real shit like NaS, Rakim, Common, Mobb Deep gets lost in the D4Ls and Soulja Boys

If you can twist it around a bit and bring it down to Contemporary R&B as they call it, which is basically upper crust hip-hop as i see it , then I'd say I'm into it . Mostly for the basslines , since I'm a bassist and I transcribe everything that has a good groove to it .

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"Everyone is judgemental, just that most are'nt honest about it... "
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"To destroy is to challege man .
      To create is to challenge god ."

I listen to a lot of hip hop from the 90s, there are a lot of great albums that I listen to regularely, Nas's Illmatic, Notorious B.I.G's Ready to Die or Dre's The Chronic to give some examples I also listen to some of the new stuff but it's not half as good as it used to be. I also listen to a lot of Spanish hip hop and some french as well.

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I listen to hip hop, but like you said, only the good stuff.  Kanye West, Talib Kweli, Mos Def, Nas, N.W.A., A Tribe Called Quest, Blackstar, MF Doom, Common, Jay Z, Danger Doom, Ghostface Killah, Wu Tang Clan, Beastie Boys, The Roots, Dr. Dre, Outkast, Snoop Dogg, Run DMC etc.

dude Reasonable Doubt and Blueprint are flawless

icecube, nwa, wutang clan, check yo head album from the beastie boys was good...that's about it

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Profizzle99 wrote Yeah, I love rap but none of the stuff you recommended. The underground market is where the true talent lies: Jedi Mind Tricks, Army of the Pharaohs, Common Market, ect... Nas is ok but these groups blow commercial stuff apart.

dont forget Immortal Technique and Virtuoso... they have some fire joints...
and yes i like hip-hop (as well as other musics)...
now adays most comercial stuff bores me though... i dont even listen to the local hiphop station (jamin' 9.45) anymore... although there is a hiphop/rap block on Emerson radio (a local collage run station) that i listen too that plays alot of local and underground rappers that i try to listen to every night its on...

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"the dominus of the black megadus"

Maybe 10 years ago, when hip-hop was the most popular music in the world, I hated Jay-Z too.  Jay was basically trying to be Puffy, and even Nas was touring with Puffy and trying to cross over.  Then the music industry tanked, there was really no point for rappers to act all pop, and Jay got back to putting out world-class music.

I can appreciate why you're coming from going on message boards saying Jay sucks, Jay ruined hip-hop.  I'm not a "fan" of Eminem or Damon-Dash era Jay-Z, and I don't "like" Rakim or Dr. Dre - I think Dr. and Rakim suck, but I can't deny that their music is "good".  Hip-Hop's so-called downfall has more to do with people not buying CDs and black artists not bothering to cross over.  Also, producers like Timberland and the Neptunes are unfortunately selling their best stuff to Maddona, Justin Timberlake, or 50 Cent - which leaves rappers producers like T-Pain - there simply aren't enough top producers to create smash-hit rap music anymore.

New Hip-Hop music is still relevant and there's good stuff out there if you keep your ears open.  T.I. is good, Kanye West is a good producer, Rick Ross is good, Nas is still good - All that happened after Jay-Z "ruined" hip-hop.  If you think hip hop is dead you're welcome to try other music - I hear "New" Country and Radio Disney are very popular.

Edit:  NutMan's right - Lupe Fiasco is pretty bad ass.  If only there was somebody with taste in charge of the music industry who could give quality artists like Lupe Fiasco a chance to make it big.  Oh right, Jay-Z made it so Lupe Fiasco is an international artist and not some weird guy who performs at block-parties.

Fluteboxing , both these dudes have talent

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