The Hip-Hop, Rap, and R&B thread

[kool-aid killer]

Okay, like the title states this thread is dedicated to hip-hop, rap, and r&b music. Discuss any and all artist who fall into one of these categories. It could be popular stuff or underground. What do you like about an artist, what dont you like about an artist? Is the music wack, or is it continually improving? And if you dislike any of these particular genres of music, please refrain from throwing in any cliche sayings (such as "rap is crap") unless you want to discuss the reasons why (maybe you object to the content) you feel that way. I will start off:

Anybody else getting a little tired of 50 cent beefing with other people? When he first hit the mainstream i didnt mind so much, because the object of his dislike was Ja Rule, someone i dont care for, but now it just seems like thats 50s lone way of selling records. How long will he pull the wool over people eyes?

[scruffziller]

Anybody else getting a little tired of 50 cent beefing with other people? When he first hit the mainstream i didnt mind so much, because the object of his dislike was Ja Rule, someone i dont care for, but now it just seems like thats 50s lone way of selling records. How long will he pull the wool over people eyes?

I always hated when rappers would beef with each other on records. Especially when they were 2 of my favorites. But I came to realize that the beefing were major facets of what got hip hop started.

[gsr-jedi]

I agree, battling has always been an integral part of hip-hop, so I've got no problems with it. My problem with 50's battles are they are strictly for publicity, especially that crap with Game. Why is he going after Nas all of a sudden? Didn't he hear how Nas ripped Jay on Ether, he can't come close to Nas. I was actually surprised, because the Fat Joe response track is actually pretty good; the Jada response is poor quality, and has some radio station call signs on it, so it's hard to hear it good. If anybody hasn't heard them, I'll post them up if you want.

Recently, I've been listening to The Last Emperor's album a lot. Have you guys heard it? For me, there are only 2 songs I skip, but everything else is good.

[JetsAndHeels]

I recently bought the cd "Documentary" by The Game. 50 is on that cd alot, with some Eminem also. Its a pretty good album, if you like the whole "G Unit" thing. If you like 50 its probably something that would suit your taste.

About the beef thing between rappers, I don't see it ever ending. It is almost a gimmick now, to boost interest and sales between the parties involved. I think its a real shame about how we have lost some rappers due to these conflicts, but given the situations they are in and the lifestyles they live, it comes with the territory unfortunately.

[kool-aid killer]

Im suprised i got some responses, i was almost certain no one would post in a thread like this.

Scruff, battling is an integral part of rapping, but it gets blown out of proportion when its two big name artists doing it. The rappers, due to the nature of their rhymes, are obligated to maintain the tough guy attitude or lose credibility and subsequently their following.

GRS-Jedi, i havent heard Fat Joe or Jadas response to 50s "Piggybank" song, so im interested. On another website somebody posted Nas' respones to the song, if anything Nas excells when he gets in a wax battle.

Fett96, i havent picked up any G-unit cds, and if i did Games probably wouldnt be the first. But i do like the beat of his current song on the radio. He seems like he could be a solid rapper, he just needs to avoid beefing so much. Its going to be interesting to see how he gets along with 50 after what all happened a couple of weeks ago.

[Kidhuman]

Modern Hip-Hop is all the same to me. The only one I can actually stand is Eminem and Ludacris. All the rest just sounds the saem. Guns, girls, shooting etc...

I say "GIMME OLD SKOOL ANYDAY" SLick Rick, Doug E. Fresh, LL, Run DMC, Curtis BLow, Big Daddy Kane. Thats when it was good music.

[El Chuxter]

I've not been much into hip-hop for several years, either. The last rap CD I bought was Speakerboxx/The Love Below, which isn't really representative of most of the stuff I hear. I have heard one song recently (I think it's by Nas) that samples Muddy Waters' "Hoochie Coochie Man" and therefore is cool.

[CaptainSolo1138]

Anything Ice Cube involves himself in is as good as gold to me. He's one of a handful of rap artists I can honestly say I like. Don't get me wrong. It's not that I don't like/appreciate rap music, it's just that I happen to like more songs than artists. For example, there are several songs by Busta Rhymes that I like, but I don't consider myself a Busta fan. Occasionally I wade into the waters of the Wu-Tang, but I actually prefer there solo albums as to what they do as a group. On that note, what is the status of the Wu since ODB's (who's "Return to the 36 Chambers" pretty much never leaves my CD player) passing?

[kool-aid killer]

I remember seeing Method Man on 106 and Park a while ago and he was asked about another Wu album. He responded by saying that at the moment nothing was on the table, not because the artists couldnt get together but mainly due to the previous couple of albums not moving many units. It seems like a lot of fans want to see it happen again, but when it does it doesnt sell well enough.

[CaptainSolo1138]

Which means I fit the mold as a Wu-Tang "fan". I liked everything up to "Iron Flag". It just didn't feel right to me.