Rap/rock collaborations

[danzig6767]

I'm a pretty big fan of the Black Keys, but for whatever reason, i never

checked out the Blakroc stuff that they did with various rap artists in

2009. Well, about a little over a week ago i was with friend i see once

in awhile that i share very similar tastes in music and he had a few Blakroc songs on a CD in his car. I really

liked it and picked up the CD, it has some songs i thought were

outstanding.

 

Anyways, it got me to thinking and noticing that after a stretch some

years ago where quite a few rock bands got together with various rappers

to make music, these sort of collaborations have seemed to die down in

frequency. Granted, a lot of those type of collaborations by like say Limp

Bizkit sucked, at least in my opinion they did. I'm not talking about

white rock type of bands who incorporated rap simply into how they

performed songs in the Red Hot Chili Peppers or Rage Against the

Machine.

 

So i was wondering if anyone here knows of some good collaborations

between a rock band and rap artists that is good listening, but maybe weren't

exactly high profile enough to get air play or attention? I'd prefer

stuff not in the super loud metal/rap mix that had it's time for a few

years.

 

For anyone interested, here are a few songs from that Blakroc CD which i

was interested in hearing stuff at least somewhat similar in style.

 

[TracyThom]

[quote name= danzig6767]I'd prefer stuff not in the super loud metal/rap mix that had it's time for a few years.

When I read the thread title, I immediately thought of Anthrax/Public Enemy "Bring Tha Noize" and Biohazard/Onyx "Slam" but that fits the loud metal/rap mix. Jay-Z and Linkin Park released an album entitled Collision Course. Numb/Encore is my favorite song off the album.

[Teatoe993]

Dude. Get the Judgement Night soundtrack.

[TooLiveBrew]

It's not a rock/hip-hop collaboration, but Mos Def's album The New Danger has a very similar overall sound to the first of the two BlackRoc videos you linked. Besides, Mos Def is amazing anyway.

[Baldkin]

The first thing that popped into my head was....

(NSFW)

 

But, maybe I've just been enjoying Justified too much.

[thebruce44]

It's not a rock/hip-hop collaboration, but Mos Def's album The New Danger has a very similar overall sound to the first of the two BlackRoc videos you linked. Besides, Mos Def is amazing anyway.

Mos pretty much makes the BlackRoc album. Well, him and ODB.

[danzig6767]

It's not a rock/hip-hop collaboration, but Mos Def's album The New Danger has a very similar overall sound to the first of the two BlackRoc videos you linked. Besides, Mos Def is amazing anyway.

I'll go on youtube later tonight and check out some songs from that album. I've listened to some Mos Def over the years, but often in collaborations with other rap artists, not sure why i haven't given his solo work more in depth listening. I listen to rap a fairly decent amount of the time even though it's not my main music genre for listening to. Part of the reason why is i just got somewhat disenchanted with rap over the last 5-6 years or so as kinda mindless bling rap had seemed to have taken over that music form. I know some like that stuff, but i can only listen to so many artists rap about what kind of rims are on their car or what kind of chain they are sporting before i pretty much tuned it out. Granted though most music genres go through times where style takes over substance kinda like how say brutal hair metal took over rock in the mid-80's. While terrible music is taking over in popularity, there often is still good music being made if you take effort to look for it regardless if it doesn't get much attention and i had somewhat stopped looking for quality rap.

 

I was stuck mostly just listening to rap from the 80's and 90's like Tupac, Biggie, Beasties, Wu Tang Clan, Geto Boys, NWA, Public Enemy, Snoop, etc except for many more recent random rap songs here and there which i liked, but i wasn't buying full CD's of any artists. Plus, i don't like much faster type of rap by any artists, the slow mellow beats and raps are what i enjoy. For example, a guy like DMX does nothing for me. Mos Def strikes me as a a guy more my style, so i'll have to give him some heavier listening.

 

The first thing that popped into my head was....

I never heard of them before and just listened to a few songs from the album you linked. Wow, that's definitely different and interesting. I think i like it, but i'll have to give it some more play before i'm sure.

 

I'm always happy to find or be turned on to artists/bands that i have never listened much to or at all, but i end up really liking. I love music so much and finding a new band/artist that sounds really great to my ears is kinda like for me being a little kid and getting a new toy. Ever since i got turned on to that Blakroc CD recently, i've been jamming to it a lot like a kid getting a new video game.

 

FWIW, anyone living in the Milwaukee area should know all to well what a wasteland that local radio is in this area, but for anyone who may not have heard of 88.9 Radio Milwaukee, it's well worth giving a try. You'll at least hear tons of new music that you wouldn't hear anywhere else in this radio market.

[TooLiveBrew]

Mos Def strikes me as a a guy more my style, so i'll have to give him some heavier listening.

