Five hip-hop LPs for people who "hate" hip-hop

Thanks for the list, Bob. I've heard a few but not all of these titles. To this list I would add Outkast's Speakerboxxx/The Love Below.

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Add to your list: Kool Moe Dee's "Knowledge is King." The title track is the greatest rap song ever, and one of the most literate things you will ever hear. Too bad its empowering, uplifting message hasn't been embraced by rap culture as a whole.

Barry Willis

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I agree with BG's selections (with the caveat that I have not yet heard The Streets). I've mentioned some of my favorites in another post, and I'll add a few here:

-- Raekwon, Only Built For Cuban Links. This is my favorite album from any member of the Wu-Tang collective. I don't know if you can still get it on LP, but it's awesome. And every subsequent release by the Wu-Tang members has bored me to tears. That is, until Fishscale, which is a very strong contender for hip-hop album of the year.

-- Nas, Illmatic. People like hip-hop for various reasons. But for those who love it first and foremost for the story-telling, this album is the Holy Grail. And it features an all-star cast of producers: Pete Rock, DJ Premier, Q-Tip. Again, don't know if it's still available on LP, although Columbia released a 10-year anniversary CD last year (or the year before) that contains some bonus tracks and remixes. And check out the track with his dad, Olu Dara, blowing some soulful trumpet at the end (Life's A Bitch).

-- Common, Resurrection. The fascinating thing about the artists I'm listing is watching their development over the course of their albums. Be represents Common coming full circle after forays into "neo-soul" (Like Water For Chocolate) and electronica/rock (The Electric Circus). But Resurrection is where it all started. The dizzying wordplay, the playfulness, his meditations on growing up, it's all here.

-- Outkast, ATLiens. While I disagree with Sloggy about the artistic merits of Speakerboxxx/The Love Below, he is correct that ATLiens is a fantastic album. It's a sharp departure from their first release, Southernplayalistic..., but it presaged their evolution on the subsequent releases of Aquemini, Stankonia, and Speakerboxxx. As Sloggy says, the wordplay is amazing. I would recommend strongly that folks check out all of Outkast's albums, just to see for themselves how they transformed themselves over the space of 5 records from mainstream rap artists to perhaps pop's best group.

-- J-Live, All of The Above: This album restored my faith in hip-hop, after I had become dismayed with every release from the majors talking about being gangstas etc. While I do think there is a place for that type of music -- for which, see Fishscale and Cuban Links -- there has to be some diversity. J-Live's album points the way to a broader palette. Again, it's all about the words: check out the 4th 3rd, which examines his relationship with a very religious Christian woman (he's Muslim). He examines how the relationship progresses but -- perhaps inevitably -- breaks down as their religious beliefs collide. It's hearbreaking, but told with a level of lyrical dexterity that is matched to date only by Common's I Used To Love Her (from Resurrection).

-- Mos Def, Black On Both Sides: this rapper-turned-actor's first solo album is excellent from start to finish. He plays multiple instruments as well, so the music does not take a backseat to the lyrics. (You've probably heard "Umi Says" from the ubiqituous Nike commercial of a few years back.)

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Some great recommendations on this board thus far -- i would add a few important groups/albums, new and old...

Eric B & Rakim - Paid in Full - No-brainer for one of the best ever. One of the things that makes a good rapper is his 'flow'...and nobody had better flow than Rakim. And you haven't heard hip hop until you've heard "Eric B. Is President" a few dozen times.

Beastie Boys - Paul's Boutique - There will never be another hip hop album like it, with so many amazing samples, courtesy of the Dust Bros. And the rhymes ain't bad either. This, and Check Your Head, showed how versatile and inventive the Beasties could be, and made critics stand up and take note.

Tribe Called Quest - Low Down Theory - with Mr. Ron Carter on the bass. A masterpiece in the jazzy-hip-hop realm, with aware, humorous, and political lyrics.

The Roots - Do You Want More?!!!? - Fantastic album, which introduced the concept of using a live band -- and virtually no sampling -- to the hip hop world.

DJ Shadow - Endtroducing - Still the best DJ album ever made, and influenced by Paul's Boutique -- thick with samples from 100s of albums from all over the musical map. RJD2's Dead Ringer is another good album along these lines.

Buck 65 - Man Overboard - Restored my faith in hip several years ago, and this from a white boy who grew up in rural Canada and played minor league baseball. Go figure. But he's an amazing storyteller and all-around great talent. Thom Yorke, among others, is a big fan.

