YO WHERE MY [Nice Gentlemen] AT?!

I think this list needs a little more Memphis stuff. There's an obvious parallel to be made between the 90s Memphis rap scene and the underground black metal scene of the same time. And the vibe, atmosphere and lo-fi quality of the records from that scene is personally what got me into hip hop. Obviously you got the classic Three 6 Mafia in the list already but I'd add some Blackout, Tommy Wright, Koopsta Knicca, N.O.D., Kingpin Skinny Pimp and Project Pat to the list

Quote:

Kanye West - Yeezus (2013)
Asshole Rap/Drill

lmao

Written by Roman Doez on 07.10.2024 at 08:52

I think this list needs a little more Memphis stuff. There's an obvious parallel to be made between the 90s Memphis rap scene and the underground black metal scene of the same time. And the vibe, atmosphere and lo-fi quality of the records from that scene is personally what got me into hip hop. Obviously you got the classic Three 6 Mafia in the list already but I'd add some Blackout, Tommy Wright, Koopsta Knicca, N.O.D., Kingpin Skinny Pimp and Project Pat to the list

Definitely a scene I've neglected, mainly cause next to Triple 6 I know almost nothing about it. Definitely checkin those names you recommended. Looks like a couple of them are associated with the group anyway. Thanks for the recs.

This is sick, I’ve never gotten too much into hip hop and mostly stuck to mainstream artists so this will be a perfect resource for me to find good stuff 🙏 my only issue with this list, how could you possibly forget the legends ICP 😤

Gotta admit that my first instinct was to search for stuff that's missing (like Little Simz or Avantdale Bowling Club), but this is also the kind of list where someone unfamiliar could randomly pick an entry, and it's a pretty good chance it's a good one. There's a couple of your personal picks I don't think I've listened to, so I'll get to them.

Written by Vellichor on 08.10.2024 at 13:41

This is sick, I’ve never gotten too much into hip hop and mostly stuck to mainstream artists so this will be a perfect resource for me to find good stuff 🙏 my only issue with this list, how could you possibly forget the legends ICP 😤

I'm shocked those guys didn't at all cross my mind while I was making this list. Not normally my style of rap but I can see them getting on down the line.

Written by RaduP on 09.10.2024 at 18:03

Gotta admit that my first instinct was to search for stuff that's missing (like Little Simz or Avantdale Bowling Club), but this is also the kind of list where someone unfamiliar could randomly pick an entry, and it's a pretty good chance it's a good one. There's a couple of your personal picks I don't think I've listened to, so I'll get to them.

That's the goal, my homie.
Gonna check those names as well. British hip hop is another field I know nuthin about, unless you count my favorite rapper MF DOOM being from the UK. I think Dizzee Rascal is the only other one on the list, and I only know him cause of Chris Rock.

Time for an update, mah sapiens.

DJ Screw | Bigtyme Vol. 2: All Screwed Up (1995) | Southern (Houston)/Chopped And Screwed
Blackout | Dreamworld (1995) | Southern (Memphis)
Master P | Ice Cream Man (1996) | Gangsta/Southern (Houston)
Master P | Ghetto D (1997) | Gangsta/Southern (Houston)
Juvenile | 400 Degreez (1998) | Southern (New Orleans)
Soulja Slim | GIve It 2 Em Raw (1998) | Southern (New Orleans)
Project Pat | Ghetty Green (1999) | Southern (Memphis)
Paul Wall | People’s Champ (2005) | Southern (Houston)
Rapsody | Laila’s Wisdom (2017) | Southern (North Carolina)
Rapsody | Eve (2019) | Southern (North Carolina)

Giving some love to the Dirty South, still digging through the tape-trading in the Memphis scene. That comparison to the 90s Black Metal scene was astoundingly apropos. I've been doing a heck of a lot of digging, just like I would dig for hidden BM demos. More from that next time around.

