msotoville wrote:For all those hang up on Tupac and Biggie, methinks y'all need to expand your horizons a mite.
Try listening to urban poets from that golden era(the lost school/90's) like The Roots, Lords of the Underground, Das Fx, Craig Mack, Keith Murray, Wrecks 'n' Effect, Public Enemy, Run DMC et al.....then perhaps rephrase your question!
I totally agree with you. Before commercialization of rap and remixes and renditions of the great rhymes. Have a look at the insert of a CD from Biggie or Tupacs CDs and you will see all this rappers used extracts from the old greats.
You can even go way back to the 70s sugar hill gang the rapper delight (How many remixes of this have you heard) to the 80s run DMC (walk this way.. still send shivers down my back) and dont forget salt and peppa, Public enemy and the birth of real Gansta rap by the NWA.
I totally agree with msotoville there is no best but im afraid we are seeing the worst with this new toy rappers rapping about nothing no skill, no suave, just boring beats and hyped up videos!!
There is hope though there will come a renaissance and hip hop will live as a true expression. That birth will probably not be in America but from true hip hop head from different countries like K-Shaka(kenya) K'naan (somali canadian), P square- nigeria this list just goes on and on!!
For a history of hip hop listen to commons I used to love her!! Great song!!