Woah, didn't know that was vanilla ice. Lol, i actually like that song :)

Heres another classic: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zJ_Iz7usojg

It only gets worse! :D

I used to be really big into rap music, but lately it's all been very uninspired and terrible. I do still follow a few artists.

First off, it's a shame no one has linked anything by A Tribe Called Quest yet.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4poAOhrsvWE

Mos Def is always a pretty safe bet, it's a shame his former partner Talib Kweli has been releasing a steady stream of garbage of late (the last RE album was a travesty).

Lupe Fiasco's first album was excellent, Food and Liquor was the the title.

As far as less known artists or groups I will recommend 5

1. Company Flow
Pretty much the gold standard for NY underground groups, far better than JMT/AOTP in my opinion.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c7_aWIA3bhA

2. Binary Star
Only released one album but it was absolutely phenomenal. Go buy it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8nVzSr3yDcA

3. Hieroglyphics/Del/Deltron 3030
All are the brainchildren of Del the Funky Homosapien. Deltron 3030 is an excellent album, and the two Hiero albums are top notch
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WKC3Y0iO1FM

4. MF Grimm/Monsta Island Czars
Grimm is another excellent MC who doesn't get nearly enough attention. His crew also released an excellent album 'Escape from Monsta Island" that although it is very hard to find (and expensive) is amazing. Some comic book fans might recognize Grimm from his graphic novel release, detailing his struggles throughout life. (Grimm is a paraplegic due to gunshot wounds).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KW260-jrgPo

And last but not least

5. MF DOOM
The king as far as I'm concerned. Terms like "greatest of all-time" get thrown around very lightly in music/sports etc, but here I think it is warranted. This man has essentially had 2 remarkable careers. One as Zev Love X, a member of the 90's group KMD and one as DOOM as his subsequent persona's. I could rant about DOOM for pages, but to avoid looking like I have some sort of man-crush on him, I'll just provide a link to one of his great songs.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E_7O7emrF6A

Note: If you look MF DOOM, look for more of his work under the following monikers
- Madvillain (Madlib production)
- Danger DOOM (Danger mouse production)
- Viktor Vaughn
- King Geedorah (buy the KD album "Take me to your leader")
- JJ DOOM
- Zev Love X (As KMD)
- DOOM

Here's some more good stuff (to me). Keep in mind that I am perpetually stuck in the previous century.

Jurassic 5 - Jurass Finish First
Pharcyde - Passin' Me By
A Tribe Called Quest - Rap Promoter
Busta Rhymes - Ill Vibe
Gang Starr - Check the Technique

Haha, I was working on this while you posted, looking for other songs to put. I think we would get along, at least when listening to tunes.

People Under The Stairs - Check The Vibe
The Movement Fam - Oh My Goodness
Time Machine - Dumbin' Out

There you go! ;)


EDIT: Btw, Excursions is one of my favorite Tribe songs, you've got good taste! :)

2 gems from 1996

De La Soul - Stakes is High http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VW3gUu0Q8a4

The Roots - Push Up Ya Lighter http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XLpu1m1feBs

You know I wasn't even sure if this thread would get started, but you all got some great suggestions already. Brings a manly, single tear to my eye.

And worse ;)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=njYB2meovaw

And a bit better :D http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4kJ9wp-mog8

Loove 90's hip-hop! Making a playlist out of this thread.
Del The Funkee Homosapien - If You Must
And of course MC Solaar, I love the drum samples he uses on his 'Prose Combat' album.
I'm wondering how many in this thread like Kingpin: Life of Crime :p

I agree! I can't believe I forgot the Pharcyde. I actualy saw them live (with Tribe) back in 2008.

Another good group is Lords of the Underground
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JFQXtAE7SiU

And of course Souls of Mischief
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1mt3vZHDiM8

And although I can't recommend him anymore, Common's first few albums were outstanding. Here's one of his old songs that was one of my favourites.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=47kNum4fxjk

Common's first 6 albums were excellent, after that he went down hill in a big way.

