Jaaakkkeee Posted November 6, 2013 Report Share Posted November 6, 2013 My view is that there is an EP worth of great material that stands-up to anything in his back catalogue. The rest is either missing something, or complete and utter shite. Bad Guy is very good, especially when the beat flips and he loses his shit at the end. Rap God is the best thing on the album. Just the way he switches between flows without skipping a beat... incredible. I don't see how anybody who's really into technical rapping could not enjoy it. The beat's a bit meh, but I think he's trying to say "I can go over a farty EDM beat and still sound better than everyone, fuck you." Brainless is the best beat on the album and more monstrous flows. Legacy is great, apart from the hook. The rest of it is pretty whack. Stronger Than I Was is one of the worst songs I have ever heard. Seriously. Worse than most of the shite in that shit songs thread. Listen to it for a laugh. Headlights is similarly bad, I just can't stand that bloke from Fun, his voice is rank. Survivor... fuck off. So Much Better... eat a dick sandwich. The Monster... eh, I think you get it. His rapping is good throughout. The hooks are universally terrible. The beats are "meh." The lyrics aren't great. Meh. So the three biggest rappers on the planet, Jay-Z, Kanye and Eminem, have all released dodgy albums this year. Nae good.Apparently he did a mixtape last year, it's on amazon, and the reviews say it's absolutely amazing. loads of absolutely brutal freestyles. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Murrr Posted November 6, 2013 Report Share Posted November 6, 2013 Apparently he did a mixtape last year, it's on amazon, and the reviews say it's absolutely amazing. loads of absolutely brutal freestyles. Sheeeit, I might have to track that down. I just like hearing him spit. Can't really be doing with his goofy horror and forced humour. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ca_gere Posted November 6, 2013 Report Share Posted November 6, 2013 Cubbiebear had a new record out a couple of months ago which slipped under my radar. http://cubbiebear.bandcamp.com/album/force-back-to-sleepSounds good so far, for but not quite as heavy and abrasive as his previous full length, though his flow is still great. http://cubbiebear.bandcamp.com/album/the-rapeHis previous album, The Rape, is one of my favourite hip hop albums. The production is huge, in a noisy and glitchy sort of way. Kinda like Dalek, but not as prog and drawn out. There's just not enough of this style of noisy hip hop around. If you know of more, I want it in my ears. Haven't listened to the whole thing so don't know if it's 100% similar but... check out Anti-pop Consortium and Doseone. Both glitchy, weird-ish hip hop. Don't know much that's 'heavy' though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jaaakkkeee Posted November 6, 2013 Report Share Posted November 6, 2013 Sheeeit, I might have to track that down. I just like hearing him spit. Can't really be doing with his goofy horror and forced humour. Some of it can be good. Most of it isn't. His humour on Slim Shady and Marshall Mathers LPs was good. As it was dark. Eminem Show humour was going downhill but not so bad. After that it was humour that 12 year olds laughed at. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paranoid Android Posted November 6, 2013 Report Share Posted November 6, 2013 I don't see how anybody who's really into technical rapping could not enjoy it. I read something recently that called Eminem the Steve Vai of rap, basically saying that year technically he's great but wouldn't want to listen to his music. As I said I've not really listened to much Eminem to agree or not but hearing that someone is technically great isn't necessarily a comment to make me want to listen to someone. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ca_gere Posted November 6, 2013 Report Share Posted November 6, 2013 He got involved with fucking Dido - at that point I knew he was no longer very relevant and didn't listen to much after that. But that first Slim Shady album is great. It's a bit of fun and he's very impressive lyrically. He's made the odd belter since then. Watching some of his freestyles is jaw-dropping. Clearly a hugely talented rapper. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Murrr Posted November 7, 2013 Report Share Posted November 7, 2013 I read something recently that called Eminem the Steve Vai of rap, basically saying that year technically he's great but wouldn't want to listen to his music. As I said I've not really listened to much Eminem to agree or not but hearing that someone is technically great isn't necessarily a comment to make me want to listen to someone. Normally I'd be the same. I've no interest whatsoever in some wanky, self-indulgent chode shredding 1,000 a pentatonic scale at 300bpm, but I'm properly obsessed with great rapping, to the point where I really can't listen to anyone with a shoddy flow. I'd say that whoever called him the "Steve Vai of rap" is full of shit, though. That's more applicable to a Tech N9ne or Busta Rhymes kinda guy, who'll mindlessly cram syllables where they don't belong to the detriment of the song as a whole. Not the biggest Eminem fan, admittedly. Infinite is his best album, for me, and it just got re-released on CD. Not really into MMLP and Slim Shady, or most of his other stuff. He does have some great songs dotted around the place though:- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iycAfp-hIPY ... and his album with Royce Da 5'9" as Bad Meets Evil is excellent from start to finish (minus the Bruno Mars song):- He spits well on just about every song on the new album, it's just a shame that he can't really put a song together any more. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Murrr Posted November 7, 2013 Report Share Posted November 7, 2013 He got involved with fucking Dido - at that point I knew he was no longer very relevant and didn't listen to much after that. But that first Slim Shady album is great. It's a bit of fun and he's very impressive lyrically. He's made the odd belter since then. Watching some of his freestyles is jaw-dropping. Clearly a hugely talented rapper. Yer neighbour was featured on Complex today. Pretty nifty: http://www.complex.com/music/2013/11/aaron-cohen-f-abgohard-nickvanexelrose-video Downloaded the mixtape when you posted the link. Must give it a listen. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ca_gere Posted November 7, 2013 Report Share Posted November 7, 2013 Yer neighbour was featured on Complex today. Pretty nifty: http://www.complex.com/music/2013/11/aaron-cohen-f-abgohard-nickvanexelrose-video Downloaded the mixtape when you posted the link. Must give it a listen. Nice one! It has that lazy production and style that isn't 100% my cup of tea but there are some really good tracks on there for sure. He also happens to be a really nice guy. Check out the Flatbush Zombies who are part of his crew and also good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jaaakkkeee Posted November 7, 2013 Report Share Posted November 7, 2013 Normally I'd be the same. I've no interest whatsoever in some wanky, self-indulgent chode shredding 1,000 a pentatonic scale at 300bpm, but I'm properly obsessed with great rapping, to the point where I really can't listen to anyone with a shoddy flow. I'd say that whoever called him the "Steve Vai of rap" is full of shit, though. That's more applicable to a Tech N9ne or Busta Rhymes kinda guy, who'll mindlessly cram syllables where they don't belong to the detriment of the song as a whole. Not the biggest Eminem fan, admittedly. Infinite is his best album, for me, and it just got re-released on CD. Not really into MMLP and Slim Shady, or most of his other stuff. He does have some great songs dotted around the place though:- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iycAfp-hIPY ... and his album with Royce Da 5'9" as Bad Meets Evil is excellent from start to finish (minus the Bruno Mars song):- He spits well on just about every song on the new album, it's just a shame that he can't really put a song together any more.I'd probably say MMLP was his best. But I like the dark stuff, and there isn't a bad song on the album IMO. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Murrr Posted November 8, 2013 Report Share Posted November 8, 2013 Nice one! It has that lazy production and style that isn't 100% my cup of tea but there are some really good tracks on there for sure. He also happens to be a really nice guy. Check out the Flatbush Zombies who are part of his crew and also good. I'm very well-versed on Flatbush Zombies. BetterOffDEAD is one of my favourite releases of the year. All three of them just have voices that are perfect for hip-hop, especially Meech. I love that guy, so gruff and charismatic. Erick Arc Elliott is a great producer as well. Probably my favourite collective in this whole "Beast Coast" movement. I find Pro Era a tad unadventurous. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ca_gere Posted November 8, 2013 Report Share Posted November 8, 2013 I'm very well-versed on Flatbush Zombies. BetterOffDEAD is one of my favourite releases of the year. All three of them just have voices that are perfect for hip-hop, especially Meech. I love that guy, so gruff and charismatic. Erick Arc Elliott is a great producer as well. Probably my favourite collective in this whole "Beast Coast" movement. I find Pro Era a tad unadventurous. They are really great. Something completely new imo. Apparently they all know each other really well - it's a much smaller scene than one would think. The 'ICK' crew my neighbor is part of has some good stuff, check it out. Abgohard I like in particular. I've been banging on about this Maffew Ragazino fella for a while (in previous posts on here) and I asked aaron (my neighbour) if he knew him/liked his stuff and he basically said 'yeah but he's way too hood for us' - so it seems hip hop here hasn't been fully gentrified yet. Which is kinda nice to know. I've posted them before but, world's fair you should check out too. