For Rap haters, check these artists

Hip Hop and rap artists have gotten a bad image in the past few years. I suppose this is because of the constant guns, sex, and violence that is sold in the songs and videos. I really feel bad for Hip Hop because it is a culture more than just a song genre. Hip Hop has turned to gangs, sex and money, which is funny because the ghetto has always remained the ghetto. No one in the ghetto is rich, unless it's corporations. Nevertheless, I have to stress that anyone who think hiphop or rap to not think 50 cent or songs that just make you dance. Yes, when rappers make songs that have a beat, it can be attributed to dancing, but that is not what all rap is about. Rap is probably the only genre in music that lets one express a whole story in 3-4 minutes. Lyrically speaking a true rapper can make you vibe to his words. A beat is only used to guide the lyrics. However, if the beat takes over the words, then the rapper didn't put out a good enough delivery and message. Yes, this has happened to 50 cent in his album the Massacre. Every track on that CD has a beat going BOOM, BOOM, BOOM, and theres no substance. The only track I personally like is "Hate it or Love it." This is because it has a message and tells a little background about 50's life and contains no gang violence or sex/money soliciting. But enough about 50 bashing, I can tell you theres a lot more crappier rappers who have sailed through the random BET videos posing as cash carrying, gun blazing posers. Granted some of the rappers may be coming out of gang environment in their youth, but does that mean they have to exploit this kind of behavior. NO, it doesn't give them the output to say that a lifestyle of shooting people on their beef list is right. Also the pimp image is played too much in rap videos and lyrics. Ok we get it women are fine, but do we have to continue seeing a hundred girls in thongs dancing in a video. Seriously, rap has changed since the 80's, moving towards a self-indulgent lifestyle. I think I have explained my point, and listening to these artists may change your view on what rap is about.

Will Smith Heads my List, because he has been always constant on what he brings to HipHop. He never changes, and never copies what others are trying to do. He does his own thing, and is respected in the Hip Hop community



1. The Rain
2. Coming to the Stage
3. Lost and Found (Song)
4. Uuhhh..
5. I'm Looking for the One

DMX is a very edgy rapper who always spits fire. One could say he's a black eminem. But his lyrics arn't as good, but he delivers then so well that its hard to knock on him.



1. Ruff Ryders Anthem
2. We In Here
3. Go To Sleep
4. Lord Give me a Sign

Kel Spencer. I can't say enough about this guy. This guy can have the delivery of DMX and the lyrical finesse of eminem. He tries not to rhyme rhymes just for the sake of rhyming, he makes stories and ties lines together to mean something. Currently he is unsigned by any major label, but is producing mixtapes every year. Check him on the back of Wild Wild West CD, and Willenium CD.



1. Uuhhh..
2. Black Hand Side
3. Ghetto (Feat. Akon)
4. I Got KO's/Number One
5. The Wilderness Part 1

Dilated peoples. They are a different face for HipHop. They are a group that basically rap in consecutive verses. They are very friendly and do not represent a gang image such as g-unit. They have positive songs and usually fun to listen to.



1. This way (feat. Kanye West)
2. Worst comes to Worst
3. Back Again
4. The Platform

Notable Mentions: Nas, Kanye West, The Game (Non-50 produced songs), Common, Mos Def, Chamillionre, Fort Minor, LLCOOLJ