ARTICLE: A-Z of Hip Hop
The term hip-hop encompasses a broad range of cross-cultural activities, from dance to graffiti art. At the heart of hip-hop culture, though, is music, and the term hip-hop has come to be loosely synonymous with rap music in general.
This A-Z is a guide to some of the most important figures in the history of the genre. I�ve tried to combine some of hip-hop�s key founders, and influential artists who have shaped the direction of the music, as well as those who have enjoyed commercial success and brought hip-hop/rap to a wider audience. I�ve also shamelessly manipulated the alphabet to try and fit in as many of the very best artists as possible. And, er, LL Cool J.
A-
Afrika Bambaataa
A lot of people within government and big business are nervous of Hip-hop and Hip-hop artists, because they speak their minds. They talk about what they see and what they feel and what they know. They reflect what’s around them.
One of the early hip-hop pioneers, Afrika Bambaataa produced some of the genre’s set texts, laying down blueprints for both hip-hop and electro funk. Originally a Bronx gang member, in the late 70s Bambaataa turned to community projects, forming the Zulu Nation, a politically aware group of creative people centred around the nascent hip-hop scene. He became a DJ and producer before recording his own solo work. One of the genre�s true ambassadors, Bam has worked with artists as diverse as John Lydon, James Brown and, erm, UB40. His most famous work in the UK was probably the 2000 single �Afrika Shox�, recorded with Leftfield.
Still writing and recording today, Bambaataa�s influence is felt throughout the music scene, and he deserves his place in any hip-hop hall of fame.
————–>
Key track: Planet Rock (1982)
————–>
A is also for�..
A Tribe Called Quest � Jazz-rap innovators (see also Q)
Aaliyah � Late R&B star, engaged to Jay-Z�s business partner/sometime producer Damon Dash when killed in plane crash
Akon � Offensively crap. Should be sent back to prison.
Arrested Development � Afrocentric group. Still big in Japan.
B-
Beastie Boys
If you learn to love you’re in for a surprise/It could be nice to be alive
New York’s finest have set the gold standard for white rap across three decades and are still going strong. Starting out as a punk band, and initially making some terrible music, they�d embraced hip-hop by the time their debut album Licenced to Ill became an instant hit with its party tunes, cheeky rhymes and cutting-edge production from Rick Rubin.
Earning a reputation from the press as controversial bad boys from the streets when really they were college kids from affluent homes, there was always an element of pantomime to the Beasties’ early work. From Paul’s Boutique onward, however, they found a new maturity, drawing on Buddhism for inspiration and turning away from some of their more politically incorrect themes. They never forgot how to make a party tune though, as the headlong rush of �Intergalactic� ably demonstrates.
2004’s To the Five Boroughs drew mixed reviews from the critics, but contained enough new tricks (and plenty of the best old ones) to suggest that the Beasties may be with us for some time yet.
————–>
Key Track: Sabotage (1994)
————–>
B is also for�..
Biz Markie � 80s semi-comedy rapper now most famous for scratching with his ample gut when DJing
Busta Rhymes � Prolific East Coast rapper and collaborator. Generally sounds like he has a bee in his bonnet about something
Big Daddy Kane � Brooklyn rapper whose heyday was the late-80s
C-
Common
Told to go beyond the surface, a person’s a person / When we lessen our women our condition seems to worsen.
One of the finest wordsmiths in hip-hop today, Common is as far from the media stereotype of the gangsta rapper as can be imagined. Relaxed, cool and reflective, his beats and rhymes have earned him a big following among rap fans and increasing crossover success. 2002’s Electric Circus album has gone down as one of the landmarks in progressive hip-hop, its mixing of genres and styles earning huge praise from the press and establishing Common as one of the figures at the forefront of pushing the genre forward.
Never averse to dabbling in the mainstream, Common makes a sterling contribution to Kanye West’s new album, while 2005 saw the release of the eagerly-anticipated Be. A summery mix of old-school hip-hop and soul, Be is the perfect laid-back summer record, and tracks like ‘The Corner’ suggest there’s much more to come from Common in the future.
————–>
Key track: The Corner (2005)
————–>
C is also for�.
Coolio � Remember Gangsta�s Paradise? Course you do.
