JAY-Z - Please educate me fellas

[Gandalf]

I used to be into my hip-hop a few years back but not so much now. I'm still an expert though

Jay-Z is okish. But really is just one of the better commercial artists. There are far far better artists out there.

try a few of these -
Non - Phixion (listen to the track 'black helicopters').
Jedi mind tricks (check out album 'violent by design')
Saul Williams
Anit-pop consortium

And for a bit of lightweight but infectious student hip -hop its got to be Jurassic 5.

Miles, i'm not impressed. I thought you were a man of the world. Sure, acts like 50cent etc are crass and boring as sin, but there is a whole wealth of really good underground stuff. Intelligent people making intelligent music and not a single mention of hoes or guns.

If people like rap and hip hop then that's fair enough, but from what I have heard nothing has ever really grabbed me. I have a couple of Dr Dre CD's, but I never listen to them. I gave it a try, but nothing stuck. I'm willing to give anything a try musically, but if it doesn't stick, there isn't much I can do. I have two Eminem CD's too, but again interesting for a couple of days and seldom listened to again since. Admittedly, there are a handful of tracks on both albums that I think are pretty decent, but that's as far as I will go.

I'm drawn to what I think is good, and unfortunately rap has never really been something that I relate to all that much. It all boils down to individual taste I guess.

That's a much better post then your first one Hattonhammer is an idiot as usual, I didn't read past his first post.

I don't like opera, I don't listen to any opera, it just doesn't appeal to me. I'm not going to say 'Opera is shit' though because I just don't know enough about it to comment. It's fine if you don't listen to it, but if you don't listen to it then don't make judgements. It's really not that hard. I don't listen to punk, I don't say it's shit, that's disrespectful.

Jay Z in my book is the ATG, I think song for song, album for album he competes with absolutely everybody. Honestly Jaz I can't believe Eminem is in the ATG discussion. Eminem has made like 4 albums that on the whole were so-so. He's just not diverse enough in my book. Lupe Fiasco says some shit in rap that you didn't think was possible, that you could just get an education right there, but at some point that wears off too. I give him a chance but I'm not sure he will be able to stay fresh the way Jay Z has. I like Lupe Fiasco though.

Since I've been alive he's probably been the most consistently popular rapper through the times even if others passed him temporarily along the way. Fact is he has never made bad album and most have been well well above par.

Just don't let Mick in this thread, if he posts about Jay-Z it has to go in the 'irrational hate' thread

Yeah, it's unfair to just class an entire genre of music as shit when I have only skimmed along the surface. So, I am backtracking somewhat on what I said yesterday, it was a little bit rash and not thought through. I don't like rap based on what I have heard on the music channels and radio though, and nothing has really stood out for me. I've tried to make myself like a few things, but it just doesn't work. The same would go for heavy metal too, though I have never really tried to like heavy metal. I suppose there are just some genres that people don't really gel with.

[ryanman]

If people like rap and hip hop then that's fair enough, but from what I have heard nothing has ever really grabbed me. I have a couple of Dr Dre CD's, but I never listen to them. I gave it a try, but nothing stuck. I'm willing to give anything a try musically, but if it doesn't stick, there isn't much I can do. I have two Eminem CD's too, but again interesting for a couple of days and seldom listened to again since. Admittedly, there are a handful of tracks on both albums that I think are pretty decent, but that's as far as I will go.

I'm drawn to what I think is good, and unfortunately rap has never really been something that I relate to all that much. It all boils down to individual taste I guess.

That's a much better post then your first one Hattonhammer is an idiot as usual, I didn't read past his first post.

I don't like opera, I don't listen to any opera, it just doesn't appeal to me. I'm not going to say 'Opera is shit' though because I just don't know enough about it to comment. It's fine if you don't listen to it, but if you don't listen to it then don't make judgements. It's really not that hard. I don't listen to punk, I don't say it's shit, that's disrespectful.

Jay Z in my book is the ATG, I think song for song, album for album he competes with absolutely everybody. Honestly Jaz I can't believe Eminem is in the ATG discussion. Eminem has made like 4 albums that on the whole were so-so. He's just not diverse enough in my book. Lupe Fiasco says some shit in rap that you didn't think was possible, that you could just get an education right there, but at some point that wears off too. I give him a chance but I'm not sure he will be able to stay fresh the way Jay Z has. I like Lupe Fiasco though.

Since I've been alive he's probably been the most consistently popular rapper through the times even if others passed him temporarily along the way. Fact is he has never made bad album and most have been well well above par.

Just don't let Mick in this thread, if he posts about Jay-Z it has to go in the 'irrational hate' thread

Yeah, it's unfair to just class an entire genre of music as shit when I have only skimmed along the surface. So, I am backtracking somewhat on what I said yesterday, it was a little bit rash and not thought through. I don't like rap based on what I have heard on the music channels and radio though, and nothing has really stood out for me. I've tried to make myself like a few things, but it just doesn't work. The same would go for heavy metal too, though I have never really tried to like heavy metal. I suppose there are just some genres that people don't really gel with.

I knew you were a fair man really Miles.
But i don't blame you for your views actually, the stuff on music channels/radio is hip-hop at its worst (in my opinion, which is obviously not the general consensus hence they are on the radio whilst the stuff i liked wasn't).
By the way, i don't even really listen to hip-hop anymore. I much prefer the likes of Bob Dylan, Willie Mason, Brighteyes, The Jam, Johnny Cash.

[Gandalf]

That's a much better post then your first one Hattonhammer is an idiot as usual, I didn't read past his first post.