Shabazz Palace | Black Up (2011) | Experimental
Little Simz | Sometimes I Might Be An Introvert (2021) | Jazz/Soul/UK
White Girl Wasted | White Girl Wasted (2022) | Boom-Bap
Paradime | Period (2024) | Detroit

And a number of various odds-and-ends, including a rec from the UK, an experimental piece featuring a member from Digable Planets and another one I thought I already put on here with White Girl Wasted.

On a more somber note, I just found out as I was updating this that Ka, a recent fav of mine, passed away two weeks ago to the day, about two month after he released his masterpiece The Thief Next To Jesus, also on this list, so I wanna make a little dedication to him, because he's probably first on my list as THE most underrated MC around. People throw around buzzwords like "hard" or "real" but listening to him is like taking a walk through a street in Brownsville NY, pure and genuine and ominous as all heck. Also a legit hero, since he was a first responder fireman who saved lives during 9/11.

RIP soldier

Written by A Real Mönkey on 27.10.2024 at 02:40

On a more somber note, I just found out as I was updating this that Ka, a recent fav of mine, passed away two weeks ago to the day

RIP TO A REAL ONE

FRIEND! ...You even covered everything I knew... before metal I listened to HipHop... this list is a delight for me.
The only strange thing for me is that I focus on two Rappers. one which would be 2pac and well your choice from the "Greats Hits" of 1998. It compiles the entire career of 2pac in fact I don't remember well the songs it contains with the exception of "Hit E'm Up" and "California Love" of course the version that appeared in the music video and not the one from the album "All Eyez on Me" from 1996. Well, I just think that the choice could have been with two possible "Me Against the World" from 1995 that for overall one of my favorite albums. or "The Don Killuminati, The Seven Day's Theory" from 1996 and they are magnificent and only until 2005 could I follow the thread from there that lost me haha. Damn man you made me want to remember old times! Greetings.

Small update this time, as I round up some 2024 best-ofs that I may have missed.

Koopsta Knicca - Da Devil's Playground: Underground Solo
More Memphis. The freaking opening track samples "Wherever I May Roam" which is probably the one good song off the Black Album, so that's already a win in my book.

Danger Mouse & Black Thought | Cheat Codes (2022) | Boom-Bap
Another Danger Mouse production, and a year-ender from 2022 that I somehow never heard of until now, despite having such names as MF DOOM, Run The Jewels and Michael Kiwanuka. WOWZERS.

Philmore Green | The Grand Design (2024) | Chicago
Nice and soulful. This might top his previous work with Apollo Brown (The Cost Of Living) for me.

Skyzoo | Keep Me Company (2024) | East Coast
Way more introspective than I expected it too be, considering how much I love Retropolitan.

This has been a rock-solid year fo sho. Let's get wiggy for 2025! Merry Crip-mas and a happy Blood year to you all!

Cheerio, mates. We're taking a trip to the UK today. UK rap and grime is lit as fuck!

London Posse | Gangster Chronicle (1990) | UK
Skinnyman | Council Estate Of Mind (2004) | UK
Skepta | Konnichiwa (2016) | UK/Grime
Kano | Hoodies All Summer (2019) | UK/Grime
Stormzy | Heavy Is The Head (2019) | UK/Grime
slowthai | Nothing Great About Britain (2019) | UK

Really comprehensive beginners guide here, nice work. I'd throw some People Under The Stairs on there though

Written by Alex F on 14.02.2025 at 17:55

Really comprehensive beginners guide here, nice work. I'd throw some People Under The Stairs on there though

Another group I've seen around but never checked out. Big ups.

I feel like the new clipping. may be the first 2025 contender for this list! Just listened to it and it’s a blast!

Written by Vellichor on 14.03.2025 at 18:11

I feel like the new clipping. may be the first 2025 contender for this list! Just listened to it and it’s a blast!

Definitely stockpiling 2025 albums. clipping. isn’t normally my style of rap (Im a bit of a traditionalist) but I definitely plan on checking it out.

