so i ve been noticing people been posting some really good (more underground) hiphop artists, rappers, MCs and DJs that make some really clever music with fresh beats and intelligent, conscious lyrics.

i would be very grateful if you could all post some of the the people u can think of.

so far I would only know:

Cyne
Mos Def
KRS-One
Lupe Fiasco
Del Funky Homosapien (Deltron 3030)
(some) Immortal Technique
Matisyahu
Gentleman
Dead Celebrity Statues (Project Wyze)
DJ Krush
The Roots
Saul Williams
Public Enemy
Grandmaster Flash (some oldskool stuff yeaa)
DJ Vadim


Oh yea and please don't just post any hiphop/rap artists who keeps going on about 9/11, bush, the shadow government, the NWO and random conspiracy theories... i m talkin more about lyrics depicting social class, crime, youth ...real life ...things like that.

weird question to ask really...because ideally... all hiphop should be connected to those themes - what do u think?

Common Market
The whole albums great, but this song i choose to represent it!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bbXzGdBcbms

Panacea
Very interesting instrumentals, good flow, concious lyrics!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=utmjd-NJ81k
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mqrqony6SDM...feature=related

Blu
I have only heard this one song... and its amazing!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ia0VxX1y-1M...feature=related
Theres also Blu and exile - same rapper and some produces. Great stuff!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jq-crVkXcaw
(now, as i looked at the video, it might be not the same rapper... :))

Nicolay and Kay
Very good instrumentals, concious, a bit gangsta maybe.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CHLD-M_bKVA

Solillaquists of Sound
Interesting mix of hip hop, rnb, drum n base, etc. Very cocious lyrics!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5-v7U_HD-tA...feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8nYHsmPJ4V8...feature=related
(other parts of the show are on oyutube)

Foreign Exchange
Great instrumentals, concious, good flow.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YkEmkM8BR6U
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GH9WRKFnx0I...feature=related
Heres the video, but IMO its not the best song on the album :)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xnqX9mRDxyI

Cunninlynguists
Creat southern hip hop band! everythings great about them! (i hated all dirty south stuff untill i heard them! But they arent on TV... pitty)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=npSFbmmKImo
And i just love this song!!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RdHYHaailjc
(not too concious, but a great party track!!!)
This ones a beauty:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Oh6hRfviYU...feature=related

One.Be.Lo
Great lyricist! Great instrumentals, jazzy stuff! Very concious! Inspirational, i would say :)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i7BEm3fdcMY...feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KQz_yProCiQ...feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dDkD5fQJTaI...feature=related

Jazz Liberatorz
Jazz musicians with hip hop artists. some songs are very concious, some are just fun, But the isntrumentals are great!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SfSW2p4dHs4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2INueHz3pSw...feature=related

Nujabes
A very good japanese instumentalists, who does tracks with Cyne, other great hip hop artists!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QxHQKUNxzsA...feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mZaV-33XSHY

Asheru
He made the theme song for the cartoon Boondocks... ive never seen it, but maybe you know it :)
A great phrymer, and great instrumentals. hes a school teacher :) I say - more like him!!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RHH8QWEkq10
Great rhymes in thsi one!!:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FK_mpUWUCMg...feature=related

Well, i guess i made an effort!!!! :)

Man props for those videos dude, I'm workin my way through them, appreciate the effort bro, much love

EDIT: Oh yeah I gotta rep some of the UK stuff going on as well, dan le sac vs scroobius pip, they're from just down the road from me, fuckin killer live

Beat That My Heart Skipped:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ESvYRR1Fyug

Letter From God To Man:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7KnGNOiFll4&feature=related

Thou Shalt Always Kill:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yoN6XfyQsr4&feature=related

Myspace:
http://www.myspace.com/lesacvspip

Check them out lemme know what you guys think

theres so much good, musical hip hop out there, that its amazing!
No need for any bullshit thats on TV, support these independent artists! :)

Will add more to the list later

Abzorbr
Aesop Rock
Atmosphere (Slug & Prod. Ant)
Busdriver
Dead Prez
Deep Puddle Dynamics
Del tha Funkee Homosapien
Deltron 3030
Dose One
Eyedea
Eyedea & Abilities
Face Candy
Gang Starr
The Grouch
Kristoff Krane
The Last Emperor
Living Legends
Mos Def
Murs
Sage Francis
Slug (Of Atmosphere)
Sole
Unknown Prophets
Vakill
The Visionaries
2Mex

Deux Process
Great sounds all n all:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aNEjapFTzic

Strange Fruit Project
Ive heard of them jus today, but they seem off tha hook!!!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M7t-0FqAvGo

L.A. Symphony
Laidback stuff :)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=weCrOQr-m94

Dakah Hip Hop orchestra
a REAL ORCHESTRA hip hop band :) Very interesting and great stuff!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nMEx_tHjjEw
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AKzLBHkMZf4...feature=related

Kaze & 9th Wonder
Just heard of this, sound great!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bqqDtg8ynZQ

Theres a LOT of hip hop... :)

Insight
Great lyrics, interesting voice and flow, most awesome instrumentals
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PJY87SZwRlM
(i just found out about him, hes great)

Supastition
Hes great, also just found him out, kinda old school :)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zg3siIFy9n8

Declaime
Heard of him earlier, but never gave a listen. But sounds are awesome!!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pysk8fPD6sA

thanks a lot!! this is goin well so far :)

edit:
gotta say most of this...if not everything..is just awesome...so good to chill to...perfect

glad you likes, dude :)
if you need something, and cant find it, let me know - i have most of this stuff.

wicked, cheers man... yea i m already trackin down some of the stuff...as soon as i get sum cash i wanna buy some of it as well thou...but meh i m a poor student ;)

we should hav made a topic like this aaaaaaages ago!

