What Makes A Hip Hop Record "Click" for you?

[ScottTickle888]

I am continuing a thread I read on one of the underground hip hop blogs I follow.

In this day and age, there appears to be two types of hip hop heads: Lyricists and Beat Smiths

So my question to those of you reading this thread; What makes a record "click" for you? Is it more about the beat or about the lyrics?

To answer my own question; I throw my own curveball answer into this. To me it is not necessarily about the beat or the lyrics.... it is having the RIGHT voice over the RIGHT beat. I value the perfect combination. I feel for this reason, my favorite hip hop records have always been the one MC and one DJ (think Gang Starr, Pete Rock and CL Smooth, etc). With these pairings the DJ/Producer understands what the MC flows best over and works hard to craft that beat.

Unfortunately a lot of great lyricists have been the victim of poor combinations over the years. But that makes a difference. Voice pairings are key.

While I do value creative thought out lyrics in hip hop and do expect a certain level of skill in this craft, if someone is purely a great lyricist its not going to necessarily do it for me if the wrong pairing is done.

I'm curious as to what others think: Please comment.

 

[primetime]

Yeah, to me it starts with the beat. Then, the sound of the artist, then the actual words of the lyrics. A lot of the rap today have absolutely HORRIBLE beats. I mean, the songs really suck. I don't care about their voices, or their lyrics if their beats are horrendous.

Here are some rap songs that shows the great beat, plus the great voice to go with it....

2pac "So Many Tears" - My absolute FAVORITE song by 2pac

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Xzibit "Get your walk on" - this song just makes you dance

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Snoop Dogg/Xzibit "B Please" - probably one of my all time favorite beats.

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Tha Eastsidaz "I Luv it" - Just a good beat to jam to.

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These are just a few... As you can tell, I am a west side guy!! Post some of your faves..

 

[ticklishdanny]

I think the lyrics are just as important as the beats. Didn't like "Black & Yellow" so much from Wiz Khalifa's album Rolling Papers, but I love listening to "When I'm Gone", "No Sleep" and "Cameras" most of all. The lyrics and beats have to at least make sense unlike Tyga's "Rack City". That song has no point to it, it's all just a repeated beat and no good lyrics.

 

[kopfhorer]

I'm more a fan of turntablism than hip hop per se. As I write this, the record industry is trying hard to snuff out the art of sampling, making new cloth from old threads.

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[myth77]

Both elements of the song have to stand on their own merits for me to like the record. I have to like the lyrics independently of the beat, and vice-versa. They also have to blend well together like a dance. The lyricist not only has to craft a well thought out rhyme, but he/she has to really spend time with the beat to know how to flow over it (manipulating the delivery of words to match the tempo to 'ride the beat', etc). On the Beat Smith side, the beatmaker has to do more than just grab a great sample and beat, put them together. The song itself should be like it's own poem, one that you could listen to with no lyricist on it (I'm very partial to instrumentals). I've been privileged to sit in on some studio sessions with a few great lyricists and their producer. It was inspiring to listen to the lyrics get created and re-written, to hear the beat, then watch both parties fine-tune their part of the song so that it really sounded as if the beat and rhyme were made for each other. These are the things that make hip hop records 'click' for me.

 

[DontAskJusTckle]

Usually it's the deep groove I carve across the vinyl.

 

[TicklishRookie]

hmm. Interesting thread. I'm not an expert on hip hop, exactly... but I love spoken word, which is similar! I definitely enjoy that (and any music for that matter) for the lyrics! I listen to any kind of music that speaks to my soul (cheesy? oh well.) However, your lyrics sound silly if your beat doesn't flow... So, I guess they are equally important!

 

[Whoviantrekkie]

I think both are not mutually exclusive. There needs to be both. I think there is also the issue of how creatively the lyrics flow. The delivery, the flow, of the songs need to be there as well. I'm not the biggest expert (In fact there is VERY little hip hop that I go out of my way to listen to) on hip hop but for me my favorite hip-hop/rap album is Straight Outta Compton because of the lyrics, the beats, and the way the different rappers bounce back off each other in a unique and interesting flow. Not to mention Eazy-E, Ice Cube, and MC Ren in their prime all have just have a unique killer delivery.

 

[ScottTickle888]

Speaking of a perfect blend of lyrics and beat... old school heads and new school alike should appreciate this: Myka 9 of freestyle fellowships release hits on a lot of these elements; great beat, great flow.

http://www.amazon.com/Mykology/dp/B...ie=UTF8&qid=1346296009&sr=1-2&keywords=Myka+9

 

[primetime]

Hip hop could also use artists such as Tribe Called Quest and De La Soul... Check out these jams..

"Bonita Applebaum" - A Tribe Called Quest

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"Find a Way" - A Tribe Called Quest. Damn, I LOVE this jam

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"Me, Myself, and I" - De La Soul

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"Buddy" - De La Soul (w/ others)

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[myth77]

Hip hop could also use artists such as Tribe Called Quest and De La Soul... Check out these jams..

"Bonita Applebaum" - A Tribe Called Quest


"Find a Way" - A Tribe Called Quest. Damn, I LOVE this jam


"Me, Myself, and I" - De La Soul


"Buddy" - De La Soul (w/ others)

Great picks! Here's a few more great ones to add to the pile:

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[Coup de Grace]

For me, it's about a combination of everything. I DJ in my spare time so I like joints that have good beats, a good hook and good lyrics, plus, it's gotta be "Something 2 dance 2." I love that old NWA joint. I would say the beat has to come first though. Lil' Wayne's radio joints suck, but they always have good beats and a memorable hook; something that will stick in your head.