Is there anyone else out there that doesn't discount the hip-hop genre outright? I see "RAP SUCKS!" on this board a lot, i personally enjoy some of it a great deal; I find that what turns so many people off to it is the fact that the most publicized child of hip-hop is Top 40 rap, most of which sucks. I hate those big-booty-ho music videos as much as the next person, but I find that discarding an entire style of music based on a highly localized area of shitty culture is a little lame. I respect those who don't like the sound, but not those who simply say they hate it because they think it's the right thing to say, since they listen to super-awesome black metal and grindcore and such. I listen to that stuff as well, and have no problem saying that I like a lot o' teh hip-hawp.

Anyway, anyone got any particular artists they actually enjoy? Here's my abbreviated list:

The Roots
A hip-hop outfit that plays their own instruments... does it get any cooler than that? A hip-hop outfit that doesn't capitalize on any current trends... does it get any cooler than that? An MC with something to say... does it get any better than that? A BADASS drummer with a big ol' afro... does it get any better than that?

Outkast
If you don't like Outkast, you suck. Everybody should like Outkast. They are the most innovative rap artists out there right now; if you've heard their most recent album, you know what I'm talking about. Their beats are great, the music is great, the rapping itself is incredible, and they don't need to sell themselves, because their music is that damn good. A lot of people thought Andre 3000's The Love Below was way too weird, and more jazzy/funky than rappy, but what's wrong with that? The guy has total range. He's actually considering starting a jazz quartet, which would be interesting. He's also a Vegan, which is pretty rare in the rap community, it seems. Big Boi is the bigger hip-hop man, and tends to evolve Outkast's sound instead of run wild with it, but that doesn't mean he's boring. He's just down with teh Southern rap.

Mos Def
He's a Muslim, so Synikul would hate him right off the bat, but he is one intelligent son of a bitch. When he raps, I feel like saying "hell yeah!" after every line, because they're all just too true. Lotsa social awareness and social commentary; I like that.

Hieroglyphics
Del the Funky Homosapien's outfit. True MCs; they know how to freestyle, bounce off each other, and throw together some really interesting rhymes. Pep Love has one of the coolest voices ever. Del's been in a ton of projects; including his solo career, he's in Gorillaz, Deltron 3030 (duh), and Handsome Boy Modeling School, to name a few. He's actually Ice Cube's cousin; he got signed to Warner Brothers initially, because they thought he'd be another badass gangsta like Cube, but he was so wacky and intellectual and totally unconcerned with being a hardass or rapping about the streets that he was eventually dropped from the label. He uses a lot of internal rhyme, which is cool; most rappers don't do that, and just stick to rhyming the end of every line. Great live show, too.

Eminem
Okay, I don't necessarily like the man that much (he dissed Moby!), but I love the music. Em is the best rap icon out there right now; in 6 years' time, he's become one of the best producers I've ever heard, and his I-don't-give-a-fuck attitude is what the scene needs at this point. He's not a thug, and doesn't rap about gangsta shit; instead, he pretty much attacks every element of society, and is funny as hell when he does it. Some of his songs are straight fucked up and violent, but you gotta take it with a grain of salt; he's saying exactly what he's feeling. He's probably the only Top 40 rapper out there right now who doesn't need to have a distinct image, because his music speaks for itself.

Ludacris
Not only is he original, but he's freakin' hysterical. He has a very distinct voice; when a Ludacris song is playing, you know it's Ludacris immediately. He's also very coherent when he's rapping really fast, and I dig that. Smart guy. Oh, and he was on Crank Yankers, which makes him cool.

I respect the initial innovation.
I had a Grandmaster Flash/Sugar Hill Gang/N.W.A/Public Enemy phase when I was at school, and still like that stuff.
No one in my adult life knows this, but I even made a large clock in woodwork, that I never actually wore around my neck, but the thought was there.

i listen to a few hip-hop or rappers

I Listen to DMX, Eminem, and Ludacris from time to time and used to listen to Outkast, but not so much aymore. I don't mind some of Ja Rule's stuff also. I think my fave of these would have to be DMX tho, I like that guy. There are others that I have heard that I don't mind, but cannot think of the names right now.

I listen to rap when the mood hits me...during my last "rap mood" , I popped in the Judgment Night Soundtrack and The Chronic....Outkast, Ludacris and Eminem are all good, but their music has been so over played that I haven't listened to much of them lately...The Beastie Boys, Tupac, Cypress Hill and Dre are my favorites ...

Well we all know i listen and love rap and hip-hop!!!! Dont hate! Its good stuff!

the thing i like about rap/hip-hop is the way they present their message. of course, musically, the composition and arrangements of the pieces are much weaker/less complex than rock or metal.... however, much of the lyrics tend to be very direct and logical (death metal tends to have very logical lyrics to those that can actually discern the words)...

i don't listen to rap myself.. of course i've heard a number of songs and a few of my friends really like it and stuff which is fine with me. i really like Eminem for much of the same reasons (antihero) listed. i've also heard Oukast and Ludacris and i think the message once again is their selling point. errr... well, this coming from someone that doens't enjoy being caught up in a simple catchy melody as a judgement of a well written song.

if that were the case, i would say that i even like a song or two by Nickelback or Three Doors Down or something of the like. i mean, catchy hooks are in any/every musical genre. i suppose it's what a person looks for when they listen to music...

so, yeah.. my favorite rap artist would probably be Eminem. funny and smart guy. btw, i love Moby too!

I like the styles of Outkast,eminem,and Busta Rhymes.(put all your hands where my eyes can see!!)Because I feel they are creative and stand out.I listen to more R&B than rap,however.

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Im recalling a couple of more artists. Beastie Boys.Of course,how could I leave them out?they are huge icons.Afrika Bambaataa : Love Planet Rock.Can't go wrong with that track.They did a colaboration with one of my favorite electronica groups,leftfield. The song was called Afrika Shox. Boogie Down Productions had a track out called "You must learn".The Jungle Brothers are awesome with collaboration with The propellerheads track "Take California",which I believe was called "Take California and Party".I also like "Black is Black".

Anyone read about the G-Unit guy who's wanted for stabbing some guy at the award show on Monday? The video is pretty crazy. At least 3 people had knives, the one who got stabbed had a collapsed lung.

As for rap I listen to....Outkast, Eminem, Bone Thugs & Harmony (gotta love the 90's...haha), and a bunch of random songs that are good.

Not a huge fan of rap, but I do like Outkast. I like Eminem and the Beastie Boys from a lyrical standpoint. I generally don't like how it SOUNDS per se, but then you get exceptions. I think Missy Elliot, while really mainstream, at least has better stuff to talk about than shakin' that thang.


Rap's the closest thing that you get to medieval ballads these days. Not may other musical formats support a linear storyline, what with choruses and all.

i fuckin' despise rap....but i can tell you why

as i've mentioned countless times before, i grew up (and still live) in a racist mother fuckin' area....now, i know that i should be better than that and see beyond their ignorance, since i was a QUOTE-UN-QUOTE goth-kid (i was actually a metal head....i hate wrong labels) i wasn't exposed to rap....at all......there were a few kids in high-school that were "wiggers" or "wannabes" or "white-thugs" or whatever, but i didn't know any of them and they were few and far between.....no one i grew up with ever listened to rap, and when i bought some Lords of Acid albums, a lot of friends ridiculed me for liking rap.....since none of us were ever really exposed to Eletronica, or techno, or whatever it is until i bought the album....

but, when i got to college, i had absolutely, positively, no fuckin' clue how popular rap truly was and is......i was amazed that itz all anyone really listened to......and naturally, me blaring Morbid Angel and Type-O-Negative and Cradle of Filth and such got me ostracized by a lot of peeps at college......especially my first year....my nickname was "Satan" and "Death" and "That Fuckin' Goth Kid"......(I'M A METAL-HEAD DAMMIT!!!!!)....it all drove me insane......and since i'm the type of person who despises bands/genres based on people i've known (i.e. i hate Pearl Jam because this bitch i used to love fuckin' worshipped Eddie Vedder)......and i know i shouldn't do that, but i do.....so, naturally i came to despise rap immensely....