While I'm checking out 2025ers, I'm gonna drop some nice and gory Horrorcore for ya.

Ganksta N.I.P. | The South Park Psycho (1992) | Horrorcore
Insane Poetry | Grim Reality (1992) | Horrorcore
Esham | KKKill The Fetus (1993) | Horrorcore
Flatlinerz | U.S.A. (Under Satan’s Authority) (1994) | Horrorcore
N.O.D. | Niggaz Of Destruction (1996) | Memphis
Necro | The Pre-Fix For Death (2004) | Horrorcore/Rap Rock

I've been checking out Insane Clown Posse as well. Still on the fence on whether I really like their music, but I discovered they're in the pro wrestling business as well and it's (no pun intended) too friggin dope! FUCK EM UP FUCK EM UP HIT EM WITH A UPPERCUT

Written by A Real Mönkey on 20.03.2025 at 02:02

I've been checking out Insane Clown Posse as well. Still on the fence on whether I really like their music, but I discovered they're in the pro wrestling business as well and it's (no pun intended) too friggin dope! FUCK EM UP FUCK EM UP HIT EM WITH A UPPERCUT

I hope you know I was only joking about that, I listened to them in high school because I thought some of their songs were funny but I don’t think they’re actually good at all highly entertaining though, Killing Fields, Hellalujah and How Many Times are ones I can remember finding pretty funny!

Written by A Real Mönkey on 20.03.2025 at 02:02

N.O.D. | Niggaz Of Destruction (1996) | Memphis

Peak right there

No update this time, but I fine-tuned the scenes to list the specific area and be less vague. I'm probably nitpicking and splitting hairs at this point, but rap is all about representin' your scene after all.

East Coast
- New York and the Five Boroughs (Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens, Staten Island), Long Island
- New Jersey
- Boston, Massachusetts
- Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Midwest
- Chicago, Illinois
- Detroit, Michigan
- Kansas City, Kansas (I think Tech N9ne will be the only one with the tag)
- Minnesota
Southern (yeehaw)
- Atlanta, Georgia
- Houston, Texas
- Memphis, Tennessee
- Miami, Florida
- New Orleans, Louisiana
- North Carolina
West Coast
- Mainly California (Bay Area, Compton, LA)

Big cupcake spill on the highway!

Pink Siifu | BLACK!ANTIQUE (2025)
Larry June, 2 Chainz & The Alchemist | Life Is Beautiful (2025)
Ghais Guevara | Goyard Ibn Said (2025)
Saba & No I. D. | From The Private Collection (2025) | Midwest (Chicago)/Jazz
Premrock | Did You Enjoy Your Time Here? (2025)
clipping. | Dead Channel Sky (2025) | Experimental/Noise

2025 albums (some my own picks and some you may have seen on Wait A Minute! This Isn't Metal!)

Blu & Evidence | Los Angeles (2024) | West Coast (LA)

A nice gem from last year

Czarface (7L & Esoteric, Inspectah Deck) & MF DOOM | Super What?! (2021)
Czarface (7L & Esoteric & Inspectah Deck) | Czartificial Intelligence (2023)

Loving this group lately. Boston stalwarts 7L & Esoteric team up with legendary Wu-Tang member Inspectah Deck (among others) for comic themed hip-hop remenescent of the late, great MF DOOM (no coincidence since this was the last project he worked on)

Masta Ace & Marco Polo [Prod.] | A Breukelen Story (2018) | East Coast
Masta Ace & Marco Polo [Prod.] | Richmond Hill (2024) | East Coast

A great collaboration between East Coast legend Masta Ace and Canadian producer Marco Polo. Ace may be the star here, but this is definitely Marco's project, as the album's concept is very much his own life story.

The Perceptionists | Black Dialogue (2005) | Conscious/East Coast (Boston)

An unsung classic from Bawstan, featuring names like the ever-illustrious Mr. Lif and Akrobatic. More on the latter soon.