:P

i think there was something like that here before... i remember posting something... :)
my mind is a blurr!

Mattriks:
http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fusea...iendid=86572636

Great topic btw.

i checked out a few of the artist thanx alot guys

i cant believe nobody has mentioned the group Sweatshop Union. very intelligent, very good flow and rhyme style,very relevant and penetrating social commentary bordering on revolutionary.

probably cuz they r Canadian ;)

just kiddin...checkin em out now...thanks!

Control Machete, they rap in spanish, to bad they broke up though, I still think they're the best hip hop out of Mexico . Here's a little wikipedia info about them: Control Machete's lyrics pack a powerful message into their music. Piercing commentary on politics, society, economy, and race relations are woven together with melody and rhythm.

Control Machete's music has at times been criticized as defamatory and vulgar, for their use of Spanish profanity and their confrontation of sensitive political and social issues. However, their explosive and pointed songs aim to incite the Mexican people to redouble their national pride and rise up against poverty, ignorance, and oppression.

thanks avikid! was looking for some good Spanish language hiphop as well, very hard 2 find conscious spanish speaking hiphop, most of the stuff i found was more gangster n shit like that.

check my group if you havent before.
www.myspace.com/vortexas
www.cdbaby.com/vortexas

its somewhat similar to some of the artists listed in this topic

I can't believe nobody said Tech N9ne...
He's got some of the most realest shit out there...

sorry, but IMO Tech is not concious hip hop...
he might have a few songs, but that is not his musical intention :)

trully great stuff, dude!!!
Im honoured to be on the same board :)
The name of the band has a similar "end of the word" (dont know how that part is called in english) as in my language :) e.g. my full name is Gediminas :) thats interesting! Howd you come up with the name?

Edit: fuck, right, TEXAS!!! :)
It's still funny, couse if you would like to say Vortex in lithuanian language, you'd say Vortexas :)

yea PBeats vortexas is kickass, came across ur myspace the other day agen.... sick stuff.

and i ll hav to agree w geduliss on that one as well ... dont think i d consider techn9ne conscious hiphop...some of it might be....but most of the stuff that comes from him doesnt seem like it to me. sorry steph :/

Yeah I like Tech a lot but I still agree with the last couple of posters, his hip hop is fun but politically conscious? not really...

thanks yall.

it actually probably IS the reason, heh. they dont swear enough.

Common:
Hes not very unknown, i'd say :) and he always was concious, smart, and true! And he's been doing it for long years now, so i respect that a lot! Doesent change with some stupid fads!
here are some of the best videos:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XBa55sDTIiA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x5btqEdt6gU...feature=related (some great old school)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pmDybzfNBG0...feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=872RZDeQaD8
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PzSpynvL9N0
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WebILJKDms8

peace :)

these dudes are great!
The world is used to USA, latin, maybe some french rap, but the brits were a hidden secret, dude! And it surely has a UK flava to it! :)
Thanx for letting me know, man :)

heh yeah I love them, theres some ok stuff going on in the UK hip hop scene, but its mainly all wannabe gangster rap over rubbish garage beats :(

But yeah thanks to the web we're able to get loads of different sounds and influences so easily its def a good thing

EDIT: Also, their best stuff is on their album, their singles are good but they have some brilliant album tracks too...ill see if i can upload a couple....

that would be cool! :)

Surprised no-ones mentioned Saul Williams here yet, the man is a legend...some quality songs out there, Black Stacey is one of my favourites, really conscious hip hop poetry.

Intense as hell live too

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kRsgavuG4sg

I have:) first post! he is THE man, indeed. saying that, most stuff on DEF poetry cud b considered hiphop... and it certainly is concious (most of it).

yea wud b kul if ya cud upload some of the trax

lol woops sorry! Yeah he really is the man I'll see what I can do about findin some more of his stuff on the Tube of You...

Meanwhile here's a guy from London Town, Kano...has a great flow, some of his songs are a bit dumber than others but this is one of his best...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-26QIJTWDuk

OK here's some Saul Williams stuff that I could find...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iksHaFjygTE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jZmbLroed-U - this one gives you an idea of his live show
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v9lkrPrFAy0
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MrRUasM_Ufc

And his most known song: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sXzK0AFpmcI

He's got a load of even better stuff that I can't find anywhere, only on the albums I have, but hes worth checkin out

oh yea if any of u are interested in his stuff..i got all his albums, eps n stuff... i was talkin bout trax from sum gud British hiphop acts... i dont reli kno any conscious ones.... maybe

Asian Dub Foundation (they make a mix of rock, dance, hiphop and fusion)

ive heard OF him, but never listened to his stuff :)
The song youve posted has swept me away, thanx a lot!
Gonna check him out more for sure!

surprised u havent heard bout him! he is great. check out def poetry like i said. his appereances on there was brilliant! there u go

EPIC

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jzY2-GRDiPM

ive heard about him, but somehow never came to listening to his stuff :)
Thanx a lot for the linx, dude!

Heres one more artist wirthy your attention:
DJ Format (hes not an MC, but always features a lot of good MC's, and has awesome instrumentals).
Like Abdominal here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YQr1u1l-rIU

peace!!!

I recommend this punk/hip hop band called Hed PE :P you guys should check em out theyre the best! :lol:

oh yea! thanks for that video.... i knew i heard that name before!
saw this video a couple of weeks or months back:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YhZt4i92aSA

hella funny + sick ass flow!!!

@tray_cee

u mean hed (pe)??? yea i heard they r "ok" :lol:

hed is great and all, but theyre the last group i would consider intelligent hip hop :lol: