#classic rap album

[idiotcoward]

Big Pun - Capital Punishment

It’s a damn shame he wasn’t good to his family, but he’s dead now and listening to this record on streaming sends money to the family, and thank god I can justify listening to this morally because. Guys. Most underrated rap album of all time maybe? Just… dude. Big Pun was fucking DIFFERENT! The fucking flow he has on this. The linguistic tongue twisting ass insane bars on this thing. Fucking No BODY was doing it as well at the time. I don’t even know how he successfully pronounces the words as clearly and as quickly as he does. It’s genuinely fucking insane.

On top of that the production on this thing absolutely holds up it’s end of the bargain. This whole thing just makes you bounce around and become hypnotized by the punishers words. This is a linguistic attack. This shit just goes so hard. On the best part there’s an insane amount of variety for an album like this. Every song has its own story, it’s own sound, it’s own aesthetic, but they still fit together as a total product. Mind blowing record that I try to recommend to everyone I can.

[swizziee]

DJ Clue? | The Professional Ad. (1998)

[dudja]

Guess the Hip-Hop album: #hiphop #album #dudja #guess #comedy #funny #jayz #kanyewest #eminem #weezy

[madamshogunassassin]

My personal top 10 rap albums.

[rebelsouljah]

[figubros]

Black Sabbath - Paranoid

Paranoid is the second album by Black Sabbath, and for me, it's a masterpiece that defined heavy metal. From the first riffs of War Pigs to the dark and powerful sounds of Fairies Wear Boots, the album maintains an atmosphere that never ceases to amaze me. The song Paranoid is an absolute classic, with a frenetic pace and contagious energy. But it's not all about speed; tracks like Planet Caravan showcase a more psychedelic and mellow side of the band, adding depth to the album.

I'll probably keep making pixel arts of album covers, so if you have any suggestions, feel free to let me know. If you're going to use my content or upload it to other sites, please let me know. If you like it, consider following or liking my post!!!!

[balleralbumcovers]

EPIC ALBUM COVER #118

Illya Kuryaki & The Valderramas - Versus

Released: 1997 (Interdisc)

Latin rap, funk, soul

Suggested by anon.

[simseez]

M.O.P. - Cold As Ice (Dirty)

[themachine]

themachine, do you have any semi- or so obscure albums to recommend us?

Hi! Yes!

[idiotcoward]

Moor Mother & Billy Woods - Brass

I cant believe i haven’t listened to this album way more because it is amazing. I remember taking a long shower when this one came out and listening to the whole thing stoned. I guess I just never went back to it. But now that I’ve given it a true proper and full listen holy shit. The production on this thing is amazing moor mother continues to be one of the best creators of soundscapes and experimental music ever. I keep falling into each beat and getting lost in its instrumentation. Not to mention of course the rapping itself which is absolutely fucking NEXT LEVEL DUDE!

Y’all all probably already know how much I fucking adore Billy Woods. I always love how fucking intricate and powerful his verses are, and coupling him with Moor Mother is like a dream I didn’t even know I needed to come true.

[albumpostersbycj]

The New Classic by Iggy Azalea

[soupy-sez]

Public Enemy – Classic Public Enemy (2004) [X]

[madamshogunassassin]

Life after Death (1997)

[sortanonymous]

Wordier alt version under the cut:

[dudja]

Forever in Rotation

[universalanguage]

Past to Present: The Hybrid in Retrospect

In the world of Hip-Hop few and far apart are the seminal voices that shake up traditional styles to birth something new and dynamic. Detroit's Danny Brown is one of those voices, who's managed to win over a cult-like fanbase due to his unique stylings and often strange antics.

With the recent release of his joint album w/ JPEGMAFIA accurately titled "Scaring the Hoes" I couldn't help but harken back to the Danny Brown cuts that initially caught my ear.

......

Sometime in late 2010 an acquaintance of mine was playing various new rap cuts in between bits of a writing process to generate our own rhymes. Early in the mix of songs that was something that I had never heard before and it stood out like a sore thumb. The track was "Shooting Moves" from Danny Brown's critically acclaimed debut album "The Hybrid". To clarify, while many see "XXX" as his initial album there is a large swath of folks who remember and revere the former record as their intro.

To be quite honest, at the time I would've considered myself a purist of sorts whose favorite hip-hop records came with a more backpack kind of sound so my initial reaction to Danny was something of disgust. It's truly bizarre that I had an outright distaste for what I was hearing but for some reason or another I couldn't help but revisit that song for about a month wondering why someone would voluntarily listen to it. His voice was shrill at times and often totally out of tune and the beat selection was something otherworldly altogether but I couldn't leave it alone..... and then it clicked.

......

To those of you familiar with the Kingsway Sample Library the name Frank Dukes will ring plenty of bells. To those who aren't, just know that Frank is a sort of musical savant who plays and records original samples that have been used by producers such as Jake One, Hit-Boy, Kanye and even the elusive Madlib. Before the unfolding of what's become a brilliant career Frank Dukes was another producer on the rise and many early Danny Brown tunes including "Shooting Moves" featured Frank's inventive brand of sampling and arrangement.

"Shooting Moves" happened to be the tip of a rather bizarre iceberg. Once I managed to wrap my head around the wild sonics and strange flow patterns I was hooked. Soon after I discovered "The Hybrid" which was then and still is one of my personal favorite albums of all-time.

The opener "Greatest Rapper Ever" starts in with a spacey modulated sample and the perfect drum break crafted by none other than Quelle Chris. Danny's starts in immediately with the following lyrics:

My homie a magician with the Tec (Tec) Make your chain disappear and reappear on his neck (Neck) I ain't tricking with your hoes (Nah), but, shit, don't ask 'em (Nah) Only thing I give a bitch: A fucking orgasm (Chyeah) I'll throw you in the river (River), hands tied tight (Tight) Watch your ass drown, feel it in the air tonight (Tonight) I'm spitting that dope shit (Dope), smoking on regulars (Ugh) Writing sixteens like internet child predators (Chyeah)....

To say I was floored is an understatement. Never in my life had I heard something so awe inspiring, it's the kind of reaction that only happens on very rare occasions like when you first heard Kid A by radiohead or something but if I were to put it into a rap nerd perspective is comparable to the kind of feeling I get when I listen to "Ready to Die" by Biggie. Something so viseral yet indescribable that it makes you wanna punch something and cry heavy tears at the same time. I'd wager that I played that track at least ten times before starting in on the rest of the album which was immaculate from track to track.

......

Most notable on this release in terms of cadence and approach to rapping is the intermingling of Danny's various vocal tones. Post "XXX" his signature high pitched register is a calling card of sorts but "The Hybrid" is an example of his early attempts at perfecting such a cadence. Albeit biased this is my favorite era of his work for just that reason. Danny was in the up and comer space and as a result was still trying various sounds and deliveries. As a result from track to track the album gives us a wise spectrum with which to engage and paints fine brush strokes with a myriad of colour palettes. Songs like "Greatest Rapper Ever" feature a more brash and confrontational tone that harkens to his background in the ghettos of Detroit while others like the closer "S.O.S." have a more soft and poetic undertone.

A great example of the projects versatility is a track titled "Juno" which I assume is titled after the Elliot Page (formerly Ellen Page) and Michael Cera film. This cut has Brown giving an unadulterated observation of the struggles and disappointments that are birthed as the result of unplanned pregnancy in a poverty ridden landscape. The opening line references Tupac's "Brenda's got a baby" directly paying homage to what might've been the songs direct inspiration but rather than take the more soft and thoughtful tone Danny's delivery embodies the type of frustration and disgust that breeds itself among those in dire straights. It's quite literally the ugly truth in it's purest form and as ugly as it might be it draws you in and keeps you coming back.

Another stand out is "Drinks on Me" features an utterly intoxicating instrumental and has Danny reflecting on the ills of alcoholism through an introspective lens. This track observes the various angles and vantage points that "normalize" alcohol within society and touches the core of the subject matter succinctly. From drinking as a means of celebration to drowning one's sorrows in a bottle of their choosing it's one of those songs that's managed to get me into my feels even when I'm in the best of moods and although counter-intuitive pairs well with a drink.

For those familiar with Danny's work beyond this period, you'll feel right at home with joints like "White Stripes". It's one of the earliest examples of the pitch and delivery we've all come to know so well. The sample is a grungy mix of dirty guitar fuzz and big drums that function like an 80's power ballad. The rapping is something all it's own as the vocal inflections aren't quite as embellished as Brown's subsequent releases. The tone is a great range of vocals from low to medium and higher registers and is a lot more fluid than the years that followed in my own opinion. You can hear the energy of something new being brought forth. It's the kind of thing that happens when someone makes something they know is good but hasn't field tested it to see if the flame will catch. Nonetheless it makes for one of the most memorable and awe inspiring offerings.

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I could wax nostalgic about this album from front to back for ages. it holds a really special place in my heart and in my library and for those who haven't explored it I urge that you do so with urgency and the utmost intent. From Danny's off the wall fashion to his unique and eclectic style of rapping/songwriting much of what the so called modern era syphons from is owed to albums such as this that birthed and inspired so much of what proceeded them.... but don't just take my word for it.

-YOSHI