My ex used to love this guy

My all time favourite has always been Akhenaton. He's got a real solid flow, a slight lisp and some kick ass lyrics.
Saw NTM live a few years ago and those old geezas still got it.

I like section d' assaut. It's like gangsta pop. MC solaar for the old skool

ouid

Pour les old schools

As everything this is a matter of taste, I do not consider that my country is really a rap nation but we had some good ones in 90's / 2000's like IAM, Fonky Family La Rumeur, Alibi Montana....
Another example

Old school: NTM, Assassin, triptick, peauple d'herb, IAM...

For their skills: sain supa krew, cut killer

New scholl... C2C

Rockin'squat (or RCKNSQT), former and leader of the the group "assassin". A legend!
Also, IAM, and Fabe (from the "scred connexion" group)

IAM and all the solo projects (Akhenaton/Shurik'n), Orelsan, Caribbean Dandee....

Im always looking for new french rap. I love it...but i dont speak French, so i never know the song names haha

Booba! 🇫🇷

Lacrim

I see the obvious MC Solaar mentioned a few times already. How about L'skadrille?

For crew, maybe 357 MP.

It's been a long time since I've delved into that scene, other than listening to Chilla in recent years.

oui!

MC Solar - hands down the best french rapper ever!

Dr Dre and Snoop Dogg - Snoop UK live debut.

Crowd was bananas, show was over sold, security got rushed multiple times, police abandoned the area, chaos for hours, fights inside the venue everywhere, open weed and crack smoking, coke sniffing, displays of weaponry, dudes getting properly jacked up for their whole shit right in the crowd inside and outside...I got robbed at knifepoint myself...lost a few quid, kept all my blood lol...

Venue was Brixton Academy, about 90/91 I reckon, whatever year it was that 'The Mirror' put Snoops picture on the front page and called him an evil bastard in the headline lol....think it was to do with him being on bail for murder at the time...

Dre and Snoop opened with 'Deep Cover' in pretty much pitch black....crowd went fucking super nuts...no word of a lie, in the first minute and a half of that song about another half dozen serious fights broke out all over the place, people running through swinging shit like woah....fucking mad shit, dre and snoop only stayed on about 45 minutes as the whole shit was out of control so they pretty much fled...crowd went even fucking nuttier...

Took fucking hours to get out of Brixton, full on road block grid lock chaos madness...

But. That 45 minutes they were on stage was honestly one of the most electrifying things I have ever seen...Dre was already a seasoned performer and Snoop was still a kid and was completely fucking amped up and rocking this huge afro that made him look kind of crazy and he was completely into stoking the fuck out of the crowd which didn't help the situation lol....

I been to a lot of hip hop shows over the years but this was on some other fucking level of mad...

Notable mentions go to KRS One, Cypress Hill and Public Enemy - seen all of them multiple times and they are some of the best live performers around, their shows never disappoint and they know how to move the crowd...

man thanks so much for sharing, I only wish I could have experienced this. I no doubt would have been robbed but alas happy... xD

Dude, I shit a brick lol....yeah...I heard a song years later by Troy Scalpels, call 'It happened' and it's his story of a night out at hip hop club gone wrong and it's got this line;

'I wish I wasn't here, but the hop hop led me, the snare drum fed me, now I'm tripping, on upturned furniture'

...lol...everytime I hear it I think of that night...get the cold chill down the back... oooooh....

awesome read

wow makes me wanna grab a time machine

Damn, that gig sounds intense. Awesome story dude ??
Jealous you got too see All the 90’s golden era on stage..

I been lucky man, seen so many amazing shows, Redman, Keith Murry, Das Efx, The Fugees, Onyx, Public Enemy, KRS, Funkdoobiest, Cypress Hill, half of Wu Tang (lol...)etc etc....pissed I never saw Pac or BIG though....I am biased but the 90s hip hop scene is the golden age for me man...give anything to go back and do it all again....

Has anybody seen ALL of the Wu in one place? I saw them in 2003 and it was only RZA and GZA plus a load of ransoms (and that UK guy they said was part of WTC)

Lol...I had three fucking goes at the Wu and still not seen all of them!...still never seen Inspectah Deck...the most under-rated of team but actually a killer mc...

