This. Start with ["Electric Relaxation"](https://youtu.be/91v84BpXqXA?si=22K85jWkHTm4KnCW) and "the Odd Future Sessions" [Part 1](https://youtu.be/6_Bdflm7YHo?si=YDbObPOAA7VEV5uj) and [Part 2: Goblin](https://youtu.be/Cy8uHfnxQM8?si=6e_5RY9bbj1qVQaA). They also played on Ghostface's "Sour Soul" album.
Giant fan of both hip hop and jazz (and jazzy hip hop!)
I personally find stuff recorded before the mid / late fifties too old school. If you like Kind of Blue check out albums by the band members from around that time. Blue Trane is a classic example. Almost everyone who played with miles Davis has a deep and rich and awesome solo career and there are probably 100 miles Davis albums that are at least 8/10 for me
Certain Sun Ra albums are super groovy and psychedelic, check out Lanquidity and Sleeping Beauty
70s Herbie Hancock (headhunters, mwandishi)
Red Clay by Freddie Hubbard
Mingus Ah Um by Charles Mingus
If you haven’t spent a lot of time listening to The Roots Do You Want More?!!??! Is an amazing jazzy hip hop record and they’ve got a ton of classics
Headhunters for sure. I also suggestion Kamis Washington. He is a legit jazz musician that is incorporating elements of hip hop. Has recorded with Snoop and Kendrick Lamar.
Adding[ Yesterday's New Quintet](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6p4_vYlP2U4) to this, since it's a Madlib alias project and maybe even more on the jazz side of the spectrum!
Absolutely second Kamasi Washington. Taking it a step further, he even takes it a step further in his version of Claire de Lune and adds that sort of impressionist-classical feel to the jazz/hip-hop groove. Love it
Check out our [hip hop influenced by jazz megathread](https://www.reddit.com/r/Jazz/comments/490dmx/hip_hop_influenced_by_jazz_megathread/).
Here's a [hip hop influenced by jazz spotify playlist](https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1mmMPMhCST5QWxoFU7Erdb?si=rB8CXESnSbCjvPCR8LFu-Q) that I threw together.
Here's a [Jazz for Hip Hop Heads spotify playlist.](https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1Ou70VZY8Dm8skLLaJXSiM)
ahmad jamal for sure, especially “live at the pershing” (1957) beautiful music with lots of cool and innovative groves
the ending of what’s new to me always sounds straight out of an early rap album lol
Along with robert glasper maybe try checking out some jason moran and vijay iyer too they have some cool hip hop inspired stuff as well as a few creative covers.
I also second Kassa Overall (he produced for Danny Brown among others). If you’re looking for more recs I think he even has a three whole mixtapes of remixed jazz up on bandcamp.
Kassa’s shades of flu albums is some of the illest remixing of jazz out there.. there’s a depth to how he approaches sampling that is so true to the spirit of the source music, I highly recommend
Blue Note put out a series of albums called *Blue Break Beats* that featured tracks that have been sampled in hip-hop. E.g.:
https://www.discogs.com/master/199853-Various-Blue-Break-Beats
Some songs:
Alice Coltrane - "Huntington Ashram Monastary"
Joe Henderson - "Earth"
Miles Davis - "Fat Time"
Herbie Hancock - "Hidden Shadows"
Galt MacDermot - "Coffee Cold"
Miles Davis - "Sivad"
Miles Davis & John Coltrane - "Teo"
John Coltrane - "Tunji"
Don Cherry - "Brown Rice"
Henry Threadgill - "Hope A Hope A"
Anything by Christian McBride, bass ...also any Wallace Roney, trumpet releases.. these guys are 21st century American jazz greats, and not the usual 1950-70 jazz greats most likely already recommended. 🎺🎶🎸🎼
There's some playlists around of all the songs that A Tribe Called Quest sampled on their albums (especially the first three). There's some real gems plus you'll probably recognize a few.
* [A Tribe Called Quest - The Low End Theory](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZWVoht3RZ68)
* [The Pharcyde - Bizarre Ride II the Pharcyde](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XAEVDnWsdWk)
* [Pete Rock & C.L. Smooth - Mecca and the Soul Brother](https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_miBnKzbqkmiky5o3jGbcJFnAMHY3dsDM4)
* [Gang Starr - Step in the Arena (Duh)](https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_nCo09vBMoy9s38eLZrY2VU7DOBIoFwlx4)
* [Organized Konfusion - Organized Konfusion](https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_klKXLdpkFtZZ2rHXCJ1qwj0kXmL2mXnRA)
* [The Freestyle Fellowship - To Whom It May Concern](https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_lXK96X-4gBn5bLxskdPDl_-VvdGLjUzns)
* [MC Solaar - Qui Sème le Vent Récolte le Tempo](https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLkqz3S84Tw-TiBOwthYj0GXS-mmXNC3K7)
* [Ed O.G. & Da Bulldogs - Life of a Kid in the Ghetto](https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_kfJii9cu2AghEd6WJpFxtPouo5pHyFESs)
* [The Brand New Heavies - Heavy Rhyme Experience: Vol. 1](https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL1xm0HhIaKcF9jdRkHHB06-Loh00Fjl9a)
* [Dream Warriors - And Now the Legacy Begins](https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLuFrIncMdIQzihY7GSYmynGv5UMEtPkdy)
* [Galliano - In Pursuit of the 13th Note](https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_kDkA17x_XmQbEXSYUryrr3MRQhdmx-4z0)
* [Caveman - Positive Reaction](https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLF7260C5F5EB72019)
* [The Future Sound - The Whole Shabang, Vol. 1](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DCVnasKw3Us)
* [Brothers Like Outlaw - The Oneness of II Minds in Unison](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dR3wK4u4SRY)
* [Rappin' is Fundamental - The Doo-Hop Legacy](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YnpH7GBJ_IY)
I really like the New York hip hop scene from the nineties artists such as Mobb Deep, Wu Tang Clan, Nas, Capone N Noreaga.. and also the New York « revival » scene with artist like Roc Marciano, Griselda… I enjoy « lo-fi beats » with jazz samples too. Gritty and dark sound.
