This is a dumb question about hiphop.

Ghostface, Supreme Clientele (probably the near-exact midpoint between those two albums, stylistically)

and then with the Illmatic and the Reasonable Doubt and the Cold Vein and whathaveyou

Um I can't tell you what you'd like if you like College Dropout but if you like Wu-Tang stuff just the six solo albums by the Method Man, ODB, Raekwon, GZA, and Ghostface that got released in the year or two after the first one dropped. If you want non-Wu-Tang but sort of similar stuff then start with

Mobb Deep Infamous and Hell on Earth
Black Moon Enta Da Stage
Smif-N-Wessun Dah Shining

"cuban linx" and the first ODB are on my list already. is the first Lords of the Underground LP good? I like "Chief Rocka".

I remember it being okayish, but I also remember last hearing it in full-blast 1997 "commercial rap ew" mode

Curse Ov Dialect's 'Lost in the Real Sky'

my nickname in high school was "da grossface killah"

did you piss out the window on turnpikes?

no. i just had friends who were into the wu. my friends who liked hiphop in high school probably like dido now whereas i listened to superchunk back then and now i like chingy and a. kowalski. go figure.

Marley Marl---In Control vol 1

heiroglyphics '3rd eye vision"

Gravediggaz' "6 Feet Deep" is kinda like more gruesome "36 Chambers", and with better beats.

Well, some people seem to think that 36 Chambers is good exactly because it's lo-fi, but I don't fully agree with this. I like it's production in general and the way the samples are rough around the edges, but the beats are dull on some tracks ("Shame on a Nigga" or "Can It Be All So Simple", for example), and they're sometimes buried too deep on the mix, which is something you shouldn't do an rap record. The greatness of 36 Chambers has more to do with the rapping than the beats.

it might be a dumb question (no offence to aron) but jeesh even a lapsed head like me coulda recommended that bunch.

where there any other hiphop records that maybe i didn't see in the mainstream press or whatever in the last 10 years apart from that bunch of great (maybe) but so obvious a fool could point them out recommendations?

fer fucks sakes

"Tical" is the Wu solo record closest to "36 Chambers".

IRONMAN

Six Feet Deep is the greatest rap record of all time that isn't named Paul's Boutique.

some of these suggestions are great, some quite obvious, but its nice to have them all on one thread. thanks.

the underrated birth of a prince by the rza hits some of the same chords that kanye's album does. i don't remember many skits though. i hope that's not a problem.