Black Star -- Put Mos Def on the map, in this collaboration with Talib Kweli. Great production and deft wordplay from both MCs.

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Also, one of DJ Shadow's best tracks is called Organ Donor on his album Preemptive Strike. At the end you will just be like wow, that was fun and I want to do it again.

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You guys have made me go and dig out some of these albums. I'm listening to Illmatic and Eric B. right now. In rifling through, I discovered some more I'd like to add:

-- The Nonce, World Ultimate
-- Showbiz & AG, Goodfellas (Primo's Next Level remix turned me on to Wes Montgomery)
-- OC, Word...Life
-- De La Soul, De La Soul Is Dead, Buhloone Mindstate, and Stakes Is High

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Decent stuff listed here...I'm going to recommend some stuff on the assumption that those of us who hate mainstream hip hop dislike some specific characteristics - shallow ego-centrism, worship of tasteless bling, mechanical and monotonous beats, artificial and in-organic sound, and albums that are generally wrapping for one or two singles. Here's my list
1. The Roots - "Do You Want More" and "Things Fall Apart". Organic, musical, and NOT bootylicious. A real band...
2. Jurrasic 5 - "Quality Control" - old school turntable-ism, with crunchy beats, positive attitude, and excellent mixology. "Back-pack" hip hop at it's finest.
3. Beastie Boys - "Check Your Head" and "Ill Communication"...Yeah, "Paul's Boutique" has already got the (well-deserved) props here, so let's talk about when they decided to play their instruments again. A real punk/hardcore ethos, applied with humor and funkiness. Somehow, this stuff sounds pretty good, maybe because they decided to get the cheapest mic's and intentionally distorted the sound. It's something other than "the absolute sound", and worthwhile because of it!
4. Brand New Heavies - "Heavy Rhyme Experience Vol. 1" - My left ear for a Volume 2! Okay, some of this does reduce down to ego-centric mc battling, but the bass lines! The rythm guitar!
5. Tribe Called Quest - "Low End Theory" and "Peoples' Instinctive Travels...". If my baby was a rap song, she'd be "Bonita Applebaum"...And Dr. Ron Carter provides some nice, swampy acoustic bass on "Theory". I really DID leave my wallet in El Segundo once. For real.
6. Gnarles Barkley - "St. Elsewhere" - Cee-Lo Green has such a soulfully raspy voice that can somehow stretch to a falsetto. Danger Doom is very inventive with the beats, and this album is off kilter enough to bear repeated, attentive listening. You may have to revisit this one before you "get" it. And they cover the Violent Femmes on it. Somehow it works. If only my wife would give it back...
7. William Shatner - "Has Been". Okay, it's not hip-hop, but I can't resist mentioning this album. I bought it as a joke, thinking it'll be so bad it's good. And somehow, it's so good it's good. At least he can laugh at himself.

Enjoy!

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I'd also add the Wu-Tang Clan's Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) to this list. It was one of the first hip-hop CDs I ever got into, largely because it sounded so foreign--cryptic samples, ODB rapping like broken machinery, Chinese water torture beats. I get the sense that one could spend ages trying to deconstruct the lyrics (believe me, I've tried). Also, RZA's production, while groundbreaking at the time, sounds almost twice as fresh today, especially compared to the cookie cutter beats of big-name producers like Scott Storch. A word of warning: this is not for the easily offended (meaning Black-Eyed Peas fans).

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Great topic!

I back most of those recommendations (especially the Wu-Tang, RZA and Public Enemy) - add most of De La Soul and Tribe Called Quest. Been gettin into Grime lately. BTW, I a big jazz fan so jazz samples steer me to alotta hip hop.

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Also:

Kanye WestLate Registration -I like the musical textures on this one.

Wu Tang ClanTriumph -Everyone was firing on all cylinders at this time. The family reunion after individual success.

LL Cool JBigger And Deffer; Walking With A Panther; Momma Said Knock You Out -The 2nd, 3rd, and 4th albums from the founding artist of Def Jam are undisputed classics.

WhodiniBack In Black -Hard beats mixed with R&B grooves and catchy hooks.

RUN-DMCRUN-DMC; King Of Rock; Raising Hell; Tougher Than Leather -The first four. 'How to be a B-Boy' training on wax. The most essential of the essential.

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Public Enemy, all day!!!

I want to also add the best Hip-Hop album of last year, Kanye WestGraduation; probably the best sound I've heard from a digitally-recorded Rap album.

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