Top 10 Rappers: #6

#6: People Under the Stairs

As a native Angelino, I might be a little biased, but PUTS is where it's at.  Like Kanye and Dre, Thes One and Double K are rapper/producers.  They're decent lyricists, but not amazing.  Instead, their appeal lies in their deference to the hip-hop styles and artists that came before them, as well as their unique production.  PUTS is one of the few groups these days spouting true hip-hop.  You won't find any Daft Punk samples here.  Thes and Double throw down chilled out, jazz-influenced grooves and beats similar to De La Soul circa Buhloone Mindstate while rapping in classic Nice & Smooth throwback essence, yet still maintain their own modern sound.  The "O.S.T." is their masterpiece and features Sugar Hill Gang-esque "Hang Loose," Tribe Called Quest tribute "The Outrage," the chillest song on earth "Montego Slay," Los Angeles love "L.A. Song," and, of course, "Acid Raindrops."  They cover so many different sounds and genres, adding their own flavor and using L.A. as the glue that holds it altogether.  The "O.S.T." is a must-have for Los Angeles residents.  

Montego Slay

 Montego Slay-People Under the Stairs by TheBoyandColors 

Top 10 Rappers: #7

#7: Busdriver

Cick Here: Nuff said

Up-And-Comers: Rich Kid Sound System

Rich Kid Sound System is an emerging indie rock/rap genre clash. On their debut single, founding members Q and Leo along with band members Freezy and Danny serve up fresh indie rap with Q using a Kanye-flow affectation on the verse with bass and piano banging and Leo adding in a catchy chorus as synth bubbles around him.  It's a breath of fresh air and a great new sound.  Some of the lyrics are a little cheesy: "A little bit of time never hurt no one/ A little bit of work just to get things done/ You gotta slow it down if you on the run."  But the verses are A LOT better, and it's forgivable because the song's just so goddamn catchy.  Another redeeming quality is that these guys actually play all their instruments live for shows instead of relying on a dj model.  Really cool stuff.  They're currently recording their debut album.  Look for it to drop later this year.

Here's "A Little Bit of Time" : 
 A Little Bit of Time-Rich Kid Sound System by TheBoyandColors 

Top 10 Rappers: #8

#8: Aesop Rock

Let me say this before people start sending me hate mail; you're not gonna find people like 50 Cent, Lil Wayne, The Game, etc. on this list.  Those guys aren't good. Just an FYI.

While this dude has some amazing work to his name, I'm throwing him on here for one reason and that's "None Shall Pass."  I think it's maybe the most lyrically complex rap to come out for years.  The rhymes are just weird: "Colorfully vulgar poacher out of mulch/ Like 'I'm 'a pull the pulse out a soldier and bolt'/ Fine, sign of the time we elapse/ When a primate climb up a spine and attach."  I'm still trying to figure out the exact meaning of the song, but from what I can tell it's a very convoluted commentary on modern day rap: "What are we, to heart Huckabee are fuckery suddenly."  I think that's a stab at artists like Kanye who try to be cultured and esoteric by suddenly going to fashion shows and posting Basquiat paintings and architectural pictures on their blogs, when they either have no idea what they're talking about or are interested in the most shallow, purely monetary and faux-classy way.  It's hidden under layers of rhetoric, but Aesop has a lot to say if you look hard enough.    

Here it is: godly.

 None Shall Pass-Aesop Rock by TheBoyandColors 

And here's an AWESOME REMIX (using Passion Pit's Sleepyhead) 

 None Shall Sleep (Passion Pit Vs. Aesop Rock) by Clay and Justin 

Top 10 Rappers: #9

#9: Eminem

Here's another rapper that I NEED to acknowledge before we get into the heart of this list.  Everyone bags on him, I certainly don't think he's the best rapper, but Em has f**king skills!! How can anyone deny that?! I understand if you just don't like his music or don't like his recent material (I'm right there with you), but you have to admit the man is a lyrical genius.  I mean jesus hasn't everyone heard the Despicable Rap? And c'mon, The Slim Shady LP and The Marshall Mathers LP  are two of the greatest hip-hop records of all time.  Em's strength lies in his ability to infuse his life and pain into his work.  No I'm not talking about "The Real Slim Shady."  I'm talking about songs like "Stan" and "The Way I Am."  Sadly he hasn't really been going for the visceral lately.  Recovery is a step towards it, but it's too goddamn trendy, with f••king Rihanna and P!nk.  God! Sh•t drives me crazy. Whatever. #9

Also "'97 Bonnie and Clyde" is one of the gnarliest songs out there.  It's pretty much the song that got him in trouble with everyone.  I think it's amazing, like a more morbid Bruno, pushing the boundaries of what can be released and mass-produced today.  

