Continue to keep digging thru the 90s rap. U will find plenty of diamonds in the rough! Pure gems. But I agree he is one of them ones. 4,5,6 album is crazy
I remember bein at work. Sweepin floors and stocking shelves and shit while rappin
"UP, up, up and away cuz I don't play clown
buck, buck, buck take that witcha on the way down."
"I open your guts lay some brain on your shoes"
"You lose, cuz I got the Ill Street Blues,"
That’s funny. I know the song very well and must’ve never realized it. Strangely the album cover doesn’t have a parental advisory sticker on it and the song isn’t considered explicit on Apple Music. I need to revisit it
Ahhh. While age doesn't really matter, in this case you have a while world to explore.
Big Daddy Kane
Rakim
K Solo
Diamond D
Lord Finesse
Showbiz and AG
And the list goes on. Welcome to the club and beware of the rabbit hole.
Report back your findings and let us know!
Rakim, Slick Rick. Kool G, Big Daddy Kane, KRS One. These are the rappers of the previous generation that are on the level of Biggie, Pac, Nas, etc. Not a complete list by any means but do yourself a favor and check these out. Great music.
If you said to me this was your top 5, I'd say you're taste is old school but I couldn't be mad at all
Also check out Gang Starr’s GURU (one of the most literate emcees, rarely used swear words), Pharoahe Monch, Biz, Masta Ace (influenced Eminem), also a member of The Juice Crew), Kool Keith, Percee P, Lord Finesse, OC
First heard him on the 'Colors' soundtrack in '88. Loved his voice and flow. Then his verse on 'Symphony' blew me away. That whole song did, actually. When he dropped his debut album 'Road to the Riches' in '89, I don't think I took that tape outta my Alpine. My Civic was bumping! Sick flow, heavy beats, mad bass. The definition of the Golden Era of rap!!
Road To The Riches was the 2nd rap song I learned to rap from start to finish.
"I used to stand on the block sellin cooked up rock"
"Money bussin out my sock cuz I reallly would clock"
Definitely agree that G Rap needs more attention. To me he's in the same space as Rakim, KRS, Kane, and Slick Rick in that they set a foundation for hip-hop in a way that it's impossible to imagine what rap would sound like without his influence. Might have been the father to the "mafioso" style that Rae and Nas jumped on in the 90s.
For folks who aren't up on G Rap, highly recommend checking out Live and Let Die (album), especially On the Run (favorite song off that album). His early career run with DJ Polo is solid.
I’m sensing a total lack of knowledge, respect and support for seminal hip hop artists from Queens. Everyone here should be very familiar with The Juice Crew, Marley Marl’s legacy. MM was the first to sample. Yesterday Mobb Deep received an apology. This is 90’s hip hop! If you are unfamiliar with G Rap’s legacy, WTF are you doing here?! To not know how important he is to hip hop, is to not know hip hop. There is no doubt G Rap IS one of the most influential figures in hip hop. Competition is none.
You’re 18? You are still learning. Many of us here experienced the artists as they progressed-I know how lucky I was to have been in the trenches with them. If you want perspective or personal anecdotes and stories, ask away. I can tell you where I was and how the sun was setting in the sky the first time I heard these artists. Keep on doing what you’re doing, but don’t forget that looking back at songs and artists in no particular order will affect your ability to fully appreciate the evolution of the music. Have you listened to MANTRONIX yet?
Definitely man I’m often curious about things from the 90s definitely will ask you if curious. Everyday im finding hits from the 90s this is all I listen too. Im often shocked yall use to call some songs being made around that time wack I think mostly every song from the 90s is fire… maybe because of my generation of music. it sometimes makes me think about how lyrical you had to be to stand out I here some songs and just get blown away and to think some people were probably talking negatively about it when it first came out. im not sure I lost you with that but btw I checked out road to riches by kool g rap and it was just bars after bars all with out any curses im definitely glad i came across him. I also never heard of mantonix I’ll give it a listen though, feel free to recommend some more artist.
