Good Rap Music

Classic Rap Videos: EPMD - Strictly Business

When EPMD came on the scene, back in 1987, they caused a major underground hype. Here were two regular guys, who did not care about gold chains and fly suits, who didn't go for gimmicks but just stayed themselves on the microphone, yet whose skills were so evident that they were an instant sensation. It was the start of a very long career, that spawned many gold singles and albums, although their most loved single is probably this one, Strictly Business, a track that showed that Erick Sermon and Parrish Smith weren't messing around.

I cannot actually remember seeing this video back in the days, but I was down with this song the second I first heard it. The music has a drive to it that was unheard back in the days, while Erick and Parrish flow over the beat in a laid-back yet hardcore style that showed them totally at ease with snapping necks and cashing large cheques. The video, posted by a YouTube user called shockg, is pretty cool, quite low key but showing you that these two fisherman hat rocking cats meant business.

REVIEW: Moka Only - The Desired Effect (2006)

Moka Only is a guy who obviously loves to make albums. He cranks out more albums in one year than most artists do in their whole career, while not lowering the quality of his releases. Case in point: The Desired Effect, a terrific album that takes listeners on a soulful journey through Moka's thoughts. For this album, he enlisted help from producers like Jay Dilla, Oh No and Sixtoo, while MF Doom quests on one of the cuts, but this really is Moka's album. It's hard to name a standout track, since The Desired Effect does not really dip in quality at all (rare on an album nowadays), but tracks like the title track, Dilla produced One Time, Chill (helped by a beat that has been absent from Hiphop for too long), and MF Doom starrer More Soup triggered my replay-reflex most often. Albums like this are really too rare, combinations of interesting lyrics that handle more than one different subject, with jazzy, relaxed beats to compliment them. You might only know Moka Only from Swollen Members, but don't expect anything like that style on this small masterpiece. In my opinion, this outdoes anything Swollen Members have ever made, and even outdoes most of the rap albums released this year.

****½

Classic Rap Videos: Big Daddy Kane - Ain't No Half Steppin'

YouTube is a real treasure trove when it comes to classic rap videos. Think of any of the videos you used to see on Yo MTV Raps, and chances are very high that it's online. To help you find the real gems, I'll regularly post a link to one of these classic pieces of videoclip making, and how can you start better than with Big Daddy Kane?

Back in the days when this video came out, we're speaking the glory year 1988, Kane was already making a name for himself. He had earned himself a record deal with Cold Chillin's after ghostwriting some classic Biz Markie songs, and had released his first smash, Raw, in 1987. Ain't No Half Steppin' came out with Kane's first album, Long Live The Kane, and it became an instant classic with hiphop heads everywhere. The video shows the Kane we all know well. A sophisticated man you don't mess with, and who will take you out if you don't come correct. It's a pretty classy video, but when you have an amazing song like Ain't No Half Steppin' to back it up, you can show a blue screen for four minutes and people will still love it. Enjoy it, and keep your eyes open for the customary 'Marley Marl behind he piano' cameo!

Welcome!

Good rap music isn't dead, you just have to know where to look! And if you are reading this, you have come to the right place for articles and reviews on the best rap music, both old and new!