CD-Charts Position 41
Average Rating:

Check Your Head

CD-Charts > Music > Experimental Rap
by: Beastie Boys

Release Date April 21, 1992
You probally wouldn't expect much from The Beastie Boys after releasing Paul's Boutique. After all, it pretty much was a king of sampling, and there's no real way to top that album, especially since sampling wasn't going too well after the album being released. So instead of panicking, The Beastie Boys decided to employ their own beats more, and add some of their early rock influence, and live funk courtesy of keyboards.

It works, extremely well. Whether Mike D (that's my guess, since he usually played drums) or a sample was backing the beat, I can't help but feel this may be the most organic rap album as far as beats, always heavy, funky, great. Oh, and there's the percussion too. They still sample, but it's not very dominated ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 42
Average Rating:

Midnight Marauders

CD-Charts > Music > Experimental Rap
by: A Tribe Called Quest

Release Date November 09, 1993
and you had your choices (Hip Hop/Rap Music wise) between Rakim's Follow The Leader, KRS (Boogie Down Production) Criminal Minded, Big Daddy Kane's Long Live the Kane, NWA's Straight Outta Compton, Dre and Snoop's The Chronic, and a Tribe Called Quest's Midnight Marauder, which one would you seriously pick???

Well this almost happened to me literally- but figuratively speaking. My Junior year of high school my family moved from Jamaica Queens- home to ATCQ and moved me to the middle of west-bubblefuc-coondocks (where you have more racoons as neighbors than humans) woodland Virginia and I almost popped - like when Neo was pulled out of the matrix and wanted to go back at first.

It was a hard-time adjusting, but just when I moved ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 43
Average Rating:

ATLiens

CD-Charts > Music > Experimental Rap
by: OutKast

Release Date August 27, 1996
Outkast's second album is one of the greatest sophomore releases of all time. Big Boi and Dre continue with what they left off in Southernplayalistic... They have some of the best beats the South has ever produced and two of the best flows out there. It truly is a combination that can't go wrong. Idlewild and Speakerboxx/Love Below are decent albums, but do not judge Outkast until you listen to ATLiens and Aquemini. Both are easily 10 out of 10 classics.

CD-Charts Position 44
Average Rating:

Monkey Business

CD-Charts > Music > Experimental Rap
by: Black Eyed Peas

Release Date June 07, 2005
I've always thought the Black Eyed Peas were reminiscent of The B-52s. It's not that their sound is so much like theirs' (They sound nothing alike.), it's that they have the same quirky, fun, spirit.
This is the way pop music should be. It's incredibly corny, the lyrics are dumb and shallow, but it just sounds right.
You can tell they don't take themselves too seriously, and that's a good thing... to me at least.

CD-Charts Position 45
Average Rating:

De La Soul Is Dead

CD-Charts > Music > Experimental Rap
by: De La Soul

Release Date May 13, 1991
i had this on cassette years ago and just recently ordered it from amazon. i forgot how much fun this album was. my favorite track is Bitties in the BK Lounge. the skits are a cute touch as well.

CD-Charts Position 46
Average Rating:

Live

CD-Charts > Music > Experimental Rap
by: Erykah Badu

Release Date November 18, 1997
this is one of my favorite live cd's, that's seen alot of play. favorite tracks are stay and tyrone.

CD-Charts Position 47
Average Rating:

Like Water for Chocolate

CD-Charts > Music > Experimental Rap
by: Common

Release Date March 28, 2000
Wow is all i could say when listening to this album. Im sad to say my first Common album was Finding Forever, so when i heard this i was shocked to hear the subject matter on depth on this album. A Song For Assata well bring a tear to your eye if you really listen to this song, its quit moving. I heard it a few times not really listening, but i was reading the lyrics and that's when it really hit me. I wish Common would go back to this type of hip hop. The light is a nice laid back song, i love to play this and the ladies love it as well (just the mature ones). With Jay Dee on the board you can never go wrong. Cold Blooded it a personal favorite and who could forget The 6th Sense, which is the reason i picked this album up. Payback Is A Grandmother is a dope story telling track, i like it ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 48
Average Rating:

Lemonade

CD-Charts > Music > Experimental Rap
by: G. Love

Release Date August 01, 2006
This is a nice eclectic mix. It goes from an upbeat, kind of bluesy sound to rap. It's good music to listen to while puttering around the house.

CD-Charts Position 49
Average Rating:

Hello Nasty

CD-Charts > Music > Experimental Rap
by: Beastie Boys

Release Date July 14, 1998
This doesn't hold a candle to Check Your Head or Paul's Boutique. There are some decent tracks, but lyrically this was a huge slide for them. It just sounds forced and there is a lot of mediocre filler...

Buy one of those two albums first (CYH or PB), then get Ill Communication and Licensed to Ill. This album is better than 5 boroughs but thats about it...

CD-Charts Position 50
Average Rating:

Stay Human

CD-Charts > Music > Experimental Rap
by: Michael Franti & Spearhead, Michael Franti

Release Date May 15, 2001
I got to hear this entire album played today on an online broadcast for a small radio station. Coming in in the middle, like the first listeners to Orson Welles's "War of the World's" broadcast, I must confess that I initially thought the fictional story of "Sister Fatima" -- over-layed like a local DJ's mix of news onto the album tracks -- to be a genuine retrospective of some real events -- that's how accurate the story was to similar aspects of our real-life world, at least in parts. (I caught on when the Governor who backed her execution in the storyline actually cared when he got caught).

What made this album move me was the accuracy in the portrayal of voices. The Sister Fatima's bravery reminded me so much of people I've admired -- friends and icons -- and the characteristics of their ... Read More: