What are you listening to?

[robot_god]

Gangsta rap was mercilessly executed when 50 Cent released his second album.  Gangsta rap - true gangsta rap - was the height of hip-hop and best of it was fueled by feuds.  But after Tupac and Biggie were no longer producing music, gangsta rap basically became a quest to answer the question, 'who is the most gangsta?'

Well after his first album, Get Rich or Die Trying, 50 Cent had answered that question.  The album created the most powerful image in rap's history.  And then every album he released after that was an effortless pop hackjob piece of crap.  The talent had disappeared.  50 had won "the rap game" more decisively than any MC in history and then, with his popularity, he cut the head off the chicken.  Gangsta rap was dead.

So since 2005, this proverbial chicken has been running around waiting to die.  The only really significant albums since then have been a few of Kanye's, and maybe arguably a pair from Lil' Wayne.  That's because in the post-gangsta era, these two were the only artists to introduce touches of psychedelia into the music and they benefited greatly.  So that brings us to the lastest Eminem album which will probably be the last hip-hop ever recorded with any effort going into it.

Now there is officially nothing new that can possibly be done within the rap/hip-hop genre without removing it from that genre.  DEAD GENRE.  There are no gangstas anymore.  Where have all the gangstas gone?

[Carlos del Vaca]

Here is a DJ Format jam that not only features dudes from Jurassic 5, but has an awesome video.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YhZt4i92aSA

Supposedly the MCs were supposed to come to the video shoot but didn't, so in a last-minute effort to save the day, the director went out and got the costumes for the backup dancers and had them go to town.

[theinevitable]

lately I am so tired of playing chords.

I am all about Real Estate.

[miles]

I like rap and like talking about it. The new Big Boi is very good. Better than Speakerboxxx, which I also like. I don't think I've ever heard melancholy done better in rap than Unhappy from that album. Second the ATLiens recommendation, throw in Aquemini too.

And of course Illmatic, which really should serve as a template for all rap records. Excellent production, no obnoxious skits, absolutely no filler and flawless delivery on every track.

Enough can never be said about Public Enemy. I'm not an expert on the history of rap, but they may have been the first really sonically interesting group. It was all pretty basic before them.

Other favorites, somewhat in order, and off the top of my head:

Liquid Swords -- GZA
Madvillainy -- Madvillain (Madlib and MF Doom)
The Unseen -- Quasimoto (Madlib)
The Blueprint -- Jay-Z
Enter the Wu-Tang
2001 -- Dr. Dre
Slim Shady LP and Marshall Mathers LP -- Eminem
Champion Sound -- Jaylib (Madlib and J Dilla)
Only Built 4 Cuban Linx, the original and "sequel" (though quite different) -- Raekwon
Supreme Clientele -- Ghostface
The Chronic, Doggystyle and other various Dr. Dre stuff from the early 90s
The Pretty Toney Album and giraffescale -- Ghostface
Purple Haze -- Cam'ron
Ridin' Dirty -- UGK
Dr. No's Oxperiment -- Oh No (Madlib's brother)

Also, it's worth checking out as much J Dilla as you can. Maybe start with Donuts? That would probably be somewhere on that list.

Edit: My favorite J Dilla track.

Not really rap or hip-hop, though the influence is there and heavy, but I love the new Flying Lotus, Cosmogramma.

[theinevitable]

holy shit this free thing

ty segall, thee oh sees, best coast, king khan, times new viking, nodzzz, happy birthday... YES.

I LOVE ROCK MUSIC.

I will trade so many days of work with people in order to make sure I can go to this.

[Choop]

ty segall, thee oh sees, best coast, king khan, times new viking, nodzzz, happy birthday... YES.

oh my god i'm old

[pmcd9]

That looks fun.  I have friends in Lawrence KS.

[greenkoolayd]

traditional native american vibes + evil circus disco = win

[miles]

Anything featuring Duane Denison is definitely worth a listen. Not to mention Mike Patton.

[theinevitable]

right now I'm listening to: really intense ringing in my ears due to playing my guitar with the amp at almost full volume.

um, oops. too much treble.

this ringing in my ears is really loud.

[Asherdan]

Yo, Inev. Tinnitus is not cool man. Do what you can now so you ain't always hearing the ringing of the bells later.

Take it from a guy who protected his hearing too late.

[CortJstr]

Aw yeah, new Budos Band album.

[theinevitable]

HOLY fuck*ng CHRIST MADVILLIAN.

OH MY GOD MADVILLIAN.

...

MADVILLIAN.

I really don't get it. I do not listen to a lot of Hip Hop. But for some reason Hip Hop is the one genre where I have reactions of OH MY GOD, THIS IS BETTER THAN ANYTHING THAT HAS EVER BEEN. I HAVE NEVER HEARD ANYTHING EVEN REMOTELY LIKE THIS.

I guess probably because rock music doesn't have a lot of directions it hasn't gone. And Hip Hop makes me listen to lyrics.

It's also the only genre that really makes me THINK about things actually going on in the world. Can't explain how much Public Enemy and NWA blew my mind when I was 17.

yeah, I guess hip hop is also a situation where all I want is virtuosity heaped on virtuosity.

(also, 36 Chambers is a Lo-Fi album, discuss.)

[Nabubrush]

HOLY fuck*ng CHRIST MADVILLIAN.

OH MY GOD MADVILLIAN.

...

MADVILLIAN.

I think my heart's explodin'!

[miles]

pavement (AMAZING, AND I WAS SO CLOSE TO THE STAGE)

So I saw Pavement Sunday before last, and it was fuck*ng awesome. Same place I saw them first time around (Paramount in Seattle, possibly my favorite venue ever, at least as far as theaters go). I was looking for a bootleg of the show on dimeadozen, and found one of the Pitchfork show, complete with DJ Troll's introduction. Sound is OK. I can't tell if it started out shitty and got better, or if it started out shitty and I got used to it. But if you have an account and you're into that kind of thing, it's worth checking out.

Also: Grinderman 2 fuck*ng rocks. If anyone liked the first one this one is definitely worth a shot.