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Orizio

The three most under rated rappers ever,Masta Ace,Ras Kass and AZ.

AZ just has one of those incredible flows.Check out the verses on Rather Unique,I Feel For You,Life,Gimme Yours,Fan Mail,New Life etc and you've got easily a top ten rapper with a slightly dodgy beat selection and some conistency problems.Besides one weak album(9 lives),AZ's stuff has been either above average(A.W.O.L.)or classic(Doe or Die,Aziatic and Pieces of A Man)

Masta Ace hasn't got beat selection problems on the other hand,and while his delivery isn't on the same level as Ras or AZ,his lyrics are up there with Nas and GZA.The beats that back him up are nearly always perfect,complementing his slightly laidback flow and positive lyrics well and arguably his worst album was the best album of 2004(A Long Hot Summer).5 albums and every one has hits.There really is nobody in the rap game as consistent as Masta Ace.

Ras Kass has confidence and charisma flowing out of every track,making him so god damn listenable.Soul on Ice was a classic,one of the greatest rap albums(and hard to find)ever,nice beats but the social and political lyrics coupled with his attitude made it one of the best examples of a West Coast MC'ing.I can't think of anyone touching him,even now,from the west coast.Rassassination was pligthed by some weak beats and his political rhetoric had virtually disapeared compared to Soul On Ice,but his wordplay and flow were as good as ever.Jail time and label problems screwed up the release of Van Gogh but finally Ras is back with his new mixtape,Institutionalized,which while too long,has some incredible tracks,Air Em Out,Shine,Expect Me,U Ain't Me,We Run The Streets,My Apology etc.Write Were I left Off is clear proof that Ras is still one of the best lyricist's in the increasingly simplified rap game.

Honourable Mentions=Killah Priest,Canibus,Cormega,Casual,OPIO,Hell RAZAH,Havoc,Kurupt and Brother Ali.

Am I missing any other under rated MC's?

ubu

Agree on all of the above, AZs' flow is so good its scary, Masta Ace is one of my top 10 rappers, Disposable Arts is a superb album with songs like "Take A Walk", "Acknowledge", and "Enuff" to name a few. Ive never got into Ras Kass that much but Soul on Ice is a classic and last years mixtape was quality, i can see why people rate him so highly.

One you left out id say is Tragedy Khadafi, Still Reportin' is a great album with creative wordplay and intelligent lyrics along with the gangsta shít in parts.

Give us some Casual and OPIO stuff to listen to, dont think ive heard anything from them before.

Makaveli

Under rated in what regards?

ubu

In that they dont get enough credit/respect/mainstream success for their work i would presume

Makaveli

I wouldn't include Masta Ace in that case.

Klimseven

^^^ true, plue Ras Kass gets a fair ammount of respect as far as I can see, you can't expect mainstream recognition for any decent artist nowadays, they just don't sell records...

Orizio

Makaveli wrote:

I wouldn't include Masta Ace in that case.

Considering his lack of commercial success,I would.He has made some absolute classic's that,imo at least,would become massive hits if played on MTV etc,Beautiful on A Long Summer's Day being the first example coming to mind.

My overall point is that commercial success has alluded all three and the fact that all three lack the status within the Hip-Hop community that Nas,Ice Cube,Rakim have got.AZ at least deserves to be seen as a top ten MC ever,but rarely gets that accolade.

As for Ras,he just seems forgotten about,understandable I guess after the record company drama and jail time.He again deserves to be seen as one of the West's best and as one of the best lyricists,accolades he was getting after Soul On Ice and Rassassination.

Agree on all of the above, AZs' flow is so good its scary, Masta Ace is one of my top 10 rappers, Disposable Arts is a superb album with songs like "Take A Walk", "Acknowledge", and "Enuff" to name a few. Ive never got into Ras Kass that much but Soul on Ice is a classic and last years mixtape was quality, i can see why people rate him so highly.

Unfriendly game as well the lyrics were just crazy on that track.Its my least favourite of his albums,which says everything about his consistency.

Really Soul on Ice was a classic and I haven't stopped playing Instutionalized since I got it.Rassassination is highly rated and his lyrics are damn strong even if the beats are weak imo.Really everything he has done,lyrically and flow wise has been strong,pity he spent so long in jail or whatever else.

I suggest OPIO's Triangulation Station,Hieroglyphics Third Eye Vision and Casual's Fear Itself.Best to look for there stuff on http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg

Chino XL comes to mind as well.

ubu

Disposable art is you least favourite? damn, i prefer it to A Long Hot Summer

I think Inspectah Deck has been overshadowed by the others in Wu-Tang, Uncontrolled Substance is probably my favourite solo effort and any of his other material has been on a par.

Orizio

Sorry but is there any song on Disposable Arts thats better then Da Grind,HOOD,Beautiful or Soda and Soap?

I guess it doesn't matter anyway,any MC is a hot Alchemist/Just Blaze,/Scott Storch beat away from commercial success these days.

Makaveli

Take A Walk is better than all of those songs in my opinion, in fact I think that's his best song altogether. Soda and Soap is just a play on Alphabet Soup anyway.
Acknowledge is better than those songs too imo.
Overall Disposable Arts just comes across as a better album than A Long Hot Summer, which I would rate lower than Take A Look Around too.

Orizio

As much as a I like his flow and lyrics on Acknowledge,Unfriendly Game etc A Long Hot Summer has easily the nicer beats between the albums.Soda and Soap is a good song to contrast the albums-same nice flow and lyrics but the beats are just superior on ALHS.

Take a Walk isn't touching about a dozen or so of his songs but each to his own I guess.

Orizio

ubu wrote:

Disposable art is you least favourite? damn, i prefer it to A Long Hot Summer

I think Inspectah Deck has been overshadowed by the others in Wu-Tang, Uncontrolled Substance is probably my favourite solo effort and any of his other material has been on a par.

Best WU solo effort or his best effort?I got to give Uncontrolled Substance another listen.

As I'm here,is there anyway for me to get Masta Ace's first two albums in Ireland(or basically Dublin,Waterford or Cork city)or through the net?

Makaveli

The beats are good on ALHS, I dunno if they're better. Lyrically I think he's better on Disposable Arts..
The best thing about it all is that they are both really good albums so you can't really go wrong with either.

As for Take a Walk, it was the first song of his I heard and so there is some bias there, but to say there is a dozen or so songs a lot better than it is ridiculous imo.

spacecoyote

theres also a nice battle rap between masta ace and boogeymanon the underground airplay v.1 mixtape