Back Pack Rap - what is it to you, and can it really be defined?

[CHUCK KNOXXX]

as far as the west coast goes, back packer stuff (as I'VE always understood it) is underground cats like freestyle fellowship (aceyalone, myka 9 etc.) abstract rude, living legends (murs, grouch, eligh, PSC), 2mex, visionaries, dilated, PUTS, J5, old planet asia and rascoe (cali agents), etc.....stuff that was huge out here in the LA underground in the late 90's early 00's, and (ironically) is hardly ever mentioned on this 'west coast' forum. i guess you had to actually be from out here to have known about alot of these artists....there was a huge following and scene for this type of music at one time, not sure about now....some of the examples that have been listed thus far kind of puzzle me, i would chalk it up to heads not really understanding the term

[Gamestarr]

I would say really emotional and bitchy rappers.

[Will_B]

as far as the west coast goes, back packer stuff (as I'VE always understood it) is underground cats like freestyle fellowship (aceyalone, myka 9 etc.) abstract rude, living legends (murs, grouch, eligh, PSC), 2mex, visionaries, dilated, PUTS, J5, old planet asia and rascoe (cali agents), etc.....stuff that was huge out here in the LA underground in the late 90's early 00's, and (ironically) is hardly ever mentioned on this 'west coast' forum. i guess you had to actually be from out here to have known about alot of these artists....there was a huge following and scene for this type of music at one time, not sure about now....some of the examples that have been listed thus far kind of puzzle me, i would chalk it up to heads not really understanding the term

Good answer and good post!

And +1 to all else who replied!

[Sikotic™]

Some of y'all spend too much time trying to compartmentalize and categorize Hip-Hop.

[Al Bundy]

as far as the west coast goes, back packer stuff (as I'VE always understood it) is underground cats like freestyle fellowship (aceyalone, myka 9 etc.) abstract rude, living legends (murs, grouch, eligh, PSC), 2mex, visionaries, dilated, PUTS, J5, old planet asia and rascoe (cali agents), etc.....stuff that was huge out here in the LA underground in the late 90's early 00's, and (ironically) is hardly ever mentioned on this 'west coast' forum. i guess you had to actually be from out here to have known about alot of these artists....there was a huge following and scene for this type of music at one time, not sure about now....some of the examples that have been listed thus far kind of puzzle me, i would chalk it up to heads not really understanding the term

chuck summed it up perfectly. 

[Will_B]

Some of y'all spend too much time trying to compartmentalize and categorize Hip-Hop.

Just askin bout this terminology bro.

[D-Nice]

as far as the west coast goes, back packer stuff (as I'VE always understood it) is underground cats like freestyle fellowship (aceyalone, myka 9 etc.) abstract rude, living legends (murs, grouch, eligh, PSC), 2mex, visionaries, dilated, PUTS, J5, old planet asia and rascoe (cali agents), etc.....stuff that was huge out here in the LA underground in the late 90's early 00's, and (ironically) is hardly ever mentioned on this 'west coast' forum. i guess you had to actually be from out here to have known about alot of these artists....there was a huge following and scene for this type of music at one time, not sure about now....some of the examples that have been listed thus far kind of puzzle me, i would chalk it up to heads not really understanding the term

chuck summed it up perfectly. 

^^^This, and there was a time when you would hear a Souls Of Mischief or J5 on the radio with the big dogs on the west. Now it's separate again but for me back packer/undergound hip hop west coast>almost anything else. Year after year we have dope underground hip hop and people get severe narcalepsy on it.

[NoobCake]

You said that anyone from the west who has national buzz and ability to sell records doesn't rap about gangsta shit, but Game's the only one on the west (other than Snoop) to have that nationwide buzz (though the ability to sell records is debatable) and almost all of his discography is gangsta rap.
Although the way he brags about being shot and being a blood with those who aren't makes him suspicious, I wouldn't say he's a back packer but he's more like a studio gangster.
Also he has Aftermath and Interscope behind his back again, you think he can do something?
Same goes for Ya Boy who's signed to Konvict (the same label that brought you Akon, T-Pain & Lady Gaga), Malone on Cash Money, Ca$his on Shady and Mistah F.A.B. on Atlantic, you think they can do shit?

