My choices are:

5 - Eric Shermon. He's the E in EPMD. Old folk, but the guy can rap. His lyrical style is dope. He is a Funk master.

4 - Mc Guru, from Gangstarr. His flow is superb. His style is unique. The Jazz influences make a superb mix of tracks.

3 - LL Cool J. He has the timeless song 'I need love', and some very dope tracks. His rhyming abilities are exceptional. His songs are also very party-like, i.e. you can dance to them.

2 - KRS1. Not only his flow is exceptional, he can do wildly different styles, from New York streetbeat to Jamaican style rap. And his songs have social messages.

and in the top spot...

1 - Chuck D, of Public Enemy. His voice is thunderous...he can rock the house without a mic. His songs are political, with many messages concerning the social status of black people and of the world.

You can notice a few things about my choices:

1) no white rappers. I never found any white rapper who can rap with the flow and lyrical flexibility of a black rapper.

2) no gangsta. Although gangsta rap has created some truly amazing tracks, I despise the way of living and the messages it projects.

3) all the above folks are old timers. Well, I listen to 50-Cent, Ludacris, Kanye West, Ja Rule etc but I am not impressed...most of them are monotonous, and their rhymes are not that good...the lyrics don't even rhyme, most of the time.

4) I mention no lady rappers. That's as separate category.

So, who are your favorite rappers? assuming, of course, that I am not the only a.cc member that listens to rap music...

How 'bout no rappers.

It's incredibly difficult to choose the best 5... From some rappers I have heard most of their [public] material and from others I have only heard some of it... The best rap usually comes from the Shady/Aftermath/G-Unit labels, but there are other talented rappers like Bobby McIntosh and Yas Taalat (Dead Celebrity Status/formerly of Project Wyze), Ice Cube, Jay-Z, Mike Shinoda (Linkin Park/Fort Minor), Nas, and Xzibit. Dr. Dre is probably better known for his producing skills than his rapping skills, but he's still one of my favorite rappers. Snoop Dogg can spit really well, but he doesn't seem to have the same writing/lyrical ability as some of the competition.
<ol> <li>Eminem</li> <li>50 Cent</li> <li>2Pac</li> <li>Ice Cube</li> <li>Dr. Dre</li> </ol>

Nobody likes the Fresh Prince or Run-D.M.C. or MC Hammer?

Jazzy Mel

Fresh Prince (Will Smith) is cool, but his rapping skills don't really compare to my top 5 list... I still like him though. I've only heard a little bit from Run-D.M.C. and MC Hammer (I'm only 21 and wasn't really exposed to rap until I was 11 or 12...) so they wouldn't make my top 5 list... I've seen a lot of respect aimed in Run-D.M.C.'s direction though...

1. Santa's Top Elf, Mr. Funky Fresh
2. Java the Hut, featuring Code Wrapper
3. DJ the Protective Cover
4. Steve Jobs (AKA "The Smoking Leaf")
5. Male Dashiki

This top 5 brought to you by the extremities of insanity. Yes...the hands of insanity...

I'd put Emenem at the top.

I personally wouldn't call rap music.

Same. To each his own I guess...

Hands down the best rapper of all time? I'd say Vanilla Ice.

So nobody in a.cc listens to rap [music]...

I don't know a lot of rappers to make a list, but here is one using the ones I do know:

1. EMINEM
2. JAY-Z
3. SNOOP-DOG
4. FOO-SHIZZLE
5. KFC-DOG IDH ( In Da House )

Nach meine Meinung, nobody beats Dizzee Rascal.

EDIT: I'm being serious, by the way.

No.

Rappers = teh lame cake

I've heard a lot of good rapping come from a white guy: Weird Al! "White and Nerdy" "It's All About The Pentiums" and so forth!

EDIT: In fact, I just loaded up a bunch of his songs onto my iPod and am listening to them now.