Cypress Hill � Genre-fusing, dope-loving Californians.
Canibus � Jamaican born wordsmith who�s never really fulfilled his potential
D-
Dr Dre
No matter how hard you work, there�s someone working out there just as hard to put you down
Andre ‘Dr Dre’ Young is one of the most influential figures in all of rap
history. Starting out as a producer with the World Class Wreckin� Cru, Dre was a founder member of NWA, one of the most controversial acts in hip-hop history. Leaving the group in �91 following a falling out with Easy E, Dre went solo and recorded the phenomenally successful album The Chronic (Dre unsubtly makes it plain the wounds hadn�t healed in one of the album�s best tracks, �Fuck Wit Dre Day�).
After The Chronic, much of Dre�s focus switched to developing and producing acts for his Aftermath label, with varying degrees of musical and commercial success. However, his 1999 album 2001 made it clear that Dre can still mix it at the top of the rap charts in his own right, and the work in progress Detox, purportedly his last album, is eagerly awaited by many.
————–>
Key track: Nuthin� But a G Thang (1992)
————–>
D is also for…
De La Soul � Innovative trio most famous for their debut album 3 Feet High and Rising, one of the most enjoyable, happiest albums of the last 20 years.
DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince � �Summertime� and �Girls Ain�t Nothing But Trouble� � rare examples of evidence for the defence should Will Smith be tried for crimes against music.
DJ Shadow � Turntablist supreme.
Dilated Peoples � Intelligent alternative rappers. Record sales negligible, as you might expect.
Dead Prez � Hardcore political rap crew
E-
Eminem
Surely hip-hop was never a problem in Harlem, only in Boston /
After it bothered the fathers of daughters starting to blossom
Childish misogynist? Devoted father? Voice of a generation? Puerile exhibitionist? It seems Eminem is one of the most divisive figures in hip-hop, both for followers of the genre and casual observers. Bursting out of Detroit at the tail end of the 90s, Eminem began as Dr Dre�s prot�g� but was soon making waves in his own right with a series of controversial rhymes and public statements.
Uniting voices from left and right in condemnation of his character Slim Shady�s misanthropic views, Eminem has never shied away from controversy. He insists his lyrics as Shady are the words of the nihilist character, rather than the innate beliefs of Em himself. Anyway that�s another debate � Eminem�s influence on hip-hop, for better or worse, cannot be denied. Capable of producing some brilliant rhymes, and with Dre�s often superb production backing him up, Eminem has established himself as rap�s most recognisable and forthright figures. Recent times have seen him move towards a more political approach, and while �Mosh� may not have been the most subtle work of art, its very existence puts to shame a number of other supposedly radical artists from all genres, who appear more concerned with protecting their record sales and media profiles than giving voice to the burning issues of the day.
————–>
Key Track: Square Dance (2002)
————–>
E is also for…
Easy-E � Founder member of NWA and Ruthless records supremo. Died of AIDS in 1995.
Eric B & Rakim � Producer/MC duo drawing on funk and soul for influences (and samples)
Erykah Badu � Jazz-soul queen. Frequent guest vocalist for artists including the Roots and Talib Kweli. Has a child by ex-boyfriend, Outkast�s Andre 3000.
Ego Trip � Now-defunct US rap/rock magazine
F-
F is for 50 Cent is SHIT
Temperature rising, okay lets go to the next level / Dance floor jam packed, hot as a teakettle
This is essential to any understanding of hip-hop. 50 Cent is shit. Really. OK so you know this already � after all you�re reading Funkdub so you obviously have a working set of ears, which is pretty much all the equipment you need to work this out for yourself. Actually, I think even the deaf could deduce it from a cursory scan of his �rhymes�.
