I grew up with a hatred of rap. Thinking it was horrible silliness for people who cannot play instruments attempting to make music. Keep in mind this was coming from a child who knew nothing about the art or any genre of music and disliked it only because my family did. Then i heard of and started listening to Limp Bizkit, Saliva and Rage Against the Machine and other such rap/rock artists who paved the way for my hip-hop ears..
Just like you but probably not exactly Eminem was my first real taste than came Immortal Technique and then Biggie.. after that i've just been 'digging in the crates' for all their influences and listening to artists who attempt to keep the spirit of urban lyricism alive.
Immortal Technique sustained me for the longest time. Felipe Coronel/Tech. was alllll i needed in highschool for my daily rap dosages. Biggie usually came on at parties and that's how i came to know and run with him. Then i looked up every artist that ever did a feature with ImmortalTech. and vice versa lol
Once i was done with that it was all about the new school crews/artists .. DOOMTREE, RHYMESAYERS, SLANGCORP, VIPER RECORDS, L-BURN iLLuminati, Blackalicious, Young Zee, Busdriver, Vida Killz, Poetic Death, Nujabes, and The Baroness.
As of recently though i have been just loving all the early and late 90's "golden era" stuff. The shit that influenced all the new players whether they like to admit it or not..
BIG L, De La Soul, Del the Funkee Homosapien, Lord Finesse, ATCQ, Ghostface/ODB/Wutang, Nas, Ghetto Boys, Scarface, Atmosphere, Outkast, Shing02, Aesop Rock, KRS-One, and try as i might i know im missing a shit-tonne of artists but this is all i know, so far, and the ones that i actually listen to.
The rhyming schemes are just so inventive/refreshing and don't seem to be the exact same 16 bar set-ups like all the "mainstream approved" artists.