9th Prince Grandaddy Flow
50 Cent Get rich or die tryin
Aesop Rock Labor Days
Afu Ra Life Force Radio
All Natural Second Nature
A Tribe Called Quest The Low End Theory
A Tribe Called Quest Beats, Rhymes and Life
A Tribe Called Quest Midnight Marauders
A Tribe Called Quest The Love Movement
Automator A Much Better Tomorrow
AZ Aziatic
Beastie Boys Paul’s boutique
Beanie Sigel The Truth
Beanie Sigel The Reason
Big Gipp Mutant Mindframe
Big L Lifestyles of the poor & dangerous
Big L Big Picture
Black Moon Diggin the the Vaults
Buddha Monk The Prophecy
Cannibal Ox The Cold Vein
Cappadonna The Pillage
Cappadonna The Yin & the Yang
Cee Lo His perfect imperfections
Chops Virtuosity
Clipse Lord Willin'
Cocoa Brovaz Rude Awakening
Common One Day it'll all Make Sense
Common Resurrection
Common Like Water for Chocolate
Cormega The True Meaning
Da Beatminerz Brace 4 Impak
De La Soul Art Official Intelligence
De La Soul De La Soul is Dead
De La Soul Stakes is High
De La Soul Bahloone Mind State
De La Soul Bionix
Dead Prez Let's Get Free
Dead Prez Turn off the Radio mixtape 1
Deltron 3030 LP
Dilated Peoples The Platform
Dilated Peoples Expansion Team
D.I.T.C D.I.T.C
DJ Andrew Unknown & DJ Mekalek Ain't No Love
DJ Babu Duck Season
DJ Babu Duck Season 2
DJ Eclipse Hip Hop Independents Day 1
DJ Hi-Tek Hitek-nology
DJ Kut Sequence Vol. 1
DJ Premier New York Reality Check 101
DJ Spinbad Underground airplay
DJ Spinna The Beat Suite
DJ Spinna The Beyond Real Experience
DJ Spinna Hip Hop Independents Day 2
Dr Octagon The Octogonecologist
Duckdown presents The Chosen Few
Duckdown Dis-edition
Dungeon Family Even in Darkness
Dwellas Last shall be first
Dwight Spits Count Bass D
El Fudge Chronic Irresponsibility
Eminem The Marshall Mathers LP
Eminem The Slim Shady LP
Encore Self Preservation
Executive Lounge Executive Lounge
Freeway Philadelphia
Fugees The Score
Ghostface Killah Supreme Clientele
Ghostface Killah Ironman
Ghostface Killah Bulletproof Wallet
Ghostface Killah Hidden Darts
Goodie Mob Soul Food
Goodie Mob World Party
Goodie Mob Still Standing
Gravediggaz The Pick, the Sickle and the Shovel
Gravediggaz Niggamortis
Gravediggaz Nightmare in A minor
GP Wu Don't go against the grain
GZA Liquid Swords
GZA Beneath the Surface
GZA Legend of a Liquid Sword
Heltah Skeltah Magnum Force
High n Mighty Home Field Advantage
Inspectah Deck Uncontrolled Substance
Inspectah Deck The Movement
J Rawls The Essence of…
J-Zone Old Maid Billionaires
Jadakiss Kiss the Game Goodbye
Jay-Z Roc la Familia…the Dynasty…
Jay-Z Life and Times of S. Carter
Jay-Z Vol. 2 Hard Knock Life
Jay-Z Reasonable Doubt
Jay-Z Blueprint
Jay-Z Blueprint 2
Jay-Z Black Album
Jay-Z & R Kelly Best of both worlds
Jean Grae Bootleg of the bootleg
Jean Grae Attack of the Attacking Things
Jedi Mind Tricks Violent By Design
Jeru the Damaja Wrath of the Math
Jigmastas Infectious
Kanye West The College Dropout
Kardinal Offishal Quest for Fire
Killah Priest Journey to Masadah
Killah Priest Heavy Mental
Killah Priest Priesthood
Killah Priest Black August
Killarmy Quiet Weapons for Silent Wars
Killarmy Love, Fear & War
Killarmy Dirty Weaponry
La the Darkman Heist of the Century
Mark Ronson Here comes the fuzz
Mathematics Love Hell or Right
Method Man Tical 2000
Method Man Tical
Method Man/Redman Blackout
MF Doom Operation Doomsday
MF Doom as Viktor Vaughn Vaudeville Villian
Missy Elliot Da Real World
Missy Elliot Supa Dupa Fly
Missy Elliot Miss-e so addictive
Missy Elliot Under Construction
Missy Elliot This is not a test!
Mobb Deep The Infamous
Mobb Deep HNIC: Prodigy of Mobb Deep
Mobb Deep Murder Muzik
Mobb Deep Hell on Earth
Mobb Deep Infamy
Mos Def Black on Both Sides
Mos Def & Talib Kweli Black Star
Mr Lif I Phantom
Nas Illmatic
Nas I Am…
Nas Lost Tapes
Nas It was written
Nas God's Son
Non Phixion The Future is now
Northstar RZA presents…
Notorious BIG Ready to Die
Obie Trice Cheers
Ol Dirty Bastard Return to the 36 Chambers
Ol Dirty Bastard Nigga Please
Outkast Skankonia
Outkast Aquemini
Outkast Atliens
Outkast Southernplayalisticmusik
Outkast Speakerboxxx/the love below
Pharaohe Monch Internal Affairs
Pharcyde Bizarre Ride…
Phife Dawg Ventilation
Popa Wu Visions of the Tenth Chamber
Prince Paul Prince among Thieves
Prince Paul Politics of the Business
Public Enemy Apocalypse 91
Q-Tip Amplified
Raekwon Only Built 4 Cuban Linx
Raekwon Immobilarity
Raekwon Lex Diamond Story
Roots Manuva Brand New Second Hand
Roots Manuva Run Come Save me
Royal Fam Yesterday, Today iz Tomorrow
RJD2 Deadringer
RZA Digital Bullets
RZA As Bobby…
RZA Ghost Dog s/t
RZA World According to RZA
RZA Birth of a Prince
Self Scientific Self Science
Shabazz the Disciple Book of Shabazz/Hidden Scrolls
Shabam Sahdeeq Never say Never
Shyheim Manchild
Shyheim The Lost Generation
Slum Village Fantastic Voyage vol. 2
Slum Village Trinity
Smif n Wessun Dah Shinin
Smoothe da Hustler Once Upon a Time in America
Snoop Dogg Paid the cost to be the boss
Sticky Fingaz Kirk Jones: Black Trash
Sunz of Man The First Shall be Last
Sunz of Man Savior's Day
Talib Kweli Reflection Eternal
Talib Kweli Quality
The Creators The Weight
The Firm The Album
The Roots Things Fall Apart
The Roots Illadelph Halflife
The Roots Phrenology
The X-ecutioners X-pressions
Tony Touch The Piece Maker
U-God Golden Arms
Various Soundbombing
Various Soundbombing 2
Various Soundbombing 3
Various Lyricist Lounge Vol. 2
Various Superrappin
Various Superrappin 2
Various Boot Camp Clik's Greatest
Various 2001 A Rhyme Odyssey
Various Word Lab
Various Hip Hop 101
Various Duck Down Records
Various Lyricist Lounge Vol. 1
Various Guess Whyld
Various Eastern Conference All Stars
Various Eastern Conference All Stars 2
Various Wide Angles
Various Independent's Finest Vol. 2
Various Independent's Finest Vol. 3
Various Fatbeats vol. 1
Various Fatbeats vol. 2
Various Def Jux 2
Various Landslide Essential Underground hip hop
Various New York State of Rhyme
Violator Vol. 1
Violator Vol. 2
Weathermen The Conspiracy
Wu Syndicate Wu Syndicate
Wu Tang Clan Enter the 36 Chambers
Wu Tang Clan Wu Tang Forever
Wu Tang Clan The W
Wu Tang Clan Iron Flag
Wu Tang Clan Wu Chronicles
Wu Tang Clan Wu Chronicles 2
Wu Tang Killa Beez The Sting
Wu Tang Killa Beez The Swarm