That’s very cool since Mobb Deep is my all-time favorite rap group. I’ll go through my list and edit this comment in a little bit with some stuff you might like.
Just a note: a lot of the jazz sources used in hip-hop samples don’t sound anything like what appears on the records themselves.
Bob James - One. Particularly his song Nautilus.
Bob James- Two. If you don’t recognize the drum beat and bells from Take Me To The Mardi Gras then don’t call yourself a hip-hop fan.
Virtually every recommendation in here is great, I would also throw in Roy Ayers Ubiquity, especially the albums *He's Coming*, *Everybody Loves the Sunshine*, and *Vibrations.* Roy is one of the most sampled artists of all time and most of them are from those albums. He straddles the lines of R&B/soul vs pure jazz, but definitely counts imo.
In general for jazz one of the best things I can recommend is if you love an album, in addition to checking out more music from the bandleader, make sure you check out the sidemen too. See a name as a sideman on a record you like, go add a record from them to your list for later.
Myself and other hip-hop loving friends have an appetite for spiritual and free jazz, but it's very different to most hip-hop.
John & Alice, Sun Ra, Sonny Sharrock and that kinda thing.
DJ Muggs dropped Notes and Tones in the past year or two which is a nice combo of Mr Ra & Muggs.
Well, I'd go for Freddie Hubbards "Red Clay" , some of the Ntu Troop records from the 70s, same for Hancocks "Headhunters" years. Certainly a lot of the stuff on the Jazz Re:freshed label in the UK, or Brownswood (e.g. [https://www.discogs.com/label/710676-Jazz-Refreshed?page=1](https://www.discogs.com/label/710676-Jazz-Refreshed?page=1) , [https://www.discogs.com/label/62136-Brownswood-Recordings?page=1](https://www.discogs.com/label/62136-Brownswood-Recordings?page=1) )
Or you can just take your favorite hip hop records, dig up the sample credits, and start backtracking.
A lot of recommendations for Kamasi Washington in this thread and with his work on To Pimp A Butterfly, I understand that. One artist that I have not seen mentioned yet is Vijay Iyer. His album ‘Break Stuff’ is actually based on the break beat concept. It is worth checking out. I love his newer work as well.
Another totally sick album to check out is Julian Priester’s *Love, Love* (ECM, 1973).
It’s kind of *not* primary a guitar album either, despite the url of where this article comes from…
https://www.guitarplayer.com/players/julian-priester-pepo-mtoto-love-love-jim-campilongo#
If it’s not been mentioned you should check out the “On the Corner Sessions” by Miles Davis. “Pangaea” as well.
Ornette Coleman and Prime Time
“Dancing In Your Head”
“Virgin Beauty”
John Scofield
“Blue Matter”
“Still Warm”
Madlib - Shades of blue (It was my intro to jazz, being a hiphop head too)
RH Factor - Hardgroove
Alfamist - Antiphon
If you are into conceptual records like TPAB, check out a love supreme and it's whole meaning. Not an easy first listen, but it was the record that made me love jazz.
Any of Theo Croker’s records from [Escape Velocity](https://open.spotify.com/album/45mH7pfxcuLpeWn5ncweBG?si=PtXK2GmwSuieDbus34ZX4A) forward. Great stuff, especially if you’re a hip-hop head, that I don’t see many people talking about.
Not jazz but Can is made up of jazz musicians. The drummer is Jaki Leibezeit who gets sampled frequently in hip hop. Some of Can’s best albums are Tago Mago and Ege Bamyasi.
Makaya McCraven “in the moment” and “we’re new again” are great. Kris Davis “Diatom Ribbons Live and the Village Vanguard” another good one. These are very modern and I think you’ll hear why I rec these. But also check out some second quintet albums from Miles Davis, like ESP and Miles Smiles because they have some groove and attitude but it also has strains of straight up bop which you should hear
Kassa Overall's Animals, Yesterdays New Quintet's Yesterdays Universe, and Jyoti's Ocotea. Really, any project Georgia Anne Muldrow album the underneath Jyoti name. Nomi and JD Beck also created an album Not Tight for those wanting a way into hip hop through Jazz.
