(For the record, when I make an extreme statement using the word 'ever' or something of the like, it's in reference to hip-hop, not music in general.)
I'll also do one specifically for DC artists next.
2Pac
The number one qualification of an artist is to be true to himself/herself. That's a simple fact. The complication of this is how do you define 'self'? To me, it's a reflection of the "nature vs nurture" argument; meaning it's equal parts A) one's personal position on things relative to B) the society in which they live. Additionally, I feel that an artist has a responsibility to the self and the society to question whatever power structure is relevant (meaning not just government).
Why am I stating this here? Because I don't think anyone has ever fit that bill like Pac did. Towards the end he showed that he recognized that he had gotten carried away by his romanticism of "Thug Life" and was moving towards clarifying it... that's an extraordinarily over-simplified summation of the situation that ultimately led to his assassination, but I don't feel like writing about it.
The first hip-hop song I can actually pinpoint as being the one that first made me a fan:
Admittedly I gravitated towards Snoop at first, but the seeds were planted.
Wale
Long story short, Wale is the first artist that I decided, purely on my own, was worth listening to. I started listening in 2006 and while most of the people around me echoed the "aw you only listen to him because he's from DC" nonsense (yep...), I simply responded with "if you have a problem, TURN OFF YOUR STATION." He's strayed a bit from the path he laid for himself in the first few years (of my fanhood), but not so far that it really matters. He'll get there. He's a beast lyrically, and when he works with the producers that actually know him (Best Kept Secret, for one) he has a truly great and unique sound.
Also, NOBODY HAS BETTER SPORTS REFERENCES. I dare you to prove otherwise. I swear I'll finish cataloging those soon ha.
Cam'ron
I went through an embarrassing G-Unit phase and Cam'ron was there to pull me out. I've never been to Harlem (which could possibly change sometime in the next 3 months) but from everything I know, Cam fits that "nature vs nurture" bill to the T; he IS Harlem. Contrary to what too many like to believe, he's also one of the most creative lyricists I know of, and he's fucking hilarious to boot. I just wish he'd tap into his inner artist a bit more, rather than always being that hustler-first. But that wouldn't be him, so can't really complain.
Ill-iteracy
After Wale, these guys are unquestionably the first artist/group that I've "discovered" on my own. Truly inspiring work. Just listen to the music. If it's not immediately apparent, you're just not a hip-hop fan. Simple as that. One of my favorite verses ever is by Will Spitwell on 'Do You' (second verse).
Outkast
"Live.. from the center of the Earth.. seven light-years below sea level we go.. welcome to Stankonia.. the place from which all funky thangs come."
Honestly, their popularity is quite astounding to me. So is the wide recognition that Andre 3000 is better than Big Boi. Sometimes I think it's because people don't truly get it, but they're ultimately refreshing pieces of knowledge.
Nas
In the competition-driven industry of the last 20 years, by my criteria, Nas is Jordan. He has crazy mastery of the English language (and everything in lyricism that comes with it), real subject matter that relates both to the streets he comes from and the overall society in which he lives, and a desire to better the world with his art. Many argue that that desire is too strong and personally I sometimes find myself on the fence about it, but I definitely lean towards his side. Ultimately, that's needed.
Lupe Fiasco
If Nas is Jordan, Lupe is Kobe. I need to finish my Kanye West:Vince Carter write-up, and next on my list will be Nas/Lupe:Jordan/Kobe. I promise I'll get these all finished up soon.
Bobby Ray
Enough of BoB. It's boring. But not only is it boring, it's an obvious (not necessarily direct, though) compromise to his music for the Atlantic Slave Trade Organization, er, Atlantic Records. Just go to his BoB vs Bobby Ray mixtape and listen to the 2nd half, then you tell me if most of that album is who he really is.
THIS is BoB, or Bobby Ray, or whoever he is, from long before he had an album out:
Panacea
Just look at that cover art. They might be too much for some, I dunno, but the music is as beautiful as it is awe-inspiring. Listen:
Curren$y
This is sort of a recent revelation, but Curren$y is the man leading the independent charge. Just watch this video, and remember, that he was signed to "Young Money" or whatever the fuck they called themselves then, and told 'em to fuck off. RESPECT FOR THAT.
What officially put him over the top for me? Of course, sports references. They're not nearly as prevalent in his lyrics as Wale, but his might be even more arbitrary (Yancey Thigpen!)
Big K.R.I.T.
I only wanted to do ten but I had to add in one more. For one, to show how much of a rolling list this is. But more importantly - and I realize the gravity of this statement - K.R.I.T. is as close to 2Pac as there's been since his murder, this close to the mainstream ear. He's also going the independent route (for now, at least...) and he's currently touring with Curren$y. K.R.I.T. stands for King Remembered In Time, which is cool... again, just listen to the music. It speaks for itself far better than I ever could, obviously.
Just found this one, too:
Wiz Khalifa
Again, to show how the list is a rolling one; he was where KRIT is now. Going with my basketball/hip-hop theme, I had Wiz labeled as Durant after releasing his great project, Kush and Orange Juice. Since then he joined Atlantic and put out a single (entitled 'Black and Gold') that is extremely disappointing not only because it's so commercially bland, but for a song that references Pittsburgh in the title, you can't actually find anything about the city in the song. After Kush and OJ came out I said it was great but I hoped he didn't plateau, and it's looking dangerously as if that's indeed the case. Instead of Kevin Durant (I'm hoping this'll be KRIT) I'm now calling him Tyreke Evans, which was a better fit all along anyway (and another write-up for the future).
There are so many other names I'd wanna mention, but that's a decent list. I'm about to give myself a history lesson anyway and listen to nothing but pre-turn-of-the-century stuff, a breather from the smog that is mainstream music is desperately needed.
