Under rated Rappers

Bobby Baccala

Right I've been meaning to start this up since the over rated thread was started

I'll start it of,
Tribe called quest, not as well known as they should be and they are one of my favourite groups, I can listen to literally anything they've recorded unlike a lot of other people i listen to.

The Pharcyde, absolutely class group again if you ask anybody who the pharcyde are they won't be able to tell you, they should be a lot more well known for the beats they have used which are unbelievable

Leaders of the new school, they were quality in there short existence and they could have received a lot more fame had it not been for busta stealing the lime light and then the group breaking up but in saying that he was definitely the best member but Dinco and Charlie brown were both brilliant too.

Mos Def, again he doesn't receive as much mainstream success as he should.

Xzibit, the lads lyrics are just pure class if you listen to him and he doesn't get as much mainstream attention either.

Lauryn Hill, people seem to forget that she's the best female MC that ever lived and it's an absolute shame she doesn't rap anymore.

conor.hogan.2

I agree except for Pharcyde who I have not listened to outside of the track a day thread.

Lauryn and Xzibit are the most underrated there purely because they just should be more well known as Lauryn was well known through Fugees and Xzibit was very tight with aftermath and then in movies/tv but neither crossed over and found huge success although both deserved it.

The others deserve more attention but I do not see them having Jay-z, eminem etc status in the mainstream but should be more known.

Also on a separate note Mos Def or whatever he goes by now is one of the smartest people in Hip-Hop. Because of that he would unlikely get mainstream acceptance.

Leaders of the new school and all its members are also excellent but a bit too eclectic for huge mass appeal.

Personally I think Sage Francis has been consistently amazing for years now and could/should have wide appeal.

Sl!mCharles

Inspectah Deck. Unreal lyrics, flow. My personal favourite outta the Wu. He was meant to release an album in 95 I believe but it got pushed back about 4 years because a load of the RZA's beats for the record were lost/wrecked in a flood. Still a very nice album.

All that waiting cant have done his career much good tho.

pragmatic1

Sl!mCharles wrote: »

Inspectah Deck. Unreal lyrics, flow. My personal favourite outta the Wu. He was meant to release an album in 95 I believe but it got pushed back about 4 years because a load of the RZA's beats for the record were lost/wrecked in a flood. Still a very nice album.

All that waiting cant have done his career much good tho.

+A million on Deck. He has the most precise flow out of any mc I've ever heard.

pragmatic1

OC, AG, Black Rob, Sean Price, Kurupt, Cormega, Infamous Mobb, Sauce Money, MOP, Buc Fifty.

Harry the Red

u guys probbly dunt no this but boyzone is achtuily (mite have unspelt that) very good rappers

Harry the Red

what?

DHennessy

definitely agree with xzibit
also, proof, evidence, joe budden and maybe Royce da 5 9 but hes been getting a lot of recognition lately even though his older stuff is better.
but i think my top one would be joell ortiz

Rjd2

conor.hogan.2 wrote: »

I agree except for Pharcyde who I have not listened to outside of the track a day thread.

Lauryn and Xzibit are the most underrated there purely because they just should be more well known as Lauryn was well known through Fugees and Xzibit was very tight with aftermath and then in movies/tv but neither crossed over and found huge success although both deserved it.

I agree with most suggestions but Lauryn had massive success with The Miseducation, she was a huge star when that dropped.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Miseducation_of_Lauryn_Hill

mufcboy1999

Agree 100 per cent with pharcyde, I'm a huge fan got into them when I was around 15, my local barber who's a huge late 80's/90s hip hop fan gave me a pharcyde mix he had burnt onto a blank cd big fan ever since, Can't keep runnin away is one of my all time fav songs.

My underrated rappers would of the top if my head : Freddie Gibbs, Jadakiss and styles ,Lloyd banks, AZ, Freeway, big krit, Busta rhymes when he stays of that techno rubbish, bishop lamont.

Bobby Baccala

Joe budden is also another under rated rapper, the lads lyrics are so complex and his use of metaphors is brilliant.

ButtersSuki

Jeru the Damaja's first 2 albums are really good.

Any of the Gang Starr albums are good too if you don't mind your rap "clean" (no bad language!)

My favourite Pharcyde track is "Drop", and not just for the awesome video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=co3qMdkucM0&feature=youtube_gdata_player

Going REAL old school, check out some of The Egyptian Lover's early stuff, especially House on the Nile or Egypt, Egypt.

Or Kool Moe Dee's early stuff, right up to How Ya Like Me Now.

Or Kid Frost's Hispanic Causing Panic album.

Osmosis Jones

Yeah Paddy sure i never even heard of the first 3 groups you put up until you told me about them, still havent really listened to much leaders of the new school but tribe are one of my favourite groups now, I think slaughterhouse are pretty underrated and even more is joell ortiz as a solo artist.

Bobby Baccala

Osmosis Jones wrote: »

Yeah Paddy sure i never even heard of the first 3 groups you put up until you told me about them, still havent really listened to much leaders of the new school but tribe are one of my favourite groups now, I think slaughterhouse are pretty underrated and even more is joell ortiz as a solo artist.

Yeah and I still can't stand slaughterhouse ozzy, I just don't see the appeal in them.

Hugh Cream

Lauren hill is far from under rated and xibit is simply not that good so he is not under rated either, his albums always hugely dissapointed.
Hill was rated as one of the best I should add.

Plus why are people equating how an artist is rated by fans with the main stream succes they may or may not have achieved.

Unless the question is who should be selling more music than they do.

Rjd2

Hugh Cream wrote: »

Lauren hill is far from under rated and xibit is simply not that good so he is not under rated either, his albums always hugely dissapointed.
Hill was rated as one of the best I should add.


Unless the question is who should be selling more music than they do.

Lauren sold a load of albums and was huge back in the day along with been critically adored by everyone.

Osmosis Jones

P4DDY2K11 wrote: »

Yeah and I still can't stand slaughterhouse ozzy, I just don't see the appeal in them.

Well they're a good group and they're all great solo artists too, they have songs across a variety of topics and each artist has their own style and personality. Just check this out

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nHgUFHll3aM

Hugh Cream

Rjd2 wrote: »

Lauren sold a load of albums and was huge back in the day along with been critically adored by everyone.

Ye I know that was my point, badly emphasized ha.
Not sure wat wud make anyone think she was under rated, the miseducation is a brilliant album and giving every piece of credit it deserves.

Osmosis Jones

Hugh Cream wrote: »

Ye I know that was my point, badly emphasized ha.
Not sure wat wud make anyone think she was under rated, the miseducation is a brilliant album and giving every piece of credit it deserves.

well id say shes under rated in the sense that shes kinda forgotten by most people nowadays.

mufcboy1999

just thinking there too, pharoahe monch is under rated big time imo!!, k'naan also springs to mind!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nvevupLi6hk

conor.hogan.2

Under rated means they deserve more credit/success for the music they do.

I agree 100% with proof, his albums deserved more attention instead of being known as a glorified hypeman to Em and a member of d12.

Not underrated in general but in light of the overrated thread I would suggest people re/listen to 2pac.

Bobby Baccala

conor.hogan.2 wrote: »

Under rated means they deserve more credit/success for the music they do.

I agree 100% with proof, his albums deserved more attention instead of being known as a glorified hypeman to Em and a member of d12.

And when he worked with Dilla or Dj premier his songs were flawless.

conor.hogan.2

P4DDY2K11 wrote: »

And when he worked with Dilla or Dj premier his songs were flawless.

I dunno who produced what but his albums were amazing.

Hugh Cream

Osmosis Jones wrote: »

well id say shes under rated in the sense that shes kinda forgotten by most people nowadays.

Gotta disagree with that.

Boom_Bap

Here's a few that come to mind:

Brother Ali
Slug
El-P
I Self Devine
OC
Chino XL
POS
Sims
Killah Priest
Freeway
Yasiin Bey
Blu
Fashawn
Elzhi
Reks
Edan
Captial D
Apathy
Celph Titled
Sage Francis
B. Dolan
Qwel
Oddisee
The Last Emperor
Fresh Daily
Trek Life

Going to stop now, this could go on for quite some time.

Da Shins Kelly

Never thought Lauryn Hill was underrated myself. She was huge back in the day, and the Miseducation was amazing, I don't think anyone would disagree. I agree that she could have given much more after that given her talent, but it's her own doing. She decided herself to go off and have a million children, so clearly she just doesn't want to be in on it anymore. Maybe she'll come back. I hope so. I'd love to hear another great record from her.