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Murrr Posted November 8, 2013 Report Share Posted November 8, 2013 They are really great. Something completely new imo. Apparently they all know each other really well - it's a much smaller scene than one would think. The 'ICK' crew my neighbor is part of has some good stuff, check it out. Abgohard I like in particular. I've been banging on about this Maffew Ragazino fella for a while (in previous posts on here) and I asked aaron (my neighbour) if he knew him/liked his stuff and he basically said 'yeah but he's way too hood for us' - so it seems hip hop here hasn't been fully gentrified yet. Which is kinda nice to know. I've posted them before but, world's fair you should check out too. Not to sound like a massive hipster bastard, but I'm up on World's Fair too. More excellence out of New York. Never heard of this ICK lark though. I'll get on it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ca_gere Posted November 8, 2013 Report Share Posted November 8, 2013 Not to sound like a massive hipster bastard, but I'm up on World's Fair too. More excellence out of New York. Never heard of this ICK lark though. I'll get on it. I have no frame of reference of what people would have heard of anymore - I follow my blogs and twitter folks and listen to what's on the calendar at a few venues around here but i'm probably late to a lot of parties when it comes to knowing bout folks. What are some blogs, etc you follow out of interest? On an unrelated note... I've been rediscovering Akinyele recently. Such a great track. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Murrr Posted November 8, 2013 Report Share Posted November 8, 2013 I have no frame of reference of what people would have heard of anymore - I follow my blogs and twitter folks and listen to what's on the calendar at a few venues around here but i'm probably late to a lot of parties when it comes to knowing bout folks. What are some blogs, etc you follow out of interest? On an unrelated note... I've been rediscovering Akinyele recently. Such a great track. These keep me well-informed, and generally have their fingers on the pulse of what I'm into:- http://pigeonsandplanes.com/http://potholesinmyblog.com/http://www.kevinnottingham.com/http://www.thewordisbond.com/http://www.2dopeboyz.com/ You should check these blokes on Youtube as well. Really great critique of new releases, and discussions on the big happenings in the genre. Each of them seem to have pretty different inspirations, so you get the full spectrum of opinions: http://www.youtube.com/deadendhiphop http://www.hiphopisread.com/ used to be good, but it's pretty sparse these days. Their gif album reviews are incredible though. It's nice to have a little hip-hop enclave on here. I don't really know many people who I can really talk about hip-hop with, except my flatmate, but he's a bit more trad-minded than me. Really into this guy today. Nice vibes all-round, although Soundcloud's being a dick and won't let me cop his mixtape:- 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ca_gere Posted November 8, 2013 Report Share Posted November 8, 2013 Multi-post combo... I'm maybe behind the curve on this Nocando guy too but came across him a few days ago... Lovely stuff. I've only listened to Jimmy The Lock in full but am enjoying Tits N Explosions so far too. A self-deprecating humour to his stuff that I really like Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ca_gere Posted November 8, 2013 Report Share Posted November 8, 2013 These keep me well-informed, and generally have their fingers on the pulse of what I'm into:- http://pigeonsandplanes.com/http://potholesinmyblog.com/http://www.kevinnottingham.com/http://www.thewordisbond.com/http://www.2dopeboyz.com/ You should check these blokes on Youtube as well. Really great critique of new releases, and discussions on the big happenings in the genre. Each of them seem to have pretty different inspirations, so you get the full spectrum of opinions: http://www.youtube.com/deadendhiphop http://www.hiphopisread.com/ used to be good, but it's pretty sparse these days. Their gif album reviews are incredible though. It's nice to have a little hip-hop enclave on here. I don't really know many people who I can really talk about hip-hop with, except my flatmate, but he's a bit more trad-minded than me. Really into this guy today. Nice vibes all-round, although Soundcloud's being a dick and won't let me cop his mixtape:- mega. Cheers. Will listen to ya boi denmark today and chex out ya links too. Not on a news-related tip but http://thehiphopchipshop.com/ used to be good - it doesn't get updated much anymore I think. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Murrr Posted November 9, 2013 Report Share Posted November 9, 2013 Anyone up on this bloke? His album, Flying Colours, has some great tracks on it. Dropped through my letterbox and hasn't been switched off since. Some really inventive rhyme patterns, smooth delivery, nice beats. GOOD. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ca_gere Posted November 9, 2013 Report Share Posted November 9, 2013 I'm feeling that a lot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soda Jerk Posted November 9, 2013 Report Share Posted November 9, 2013 That track is mega. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soda Jerk Posted November 9, 2013 Report Share Posted November 9, 2013 Listened to the album just now. Pretty good. I think there's a few tracks which are a bit too laid back and sparse, but there's alot of great tracks on there. Listening to the album before, TSOL, on Bandcamp just now. Sounds a bit more consistent after one listen, though it doesn't reach the highs of the bangers on Flying Colours. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Murrr Posted November 9, 2013 Report Share Posted November 9, 2013 Listened to the album just now. Pretty good. I think there's a few tracks which are a bit too laid back and sparse, but there's alot of great tracks on there. Yeah, that's the impression I'm getting from it too. I think his lyrics come out a bit more after each listen. It's a deceptively rewarding repeat-listener. Shite, that's a terrible sentence, but you get the point. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scottyboy Posted November 9, 2013 Report Share Posted November 9, 2013 (edited) I've only a passing interest in hip-hop, but there's some been discussion the last couple of pages has piqued my interest. What makes for good "technical rapping" exactly? (unlike most I'm interested in technique for its own sake sometimes, even though I agree it doesn't always make for great art). I'm thinking maybe "switches in flow" as Murrr out it (which seems like a more scripted, monotonous version of scat to me)? Something about deliberately being behind the beat (I note Shad up there mentions this in one of this verses; I first heard about it from uber-shredder Guthrie Govan, funnily enough)? It occurs to me it might be poly-rhythmic, again much like shred-jazz-fusioneers on whatever instruments, but I'm too much of a dolt to work this out. Enlighten me. On the subject of Eminem, I've never been into him and like Paranoid Android ranked him alongside Britney Spears and Linkin Park in my teens (actually I fucking loved Linkin Park for a bit, oh well). I think his earnest Marshall Mathers stuff is generally pretty dire (and monotonous, seriously) but stuff in the more zany Slim Shady mode - even if it maybe seems a bit tired now - I can appreciate as a genuinely zany, creative approach at least (and the lines in say Slim Shady are awesome, especially for a guy who in interviews etc just didn't seem all that eloquent or even intelligent). The Frank Zappa of rap, maybe, rather than Vai (and a bit more commercial success than either). On that note, I wanted to refute all the implicit Vai hate . I think all the "wanker" stuff that's levelled at him is just lazy dismissal on the part of people who don't like instrumental music (fair enough), at the first guy who comes to mind (actually that would be Satch, but it's ok to like him). Dig deeper and his stuff is full of Hendrix taken to new heights, jazz and classical, Eastern European fusions, and casual references to Asian music most people would build a career around - if you want all that in one track, with no distortion and no solos, check out Sisters. And really, he's one of the least technique driven instrumental rockers. Maybe there's a point in there about given "technical" artists a go, or something... Way too long. Here's some real contribution, a track from an acquaintance (and it's Japanese /hipster) I come back to a fair bit: https://soundcloud.com/tydemura/w8of2grrcoxb . His other stuff is moodier and jazzier, less anthemic-autotuned. Also: that Warchild track linked a page or two back is dynamite. Edited November 9, 2013 by scottyboy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Murrr Posted November 10, 2013 Report Share Posted November 10, 2013 What makes for good "technical rapping" exactly? For me, technicality is about the complexity of the rhyme scheme, a tight flow, versatility in both of those, use of internal rhymes, multisyllabic rhymes, breath control, use of language. All that stuff. I think personality is just as important though, which is why I can enjoy something as dumb as A$AP Ferg as much as a technician like Elzhi:- Eminem's wordplay sets him apart. I believe he's fallen-off somewhat, as there are a few wonky moments on his new album, but he's been razor sharp for the majority of his career. When he applies himself, his flow is always on-point, he can spit with the best of them, and I always come away with a handful of quotables (his roots are in battling, after all). He hasn't applied his talents particularly well throughout his career though. For me, Infinite, Slim Slady and MMLP are good albums. The rest are incredibly ropey, and I'd argue that Encore and Relapse, in particular, are bloody awful. His earnest, heart-on-sleeve stuff is really cringeworthy, and when he was on drugs, he released some dreadful music. I mean, he chose THIS as the first proper track on his Greatest Hits collection:- I don't even know how to comment on that. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Murrr Posted November 11, 2013 Report Share Posted November 11, 2013 This is raw. I haven't heard a Fashawn song released after 2009, but this is right up my street. Really great, minimal beat from Evidence too. Hard. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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