This thread is basically because i'm bored at work, but i just wanted to find out what the american's on here know about british hip hop, who they've listened to, what they think about it? I think a lot of guys who like underground more intelligent american hip hop, see Jigmastas, MF Doom, Eyedea & Abilities, Binary Star, Cannibal Ox, Edan, Mr Lif etc etc, would like the vibe of a lot of british hip hop.
So, what do you guys think about it? :-?
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P fan #1
Joined: Jun '08
Posts: 1,874Posted 17 years ago # -
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Posts: 195Posted 17 years ago #just to add on this, the UK has plenty of bullshizzle in the uk hip hop scene at the moment. from the outside it can be difficult to tell whats good from all the crap thats on the streets.
will be interesting to hear who the US cats have herd of -
EP
Joined: Apr '06
Posts: 281Posted 17 years ago #My personal favorite is Ty's Upwards. I wasn't feeling his newer one, Closer, nearly as much, though.
I like some Roots Manuva (haven't heard the new one yet, but heard good things about it).
I saw Dizzee Raskal when he toured through with El-p. I thought it was ok. Nothing that made me run out and buy his stuff. -
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Joined: Jun '08
Posts: 1,874Posted 17 years ago #Hmmm, TY is a great shout, Upwards is a really good album. Kind of reminds me of an early TCQ vibe. The new roots manuva album is dope, "slime and reason".
Mark is right, there is a lot of BS out here at the moment, most of it could be called Grime i guess. And it seems like a lot of the MCs i love have had enough of the game and bowed out. Tommy Evans, Braintax, Yungun (i think) Sundragon, Phi Life Cypher, Taskforce, Lewis Parker, Apollo, i don't think any of these guys are making music anymore. Lewis Parker has started producing for loads of american guys apparently, Yungun is becoming a lawyer, and Braintax has said f*ck it to hip hop and moved to australia with his family to chill.
I guess because there's such a huge amount of hip hop being generated in the states, a lot of the american fan's wouldn't have got round to sampling british hip hop.
Maybe its like british comedy, just to clever and subtle for american tastes
As for the streets, well, although i'm not a huge fan of the music, they've done a lot of good for the home grown industry, and they do have a few good songs. The one about smoking weed vs drinking beer is a treat. -
P fan #1
Joined: Jul '07
Posts: 1,415Posted 17 years ago #you smoke dodo? said: and Braintax has said f*ck it to hip hop and moved to australia with his family to chill.
Well in Birofunk (the album) that was pretty much his dream...
'Peace' Lyrics.
You know I'm moving on a positive course
In the future plan to have a 100 acres of sorts
On my ranch in France, barbecues in the summer
Cash Money's on the decks cuttin' up Funky Drummer
My kids run around freestylin' with their friends
Me and my girl plus my friends and their wives get the bends
Smoking prime marijuana picked straight off the stem
Breaking competition and my son scores a 10
Everybody to the lake at the top of the estate
Life's great! Me and my Brazilian mate Joselito
bought a crate of the finest live bait
So we push out the boats, just an hour to wait
Fresh skate on the barbi everybody congregate
Fresh fish that's my favourite dish, pass your plate
Cos tonight we watch the sunset contented
Everybody saying 'Peace' and I know that they meant it...
Fair play to Braintax.
Is a shame tho, he had skills. -
P fan #1
Joined: Jun '08
Posts: 1,874Posted 17 years ago #You're spot on Loudwon, fair play to the guy. His most recent album "my last and best album" was full of bile at the state of the world, and no doubt that perspective would make you wanna go buy some land on the west coast of Oz and just ignore the evils of the modern age. Props to braintax though, without him we'd have no Lowlife records, which is like the main biritsh hip hop label as far as i'm concerned. -
LP
Joined: Jun '05
Posts: 428Posted 17 years ago #Ye.. Uk hip-hop has definitely gone down hill a bit.. I think from around '01-'04 there were some classic albums but there really hasn't been anything lately on that kind of level. Dudes are still doin it tho... Jehst, foreign beggars, beer & rap guys are sick, yungun, Ghost, sundragon is making beats.. lewis parker has a new solo lp coming out called 'the puzzle' and other peeps too... Task Force are doin solo stuff, chester just brought out a solo lp called new mic order 2..havent checked it yet though. -
P fan #1
Joined: Jun '08
Posts: 1,874Posted 17 years ago #is sundragon still doing stuff? I'd love to hear a full length LP from that guy. I've got the 12" The Path, such a great tune. Apparently Dirty Diggers have a newish album. It's getting pretty hard to find this stuff in shops, i was in fopp the other day, and they've now got 1 and a half shelves of hip hop, and its not even hip hop, its f*cking "urban". Which is what? music that black people make? So its hip hop, RnB, soul and jazz all mixed together. wtf. Chances of finding the new Chester P Hackenpush album in there are pretty slim. Will check the Lewis Parker LP, give me some more album names SF Knight!! -
LP
Joined: Jun '05
Posts: 428Posted 17 years ago #I was a big dirty diggers fan.. I really did think they were so dope.. sadly I recently found they have parted ways but doing solo stuff. The pleasure is all mine was their last album.. had a dope tune called bang on it ft. micall parknsun. I'd jus keep checkin myspace for updates on whats fresh..it's one of the best ways to know whats goin on in the uk hip-hop world.
