The decline of rap as a genre, a legitimate and creative channel of expression; and the dulling repetition of boring subjects by most rappers, leaves the question, Is there any hope for Rap??

And my answer is YES, I recently discovered stimulating and surprisingly complex, intelligent lyricists/poets. Talents, I had never imagined for rap. I have only being able to come up with 5 rappers. Here they are:

1. Illogic

2. Saul Williams

3. Immortal Technique

4. Aesop Rock

5. Lupe Fiasco

Pls do comply yours.

Lupe:I think the kid is the future ,am impressed with his work for now,hoping to hear more

Kay 17:
Rap

Kay 17:
stimulating and surprisingly complex, intelligent

Glaring contradictions there, so much so I am afraid to put them in the same quote. I'm scared even now, as I'm thinking when I press submit my computer or NL's servers will crash due to the dissonance...

I thought most of 9ja found average rap, most of which features 24/7 blinging, complete lack of musicality, shallowness, celebration of stoopid, misogyny, racism etc, to be "stimulating and surprisingly complex, intelligent". Well, even if they didn't, they don't seem to mind. So you should get many other compilations

Kay 17:
Pls do compile yours.

I'd rather just troll, ty.
I remember de la soul, but I didn't follow their lyrics properly. Mos def was also fun. I heard the lasers album from lupe fiasco but didn't give it much thought. I'll look these up though, there might be something there. I've heard good things about aesop rock for instance.
And I kid a bit, I don't discriminate. If it sounds good I'll listen to it. So there are the odd rap songs I listen to, just not many.

Call me old school if you like, but in my humble opinion the greatest lyricists in the rap genre are still Nas and Tupac. They are realist poets and unlike these bling bling women bashing shallow rappers we have nowadays. They used rap as a an artistic form of expression and movement for social change. You need to sit down and thoroughly listen to some of their lyrics to see what i'm saying.

Thats my 2 cents

I understand your skepticism wiegraf, on my list most these "poets" are unknown, but their abstract lyrics could beat tupac's. I think so.

Kay 17: I understand your skepticism wiegraf, on my list most these "poets" are unknown, but their abstract lyrics could beat tupac's. I think so.

Which albums to try? If you'd be so kind, as they seem to have a lot

Start with particular songs.

Aesop Daylight

Aesop Nightlight

Illogic Hate in a Puddle

Illogic Time Capsule

I never listened to some of these cats but you bet I will get 'em now

Kay 17: The decline of rap as a genre, a legitimate and creative channel of expression; and the dulling repetition of boring subjects by most rappers, leaves the question, Is there any hope for Rap??

And my answer is YES, I recently discovered stimulating and surprisingly complex, intelligent lyricists/poets. Talents, I had never imagined for rap. I have only being able to come up with 5 rappers. Here they are:

1. Illogic

2. Saul Williams

3. Immortal Technique

4. Aesop Rock

5. Lupe Fiasco

Pls do comply yours.

In no particular order

Lupe Fiasco

Rakim

Masta Ace

Nas

Eminem [At a certain period 1995 - 2004]

Soulja boy Just kidding before Seun comes and ban me from Nairaland forever

2Pac

Immortal Technique

Mode Nine

Big L

Jay-Z [Sometimes]

KRS-1

Ice Cube

Obie Trice [Sometimes]

Twista [Sometimes]

And one of my guys in Nigeria called Ozone. He's good

A day or two ago I came across undun from the roots, and only did so because it features the annoying yet ridiculously talented jesus-lover sufjan stevens. But I have to say, the whole is really, really good. Any other ones similar? I tried madvillain for instance but found it so so. Same with lasers from lupe fiasco for instance. I pay no attention to rap music so I might have missed some obvious choices. If it's all about bling though, count me out. Musicmanship is always good for me as well, more so than attitude

Kendrick Lamar
Chipmunk
Lupe Fiasco
AQ
Nas

Affiliated:

And one of my guys in Nigeria called Ozone. He's good

Here's a verse off one of the tracks He did a few years ago called "keep on moving"

I get respect with these hit tracks
even Jimm Jatt had to do a quick scratch like he got a heat rash *
I've spit raps that make the club shake like a tic-tac *
since I was ten so call me prince of the pen
I freestyle fire , good when i'm holding a pen
took punchlines a mode higher . Now you can call me mode ten *
I've got the game open time for me to stroll in
But by now you wonder why my neck is not frost bit ? *
Well I don't bite so i don't have to floss, kid *
Call me the flavor man, who the hell is sauce kid ? *
And what's with the MC's claiming that they're weird ?
If she wants to be a man, i suggest she grew a beard

I can't remember the rest of the verse but it ended like this

The whole streets knows me, i've got no beef like a skeleton *

oldies. Not so into it anymore. Caffeine dilated people downlow nas, tu pac mos def (travelln man) buba sparks, tribe called quest , kj52 (christian).