Yes!!! Really is isn't he! Always loved Meth but have to admit Inspectah Deck is the most natural lyricist of them all

Yo this threads my jam. Who's sparking the blunt!?

My most notable concert. Rock the bells NYC can't remember what year. maybe 2016

Nas headling. DJ Premier and Pete Rock had a live beat battle. Cypress Hill on beforehand fucking smashed it, Mos Def and Talib Kwali are Blakstar before that.. Wu - Tang stage, got to see all the members apart from ODB. Mobb Deep were on their stage too. Lauren Hill played and brought out Pras and Wyclef to do some Fugees tracks. Can't remember who else but there were more.

Blunts, Stunts and Hip Hop man lol...

Daaammmnnn.....would love to have seen a Rock The Bells...they do quite a few of those full on 'mega tours' in the States...The 'Up In Smoke' tour would have been fucking awesome to see... Nas is one I never caught and would love too, Mobb Deep too...that must have been an awesome experience man.

Ha, the Fugees! Man they rock a live show. I actually saw the Fugees before they were big, they were actually playing as support for Das Efx lol!!! And first support at that, at like 9pm, real early, think it was K-Solo and Redman as 2nd support before Das on that one.

Yeah...it was at Subterania in West London, was funny actually....place is all hip hopped out, all carhart hoodies, tims and oversized jeans and bad attitudes lol then the fucking Fugees rock on to the stage and broke out the instruments and you can literally hear the 'what the fucks' all over lol...but shit....they started with Temple and it banged the fuck out the place...

Was very cool being such a small venue, at one point Lauren Hill was literally 4ft from my face on stage when she did that tune with the chorus 'some forget harlem' (I forget the name, very cool song) and I could actually hear her singing straight out her mouth kind of thing, (If that makes sense!?.. But like I could hear it before it hit the mic sort of thing..) and damn...raw, raw talent and soul and well....stunning woman visually you know...fried my weeded brain at the time, I was just like dazed out for 5 minutes, like ahhhhh, damn....lol...Saw her again at a sold out Wembley arena 10 years later...couldn't barely even see her on stage from my pauper seats lol...watched the whole thing on the side monitors...not the same...fuck the fame lol...

Jealous mate

Man some of those lists are insane man.

Went to see Cypress Hill at Barrowlands Glasgow last year and it was immense! Two of my favourite tapes ever Cypress Hill - Cypress Hill and Black Sunday!

Also last year went to the Blastoff Tour Gig which was great fun although a bit commercial with the likes of Shaggy (who was shit haha)

Nelly, Salt N Pepa (They were soo good man! lol), Shaggy, Mya and Blu Cantrell.

Hosted by Fatman Scoop and included exclusive appearances from UK garage stars So Solid members Lisa Maffia and MC Romeo, scene pioneer MC DT and the British duos Oxide & Neutrino, DJ Luck & MC Neat and Sweet Female Attitude.

The best rap show I never made was Tribe Called Quest ?

Beastie Boys - Wembley Stadium 1999
Supported by the Jungle Bros

Was my first proper Hip-hop gig

However...

Glastonbury the same year (I think). Jurassic 5, The Roots, Everlast and Cypress Hill (pre-beef), Scratchperverts, DOOM, Slum Village, Black Twang (with Rodney P, Skinnyman and some of Mudfam), and I've a vague recollection of seeing either Cash Money or Prodigy but can't be certain.

One hell of a weekend for Hip-hop!!

Blak Twaaaang....the lost album Dettwork South East, fucking classic, copies did change hands back in the day

Fucking Sir Rodney P!! How can I forget... I am off the play 'The Future' LP like now...and the neighbours are about to learn about 'The Nice Up'...

Cypress Hill @ Nokia Theater NYC

Jay Z at Hammersmith. Warm up act was Lupe Fiasco but Nas made an unannounced appearance as they’d just squashed the beef.

Even my ex was happy as Beyoncé also made an appearance.

Eminem @slane castle was fire! ?

Rock the Bells in Amsterdam, think it was 2009 or 10. What a line-up De La Soul, Pharcyde, Nas, EPMD. Incredible show!

Busta rhymes, nas, snoop dogg, jay-z, lil Wayne and skepta.

