Friday

Talib Kweli - "Violations" (Ft. Raekwon) - {Video}

When was the last time you seen two artist from two different genres of HipHop spittin' that S#@$!?  Exactly me either, this is surely a masterpiece.  Make sure you go support REal artist and stop letting corporate America control your kids.  Raekwon and Talib Kweli are just two of the few Emcees from the "Gold Era" making music.  

Thursday

De La Soul - "Greyhounds" (Ft. Usher) - {Audio}

I was having a discussion with my staff and I think De La Soul is the only group in HipHop from the Golden Era who are still together.  Meaning they never split as a group and never did solo albums.  They might have done a few features with other artist but that's it.  If you know another group whom lasted the test of time with not breakups let me know. 

Wednesday

Talib Kweli - "Push Thru" ( Ft. Kendrick Lamar & Curren$y) - {Official Video}

How often do see the Legends in HipHop embrace the new dope Emcees?  Exactly not often enough Talib Kweli is one of the those confident Emcees.  With this dope joint produced by S1 featuring Curren$y and Kendrick Lamar proves different generations can make great music together in HipHop just like any other genre of music.

Monday

Cliz - "Class Is In Session" - {Audio}

Growing up, Cliz was never a big fan of HipHop which he blames on the radio. He enjoyed listening to the greats like Eminem and Jay-Z but was always looking for more. But when he moved to Florida in 2006 and began to fall in love underground HipHop where the lyrics are raw and true. The first real song Cliz ever wrote was about his cousin, Ryan, who passed in July of 2006. After writing that song, he was positive that his purpose was to tell his story.  Cliz’s single, “Class is in Session”, is the first of many of his stories. Take a listen below..

Friday

Jean Grae - "Kill Screen" - {Official Video}


Jean Grae,  one of the most underrated emcees in HipHop goes in on her "Kill Screen"video. Having whipped up a frenzy with the song itself and the mysterious video trailer, this is the full-length flick for the Gotham Down bonus cut.  Shot, directed and edited by Ms. Greasy herself, which was a witty accompaniment to the track that features a bloody Grae and a host of subliminal images. Yet another dope female lyricist goes unnoticed in the mainstream.  We are not finished we have more to come keep it locked.

Wednesday

Ras Beats "God Bless" (feat. A.G. & JBiz) - {Audio}

Following in the vein of great rap dedication records, "God Bless" is a rare gem as A.G. and JBiz deliver genuine & profound verses dedicated to their fathers 
while Ras Beats dish out a piano, string ridden soulful instrumental matching the Emcees output.
These 3 show respect, love and deliver a great song their fathers would be proud of.  This is for all the peeps that lost somebody, "Make him proud while I'm here, that's what I'm thinkin". The track serves as one of the stand-out tracks of Ras’ debut album, "Control Your Own", which is out now through his Worldwyde Recordings imprint. The Denmark-born, New York-residing producer has delivered one of the best albums of the year with assistance on the mic from the likes of Roc Marciano, Blacastan, Masta Ace, Elzhi, O.C., Sadat X, Breeze Brewin, and Rasheed Chappell, among others. 

Tuesday

Killa Kyleon - "Pound Cake" - {Video}


Killa Kyleon is one of those diamond in the rough Emcees coming out of Houston. Not too long ago Killa shut down the internet with his freestyle over Drake and Jay Z's "Pound Cake". Keep a lookout for Killa Kyleon he's the truth, one of the "Hood Emcees" that can really spit.

The Greatest Conscious Rappers Vol. I - {Article}


At UnsungHipHop.Com we know that the current state of hip hop is bull S#$!

We know that we need better options than trap music, hoe music, and club bangers that rot the brain with poisoned, ignorant lyrics.
We know that there is a psychological covert War on Hip Hop The 10 Greatest Conscious Rappers of All Time that keeps real conscious music off the airwaves.
mainstream HipHop makes me dry heave.
The problem is that it can be hard to find conscious rappers that you want to support (you DEFINITELY wont find them on BET). A few of these rappers make mainstream (Jay Electronica, Common, Kendrick Lamar, J. Cole), but for the most part HipHop has become a cesspool for half a$$ talented lazy Emcees who don't even write their own material.
Here are the top 10 greatest black conscious HipHop artists of all time. I keep these Emcees on heavy rotation as an alternative to the poor quality of mainstream music being forced down our throats everyday.
At the end of this list, I will tell you where you can go to support these artists, find out about thousands of other conscious HipHop artists, and buy their music. That's who you keep REal HipHop alive...period.  Checkout the list, and let us know if we have forgotten your favorite rapper, leave a comment at the end. 