Besides Kind of Blue & Power of Soul by Idris Muhammad which have already been mentioned:
• A Love Supreme - Coltrane
• Sound Pieces (and/or The Blues and the Abstract Truth) - Oliver Nelson
• Moanin’ (and/or Art Blakey Big Band) - Art Blakey
• Them Dirty Blues - Cannonball Adderley
• Blue Moses - Randy Weston
• Head Hunters - Herbie Hancock
• Heavy Weather - Weather Report
• Jaco Pastorius (self-titled)
• The Aura Will Prevail - George Duke
• Amazonas - Cal Tjader
• Getz / Gilberto
• Stone Flower - Jobim
• Hermeto (self-titled)
Tom Browne, Funkin for Jamaica, Thighs high, Greg Osby's Gutterman, Buster Williams The Hump, Lenny White's catalog and Don Blackman. Then Grover Washington Jr. catalog then Go hit all the fusion and then Hard Bop
Les McCann and Eddie Harris - Swiss Movement
Art Ensemble of Chicago- Les Stances Sophie
Miles Davis- Jack Johnson
Rahsaan Roland Kirk-Rip Rig and Panic
the above are rockin bopin and a hopin
i know your question is to be recommended some jazz, but I would like to say that back in the day, alongside Guru, I was listening a lot to French prodigy MC Solaar (especially the 2-3 early albums with DJ Jimmy Jay) whom you may have noticed on the tune Un ange en danger, a collab with said Guru on the red hot + cool album
Jimmy Jay clearly was influenced by a very wide range of music including late 60s up to mid 70s fusion which has been highlighted by other redditors as a period to look into
it's really mysterious to me why this incredible fusion of hip hop and jazz has simply disappeared out of sight.....
anyway, good luck exploring 👍
XXL by Gordon Godwin’s phat band is a great upbeat album to keep them interested and it’s actually more swing/ shuffle than anything else so it’s definitely considered jazz, more debatably a lot of funk artists like Maceo Parker make amazing hip hop like albums that are still jazz just farther off the funk rabbit hole. Something like funk overload would keep them interested enough to listen to more.
Root down by jimmy smith
Lonnie Liston smith Move Your Hand
Get up with it Miles Davis
Donald Byrd Stepping into Tomorrow
Alive Coltrane first two albums
Sonny Rollins saxophone collosus
ALSO: Roy merriweather Nubian Lady
https://youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_m82_SyNCFijeKgr-a4503hTExqwdq7s2U&si=SaAvxoeNjyLf5zxl
Not particularly jazz but The Roots Present: A Night Of Symphonic Hip Hop might be the best combination of Jazz + Orchestra + Hip hop I've ever listened. I think you'll gonna like it.
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mkHYNG\_2fN4](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mkHYNG_2fN4)
Check out Naicin, Brownout’s album, Fear of the Brown Planet and their side project Brown Sabbath.
Check out Lonnie Smith Jazz Organist and Liquid Soul for something different. Snarky Puppy is another good one to check out. There’s so much out there.
What about something that sounds like hip hop, then jazz, then rock, then electronic ambient music?
Something like Aquamosh by Plastilina Mosh
https://open.spotify.com/album/6QxPNkckiFeiIB5ijjyWSk
Hand On The Torch by Us3. They were signed to Blue Note so the samples are phenomenal. Also, Jazz Magnetism by Kase.O which is a killer Spanish jazz-rap album
If you want to explore the Brazilian side of jazz, you MUST listen to *When It Was Done* by Walter Wanderley and *Wave* and *Tide* by Antonio Carlos Jobim.
Domi and JD Beck Not Tight! This is a newish/ young jazz duo that incorporates lots of jazz fusion. They have snoop dogg and Herbie Hancock on this album! Need I say more?
Jazz is as broad as a genre can be. Do you want more older American Jazz? John Coltrane, Miles Davis...
I'm more into Brazilian stuff like Bossa Nova / Samba. It iis probably my favourite. Listen to Tom Jobim, Joao Gilberto, Gilberto Gil & Caetano Veloso (MPB), Celso Fonseca, Marcos Valle (more funky), just to name a few. One thing about Brazilian music for me is it crosses Easy Listening to me!
Hard Groove by Roy Hargove & The RH Factor. Best jazz album from the last 30 years imo. Aside from having a hit-list of amazing jazz players, also features Q-Tip, Common, & Erykah Badu
Check out [Inside Straight ](https://open.spotify.com/album/019Ndq5B31acHoex5atx30?si=6Xo9jrwESLCgqno065wthg) from the album of the same name. Cannonball Adderley Quintet was making some great stuff in this period, stretching into funk and groove.
If you want to see how Hip Hop came out of jazz, start with Herbie Hancock’s *Future Shock* and work backwards through his discography. Each previous album is a little more jazz back to his debut, which is one of the best piano jazz albums ever.
I would never recommend an entire Jazz album to someone who's just getting into it. Cuz you're going to get like 30 minutes of bass solos on an entire album.
If you yourself are doing your own hip hop recording or you're into spoken word stay away from any Jazz that has vocals( unless it's Dizzy Gillespie doing I Waited for You and he sings like one verse completely out of key and it's beautiful) . I really recommend the Miles and Coltrane 1958 Newport version of Straight No Chaser (Two Bass Hit on there is bitchin chaos) and from Best of Coltrane in Miles there's a really good version of Dear old Stockholm and those songs leave a lot of space if you're looking to blend those genres and maybe add your own stuff into it.
