Hip Hop you've been listening to

[GMTV]

In a Big Pun mood at the moment

[Joe Oakes]

Absolute belter of a CASISDEAD track from a decade ago which I had never heard before, with the usual artful/nihilistic/hilarious wordplay.

"Family hate me, it's a fact/it's cool though, I can take the flack/dad's side hate me coz I sell crack/mum's side hate me coz I'm black/to them I'm just some dirty n****, hurts them more to know that I stack/half a gram, that's thirty knicker, letting you know right off the bat."

Could never get into him, can't help but be biased against rappers who use obvious, barely-altered samples from number 1 pop hits to get known. Like when Pro Green shamelessly reheated 'Dub Be Good To Me'. Have some fucking integrity. The Pete and Bas stuff also reminds me of the horrific rapping granny cliche from bad 80s comedy flicks.

[bushwick]

Could never get into him, can't help but be biased against rappers who use obvious, barely-altered samples from number 1 pop hits to get known.

Are you sure you mean Cas? Can't think of a number one pop hit he's sampled to get known. His biggest track is "Pat Earrings" probably, not sample based. Ah fuck OK, do you mean the Drugs Don't Work tune he did years back? Forgot about that - yeah OK, good verses though. I see your point but that's like one song and  there's way more to him than that. Jay Z's done the same with hooks and samples, loads of folk have. Commercial 2 tape is a modern classic. Guy's a genius IMO, he's no Example! He was making straight grime for years as Castro Saint. He definitely hasn't made the most commercial moves in his career, he should be way bigger than he is really.

[Joe Oakes]

He's undoubtably talented, just find his lyrics achingly dull. Every song mentions drugs.

I think it's a problem I have with road rap in general, seeing one-dimensional artists like Potter Payper becoming mainstream is so sad to see. I guess it's what the kids find excitingly shocking before they have any real experience with drugs, like when I was blown away hearing Straight Outta Compton for the first time as a child. I even briefly believed that 2 Live Crew were the greatest band in the world. They rapped about SEX! Dangerous days.

I'm just so fucking bored with rapping about the drug trade, surely other occupations are equally exciting to hear about? I'd rather hear an album about the summer job Potter Payper had in Halfords.

CASisDEAD is more creative than most, and I definitely prefer his 80s synth style production to grime or drill, but he still sounds corny to my biased ears. I might be being unfair, but I didn't rap over the instrumental for The Drugs Don't Work, so fuck him.

Btw, never liked Jay Z either, probably not the best example of integrity. Will Smith has never written anything as bad as Jay Z's 'cake' verse, and I include the slap apology.

[bushwick]

Ah, I loved him up to and including The Blueprint. Hated Hard Knock Life at the time it came out though, don't mind it now. Not bothered about anything since tbf. However, I agree with your teenage self in that I think 2 Live Crew may in fact be the best group ever. Listened to the dirty version of "Doo Wah Diddy" for the first time in 30 something years recently and I haven't smiled that much in ages. Such a puerile and dumb record, I love it, can't help myself.

[Joe Qunt]

Potter Payper has to be least cool looking rapper ever. Looks like a Matt Lucas character.

I'm just so fucking bored with rapping about the drug trade, surely other occupations are equally exciting to hear about? I'd rather hear an album about the summer job Potter Payper had in Halfords.

You'd fucking love NF.

[Joe Qunt]

Listened to Rome Streetz' KISS THE RING and Freddie Gibbs' $oul $old $eperately.

KTR is brilliant. Gritty, impressionistic beats with hard bars. Rome is one of the best MCs Griselda have got. Looking forward to hearing more from him.

Was really underwhelmed by $$$. The rhymes are good as usual but the production is lacking. The tracks with Offset and Moneybag Yo aren't great, really generic trap. The skits inflate the runtime and leave you wanting more verses (especially that fucking shite Jeff Ross bit).

[lauraxsynthesis]

This filth

[WestHill]

[Joe Qunt]

Shit I've Listened to this Week:

UGK - Ridin' Dirty

Classic album from a criminally underrated duo. It's quite stunning how well this has aged, you can hear how it's influenced Southern hip hop.

Flyest N***a In Charge, Vol. 1 - Westside Gunn

First official release from the King of Buffalo. An interesting look at just how far Griselda have come in a relatively short period of time. Listening to a young Benny and Conway (known then as Kannon) is fascinating. Also quite funny how little WSG's lyrics have changed.

Samo's Revenge - Conductor Williams

Latest instrumental project from (for my money) the best producer in the game right now. A crunchy and terrifying soundscape, littered with unsettling samples and 8-Bit sampler texture. Highly recommended for fans of Mach-Hommy and Westside Gunn.

[bushwick]

This just came up in my feed. This channel posts obscure Memphis rap tapes, lots of gems but the sound quality is often really ropey, but this Three Sides tape from 1997 is dope as fuck. Lots of tight triplet flows and big murky horror beats: