I understand that poptimists might not hear US hip-hop in the first place - that's a failing of the system really, whereby US rappers have no need or interest in breaking the UK, and where UK radio and media turns its nose up at US rappers - but it's been worrying and slightly depressing that poptimists basically show 0 interest in the genre. It's not even something like grime or minimal where you need to delve particularly deep into the genre to follow it - you can skim the particular rappers or producers who appeal most, or just follow the big hitz, and anyway I don't want to hear anyone complaining that following hip-hop is too much effort when everyone seemed to magically get hold of the boring Girls Aloud album within seconds of it leaking.
So my question is: why don't you YES YOU like hip-hop - what is it that puts you off even taking an interest even when someone (usually me) goes "hey listen to this it's awesome"?
And my recommendations on the year:
in terms of albums the only really essential ones I've heard are Hyphy Hitz (SERIOUSLY) and Lil' Wayne's Da Drought 3 mixtape, which is basically him doing his surreal wordplay over a selection of famous recent beats. The rhythm of his flow is totally screwy, you kind of...have to learn to count along in a very off-kilter way, it's very enjoyable doing this. Oh and pick up his Tha Carter III album from last year while you're at it.
Singles however is a nigh-on endless list of hott stuffz - no time to really write in detail but believe, every one of these is fucking incredible:
Crime Mob ft Lil' Scrappy - Rock Yo Hips ("I got 32 flavours of that bootylicious bubblegum") USDA - White Girl (esp the rmx with Lil' Wayne, Fabolous etc etc) ("you know we keep that white girl, like to call her Tammy/Born in Colombia, she moved to Miami") Gucci Mane ft Lil' Kim & Ludacris - Freaky Gurl ("I'm a freak so I don't care, just don't get nothin' in my hair") Trina - Single Again ("Stop! Wait a goddamned minute: it ain't over til I say we finished!") P Diddy ft Keyshia Cole - Last Night ("ALL CRIED OUT WITH NOTHING TO SAY") Young Buck - Get Buck ("I can serve Whitney Houston AND Bobby Brown") T-Pain ft Yung Joc - Buy U A Drank (Shawty Snappin') (eh, it's all about the bounce, not the words) Eve - Tambourine ("got you going crazy, well that was the plan") Chamillionaire ft Kelis - Not A Criminal
plus the big dumb hits obv - Mims, Soulja Boy et al.
Re: Daft Question
So my question is: why don't you YES YOU like hip-hop - what is it that puts you off even taking an interest even when someone (usually me) goes "hey listen to this it's awesome"?
And my recommendations on the year:
in terms of albums the only really essential ones I've heard are Hyphy Hitz (SERIOUSLY) and Lil' Wayne's Da Drought 3 mixtape, which is basically him doing his surreal wordplay over a selection of famous recent beats. The rhythm of his flow is totally screwy, you kind of...have to learn to count along in a very off-kilter way, it's very enjoyable doing this. Oh and pick up his Tha Carter III album from last year while you're at it.
Singles however is a nigh-on endless list of hott stuffz - no time to really write in detail but believe, every one of these is fucking incredible:
Crime Mob ft Lil' Scrappy - Rock Yo Hips ("I got 32 flavours of that bootylicious bubblegum")
USDA - White Girl (esp the rmx with Lil' Wayne, Fabolous etc etc) ("you know we keep that white girl, like to call her Tammy/Born in Colombia, she moved to Miami")
Gucci Mane ft Lil' Kim & Ludacris - Freaky Gurl ("I'm a freak so I don't care, just don't get nothin' in my hair")
Trina - Single Again ("Stop! Wait a goddamned minute: it ain't over til I say we finished!")
P Diddy ft Keyshia Cole - Last Night ("ALL CRIED OUT WITH NOTHING TO SAY")
Young Buck - Get Buck ("I can serve Whitney Houston AND Bobby Brown")
T-Pain ft Yung Joc - Buy U A Drank (Shawty Snappin') (eh, it's all about the bounce, not the words)
Eve - Tambourine ("got you going crazy, well that was the plan")
Chamillionaire ft Kelis - Not A Criminal
plus the big dumb hits obv - Mims, Soulja Boy et al.
And loads more that I have forgotten as well!