music: in search of...

[stellaluna_]

Hip hop and blues recs. These are two music genres I don't know as much about as I'd like, and I'm hoping to expand my horizons. I'd be grateful for suggestions of artists, albums, compilations, even specific songs.

Thank you!

Comments

[hannahrorlove]

The oddest, coolest hip-hop artist I know of is a Canadian called Buck 65. He's closer to beat poetry than rap itself, and my favorite song off his album Secret House Against The World features a banjo solo. It's "Blood of a Young Wolf," incidentally.

It's not quite blues, but both Grant Lee Buffalo and Neko Case have most of their music on the cooler end of the spectrum. Dianne Reeves did the soundtrack for Good Night, And Good Luck. and has a beautiful voice, though she's a bit more jazzy on that specific album.

"Blueberry Hill" by Fats Domino is a good song; I wish I knew his work better to recommend a full album.

[zekkass]

I'll second the Buck 65 rec. Ask and I'll post a few songs.

[stellaluna_]

Oh, that would be fab! Thank you.

[zekkass]

Kennedy Killed the Hat.
Blood of a Young Wolf.
The Centaur.

There you go! Three of my favorite songs by him. :D

[kelly_girl]

For some good timeless Hip Hop I recommend Common. I consider Hip Hop Soul to be a different category and for that I'd recommend Mary J. Blige and Erykah Badu. About anything by Badu is exceptional.

I've tried to get more into Blues and I don't have any recs for more current artists. I'm liking Muddy Waters, Robert Johnson, Bessie Smith. I like Billie Holiday too.

Hope this helps!

[stellaluna_]

Thank you! That does help. I googled the people you mentioned, and all of them look like they perform just the kind of music I'm interested in. I have heard some of Erykah Badu's work before, and she has an absolutely gorgeous voice.

I'm going to have to check all of them out.

[bilyana]

I recommend Bessie Smith too, along with some other Ladies: Big Mama Thornton, Odetta or Irma Thomas, although she's not exactly a blues artist. Also Blind Willie McTell. A while ago I stumbled upon Reverend Gary Davis and Juke Boy Bonner and liked them as well.

As to Compilations: Smithsonian Folkways and Putumayo are two labels that usually do a great deal in worldmusic, but have some nice blues albums as well, good for discovering new stuff.

[bilyana]

Just noticed that the link to Rev. Gary Davis doesn't work, sorry about that, try this one: http://www.box.net/shared/exry7uigw0
(Is there no way to edit older posts??)

[stellaluna_]

Thank you for all of those! I'm going to download the songs as soon as I get home tonight. I've heard of some of these performers, and have heard a little of their work, so all of this sounds like just the kind of music recs I was looking for.

I also really like both Putamayo and Smithsonian Folkways (mostly for their world music in Putamayo's case, as you mention), so I'm going to have to browse around and see what they have. Their compilations really are excellent sources for finding new artists.

[scarletts_awry]

For hip hop, I highly rec Mos Def and the Roots. Also, K-os, and I ended up liking P.O.S. more than I thought I would. I've heard some of Heiruspecs, and I like them an awful lot but don't have an album yet. If you want to check out something dark (and with a lot of good turntableism) take a listen to Dalek. (The "a" is supposed to be the kind with two little dots over it, so it's pronouned Dialek rather than like the Doctor Who nemesis.)

For blues, I'll second the recs for Big Mama Thornton and Blind Willie McTell, and I'll add Albert King (excellent electric blues), Mississippi John Hurt (acoustic delta blues), and John Lee Hooker (acoustic and electric). You might also want to check out one of the two Classic Blues albums from Smithsonian Folkways.

(remind me, and I'll upload a couple things for you.)

[stellaluna_]

Thank you! Mos Def was one of the people I was thinking of. I like everything I've heard of his, and I'd like to pick up one of his albums. I also googled the other people you mention, and they all sound like artists I could get into. Dalek, in particular, intrigues me.

And, oh yes, great blues recs! I've heard Mississippi John Hurt before, as well as John Lee Hooker, but I really need to delve into them more. (And I need to see if that Smithsonian Folkways blues comp I got at Amoeba is one of the Classic Blues ones.)

Uploading would be awesome as well.

[vic_ramsey]

I would rec Lupe Fiasco's The Cool. Especially Hip-Hop Save My Life, Little Weapon. I don't like a lot of hip-hop albums but I don't leave home without this one lately.

[stellaluna_]

Thank you! That looks like a really great album, just the kind of thing I'm looking for, and one I'm going to have to check out.

[vic_ramsey]

I have it uploaded for a friend if you're interested in a copy.