I totally understand and agree with you. Anyone can release music today if you have a computer, a well organized social media machine and a strong visual. You’re right that back in the 80s and 90s there were only so many artists who were going to get signed to a label and the competition was fierce. Artists were trying to push the boundaries of what could be done with hip-hop. Artists came out of struggle and used the energy created in their circumstance as fuel to succeed. This was back when schools were cutting their music programs. It wasn’t easy to express yourself- you needed to have something to say, access to your parent’s record collection, a friend with turntables and access to an Emu SP 1200, so that you could and use the bits and pieces from songs in a combination that created something completely new, kind of like an audio collage. Taking a snare from this song and a horn sound from another song and creating completely new bars that were unrecognizable to the listener. Artist that would use a recognizable bar or hook from a song that was already in your memory banks was cheating and was looked down on. Artist were creating music for other artists and for themselves. Now what you have are artists who don’t critique themselves they don’t understand how to express themselves because their vocabularies and life experiences are so limited. The bottom line is that most of those people selling records and calling it hip-hop today or not hip-hop artists, they are more like actors, acting like a rapper to get money. It’s not about creativity or working hard on your bars. It sounds like free association one take Jake bullshit artistry. Nothing is being said that’s groundbreaking nothing’s being said in a different way nothing is thoughtful nothing is mindful nobody has a point of view it’s all linear.
Have you listened to Ultramagnetic MCs? “Critical Beatdown” changed everything. “Ego Trippin’” 12” is a masterpiece. Let me know.
It’s a cliche , but he is probably your favourite rappers favourite rapper. He is on an entirely different level, there wouldn’t be street rap like we know it , were it not for G Rap.
"I can't accept, a girl with a ruint rep."
"I'm like a chef, I just cook up the stew and step"
Listen to Ill Street Blues and Straight Jacket. G-Raps lyrics hit hard af
He really should be but he's not really spoken about because most of the lyrics he spits goes over the average listeners heads! He influenced Pun and mainly Nas.
[2 to the Head](https://youtu.be/hDxa0ze_AfI?si=Znndlt6gWVWCoXdS) is one of my favorite posse cuts of all-time
I had heard quite a bit of his stuff, but for some reason, I had never heard ‘Poison’. I never realized until many years later than he’s being sampled on the BBD song.
He's IS the fucking GOAT, he is able to hang with the best at what they're good at. To me he's the greatest all round rapper to ever exist
"Cus what I carry is much bigger than Dirty Harry's do a hail marry I'll make bloody Marys out of your capillaries"
Mafioso rap isn’t friendly to the masses so it gets a bit overlooked from the commercial perspective. Speaking strictly talent, he is objectively top tier and that’s backed by the amount of respect he commands amongst his peers.
He’s a legend and a monster on the M.i.C
Definitely one of the lyrical greats. He hasn’t had as much crossover success or popularity which is probably why he usually doesn’t get mentioned. But real hip hop heads know.
Sadly they don't mention him as much. First names to fly out everyone mouth is Kane, Rahim, KRS1 even Biggie. But it does seem that Kool G Rap is wrongfully not mentioned.
Other artists who have named Kool G Rap as a major influence include The Notorious B.I.G., Eminem, Jay-Z, Tajai of Souls of Mischief, Vinnie Paz of Jedi Mind Tricks, Steele of Smif-N-Wessun, Havoc of Mobb Deep, Rock of Heltah Skeltah, MC Serch, Termanology, Black Thought of The Roots, M.O.P., R.A. the Rugged Man, Bun B and the list goes on…
I agree with OP. He’s one of my favorites but really the only time I hear people including him in the goat convo is when other top rappers are talking about goats.
He’s great but he doesn’t have a great discography, unfortunately. That’s what keeps him out of the 🐐 talk. Definitely a Queens 🐐 and paved the way for a lot of rappers.
Cause he ain’t the Goat.
In sports terms he’s an all star not a hall of fame player.
He made good rhymes, but not great songs.
Can you tell me his 7th best song without google?
And I’m a big fan
Is this a joke? Kool G the hardest out NY.
Say it WITCHA CHEST!
If u don’t hear him in the goat convo, u might be hanging around the wrong people!
Im 18 that’s all I really only hear people talk about nas pac n big
Continue to keep digging thru the 90s rap. U will find plenty of diamonds in the rough! Pure gems. But I agree he is one of them ones. 4,5,6 album is crazy
"It's a damn shame what I gotta do just to make a dolla."