Okay, let me rephrase:

if(Artist != WeirdAl && Artist.IsRapper())
     Artist.Style = Lame;

I'm sure you can rate 5 best rappers, doesn't mean that anyone is good though.
All I hear when I listen to rap is whining, shit my niece can do that.

1. The whole Three Six Mafia line-up (which has seen lots of members)
2. Project Pat
3. Lil' Wyte
4. Bone Crusher
5. Archie Eversole
6. Lil John
7. Pastor Troy
8. Juvenile
9. 50 Cent
10. Eminem

Rap is subjective like poetry.

it all depend of what type of poetry/Rap stimulates your mind.

Ugh... at the building, we usually put music to get some fun while working. The ones in the upper floor always put '80 and '90 music, including Jazzy Mel, King Afrika, Chiquititas, Palito Ortega... loud enough even the ones in the floor below us can hear it!

I never liked rap, sounds cheap. Just like cumbia villera.

The Rappin' grandma takes all the top 5 spots.

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You'll notice they discovered the ozone hole about the time rap music started.

of all times?

Shakespear had some pretty funky prose.

I'd reckon that Jesus dude that religious cult keeps harping on about would have had a way with words.

You know, one of Greek's most famous musicians says that Homer was the first and ever best wrapper. It's true, from one side, because both the Iliad and the Odyssey are written in a metre that is suburb for wrapping!

When I was in high school, we use to paraphrase the Iliad with "naughty" rhymes, speaking the verses in such a way that sounded like rapping! and this is because of the metre it was written in!

Right. I forgot how ripe "Crunk juice, walk it out" is with metaphor.

Calling mainstream rap "music" is an insult to music. Just like calling mainstream rappers "artists" is an insult to artists.

There is rap that I like, but it's so far removed from what the genre is today, I'm not sure it should even be called rap. Then again, maybe it should, and mainstream rap should be the group to rename. After all, they're the ones who suck.

It all about da BLING BLING yo. I all up in dat shiznit FO SHO homies. POICE!

Who am I kidding. I listen to chip tunes.

Am I the only one reading Rapper as Raper?

Eminem
Grandmaster Flash and Melle Mel
Disposable Heroes of Hiphoprisy
Gil Scott Heron (from the days before hiphop, when rappers were called Beat Poets)
Debbie Harry

A few years ago, B.B. King (the blues master) said rap provides an outlet for people with no sense of harmony. I can't find that quote now, probably he asked them to be taken down before he was the victim of a drive-by shooting.

Don't forget that Rap is just a small part of Hip-Hop culture. Other music genres to have come from Hip-Hop include Electro and House and their many descendants (the ones with no lyrics sound like instrumental rap-songs). Here's a list of some of my favourite rap and Hip-Hip songs (old-skool and golden age - all from the 80's).

Here are some of my favourite Rap songs:

• Eric B & Rakim - Paid in full (Coldcut mix)

• Whistle - Just Buggin'

• Sir Mix A Lot - Ironman - The best Rap/Heavy-Metal crossover ever! This is the video-remix which IMO is better than Sir Mix A Lot's original.

• De la soul - Say No Go

• Toni Scott - That's How I'm Living

• Afrika Bambaata - Planet Rock

• Ice T - Body Rock

Other favourite Hip-Hop songs:

• Herbie Hancock - rockit

• BEB - Hotdog

• Egyptian Lover - Egypt Egypt

• MARRS - Pump up the volume - This is the original video version that includes the Stock Aitken and Waterman sample that was removed in subsequent versions at 2:26, 2:39

There's more...

AE.

Probably the best rap song ever made (other than Ice Ice Baby) would be the ending credits song to the first Ninja Turtles movie. That song kicked ass.

1) Jigglypuf (he's the hardest nigger in the whole ghetto, a good freestyler and he even does graffiti)
2) Eric Bauman
3) Mudkips (his song "so i herd u liek mudkips" is so kawai desu ne XD)
4) MC Barrel Roll (made famous by the hardcore gansta rap "Do the barrel Roll")
5) Cock Mongler

These artists are all pretty hardcore but they are also completely underground on their secret websites on steroids, so you may not have any of their CDs yet. A complete shame because this is some of the best music of all time, not only rap but just music in general.