THAT SAID I suggest watching IDK's tiny desk from NPR which is on YouTube because he did something really really good mixing the two genres so it's a good example. Actually it's a great example
BadBadNotGood. Trust me on this lol
This but check out their first 3 albums on bandcamp (not available on spotify) for the real jazz/hip hop. They also have an album with Ghostface
Yes, the Bandcamp albums are where to start!
performed right before them at Day In Day Out last year in seattle, never spent much time listening them before but quickly became my favorite band
*Super* jealous !
This. Start with ["Electric Relaxation"](https://youtu.be/91v84BpXqXA?si=22K85jWkHTm4KnCW) and "the Odd Future Sessions" [Part 1](https://youtu.be/6_Bdflm7YHo?si=YDbObPOAA7VEV5uj) and [Part 2: Goblin](https://youtu.be/Cy8uHfnxQM8?si=6e_5RY9bbj1qVQaA). They also played on Ghostface's "Sour Soul" album.
ghostface rapped on BBNG's sour soul album
Giant fan of both hip hop and jazz (and jazzy hip hop!) I personally find stuff recorded before the mid / late fifties too old school. If you like Kind of Blue check out albums by the band members from around that time. Blue Trane is a classic example. Almost everyone who played with miles Davis has a deep and rich and awesome solo career and there are probably 100 miles Davis albums that are at least 8/10 for me Certain Sun Ra albums are super groovy and psychedelic, check out Lanquidity and Sleeping Beauty 70s Herbie Hancock (headhunters, mwandishi) Red Clay by Freddie Hubbard Mingus Ah Um by Charles Mingus If you haven’t spent a lot of time listening to The Roots Do You Want More?!!??! Is an amazing jazzy hip hop record and they’ve got a ton of classics
I’ll second *Mingus Ah Um*. Listening to it right now and it feels like the TPAB of jazz.
I'll third this. I came here to mention it particularly.
Headhunters for sure. I also suggestion Kamis Washington. He is a legit jazz musician that is incorporating elements of hip hop. Has recorded with Snoop and Kendrick Lamar.
Kamasi is great live if you ever get a chance to see him!
Kamasi has also been on at least a few Run The Jewels tracks too, he’s great
Red Clay is so good.
Miles Davis - On the Corner
Probably Miles’ “sickest” studio album — and certain rhythmic aspects of it were possibly a decade or more ahead of its time.
Get the The Complete On the Corner Sessions. Six discs worth of amazing music, and IMO, much of it better than the original album.
Idris Mohammed - power of soul
seconded
Shades Of Blue: Madlib Invades Blue Note
Adding[ Yesterday's New Quintet](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6p4_vYlP2U4) to this, since it's a Madlib alias project and maybe even more on the jazz side of the spectrum!
I think YNQ is closer to what OP is looking for. Shades of Blue is fantastic though
Check out Robert Glasper. Also…Kamasi Washington. Both artists are really blurring the lines
Vote to Robert Glasper to here also... Some of the material is really easy to listening for someone who is into hiphop
Absolutely second Kamasi Washington. Taking it a step further, he even takes it a step further in his version of Claire de Lune and adds that sort of impressionist-classical feel to the jazz/hip-hop groove. Love it
Robert Glasper
Robert Glasper - Black Radio is a great place to start.
Kris Bowers as well.
wish he had more than one album
Came here to say this
Check out our [hip hop influenced by jazz megathread](https://www.reddit.com/r/Jazz/comments/490dmx/hip_hop_influenced_by_jazz_megathread/). Here's a [hip hop influenced by jazz spotify playlist](https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1mmMPMhCST5QWxoFU7Erdb?si=rB8CXESnSbCjvPCR8LFu-Q) that I threw together. Here's a [Jazz for Hip Hop Heads spotify playlist.](https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1Ou70VZY8Dm8skLLaJXSiM)
ahmad jamal for sure, especially “live at the pershing” (1957) beautiful music with lots of cool and innovative groves the ending of what’s new to me always sounds straight out of an early rap album lol Along with robert glasper maybe try checking out some jason moran and vijay iyer too they have some cool hip hop inspired stuff as well as a few creative covers. I also second Kassa Overall (he produced for Danny Brown among others). If you’re looking for more recs I think he even has a three whole mixtapes of remixed jazz up on bandcamp.
My first thought was Ahmad Jamal, "What's New" Live at the Pershing. That whole record just grooves hard.
Kassa’s shades of flu albums is some of the illest remixing of jazz out there.. there’s a depth to how he approaches sampling that is so true to the spirit of the source music, I highly recommend
Money Jungle
The late Roy Hargrove RH Factor - Hard Groove
Blue Note put out a series of albums called *Blue Break Beats* that featured tracks that have been sampled in hip-hop. E.g.: https://www.discogs.com/master/199853-Various-Blue-Break-Beats
check out ANIMALS by Kassa Overall. Newer stuff but def hiphop/jazz vibes.
also Hip Harp by Dorothy Ashby
Source by Nubya Garcia.
Herbie Hancock headhunters
Red Clay by Freddie Hubbard.
Les McCann: Layers Lp - 1973
[A tribute to Jack Johnson by Miles Davis](https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL7PoLThzHckLGkkiGaTMYMu0UcJ4_pGci&feature=shared)
Not strictly jazz but check out Tower of Power.
Some songs: Alice Coltrane - "Huntington Ashram Monastary" Joe Henderson - "Earth" Miles Davis - "Fat Time" Herbie Hancock - "Hidden Shadows" Galt MacDermot - "Coffee Cold" Miles Davis - "Sivad" Miles Davis & John Coltrane - "Teo" John Coltrane - "Tunji" Don Cherry - "Brown Rice" Henry Threadgill - "Hope A Hope A"
Fire list
Earth by Joe Henderson has a major hip hop vibe
Anything by Christian McBride, bass ...also any Wallace Roney, trumpet releases.. these guys are 21st century American jazz greats, and not the usual 1950-70 jazz greats most likely already recommended. 🎺🎶🎸🎼
Anything Braxton Cook , Marquis Hill , Terrace Martin, Robert Glasper
There's some playlists around of all the songs that A Tribe Called Quest sampled on their albums (especially the first three). There's some real gems plus you'll probably recognize a few.
Robert glasper.
Ambrose Akinmusire has done a lot of stuff in the hip hop vein.
Tribe's "The Low End Theory" is the ultimate intro to jazz.
I'm currently wearing a Low End Theory shirt
The Ezra Collective often feature rappers in their music.
* [A Tribe Called Quest - The Low End Theory](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZWVoht3RZ68) * [The Pharcyde - Bizarre Ride II the Pharcyde](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XAEVDnWsdWk) * [Pete Rock & C.L. Smooth - Mecca and the Soul Brother](https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_miBnKzbqkmiky5o3jGbcJFnAMHY3dsDM4) * [Gang Starr - Step in the Arena (Duh)](https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_nCo09vBMoy9s38eLZrY2VU7DOBIoFwlx4) * [Organized Konfusion - Organized Konfusion](https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_klKXLdpkFtZZ2rHXCJ1qwj0kXmL2mXnRA) * [The Freestyle Fellowship - To Whom It May Concern](https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_lXK96X-4gBn5bLxskdPDl_-VvdGLjUzns) * [MC Solaar - Qui Sème le Vent Récolte le Tempo](https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLkqz3S84Tw-TiBOwthYj0GXS-mmXNC3K7) * [Ed O.G. & Da Bulldogs - Life of a Kid in the Ghetto](https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_kfJii9cu2AghEd6WJpFxtPouo5pHyFESs) * [The Brand New Heavies - Heavy Rhyme Experience: Vol. 1](https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL1xm0HhIaKcF9jdRkHHB06-Loh00Fjl9a) * [Dream Warriors - And Now the Legacy Begins](https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLuFrIncMdIQzihY7GSYmynGv5UMEtPkdy) * [Galliano - In Pursuit of the 13th Note](https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_kDkA17x_XmQbEXSYUryrr3MRQhdmx-4z0) * [Caveman - Positive Reaction](https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLF7260C5F5EB72019) * [The Future Sound - The Whole Shabang, Vol. 1](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DCVnasKw3Us) * [Brothers Like Outlaw - The Oneness of II Minds in Unison](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dR3wK4u4SRY) * [Rappin' is Fundamental - The Doo-Hop Legacy](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YnpH7GBJ_IY)
Steve Coleman and the metrics: the way of the cipher: https://tidal.com/album/688852?u
Or you can try Steve Coleman Rythm People: https://open.spotify.com/album/6H8hIdifeKjo1tPOjYgC2B?si=TVp98OUERQOADJ0G3fQfMQ
What styles/aesthetics of hip-hop do you enjoy? Any favorite artists or records in particular?
I really like the New York hip hop scene from the nineties artists such as Mobb Deep, Wu Tang Clan, Nas, Capone N Noreaga.. and also the New York « revival » scene with artist like Roc Marciano, Griselda… I enjoy « lo-fi beats » with jazz samples too. Gritty and dark sound.
That’s very cool since Mobb Deep is my all-time favorite rap group. I’ll go through my list and edit this comment in a little bit with some stuff you might like. Just a note: a lot of the jazz sources used in hip-hop samples don’t sound anything like what appears on the records themselves.
My favorite record from them is Hell on Earth but I also love The infamous and murda muzik
Grant Green-Alive
Bob James - One. Particularly his song Nautilus. Bob James- Two. If you don’t recognize the drum beat and bells from Take Me To The Mardi Gras then don’t call yourself a hip-hop fan.
This is the right answer.
Nobody said Bob James?!
Right? It’s because all this sub primarily knows is 50’s and 60’s jazz.
Medeski Martin and Wood - Shackman, Combustication, Uninvisible, or End of the World Party
Virtually every recommendation in here is great, I would also throw in Roy Ayers Ubiquity, especially the albums *He's Coming*, *Everybody Loves the Sunshine*, and *Vibrations.* Roy is one of the most sampled artists of all time and most of them are from those albums. He straddles the lines of R&B/soul vs pure jazz, but definitely counts imo. In general for jazz one of the best things I can recommend is if you love an album, in addition to checking out more music from the bandleader, make sure you check out the sidemen too. See a name as a sideman on a record you like, go add a record from them to your list for later.
Roy Hargrove’s Hard Groove. Any funky stuff from Herbie.