and also.... http://www.suspect-packages.com it's all uk and updated with new releases all the time. Jehst was who told me sundragon was making beats and I'm sure I saw he produced a 12'' or soemthing on suspect fairly recently. They have the chester lp too! have u check braintax's my last & best album? Life's solo lp, kashmere, blak twang, low key, p brothers, baby j, sir smurf lil all have recent releases all on suspect. check em!
Peace -
7
Joined: Oct '08
Posts: 37Posted 17 years ago #you smoke dodo? said: Hmmm, TY is a great shout, Upwards is a really good album. Kind of reminds me of an early TCQ vibe. The new roots manuva album is dope, "slime and reason".
Mark is right, there is a lot of BS out here at the moment, most of it could be called Grime i guess. And it seems like a lot of the MCs i love have had enough of the game and bowed out. Tommy Evans, Braintax, Yungun (i think) Sundragon, Phi Life Cypher, Taskforce, Lewis Parker, Apollo, i don't think any of these guys are making music anymore. Lewis Parker has started producing for loads of american guys apparently, Yungun is becoming a lawyer, and Braintax has said f*ck it to hip hop and moved to australia with his family to chill.
I guess because there's such a huge amount of hip hop being generated in the states, a lot of the american fan's wouldn't have got round to sampling british hip hop.
Maybe its like british comedy, just to clever and subtle for american tastes
As for the streets, well, although i'm not a huge fan of the music, they've done a lot of good for the home grown industry, and they do have a few good songs. The one about smoking weed vs drinking beer is a treat.
Ya given the fact that their are already many denominations of hip hop in the U.S. based on geographic location,culture, and media exposure it is not likely that your average "yank" who listens to hip hop is familiar with much international hip hop(give us a break yo we live in a huge country). Being far from the reach of most British influence,(i live in California)I have not met one person who listens to British hip hop(although i have met heads who like MC Solaar and he raps in French). However, most Americans are very open minded if you give us the chance so by all means recommend me some of that crumpet thumpin hip hop from across the pond.
I will enjoy anything funky or jazzy with intelligent rhymes similar to:
PUTS(obviously)
Pete Rock & CL Smooth
The Pharcyde
A Tribe Called Quest
Binary Star
J-Live -
The Architect
Joined: Feb '05
Posts: 3,618Posted 17 years ago #people making good music right now - Metabeats, Ghost, Kashmere, Soweto Kinch (doooope jazz sax player + emcee), Chester P, Foreign Beggars, Roots Manuva
plus the classic material Jehst (The Return of the Drifter), Lewis Parker (Masquerades & Silhouettes), Mark B & Blade, LONDON POSSE!
honorable mentions - Skinnyman, Blak Twang, er Klashnekoff!
oh and dont know if anyone else has heard Speech Debelle yet but im feeling her stuff so far (on Big Dada) - http://www.myspace.com/speechdebellemusic -
P fan #1
Joined: Jun '08
Posts: 1,874Posted 17 years ago #Damn, Suspect Packages dot com is a great shout. Totally forgot about that. It was my source for British Hip Hop vinyl. As for my recommendations for our american bredren:
Jehst: Falling Down
Dirty Diggers: Freakishly Strong
Braintax: Biro Funk
Lewis Parker: Its all happening Now
Yungun: The Essance
Evil Ed: The Enthusiast
Asaviour: The Borrowed Ladder
Low Life Records: Food
Fallacy: Black Market Boy
Kashmere the Iguana Man: In the Hour of Chaos
Skinnyman: Council Estate of Mind
K-Lash-Nek-Off: The Sagas Off
Thanks for the info SF Knight, i've got some online digging to do now. Can't wait to hear some dirty diggers stuff i've not heard before. Gonna check out suspect packages right now.
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