I'd put Woll Smoth at number 6, just after these guys.

I will never understand rapper names. Jigglypuf?

http://tbn0.google.com/images?q=tbn:iJwO7fqkYzce4M:http://webspace.utexas.edu/warnerwt/picard-facepalm.jpg

I'm really not a fan of rap, but if I had to choose, I'd pick Everlast. I really like the song "What It's Like." by him.

While rap isn't my favourite genre, I do like a lot of rap that came out of the mid to late 90's. So my list would be:

• Outkast (especially the ATLiens album)

• A Tribe Called Quest

• De La Soul

• Dr Dre

</li>

And has been said earlier, while I don't promote the message of gangsta rap, I do enjoy the music.

That Blondie video was funny!

The best white rapper I know is KJ 52.

Oh my god, he's right!

This is better.

Sir Mix-a-lot? I forgot about him...

http://www.allegro.cc/files/attachment/594403

Ignore the naysayers; hip hop is made of win and awesome.

Here are my top 5:

5) De La Soul (yes, I know that's more than one rapper)
4) Mad Villain
3) LMNO (combo breaker to the OP's comment about white rappers not being up to par)
2) KRS One
1) Immortal Technique (search youtube for his name plus 'peruvian cocaine' or 'bin laden', you'll see why I chose him as #1)

Other favourites include (or have included in the past), but aren't limited to: Cannibal Ox, Asheru, Styles of Beyond, Everlast, Kool Keith/Dr. Octagon/whatver pen name he has now, Queen Latifah, Kurtis Blow, Kool Moe Dee, Roxanne Chante, Ice Cube, Q Tip, and whoever made the song 'Cry For Us' (name escapes me at the moment, can't be bothered to go look)

EDIT: I fail for omitting Weird Al, who sort of deserves #1 also.

1) Milli Vanilli
2) Milli Vanilli
3) Milli Vanilli
4) Milli Vanilli
5) Milli Vanilli

Was there ever any question?

But surely you'd put him in before Bel Air, amirite?

I've decided I'm the best rapper.

For the amusement of allegro.cc

Never thought I'd see axilmar endorse a Christian rapper. O_o

In that vein, T-Bone and John Rueben are also pretty good as Christian plain white rappers go. Well, T-Bone is Latino AFAIK, but anyway ....

I like wu-tang a lot, especially triumph.

But LL Cool J is the best rapper of all time, I mean he's the goat!

Yes, you are.

Wait, isn't that a Pokemon?

Oh come on, I don't have a problem with Christianity. I like and support the teachings of Christ regarding the human condition. I just don't like the metaphysics attached to it.

And rapping is a very entertaining art, no matter what you rap about. If the verses are clever and the words easily match, it's poetry-in-motion that is healing to the soul (if you like it).

I just checked out a few of KJ-52's freestyles on YouTube and listened to Dear Slim and Dear Slim Part 2 and honestly he has some talent, but he's not in the same playing field as Eminem. You can hear that his rhymes are often a lot less complex and imperfect. He often seems to repeat stuff (in fact, Dear Slim Part 2 seems like he's saying the exact same thing as he did in Dear Slim ). He has talent, but based on what I've seen I wouldn't buy an album.

Rap

Wow, you'd almost think it was a sequel or something ....

Admittedly, KJ-52 can sound a little repetitive; I was worried buying his last album that I'd get Dear Slim Part 3, 47 Sopranos, Yet Another Song About How I Was A Dork In School, etc. He has his gems though.

/2¢

Honestly, of the Christian music I've heard, I find that the artists, KJ-52 included, don't really seem to have anything to say... They're trying to make a living out of making music, but instead of writing about something they actually have to say they're writing about Christianity (which they don't seem to have much to say about... They all say the exact same thing and it's boring...). Considering how large the Bible is I would think that there would be a lot of people, places, things and events to write about and rhyme with in complex ways that would actually get people listening to your message (Christians and non-Christians -- as axilmar said, if the rap is clever then people will listen and at least appreciate that, even if they don't agree with the message).