Jeru the Damaja also has some great songs
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pBQDWsBewSs

Infinite (The only good Canadian rapper for my money) also has excellent songs...6 of them. The link has a cool cyber-punk style video and is an all-time favourite of mine

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ubG06RD7CaQ

I will look through my record collection and post some more tomorrow that I`m surely forgetting

Because of Cypress Hill? Got their whole discography, along with Psycho Realm. Good shit.

I'm assuming hip hop is rap?... from the video links

I liked Ice T OG stuff and Ice cube, never got past that, maybe some emininem, I tend to lean towards the rockier, punkier stuff, but some stuff I liked

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zaUs4AR_bn4

Ice-T - Midnight

Midnight chillin' at A.M P.M.
Coolin' drinkin' apple juice
In Evil's BM
The sound's up loud
To attract attention
rmoraled tires
On a lowered suspension
Nardi to steer with
Alpine deck was glowin'
Bumpinn' Big Daddy
And the nigga was definitely flowin'
I was ridin' shotgun
Donald and Hen in back
Look thru the tint recognized a jack
Two brothers strolled up
Talkin' bout get out
Donald D blazed
Shot one fool thru his fuckin' mouth
Why would they step
When they know we're strapped?
I never cruise L.A.
Without a Gat in my lap
The other fool shot
Caut the E in the shoulder blade
I busted thru the ca door
That's where the nigga laid
Hen jumped out
Dropped two nines in his forehead
Evil was bleedin' bad
The car seats were turnin' red
Looked to my left
There were two more carloads
Niggas in hats and hoods
In an attack mode
And they hadn't yet begun to fight
E hit the gas
It was one past midnight!

We boned down Vernon
Right on Normandie
Left on Florence
Gettin' thru the E.T.G.'s
Spun out on Vermont
Made a left on Colden
Right on Hoover
E where we goin'?
He didn'T even answer that
Checked the reaar view
They were still out back
Where were these brothers from?
What made these brothers come
Bang! our back window
Was removed by a shotgun
Now Hen G was shot
Don caught a ricochet
These motherfuckers was ill
They didn't come to play
Bust a right turn, parked
and then we got left
Hid in the the bushes
Shot the gas tank to fake death
But would this really
Keep them psyched?
Three of us bleedin'
It was ten past midnight!

I really didn't like
How this shit was goin' down
Wrong night, wrong time
Wrong fuckin' part of town
Ya see we was deep
In the Hoover's hood
Three niggas bleedin'
That shit don't look good!
See over there red don't go
Some places red's all they know
But not our luck
Tonight we was real fucked
Borke down an alley
And we instantly had to duck
Fuckin' police on a gang sweep
No time to deal with one time
So we had to creep
Broke thru a back yard
Ran thru a vacant lot
E, Hen and Don kept up
To be some niggas shot
Shit was gettin' craazy
So I had to get busy
Hen was bleedin' worse
And Evil was gettin' dizzy
Looked in a parking lot
I needed a snatch bar
Had to hot wire
So I moved on an old car
It was a bucket, but fuck it, it had to do
Started it up
And scooped my whole crew
Two blocks later
We saw fuckin' blue lights
The pigs were behind us
It was half past midnight!

When they pulled us over
Shit got worse
I waited till they got out
And then I hit reverse
Fucked 'em up, I seen one cop fall
Threw it in gear, yo I'm outty yall
Don't know how
But somehow we got away
Lost the jackers, the cops
Dumped the G.T.A.
Made it back to the hood
Fixed the crew up
And even though Evil's car blew up
We made it home and then I crashed out
Thinkin' bout my all-night death bout
Then somethin' woke me up
From my dark sleep
The sound of fuckin' police
When they're tryin' to creep
Broke thru my door
With no goddamn warning
Looked at my watch
It was six in the mornin'!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0kul9nUImmg

EDIT or Lyrics

You know sometimes I sit at home, you know,
and I watch T.V. and I wonder what it would be like
to live someplace like, you know, the Cosby show,
Ozzie and Harriet, you know, where
cops come and got your cat outta the tree
all your friends died of old age,
But you see, I live in South Central Los Angeles and unfortunately...
SHIT AIN'T LIKE THAT! IT'S REAL FUCKED UP!