Well, like i said, their label has to be behind them.  It's obvious cash money doesn't give a shit about glasses malone at this point.  Same thing for Interscope and Ya Boy and Atlantic and Fab.  In fact i don't think Malone and Fab are even with those labels anymore.

[MistaNova]

Some of y'all spend too much time trying to compartmentalize and categorize Hip-Hop.

As long as Hip Hop is considered a culture there will always be people like that .

Anyway I'd go with Back Pack Rap being either underground music (like CHUCK KNOXX said) or

really emotional and bitchy

[Schüler Music]

I consider backpack hiphop as cocksuckers like Sage Francis, Aesop Rock and Atmosphere.

In other words you're angry at them for using big vocabulary words that your Swedish ass could only dream of understanding. Or you're an idiot who thinks hip hop should be mindless gang-banging and downright empty yet catchy.

Wow you must really like that shitty music if you respond like that. A good vocabulary is probably the least important thing when it comes to music. Because its about the MUSIC ! Get it? Those guys dont. They have NONE talent for music they should write a fucking book instead.

[Will_B]

I consider backpack hiphop as cocksuckers like Sage Francis, Aesop Rock and Atmosphere.

In other words you're angry at them for using big vocabulary words that your Swedish ass could only dream of understanding. Or you're an idiot who thinks hip hop should be mindless gang-banging and downright empty yet catchy.

Wow you must really like that shitty music if you respond like that. A good vocabulary is probably the least important thing when it comes to music. Because its about the MUSIC ! Get it? Those guys dont. They have NONE talent for music they should write a fucking book instead.

In rap it's much more bout the lyrics than in pop say. In pop you can go la la la la and the song can still be a hit.

The worst thing in rap (for me) is to hear really ignorant lyrics. Like yesterday I tried to give a listen to 40 Glocc's Jakal CD. Bangin beats made unlistenable by 40's monotonous regurgitation of other rappers lyrics and general rap cliche, or going uhh yeahhh over the beats. Waste of good music

[MistaNova]

Wow you must really like that shitty music if you respond like that. A good vocabulary is probably the least important thing when it comes to music. Because its about the MUSIC ! Get it? Those guys dont. They have NONE talent for music they should write a fucking book instead.

When I listen to music a lot of the time I want to be impressed by the artists wordplay and the subjects that they talk about in and those cases a big vocabulary helps. I see you only listen to the instrumentals since your foreign ass can't seem to understand the shit they're saying unless they're saying Only God Can Judge Me or Dear Mama.

[Black Excellence]

back pack rap is a bullshit term just like neo soul. great hip hop is great hip hop. there is no way to describe it. it just sounds good when you hear it.

[Will_B]

back pack rap is a bullshit term just like neo soul. great hip hop is great hip hop. there is no way to describe it. it just sounds good when you hear it.

[Black Excellence]

I don't consider it "real hip hop" exactly, but a sub-genre where the rappers use big words. Or hip hop made by nerds whom come from middle class families and have nothing to rap about except racism and love (mostly failed relationships). People like Drake, Wale, Kid CuDi, XV, Charles Hamilton (him especially) and 7-outta-10 of the XXl 2011 freshmen.

It's hard to say exactly who from the west is a back packer since all West Coast rappers rap about is mindless gang-banging. But I'd say these guys.
*Murs (from the sterotypical thought that back packers have a big vocabulary)
*Nick Cannon (spoon-fed)
*Kendrick Lamar
*New Boyz (they're nerds aren't they?)
*Doughboy (spoon-fed)
*OMG (spoon-fed)
*Xzibit

I think there is a distinction that has to be made.  Yes, the rappers from the 90's still rap about the crip/blood shit, but most of the new dudes from the west are not on that kick no more.  Kenrick, Tyga, Pac Div, Odd Future etc, none of them do that 90's recycled gang bang shit. Nippsey Hussle is the only one who still does.  Prolly why he's liked here so much.

imo there is nothing wrong wit gang related hip hop. it' real. if you really look at it lil wayne, gucci mane, jim jones make gangbang rap ( not to me) no one attacks them. i'd rather hear it from the west than anywhere else cuz the west started that gangsta shit.