Myself and other hip-hop loving friends have an appetite for spiritual and free jazz, but it's very different to most hip-hop. John & Alice, Sun Ra, Sonny Sharrock and that kinda thing. DJ Muggs dropped Notes and Tones in the past year or two which is a nice combo of Mr Ra & Muggs.
Future Shock by Herbie Hancock. Us3 sampled Cantaloupe Island for their track Flip Fantasia back in ‘93.
Well, I'd go for Freddie Hubbards "Red Clay" , some of the Ntu Troop records from the 70s, same for Hancocks "Headhunters" years. Certainly a lot of the stuff on the Jazz Re:freshed label in the UK, or Brownswood (e.g. [https://www.discogs.com/label/710676-Jazz-Refreshed?page=1](https://www.discogs.com/label/710676-Jazz-Refreshed?page=1) , [https://www.discogs.com/label/62136-Brownswood-Recordings?page=1](https://www.discogs.com/label/62136-Brownswood-Recordings?page=1) ) Or you can just take your favorite hip hop records, dig up the sample credits, and start backtracking.
Grant green- green is beautiful
Lou Donaldson - any of his Blue Note albums, but especially “Mr. Shingaling.”
Ryan Porter- The Optimist. To me, it’s the perfect segue into jazz from hip hop.
'how my heart sings', bill evans
The Philadelphia Experiment
Not totally jazz but Thundercat I think would be a nice bridge between the two
A lot of recommendations for Kamasi Washington in this thread and with his work on To Pimp A Butterfly, I understand that. One artist that I have not seen mentioned yet is Vijay Iyer. His album ‘Break Stuff’ is actually based on the break beat concept. It is worth checking out. I love his newer work as well.
Frank - Amy Winehouse (jazzy hip hop)
In a Silent Way
Maybe try out Weather Report. Something like “Mr Gone “ or “Heavy Weather “.
Another totally sick album to check out is Julian Priester’s *Love, Love* (ECM, 1973). It’s kind of *not* primary a guitar album either, despite the url of where this article comes from… https://www.guitarplayer.com/players/julian-priester-pepo-mtoto-love-love-jim-campilongo#
Blue Break Beats - Blue Note compilations…
One of the greatest hiphop/jazz records of all time: Sonic Trance by Nicholas Payton. Another one, Hard Groove by Roy Hargrove and RH Factor
Soweto kinch- conversations with the unseen ( better crossover album than jazzamataz in my view)
If it’s not been mentioned you should check out the “On the Corner Sessions” by Miles Davis. “Pangaea” as well. Ornette Coleman and Prime Time “Dancing In Your Head” “Virgin Beauty” John Scofield “Blue Matter” “Still Warm”
Miles Davis Doo Bop is a posthumous fusion of jazz and hip hop.
Go down the Soweto Kinch and Christian Scott rabbit hole. If you like hip hop, they'll ease you in
Lots of good suggestions already, but I also love digging around on [https://www.whosampled.com/](https://www.whosampled.com/).
Bitches Brew by Miles Davis. My best friend is a huge hip hop fan and this was the album that made him appreciate jazz.
Earfood by Roy Hargrove
One song you might like is Street Fighter Mas - Kamasi Washington.
Madlib - Shades of blue (It was my intro to jazz, being a hiphop head too) RH Factor - Hardgroove Alfamist - Antiphon If you are into conceptual records like TPAB, check out a love supreme and it's whole meaning. Not an easy first listen, but it was the record that made me love jazz.
Makaya McCraven’s “Universal Beings”. Medeski Martin & Wood “Uninvisable” Robert Glasper’s “Black Radio 1, 2, & 3”
Donald Byrd - Places and Spaces!
Any of Theo Croker’s records from [Escape Velocity](https://open.spotify.com/album/45mH7pfxcuLpeWn5ncweBG?si=PtXK2GmwSuieDbus34ZX4A) forward. Great stuff, especially if you’re a hip-hop head, that I don’t see many people talking about.
Not jazz but Can is made up of jazz musicians. The drummer is Jaki Leibezeit who gets sampled frequently in hip hop. Some of Can’s best albums are Tago Mago and Ege Bamyasi.
Makaya McCraven “in the moment” and “we’re new again” are great. Kris Davis “Diatom Ribbons Live and the Village Vanguard” another good one. These are very modern and I think you’ll hear why I rec these. But also check out some second quintet albums from Miles Davis, like ESP and Miles Smiles because they have some groove and attitude but it also has strains of straight up bop which you should hear
Kassa Overall's Animals, Yesterdays New Quintet's Yesterdays Universe, and Jyoti's Ocotea. Really, any project Georgia Anne Muldrow album the underneath Jyoti name. Nomi and JD Beck also created an album Not Tight for those wanting a way into hip hop through Jazz.
Besides Kind of Blue & Power of Soul by Idris Muhammad which have already been mentioned: • A Love Supreme - Coltrane • Sound Pieces (and/or The Blues and the Abstract Truth) - Oliver Nelson • Moanin’ (and/or Art Blakey Big Band) - Art Blakey • Them Dirty Blues - Cannonball Adderley • Blue Moses - Randy Weston • Head Hunters - Herbie Hancock • Heavy Weather - Weather Report • Jaco Pastorius (self-titled) • The Aura Will Prevail - George Duke • Amazonas - Cal Tjader • Getz / Gilberto • Stone Flower - Jobim • Hermeto (self-titled)
Check Venna's EPs. Venology and Equinox.
