Bassists Galore & Hip Hop

[jazzy_dave]

Well after the long pinp pong of comments from Bagrec's seventies thing and one bassist being better or more avant-garde than the other,I think it's best dropped. Now what are the reader's opinions 'bout hip-hop and rap,a subject that will divide opinions as much as anything else. For me political rap and hip-hop has,in general, more relevance than gansta rap or the type "my bling is bigger than your bling" of boastful rap (Jay Z and 50% fit into these categories).

Classic political rap has to be via Gil Scott Heron,The Last Poets,The Watts Prophets and such like. Then there is the weird off-kilter form of hip-hop best exemplified by the Anticon label - Cloudhead,Themselves amd Sage Francis. Buck 65 is also a unique rapper.

Again like any other genre theres is good stuff and bad stuff.

Comments

Hotel, Motel, Holiday Inn

[(Anonymous)]

Personally the old school pre-gangster rap of Sugarhill is my favourite stuff. Funky Four plus One, Spoony G etc. It has a wit and a charm, and yes, is boastful, but often just about their rapping skill.
Also like early Def Jam- "Rock the Bells" is still a gem, and political rap has to be Public Enemy, surely.

Gil Scott Heron is marvellous, but, I seem to remember, hated being described as "rap", he had no time for it, and saw himself as a jazz musician.

Re: Hotel, Motel, Holiday Inn

[davesmusictank.livejournal.com]

Yes i remember now that documentary where Gil Scott-Heron said he was a jazzman and not really a rapper.Same could be said of the Last Poets. Forgot to mention about the great Public Enemy - perhaps the premier political rappers. How come i forgot to mention them. Thanks.

Early hip hop or "old-skool" is certainly well worth buying,such as Grandmaster Flash. Some it was funny too,such as "Rapper's Delight".