IGIF Presents: Beat Therapy

It is fair to say that hip hop, as a musical genre and subculture, receives a heavy amount of scrutiny – possibly for its violent subject matter and language. Similarly, there are many who are completely turned off by any form of rap, going as far as to say that it’s not even music. In a way this is a justifiable claim; after all, at the basic level of hip hop, rapping and beats replace melodies and vocals. However the truth is that music simply cannot be defined in such limited terms. What’s deemed “traditional” by one’s musical standards may be completely unorthodox for others. When we accept an openness to the atypical, to drop our preconceptions and be willing to really listen, that’s when the artistic quality of rap is as obvious as anything else.

Like any type of good music, in order for hip hop to really work all of its components need to blend: interplay among beats, hooks, and words should exist. Rappers without beats are simply poets, and while their words are necessary components, the beat is what inspires their words and the manner in which they present them. With all this in mind, we at IGIF present Beat Therapy, 25 of our favorite hip hop beats. This includes all non-lyrical aspects to the rap song, whether it’s the thump, hook, or whatever else impressed us. Of course like any “favorites” list this is completely opinionated, but with it we hoped to create a diverse list containing great music from different types of hip hop. We really hope you enjoy what we’ve put together here, so in the words of Flava Flav, “LET’S CRANK THIS SHIT UP AND GET BUSY!” by Louie Michaud

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[MP3] Dr. Dre - Still D.R.E.
Yep, I know you all heard this very recently on Connor’s spectacular Sound Tracks post, but that’s ok cuz this song is worth hearing over and over again. If Dre were not to make another good beat in his solid career, I would still respect him fully for this amazing track – simplicity at its best.

[MP3] Mos Def - Mathematics
Black On Both Sides is filled with great music to accompany Mos Def’s ridiculous lines, but “Mathematics” really stands out to me. This gritty and funky beat, concocted by DJ Premier, is even better with some really tight scratching in the middle of the song. A really good beat in combination with the Mos Def’s sharpness is such an amazing thing to hear if you’re a hip hop fan.

[MP3] Common - Be
You could say that Be was Common’s next step toward the hip-hop mainstream since it definitely gained him a greater deal of popularity, but even so he still holds his style – a sort of combination of the jazzy style from Resurrection and the out-there sounds of Electric Circus. Things only get better right after Common says “we got arms but won’t reach for the sky” and starts flowing to the fast walking bass line.

[MP3] DJ Danger Mouse - What More Can I Say
While the idea of mixing the rock genius of the Beatles with a mainstream rapper sounds like a very odd idea, it truly worked out on some of the tracks, especially this one. Other rappers like Talib Kweli have tried similar techniques in their music, but for our tastes, Jay-Z’s style fits like a glove with this gift from The White Album

[MP3] E-40 - Yay Area
I had a really hard time deciding between this song and “Dusted N’ Disgusted.” Either way, I will always remember E-40 for my childhood in Oakland, not just for the Hyphy Movement. He was the sound blasting down my neighborhood street, shaking our windows, causing my parents to rant about “kids these days…” If you have a woofer you’ll really get the full experience here.

[MP3] Madvillain - All Caps
Hip-hop meets the comic books. MF Doom has a unique style and voice that was truly meant for this type of beat. Connor and I both agreed that All Caps was a must for this list. It gives us optimism that the creative juices are still very strong in rap music.

[MP3] The Notorious B.I.G. - Who Shot Ya?
It’s pretty amazing how a little piano riff and a thumping bass can create such an iconic and important song like this one. Even though the song disses one of my all time faves (2pac), its musical quality is so strong. I have never heard anyone flow so well across a beat like Biggie does on “Who Shot Ya,” just more proof of his technical brilliance.

[MP3] Nas - Represent
Illmatic is consistently called one of the greatest rap albums ever not only because of the lyrical complexities Nas spits in his debut, but also because of quality producers (i.e. Large Professor, Pete Rock, Q-Tip) whose efforts resulted in a beautiful underground-sounding collection. DJ Premier gets the credit for the second time on our list as the producer of this unyielding gem.

[MP3] Immortal Technique - The Point Of No Return
I’m pretty sure this is the first song that Connor and I heard from this underground star. The seriousness in the strings and drums is perfect for Immortal Technique’s confrontational style. Another great one to check out is “Crossing The Boundary” off the same album.

[MP3] Lyrics Born - Bad Dreams
Lyrics Born is the f&#!in’ man - he never fails to impress whether making a guest appearance or shining on his solo work. You’re not gonna hear any rapping here, just some really soulful mixing and the very unique voice of one of the best mc’s in California.

[MP3] N.E.R.D. - She Wants To Move (Remix)
The original version is musically delicious, that’s for sure. However, we had to include the remix because of the insane lineup: Common, Mos Def, De La Soul, and Q-Tip! The variety of sounds you’ll hear are so well timed; it really shows the effort that was made by N.E.R.D. One really neat thing you may notice: the end of Q-Tip’s verse is used in the background of the beat at the beginning and end of the song.

[MP3] The Luniz - I Got 5 On It
It seems like weed songs tend to be very good musically, either that or people are just high enough to think so. This is definitely one of those great odes to Ms. Mary Jane, a classic West Coast anthem with one of the most recognizable bass lines in hip hop. The hook manages to keep that 90’s R&B sound without being corny at all.

