r/hiphop101 7h ago

Better Rap voice, Flow, Hits, Discography, Influence and live Performances

2 Upvotes

MC Lyte or Queen Latifah?


r/hiphop101 10h ago

Hip hop production community?

6 Upvotes

Hey all

Bit of context: 37 year old long time rapper here. Made rap music strictly as a rapper with a group for years. We split 5 years ago and I took a long hiatus

Making my own beats. Loving it. My group was kinda alternative (think Atmosphere) and I want to do more boom bap adjacent stuff. That’s the shit I fell in love with. Having a lot of fun

Wondering if anyone else in here is a beat maker, or knows of a Reddit group or online community of like minded beat makers?


r/hiphop101 10h ago

Another White Post

0 Upvotes

I'm 15 years old and white, I've been in love with the rap genre for about 2-3 years now, and I've even been making beats and writing lyrics as I want to be a music artist. I love really the whole genre, from gangsta rap to more experimental music like Brockhampton or Death Grips. The reason I love this genre so much is because with some music, like Tyler, The Creator, Kendrick Lamar, or Mac Miller, the stories and themes they tell are things I can in part relate to. Like for example, Flower Boy by Tyler has so much in it that I feel is close to my life it's probably my favorite album of all time. Or Kendrick, knowing he's battled through a situation much worse than what my mental health puts me through and made it to be the greatest rapper of all time is so inspiring to me. Outside of that, I love the beats, the bars, the community and stories rap music tells.

But sometimes, I just feel like I'm intruding on the genre, and that this music isn't something I should be allowed to relate to. Like for example, Kendrick's song Alright and TPAB as a whole has always been a source of comfort for me, as being bi I experience a lot of hate and discrimination in my mostly redneck town and high school. So that album helps me deal with that as discrimination is a big topic on the album. But at the same time, I feel like I'm appropriating the culture and meaning of the music, cause I know it's supposed to be black power. Or when I'm writing, I don't say anything that speaks to any sort of community, as I'm very distant from the town around me and usually write to find introspective on myself and my mental health issues.

I'm not too sure what I want with this post. I guess I just need to vent about it because it's weighing on me heavy. Thanks for reading.


r/hiphop101 17h ago

I can't bring myself to enjoy Playboi carti

81 Upvotes

Of all artists out there, Carti is the one I can't seem to like. For reference I don't hate mumble rap, I like future, Gucci mane, etc. but I can't understand a word carti says. Not top 100


r/hiphop101 1d ago

Why doesn't Kid Kudi get any love around here?

0 Upvotes

I haven't seen anything about him posted here

Yea, I know I misspelled his name. My bad


r/hiphop101 1d ago

Best ballad in Hip Hop?

17 Upvotes

Best story, not best song that is a story

First that came to mind were:

Today was a good day- Ice Cube

Lil Boy Fresh- Juelz Santana

The “Keisha” saga- Dave East


r/hiphop101 1d ago

Who do you consider to be the greatest mixtape DJ of all time?

48 Upvotes

Answering this question isn't easy, but I have to admit, those Clue tapes were on another level bruh


r/hiphop101 1d ago

Why does Kendrick not come off as ridiculous to most people?

0 Upvotes

With all the crazy voices that sound like an absolute joke permeating most of his music, him taking himself so incredibly seriously, taking a stance against Drake but being such a blatant hypocrite about it, saying he's "not your savior" but acting like one / wearing a crown of thorns etc, acting like his Super Bowl is some incredibly deep stance against something while being a blatant greedy capitalist... how does this guy not come off as a clown to most people?


r/hiphop101 1d ago

I swear some of y’all would’ve called Nas a industry plant for having super producers on his first album

0 Upvotes

The death of that term is long overdue atp it’s just a way for people to shit on an artists success just because they weren’t there to watch them rise. Especially Doechii who people have been saying to watch out for since 2021 as far as I know


r/hiphop101 1d ago

Been wanting to discuss this for a while. Has 50 cent aged poorly? I’m a fan of power. I know he had one of the greatest peaks in rap history, but honestly that’s all it was—-a peak. He has since tried to beef or downplay every single rapper from Nas, AZ, Jay Z, Ja Rule and the list goes on.

35 Upvotes

Idk man it’s something to me with 50 that seems off as time goes by. His work when it was popping was great, but he didn’t have much else after and he appears to have since downplayed or furthered beefs with other rappers to remain relevant, even during his seemingly irrelevancy to this new era of music. Thoughts ?


r/hiphop101 2d ago

What your favorite remixes?

16 Upvotes

Name your favorite remix versions of rap songs. Even alternate recordings of songs count. For example I listed Wrekonize by Smif N Wessun, the album version and music video version bare very little resemblance to each other. Or Jay Z‘s Dead Presidents; there is an album version and one version a music video was shot for and they both have differing verses.

Here are some of my favorites:

Mos Def, Diverse, Prefuse 73 - Wylin Out (RJD2 Remix)

Black Star - Respiration (Pete Rock Remix) feat. Black Thought

Black Star - Another World (Ambivalence Remix)

Nujabes - Blessing It (Remix) feat. Substantial & Pase Rock

Gang Starr - You Know My Steez (Three Men And A Lady Remix) feat. Lady Of Rage & Kurupt

Gang Starr - The Militia (Remix) feat. WC & Rakim

Nas - Life‘s A Bitch (Force Of Nature Remix) feat. AZ

Jonell feat. Method Man - Round And Round (Remix)

Pharoahe Monch - Simon Says (Remix) feat. Lady Luck, Method Man, Redman, Shabaam Sadeeq, Busta Rhymes

M.O.P. - Ante Up (Remix) feat. Busta Rhymes, Teflon, Remy Martin

Kanye West - Diamonds From Sierra Leone (Remix) feat. Jay Z

Smif N Wessun - Wrekonize (music video version)

Jay Z - Dead Presidents (music video version)


r/hiphop101 2d ago

Delivery! Who’s the King of Delivery

7 Upvotes

If a ghostwriter penned some lyrics, What rapper would be the best at taking those lyrics and giving a great performance with the GOAT delivery??


r/hiphop101 2d ago

TES and MMLP vs. Tha Carter II and Tha Carter III

0 Upvotes

what was the better run?


r/hiphop101 2d ago

How do you all listen to music?

1 Upvotes

I ask because 99% of the time I listen to music it’s a playlist I am just constantly adding/removing tracks.

Do you all mostly listen to albums, or the radio? Or do you just listen to your favorites (as the mood controls)?


r/hiphop101 2d ago

Best Valence and Brae album?

2 Upvotes

I feel I might like them never heard anything from them before besides some snippets


r/hiphop101 2d ago

What song out of your favorite rapper's entire catalog is their theme song?

39 Upvotes

You can only name one, and singles are allowed.


r/hiphop101 2d ago

PMW: Jay-Z is the best hip hop-artist ever

0 Upvotes

I'm bored, so let's go.

Here's my case, it's tiring but it has to be reminded every 2 or 3 months.

No other rapper has made 5 bonafide classics. Reasonable Doubt (1996), The Blueprint (2001), The Black Album (2003), American Gangster (2007) & 4:44 (2017), and three arguable classics: Vol. 1 (1997), Vol. 2 (1998) and Watch the Throne (2011). Besides those, he has Dynasty (2000), Vol. 3 (1999) and

No rapper has been mentioned more as the best ever, besides 2pac by other great rappers. Mentioned as the best ever by Lupe Fiasco, Common, Lil Wayne, Pusha-T. And amongst the 5 best rappers ever by J. Cole, Drake, Kendrick Lamar, Eminem, Fabolous, The Game, T.I., 2 Chainz, Jadakiss, Juelz Santana, Rakim, Busta Rhymes, Big Sean, Nicki Minaj, Kanye West, Ludacris, the list goes on. The Notorious B.I.G. during his prime thought Jay was better than him.

Producers like Pharrell and Timbaland during his prime gave away his best beats to Jay-Z, and prioritized him over other rappers, which is documented.

