What's the first thing that comes to mind when thinking about hip-hop? Obnoxious gangsta rap such as 50 Cent's mind-numbing _In da Club_, accompanied by too much bling and too few clothes? Or perhaps "brag rap" or the controversial east-coast VS west-coast, usually ending in a murder or two? When someone asks me what kind of music I like, I sometimes have difficulties breaking that controversy. If you're into gangsta rap, see my [rough hip-hop intro](/post/2022/03/a-personal-intro-to-rough-hip-hop/).
My brother in law is really into (death) metal and tried introducing me to the genre (using, among others, [this track](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qtf9QH8KhkA), which blew my socks off, wow!). Admittedly, a hard hitting double bass and crazy guitar riffs are difficult to digest if you're not used to it. But his admiring effort made me think, why can't I convince others to get into hip-hop? Then I drew a few taxonomies of rap styles and subgenres, which paled compared to Wikipedia's extensive [list of hip-hop genres](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_hip_hop_genres).
No categories then. Instead, I want to focus on personal highlights in what I call **"gentle" hip-hop**. Hip-hop without the typical explicit themes (sex, murder, drugs, street life, ...) that perhaps keep people from enjoying a good beat. Hip-hop without the penetrating noise of boom rap or hardcore rap, starting with stuff that is easy to to get into, and ending perhaps a bit weirder---but in a happy weird way.
This is my gentle hip-hop top 11---in no particular order---I recommend people listen to when they know nothing about hip-hop. Note that I prefer to use _hip-hop_ (the "life style") instead of _rap_ (the "rapping"), I found it helps people keep their prejudices at check. Give these a try and then re-evaluate what you think of hip-hop music.
- [Madlib - Slim's Return](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WY0Sap4Q0sg) (from _Shades of Blue_, 2003). A classic track that that seamlessly fuses jazz with turntablism and rap.
+ Similar: [Yesterday's New Quintet - Sun Godess](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3YHzDsDAaCI) (from _Angles Without Edges_, 2001).
- [Looptroop Rockers - The Struggle Continues](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NukuQ-65tNM) (from _The Struggle Continues_, 2002). Swedish underground rap with a moody flow that hits a sore note.
- [Deltron 3030 - 3030](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q7_jbluF0qo) (from _Deltron 3030_, 2000). I can't say enough about this. Three of my favorite artists (Del The Funky Homosapien, Dan The Automator, Kid Koala) launched an imaginative space journey.
+ Similar: [Dr. Octagon - Blue Flowers](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tx-o4b3fCRc) (from _The Instrumentalyst (Octagon Beats)_, 1996). The theme of the album is extremely violent but the instrumental version gets rid of that.
- [Hieroglyphics - Classic](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=onvRovuoxXY) (from _Full Circle_, 2003). Classical music (and rap) made fun of, but still respected.
+ Similar: [Madvillain - All Caps](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w2sSx6FNz80) (from _Madvillainy_, 2004)
- [Handsome Boy Modeling School - The Truth](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OCJhTU0KEwY) (from _So... How's Your Girl?_, 1999). Dan The Automator _and_ Prince Paul? The whole album is amazing.
+ Similar: [Hilltop Hoods - I Love It](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AgwSGjXwtww) (from _Drinking From The Sun_, 2012).
- [Swollen Members - Bad Dreams](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TS08pLPDOuw) (from _Bad Dreams_, 2001). Hard to decide on a track for this seminal album. A lot less cheerful but still anything but hardcore.
- [Quantic - The 5th Exotic](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hq65BySWWoc) (from _The 5th Exotic_, 2001). Quantic manages to fuse jazz, electronic, and rap in this excellent album.
- [Ancient Astronauts - Anti Pop Song](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VSOH6hvtcDY) (from _Into Bass and Time_, 2016). A German duo that successfully manages to revive quintessential west-coast beats.
- [Jurassic 5 - A Day At The Races](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=39zRf9Z66K8) (from _Power In Numbers_, 2002). Arguably the most energetic one on the album, but I love them all.
- [Soul Position - Hand-Me-Downs](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wfbGLdTVj_M) (from _Things Go Better With Rj And Al_, 2006). I love RJD2's left-field series, but his collaborations are sometimes even better.
+ Similar: [RJD2 - 1976](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PtA-I_Lpz_M) (from _Since We Last Spoke_, 2004).
- [Professor Elemental - Cup of Brown Joy (Tea Bag Remix)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cMn3qV_8ax0) (from _The Indifference Engine_, 2012). This is crazy British rap called _chap-hop_, a sub-genre of _nerd-core_. I dig it. Earl Grey? Yes please! Assam? Lovely!
+ Similar: [Mega Ran - Sweet Sorrow](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BMf3VjLl1gk) (from _Castlevania: The Nocturnal Cantata_, 2013). Nerd-core at its finest, plus, it's Castlevania!
I kind of cheated, it's still 11, but hey, who's counting! Most tracks are from the early to mid noughties. My hip-hop knowledge is firmly rooted in the nineties (see the [rough hip-hop guide](/post/2022/03/a-personal-intro-to-rough-hip-hop/)) and early 2000s---I hope the experienced reader will help fill the gaps, let me know!