Busta was the best for hype, crowd was nuts.

Snoop was best for getting high, I was high as a motherfucker.

Nas was raw.

This is very hard.... but Skepta in Dublin 1 year ago... man Shutdown the place. A close second is Joey Badass in Dublin 3 years ago at the Olympia Theatre.... never forget he told this small blonde girl that things were about to get heavy.. so move to the back... she didn't... she got crushed..had to be carried out. Good Times, good times.

De La Soul on the beach down in Newquay, good times!

Eminem stade de france was a madness still not managed to see him in the uk

Insane Clown Posse put on a crazy show. Tech n9nes first show in London was crazy but I'd say Flatbush Zombies at the Ritznin Manny. Ever felt that floor bounce like that

of everything ive read in this thread i think icp is the act id most like to have seen

awesome track, thanks

rip pop smoke

simple answer: female rappers. they don't bitch they pimp

Bc then we’d be cancelling every rapper 😂 if it sounds good it runs

Cause at the moment they are grassing on them self's for trafficking gun and drugs. Look at Ransom who has been arrested on Rico charges for the above

Pity

Because they talk to quick for anyone to understand them :)

sincerity

I've seen bits of his before and he is absolutely mental lol. Defo a character thats for sure

Yes we have such a talent people, and Kraków badass motherfuckers!

thing of beauty

Will Smith - jiggy with it was co ghost written by Nas

thats kind of uplfiting ghost writing

Biggie’s "Mo Money Mo Problems" – (biggie’s & diddy’s verse) – co-written by Mase, Jadakiss, & Ed Bernard

Most well known one is Jay Z doing most of Dr Dre 2001. Run DMC - Can You Rock This was by LL cool J. ODB return to the 36 chambers was all written by Rza and Gza

really? the chronic is written by jayz?

The Chronic was written by D.O.C 2001 was mainly Jay Z. Luda did bits as well. There are videos of them doing the bars in the way Dre would so he know how to do it

My country: easy to find the good stuff.
Their country: i get the commercial shit.

this

Uk rap is rap, US rap is rap, rap is music, music is a form of artistic expression and therefore subjective. In other words one is not “better” than the other.

Having DJ’d hip hop for 20 years and created it myself for about the same length of time I’ve seen a fair amount or music referred to as rap. Even within the UK we have drill, boom bap, grime, r&b/soul influenced rap, garage and drum and bass. All of the above include rap (some more than others) and all are valid forms of expression.

Personally I’m a sucker for more boom bap leaning hip hop. Musically linked to the 90s/early 2000s but there’s plenty of modern day stuff out there and plenty of UK stuff that equals US stuff for me in terms of quality, with subject matter I can better relate to.

Just a few examples of my tastes:
Pretty much anything put out on High Focus records
Pretty much anything put out on Blah records
Pretty much anything produced by The Alchemist
Griselda

I can’t stand west side gun though his annoying voice and stupid gun noises. Sounds like a little boy. Brings down Griselda as a whole. Benny and Conway are fire though I just think the thug shit has past its sell by date. I’ll listen to 50, big L pun and prodigy if I want the thug shiz. Can’t beat it. But Harry shotta on drum n bass destroys 99% of all rappers across all genres. The guys a monster.

Boom boom boom boom!!! how can you not like Westside.

I can't even listen to American shit any more, not even the old stuff that used to be good. UK rap shits all over the US, Americans just aren't with it at all.

True. Unless all you care about is women, money, getting shot, cars and simplistic bars. Nothing intelligent to hear there. Move on. Whenever I hear America rap now, I always think to myself, imagine this in British accent... and it instantly becomes shit, technically and artistically.

the US stuff has turned very hollywood, non of it seems real or relatable anymore

US all the time. The amount of UK rap people have tried to get me to like... Just awful.

American for me..just the vibes are a lot better and authentic

yess pistach <3 totally agreed

They are both good I listen to both

CANNOT RELATE TO US RAP ALWAYS BEEN ABOUT UK FOR ME FROM SKINNYMAN TO THAT DRILL STUFF.