then, it got worse.....because, when i finally did find friends and roomies i lived with for a few years, even then i was ostracized for my taste in music......because, well, under the rules of my faggoty-control-freak roomie, i wasn't allowed to play my music whatsoever at any party we had, unless it was my party.....even then, he controlled the music and played all those ghetto-booty songs......and whenever peeps came to my room to smoke weed, they'd be like "oooh, you got any (insert popular rap song title here) on your computer?"......GAH!!!!! do i look like i listen to rap?! and if they heard my music--"why do listen to that?"......."WELL, WHY DO YOU LISTEN TO RAP?!"...."'cuz itz music.....'cuz everyone does, duh....'cuz you can dance to it.....'cuz itz kool"......

so yeah, thatz why i despise rap....

i will however, give it itz credit....as a musician myself, i will admit that rap has itz rightful place in our society and a message and is artistic and all those whatnots.....but that doesn't mean i have to like it.......but i will also admit that Eminem is a damn good rapper, and not just because he's white.....and that Twista (Twister?) is fuckin' fast as hell when rapping.....and that Outkast does have some catchy songs, that yes, i will dance to, maybe even sing to....

i'm so ashamed

But you didn't really address why you hate the music; you seem to hate rap because of outside influences that really have nothing to do with rap. If all the kiddies listened to black metal, and you listened to rap, and all the circumstances were the same, would you hate black metal?

I dislike rap and hiphop as a genre, because I don't like it when people say stuff instead of sing in a song, it just sounds crap to me.

However, this doesn't mean I think they're all talentless morons or anything (just the vast majority).

Another thing that bothers me about rap and hiphop in general is the way they talk, they sound like idiots. What's with the stupid stagenames too?, D-Rock, Ice-T, Ice Cube, Easy-C, MC Hammer.

I could understand it if Eminem had a striking resemblence to the large red or yellow M & M characters, but he just doesn't, he looks like Arsinik on a diet.

did i not say that in my post? did i not say "i know i shouldn't do this, but i hate bands/genres based on people...." did i not? i'm not denying this, i'm just saying this is how it is......i despise rap because of outside influences....yes.....what other answer do you want? i said i give rap its credit as an artistic expression, but i fuckin' despise it.......i hear rap, and immediately think of bad times....so why bother listening to sumtin' thatz gonna upset/bother me? why listen to sumtin' thatz just gonna piss me off?

and plus...i don't like it.....i just don't.....

i gave my reason.....you don't have to agree with itz justification, but i don't care.....itz me who dislikes it for my reasons......and it is a reason....maybe not a very sound, or logical reason, but indeed a justified reason......i hate rap because i was never exposed to it, and when i was, it was thrusted into my face over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over for five fuckin' years!!!!! you think you'd like sumtin' if that happened to you?!

you type entirely too much. you could've said "i don't like it..... i just don't," and that would've been exactly the same. And, the whole point of this thread was the exact opposite of your reasoning, which made your reasoning entirely pointless in this thread. i'm talking about actual music, not about the fact that you don't like it because a bunch of rap listeners ripped on you for liking metal.

Oh, and Black Eyed Peas. Fergie is pretty damn hot. Anyone agree?

I hate Black Eyed Peas ............ but I would imagine that has only to do with the fact that they are way overplayed.

50 cent...ohhhhhhhhh ya
Chingy...ohhh ya
Houston....ohh ya
I20...ohh ya
Eminem...ohhhh ya
^^^^^dey all hotttttttt!!!!!!! Ya hurd?!

criss-cross will make ya... jump! jump! uh huh! uh huh!

can anyone do the cribwalk?!???

i can!!!!