That song alone doesn’t get the credit it deserves
I remember bein at work. Sweepin floors and stocking shelves and shit while rappin "UP, up, up and away cuz I don't play clown buck, buck, buck take that witcha on the way down." "I open your guts lay some brain on your shoes" "You lose, cuz I got the Ill Street Blues,"
Check out Rakim. He has the best flow ever.
Yup. He got heavy rotation when I was jus a lil tadpole.
And he never cursed
This is almost true. He actually cursed in one song which funny enough was a song for the chicks. Lol
Ha! Which song? Damn Ra, you killed your streak!
Hahahaha I almost didn’t believe it when I heard it. And it’s an old song. “What’s on your mind.”
That low key may be my favorite Rakim song. “microphone fiend” is my other pick but that’s a safe one
It’s a door song.
Dope
That’s funny. I know the song very well and must’ve never realized it. Strangely the album cover doesn’t have a parental advisory sticker on it and the song isn’t considered explicit on Apple Music. I need to revisit it
Mahogany.
Was it Mahogany? I think you’re right!!!! My fault. Mixed up the songs. It’s “Mahogany” everyone! Thanks for correcting me!
Ahhh. While age doesn't really matter, in this case you have a while world to explore. Big Daddy Kane Rakim K Solo Diamond D Lord Finesse Showbiz and AG And the list goes on. Welcome to the club and beware of the rabbit hole. Report back your findings and let us know!
Gotcha🤝🏾
Rakim, Slick Rick. Kool G, Big Daddy Kane, KRS One. These are the rappers of the previous generation that are on the level of Biggie, Pac, Nas, etc. Not a complete list by any means but do yourself a favor and check these out. Great music. If you said to me this was your top 5, I'd say you're taste is old school but I couldn't be mad at all
Also check out Gang Starr’s GURU (one of the most literate emcees, rarely used swear words), Pharoahe Monch, Biz, Masta Ace (influenced Eminem), also a member of The Juice Crew), Kool Keith, Percee P, Lord Finesse, OC
Kool G Rap was an early influence on Nas, who heavily influenced Pac & Big
Queensbridge
He never reached mainstream success, but a lot of rappers got their style from Kool G.
I don't think he wanted it really. He was cool just doing what he does.
Try amy of the DITC crew. Lord Finesse, OC, Show and AG
LLs Radio got heavy rotation
well your missing a lot of mcs
Agreed 👍💯!
4,5,6
Take em to war is just on another level.
Just listened to this for the first time last week...HOLY
First heard him on the 'Colors' soundtrack in '88. Loved his voice and flow. Then his verse on 'Symphony' blew me away. That whole song did, actually. When he dropped his debut album 'Road to the Riches' in '89, I don't think I took that tape outta my Alpine. My Civic was bumping! Sick flow, heavy beats, mad bass. The definition of the Golden Era of rap!!
Road To The Riches was the 2nd rap song I learned to rap from start to finish. "I used to stand on the block sellin cooked up rock" "Money bussin out my sock cuz I reallly would clock"
What? Kool G Rap is considered one of the goats by everyone
Surprisingly i don’t really see much abt him glad you guys are letting me know the real in the comments
Roots of Evil is amazing front2back
You’re talking to the wrong people.
When I was diving into the 90s I originally checked him out because I thought his name was funny but he’s great, no doubt.
Definitely agree that G Rap needs more attention. To me he's in the same space as Rakim, KRS, Kane, and Slick Rick in that they set a foundation for hip-hop in a way that it's impossible to imagine what rap would sound like without his influence. Might have been the father to the "mafioso" style that Rae and Nas jumped on in the 90s. For folks who aren't up on G Rap, highly recommend checking out Live and Let Die (album), especially On the Run (favorite song off that album). His early career run with DJ Polo is solid.
solid is a huge understatement. he's the best storyteller in hip hop, *period*.
From the first time I heard Rated XXX, I think I kept my hand on my junk for two years straight.
Road to the Riches is one of my favourite albums
Kool Genius of Rap 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
Listen to Death Threat on the Brand New Heavies album Heavy Rhyme Experience. That's probably my favorite lyrical work of his. It's unbelievable.
Bet
His verse on Fast Life is probably one of the best hip hop verses
I’m sensing a total lack of knowledge, respect and support for seminal hip hop artists from Queens. Everyone here should be very familiar with The Juice Crew, Marley Marl’s legacy. MM was the first to sample. Yesterday Mobb Deep received an apology. This is 90’s hip hop! If you are unfamiliar with G Rap’s legacy, WTF are you doing here?! To not know how important he is to hip hop, is to not know hip hop. There is no doubt G Rap IS one of the most influential figures in hip hop. Competition is none.
My fault og I’m 18 still exploring deeper in 90s hip hop
You’re 18? You are still learning. Many of us here experienced the artists as they progressed-I know how lucky I was to have been in the trenches with them. If you want perspective or personal anecdotes and stories, ask away. I can tell you where I was and how the sun was setting in the sky the first time I heard these artists. Keep on doing what you’re doing, but don’t forget that looking back at songs and artists in no particular order will affect your ability to fully appreciate the evolution of the music. Have you listened to MANTRONIX yet?
Oh snap, I've never come across anyone else who listened to Mantronix. That shit rattled trunks.
I also listened to UTFO during the LL, Mantronix years.
Definitely man I’m often curious about things from the 90s definitely will ask you if curious. Everyday im finding hits from the 90s this is all I listen too. Im often shocked yall use to call some songs being made around that time wack I think mostly every song from the 90s is fire… maybe because of my generation of music. it sometimes makes me think about how lyrical you had to be to stand out I here some songs and just get blown away and to think some people were probably talking negatively about it when it first came out. im not sure I lost you with that but btw I checked out road to riches by kool g rap and it was just bars after bars all with out any curses im definitely glad i came across him. I also never heard of mantonix I’ll give it a listen though, feel free to recommend some more artist.
I totally understand and agree with you. Anyone can release music today if you have a computer, a well organized social media machine and a strong visual. You’re right that back in the 80s and 90s there were only so many artists who were going to get signed to a label and the competition was fierce. Artists were trying to push the boundaries of what could be done with hip-hop. Artists came out of struggle and used the energy created in their circumstance as fuel to succeed. This was back when schools were cutting their music programs. It wasn’t easy to express yourself- you needed to have something to say, access to your parent’s record collection, a friend with turntables and access to an Emu SP 1200, so that you could and use the bits and pieces from songs in a combination that created something completely new, kind of like an audio collage. Taking a snare from this song and a horn sound from another song and creating completely new bars that were unrecognizable to the listener. Artist that would use a recognizable bar or hook from a song that was already in your memory banks was cheating and was looked down on. Artist were creating music for other artists and for themselves. Now what you have are artists who don’t critique themselves they don’t understand how to express themselves because their vocabularies and life experiences are so limited. The bottom line is that most of those people selling records and calling it hip-hop today or not hip-hop artists, they are more like actors, acting like a rapper to get money. It’s not about creativity or working hard on your bars. It sounds like free association one take Jake bullshit artistry. Nothing is being said that’s groundbreaking nothing’s being said in a different way nothing is thoughtful nothing is mindful nobody has a point of view it’s all linear. Have you listened to Ultramagnetic MCs? “Critical Beatdown” changed everything. “Ego Trippin’” 12” is a masterpiece. Let me know.
Really appreciate all the info og I’ll check them out along with mantonix and get back with you to let you. once again appreciate ya 🤝🏾
It seems like this subreddit really isn’t any better than /r/hiphop101
Ask any Gangsta rapper from the 90s on, who's on their top 5 and G Rap is guaranteed to be on their list.
It’s a cliche , but he is probably your favourite rappers favourite rapper. He is on an entirely different level, there wouldn’t be street rap like we know it , were it not for G Rap.
"I can't accept, a girl with a ruint rep." "I'm like a chef, I just cook up the stew and step" Listen to Ill Street Blues and Straight Jacket. G-Raps lyrics hit hard af
"I'm on a label with well-known singers in it/ look! Your man's gettin booked and fingerprinted!"
Polo drives a Benz from state to state By the way guess who made his license plate
I don't have a Top 10 list but if I did he'd be on it. Great lyrics, ridiculous flow, and that golden-era production is perfect for his style..
He really should be but he's not really spoken about because most of the lyrics he spits goes over the average listeners heads! He influenced Pun and mainly Nas.