Uk rap for me personally mate

You've called it, the era of UK rap is upon us

is that even a question? i thought they didnt have hard drugs here

American rap has always taken first place, the amount of quality American rappers is a lot, and also guys like K-dot, J.cole... (just some examples), you can't really find their UK equivalent. However, British rap is much better nowadays, Dave for example is one of my fav rappers, so young but so talented his ceiling is incredible. I also think J Hus, Aj Tracey, Skeps, Giggs and Kano are fantastic rappers, but there is much less of quality British rappers for me personally. Like I can list of more American rappers that I like than British rappers. I'm not a HUGE fan of Drake, but a lot of credit to him for making British rap a lot more popular in the US + worldwide. But at the moment the one rapper I see breaking through to American heights of rappers is Dave, so so talented, and he has a natural knack for instruments. He also loves listening to movie soundtracks and different music as he finds it inspiring which I thought was really cool. Shows that he has a keen eye for production as well.

That's like saying French vs California wine. And guess what, y'all get to actually be Cali this time.

that's easy, charlie 2na

ROOF

2pac, pick any of his top 20 tracks. (Untill the end of time, hell razor, never had a friend like me, picture me rolling etc.)

2pac was an inspirational leader i think he could have helped around now.

What I know, i know because of Krs-One

Chuck D

Some whackerey going on in these replies, LOL.
Here’s a few…
Rakim
Chuck D
Mos Def
Large Professor (Main Source)

RIP

Macka B

Big Daddy Kane. Absolute genius. Was your favourite rapper’s favourite rapper. ...but now probably your favourite rapper’s favourite rapper’s favourite rapper. 😂

life started with GENESIS wigga

Rakim

Schooly D as well

Guru

First jazzamatazz album, but step up into the arena under his gangster name with premier is one of my favs

Inspirational - The mighty Mos Def.
For a lift - Anderson .Paak,
but this thread is young.

laugh all you want but this da mac

Someone already said Eminem

Cher

citation please

mos def, crew- tribe called quest

Just diving in because it's a music thread and I'm crazy about music. That said I love all kinds from blues to classical, from jazz to opera, and of course hard rock, synth, pop, soul and everything else - apart from rap. The one music genre that does absolutely nothing for me. Bought the 12" of "The Message" by Grandmaster Flash when it was released and still have it. And that's pretty much where it started and then ended for me...apart from the Fugees doing "Killing Me Softly", but that's all about Lauryn Hill, which is another story.

Rick Rubin changed my life - or at least had a big influence on my musical taste. I vividly remember hearing Slayer's Reign in Blood for the first time back in '87. I was gobsmacked! 28 minutes of total mayhem - it never occured to me you were allowed to do that on a record! Along with Electric by The Cult, and Licensed to Ill by the Beastie Boys, to name but a few, he has helped provide the soundtrack to much of my life.

Did I miss Mars Volta on that list? Top 3 Rick Rubin

Also Yeezus, System’s first album and One Hot Minute top tier.

and an original member of the beastie boys

I got hooked onto hip hop when I first PE LP and Ice Cube's Amerikkka's Most Wanted got released, so a long ass time ago. I think Rubin worked on Fear Of The Black Planet with PE. Their first 5 LPs are classics in my library

when u see rick rubin for the first time you would never think he produces rap albums

he is indeed a musical genius!

i come across Rick Rubin on the magna carter documentary

how does rick rubin compare to scott storch?

Not a fan of Scott Storch. In the words of Timbaland: 'you just a piano man'

Me neither.. hahah just a piano man. Indeed! He had a few true bangers in his heyday tho...

seriously

Yeah, it's mad how easily he rhymes from the top of the dome, and even when his flow speeds up, it's crazy. I remember seeing his guerrilla bars, that's what got me hooked before the pandemic/lock down began, then Omegle bars made it's debut which is sick too.

He's crazy with it!

I think a lot of people found him in the pandemic because of Omegle bars, only found him a couple of months back myself but just can't get enough. Never fails to amaze. The last one on Omegle bars 68 is my favourite at the moment but so many good ones. Other freestyle rappers use the word once and move on, he makes an entire scheme around it that all makes sense, has double meanings and uses the word in lots of different ways all while switching flows and his timing is perfect. He started as a jazz drummer which is why he is so good on timing/beats.

This is one random Omegle bars, have a look if you like rap he blows my mind.