Heh; my experience is the opposite. Most music I hear is pretty shallow by comparison. But I guess that's just our respective biases showing.

On the subject of Christian rap, who can forget DC Talk? It's more what would be considered rock music today, but I'm pretty sure it was rap in it's day.

Sackcloth Fashion is also pretty cool.

Those are the only ones I can think of offhand.

Here's Kevin Max's latest rap song with Chris Sligh!

DC talk in its prime. The 80's rule!

I'm a fan of DC talk and they're great live!

[edit]Oh, here's the lyrics to my rap earlier, since it's obvious no one could manage to listen to it, hardy har har.

The Clark Brothers won The Next Great American Band so Christian bands rock! Either that or fiddles and dobros are just plain cool.

I was hoping Cliff Wagner and the Old #7 would win. I love them! Bluegrass 0wnz rap.

I heard the first verse or so... Wasn't impressed. It's one of those "look mom, I'm rapping" kind of lyrics, but really you're just barely rhyming and really slowly... Good effort though. It started out rhyming well at least...

I don't really like Eminem, because his style of 'singing' does not seem like 'poetry in motion', rather than someone reading madly off a book. Admittedly I only have heard KJ-52 on youtube, but his flow is better than Eminem's, even if his rhymes are repetitive. Perhaps if KJ-52 had a big company to promote him, he would be considered better.

Eminem has big companies behind him because he has big people behind him. He's also founded a big company of his own. Back in ~'96 or '97 he got second place in a freestyle competition in Los Angeles, gave a demo to somebody that eventually got the demo to Dr. Dre, one of the most influential people in the industry, who liked it and arranged a meeting. The rest is history -- it's been said that when Dre heard the demo he didn't even realize Eminem was white -- that was apparently a small shock when they first met. Eminem is one of the highest selling artists because he's among the best, NOT because corporate America pushes the product. KJ-52 isn't a big artist because he isn't among the best. I'm sorry, but if you think KJ-52 flows better than Eminem then you don't know what you're talking about.

Honestly and skill sell better than good intentions.

For slapping it down in a hour (as well as arranging the music), I was quite satisfied since I was really trying to just hit the major points of rap song as I see it:

• A simple beat with heavy base

• According to Leela talking about the Beastie Boys on Futurama: "Amazing. They are laying down mad beats at 80% accuracy."

• Ridiculous poetry that barely counts as poetry

• Talking about things that make hardly any sense

• Using random words together "flip flop, tick tock"

• Telling the audience to do something "X++ move your body to the right" (usually when you add something to X you're moving something to the right)

• An unnecessary word that gets cut out on radio edits

• A backup singer who attempts to actually sing, but usually just sings about something happening or painfully obvious "I'm gonna reply to a thread on allegro.cc"

Now I know, some rappers do have some decent poetry and talent, but I'd say the most of the rap I hear on the radio hits the points above, which is why I'm not a big fan of rap, save a few artists.

That right there is why your effort failed. You don't even understand rap so how can you expect to write/spit a decent one? As a rap fan, it's really annoying to hear people refer to rap like it's all just a pose or something. The serious artists are serious about their rhymes and beats.

Serious artists don't swear to sell records. They just don't censor their art either. Entertainers are not responsible for children; the parents are. If you're a grown man and too closed-minded to give explicit lyrics a chance then that's your loss. There are a lot more people that appreciate explicit lyrics then there are people too closed-minded to give them a chance.

Unless you're listening to a hardcore rap station (which are rare, in my experience) then what you hear on the radio doesn't represent hardcore rap and probably fits better into the generic hip hop genre, which is a lot more forgiving. There are a lot of artists that hype themselves up to be good rappers (Kanye West, for example, who is being pushed by Jay-Z, but isn't really anywhere near Jay-Z's level...).

There is a lot of poor, average, and adequate rap around and it's relatively rare to find good, great, or unbelievable rap. That's why I generally stick to Shady/Aftermath/G-Unit. If you buy 50 Cent, Eminem, or Dr. Dre albums you can be pretty sure you're getting a decent album, and more often than not an amazing one. I've heard multiple times that both Eminem and Dr. Dre are perfectionists, which I think shows in their work.

D12 Freestyle*.

_{* Some mildly explicit lyrics. :D}

"It's a D12 world" ... "cussin' like a sailor"

I shut it off after hearing that, confirming what I said above was true.

And you don't understand that I wasn't trying to write something decent, I was trying to write something that showed my perception of rap. To add to my list, rap has nothing to do with talent, anybody can do it, it all depends on the thugs you know if you want to be a success.

It doesn't confirm anything. I swear all the time and I know a lot of people that do too. Profanity can add to something if done right. It expresses something very effectively and there's no reason not to do it. D12/Eminem often say stuff like "yes, I'm swearing because I need to to sell records"* or emphasize their use of profanity because people like you make claims that they do it to sell records... They're essentially agreeing with you, sarcastically. You'll figure it out.

Well IMO you failed. It was embarrassing for you and I doubt the rap fans liked it (I know I didn't) so apparently your perceptions are wrong...

OK, then show us. Do it for real. Something that the rap fans in the thread will accept as good.

_{* "Will Smith don't gotta cuss in his raps to sell records,... Well I do, so fuck him and fuck you too!" - Eminem, The Real Slim Shady, responding to Will Smith after he made the same claim that you are about profanity at one of the award shows on stage. In case it isn't obvious, he's being sarcastic... ::)}

I didn't know you could assert my feelings. Like I said, I was satisfied with my work which portrayed exactly what I wanted to show. Although, listening to it again, you may very well be right that it's a perception of hip hop rather than rap. However, they all kind of blend into the same thing to me.

As soon as I find some thugs who can push it for me, I'm sure I'll have a hit record with what I got.

[edit]

What are you trying to prove here? That he's talented because he's being sarcastic? So basically he took what could've been a conversation and turned it into a rap? That's brilliant!

Well, it may not be the best rap, but it sure is the funniest.

I meant that I felt embarrassed for you.

What do you mean by thugs? Which thugs push Eminem? Jimmy Iovine?

For the record, the D12 Freestyle I linked above actually starts out with...

It's Kuniva, I cuss hoes out like a drunk sailor, And cock the hammer back like Tim "The Toolman" Taylor

For those that don't realize it's clever because after hearing cock the hammer back most people are expecting a gun-reference, but instead he turned it around into something unexpected (Tim "The Toolman" Taylor).

Oh common bamccaig, we all know that all rappers are Gangsta's in disguise. Their rapping is just a cover for their secret drug trafficking and illegal gambling operations.

.
.
.
.

Ah, you might have missed my edit up there. Anyway, I actually like some of shady's songs and he does have a unique talent in putting it all together. However, looking at his lyrics I don't see anything special about them.

And actually, the whole music business is about who you know, not just rap or hip hop, it just seems more prominent in rap/hip hop. They seem to like say their names in their songs and who is featured.

[edit]

Or he just needed something to rhyme with sailor.

Ok guys, lets do an old fashioned "war". You agree?

Onewing you have no idea about da rap, you are nothing but a poor sap. Go back to where you came from, yeah, dats a lame farm. Milk a cow, kill a pig, do yo thing, I just dont think thats ma thing.
--
Bammcaig, you are a troll, go back to being on patrol. If I see you on the street, you will get to hear my beat. So now be nice and not a fool, cuz i dont like it when youre a schmool.(?)

Don't take it seriously, I don't mean it. Its just for fun.

Do it!

I'm demonstrating that you're not saying anything new. In fact, you're beating a horse skeleton. Why should he change the way he does things to make you happy when he has 10 million (plus) fans that buy every album and like his music the way it is?