Now it�s not necessarily just the music that�s the problem. OK so the tunes are largely derivative and uninspired, 50 couldn�t pen a decent line to save his life and his flow is more leaky tap than Amazonian deluge. Plenty of rappers have, and are, producing music while suffering similar afflictions. No, the more specific problem with 50 Cent is his ridiculous macho �gansta� posturing, the sheer unimaginative, turgid, sexist, idiotic rubbishness of his persona and style. The whole gangsta shtick has been done � better � a thousand times, and now looks as dated and pointless as driving a Sinclair C5 to work. Aside from this, there�s no sense of any kind of artistic detachment with 50 Cent � unlike, say, Eminem, 50 not only appeals to the lowest common denominator, he�s a part of it. And while he�s among hip-hop�s most visible faces in the mainstream, I�ll have to keep putting up with the ignorant likes of Ian Hislop sitting smugly on Newsnight Review telling the world that the music I love is all about gun-obsessed, unintelligent idiots peddling violent sexism to kids.
Oh and by the way � fellow 50-haters, I�ve heard a lot of people attempt to take the piss by calling him �50p�. Unfortunately this doesn�t really work, as it would actually make him more valuable than his original name. Stick with standard forms of address such as �talentless fool leeching off Dre and Eminem�s patronage�, or some such fitting epithet. And hasn�t Jo Whiley gone to look old?
————–>
F is also for�.
Flavor Flav � Public Enemy co-founder. Loves wearing big alarm clocks. And why not?
Foxy Brown - Raunchy female rapper. Got a bit of a temper.
G-
Grandmaster Flash
A street kid gets arrested, gonna do some time/
He got out three years from now just to commit more crime/
A businessman is caught with 24 kilos/
He�s out on bail and out of jail/
And that�s the way it goes.
The self-proclaimed �first DJ to turn the turntable into an instrument�, Flash was one of hip-hop�s first true stars. Recording with an ever-changing array of cohorts, the most notable being Melle Mel, Flash introduced cutting to hip-hop and harnessed the power of the genre to raise social issues on landmark tracks such as �White Lines� and �The Message�. (Although Flash�s own input to �White Lines� is a matter for debate and is disputed by Melle Mel).
————–>
Key track: White Lines (1983)
————–>
G is also for�.
Gil Scott-Heron � Poet/spoken word musician, credited as one of hip-hop�s founding fathers, recording the proto-rap classic �The Revolution Will Not Be Televised� in 1974. His dad also used to play for Celtic, fact-fans!
GZA � Key Wu-Tang member and one of rap�s more literate standard-bearers during the mid to late 90s
H-
Handsome Boy Modeling School
Everyone can be handsome. Handsomeness is an inner state of mind. Along with some more grooming stuff, but basically you have it within yourself to be handsome, you just have to bring it out.
A collaboration between super-producers Dan the Automator and Prince Paul, Handsome Boy Modeling School have made two albums featuring guest stars from the world of hip-hop, as well as more unlikely acts. These have included Alex Kapranos of Franz Ferdinand, Cat Power and Jack Johnson.
————–>
Key track: I�ve Been Thinking (feat. Cat Power) � 2004
————–>
H is also for�
The Herbaliser � UK hip-hop instrumentalists.
Haiku d�Etat � Politically conscious jazzy rap trio
I-
Ice Cube
�You wanna free Africa, I stare at ya, cuz we ain’t got it too good in America�
Another ex-NWA member to enjoy solo success, Ice Cube came from a relatively affluent background and may be the only gangsta rapper with a degree in architecture. His early solo albums were hugely successful, although some of their controversial themes and lyrics were used by rap�s detractors as evidence of the genre�s supposed malign social effects. Although he�s no longer among hip-hop�s major stars, Cube is one of the most successful of the many rap artists to have tried their hand at acting, starring in several major Hollywood films in recent years.
————–>
Key track: It Was a Good Day (1992)
————–>
I is also for�
Ice-T � Controversial West-coast gangsta rapper.
J-
J is for Jay-Z
We was so happy poor but when we got rich
That’s when our signals got crossed, and we got flipped
Up until 2003, the jury was out on whether Jay-Z would go down as one of rap�s major figures. Despite having perhaps the best flow in the business, Jay spent too much of his early career pursuing the pop market. Tracks like �Hard Knock Life� may have made him a multi-millionaire, but sampling intensely irritating kiddie musical Annie is hardly likely to impress true hip-hop fans.
Then came The Black Album, and all preconceptions were blown away. A storming, bravura display of top-drawer mainstream hip-hop, it�s one of the tightest collections of songs the genre has to offer. Aside from the blistering brilliance of �99 Problems�, virtually every track is a killer, elevating Jay-Z to the top of hip-hop and dispelling the doubters with the sheer force of its convictions. The DJ Danger Mouse mix The Grey Album became one of the most successful bootlegs in history. Officially his last album, The Black Album would be a fitting end to any career, although since its release Jay has been busier than ever, and it�s hard to imagine him ever retiring permanently.
————–>
Key track: 99 Problems (2003)
————–>
J is also for…
Jurassic 5 � Modern-day old-school revivalists
JVC Force � Often-overlooked early 90s duo � �Strong Island� is an all-time classic
K-
Kanye West
Not just hip-hop, but America just discriminates against gay people. And I wanna just, to come on TV and just tell my rappers, just tell my friends, ‘Yo, stop it.’
Successful producer for Jay-Z and others turned rap megastar in his own right, Kanye is a phenomenon born of hard work, opportunism and a few cracking tunes. His music is often brazenly commercial (sampling ‘Move on Up’ doesn’t exactly push back the boundaries), but at his best Kanye�s infectious, and any true hip-hop fan would surely rather see his articulate positivity represent the genre in the pop mainstream than 50 Cent�s lumbering gangsta rap retreads.
————–>
Key track: We Don�t Care (2004)
————–>
K is also for…
Kool Herc � Breakbeat legend. Helped bring funk and reggae influences to early hip-hop music.
KRS One � Influential East Coast MC.
Kelis � One of R&B�s most credible stars, now married to Nas
L-
LL Cool J
I try to do the right thing with money. Save a dollar here and there, clip some coupons. Buy ten gold chains instead of 20. Four summer homes instead of eight.
One of hip-hop�s true survivors, LL Cool J has undergone many reinventions during over 20 years in the business. Maligned by some for his forays into inconsequential pop and saccharine ballads, he nevertheless remains an important figure in the story of hip-hop. One of relatively few stars from the mid-80s to still be recording successfully today, LL Cool J has cleverly positioned himself in the marketplace. Probably nobody�s favourite rapper, he�s happy to switch styles and fanbases according to the prevailing winds in the music of the day.
————–>
Key track: Rock n Roll (1990)
————–>
L is also for…
Ludacris � Dirty South rapper and Timbaland/Missy prot�g�
Lauryn Hill � Fugee turned missing in action solo singer
Lil� Kim � Fiery female rapper now serving time in prison, having been recently convicted of perjury
M-
Mos Def
I am descendants, of the builders of your streets/
(Black people!) Tenders to your cotton money/
I am… hip-hop
One of the most strident and articulate voices in all of music today, Mos Def�s insightful rhymes encompass politics, history, relationships and the nature of music itself. A thoughtful, reflective rapper who has led the renaissance of Public Enemy-style socially conscious hip-hop, which had been eclipsed for some time by the more high-profile excesses of gangsta rap.
Often working with Talib Kweli, his partner in Black Star, as well as the likes of The Roots and Common, Mos has left an indelible mark on turn of the millennium music, and will hopefully be making important and brilliant music for years to come.
————–>
Key track: Rock n Roll (1999)
————–>
M is also for…
MC Solaar � Spiritual French rapper, one of hip-hop�s few genuine non-Anglophone stars
Method Man � Wu-Tang member. Solo output patchy.
Melle Mel � Old-school pioneer and leader of the Furious Five following Grandmaster Flash�s departure.
N-
Nas
I just wanna be remembered as having my own identity. If Nas come out and sell 10 million copies tomorrow, and they say Nas is the on-top rapper, that’s not what I asked for. I just wanna be heard.
Nasir Jones has long been a titan of conscious east-coast rap. The son of jazz/blues legend Olu Dara, Nas rose to hip-hop fame in the early 90s, recording the landmark debut Illmatic in 1994. Since that time, Nas has been one of hip-hop�s leading figures. He and Jay-Z had a much-publicised rivalry through the 90s, although in recent years they appear to have resolved their differences. Nas�s latest feud is with 50 Cent, Nas having promised to end 50�s career. Let�s all wish him the best of luck with that.