KRS-ONE
I’m suggesting that in 100 years, this book will be a new religion on the earth… I think I have the authority to approach God directly, I don’t have to go through any religion [or] train of thought. I can approach God directly myself and so I wrote a book called The Gospel of Hip Hop to free from all this nonsense garbage right now. I respect the Christianity, the Islam, the Judaism but their time is up. …In a hundred years, everything that I’m saying to you will be common knowledge and people will be like, ‘Why did he have to explain this? Wasn’t it obvious?– On his self-published book, The Gospel of Hip Hop
This man is a powerhouse of Black conscious HipHop. Since 1977, KRS has been dropping bombs on the HipHop industry, producing 27 collaborative and solo albums, winning the 2004 VH1 Hip Hop Honors Award, the 2007 BET Lifetime Achievement Award, and the 2009 Urban Music Living Legend Award. KRS-One has kept his message pure over the years, becoming known for his furiously political and socially conscious rap, giving him the nickname “The Teacher.”
Some things you might not know about KRS – One:
  • KRS-One has written and published 4 books, including the hard-to-find 1996 classic, The Science of Rap.
  • He has appeared in 25 films and documentaries
  • His name is an acronym for Knowledge Reigns Supreme Over Nearly Everyone
  • In 2012, KRS-One endorsed Congressman Ron Paul for President over Barack Obama
  • KRS-One has been a vegetarian since he was a child


Yasiin Bey (Mos Def)


Yasiin Bey: Prolific conscious hip hop artist turned actor and activist.

Old white men is runnin’ this rap sh*t,

Corporate forces runnin’ this rap sh*t,

Some tall Israeli is runnin’ this rap sh*t,
We poke out our asses for a chance to cash in.
Cocaine, is runnin’ this rap sh*t,
‘Dro, ‘yac and e-pills is runnin this rap sh*t,
MTV is runnin’ this rap sh*t,
Viacom is runnin’ this rap sh*t,
AOL and Time Warner runnin’ this rap sh*t.

- A New Danger
Yassin Bey has been rapping since the age of 9 and professionally acting since age 14. He has been nominated as the Best Supporting Actor, is a 7-time Grammy Award nominee, and won Best Indie Actor for his role in The Woodsman.
 His dedication to his musical craft has paid off for him and for the conscious community. These days, Mos Def is more of an actor/activist than a rapper , but he still blesses the industry from time to time with albums like  The New Danger in 2004. His classic breakthrough albums — Black Star (1998), was a collaboration with Talib Kweli and Hi-Tek; and Black on Both Sides (1999), his solo debut — is legendary in the underground HipHop community.
Yasiin Bey has used his fame to protest in the wake of Hurricane Katrina in 2005 and the Jena Six incident in 2007, amongst other catostrophic situations throughout the world.


Sa-Roc 


Chances are you haven't heard of Sa-Roc, and if thats the case – I'm sorry for you. Her lyrics are divine and all encompassing: SA-ROC's music is the sound track for what she calls the “GOD HOP MOVEMENT.”
Her musical soundtrack is a clash of sounds, from Gogo, to Rock, to Boombap HipHop. This foundation began an aural quest for different sounds and concepts in music. Her sound is part Hood Poetry, parts Otherworldly, and totally dope. I feel as thought she picked up the mic where Queen Latifah left it.  Her subject matter ranges from melanin to pyramids, Sa-Roc spits metaphysical ideas over melodic HipHop beats, seeking to fuse "Knowledge Of Self" with a great underscore. She seeks to create not just a couple of albums, but a full-fledged musical movement.
This is not my first time talking about Sa-Roc ( check out Conscious Culture Friday: NYOIL, Kalik Scientific, and Sa-Roc). She is one of the most talented, creative, and under-appreciated female lyricists of our time. Beauty, talent, intelligence, spirit – there is nothing this Empress is lacking. Support her at www.godhopmovement.org

X-Clan

If you are younger than 24, you don't even know what the X-Clan meant to music in the 80s and 90s.  For you millennials, X-Clan is a HipHop group from Brooklyn, New York made up with the grand lyricist Brother J, Professor X The Overseer, Paradise the Architect, and Sugar Shaft the Rhythm Provider. The current incarnation of the group features leader Brother J, Master China, Kumu, “UltramanRa Hanna, ACL, Lord Cza, DJ Fat Jack and Zulu. Professor X (far right) transcended in 2006, and the group continues to inspire and produce Emcees along the same lineage.They don't make music like this anymore. This is the language of the Black Conscious soul.

Dead Prez


"Ayo my life is like Roots it’s a true story
It’s too gory for them televised fables on cable
I’ma a runaway slave watching the north star
Shackles on my forearm , runnin with the gun on my palm
I’m an African , never was an African-American
Blacker than black I take it back to my origin
Same skin hated by the klansmen
Big nose and lips, big hips and butts, dancin, what..."
-I’m A African
Any your HipHop list that don't have Dead Prez on it is an incomplete list. Dead Prez (M1 and Stic Man) was a product of Florida A&M University (FAMU). Their first album, Let’s get Free , became an instant classic, and threw them onto the national scene. Most people became familiar with Dead Prez when they heard the HipHop instrumental on the Dave Chappelle Show.
Like all the artists listed here, the duo uses their lyrical superpowers for the good of our community: their 2002 compilation CD, Red Hot + Riot raised money for various charities that fight AIDS in Africa.
Recently, while most rappers are rocking blood diamonds, and pretending that they’re the first "N*ggas in Paris", Dead Prez used their fame to discuss issues that actually matter – like the injustices surrounding the Trayvon Martin case. They teamed up with Yasiin Bey(formerly known as Mos Def) and Mikeflo to discuss the murder and recorded a tribute song.  M-1 and Stic.man represent the few Emcees who choose morals over money and fame.

Rakim

"We were children of the most high, so we fell
From paradise to holy hell
Probably descendants of the Holy Grail
Another part of history they won’t reveal
Times’ll only tell
You waiting for Judgment? It came
In the form of a thug in the game
To create a strong position, there’s blood in my vein
The chemical is identical, we one and the same
With seven letters in all three of my government names
Walk on water? Nah, neither did Jesus
It’s a parable to make followers and readers believers
From Egypt to Budapest, Rakim is the truest left
Understand the Scriptures like the minister Louis F
I told you who God is, you ignored me like most the prophets
Jesus, Solomon, Abraham, Moses and Muhammad
I showed the scholars, we’ll fulfill the broken promise
I spit this truth to predict the future like Nostradamus
Like Revelations, I’m hoping my quotes reveal
The seven spirits of God when I open the seal
Interpret the holy Qu’ran, these flows will guide you
Translate the Torah, and decode the Bible"
-Rakim, Holy Are You
Rap pioneer Rakim infused the teachings and symbols of the Five Percenters throughout his music and videos. This reputation brought fans of Rakim in particular to refer to him as the God MC. Early on in his career, he paired up with other Gods, including the Brand Nubians, the Poor Righteous Teachers, the Wu-Tang Clan, Killarmy, Sunz of Man, Gravediggaz, Public Enemy,Godbliss and Gang Starr. The music became a message that sparked a boom of new NGE students.
So much has been written about the God Rakim that it would be useless to try to include it all here. All I can say is hearing is believing.

IF CHILLS DIDNT RUN THROUGH YOUR BODY WHEN YOU HEARD THIS, CHECK YOUR PULSE!

Lord Jamar of Brand Nubian

"Yes, last Sunday of the month, so to Harlem we went
No clubbin’, for parliments and Harriett Tubman
Peace to the Gods, peace to the Earths
Peace to the Seeds, peace to the Birth
Of the Nation of the Five Percent, rap sent
Intelligent brothers, to represent
Allah Justice made the knowledge born
You find the Gods from the jails to the colledge dorms
You got to ‘know the ledge’ to ‘wise the dom’"
-Lord Jamar – Original Man
Lord Jamar is 1/3 of the group, Brand Nubian, which also consists of Sadat X and Grand Puba.
You might remember him as playing role of Supreme Allah on the HBO series Oz. Since then Lord Jamar has turned to acting with roles on the Sopranos, Law And Order SVU and the series, Rescue Me. He is really making an impact on the screen, but I doubt it will be bigger than the impact he has made on conscious HipHop.
As a committed member of the Nation of Gods and Earths better known as The 5 Percenters, Lord Jamar co-authored the book that lead me to the Nation: "Knowledge of Self". He is a spiritual mentor of mine, and a supreme lyricist.

Jean Grae


South Africa-born Tsidi Ibrahim, known to us as Jean Grae, moved to New York shortly after birth. As a young protege, she learned to read at the age of 3 after that she pretty much followed her parents’ footsteps, developing a love for music and the performing arts. Jean was also an excellent dancer, and by age 13 she had become the youngest person accepted to Alvin Ailey’s renowned second dance company. She studied Vocal Performance at the LaGuardia School of Music & Art before majoring in Music Business at New York University. She later dropped out after 3 weeks of class realizing she wasn't learning anything she didn't already know.
In 2002, she collaborated with the The Roots, Talib KweliHerbaliser, Atmosphere, 9th Wonder, Pharoahe Monch, Styles P, Masta Ace, and Immortal Technique, which pretty much placed her in the Underground HipHop spotlight. 

Immortal Technique

"Nostradamus was a white man’s prophet who predicated European supremacist logic
Because the pilgrims and conquistadors columns killed more innocent people than Hitler and Stalin (Yes)
I guess the fortune teller skipped an Antichrist or two
Brother give this to the OG’s doing life with you and
Pray for the problems with the popes psychology so the Vatican will offer an apology, (for what?!)
for destroying the peoples liberation theology
Snatching the spirit of Jesus from people in poverty
Business decisions like keeping people in prisons but had the opposite effect incarcerating religion
That type of crooked politics imposed on a populous is obvious if you read the Northwood documents
Forget the compliments for what I recorded
And live the revolution instead of always dying for it
Remember a bullet can never stop me
My legions are led by the spirit Haile Selassie watch me"
-Immortal Technique, Sign Of The Times
Immortal Technique was born a revolutionary – literally – being born in a Peruvian military hospital. His family emigrated in 1980 to Harlem, where he would face multiple incarcerations. Honing his rapping skills in jail, and unable to find decent wage-paying employment after his release, Immortal Technique began selling his music on the streets of New York while battling other Emcees whenever the opportunity arose. After winning numerous freestyle rap competitions of the New York underground HipHop scene, he developed a reputation for his ferocious and politically conscious lyricism.
Fast forward to today, and Immortal Technique has gained international acclaim because he truly speaks truth to power. 

Public Enemy

"Now that you’ve realized the prides arrived
We got to pump the stuff to make us tough
from the heart
It’s a start, a work of art
To revolutionize make a change nothin’s strange
People, people we are the same
No we’re not the same
Cause we don’t know the game
What we need is awareness, we can’t get careless
You say what is this?
My beloved lets get down to business
Mental self defensive fitness
(Yo) bum rush the show
You gotta go for what you know
Make everybody see, in order to fight the powers that be
Lemme hear you say…" - Chuck D
Fight the Power
The question: “Who is the face of HipHop today? Whoever says ‘Jay-Z is probably blinded by the mainstream HipHop's smoke and mirrors. Prof Griff of the legendary HipHop group Public Enemy bluntly responded during a forum in Muskegon Heights. Griff was addressing more than 150 people who attended the event. 
Chuck D is directly responsible for making Public Enemy the titan they are today by taking HipHop to new places. By combining enormous beats, hooks with politically-charged and intelligent lyrics to create music that moved people.
When Public Enemy spoke, people listened, and they used that platform as tool to unite us not for personal game, definitely a dying breed of HipHop music.

Saturday

Cee Goods - "Good Vibes" - {Audio}

LA / Portland producer Cee Goods drops off his soulful new album "Good Vibes" featuring an all star cast of NW talent including Hanif, TOPE, King Leez, Blossom, Mikey Vegaz, Jon Belz, and more. 

Kicking things off with the jazzy summer anthem "Live your Life," to the intense trap influenced keys on "Plug," and rounding things out with the straight barfest on "Never Too Late," Good Vibes delivers a unique range of production, jazzy vocalists, and talented lyricists throughout the 45 minutes of playtime. 

With every artist handpicked and every beat crafted by himself, Cee Goods has been working on this project for 2+ years and the attention to detail definitely shows. Following up on the success of his recent instrumental project ROOTS, Goods has been working his way through the ranks as one of the NW's most talented producers.

 

Friday

The Lost Cauze & Demorne Warren Freestylin' "Rap Is Outta Control Reef" (Prod. Ras Beats) - {Audio}

Ras Beats, hailing from Queens, NY by way of Denmark producer has been holding down the boards and crates for quite sometime, and recently dropped “Control Your Own”, a neck bobbin' LP that features some of HipHop’s elite - A.G. of DITC, Roc Marciano, Sadat X, Breeze Brewin, O.C. & Elzhi just to name a few.