Best rappers. right now. this minute.

[KoKopeLLi]

1. B.o.B - his new mixtape is better than most albums. Fuck em we Ball
2. Action Bronson - gritty, weed and food influenced NYC rhymes. Found out about him with the Blue Chips mixtape. All his other collabs are very good.
3. Macklemore and RL - Funny as fuck but also extremely talented.
4. Kendrick Lamar - reminds me of when Kid Cudi was getting big. Getting help from Dr. Dre Dosent hurt. check out good kid m.a.a.d city
5. Blue Scholars - Holding down the pacific northwest with very intelligent rhymes and good beats ta boot.

Probably forgetting others but these stick out right now

[Art Shirk]

I think we have similar tastes. Good list.

In a bit of jest, but representing the PNW is my good friend's bro. Good stuff:

"Curvy means she's too fat; voluptuous means she knows that."

[spook]

i get nothing out of rap. i'm not saying it's not legitimate, i just can't stand it. sort of like musicals.

[KoKopeLLi]

for anyone who cruises the personals on Craigs for entertainment (or otherwise), that vid is spot on. Love the album cover as well.

[AK47bp]

i get nothing out of rap. i'm not saying it's not legitimate, i just can't stand it. sort of like musicals.

Then why'd you click on the thread?

[spook]

it was there

[buttahflake]

i've been into Jinx lately, kid from Massachusetts, can really bring it.

[doughboyshredder]

Macklemore is killing it!

Loving Yelawolf right now.

PNW rapper SOL is doing it right also.

[AK47bp]

it was there

Oh. I can just imagine a road trip with the Spooks.......

Mr Spook to Mr Spook; "hey shnookums, look its a taxidermy museum at this exit, Ooh lets stop by hun, we both hate taxidermy so much but think it IS a legitimate business, we can tell the proprietors how much we don't care for his museum and then be on our way"



Kendrick gets one of my votes
http://youtu.be/cwZMsmNJ6iU


Just got Chief Keef but haven't had a chance to really listen to it yet.

[spook]

yes, two clicks and a sentence is just like that. made me hungry and tired just thinking about it.

[shroom]

kendrick far and away at the top

edit to add that rick ross, while making some stupid fucking music at times, is the best feature to a song next to k.dot

casey veggies

curren$y is consistently there lyrically

im digging action bronson and wiki (ratking) lately, that east coast sound

j cole will be there if he quits going over his own productions

[milton]

fresh from the new music thread

[dookeyXXX]

I just can't help but love all y'all late to the game rap fans.
I mean, seriously, B.o.B. is so 2010 and Action Bronson is so 2011...



I've been on a mixtape downloading tear recently with these at the top of the list

IAMSU
http://iamsu.bandcamp.com/

http://www.hbkgang.com/
(download IAMSU's new mixtape $uzy 6 $peed here)


RAPSODY
She is a solid femme fatale rapper. You can check some of her albums here: http://www.djbooth.net/index/artists/info/rapsody


TOKI WRIGHT
Stumbled upon this cat while I was listening to St. Paul Slim (solid MC who has guested on Atmosphere albums). http://soultools.com/

free mixtape here: http://soultools.bandcamp.com/album/faders


DYME-A-DUZIN
New kid outta NYC with a nice flow. https://soundcloud.com/dymeaduzin-1








Also Google "2012 Best Mixtapes" and then go wild with downloading...there's some gems out there.
http://www.google.com/search?q=%2712...&bih=940&cad=h


Other folks that I've been digging this year and recently have been:

KILLER MIKE
his latest album, R.A.P. Music is incredibly tight. The production by EL-P is solid and really highlights his flow and moves him out of the Southern underground.

BIG KRIT
Cop his mixtapes here: http://bigkrit.com/music/
This is really progressive, Southern rap that not only tells stories, but also brings back the lost art of the album.

MAC MILLER
I thought the "official" album he released was horrible, but he kills it something fierce on his mixtapes. His latest, Macadelic, is solid and one of his older ones, K.I.D.S. is damn near brilliant.


And here are a couple of interesting stories that I stumbled upon recently:

http://beatsandball.com/2012/02/09/t...ever-heard-of/


And this was a good piece from earlier in the year:

http://blogs.laweekly.com/westcoasts...f_2012_rap.php

[shroom]

yeah but if you heard bronson's verse on ASAP's new album you'd know he's peaking.

i'll second big krit. im interested to see what becomes of him, Return of 4Eva had some super strong songs, KRIT Wuz Here too, but Live From the Underground didn't live up to his skills.

never been too fond of big boi, but his remix of Pink Matter w/ Andre is dope

1train on ASAP's latest highlights a few of the best right now. Joey Badass is a boss. I woulda been happy had yelawolf and danny brown not partook. the rest of the cast kill it though

[dookeyXXX]

Check out that Google link. Some of the "Best Mixtapes of 2012" features have some interesting sounds abounding.

I actually think Live From The Underground was a solid album from start to finish, something sorely lacking in most rap releases these days. That and Return of 4Eva are pretty solid.

Also, peep out Nacho Picasso in that LA Times blog link I posted above. The production on his albums by Blue Sky Black Death is pretty killer. They are a sorely underrated production team who really know how to concoct immersive beats.

I haven't been able to get into ASAP or B.o.B. They seem a bit overrated to me with way too much autotune and pop theatrics. I like my rap a bit grittier.

There were a few other cats I've stumbled upon recently via "sonic rabbit holes" (i.e. checking out one person and finding a link to another), but I forget some of their names. I think a few of them were associated with Yelawolf (yet another cat I just can't feel).

As with any art, it's all subjective and each of our ears are tuned to different channels.

[dookeyXXX]

I always find this list interesting:

http://www.xxlmag.com/xxl-freshman-2012/

[dookeyXXX]

I rescind my previous comment about Yelawolf.
Just went back and re-scoped his Trunk Muzik and Stereo mixtapes and I'm kinda feeling dude now.
My question is why do artists such as him and Mac Miller make pretty solid music that they release for free as mixtapes, but when they get in the studio and make a proper/legit album that they sell they seem to lose some of their umph?
I've noticed this with a lot of the newer, "freshman" rappers: their mixtapes are solid, but their major label albums are kind of meh at best.

[dookeyXXX]

Cyhi Da Prynce/Cyhi The Prince is pretty solid, too.

[shroom]

these kids are gonna do some cool shit, so raw.



also, jon connor is another to look at if ya haven't, he brings some passion

[doughboyshredder]

I admittedly don't know much of shit about hip hop.

So much I hear I don't like at all, then I hear something that I love and follow that to other artists and keep going, then I forget about it for awhile.

I really got in to all of the talib kweli, mos def, common, east coast shit for a while. Then I realized recently that NW hip hop is exploding, and I'm loving all of that.

Dookey, thanks for your post, I am really digging iamsu!

Looking forward to checking out more of your recommendations.

[grubbers]

There's only one name you need to know.

[Kirby]

[dookeyXXX]

CARNAGE the EXECUTIONER
http://bandcamp.com/tag/carnage-the-executioner



LITERATI
http://literati.bandcamp.com/



HAPHDUZN





GET CRYPHY
https://soundcloud.com/getcryphy

[mmmm...pow!]

Shit, Dookey, talk about late to the party. Killer Mike dropped Monster in 2003. Definitely one of the best in the game. Macklemore is the best new (to me) MC I've heard in a while, but some that have been around a little while are still killing it - Black Milk, Termanology, El-P, Aesop Rock, Slaughterhouse, Big Boi.

[dookeyXXX]

Sugar Tongue Slim.