Injury Reserve | By The Time I Get To Phoenix (2021) | Experimental

More weird shit in the vein of clipping.; this is a tragic and abrasive album about loss and hopelessness, made in memory of a lost friend.

Avantdale Bowling Club | Avantdale Bowling Club (2018) | Jazz/New Zealand

I think the biggest surprise working on this list was finding out that New Zealand has its own hip-hop scene. I love this super jazzy and mellow piece.

Consider this the dessert to the previous Czarface main course: A spin-off album that's still technically Czarface, but instead substituting Inspectah Deck with the quirky and equally legendary Kool Keith.

Stress Eater (7L & Esoteric & Kool Keith) | Everybody Eats! (2024) | East Coast (New York)/Boom-Bap

A little artist showcase today: McKinley Dixon and his brand of jazzy conscious rap. Very Kendrick Lamar in style but with enough of his own identity.

McKinley Dixon | For My Mama And Anyone Who Look Like Her (2021) | Jazz/Conscious
McKinley Dixon | Beloved! Paradise! Jazz?! (2023) | Jazz/Conscious

Nobody says it's pretty here; nobody says it's easy either
What it is is decisive and if you pay attention to the street plans, all laid out, the City can't hurt you

Another artist focus:



Mr. Pimp-My-Ride himself, the X-to-the-Z... Xzibit! Turns out before he turned to reality TV, he released a couple of very good, very solid albums in the late 90s. His later albums when he gets noticed by Dr. Dre are also fine, but way more commercial-sounding. YMMV.

Xzibit | At The Speed Of Life (1996) | West Coast (LA)/Hardcore
Xzibit | 40 Dayz & 40 Nightz (1998) | West Coast (LA)/Hardcore

Even in the far reaches of the hip-hop scene, Ozzy (and obviously by extension Black Sabbath) had a hand in not just shaping its own heavy metal scene but also influencing the rap game.


Samples "Black Sabbath"




Featuring Metal Church


Not technically rap, but man this cover is awesome. T-Pain rules.

I just now realized that Dead is in the cover pic of your list instead of Eazy-E 😂 bro you're insane I love it.

Written by Guib on 25.07.2025 at 21:36

I just now realized that Dead is in the cover pic of your list instead of Eazy-E 😂 bro you're insane I love it.

You'd better believe it.

Wish I could remember where I found that image.

10 thumbs up! YIPPEE! Gonna celebrate with a big update. We're going to complete opposite ends of the country, from the hazy alleyways of New York to the sunny beaches of California.

Capone-n-Noreaga | The War Report (1997) | East Coast (Queens)
Mobb Deep part deux. Similar gritty urban sound and atmosphere, they even guest on a few songs.

Camp Lo | Uptown Saturday Night (1997) | East Coast (Bronx)
Bouncy and funky and surprisingly accessible. This is a feel-good album full of vibes.

Cormega | The True Meaning (2002) | East Coast (Queens)
Rap at its most barebones: A beat and the truth. Great production. Check The Realness as well.

Tim Dog | Penicillin On Wax (1991) | East Coast (Bronx)
Tim Dog hated NWA so much that he wrote a whole album about it. Who actually won the "beef" is kind of a foregone conclusion (I'm pretty sure the members of NWA didn't even know he existed), but whatever. This isn't the most excellent album ever, but still fun. Features Kool Keith and the rest of Ultramagnetic MCs.

YG | My Krazy Life (2014) | West Coast (Compton)
YG | Still Brazy (2016) | West Coast (Compton)
MUSTARD ON THE BEAT BRO. This is the kind of rap that rules the charts and most purists will scoff at but its a very well put together album featuring big names (and Drake before he got his pansy-ass whooped in the Lamer feud). If you want it a touch darker and more political, check out Still Brazy. I didn't care for it as much as this but it's still worth a listen.