Goddamn what a brotha gotta do
to get a message through
to the red, white and blue?
What I gotta die
before you realize
I was a brotha with open eyes?
The world's insane
while you drink champagne
and I'm livin' in black rain.
You try to ban the A.K.,
I got ten of 'em stashed
with a case of hand grenades.

Tell us what to do... Fuck you!
Tell us what to do... Fuck you!
Tell us what to do... Fuck you!
Tell us what to do... Fuck you!

You know what you'd do
if a kid got killed on the way to school
or a cop shot your kid in the backyard.
Shit would hit the fan, muthafucka
and it would hit real hard.
I hear it every night, another gunfight,
the tension mounts,
on with the Body Count.

Yo, Beatmaster "V", take these muthafuckas
to South Central.

Ha ha.
Yeah
Fuck that.

I hear it every night,
another gunfight,
the tension mounts,
on with the Body Count.

Last weekend thirty-seven kids killed in gang warfare,
in my backyard.

No!
No!
No!

Yo, Ernie C., take these muthafuckas home.

Yeah.

Yeah, we in the house, Body Count fools, 1991 muthafuckas.

I hear it every night,
another gunfight,
the tension mounts,

on with the Body Count.

Goddamn what a brotha gotta do
to get a message through
to the red, white and you?
What I gotta die before you realize
I was a nigga with open eyes?
The world's insane
while you drink champagne
and I'm livin' in black rain,
don't you hear the guns
you stupid, dumb, dick suckin', bum politicians.

Tell us what to do... Fuck you!
Tell us what to do... Fuck you!
The tension mounts...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BSvD5SM_uI4

I got my black shirt on.
I got my black gloves on.
I got my ski mask on.
This shit's been too long.
I got my twelve gauge sawed off.
I got my headlights turned off.
I'm 'bout to bust some shots off.
I'm 'bout to dust some cops off.

I'm a cop killer, better you than me.
Cop killer, fuck police brutality!
Cop killer, I know your family's grieving,
(fuck 'em!)
Cop killer, but tonight we get even, ha ha.

I got my brain on hype.
Tonight'll be your night.
I got this long-assed knife.
And your neck looks just right.
My adrenaline's pumpin'.
I got my stereo bumpin'.
I'm 'bout to kill me somethin'.
A pig stopped me for nuthin'!

Cop killer, better you than me.
Cop killer, fuck police brutality!
Cop killer, I know your momma's grieving,
(fuck her!)
Cop killer, but tonight we get even, yeah!

Die, die, die pig, die!

Fuck the police!
Fuck the police!
Fuck the police!
Fuck the police!
[ Lyrics from: http://www.lyricsfreak.com/b/body+count/cop+killer_20022078.html ]
Fuck the police!
Fuck the police!
Fuck the police!
Fuck the police!
Yeah!

Cop killer, better you than me.
I'm a cop killer, fuck police brutality!
Cop killer, I know your family's grieving,
(fuck 'em!)
Cop killer, but tonight we get even, ha ha ha ha, yeah!

Fuck the police!
Fuck the police!
Fuck the police!
Fuck the police!

Fuck the police!
Fuck the police!
Fuck the police!
Fuck the police!
Break it down.

Fuck the police, yeah!
Fuck the police, for darryl gates.
Fuck the police, for rodney king.
Fuck the police, for my dead homies.
Fuck the police, for your freedom.
Fuck the police, don't be a pussy.
Fuck the police, have some muthafuckin' courage.
Fuck the police, sing along.

Cop killer!
Cop killer!
Cop killer!
Cop killer!

Cop killer! whaddyou wanna be when you grow up?
Cop killer! good choice.
Cop killer! I'm a muthafuckin'
Cop killer!

Cop killer, better you than me.
Cop killer, fuck police brutality!
Cop killer, I know your momma's grieving,
(fuck her!)
Cop killer, but tonight we get even!