Can you taste the irony?

Jedi Mind Tricks is really good to start out with.

Thanks, I'd always heard about them way back when. I'll have to check them out. I'm looking for some new music for the gym.

Papoose is great for the gym.

Jurassic 5. Find.

Atmosphere

Dalek - Absence

Jurassic 5 - Quality Control
Blackalicious - Blazing Arrow
A Tribe Called Quest - The Low End Theory
Jedi Mind Tricks - Visions of Gandhi
Black Star - s/t
Tech N9ne - Absolute Power
Wu-Tang Clan - Enter the 36 Chambers
Public Enemy - It Takes A Nation of Millions
Hieroglyphics - Full Circle
Mr. Lif - Emergency Rations EP
Dead Prez - Let's Get Free
Aesop Rock - Labor Days
Heiruspecs - A Tiger Dancing
Gift of Gab - 4th Dimensonal Rocketships Going Up

Clipse - Hell Hath No Fury

Lady Sovereign
Common
1200 Techniques
Atarilogic & Alaska Westwind [doubt you'll find them at all, they are a local[as in near uni] group but here's their myspace]

Deltron 3030

Gavin Castleton
Del Tha Funkee Homosapien

God she pisses me off.

Edan. Though he isn't typical at all. At least, his second album isn't.

Erm ... well ... hip hop is something I've only recently got into really, I have a lot of stuff I've never listened to, so I can't really recommend too much.

Anyway - having not read the posts before this one:

Del Tha Funkee Homosapien (and pretty much everything he's invovled in, including:)
Deltron 3030 (Positive Contact is the best track on the album IMO)
MC 900 Foot Jesus (very weird, very hard to find. Varies between very poor and very good, very jazzy)
Jurassic 5 (not much to say, just good)

... I have a lot more which I haven't listened to, so I'll be sure to post anything that tickles my fancy in here as I eventually listen to it all. I've heard that Edan and Dangerdoom are really good by a friend who generally has good tastes so ... maybe try them? I haven't listened to them yet though.

In addition to others' lists, especially Zebrahead's:

Mos Def - Black on Both Sides
Talib Kweli - Reflection Eternal, Quality, Right About Now: The Official Sucka Free Mix CD
Jay-Z - Reasonable Doubt
Nas - Illmatic, Stillmatic
Kanye West
The Roots

And a lot of people seem to like Lupe Fiasco. While I don't care for him too much I'll still put him on the list too.

Thanks a lot, guys. My oink ratio is going to take a hit today

If you actually listen to Lady Sovereign and enjoy her sound, I reccomend:

Dizzee Rascal
Shystie
The Streets

Also: m-flo. Sure they're Japanese but it's still good stuff. If you have to get any of their albums try Beat Space Nine or Works Best II.

MIA
Clipse
Kanye West
Lupe Fiasco
Ludacris duhhhh

Calle 13
Tego Calderon
Voltio

Danger Mouse & Jemini- Ghetto Pop Life

I love that CD.

Add Time Machine to that list.

Weerd Science.

Songs I'd recommend... Conspiracy Theories Without Mel Gibson, Fuck You And Your Filthy A&R Department (shows off his speed), and Girl Your Baby's Wormfood.

El-P - Fantastic Damage is a current favorite of mine.

If you feel like taking a break from the usual stuff, you should check out nerdcore hiphop/geeksta rap. Despite having stupid names for the genres, the songs are pretty funny.
http://www.rhymetorrents.com
http://www.futuristicsexrobotz.com (fuck the MPAA is awesome)
http://www.frontalot.com
if you like frontalot, I can put his CD on the upload topic. I actually paid for it

white people...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QJMdbcLpmpg

Add mc chris to that list. (listen to The Tussin first)

I don't really care for mc chris outside of Fett's Vette and maybe Geek.

Rap is almost all I listen to these days. I recommend:

The Notorious B.I.G. - Ready To Die

My favorite Biggie album, although all of them are classics. Considered by almost all to be the greatest MC of all time.

Wu-Tang Clan - Enter The Wu-Tang: 36 Chambers

One of the greatest albums ever. With 9 MC's that can all rap hard as hell and a revolutionary producer, you can't go wrong.

Jay-Z - Reasonable Doubt/Blueprint

Reasonable Doubt is Jay-Z's first CD and has a song with Biggie on it that's pretty kick ass. All the songs on there are great. However, Blueprint is tied for his best album in my opinion. Blueprint is all solo Jay-Z songs except one which features an up and coming Eminem. Blueprint is also the album that made Kanye West famous as a producer.

Nas - Illmatic

Already recommended, and again one of the greatest rap albums ever. You can't go wrong with this.

Dr. Dre - The Chronic/2001

Dr. Dre only has two solo albums (Since Detox has been "coming soon" for years), but both were revolutionary as far as producing goes. They feature some of the best rap beats ever made.

Big L - Lifestylez Ov Da Poor And Dangerous

Apart from possibly Biggie, there's no other rapper than can match the freestyle ability and wordplay of Big L. He has by far the best punchlines ever. This album also features a young Jay-Z before he even had an album. Unfortunately, he died an untimely death when he was shot in the head multiple times in Harlem because his brother owed someone money.

Viktor Vaughn - Venomous Villain

Viktor Vaughn aka MF Doom aka King Geedorah, or whatever else you want to call him. I personally think this is his best work. I don't really care for several of his albums, but this one is pretty great. Since most of the other stuff I've recommended so far is kind of "gangsta rap", this is some that's not.

Del tha Funkee Homosapien - I Wish My Brother George Was Here

Plainly stated, Del is probably the greatest "underground" rapper of all time. He's most famous for being the one guy that raps on the first Gorillaz album. However, his career is far more extensive than that. He's one of my top three favorite rappers and he has a style that's unlike anyone else.

Deltron 3030 - Deltron 3030

Already been recommended, so get it. Del is the MC, Dan the Automator is the producer, and Kid Koala is the DJ. It's a kick ass combination for a concept album that takes place in the year 3030.

UGK - Ridin' Dirty

Before Chamillionaire had even considered being a rapper, there was UGK. This is real southern rap, not that snap music bullshit. Anyone who hasn't listened to this album needs to. It just might change how you view southern rappers.





Alright, that's probably more than anyone wanted. I think I got a little carried away. All this stuff can be obtained on Bittorrent pretty easily, and if you can't find it ask me for it. My computer died when I had over 70 GB of music and I'm just rebuilding my collection now. I have all of these except the Viktor Vaughn album though.

Would you happen to have Erik B. & Rakim's "Paid in Full"? I've heard a lot of good things about it but haven't heard it.

Yeah. I have Paid in Full and Follow the Leader. They're both really good. Rakim's solo albums post Eric B and Rakim are also worth a listen too.