2004�s double-album Street�s Disciple was frequently hit-and-miss. However, tracks such as Bridging the Gap (featuring Dara), Sekou Story and American Way find Nas very much at the top of his game, producing intelligent rhymes over sharp, experimental beats and embracing in particular blues and jazz forms.
————–>
Key track: NY State of Mind (1994)
————–>
N is also for…
Nelly � Pop rapper of no consequence. Plaster on face a bizarre reminder to imprisoned brother that he isn�t forgotten. Surely a postcard would suffice?
Notorious B.I.G. � massive (literally) star of mid-90s rap. Famed for rivalry with Tupac, although Biggie was never in the same league as Shakur.
NWA � Niggaz With Attitude � One of the first gangsta rap groups, spawning many of the future stars of the scene.
Nate Dogg � Snoop�s cousin and mid-table rapper
O-
Outkast
Music is a common bond Dr� and I share. And we can make it good without necessarily being in the same room
Atlanta duo Antwan �Big Boi� Patton and Andre �3000� Benjamin started out by perfecting good-natured party funk, producing infectious southern-tinged hip-hop and earning a cult following across the hip-hop community.
Neither gangsta nor socially-conscious, their style is marked by a refusal to take themselves and the music too seriously. Despite this, Outkast are also acknowledged as being one of the most important and daring acts in the genre today, enjoying huge mainstream success while simultaneously crossing boundaries into funk, soul and rock. Although this carries the danger of their credibility suffering in the long term, right now Outkast are on the crest of a wave, with a movie and new record label taking up the boys� time when they�re not working on solo projects, soundtracks and the band�s next album, slated for release In 2006.
————–>
Key track: Ms Jackson
————–>
O is also for…
ODB � Oft-incarcerated Wu-Tang member. Died last year aged 35.
Ozomatli � Genre-hopping LA Latin funk/hip-hop crew.
Obie Trice � Eminem/Dre acolyte, deserves mention for the rhyme �And trust, I’m attackin’ it/I cook up the hot shit like Ainsley Harriot�. Inspired!
P-
Public Enemy
Elvis was a hero to most / But he never meant shit to me
Public Enemy (Chuck D, Flavor Flav, Professor Griff and Terminator X), are one of the most incendiary acts in the history of popular music. A revolutionary cohort intent on using music to highlight civil rights issues and to provoke change, their album �It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back� is a classic of confrontational music.
De facto leader Chuck D became a hate figure for conservative white America, suddenly confronted by an angry and articulate black man ready to stand up to the injustice he saw around him. In a society both disdainful of hip-hop and fearful of its power, Public Enemy were cast as mindless troublemakers when really they were among relatively few in America ready to challenge the status quo.
Now older but no less impassioned, Chuck D is a leading figure of the American left, writing and lecturing around the world, as well as continuing to record. Flavor Flav was most recently seen in the UK on celebrity reality show The Farm, in which formed a close mutual bond with Orville the Duck (previously seen as only a minor influence on hip-hop)
————–>
Key track: Don�t Believe the Hype (1988)
————–>
P is also for�
Pharrell Williams � Super-producer, founder member of the Neptunes and N*E*R*D and star in his own right.
Pharoahe Monch � Critically-acclaimed Rawkus artist.
Positive Force � Sugar Hill Records funk artists, uncredited players on the seminal �Rappers Delight�
Puff Daddy/P Diddy/whatever � Arse
Q-
Q-Tip
Put apprehension on the back burner, let it sit, don�t even get it lit
Rapper and producer, formerly of A Tribe Called Quest but now well-respected for his solo work, as well as some excellent collaborations.
In 2004 Q-Tip made an unlikely appearance on the track �The Outsiders� from R.E.M�s disappointing �Around the Sun� album, and has been a busy man ever since. He went on to record the critical and commercial success �Galvanize� with the Chemical Brothers, and guested on the excellent remix of Stevie Wonder�s semi-return to form, �So What the Fuss�.
————–>
Key track: A Tribe Called Quest � Electric Relaxation (1994)
————–>
Q is also for�
Queen Latifa � Big lady, American rapper/actress/personality type person. Included because not many �Q�s� I can think of.
R-
Run DMC
Here’s another point in life you should not miss/
Do not be a fool who’s prejudiced/
Because we’re all written down on the same list/
It’s like that (what?) and that’s the way it is
A major force in dragging hip-hop, for better or worse, into the very heart of mainstream music, Run DMC were a New York trio formed in the early 80s. The first rap act to be played on MTV, creators of the first rap album to go gold and to break into the US top 10, their importance to the genre as a whole cannot be understated.
They enjoyed most of their success during the mid-80s, although in 1998 Jason Nevins�s reworking of �It�s Like That� earned them a whole new audience. Tragically, Run DMC�s career was cut short by the murder in 2002 of DJ Jam Master Jay.
————–>
Key track: It�s Like That (1983)
————–>
R is also for…
Redman � Def Jam artist, mates with Method Man
Roots Manuva � See UK hip-hop
The Roots � Magnificent Philadelphian hip-hop band whose instrumentation is second to none.
S-
Snoop Dogg
I keep hearing about muthafking Harry Potter. Who is this muthafker?
There are a number of ways to be expelled from school. Some are more remarkable than others. The young Calvin �Snoop Dogg� Broadus is a case in point. Having won a place at a school for gifted children, he was doing well and enjoying himself � �It was real cool. I was well crafted with my linguistics.�. But then disaster struck, �They kicked me out the second year ’cause I showed a little girl my little thang! I was in the lunch line and she said something to me real crazy and I didn’t know how to defend myself, so I just unzipped my zipper�. This novel attempt at self-defence resulted in Snoop moving schools and discovering rap in freestyle battles on the schoolyard.
After high school Snoop joined LA gang the Crips, and spent time in jail before turning seriously to rapping and hooking up with Dr. Dre. Dre�s album The Chronic saw Snoop afforded as much time on the mic as anyone, and helped make him a global star. Since then, Snoop�s unmistakable laid-back delivery has become a part of the hip-hop landscape, and ensured he can get his bits out pretty much where he wants without fear of anyone telling him off.
————–>
S is also for…
The Sugarhill Gang � Group responsible for �Rapper�s Delight� � arguably hip-hop�s first hit
Slick Rick � Old-school Bronx rapper. Originally from London.
Salt n Pepa � P-push it real good!
The Source � Biggest and most influential hip-hop magazine
T-
Timbaland & Missy
If I didn�t have some education, then I wouldn�t be able to count my money
Missy Elliott and Tim �Timbaland� Mosley have been one of the most vital creative duos in hip-hop history. While Missy, rap�s only true female superstar, enjoys much of the attention, Tim�s distinctive production style has been essential to the success she has enjoyed.
The pair worked together in various projects for a number of years, but started producing and writing songs in earnest in the mid-90s for a number of R&B artists. Missy recorded her own debut album, Supa Dupa Fly, in 1997, co-producing and writing with Timbaland. The duo have remained together ever since, and this continuity, as well as their complementary talents, has helped them consolidate their position at hip-hop�s top table. Missy has gone on to become a global megastar, transcending the boundaries of the hip-hop community, but always ensures Timbaland is given the credit he deserves.
————–>
Key track: The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly) � (1997)
————–>
T is also for�
Talib Kweli � Mos Def�s pal and all-round good guy of intelligent alternative rhyming.
TLC � R & B trio whose tunes and collaborations frequently crossed over into hip-hop and rap.
Tone Loc � Gravel-voiced late 80s rapper. Turned to acting, though with recent diminishing returns. �Funky Cold Medina� still a cracker though.
Twista � Apparently the world�s fastest rapper. Impressive for at least 20 seconds, that.
U-
U is for UK hip-hop
Round �ere we say birds, not bitches
A common theme in this A-Z is nationality � virtually all those mentioned are from the US. Of course, the genre originated in America and has evolved largely across the Atlantic. UK rappers have often paled in comparison, always struggling for authenticity when attempting to mimic their US heroes (witness So Solid Crew�s witless gangsta affectations).
Recently, however, the UK scene has increasingly found artists able and willing to forge a new identity for British hip-hop. From Mike Skinner�s Birmingham via-East End patter to Roots Manuva�s Brixton vowels (with a nod to his Jamaican heritage), a sense has emerged that to compete, British artists don�t need to slavishly copy American acts. Finding a voice for itself has helped the UK scene reach a wider audience, while retaining a sense of the authenticity too often lacking previously.
While Mike Skinner has been accused of copying Eminem, his observations of the minutiae of everyday life owe more to Ray Davies than Marshall Mathers. Similarly, artists such as Dizzee Rascal, Ty, Skinnyman and veteran Blak Twang make a virtue of their background, and in Dizzee�s case in particular are enjoying some success across the pond. British hip-hop has flourished in recent times, producing some of the most talented and original artists working in the genre today.
————–>
Key tracks:
Roots Manuva � Colossal Insight (2005)
The Streets � Let�s Push Things Forward (2002)
Blak Twang � Kik Off (2002)
Dizzee Rascal � Fix Up Look Sharp (2003)
————–>
U is also for…
Ugly Duckling � Californian trio making modern-day old school hip-hop. Their track �Almond Rocha� is one of the choicest cuts on DJ Format�s excellent mix compilation A Right Earful
V-
V is not for Tupac Shakur
You know it’s funny when it rains it pours/They got money for wars, but can’t feed the poor.
OK so I�ve used up �T� with Timbaland and Missy (itself a sneaky ruse to get Mos Def and Missy both in the A-Z), and I can�t find anyone particularly important to the hip-hop story beginning with V (sorry, Vanilla Ice fans). So this looks like a suitable place for a man without whom no A-Z of this music would be complete.
Considered by many to be one of the greatest rappers of all time, and an influence on almost everyone working in hip-hop today, Tupac was a true one-off. While often too closely associated with gangsta rap for the liking of many, when Tupac allowed his essential humanism to shine through, he proved himself to be a sensitive and compassionate observer on ghetto life and the human condition.
Since his death, it�s tempting to turn to hagiography and anoint Tupac as a shining example of the politically-correct, socially-conscious rapper. Of course this isn�t strictly true. Tupac had the same pointless rivalries and was as prone to bouts of misogyny and macho nonsense as many of his contemporaries. However, his tragic death at 25 means the latent potential for something more profound exhibited in tracks like �Keep Ya Head Up� will forever remain unfulfilled.
————–>
Key track: Keep Ya Head Up (1993)
————–>
V is actually for…
Vanilla Ice � Oh dear
W-
Wu-Tang Clan
Dirt McGirt comes from Dirt McGirt Island. It�s a place that�s right off the block from the next island off of Batman Island. I can�t let you know exactly where it is��it�s a secret, you know? Wonder Woman told me not to say nothing. � ODB on his alter ego.
The Wu-Tang clan is a collective of MCs who collaborate both on Wu-Tang albums and a multitude of solo projects. The members have a number of aliases and the group functions as a kind of nebulous framework within which the individuals members can learn from one another, and frequently produce some of the best rap music around together.
The Wu-Tang draw on much Chinese mysticism and kung-fu style imagery, and have been influential in drawing on stories and metaphors to use within their rhymes. All the members of the Clan are recognised as artists in their own right, although the group�s biggest star was arguably Ol� Dirty Bastard, despite his ability to contribute musically being hampered by his imprisonment. ODB died last year, but as with all rap deaths these days, this means we�ll be hearing a lot more of him as the very bottom of the barrel of unreleased recordings will be scraped. The rest of the Wu-Tang are as productive as ever, with upcoming albums from GZA, U-God, Raekwon, Method Man, Inspectah Deck and Ghostface Killah.
————–>
W is also for…
Wyclef Jean � Fugee and commercially successful solo act. Not to be confused with ITV regional detective Wycliffe. They�re different.
Will Smith � Formerly the Fresh Prince, now every mum�s favourite non-threatening, non-swearing bland rapper. Doesn�t appear to have aged in at least 10 years.
Warren G � Stepbrother of Dre, very big in his own right in the mid-90s
X,Y,Z-
Not the easiest letters…
Xzibit � Second-division rapper and Pimp My Ride host. �Paparazzi� was a good track though.
Young MC � Pop rapper who enjoyed his best period with his first album, 1989�s Stone Cold Rhymin�
Zhane � Now mostly forgotten mid-90s hip-hop/r&b group. Probably for the best.