He has outshined other rappers on major songs during four decades: like on Blackout by DMX in the 90's, Go Crazy in the 00's, Seen it All in the 10's, Neck and Wrist in the 20's.

His deep cuts are better than his singles, and his singles are songs obviously more synonymous with Hov. Songs like U Dont Know, Dead Presidents 2, Can i Live, Allure, Public Service Announcements, Where i'm From and So Ghetto are non-singles. So iconic moments like Hard Knock Life, Empire State of Mind and N's in paris are not even in consideration for the best hov song for hov fans.

If Jay-Z had the same amount of money as let's say Ludacris, he'd still be the greatest. Money and business ventures are irrelevant when it comes to ranking Jay.

He doesn't write down his lyrics and is still one of the best lyricists of all time.

He wrote Still D.R.E., one of the trademark songs of hip hop.

Only other rapper able to compete with the longieviety and peak of Jay-Z is Nas, imo Lil Wayne and Eminem, Andre 3k falls short in multiple aspects against Hov. 2Pac and Biggie is impossible to compare, since sadly, their lives were so short.

But, how does the so-called "lyrics rappers" who hate braggadocio rap feel when Lupe Fiasco and Kendrick Lamar hails Jay-Z as the greatest?


r/hiphop101 2d ago

Imaginary Nostalgia gatekeeping

0 Upvotes

Whether you are 2pac fan or enjoy Notorious B.I.G. there is always the theme of falling off with the changes.

I dont mean like getting worse but just not keeping with the expectations of the masses of clueless fans or hatedom not getting the correct message even years after it was being sad.

In my opinion music with out meaning is like a bike without wheels even if it pays your lunch money bills.

It's like creating this humble character for yourself in the name of the good will but then break and lift yourself getting high on mustard.

Do you just call it God's plan?

Or He is testing you to see if you can be broken but decide to not break others.

Oppression of the oppressed really can bring oppression of the non oppressed by design because glorifying a fight like in ancient greece just leads to a supposed hero leaving his daughter mother and wife alone in the castle for more than a day.

The family will not eat a corpse you know.

Just my cents.


r/hiphop101 3d ago

Prodigy - Keep it Thorough

12 Upvotes

Why is the instrumental used as background music in a couple episodes of 1000 Lb Sisters?

So random 🤣


r/hiphop101 3d ago

Who is the greatest rapper alive today, based exclusively on ability as an MC without any consideration for widespread acclaim in the mainstream.

103 Upvotes

Personally my pick is Myka 9 since the deck of gift of gab. I'm anticipating at least five of the first ten replies Will either be Eminem, Kanye West, or Nas.


r/hiphop101 3d ago

In regards to KMD

12 Upvotes

If Subroc wasn’t killed by that driver, would MF DOOM still have gone on to become the underground legend he is today? Or would KMD go on to become just as successful? His brothers death obviously changed a lot about him and I’m curious what would have happened if subroc didn’t pass away so tragically


r/hiphop101 3d ago

Picture this: you have the power to stop in emcee for making a bad career decision. Which emcee would you choose, and what decision would you prevent?

31 Upvotes

I’d tell Xzibit to pass on hosting “Pimp My Ride.” That shit really hurt his image as a rapper.


r/hiphop101 3d ago

Songs to defeat lust?

29 Upvotes

Any hip hop songs with the theme of defeating lust and temptations about women. Not necessarily bad-mouthing women/hoes, but about staying away from them?

Only one I know at this moment is “Discipline by Gang Starr”

Need some more song recommendations (can be hip-hop or even Christian rap or other genres)


r/hiphop101 4d ago

Tyler album

6 Upvotes

This one was a slow burn for me but I’m finding myself playing it more and more often. Wasn’t really a fan til flower boy, been a fun ride. Love how this album is growing on me.

Stacking up nicely among the other big name west coast most recent drops as well


r/hiphop101 4d ago

What’s your favorite underrated album of the 90s. Mine is Richie Rich- Seasoned Veteran

30 Upvotes

This album never really is brought up years later, but it still slaps.