I don't like opera, I don't listen to any opera, it just doesn't appeal to me. I'm not going to say 'Opera is shit' though because I just don't know enough about it to comment. It's fine if you don't listen to it, but if you don't listen to it then don't make judgements. It's really not that hard. I don't listen to punk, I don't say it's shit, that's disrespectful.

Jay Z in my book is the ATG, I think song for song, album for album he competes with absolutely everybody. Honestly Jaz I can't believe Eminem is in the ATG discussion. Eminem has made like 4 albums that on the whole were so-so. He's just not diverse enough in my book. Lupe Fiasco says some shit in rap that you didn't think was possible, that you could just get an education right there, but at some point that wears off too. I give him a chance but I'm not sure he will be able to stay fresh the way Jay Z has. I like Lupe Fiasco though.

Since I've been alive he's probably been the most consistently popular rapper through the times even if others passed him temporarily along the way. Fact is he has never made bad album and most have been well well above par.

Just don't let Mick in this thread, if he posts about Jay-Z it has to go in the 'irrational hate' thread

Yeah, it's unfair to just class an entire genre of music as shit when I have only skimmed along the surface. So, I am backtracking somewhat on what I said yesterday, it was a little bit rash and not thought through. I don't like rap based on what I have heard on the music channels and radio though, and nothing has really stood out for me. I've tried to make myself like a few things, but it just doesn't work. The same would go for heavy metal too, though I have never really tried to like heavy metal. I suppose there are just some genres that people don't really gel with.

I knew you were a fair man really Miles.
But i don't blame you for your views actually, the stuff on music channels/radio is hip-hop at its worst (in my opinion, which is obviously not the general consensus hence they are on the radio whilst the stuff i liked wasn't).
By the way, i don't even really listen to hip-hop anymore. I much prefer the likes of Bob Dylan, Willie Mason, Brighteyes, The Jam, Johnny Cash.

I think I was just in rant mode, wine shouldn't be so cheap and the internet shouldn't be so easy to access....

Yeah, musically I'm much more inclined to listen to the kind of artists you mention above. I'm into all sorts of stuff really. Anything from The Stooges through to Grandaddy. It's usually guys with guitars and pianos. I have hundreds of CD's and only about 5 of them are rap. I'm currently listening to a lot of Michael Nyman stuff, but I am not a homosexual.

[CutMeMick]

My favorites;
2Pac
Biggie
Common
Eminem
Ice Cube
Snoop
Nas
KRS One
Big Pun
The Firm
Mobb Deep
Bone Thugs
Big L
Mos Def
Wu Tang
Dr. Dre
Talib
Ludacris
Mystical

[ryanman]

My favorites;
2Pac
Biggie
Common
Eminem
Ice Cube
Snoop
Nas
KRS One
Big Pun
The Firm
Mobb Deep
Bone Thugs
Big L
Mos Def
Wu Tang
Dr. Dre
Talib
Ludacris
Mystical

36 Chambers, possibly the greatest hip-hop album ever.

[Jimanuel Boogustus]

36 CHAMBERS OMG!!!!












This is embarrassing but fuck it...

I used to be in a little gang called the Wu-Tang Clan

We all used to love their music, i was only about 12-13 and i had then only really learned about Hip-Hop...

36 Chambers, i can't belive i forgot about that album... Just seeing it in writting gave me chills
Wu-Tang were the shit! Their whole vibe was just crazy. Thinking about it know, it was almost like religion with us

Back in the day, me & my boys used to get into loads of fights with a bunch of racists pricks from West Ham. We kinda glorified the whole Gang angle on it and called ourselves Wu-Tang. I was Inspectah Deck

But people knew us. You had the Plaistow boys, the Stratty Boys, those fucking Nazi's from West Ham... They all knew us and respected us. The Wu-Tang thing died off but my God... Thanks for the memories

''As the world turns, i spread like germs. Flush this globe of the pestilence.
The heard-headed never learn, that's my testament to those burned.
Play my position in this game of life standing firm.''

[amat]

That's hilarious man.

I discovered Wu Tang for myself in high school after hearing my brothers bump them all the time. What's funny is among me and a couple friends I would always be the Inspectah too. One time we were in my friends garage at his birthday party and there were all these 'Phoenix kids' who were basically punk rock kids who hung out at the concert hall downtown, named The Pheonix. So we're with them and it was kind of awkward because it was basically divided into 2 parts and they were on the side with the speaker system so obviously they had their shitty ass songs on. The worst was when 'Smoke 2 Joints' by Sublime came on and all these kids who supposedly lived a 'straight edge' life started singing the shit. I love Sublime so I had to do something. I creeped over there in true Inspectah fashion and changed the ipod to some Wu Tang, it always took a few minutes for everyone to notice but they kept getting tripped out and I kept doing it Was hilarious before finally we were laughing so hard we couldn't contain it, while they all thought wtf

[Jimanuel Boogustus]

Jay-Z is a weird one for me.... he's had a lot of great songs, some great albums... But for me, he's not the greatest like he often gets referred to as.

Anyway, i think the U.S scene is a bit stale these days. Lyrically, i am not hearing anything that really gets to me. Im far more in awe of what is happening on this side of the pond TBH.

Here's something that maybe is a little easier to listen to...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9_xMx...eature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cu8BVT5Yt2U

[BIG H]

Jay-Z is a weird one for me.... he's had a lot of great songs, some great albums... But for me, he's not the greatest like he often gets referred to as.

Anyway, i think the U.S scene is a bit stale these days. Lyrically, i am not hearing anything that really gets to me. Im far more in awe of what is happening on this side of the pond TBH.

Here's something that maybe is a little easier to listen to...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9_xMx...eature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cu8BVT5Yt2U

You need to check up this great British Talent

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NWdk3-9E9X4