So many people on this board either don't really mention anything more rough, or they just talk it down. There have been some really good mainstream rap albums put out lately. The name-dropping, bragging, name calling, flashiness and all that stuff adds to it. Why does it need to be intelligent?

My latest faves:

Port of Miami- Rick Ross
Pledge...to the Grind- Killa Mike
Thug Motivation- Jeezy (not that recent but still good)
King- TI

Yeah. So talk shit about mainstream rap, list some faves, etc. I just want some discussion of something NOT indie.

LoL

Right now I got my ears on Jay Jenkins (a.k.a. Young Jeezy) The Inspiration. I'm pretty much done King...with that said, I can't wait for the next one from Tip. Rick Ross...hmmmm...*does the so-so hand gesture*...ehhhh...He's aiight.

I'm really really picky with Southern Rap these days. I can't speak for everyone else, but to me they're all sounding the same right now, it's either the same G'z Up Ho's Down repetitive kinda shit or it's too friendly. Everyone's swooping in to get their cash in on the deal. You gotta stand out if you wanna get noticed.

Chamillionaire has a new record coming out in March. Other releases I'm sort of looking forward to are Lil' Flip and Z-Ro. And T.I., but I've already mentioned that (I heard he's dropping his new record this summer I'm not sure). There's another posthumous Tupac release. Quite frankly, I'm starting to get pissed off with this tupacsploitation. Much respect to his prolific work tho (maybe being used against his will).

If you wanna talk mainstream rap, just post away in any of the previous threads. 90% of the rap discussed on the threads in this hiphop forum is commercially available (I'm not sure what you mean by indie. You mean like Anticon?). It's just a fact tho that most hiphop heads on this board like to gab about rap with substance. Nothing wrong with that at all. There's a lot more to talk about with intelligent rap than rap that didn't take any creativity to write.

That's the thing that bothers me though, some shit said in more mainstream is just as real, if not more so, than the "intelligent rap". Idk man. I like it sometimes, but it just doesn't have as much appeal. If I want to listen to something that's all about "substance" (take a real hard listen to Port of Miami and tell me that it lacks substance, I don't buy it) I'm not going to rap. I like my shit grimey, rough, real. Idk man. That's why I'm lovin Pledge... to the Grind. It's rough and flashy, but there are some real statements.

I was dissapointed with Nas' new effort. It wasn't that great but there were some killer beats.

quote:

Originally posted by b0arder753:
If I want to listen to something that's all about "substance" (take a real hard listen to Port of Miami and tell me that it lacks substance, I don't buy it) I'm not going to rap. I like my shit grimey, rough, real. Idk man.

I'd be the last person around here telling you that thug rap is all pretentious shit and you should quit listening to it. Everyone here knows how much I've stood behind the pioneer of all gangsta rap --- Tupac. You like gangsta rap? Go right ahead and listen to it all day and all night. It's all good.

All I'm saying is...hiphop is NOT one-dimensional. I see hip hop as a multi-faceted genre that can cater to me no matter what kind of mood I'm in. It's practically the only genre I listen to so it's not like I go to rap only when I'm angry and I need to hear some tough shit. I listen to hiphop almost all the time. Sometime ago I used to listen to total mainstream rap, nothing else, and it's good times. Sick beats, ill joints, you get enuff of that shit with your friends and the radio. Then you discover stuff beneath the surface, and you realize, oh shit you got some good shit goin down here. That's what makes hiphop SO good. You wanna chill to some sick beats, you got em. You wanna bump to some good ol' southern rap, you got em. You wanna blaze to more low-key, laid back joints and lyrics, you got em. Hiphop has it all.

I've already listened to Port Of Miami. It's aiight, nothing special. I like a few songs on it, but they're easily duplicated in other southern albums. But that's just my humble opinion.

Yeah. I grew up on mainstream radio rap, but then swore it off and moved to more underground stuff, but lately I've just been tired of it, Idk why.

I listen to mainstream hip-hop, but only because it is fun and doesn't really require any thinking. In general, however, I would much prefer more complex lyrics and beats than that presented on BET. Don't get me wrong I like T.I., Rick Ross, The Game, and the like, but I listen with the preface that it is not as good as more intelligent artists.

I think that my favorite mainstream hip hop artist of the moment is probably Lil' Wayne, because out of the many that are in the business right now, he seems to have the most talent, best flow, and overall better lyrics. He still raps about the same shit everybody else does, he just has intelligent puns.

Jeezy is so-so, some of his tracks are good, but in generally I don't really like the "yyyeeeaaah" bullshit he adds to every single track he is on.

quote:

Originally posted by Mike:
I listen to mainstream hip-hop, but only because it is fun and doesn't really require any thinking. In general, however, I would much prefer more complex lyrics and beats than that presented on BET.

Take a listen to Scarface. He is the only rapper who I'll buy an album from before I've heard a single track. He consistantly delivers the best rap out there. He is one, of just a few, who haven't sold out to the mainstream audience.

He isn't as violent as Brotha Lynch Hung nor is he hung up on drugs as "Old School" Master P was. His raps are on true observations on situations. These are my personal faves that I always have to add to any rap CD I burn:"I Seen a Man Die", "Win, Lose, or Draw", "Inbetween Us", "On My Block", "Look Me In My Eyes", & "What Can I Do" He's even gone Christian lately & still hasn't lost his edge! Don't let the Christain part scare ya, he just puts a couple of raps on his CD's dedicated to God. The rest are still straight GANGSTA.

We need to change a few things. I ain't with that "save the fucking hood" bullshit, "treat your girl right", that shit is wack. All right? This label, we rap about Uzis, blowing motherfuckers' heads off. Know what I'm saying? "Smack your bitch up", "Shoot your motherfucking homeboy in the face", type shit. All right? ...

As far as gansta goes, DJ Khaled's new album is this years Port of Miami.

Wu Tang Clan Aint Nuthin Ta!
New album coming out, now that's real gangsta shiznit. RZA was chillin wit Gotti, now thats real gangsta.

quote:

Originally posted by /\/\1X3:
We need to change a few things. I ain't with that "save the fucking hood" bullshit, "treat your girl right", that shit is wack. All right? This label, we rap about Uzis, blowing motherfuckers' heads off. Know what I'm saying? "Smack your bitch up", "Shoot your motherfucking homeboy in the face", type shit. All right? ...

wow, you should listen to the song "Smack" By Ugly Duckling, its aimed to dillholes like you.

That was actually a quote from the horribly great film, Leprechaun V: Leprechaun in the Hood.

quote:

Originally posted by /\/\1X3:
That was actually a quote from the horribly great film, Leprechaun V: Leprechaun in the Hood.

wow, in the words of the great Mr. Taylor, "I am Salty"