that should get you started, yeah

Skankonia!!!

Juggaknots---Re:Release

jeez paul thats quite a list! thanks.

Is that second Beanie Sigel album good? I love The Truth, but I got mixed signals on The Reason from people who heard it, so I never got around to it.

Also, Masta Ace deserves a mention in here somewhere.

You need a Beatnuts album, either Stone Crazy or Musical Massacre (I like the first of these two the best), although I've heard people say that their more recent stuff is very good too.

Oh and let me second Dead Prez - Let's Get Free. That's an awesome album.

W/ regards to Shame on a Nigga, thay Syl Johnson sample is fucking amazing.

already mentioned, but yeah the first Jedi Mind Tricks album Violent By Design is on a really cool cinematic tip somewhere in between Mobb Deep and Wu. the production and flows are very backpacker if that interests you at all.

the second beanie sigel album is awesome!! haven't heard the truth though

yeah was listening to that jedi mind tricks album the other day,it was on a cd-r my friend gave me,its great
its baroque-hop or something
to be honest most of the rapping didn't really stand out,but the production is worth hearing

i want to know more about the period after native tounges but before biggie. as much as i like modern, homemade productions ala timbland, neptunes, kanye, and some crunk, there is something about nyc in the early 90s... i cant put my finger on it. its the urbanness of it all. i like music that sounds very urban (though in a broad sense... some of bartok;s string quartets fit the bill just as easily as any of RZA's productions).