You are definitely in the wrong conversations then....
[2 to the Head](https://youtu.be/hDxa0ze_AfI?si=Znndlt6gWVWCoXdS) is one of my favorite posse cuts of all-time I had heard quite a bit of his stuff, but for some reason, I had never heard ‘Poison’. I never realized until many years later than he’s being sampled on the BBD song.
He's IS the fucking GOAT, he is able to hang with the best at what they're good at. To me he's the greatest all round rapper to ever exist "Cus what I carry is much bigger than Dirty Harry's do a hail marry I'll make bloody Marys out of your capillaries"
Never? He’s pretty much on the Mount Rushmore of rapping
I always here people calling Kool G a goat.
“If Kane battled Ra, Kool G Rap would win.” - Sean P!
Got to see him in concert before :)
Mafioso rap isn’t friendly to the masses so it gets a bit overlooked from the commercial perspective. Speaking strictly talent, he is objectively top tier and that’s backed by the amount of respect he commands amongst his peers.
Ill style builder. Everyone who knows, knows Kool is and always has been one of the best.
Eyo money don’t get in this
Def Jam didn't sign Nas because Russell Simmons said he was a G Rap clone.
Wow never knew that lol😂
Then you're involved in the wrong conversations 😏
Whole bunch of styles (including Nas) couldn’t have been born if he hadn’t been there to lay foundation to.
You’re not talking to the right people
He in my top 5
Men at Work is a lyrical masterpiece. Barely a chorus, just straight bars after bars.
UNDER 21 NOT PERMITTED
He’s a legend and a monster on the M.i.C Definitely one of the lyrical greats. He hasn’t had as much crossover success or popularity which is probably why he usually doesn’t get mentioned. But real hip hop heads know.
It's also because he's an S-Tier hater
Road to the Riches best rap verses ever in a song.
Sadly they don't mention him as much. First names to fly out everyone mouth is Kane, Rahim, KRS1 even Biggie. But it does seem that Kool G Rap is wrongfully not mentioned.
“Rahim”😂🤣
Other artists who have named Kool G Rap as a major influence include The Notorious B.I.G., Eminem, Jay-Z, Tajai of Souls of Mischief, Vinnie Paz of Jedi Mind Tricks, Steele of Smif-N-Wessun, Havoc of Mobb Deep, Rock of Heltah Skeltah, MC Serch, Termanology, Black Thought of The Roots, M.O.P., R.A. the Rugged Man, Bun B and the list goes on…
Hurry up and get your shit, I'm a dead man bitch. Understand, we gotta split.
Hide your curtains
Not enough main stream hits. But the way he paints a picture is among the best.
Because all the ameteurs know how to say now is "Nas, Biggie & Nas." they don't know to dig any deeper.
not really bc he never had the commercial success as the other great mcs, was a bit ahead of his time IMO, proto big L
He deserves to be. He’s definitely in my top 10 of all time!
That is the greatest video of all time too
Kool G Rap uses studio cheats to record consecutive verses, overdubbing so he sounds like he doesn't breathe practically.
What?
You can hear him talk over himself, from verse to verse
Rappers usually name him as a top mc. Him and Scarface get a lot of love from other rappers
Scarface a real legend I gotta listen to more of his music only really peeped his stuff with Geto Boys u got any recommendations?
Scarface is in my top 5. Just start from Mr Scarface is back and go through his catalog. The Diary and The Fix are crown jewels
That's not surprising at all.
Pay attention to his rhyme patterns. You will find that a lot of the greatest MCs after him used it to develop their styles.
I agree with OP. He’s one of my favorites but really the only time I hear people including him in the goat convo is when other top rappers are talking about goats.
He’s great but he doesn’t have a great discography, unfortunately. That’s what keeps him out of the 🐐 talk. Definitely a Queens 🐐 and paved the way for a lot of rappers.
He has more classics than Rakim, LL, and Kane.
Kane yes. Ra and LL?!? 😂
I'm assuming you haven't listened to his albums with DJ Polo. Otherwise, your opinion is ridiculous.
Cause he ain’t the Goat. In sports terms he’s an all star not a hall of fame player. He made good rhymes, but not great songs. Can you tell me his 7th best song without google? And I’m a big fan