 

You won't be disappointed. To the best of my knowledge, here's his major label release genesis:

 

'98 - Black Star (self-titled), incredible duo album with Talib Kweli... another solo artist to check out if you don't know, but he's not rap/rock mix

'99 - Black on Both Sides

'04 - The New Danger

'06 - True Magic

'09 - The Ecstatic

 

I haven't listened to his latest album, but I definitely can listen to any of the others regularly & in their entirety/ies. He also put out some large collaborative albums, We Are Hip-Hop (Vols. 1 & 2) in '07. I have those, don't listen to them as much, probably should more. But really for the sound you specifically described in the lead post, The New Danger is what you want for sure.

 

 

Part of the reason why is i just got somewhat disenchanted with rap over the last 5-6 years or so as kinda mindless bling rap had seemed to have taken over that music form.

 

Oh man, there's so much good stuff out there. I feel like Obi-Wan... "you've taken your first step into a larger world". I know BF.net can get your back here, danzig, & rattle off tons of great hip-hop acts beyond Mos Def & Talib Kweli. Let's see if I can come up with any more... Lupe Fiasco, The Roots, not exactly underground. M.F. Doom, Aesop Rock, Brother Ali ... honestly though I have no idea if anything I've heard of can actually still qualify as underground.

[ilikewisco]

Second the Judgement Night soundtrack, very good. The song with De La Soul isn't rock and roll, but its a pretty good one.

 

There's a guy called Atmoshpere out of Minneapolis that is pretty good, and Anthrax's "I'm the Man" is hilarious. I think its on the same album as "Bring the Noise."

 

The Roots-When Things Fall Apart is probably one of my favorite albums of all-time. Very good collaboration with Mos Def on "Double Trouble."

[danzig6767]

Mos Def strikes me as a a guy more my style, so i'll have to give him some heavier listening.

 

You won't be disappointed. To the best of my knowledge, here's his major label release genesis:

 

'98 - Black Star (self-titled), incredible duo album with Talib Kweli... another solo artist to check out if you don't know, but he's not rap/rock mix

'99 - Black on Both Sides

'04 - The New Danger

'06 - True Magic

'09 - The Ecstatic

 

I haven't listened to his latest album, but I definitely can listen to any of the others regularly & in their entirety/ies. He also put out some large collaborative albums, We Are Hip-Hop (Vols. 1 & 2) in '07. I have those, don't listen to them as much, probably should more. But really for the sound you specifically described in the lead post, The New Danger is what you want for sure.

 

 

Part of the reason why is i just got somewhat disenchanted with rap over the last 5-6 years or so as kinda mindless bling rap had seemed to have taken over that music form.

 

Oh man, there's so much good stuff out there. I feel like Obi-Wan... "you've taken your first step into a larger world". I know BF.net can get your back here, danzig, & rattle off tons of great hip-hop acts beyond Mos Def & Talib Kweli. Let's see if I can come up with any more... Lupe Fiasco, The Roots, not exactly underground. M.F. Doom, Aesop Rock, Brother Ali ... honestly though I have no idea if anything I've heard of can actually still qualify as underground.

I'm already a fan of Lupe Fiasco and The Roots. For whatever reason i've never given Talib Kweli a lot of listening, same with Mos Def. Never heard any of the other four you listed. I didn't completely give up on more current rap, i just stopped eagerly searching out stuff like i did when rap blew up in the mid-late 80's and 90's. Not sure why either because generally i'm always on the look out for new artists pleasing to the ears.

 

Part of it might be that i'm very fussy when it comes to rap, more so than other music genres. There aren't a bunch rap artists where i can put on a CD of theirs and listen to the whole thing front to back as i can with so many other music artists i like/love. A rap song has to have a very particular sound to it that i can't really put into words or else i just won't listen to it again. I'll know 30 seconds to a minute into a rap song as to whether i want to keep listening, where as with some other types of music i can find myself thinking, i think i like this, but i need to give it a few more times listening.

 

As i'm sitting on the computer the next few days, i'll head to youtube and give those artists you mentioned a try.

 

Second the Judgement Night soundtrack, very good.

 

I bought that when it first came out roughly 15 years ago, but i don't even know if i still have it because i haven't even thought of listening to it for ages.

[thebruce44]

Mos Def strikes me as a a guy more my style, so i'll have to give him some heavier listening.

 

You won't be disappointed. To the best of my knowledge, here's his major label release genesis:

 

'98 - Black Star (self-titled), incredible duo album with Talib Kweli... another solo artist to check out if you don't know, but he's not rap/rock mix

'99 - Black on Both Sides

'04 - The New Danger

'06 - True Magic

'09 - The Ecstatic

 

I haven't listened to his latest album, but I definitely can listen to any of the others regularly & in their entirety/ies. He also put out some large collaborative albums, We Are Hip-Hop (Vols. 1 & 2) in '07. I have those, don't listen to them as much, probably should more. But really for the sound you specifically described in the lead post, The New Danger is what you want for sure.

 

 

Part of the reason why is i just got somewhat disenchanted with rap over the last 5-6 years or so as kinda mindless bling rap had seemed to have taken over that music form.