No, I don't. It's not the Word of God or anything, I just happen to think that if you're doing a rap track, you shouldn't bury the beats on the background of the mix. Of course there can be exceptions where it works, but I don't think 36 Chambers is one. There are no "logical fallacies", it's all just opinions, mate.

Tuomas: I also disagree with just about everything you said here, but de gustibus non est disputatem i guess.. I will mention though that you are using the word "beat" in a way that will confuse most readers.. "beat" is generally used to refer to the production as a whole, not just the drum track.

I know, but I thought I made my point clear in the previous post. I mean, sometimes you have to distinguish between "beats" as the whole production and "beats" as merely the beats. This is the case with 36 Chambers.

Tuomas: You're still using it wrong, lol. The beat is the beat, and the drums are the drums, you are talking about the drums.

Aaron: For more of that gritty early 90s NY sound you might try the early nineties Beatminerz productions for the Boot Camp CLik, like "Dah Shinin" by the Coco Brovaz aka Smif-n-Wessun, and a personal favorite of mine "Nocturnal" by Heltah Skeltah.

I thought beats = synthetic or sampled drums, which is why you usually don't call them "drums", because they aren't made with drums the instrument. I know the word is used differently in rap, but at least in electronic music (where I originally come from) beats = drum track.

and a personal favorite of mine "Nocturnal" by Heltah Skeltah.

I love "Nocturnal" as well! It's one of the best underappreciated rap albums, it'd definitely make my all time top 20. The Beatminerz' own LP "Brace 4 Impak" is pretty damn good as well.

Aaron, get Wu's Iron Flag - haterz gonna hate but it's actually the funnest Wu album and it's got better production than any of the others (hard but not rudimentary, lush but not limpid) with quite Kanye-esque touches.

Supreme Clientele is even more Kanye-esque and is brilliant as all know.

Supreme Clientele is so good that I had a Neighborhoodie made with the title embroidered on the front. Please buy it, sir.

I suggest the following, some of my favorites:

Company Flow Funcrusher Plus (I consider this practically a direct offshoot of 36 Chambers. It's worth a listen)
Black Sheep A Wolf In Sheep's Clothing
De La Soul De La Soul Is Dead
Prince Paul A Prince Among Thieves (if you enjoy Kanye and RZA beats, Prince Paul is a logical producer to shift to)
Juggaknots Clear Blue Skies Re-Release
J-Live The Best Part
Cannibal Ox The Cold Vein (this is pivotal if a Wu fan)
Common Sense Resurrection (mostly produced by the guy who taught Kanye West how to make beats (No I.D) with Common at his very best: angry and with a drinking problem. This is the next thing you should buy.)

I think that'll do for now.

i have "all of the above" by j-live and it seems too self-concious somehow. i dunno.

I found the lo-fi-ness of 36 Chambers' production immediately appealing, whereas other cleaner RZA stuff grew on me more slowly. Even when the drums don't exactly bang the tracks still achieve awesome impact thru rapping and dirty textures.

Tuomas made it pretty clear what exactly he was talking about, re. "beats", and listening to "36 Chambers" over the weekend I think he's OTM.

http://www.mac3.fanspace.com/images/lil_wayne.jpg

Lil Wayne, Lights Out
Lil Wayne, Tha Block Is Hot

I meant that *some* of the drums are quite low down in the mix. "36 Chambers" is still my favourite album ever.

Already suggested above (and one of the more obvious ones) but I'll second [i]Ready to Die[/i] as a must-own classic (Assuming you don't already have a copy).

All Of The Above is one of the most disappointing sophomore albums ever, but The Best Part is really damn solid, one of my favorite albums made in the 90's.

I personaly think that you should go ahead and cop that album Trap Muzik and just go ahead and listen to that "Rubberband man" as soon as you get it!