Sounds like fun. I'll see what I can do when I get a minute...

Perhaps you should quote me because you've lost me. I don't remember saying (once again, quote me if I did) that any rap/hip hop artist should change the way they do things to appease me and/or people like me. In fact, I remember saying I actually liked a few of his songs. I just don't think rap is all that impressive, and I am entitled to my opinion, yes? I mean, if I started a thread of the 5 best rockers of all times, someone could make a mock song of the rock template and I'd laugh at it. I'm a big fan of the Law and Order series and I recently watched a Robot Chicken episode parody it by going through the template using only chickens that said "bock" and it felt like a Law and Order show, which was hilarious.

I feel like I'm arguing with someone who is reading a different thread. I seem to be able to post more than five replies again, so I think I'll take Vanneto's advice and head back to the farm before I say something really stupid. If you want, bammy, you can say you proved some kind of point here.

No hard feelings though.

People who rhyme a word with itself should be shot.
(At least, when they do it thinking it's a good rhyme.)

bamccaig, I agree with Onewing - it seems like both of you are responding to different threads. (which is quite funny as an observer )

(Edited because the forum ate my linebreaks )

I will cite this thread as why discussing music with bamccaig is a futile effort.

Seeing as how he doesn't like your song, I'm going to have to listen to it when I get home.

It's entirely possible I misinterpreted what you were trying to say.

What did this 3 second line confirm?

I too will cite this thread, instead as to why Harry Carey has no right to participate in a discussion about good music. You asked for brutal honesty and couldn't handle it. Your music really does suck. IIRC, most of the feedback you got was along the same lines. Just because I was the only one fulfilling your brutal honesty request you're singling me out.

** EDIT **

Nevermind.

** EDIT **

How to do a sequel: D12 - American Psycho*, American Psycho II* featuring B-Real

_{* Explicit lyrics.}

I won't bother listening, as I assume you know there's more than one way to do a sequel. Find same-iness between two random songs of his, then tell me he repeats.

That's an opinion, and I respect it. But I strongly disagree.

Eminem does not know how to pause between words, how to play with the flow so as that the flow is smooth. He does not balance the verses good enough while keeping the motion intact. KJ-52 does it better.

It's like 2Pac vs, let's say, LL Cool J: while 2Pac is recognized amongst the top rappers, his rapping style is not 'poetry in motion', but someone blasting a speech over a microphone...on the other hand, LL Cool J's way of balancing verses and moving words around is tremendous.

The difference between the two approaches is that the better one makes you bop your head up and down with the beat, while the other leaves you cold. And LL or KJ make me boppin, while Eminem and 2Pac leave me cold.

Personally, I think Eminem is a product of MTV and Dr Dre.

If you want to hear some cool totally head boppin rhyming, look no further than "Daaamm" by Alkaholiks. Incredible, and from a rap-style point of view, this is what rap is all about.

Of course the above is the personal opinion of someone that's been listening to rap music from the days of Grand Master Flash...i.e. don't get too excited about it :-)

EDIT:

check Eminem's freestyle with this (freestyle at Yo MTV Raps' last episode). There is simply no comparison...Eminem's rapping sucks.

EDIT2: two of the top lady wrappers (Yoyo and MC Lyte).

Not pausing between words is a good thing. It takes more talent to keep the flow going like that without pausing, especially when you're freestyling/battling. Eminem does make the flow smooth -- he just fills in the gaps instead of pausing unnecessarily. Whatever. You're entitled to your opinion, as am I.

We can fill in gaps in our posts at a.cc with random bullshit to make us better at free styling and battling one another too. Cuss like a cunt licking bitch fucking a dog, because I've run out of intelligent stuff to say. This is a.cc yo, lets rap to the max till the max raps to you yo you yo yo yo you you yo yo bitch cunt fuck damn shit hell.

Good rappers (like Eminem) don't fill the gaps in with bullshit... It's just continuously clever as opposed to repeatedly pausing because you can't come up with something clever that actually fills the line.

