwell said:

Oh actually, I tell a lie.. Finale - a pipe dream and a promise is a brilliant album.

Elzhi is a snoozefest.

Never heard of them. Will give it a go.

[wandshogun09]

Yeah, that DMX album was arse. I wasn’t expecting that much, posthumous albums rarely hit the spot, but I was hoping it’d be at least decent because I wanted to like it. It fell short of even my low expectations. Had a feeling it might when I saw how many features they’d whacked on there. Then I heard that track with Griselda and it just sounded really off. Shame.

On Detroit rappers, the only other one I can think of that I’ve got time for is Black Milk. One third of Random Ax with Sean Price and Guilty Simpson. Not gonna pretend I’ve listened to all of his stuff but I really liked his ‘Tronic’ album. Different vibe and sound to it. This song ‘The Matrix’ with Pharoahe Monch and Sean Price (produced by DJ Premier) being the standout. It’s gonna be though with that lot involved.

 

Edited June 4, 2021 by wandshogun09

[SuperBacon]

6 minutes ago, wandshogun09 said:

posthumous albums

Thing is though, this is a posthumous album in name only. It was finished whilst he was still alive. Otherwise I completely agree (Big L The Big Picture aside)

I think it's just a bad album, and I could happily go a year without hearing any more Griselda rapping to be honest.

I like Benny and Conway but time to sit and have a cup of tea lads.

[Chest Rockwell]

I do have some time for Black Milk, but really for his production rather than his rapping. The Matrix is his beat btw, Premo just did the cuts. Guilty Simpson can fucking do one. Constantly stinking up otherwise good records.

Edit: glad neither of you are trying to convince me Royce is good because I'm not having any of that.

Edited June 4, 2021 by Chest Rockwell

[Jazzy G]

@SuperBacon thanks for those recommendations. I had a playlist on Spotify called Owl Gang, which is some of the solo stuff and their Four Owls collaborations. There are some well written rhymes on there. The different flows combine well, too 

[Chest Rockwell]

I just Googled posthumous rap albums and was surprised to see that Dilla's Shining album was one. I thought that one was released before he died. Anyway, it's really good. Much better than The Diary. So it count that as one of the good ones.

[wandshogun09]

15 minutes ago, SuperBacon said:

Thing is though, this is a posthumous album in name only. It was finished whilst he was still alive. Otherwise I completely agree (Big L The Big Picture aside)

True. It’s weird though. On some tracks X sounds like pretty much how he always did. Then others he sounds completely off. All I can think is he was struggling with his health during the recording and had good and bad days. Can’t help thinking some of the features were just thrown in after he died as well to rush the album out. Like, I’m not sure Jay and Nas would’ve been on there on the same track if he was still alive. Wasn’t the Jay verse old as well? Chunks of the album just seemed cobbled together.

Agreed on Griselda. I like Benny and love Conway but they’ve really been oversaturating their own stuff over the last year or so to the point I can’t be arsed anymore. ‘Can’t miss them if they’re never gone’ type shit. Benny and 38 Spesh put an album out the other week ‘Trust The Sopranos’ and it’s pretty crap, to be honest. And I’m a huge fan of 38. Their first joint project ‘Stabbed & Shot’ was a banger as well which made this new half arsed one look even worse in comparison. Think they could all do with a break. And lose Westside Gunn down a drain or something.