I said in the overrated rappers thread that I thought Big Boi was a bit underrated. Always been a bit overshadowed by Andre, I thought. He's great in his own right though.

conor.hogan.2

Not to repeat many that were already mentioned but one deserves repeating.

Sage Francis, easily one of the most underrated.

Jedi Mind Tricks (AOTP also)
Scroobius Pip (Dan le sac with him also)
Fort Minor

Bobby Baccala

conor.hogan.2 wrote: »

Not to repeat many that were already mentioned but one deserves repeating.

Sage Francis, easily one of the most underrated.

Jedi Mind Tricks (AOTP also)
Scroobius Pip (Dan le sac with him also)
Fort Minor

I never understood the appeal with JMT, I find them unbearable.

conor.hogan.2

P4DDY2K11 wrote: »

I never understood the appeal with JMT, I find them unbearable.

All of it? They have been going for around 14 years at this stage.

I like Stoupes production and the various rapping styles and most of the lyrics.

HATCHET IRL

Brother Ali
Sage Francois
Binary Star
El-p
to name but a few..
also Homeboy Sandman and Soul Khan

Boom_Bap

HATCHET IRL wrote: »

Brother Ali
Sage Francois
Binary Star
El-p
to name but a few..
also Homeboy Sandman and Soul Khan

Boy Sand could be getting there now after being shnapped up by Stones Throw

pragmatic1

P4DDY2K11 wrote: »

I never understood the appeal with JMT, I find them unbearable.

Me too. Find Vinnie very corny.

Camac Hibs

Modill
Fashawn
One Be Lo & Decompoze of Binary Star
Elzhi
Has Lo
Akua Naru
Iomos Marad
Supastition
Invincible
RA Scion of Common Market
Blu

Camac Hibs

pragmatic1 wrote: »

Me too. Find Vinnie very corny.

Love some of the JMT beats but Vinnie is sometimes just embarrassing.

conor.hogan.2

I can definitely see how most of JMT work can be offputting to people, but pre Muslim Vinnie Paz is good and Stoupe is always good.

It is the reason they are underratted probably, he is outspoken to say the least.

horsebox09

Kool Keith
Deacan the Villain
Black Thought
RZA as the "RZArectah"

Sl!mCharles

Yes actually that reminds me I quite like RZA as an mc. He has a great verse or two on Ironman iirc.

horsebox09

Sl!mCharles wrote: »

Yes actually that reminds me I quite like RZA as an mc. He has a great verse or two on Ironman iirc.

At his peak, RZA was brilliant on the mic, a questionable flow at times, but I love his performance on "6 Feet Deep"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DkVcF3wFzQ4

Actually, the Gravediggaz as a whole, and individually, get underrated a lot

pragmatic1

Sl!mCharles wrote: »

Yes actually that reminds me I quite like RZA as an mc. He has a great verse or two on Ironman iirc.

His verse on after the smoke is clear is ****in serious.

Hugh Cream

the majority of names people have mentioned are horrible, they are not famous because they are shyt, simple as.
or they just start making music 2 weeks ago and you are a trend jumper with no patience.

conor.hogan.2

just because you do not know who they are does not mean they started rapping recently or are bad inherently.

Hugh Cream

I totally agree.

Orizio

Boots Riley

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RQthFDpYCys

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1jf_8pHCqf4

conor.hogan.2

Canibus, whatever you think of him he deserves more than one gold album.

Wolf Club

I think Akinyele is pretty under rated. His first album (the now out of print "Vagina Diner") is top notch!

SaucyJim

Tech N9ne , Yelawolf, Tez Kidd, Merky ACE, D Power and a lot of the grime scene

30txsbzmcu2k9w

HUGELY slept on. Marcberg has got be top 5 of the last decade for me.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ImKP7vU9w_A

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DzAS8tnxx2o

Reks is another lad who deserves more recognition

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mhBMcBrLUBA

charlemont

U God..
Daz..
MC Ren..
Paris..
As previously mentioned INS The Rebel....

baddebt

Under rated Rappers

Jus Allah
Immortal Technique
lowkey (neither himself or tech get much credit , seriously knowledgable and both love to speak the absolute truth )
Akala
I personally like Ill Bill
and definitely AOTP seriously underrated in the hip hop world

Camac Hibs

Masta Ace

Hugh Cream

Keith Murray

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yP77QDQpIew

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OW8h0KfBb_Q

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EQcSoE1bt_A