 

Oh man, there's so much good stuff out there. I feel like Obi-Wan... "you've taken your first step into a larger world". I know BF.net can get your back here, danzig, & rattle off tons of great hip-hop acts beyond Mos Def & Talib Kweli. Let's see if I can come up with any more... Lupe Fiasco, The Roots, not exactly underground. M.F. Doom, Aesop Rock, Brother Ali ... honestly though I have no idea if anything I've heard of can actually still qualify as underground.

I'm already a fan of Lupe Fiasco and The Roots. For whatever reason i've never given Talib Kweli a lot of listening, same with Mos Def. Never heard any of the other four you listed. I didn't completely give up on more current rap, i just stopped eagerly searching out stuff like i did when rap blew up in the mid-late 80's and 90's. Not sure why either because generally i'm always on the look out for new artists pleasing to the ears.

If I can offer a suggestion in line with TooLiveBrew, start with Blackstar if you are going to give Mos and Talib a try. Then I would agree that The New Danger is probably the album for you. Mos' other albums are much more rap based with a few songs on them where he sings. From what you have described about your tastes I don't think you would like his latest album at all, The Ecstatic.

 

In terms of other artists to check out, I agree with all of what was previously suggested, but check out Aesop's earlier stuff before his last album. Another artist you should check out right away is Atmosphere. He preforms with a live band and has tons of rock mixed into his songs while sampling a lot from the Besties. Plus he is sort of local being from Minn and performing at the Rave about 4 times a year before he got really big.

 

A little slower but a good example of the rock influences:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hoLxuyV9qz8

[TooLiveBrew]

start with Blackstar if you are going to give Mos and Talib a try.

 

Yes. That album is amazing.

[danzig6767]

I listened to quite a few Blackstar songs, just didn't resonate with me, same with Aesop. What's with the Gladiator mask M.F. Doom has on in videos on youtube? Brother Ali i listened to a bunch of songs and actually like the overall sound of some of them, but the whole oppression, America, and whites are so evil theme to most of the songs i tried got to be to much for me after awhile. I've been listening to Atmosphere over the last half hour or so, i like some of it and will go back and listen more. Surprisingly, i kinda dig the Gangstagrass stuff Baldkin linked.

 

Oh well, i sincerely appreciate the time spent by everyone offering suggestions. Like i said previously, i'm pretty damn fussy when it comes to rap and can't really explain why i like certain rap artists or especially why i like certain songs and not others. Take Tupac. I'm a pretty big fan of him, but around half of his songs i love and half i don't like at all. I guess it just simply comes down to listening to a song/songs and for whatever reason, some just resonate with me and i start swerving in my seat. The Beastie Boys for example are one of the few rap artists where i can listen to a CD like Check your Head or Paul's Boutique start to finish without skipping a 1/3 to half of the songs. The Chronic by Dre and Snoop is another.

 

Even though i asked about the rap/rock collaboration angle, that isn't the main reason i liked a lot of the Blakroc album. So even though i'm a Black Keys fan, i didn't know they were involved when i first heard a few songs of it in my friend's car. I just liked the sound of it and asked my buddy who it was. Most of the rap i like/listen to isn't a collaboration between rock and rap artists, i just asked about that angle because i liked the Blakroc stuff and have liked some rock/rap collaborations in the past. Plus, while i'm not generally a fan of the popular bling rap over the last 5-10 years, there are some guilty pleasure songs i dig even if the subject of the songs are far from deep thinking/song writing.

 

Now i'm rambling so i'll stop and say that if anyone wants to still offer more suggestions, feel free and i'll check them out. I'm always open to trying music i never listened to before.

[TooLiveBrew]

Hmm, well good on you for trying all that stuff out. Make sure you give The New Danger a real chance; like I said earlier, it's really the sound you described in your lead post.

[thebruce44]

What's with the Gladiator mask M.F. Doom has on in videos on youtube?

 

 

Its his persona as a Doctor Doom style super villain and M.F. stands for Metal Face among other things.

 

He has played it up since the beginning of his career which is kinda cool. I've also heard a rumor that he started wearing the mask because when he first started rapping again at clubs in NYC (he quit rap one in the past after his brother died) he was somewhat blacklisted over racial stuff.

 

The super villain thing also goes too far at times. I went to a show this past year where Mos opened for Doom. A fake Doom came out 2 hours late and lip synced a few songs before retreating off stage as beers and water bottles were pelting him and his hype man. Apparently he does this somewhat regularly.

[Nottso]

I don't know about albums, but I like Run DMC with Everlast doing the old Steve Miller tune "Take The Money And Run." I also like Kenny Rogers doing "The Gambler" with Wycleff Jean.

[TooLiveBrew]

Man, I don't know how I didn't think of him right away, danzig -- Common would be worth your time to check out. I'd pick an album, but you can't go wrong on him imo. Listening to Finding Forever right now, & loving it yet again.

[danzig6767]

I was on youtube and gave Atmosphere another listen and found this tune, i like it

 

[thebruce44]

Atmosphere's new album has mixed reviews. I will be listening to it all next week and I am sure I will like it no matter what...I always do.