A friend asked me to introduce her to the world of hip hop by sending her some music. I imposed a four to five album limit, primarily because of the amount of time it would take me to gather the music and send it to her but also because I figured too much more and she would have trouble digesting it (even though she is into music).
What four or five albums would you choose, and why? My selections are after the jump.
DJ Shadow’s Endtroducing (Full Frequency, 1996)
This is a classic album that captures elements of West Coast, turntablism, instrumentalism, and trip hop. It is also an album that brought the DJ back (although, I admit, the DJ’s disappearance has been exaggerated).
Various Artists’ Run the Road (Wea/Vice Records, 2005)
The best grime album out, it captures what is currently happening in hip hop (fusion with dance/electronica elements, international taste and direction, and focus on dirty/grimey sound).
Dungeon Family’s Even in Darkness (Arista, 2000)
One of the best hip hop albums, period. More important for this exercise, however, is that it captures the dirty south sound in a clean, conscious, and accessible way.
Wu-Tang Clan’s Enter the Wu Tang (36 Chambers) (RCA, 1993)
This album serves two purposes. First, it captures the East Coast sound. Second, it’s an important album in that it both reinvigorated East Coast hip hop and brought gangsta rap’s brutal lyrics and reflections to the Right Coast.
Last two are fine selections, but i dont know about the first two.
ive listened to run the road twice now, and its a little harsh as an intro.(and not particularly great to me, yet at least).
DJ shadow is great, and its good to get some instrumental in the intro, but im just not sure its a good example of ‘what you can get’ with hip hop. And as far as bringing back the dj, its not a dj album the way i wold would consider it.
My main sugestion would be to put a mixed album in there, so you get lots of different artists, and styles and your showing her mixing. I like that prodigy mix cd, maybe trade the dj shadow for a dj cam set (or dj shadow set). that dada comp is good, and so is swsrs maramix, well.
I stick with the “RTR” compilation, but probably agree with you on the switchout of “Endtroducing” for something else (maybe DJ Shadow’s “In Tune and On Time” set, which still floors me).
Thanks for the fine selections comment.
A fifth album would/should have been a Saul Williams piece to show what I think hip hop’s potential is.
I don’t know, I stitll think Jurrasic 5’s “Quality Control” is still one of the best hip hop albums out there. I like Shadow, but if your really going to do a DJ album, you might try and get a hold of Brainfreeze (might be difficult) by Chemist and Shadow…just incredible. I think the “Return of the DJ, Volume 1” is also a pretty good intro into the DJ realm.
Does your friend actually have ANY background in hip hop? You might try just putting together a couple of mix CDs and start farther back with some of the more influential (Run DMC, Tribe Called Quest, Biggy, 2 Pac, etc.) and go from there, show how old styles lead to the new styles, which might be a way to highlight why something is *good* hiphop.
DT,
Actually, a friend suggested J5’s “Quality Control” for this project and I agreed it was a good idea, but felt it was doubling up on the West Coast sound (with Shadow). (Note: A month or two ago, I listened to the album for the first time in a couple of years and was impressed at how great it still sounds. Also, just today, I told myself I needed to relisten to the album when I returned home [currently in Europe]).
Not familiar with the “Return of the DJ, Volume 01,” but I will look into it; thanks.
And her background is zero. There is nothing on which to build (except for a general distrust of hip hop because of the radio material). In the past, I would have done a mix album, but I have retired from doing mix albums (long and boring story). Now, I only do standard albums, including compilations.