Murs & 9th Wonder | Murs 3:16 The 9th Edition (2004) | West Coast (LA)
Murs & 9th Wonder | Murray's Revenge (2006) | West Coast (LA)
Now for a more underground, and more subtle a lowkey piece. The staggeringly talented Murs teams up with 9th Wonder, esteemed producer of Little Brother, to created short but sweet palette cleansers.

Jay Rock | Redemption (2018) | West Coast (LA)
Jay Rock's peak, featuring a more stripped-down rendition of King's Dead from the equally awesome Black Panther soundtrack.

People Under The Stairs | O.S.T. (2002) | West Coast (LA)
Dilated Peoples | Expansion Team (2001) | West Coast (LA)
Two groups I have been shamefully neglecting for a long time. Thanks for the rec on PUTS, Alex!

20 years ago, the city of New Orleans was utterly decimated by Hurricane Katrina, and it can be argued they never truly recovered from it. This is mirrored in the city’s own hip hop scene. Once upon a time, NOLA Hip Hop was on top of the world, with two labels at the forefront: No Limits Records and Cash Money Records. The two companies created an assembly line of Southern rap with common themes: a quantity-over-quality approach with albums reaching over an hour with up to 20 songs, the gaudy but vibrant Pen-And-Pixels album covers and the numerous guest appearances by label-mates. The sound was sweaty, swampy and bouncy excess (mainly thanks to in-house producers like Beats By The Pound for No Limit and Mannie Fresh for Cash Money), like a hot summer block party put on CD.
So, on the anniversary of this tragedy, here’s some fresh New Orleans sounds that’ll make you say UHHH!


T.R.U. (Master P, C-Murder & Slikk the Shocker) | Tru 2 Da Game (1997) | Southern (New Orleans)
A sprawling double album by the No Limit supergroup, intimidating in length but more than enough good tunes to keep you enthralled.

Slikk the Shocker | Charge It 2 Da Game (1998) | Southern (New Orleans)
I’ma be real: Slikk isn’t a good rapper; he’s awkward and has bad pacing against the beat. Fortunately, he exudes confidence in spades, and the extravagant production work by Beats By The Pound is worth the price of admission alone.

Fiend | There’s One In Every Family (1998) | Southern (New Orleans)
An underrated member of No Limit, Fiend is a pro and once again BBTP bring their A-game.

C-Murder | Life Of Death (1998) | Southern (New Orleans)
Mac | World War III (1999) | Southern (New Orleans)
These two gentlemen have one sad thing in common: They’re young artists whose promising career was cut short by their becoming victims of a flawed justice system. Mac was convicted of a nightclub shooting on flimsy evidence and C-Murder was indicted on the murder of a fan before it was found that numerous witnesses were likely forced into testifying. Mac was released in 2021 after a 20 year sentence, while C-Murder remains incarcerated.


Hot Boys (Juvenile, B.G., Turk & Lil' Wayne) | Guerilla Warfare (1999) | Southern (New Orleans)
Another supergroup, featuring a young Lil’ Wayne.

B.G. | Chopper City In The Ghetto (1999) | Southern (New Orleans)
B.G. got that bling-bling. Vintage Cash Money.

Mannie Fresh | The Mind Of Mannie Fresh (2004) | Southern (New Orleans)
If you listened to any song from the Cash Money repertoire, there’s a good chance Mannie Fresh produced it. He’s damn good at what he does, and he proves it on his own album. This is a maximalist look into The Mind of one of the Dirty South’s best producers.

Lil’ Wayne | Tha Carter (2004) | Southern (New Orleans)
A transition period between Cash Money Hot Boy Lil’ Wayne and the franchise player we know today. I already have Tha Carter II on here but I think I might prefer this one.

Post-Katrina albums to come.

Really good list

2025 is a pretty good year for Hip-Hop imo. I really enjoyed the last Clipse album, Pharrell Williams did a fantastic job with the production. McKinkley Dixon jazzy record and billy woods spooky one are both great too.