For me, and this is just my opinion, but I break it down like this:
1. Beastie Boys
The way I look at it is that the Beastie Boys had the most influence on me as far as musical tastes are concerned. Once I got my first Beastie Boys CD it opened a whole new world of music for me. This isn't to say that they are the best skilled or whatever, but they are my favorite for that reason. I also can appreciate how the Beastie Boys never really gave in to external pressures to change their style. They have always been themselves through out the years. They never felt like they had to sound or be different than what they wanted. In a world of packaged "ring tone rappers" I can appreciate that.
2. N.W.A.
For N.W.A. it was kind of the same thing. I just remember sitting in my room when I was 15 and just totally blown away with how sweet this music was. Being an upper-middleclass white midwesterner it was hard for me to relate to some of the stuff they were talking about, but at the same time I could still relate at a basic level. They had this rebellious spirit that you could just feel through the lyrics. They didn't just say things and not care if the power was pissed off about it...they said things just to piss off the power structure. In a world where it seems like all rappers talk about is how many whips they've got and how they are "drug kingpins" N.W.A. basically rapped about how they were street level thugs.
3. Run DMC
To me, Run DMC is what every rap group should be aspire to be. Their cohesiveness is really unmatched. Anytime I ever listen to Run DMC it is refreshing to hear how they aren't afraid to intermingle on verses. They had team work and they weren't afraid to share the spotlight with each other. You just don't see that kind of thing anymore and it really is a shame. There aren't any groups out there today, or at least I haven't heard them, that rap the way Run DMC does. I'm not really saying anything new, but I think this is something that needs to be said more than it is said.
Honorable Mention:
The Wu-Tang Clan
De La Soul
A Tribe Called Quest
Digital Underground
These are MY favorite rap groups...what are yours?
1. Beastie Boys
The way I look at it is that the Beastie Boys had the most influence on me as far as musical tastes are concerned. Once I got my first Beastie Boys CD it opened a whole new world of music for me. This isn't to say that they are the best skilled or whatever, but they are my favorite for that reason. I also can appreciate how the Beastie Boys never really gave in to external pressures to change their style. They have always been themselves through out the years. They never felt like they had to sound or be different than what they wanted. In a world of packaged "ring tone rappers" I can appreciate that.
2. N.W.A.
For N.W.A. it was kind of the same thing. I just remember sitting in my room when I was 15 and just totally blown away with how sweet this music was. Being an upper-middleclass white midwesterner it was hard for me to relate to some of the stuff they were talking about, but at the same time I could still relate at a basic level. They had this rebellious spirit that you could just feel through the lyrics. They didn't just say things and not care if the power was pissed off about it...they said things just to piss off the power structure. In a world where it seems like all rappers talk about is how many whips they've got and how they are "drug kingpins" N.W.A. basically rapped about how they were street level thugs.
3. Run DMC
To me, Run DMC is what every rap group should be aspire to be. Their cohesiveness is really unmatched. Anytime I ever listen to Run DMC it is refreshing to hear how they aren't afraid to intermingle on verses. They had team work and they weren't afraid to share the spotlight with each other. You just don't see that kind of thing anymore and it really is a shame. There aren't any groups out there today, or at least I haven't heard them, that rap the way Run DMC does. I'm not really saying anything new, but I think this is something that needs to be said more than it is said.
Honorable Mention:
The Wu-Tang Clan
De La Soul
A Tribe Called Quest
Digital Underground
These are MY favorite rap groups...what are yours?
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