ive been listenin to rap for about 7 years but i've mainly limited myself to WestCoast Rap. Ive sucked up any info on the west in the last years and now i feel like its time to open up and stop sleeping on the music coming from the east and also the south. SGV has done a good job tryna enlighten me on the South, but i know theres still alot im missin...

id like to ask ya'll for your opinion. I'd like to start way back, the old school. Who should I check out, what albums, record labels, connections, etc etc..

Would you be down to help? If any of you can actually SEND me some stuff, that would be even better. but its cool both ways.

what you think?


EDIT:

just wanted to say theres some stuff i know, like Nas old/new, wu tang old/new but not the solo projects, i got rakims stuff...

You should probably start with the early to mid 90s stuff first then go back a check the gold age stuff.  If you don't have Nas' Illmatic or the Wu-Tang Clan's Enter The Wu-Tang, you should really start with that but I assume you got that so you might wanna check out Biggie's Ready To Die ("Unbelievable"), Redman's Muddy Waters ("Pick It Up") or Whut...Thee Album ("How To Roll A Blunt") or then there is some grimy dark shit like Black Moon's classic Enta Da Stage ("Who Got Da Props").

I highly recommend A Tribe Called Quest.  They dropped 3 serious gems, test out Midnight Marauders ("Award Tour").

If you wanna then go check out some gems from the golden age then try what I think are the three most influencial emcees:

Rakim - Paid In Full ("I Ain't No Joke"), Follow The Leader ("Microphone Fiend")
Slick Rick - The Great Adventures Of Slick Rick ("Children's Story")
Big Daddy Kane - Long Live The Kane ("Ain't No Half Steppin"), It's A Big Daddy Thing ("Young, Gifted & Black")

Also, EPMD, Strictly Business ("You Gots To Chill"), Unfinished Business ("So What Cha Sayin'") they got some funky production, similar to some westcoast production.

There is obviously a lot more shit, I'll type some more latter.

...I added a sample song from each album.

Here are some affiliations and crews:

Boot Camp Click: Black Moon, Cocoa Brovas (Smif N Wessun), Heltah Skeltah, Originoo Gun Clappaz, The Representatives, Da Beatminerz (production group)

Crew's main producer(s): Da Beatminerz

Best albums: Black Moon's Enta Da Stage, Smif N Wessun's Da Shinning & Heltah Skeltah's Noctunal

Wu-Tang Clan: Rza, Gza, Inspectah Deck, Ghostface Killah, Chef Raekwon, Method Man, Masta Killa, Ol' Dirty Bastard, U-God

Affiliates: Cappadonna, Killa Army, Killah Priest, Sunz Of Man, Shyheim, plus lots more

Crew's main producer(s): Rza, Mathematics, True Master & 4th Disciple

Best solo albums: Chef Raekwon's Only Built 4 Cuban Linx, Gza/Genius' Liquid Swords, Ghostface Killah's Supreme Clientele

D.I.T.C.: Showbiz, AG, OC, Fat Joe, Big L, Diamond D, Lord Finesse, Buckwild

Crew's main producer(s): Diamond D, Lord Finesse, Showbiz, Buckwild & DJ Premier

Best solo albums: Diamond D's Stunts, Blunts & Hip Hop, Big L's Lifestylez Ov Da Poor & Dangerous, Show & AG's Runaway Slave

Def Squad: Erick Sermon, Keith Murray & Redman

Affiliates: Jamal (Illegal), EPMD

Crew's main producer(s): Erick Sermon, Rockwilder & Redman

Best solo albums: Redman's Muddy Waters, Keith Murray's Enigma, Erick Sermon's Music

ATCQ - Midnight Marauders -> this is good, i'll listen to it again tonight.. im feelin it

If you like that, check out The Low End Theory next.

Slick Rick - Behind Bars -> haven't listened to it yet.. i know the remix of behind bars he had wit warren g tho..

That one and The Ruler's Back are supposed to be his worst albums.  I haven't even heard them yet but those are the ones he recorded after he went to jail.  (I think he recorded them while on bail)

Check out Lost Boyz - Legal Drug Money and Capone N Noreaga - The War Report is an eastcoast classic aswell.

Everybody's mentioned some good shit...



Cormega - Tha Realness and some Mobb Deep shit...

I'm gonna second a couple cd's... like Gang Starr, but I say you get Moment of Truth.. Big L... Lifestyles is coo' but a lil older, his last cd they put out after he passed was still pretty dope. Definately check that DITC... Mos Def, Common, Phaoroah Monch, Talib, Hi Tek's Teknology album...



Look for, EASTERN CONFERENCE ALL STARS II and III... those cd's are tha shit!... I highly reccomend both of them...


Sticky Fingaz.... Black Trash, The AutoBiography of Kirk Jones..


MASTA ACE... you must check Disposable Arts...


Kool G Rap's last cd was decent... pretty good actually... I bought it yesterday and it sounded nice in when I'm bumpin it... O.G East Coast muthafucker right here... still puttin it down.


Beatnuts... just check up any of there cd's... they're all pretty consistant and you'd find hits on any of them no matter which one you pick.


Mouse said Tha Liks and Dilated Peoples even though they're from tha West Coast, but Dilated do sound pretty East Coast... maybe you'd like their shit.


Mad Skillz... he can spit pretty good... think he's from Virginia...


Grand Puba and Sadat X.... Brand Nubian shit... Grand Puba put a cd out like a year or two ago and a couple tracks on there sound alright...



Ed O.G The Truth Hurts

Pete Rock & CL Smooth - Mecca & The Soul Brother      -classic-
Pete Rock & CL Smooth - All Souled Out EP   -its ok..-
Pete Rock & CL Smooth - The Main Ingredient  -another classic-
Pete Rock & CL Smooth - Rare Tracks  (japan import) - collection of remixes, cost me about $40
Ini - Center Of Attention  -project that was due in 1997ish. released and pressed in the UK on pete's label late last year. a crime it wasnt released. similar sounding to The Main Ingredient. Ini are actually shouted out on T.M.I., there may even be a track the same or remix'd or summat -


off the top of my head tracks to check

T.R.O.Y. They Reminsce Over You, Lots Of Lovin, Searchin
Ini Project.. ermm Center Of Attention and "props"

I heard that song Juicy is quite good by Big or sumit.