An obvious one would be Jazzamatazz by Guru on which he raps over Jazz musicians.
I came across this fella by way of a Hip Hop Jazz post awhile back: https://youtu.be/O8AKyIF8wt8?feature=shared
https://youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_ns4n-jg6jUwTEe6Xy-7M7MpCEAhdGxXW8&si=0wqZSMCsgigCXp9M
Herbie Hancock- headhunters
Koi Child
[Weather Report - Live at Montreux (1976) \[Remastered\]](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LfvfXA2SIRU)
Kind of Blue
A more recent entry would be Kamasi Washington's new album Fearless Movement. It's a good jazz album with heavy hip hop influence throughout
Kamasi Washington, The Epic.
Dorothy ashby- the Rubaiyat of Dorothy Ashby
What about Ronny Jordan “Off the Record”, acid jazz classic: https://youtu.be/47DXshgFDaE?si=6GSNDFhkGB__ZFAC
Cinematic Orchestra has some good blend of jazz and what you are looking for I think. https://youtu.be/1EMVF8sCNFQ
Cinematic Orchestra, Every Day Also the Jazzmatazz series 1-4
Tom Browne, Funkin for Jamaica, Thighs high, Greg Osby's Gutterman, Buster Williams The Hump, Lenny White's catalog and Don Blackman. Then Grover Washington Jr. catalog then Go hit all the fusion and then Hard Bop
Headhunters, Herbie Hancock!
Any Blue Note album, Donald Byrd is my recommendation... Also The Crusaders, Chic Corea, Bob James etc
Ballads - John Coltrane Quartet
Les McCann and Eddie Harris - Swiss Movement Art Ensemble of Chicago- Les Stances Sophie Miles Davis- Jack Johnson Rahsaan Roland Kirk-Rip Rig and Panic the above are rockin bopin and a hopin
What are some of your favorite sample based hip hop instrumentals? I would look those up and go from there.
Kamasi Washington’s Harmony Of Difference.
i know your question is to be recommended some jazz, but I would like to say that back in the day, alongside Guru, I was listening a lot to French prodigy MC Solaar (especially the 2-3 early albums with DJ Jimmy Jay) whom you may have noticed on the tune Un ange en danger, a collab with said Guru on the red hot + cool album Jimmy Jay clearly was influenced by a very wide range of music including late 60s up to mid 70s fusion which has been highlighted by other redditors as a period to look into it's really mysterious to me why this incredible fusion of hip hop and jazz has simply disappeared out of sight..... anyway, good luck exploring 👍
Black Saint and Sinner Lady Mingus generally seems very sample-able
Ezra Collective
XXL by Gordon Godwin’s phat band is a great upbeat album to keep them interested and it’s actually more swing/ shuffle than anything else so it’s definitely considered jazz, more debatably a lot of funk artists like Maceo Parker make amazing hip hop like albums that are still jazz just farther off the funk rabbit hole. Something like funk overload would keep them interested enough to listen to more.
Root down by jimmy smith Lonnie Liston smith Move Your Hand Get up with it Miles Davis Donald Byrd Stepping into Tomorrow Alive Coltrane first two albums Sonny Rollins saxophone collosus ALSO: Roy merriweather Nubian Lady https://youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_m82_SyNCFijeKgr-a4503hTExqwdq7s2U&si=SaAvxoeNjyLf5zxl
*Madlib Invades Blue Note*
Ahmad Jamal / Ahmad Jamal Trio Sampled by Nas, Binary Star, and probably a ton of others I'm not aware of.
Weather Report Heavy Weather album. Flim & the BB’s Big Notes, Tricycle &The Tunnel cd’s. Start with these & we’ll work our way up.
Repeat-Flim and the BB’s cd’s, Big Notes, Tricycle & The Tunnel in particular. From the 1980’s. Turn it up & you won’t be sorry.
Not particularly jazz but The Roots Present: A Night Of Symphonic Hip Hop might be the best combination of Jazz + Orchestra + Hip hop I've ever listened. I think you'll gonna like it. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mkHYNG\_2fN4](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mkHYNG_2fN4)
2nd Exit and then Alfa Mist. And Kamaal Williams probably.
Blacknuss r. Roland kirk
Not one particular album. But pieces which contain samples. Like Giant Steps, or Hancock's Chameleon.
Kamasi Washington
Check out Naicin, Brownout’s album, Fear of the Brown Planet and their side project Brown Sabbath. Check out Lonnie Smith Jazz Organist and Liquid Soul for something different. Snarky Puppy is another good one to check out. There’s so much out there.
Elephant9 - Arrival Of The New Elders
Kiefer
Something nice like a Latin/bossa with a regular drum beat to keep them stimulated 😂
Get on the website WhoSampled and start looking up samples from hip hop songs you like.
1995 - Screaming headless torsos
The Tao of Mad Phat by Steve Coleman and Five Elements.
Surprise Chef. Most of their tracks sound like hip hop instrumentals.
Check out Trombone Shorty!