I wouldn't call Eminem clever, just a bunch of random BS most of the time to "fill it in." And most of his stuff is pre-written and all, very little is freestyle.

If that wasn't so long I'd sig it.

Have any examples?

Freestyling is cool, but written rhymes have a lot more potential. A rapper doesn't actually make money for freestyling (at least, not usually). Besides, a freestyle is more about being creative in the spur of the moment whereas songs are more about expressing something. There are also the witty or cartoon-y songs that are usually about parodying popular media or similar (they often have a message too, but sometimes it's less prominent). Writing a song gives you the chance to get everything you way you want it whereas a freestyle gives you limited time to come up with something and on an off day you just have to settle.

Well, you can start with this. The whole song is pretty much off topic, as it's hard to figure out what the real topic of the whole thing is.

Also, this fits some point someone else said about cussing in rapping to make it sound bad or something. Too lazy to look back right now, but:

Common guys. Did you hear of the word "subjective"? Everyone has their own opinion on what they do and do not like. So arguing about this is plain idiotic.

But if you want, lets all say what artists we listen to. I assure you, I can pull all of them in the mud. But why? Why the fuck shit bitch would I do that?

This is one of those witty, cartoon-y songs whose message is a little bit less prominent. He's basically saying that of all the people (at the time) that were dying their hair like him, dressing like him, and cussing like him, that there's still really only one Slim Shady. Towards the end, he says "Guess there's a Slim Shady in all of us... Fuck it, let's all stand up." because Slim Shady himself is/was an alter ego of Eminem which I think we can all have inside of us at times.

Premise of The Real Slim Shady.

The lyrics themselves are a lot more about being witty with popular media references and parodying popular media. Eminem has said that My Name Is seemed sort of corny (I forget the exact word he used) to him, but it was a REALLY successful single. When he finished The Marshall Mathers LP (the album with The Real Slim Shady on it) there wasn't a lot of material for singles. It was all too hardcore and explicit. The label forced him to write more material, even though he was satisfied with the album. Who I Am was a result of this, but it was still too hardcore and they needed something less serious. I think they wanted another My Name Is, but Eminem knew he couldn't do that again. He started writing what became The Real Slim Shady, being his regular witty self and it became another major hit and the exact thing the record company was looking for. It felt the same as My Name Is had. He had found the formula. Similarly, Without Me, Just Lose It, and IMO Ass Like That also fit into this category of corny songs.

Why would a rapper want to make his own song sound bad? Onewing said that rappers often use profanity in their songs purely to sell records.

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Just had to bring me back, did ya? I didn't say that (I don't think I did...?). I did however mention unnecessary profanity is part of a rap song. Keep in mind that I don't buy rap music, so I'm biased to what I hear mainstream, but the mainstream does usually have profanity in it. I'm assuming profanity is usually in the rest of the songs in the album. I'm not saying that they have to use it to sell, I'm just saying it's a safe bet that it's going to be there, hence why I put a BEEP in my mock rap song so it would fit the genre.

Abraham Lincoln was ( supposedly ) a rapper.

Actually, I think BAF indirectly brought you back. Anyway, as I said earlier, profanity expresses something very effectively if done right so there's no reason not to use it. I don't think unnecessary is the right word for what you're trying to say because I don't get it...

Fuck you.

http://www.allegro.cc/files/attachment/594472

I don't think it's done right very often, but I'll do your argument for you, "you just don't listen to rap". And what I hear I think is crap (the majority of it). However, that example you posted of Eminem doing it works well. That example Thomas just posted does too.