[MP3] N.W.A. - Express Yourself
There is little not to love about Express Yourself; it sounds like Schoolhouse Rock with a stronger beat. Bands today like The Go! Team may not exist if it weren’t for these early hip hop influences. If you’ve ever played the 4th Tony Hawk Pro Skater game, you’re probably familiar with the really neat remix on the soundtrack.

[MP3] Outkast - Happy Valentine's Day
There was simply no way we could create a list of our favorite hip hop beats without including Outkast, one of the most creative rap groups ever…simply put. A while back Nathaniel posted on Paste Magazine’s list of the 100 greatest living songwriters. Although Outkast is way down the list, they still are recognized for their creativity – this song cements that fact.

[MP3] Zion I - Soo Tall
There’s a reason my first post ever was on this duo out of Oakland: creative music, intelligent lyrics, and a real understanding of what hip hop is. Zion I has toured in Japan and some places around the country, but it still seems like not enough people have heard of them. I encourage everyone here to listen to these guys as much as possible, and tell your friends, cuz they really are something special.

[MP3] Wu-Tang Clan - C.R.E.A.M.
In a way C.R.E.A.M. succeeds the same way “Who Shot Ya?” does, with a memorable piano line and a simple bass riff. The result is underproduced music with a gangsta style, a formula very different from much of mainstream gangsta rap these days. If you love C.R.E.A.M. be sure to check out some of The RZA’s solo work!

[MP3] Gorillaz - Clint Eastwood
Harmonicas in rap music? Hell yeah, Gorillaz manage to take elements of rock and blend them perfectly in much of their music. We love “Feel Good Inc.” and others as well, but we felt that Del Tha Funkee Homosapien was an even better match here than De La Soul was for the aforementioned Demon Days single.

[MP3] DJ Shadow - Building Steam With A Grain Of Salt
I agree with the statement Connor once said that it’s probably mesmerizing to get inside the head of a DJ, wondering what they are thinking when creating this type of music. This is hip hop composition, it is art, so amazingly well done and thought out. DJ Shadow’s newest album will be coming out very soon, and if it is anything like the flowing creation heard here, expect another one in the hip hop annals.

[MP3] 2pac - Old School
I really have not talked much about 2pac on IGIF at all, but I truly must. I don’t want to cement in my mind that he is my all-time favorite mc, mostly in the hopes that there will be more greats in the future, but no one, and I mean no one, has got to me lyrically like 2pac has. I may not necessarily feel as strong about his beats, but this song is a nice exception – very creative, falling away from the normal G-Funk sound.

[MP3] De La Soul - Verbal Clap
The story of J Dilla (aka Jay Dee) is a real tragedy: the fall of a brilliant DJ because of an unfortunate death from Lupus (died 3 days after his album Donuts was released). Of course what remains are the many songs he created, guest work and solo. The music to “Verbal Clap” is perfect for this relatively recent De La Soul album: quirky, original, and a little harder than some of the stuff J Dilla produced on Stakes Is High.

[MP3] Black Eyed Peas - Labor Day
I think the Black Eyed Peas’ Elephunk is a good example of mainstream popular rap music being worthy of its success. This is contrast to, for example, the Black Eyed Peas’ most recent Monkey Business. Here they manage to blend exciting and melodic music with some pretty good lines, definitely worth listening to repeatedly.

[MP3] Hieroglyphics - Oakland Blackouts
There isn’t necessarily an individual sound that defines this track, but as a whole we think the music is great in setting a certain mood. In combination with some really tight scratching throughout, the music is consistent and groovy. Furthermore, the hook blends so well with the rest of the song, something that often throws off the movement in rap.

[MP3] Kanye West - Gone
Those familiar with the work of composer Jon Brion know his capabilities with films like Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. And once again, he manages to create a masterpiece, this time with rapper Kanye West. This is another example of awesome unorthodox hip hop.

[MP3] Soul Position - Hand-Me-Downs
Horns tend to give the feeling of importance to a song, and in this case the message of the song is very appropriate for that bright horn sound. The music stays pretty much the same for the whole 3 minutes, but it honestly does not become boring or repetitive; instead, the hook feels uplifting. We hope you enjoy this one as much as we do.

[MP3] Mos Def - Next Universe
Maybe Mos Def is not THE artist to include twice on a beat list, but there was no way we could not include “Next Universe.” For some very odd reason I rarely hear this song mentioned when people talk about his best work, yet for my tastes it is easily one of his greatest musical accomplishments. This is the direction I hope Mos takes with his upcoming album Tru3 Magic, where the music is arguably a step up from Black Star but he maintains that lyrical precision that many fans thought were missing from The New Danger.

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So there it is. Just like Connor said in his Sound Tracks post, I’m sure there are things I left off that you may believe should have been there. Feel free to mention any further recommendations or leave any comments. If you'd like to download the entire mix and artwork, please grab the ZIP file from Megaupload to conserve bandwidth:

[ZIP] IGIF Presents: Beat Therapy

I would love to do a similar list in the future for rap lyrics, so if you know of a must for a post later on, feel free to tell us. Thanks everyone for reading!

Editor's Note: To avoid any confusion, this post was written by Louie Michaud (as stated at the top of the entry), and was simply added to the site by me (Connor). So...all comments, questions, and complaints should be directed his way!

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