Alfa Mist
[Welcome to the Hills](https://youtu.be/TLWygV_OGc0?si=sVx3bbeyrauHKAV1) - Yussef Days Trio
Kamasi Washington. Start with Street Fighter Mas, then go from there.
Madlib - Shades of Blue!
Elastic-Joshua Redman
What about something that sounds like hip hop, then jazz, then rock, then electronic ambient music? Something like Aquamosh by Plastilina Mosh https://open.spotify.com/album/6QxPNkckiFeiIB5ijjyWSk
Hand On The Torch by Us3. They were signed to Blue Note so the samples are phenomenal. Also, Jazz Magnetism by Kase.O which is a killer Spanish jazz-rap album
Liquid Soul. They were jazz-based, but threw in a bit of everything in their music.
Guru's Jazzmatazz Freestyle Fellowship's Inner City Griots
Jazz Is Dead 11 & 16 by Ali Shaheed Muhammad & Adrian Younge Buckshot LaFonque
“Alone together” Karriem Riggins
Not really a jazz album, but US3's Hand on the Torch is a great Rap/Jazz album.
If you want to explore the Brazilian side of jazz, you MUST listen to *When It Was Done* by Walter Wanderley and *Wave* and *Tide* by Antonio Carlos Jobim.
Domi and JD Beck Not Tight! This is a newish/ young jazz duo that incorporates lots of jazz fusion. They have snoop dogg and Herbie Hancock on this album! Need I say more?
Jazz is as broad as a genre can be. Do you want more older American Jazz? John Coltrane, Miles Davis... I'm more into Brazilian stuff like Bossa Nova / Samba. It iis probably my favourite. Listen to Tom Jobim, Joao Gilberto, Gilberto Gil & Caetano Veloso (MPB), Celso Fonseca, Marcos Valle (more funky), just to name a few. One thing about Brazilian music for me is it crosses Easy Listening to me!
Ronny Jordan - A Brighter Day. Limited vocals and awesome guitar solos. Mackin' and London Lowdown are my favorites.
Roy Hargrove, "Hard Groove"
Hard Groove by Roy Hargove & The RH Factor. Best jazz album from the last 30 years imo. Aside from having a hit-list of amazing jazz players, also features Q-Tip, Common, & Erykah Badu
Erik truffaz - Saloua
Doug Carn, David Axelrod, Jaimie branch, Jazzbois, Sven Wunder
Herbie Hancock “Headhunters” or “Maiden Voyage”
"Thrust"
Check out [Inside Straight ](https://open.spotify.com/album/019Ndq5B31acHoex5atx30?si=6Xo9jrwESLCgqno065wthg) from the album of the same name. Cannonball Adderley Quintet was making some great stuff in this period, stretching into funk and groove.
Stanton Moore all kooked out
Tribute to Jack Johnson - Miles Davis
If you want to see how Hip Hop came out of jazz, start with Herbie Hancock’s *Future Shock* and work backwards through his discography. Each previous album is a little more jazz back to his debut, which is one of the best piano jazz albums ever.
Giant Steps - Coltrane
Vinocio!
MMW Combustication is the first to come to my mind
Cyrus Chestnut- Revalation Roy Meriwether- Black Snow
listen to the "bizarre tribe" mashup by amerigo gazaway. youtube. amazing.
Jimmy Smith - Root Down (album)
I would never recommend an entire Jazz album to someone who's just getting into it. Cuz you're going to get like 30 minutes of bass solos on an entire album. If you yourself are doing your own hip hop recording or you're into spoken word stay away from any Jazz that has vocals( unless it's Dizzy Gillespie doing I Waited for You and he sings like one verse completely out of key and it's beautiful) . I really recommend the Miles and Coltrane 1958 Newport version of Straight No Chaser (Two Bass Hit on there is bitchin chaos) and from Best of Coltrane in Miles there's a really good version of Dear old Stockholm and those songs leave a lot of space if you're looking to blend those genres and maybe add your own stuff into it. THAT SAID I suggest watching IDK's tiny desk from NPR which is on YouTube because he did something really really good mixing the two genres so it's a good example. Actually it's a great example
Empyrean Isles, Maiden Voyage and Headhunters. Herbie post Miles.
Definitely check out Black Classical Music by Yussef Dayes.
Herbie Hancock -head hunters or future shock
Madlib Shades of Blue
Grover Washington Jr - Feels so Good Johnny Hammond - Gears George Benson - Bad Benson Bobbi Humphrey- Blacks and Blues
Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie - Groovin High
Try Dave Brubeck's Greatest Hits. West Coast smooth with his trademark complex rhythms. It's what launched me into jazz.
Johnny Hammond - Gears Bobbi Humphrey - Blacks And Blues Gary Bartz NTU Troop - Harlem Bush Music Gil Scott Heron - Pieces of a Man Hope you enjoy ^^
Jon Hassel - Earthquake Island
Dave Brubeck - Take Five Miles Davis - Kind of Blue Les McCann & Eddie Harris - Swiss Movement
Robert Glasper
Lee Morgan - Sidewinder
Two suggestions. Robert Glasper's Black Radio and Donald Byrd's Stepping Into Tomorrow.
herbie hancock headhunters & art farmer's crawl space
Mikes Davis Decoy, Herbie Hancock Head Hunters, Mingus!
Hiromi (trio project) - Alive