Top 10 Rappers: #10

Side Note: So I originally started writing this as one post, but as the days turned into weeks and the post got longer and longer it became clear that it would have to be broken up.  So here we go part 1 of the Top 10 Rappers series.

#10 Dr. Dre

Ok, this list HAS to start with Dre.  While he might not have the sickest lyrical skills on the mic, he is one of the founders of the West Coast sound and has two of the best hip-hop albums to his name in the form of "The Chronic" and "The Chronic 2001."  Both are masterpieces.  Along with J-Dilla, Dre is one of the godfathers of modern beats.  His work with Eminem among others as a producer is legendary.  He is truly the original Kanye: a man who doesn't especially focus on lyrical mastery but instead creates an atmosphere of easily accessible sounds and vibes with mass appeal. But the fact that he has been able to do this with a genre as alienating as gangsta rap (which he along with the other members of N.W.A. pretty much invented) is even more impressive than what Kanye is doing today.

Kitsune Perfects Electronic Compilation

My friends over at the at Kitsuné have recently released another fantastic club/electro compilation.  Entitled "Kitsuné: Gildas and Masaya - Tokyo" after the creators of the Kitsuné label Gildas Loaëc and Masaya Kuroki's Tokyo sessions, this pulse pounding mix is a feeling of pure enjoyment that spreads throughout your body causing involuntary dancing and mind orgasms.  The music is perfect whether you're in the club or in the car.  Personally, I don't go anywhere after 9pm without it blasting.  The album features a slew of remixes woven in with original songs.  As with any good electro mix, the songs merge and dissipate seamlessly; sometimes you won't know where one song ends and the next begins.

I'm gonna point out a couple tracks here (although they're all amazing):

First, check out "Starlighter" by Jupiter.  I'd never heard of them until recently but they're tearing it up these days.  They haven't really put out a bad song to date.  Just don't get them confused with the other Jupiter on iTunes (they're a bad disco cover band).  

I think we've all gotten a little tired of Phoenix these days.  I know I have.  But this remix of Lisztomania really revitalizes the song and makes it sound fresh.  Listening to it will produce the same glee that you felt when you first heard the song, you know, before it got played 1,356,798,800,238,000 times!

Which segways right into another of my favorites "Back Down (Cut Copy Jackmaster Remix)."  Munk is just pure genius.  If you haven't already, check out their song "Down in L.A. (Shazam Remix)."  It's a must have for L.A. residents and an awesome song for non-Angelinos as well.  Their latest album is called "Cloudbuster," which is good, but I'd recommend getting the remixes of those songs.  And Cut Copy just goes to town on this with some throbbing piano, ambient sonic architecture and a lot of cowbell.

Last of my favorites is the one you can't buy individually.  You have to drop down for the whole album in order to hear the magical wonder of "Rich Girls (The Twelves Remix)."  Normally, I'd say not to buy an album for one song, but since the actual album is sooooo good (and since it's a mix that needs to be heard in it's entirety), I have to recommend buying the entire thing.  God "Rich Girls" is already a great song by itself just enhanced to heaven by The Twelves.  Seriously just jump to 55.50 on the soundcloud mp3 and listen to it.  

Track List: 

1 - Softwar  Colour Flight
2 - Jupiter Starlighter
3 - Two Door Cinema Club  I Can Talk (Moulinex Remix)
4 - Logo  La vie Moderne
5 - Friendly Fires Paris (Aeroplane Remix)
6 - Phoenix  Lisztomania (Holy Ghost! Loves Paris Remixomania)
7 - Munk Back Down (Cut Copy Jackmaster Remix)
8 - Pony Pony Run Run Hey You (Crystal Fighters Remix)
9 - Daniel Haaksman Pobum Coco
10 - Les Gillettes Pompeii
11 - Yelle  Qui Est Cette Fille
12 - Heartsrevolution  CYOA (80Kidz remix)
13 - Jennifer Delano  Amsterdam (Looking for a Spot) (RipTidE Remix)
14 - Crystal Fighters  I Love London (In Flagranti dub)
15 - Classixx feat. Jeppe  I'll Get You
16 - The Virgins Rich Girls (The Twelve Remix)   
17 - The Good Natured  Your Body is a Machine (Zebra and Snake Remix)

Here's the entire set:

Gildas & Masaya - Tokyo by maison_kitsune