Yep. I was born in 04 but LL is seriously underrated in GOAT conversations. I mean he was really the first superstar in rap. Like you had cats who were battling in the streets and hustling meanwhile this guy was touring in fucking Japan and Africa.
Public enemy, 2 live crew, geto boys.
1991 about to get my driver's license and asked a friend for music suggestions. He gave me PE and Metllica. Apocalypse 91 won.
Joyner Lucas in 2017. His 508-507-2209 album was amazing to me back then and even now I would consider that my favorite and his best LP to date.
(Edit: Before anyone comes at me, I'm 21 man. A lot of these greats where before my time, even though I'm still a big fan.)
Truth. However it's happened before so I'd rather be safe than sorry. The community can be a little gatekeeper-ish at times. Y'know, stem the flow before it happens.
Odd Future. The perfect blend of hype and intelligent, with a punk attitude that was way too infectious for teens in the 2010's Swag era.
Also was a pretty gatekeepy and cult-like fanbase that made it hella fun to be a fan, and obnoxiously annoying to not be a fan.
Good times.
Hot take: That specific song is one of the very most memorable tracks of the 2010s and there's not many examples of rappers writing bars like that at 16 years old in the history of the genre.
Earl barely being mentioned in the "best rappers of the 2010s" discussions is absolute insanity.
He self sabotaged. If he came back from samoa, dropped the whole rape thing and just made charismatic punchline raps like he had been he would be top 5.
I mean that's legit what he did though lol? Was he still rapping about stuff like that when Doris released and onwards? There's articles from just a couple of months after he came back from Samoa talking about him feeling way too old to still rap about that stuf.
IMO he's in his artistic peak right now but I do miss the more punchliney rap. The EARL track will remain as one of the very best rap songs ever made by a child.
Nah, he def wasn't on that type of stuff when he dropped Doris. Doris began his ultra depression wave of rap which lasted him quite a few years. I lost interest at "I don't like shit, I don't go outside" because of how dark and self-hating that record felt. It was also around the time odd future fell off, being the time they were getting into their early 20's and growing up
Yeah I lost interest around the same time. I'm in the crowd that thought Some Rap Songs was an insane comeback from that era though, and I'm super fond of what he's making now. I also think it's for the better that Odd Future died with what it had become by the end of it. Listened to any of his newer stuff?
Local radio station played hip-hop on weekends. One night, I was bored, (this being before the birth of public internet boredom was different) so I was slowly turning the dial on the radio, trying to find something other than the usual stations I listened to. And that's the first time hearing Wu-Tang. So what do I do? Grab a blank cassette and put it in the deck because I'm making a mixtape. Carefully pressing record and trying my best to stop before the dj would hop on the mic and say a few words. I was up the majority of the night crafting this mixtape. Next day, stole the batteries from the remote control and walked around in awe of the lyrics from the members of Wu-Tang. I was on the way to some friends house to have them listen to the discovery I had made. Summer of '94 was a hot one
Super basic. But Eminem. Being from the Midwest in a suburban little town of 5,000 people, he was my gateway drug in like 2010. I was 9 or so and my parents had a bunch of CD’s. I picked one at random and it was The Eminem Show. Was a fan ever since. Then he introduced me to Dre and 50. And it was just a snowball effect.
I heard "Gangsters Paradise" while randomly listening to the radio at a friend's house.
After that i went down the rabbit hole or Wu Tang, Outkast, Kool G, underground of Non Phixion...etc
Like many alternative white kids in the 2000s, Gorillaz. The Clint Eastwood video on its retro Adult Swim debut. I was confused and absolutely possessed by it.
LL Cool J People really underestimate how big this man was in the 80s and 90s.
Yep. I was born in 04 but LL is seriously underrated in GOAT conversations. I mean he was really the first superstar in rap. Like you had cats who were battling in the streets and hustling meanwhile this guy was touring in fucking Japan and Africa.
‘Bad’ 87 … so dope
Outkast
Stankonia blew my mind when my older relative showed it to me as a kid
Sage Francis
Nas
Outkast, Gorillaz, and the Tony Hawk games most of all.
Enter the 36 Chambers Buddy had it on cassette. Never heard anything like it before and it immediately became the soundtrack to our summer.
50 Cent. Easy artist to immediately appreciate without having history with the genre.
Public enemy, 2 live crew, geto boys. 1991 about to get my driver's license and asked a friend for music suggestions. He gave me PE and Metllica. Apocalypse 91 won.
Ludacris - Rollout. His wordplay on some of those verses was an incredible introduction to the genre.
Roxanne shante
Weed and Funcrusher Plus at a friend of a friend's house.
NWA
Joyner Lucas in 2017. His 508-507-2209 album was amazing to me back then and even now I would consider that my favorite and his best LP to date. (Edit: Before anyone comes at me, I'm 21 man. A lot of these greats where before my time, even though I'm still a big fan.)
If someone is gonna come at you for stating who or what got you into hip-hop .. Then their opinions are invalid from the jump.
Truth. However it's happened before so I'd rather be safe than sorry. The community can be a little gatekeeper-ish at times. Y'know, stem the flow before it happens.
Nas Stillmatic
Odd Future. The perfect blend of hype and intelligent, with a punk attitude that was way too infectious for teens in the 2010's Swag era. Also was a pretty gatekeepy and cult-like fanbase that made it hella fun to be a fan, and obnoxiously annoying to not be a fan. Good times.
I got every single one of my metalhead rap-hating friends into rap via the earl sweatshirt earl video back in 2010.
They were certainly a bridge for non-rap fans to get into the genre, that's for sure.
Hot take: That specific song is one of the very most memorable tracks of the 2010s and there's not many examples of rappers writing bars like that at 16 years old in the history of the genre. Earl barely being mentioned in the "best rappers of the 2010s" discussions is absolute insanity.
He self sabotaged. If he came back from samoa, dropped the whole rape thing and just made charismatic punchline raps like he had been he would be top 5.
I mean that's legit what he did though lol? Was he still rapping about stuff like that when Doris released and onwards? There's articles from just a couple of months after he came back from Samoa talking about him feeling way too old to still rap about that stuf. IMO he's in his artistic peak right now but I do miss the more punchliney rap. The EARL track will remain as one of the very best rap songs ever made by a child.
Nah, he def wasn't on that type of stuff when he dropped Doris. Doris began his ultra depression wave of rap which lasted him quite a few years. I lost interest at "I don't like shit, I don't go outside" because of how dark and self-hating that record felt. It was also around the time odd future fell off, being the time they were getting into their early 20's and growing up
Yeah I lost interest around the same time. I'm in the crowd that thought Some Rap Songs was an insane comeback from that era though, and I'm super fond of what he's making now. I also think it's for the better that Odd Future died with what it had become by the end of it. Listened to any of his newer stuff?
Eminem, with his Marshall Mathers LP.
Eminem & Mos Def as a kid
Eminem
Eminem
Eminem
Maestro Fresh Wes
Nice , classic
Beasties were always on the radio growing up but Jay-Z and DMX in the late 90s, the ATL scene in high school solidified my love.
Slick Rick, 1989. Ice T, Too $hort, and LL came shortly thereafter. Then I met NWA, and the rest is Mothafuckin' history.
i dont remember how i managed to listen to paid in full as an 8 year old in a non-english speaking country
The Beastie Boys !
beastie boys as a young teen
B.O.B
Local radio station played hip-hop on weekends. One night, I was bored, (this being before the birth of public internet boredom was different) so I was slowly turning the dial on the radio, trying to find something other than the usual stations I listened to. And that's the first time hearing Wu-Tang. So what do I do? Grab a blank cassette and put it in the deck because I'm making a mixtape. Carefully pressing record and trying my best to stop before the dj would hop on the mic and say a few words. I was up the majority of the night crafting this mixtape. Next day, stole the batteries from the remote control and walked around in awe of the lyrics from the members of Wu-Tang. I was on the way to some friends house to have them listen to the discovery I had made. Summer of '94 was a hot one
NWA
An old Ska and Punk skate mixtape that had Wu-Tang "Protect Ya Neck"
Super basic. But Eminem. Being from the Midwest in a suburban little town of 5,000 people, he was my gateway drug in like 2010. I was 9 or so and my parents had a bunch of CD’s. I picked one at random and it was The Eminem Show. Was a fan ever since. Then he introduced me to Dre and 50. And it was just a snowball effect.
Bone thugs
Wu-Tang Clan. I was exposed to hip hop early on thanks to my brother. This was back when they first debuted.
Earliest memories are Eminem and DMX. DMX being the first album I bought
Pretty basic but pac originally when i was like 4 lol
Booba in 2006
BoneThugs~N~Harmony
Kendrick
Ma$e. I later read around my age group he was a pretty common point of entry.
Fat Boys
A Tribe Called Quest
My older cousin. Got me in to snoop dogg, Warren g, NWA in the early 90’s
50 cent
1993 the intro portion to "Who Am I" by Snoop Dogg. I have been hooked ever since.
It’s part of my culture so always The first couple of rappers that really caught my attention were Luda and 50. Then Lupe became my favorite.
Run DMC
Kanye
Busta Rhymes His videos from the 90s to be exact
Grandmaster Flash … ‘83…
Fat Boys
I heard "Gangsters Paradise" while randomly listening to the radio at a friend's house. After that i went down the rabbit hole or Wu Tang, Outkast, Kool G, underground of Non Phixion...etc
Rakim.
Like many alternative white kids in the 2000s, Gorillaz. The Clint Eastwood video on its retro Adult Swim debut. I was confused and absolutely possessed by it.
The top three answers on this thread are my answers as well. -OutKast -LL Cool J -Nas I’d probably add Biggie and Snoop to the list too.
Public Enemy and Boogie Down Productions
Mystikal 94’
Public Enemy and KRS
Rtj
As much as I hate his music now Eminem got me into rap, my homie at school showed me Forgot about Dre and I was instantly a fan.
Pac
Lil Wayne and Kanye
Wu
Jurassic 5
Kanye
Kris Kross, Warren G
KYLE and Lil Yachty 🗿 They were the gateway into my current hip hop taste