Three Forgotten Rap Stars

[JRbremer]

joell ortiz is new age new york, terrible.

the best are
Big L
Notorious B.I.G.
Wu-tang
Grand Puba
the Pharcyde
Artifacts
AZ
Nas
Dialated Peoples
Digable planets

Im forgetting alot but those are greats ones ya need to look up.

[Amir]

Where is Big L at? The dude was insane, if he was still alive he would end up better than Pac (flow was better-almost like mix of Biggie and Nas).

A Tribe Called Quest saved my life.

Pharcyde, People Under the Stairs, Camp Lo, Reflection Eternal, Pete Rock & CL Smooth (if you like ATCQ check em out), The Roots, Digable Planets are all banging.

My top 5:
1. A Tribe Called Quest
2. 2Pac
3. Mos Def
4. Notorious BIG
5. Nas

so hard...

[miraclejohan]

I don't appreciate the condescension. I'm not basing my presumptions only off of Youtube comments. I was merely using it as an example. Every single 20-and-under person I talk to forgets the three rappers I mentioned. I guess you guys don't associate with young people, because 3/4 of time I make a reference to Nas, no one has any idea what I'm talking about.

I think the problem here is that, as i posted earlier, the music industry targets young people because their minds are more easily moldable, especially if what they are being sold is billed as something "new" or "contraversial."  Sadly, much pop music (including pop-rap and pop rap dressed up like thug rap) is not either.  Still, the youth eat it up and forget or more likely ignore completely what music came before.  While NAS is still releasing albums, he is not pushed like wayne is because of  a number of reasons.  1, he's been around before, 2, he will not give up artistic license for his music, 3, he already has an established identity so the music industry cannot mold him like they do new fluff.  my point, to quote peter tosh, "you can't blame the youth of today" because they are being taught that garbage is gold while simultaneously having their taste buds and free will removed by their favorite "artists". period.

[RedsCeltics34]

Eminem is the best rapper alive.

And I dont know if any of you have heard of Joell Ortiz but IMO he is the best rapper rapping at the moment, I know Em is coming back with an album though.

Joell Ortiz is better then Nas and jay-Z

Reds, Joell Ortiz is a pretty good rapper, but he's not even on the same level as Nas or Jay-z.

Pretty good? Dudes amazing.

and IMO hes better, hes a different type then them though.

[Cassidy122690]

When I first saw the name of this thread, I thought the "forgotten" names were gonna be along the lines of Too Short, KRS-1, Big Daddy Kane, EPMD, etc...

[tenn_smoothie]

i didn't think people took these rap thugs seriously enough to ever entertain a discussion like this.

i'm hoping that you don't actually consider them musicians ??

[rickyfan3.0...]

I love all of those 3, but one thing bugs me...

Illmatic is a great album, but I feel like it is overstated just how good it is. It had great songs, but was every song that good? I remember a couple of duds on there.

De La Soul had a couple of albums that smash Illmatic, Gravediggaz had one and so did Black Sheep as far as through and through silliness.

[crownsy]

i didn't think people took these rap thugs seriously enough to ever entertain a discussion like this.

i'm hoping that you don't actually consider them musicians ??

thanks for your incredible condesending opinion of my taste in music, rest assured that it has utterly altered my taste in music. i now hold these "thugs" in as much disdain as you  .


moving on, yea, de la soul gets overlooked alot. I also reiterate that del is a great rapper over looked because of his "out thier" factor.

deltron 3030 might be on of the best concept albums of all time.

Is anyone else here a fan of Mr'lif? he's got a good sound and flow, and he's semi-local.

[Scott]

Yeah, Mr Lif is nice.  I love the "I Phantom" and "Emergency Rations" albums.

There is a load of nice stuff out there.  Another poster mentioned People Under The Stairs and I would highly encourage anyone to check them out. 

Right now I find myself listening to a lot of Sage Francis.  I find him to be really refreshing.  I really love his style of delivery and word play.

[dark_lord]

I guess I'm incredibly old school, compared to these lists. My faves are all from back in the day:

A Tribe Called Quest
Gangstaar
The Pharcyde
Hieroglyphics
Group Home
The Artifacts

etc. etc..

Anyone here ever even listened to any of those groups?

i LOVE all of these groups.  artifacts, come on with the come on, get down with the get down....classic!

[dark_lord]

deltron 3030 might be on of the best concept albums of all time.

this album is nothing short of CLASSIC!!!!! 

[makaveli]

Please, give more love for 2pac, nobody comes near him when it comes to lyrics. But I guess it's okay that you guys didn't mention him in first 2-3 pages, because HE WILL NEVER BE FORGOTTEN!!!!!

[Atzar]

Please, give more love for 2pac, nobody comes near him when it comes to lyrics. But I guess it's okay that you guys didn't mention him in first 2-3 pages, because HE WILL NEVER BE FORGOTTEN!!!!!

2Pac is about as forgotten as the tradition of presents on Christmas.  EVERYBODY - rap fan or not - knows who 2Pac is.

I'd throw The Roots in here as another overlooked artist (even though it's a band, but that's beside the point).  I really wish that their live music idea had caught on more with other big artists - anybody can put a nice beat together on the computer...

[Bankshot]

Rakim of Eric B and Rakim.  No one is a smoother rapper than Rakim.  THE BEST!!