I'm trying to educate myself on different kinds of rap/trip-hop -- I really don't know much about it. I've heard some pretty cool French and Japanese stuff but would like to learn more... Any suggestions?
MC Solaar (French) has always been one of the more popular European rappers. I've never heard his work though. Honestly, I think it just doesn't work for other cultures. I was walking through a square in Copenhagen in 98 and these two guys set up a stage and had their own rap concert, and I was laughing my ass off the whole time.
I've never listened to Solaar but he tends to be the first one everyone comes up with. I'll have to check him out. I'm sure a lot of it would sound silly live, but I've heard some pretty cool stuff here and there... There's that song "Sinequanon" by Hybrid with some French rappers... Doc Gyneco is charming French stuff. I've heard a little big in Japanese that comes off OK. The German stuff I've heard wasn't great, admittedly. But I believe the UK has produced some decent stuff.
I was bored one day so I typed in "solaar" on Limewire and see what came out. pretty decent. As for Japanese stuff, I'm a huge fan of DJ Krush and he has Japanese MCs rhyming on his beats sometimes. Not really my cup of tea but worth checking out. The only Japanese act that I've really listened to is Rhymester... not sure how to describe it. And I'm sure you've heard Control Machete's "Si Senor" on "Amorres Perros" or that Levi's crazy legs commercial. Haven't heard anything else Mexican though. EDIT: The musical guest on tomorrow's SNL is Ms Dynamite, a British rapper. Not bad, but not really my style either. Then there's more commercial stuff like The Streets and So Solid Crew.
I've heard some decent Spanish language stuff from Mexico, Puerto Rico, and even Argentina, but I can't think of any of the names of the artists right now. If I come up with anything I'll let you know.
On De La Soul's (great) album "Buhloone Mind State" there's a brief rap by these Japanese rappers and it's great. There's something about the vibe that kind of innocent and goofy, but I used to play that over and over. Sorry, but I don't know who they are (were?). Somebody out there does, I'm sure. MC Solaar is fairly smooth on the ears, if maybe a little too somnambulant.
From Brazil, really much more hip-hop than rap, try O Rappa. Their second album (Lado A, Lado B) is excellent... I never really heard their first one though and they have a third one out now. On the third album they do a Portuguese version of Hey Joe. From the second album, see if you can find Tribunal de Rua and A Minha Alma (Track 6) BTW, if anyone has the video for Minha Alma and I can download it from you, let me know!!!
Second this vote for La Suprème NTM...plus their name is funny... MC Solaar is fairly rocktacular, too. I have a weakness for Ménélik as well. Can you tell I haven't been in France since like 1996? So I unfortunately don't have any new tips for you.
I can't think of any of the names off the top of my head, but I've heard some pretty good rap from Nigeria and Senegal. I will look it up and report back.
When I was in Germany last summer, I heard this one song all of the time. 'Cruisin' ~ Massive Tone (or something like that) Another German rap group is called 'five star delux', but I can't remember the German translation. To me they were kind of like a German version of the Beastie Boys. The Czech Republic also has a small rap following. I know rap has been around in the Czech Republic since the late 80s. Most people only listen to American or other English speaking rap groups, but there was one Czech rap group that got a lot of air play. I forget their name....
http://www.the-streets.co.uk/ Also from the Uk you should check out Roots Manuva, esp. his second album "Run Come Save Me", his also done a dub version of it. Rae and Christian for jazzy soulful hip hop, Mark B and Blade are alright, Ty's Awkward album is good, and there's also 57th Dynasty. From France Oxmo Puccino, 113, Aresnik, Supreme NTM, Double H DJ Crew, and Saian Supa Crew. Le Flow and Le Flow 2 are two good compliation albums which give a pretty good introduction.
Frankie hi NRG Mc 99 posse Almamegretta Neffa Articolo 31 http://www.italianrap.com/ Frankie hi NRG - Quelli che benpensano http://www.italianrap.com/artists/artists_bios/frankie/lyrics/quelli_che_benpensano_eng.html (English translation) Sono intorno a noi, in mezzo a noi, in molti casi siamo noi a far promesse senza mantenerle mai se non per calcolo, il fine è solo l'utile, il mezzo ogni possibile, la posta in gioco è massima, l'imperativo è vincere - e non far partecipare nessun altro - nella logica del gioco la sola regola è esser scaltro : niente scrupoli o rispetto verso i propri simili perché gli ultimi saranno gli ultimi se i primi sono irraggiungibili. Sono tanti, arroganti coi più deboli, zerbini coi potenti, sono replicanti, sono tutti identici, guardali : stanno dietro a maschere e non li puoi distinguere. Come lucertole s'arrampicano, e se poi perdon la coda la ricomprano. Fanno quel che vogliono si sappia in giro fanno: spendono, spandono e sono quel che hanno... Sono intorno a me ma non parlano con me... Sono come me ma si sentono meglio... .. e come le supposte abitano in blisters full-optional, con cani oltre i 120 decibels e nani manco fosse Disneyland, vivon col timore di poter sembrare poveri : quel che hanno ostentano, tutto il resto invidiano, poi lo comprano, in costante escalation col vicino costruiscono : parton dal pratino e vanno fino in cielo, han più parabole sul tetto che S.Marco nel Vangelo.. Sono quelli che di sabato lavano automobili che alla sera sfrecciano tra l'asfalto e i pargoli, medi come i ceti cui appartengono, terra-terra come i missili cui assomigliano. Tiratissimi, s'infarinano, s'alcolizzano e poi s'impastano su un albero - boom! - Nasi bianchi come Fruit of the Loom che diventano più rossi d'un livello di Doom.. Ognun per se, Dio per se, mani che si stringono tra i banchi delle chiese alla domenica - mani ipocrite - mani che fan cose che non si raccontano altrimenti le altre mani chissà cosa pensano - si scandalizzano - Mani che poi firman petizioni per lo sgombero, mani lisce come olio di ricino, mani che brandiscon manganelli, che farciscono gioielli, che si alzano alle spalle dei fratelli. Quelli che la notte non si può girare più, quelli che vanno a mignotte mentre i figli guardan la tv, che fanno i boss, che compran Class, che son sofisticati da chiamare i NAS, incubi di plastica che vorrebbero dar fuoco ad ogni zingara ma l'unica che accendono è quella che da loro l'elemosina ogni sera, quando mi nascondo sulla faccia oscura della loro luna nera..
Does anyone know the rapper/song in the movie XXX (ya I know...the movie isn't that great), the spanish one when he gets dropped off in Colombia?
I like MC Solar, but some French kats i met playing soccer told me his lyrics are weak, like he doesn't make since, hope that helps, his joints with Guru sound tight to me.
More from Brazil: Racionais MCs, their entire 3rd album, Sobrevivendo no Inferno, is pure quality, although they work more from the "we from tha ghetto" angle than O Rappa. My friend was in a hip-hop group called Partido da Rima Organizada, or P.R.O. for short, I haven't been down there or spoken to him in a while, but appearently they had some buzz going around last time I talked to him about a year ago. I don't know if one would call them rap or even hip-hop, but another Brazilian band along those lines that's pretty decent is Planet Hemp, you can imagine they're some sort of Cypress Hill by the name. Despite the constant lyrical content, the music itself is cool. Their 1st album, Usuário, is probably your top pick. I'm sure you've heard of Control Machete from Mexico, if not, their 1st album, Mucho Barato, is pretty cool.
In fact I think Massive Attack has a new album out, though I haven't heard it. However, they've strayed a bit from the trip-hop thing in recent recordings (though I still really like 'em). I guess that's understandable since Tricky left -- I would definitely recommend their first album, "Blue Lines", to anyone interested in the genre. Of course, most people probably already have it! I think the Mos Def song was from the Blade or Blade 2 soundtrack...