[edit] The me not thinking it was done right is where the "unnecessary" comes from.

if you don't like rap you mite like this
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nFnIJZyBhi0

wonder why none of this makes it to the head lines::)

EDit: i think the words are easy enough to learn its sung in a forbidden tung:o

2nds any one

how about and serving of snuff
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gY6JDLmpuWc&feature=related

Another all-time great hip-hop song by one of the founders of hip-hop:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qTea5duGTbs&feature=related

I'll stick to Rock music, but if I had favorite rappers, here they are

3. Lead vocal from Faith No More (especially "Epic")
2. Vocals on Run DMC (loved the song "Bounce")
1. Eminem (Loved "Sing for the Moment" well done remix of "Dream On")

Here is the best wrapper of all universe:

http://feliscatus.ytmnd.com/

And the proof that rapping is connected to poetry...

Ooh, I forgot Goldie Looking Chain

Don't forget Antony Carmichael.

AE.

Does this count?

some real hip-hop...

That drove me up the wall. I liked poppajah's comment.

I never linked a T-Bone song so I'll try this one outta my iTunes since I can't find anything decent by him online. Dunno what plays m4a file formats tho. Don't worry, it's cool, I live in Canada .....

iTunes, for one. It's evil though.

Winamp seems able to play it. Between those two, that should cover most everyone.

My Windows Media Player is also able to play m4a files.
I don't remember if I had to install anything for it to work.

I'd expect it to play them out of the box. It is a decade old MPEG standard supported or favoured by the majority of significant media playback devices*, after all.

• i.e. iPod, PS3, PSP, Xbox 360, Zune, Wii, Blackberry

Here's more DAS EFX. This would sound good in a mashup with the Grange Hill theme (the vocals from Das EFX overlayed on the music of Grange Hill).

AE.

"They want EFX" is one of my favorites, thanks for the reminder!

EDIT:

I have forgotten about MC Serch. Arguably, he is the best white wrapper, and only only white guy I've seen who has rhythm like a black guy and can dance like one.

And he was really the only guy to be accepted as an equal amongst black rappers (as it is obvious from the yo MTV Raps final show - he was the only white rapper to be invited).

And 3rd Bass is the best white rap group.

MC Serch was a real rapper, unlike some other guys (*cough* m'n'm cough) who don't know what rythm is...

Check it out:

gasface
pop goes the weasel
brooklyn queens
product of the environment
stepping to the AM
problem child

And here is how one freestyles:

MC Serch freestyle '07

Yo,

Here's a bumper crop of old-skool hip-hop for you all. I'm too lazy to separate the Rap from the generic hip-hop. Most of these are from the 80's, but the first one is from the 70's and the last 3 or so from the early 90's.

• Joe Bataan - Rap-O Clap-O

• Lüül - Morgens In Der U-Bahn.mp3 (this could be considered first ever German Rap song)

• Key-Matic - Breakin' In Space

• Rock steady crew - Hey You

• Rock Steady Crew - Uprock

• Break Machine - Street Dance

• Break Machine - Break Dance Party

• Mc Miker G & Sven - Celebration Rap

• Climbie Fisher - Rise to the occasion (hip-hop version)

• Krush - Looking for Love

• Wee Papa Girl Rappers - Faith

• The Beatmasters (feeturing The Cookie Crew) - Rok Da House

• Salt-N-Pepa - Tramp

• Salt-N-Pepa - Twist & Shout

• ALF - Stuck On Earth

• D-Mob - We call it Acieed

• Edelweiss - Bring me Edelweiss

• Neneh Cherry - Buffalo Stance

• Grandmaster Chicken & D.J. Duck - Check Out The Chicken

• Svullo and the Electric Boys - För Fett

• Young MC - Principals Office

• Betty Boo - Where Are You Baby

• 3rd Bass - Pop Goes The Weasel

Enjoy,

AE.

Thanks, AE. There are some real gems in that list.

EDIT:

Back to real hip hop!!! Onyx were one of the best groups of their era!

The thread is coming to an end, so it's time for some novelty songs...

• Roland Rat - Rat Rapping

• Star Turn on 45 Pints - Pump up the Bitter

• Star Turn on 45 Pints - Xmas Party

Some more Onyx:

• Onxy - Slam

• Onxy & Biohazard - Slam

AE.