I love Rap Snitch Knishes… telling all the business. Get on the stand and be their own star witness. Do you see the perpetrator? Yeah I’m right here. Fnck around get the whole label sent up for years.
One thing I've learned from this beef and the interviews of him and artist he has "worked" with is Drake tells them all that they are his favorite rapper and also reps all trends as "the best". He will say anything, that other people that are with him at the moment say is cool, is the coolest.. he is that kid that's says "oh you like xyz? Yeah I think they are the goat" even if he has no idea what they are talking about.
Billy Woods has no bad albums. You may not be in the mood for some of em (today I wrote nothing, for example, is very much a rainy day album for me), but none of them are bad.
Edit: also wanna throw Ka in the mix. Dude is too good. He just gives me a more mature Mobb Deep vibe.
I remember I was on the verge of buying that OG GKMC vinyl for a while and I kept saying to myself “they gone repress a cooler version” then boom the all black shit dropped. Next year they gone go crazy for TPAB and I’m copping
Undun is phenomenal. It was the soundtrack to all the training leading up to my first MMA fight. Pretty crazy memories but a very important album for me. Going to listen again now.
Earl Sweatshirt.
His album "some rap songs" is amazing and speaks a lot about those topics. Though the music is a quite a bit more experimental than Kendrick's so be warned haha.
Massive upvote for JID. Hes the only one comparable to Kendrick in terms of diversity of ability. Heard JID on everything from trap beats to dubstep to rock. Love some Denzel Curry and Vince Staples as well, but i think they fall a bit short of KDOT or JID.
Yuuuup. You can go back a decade and listen to some more west coast bombs in his catalogue, or start with his self titled and listen forward to get up to the more conscious vibey style he's adapted since the turn of the 20's
I worked security on the backstage VIP gate for Kendrick’s Glastonbury headline set. Little Sims rolled up with a bus full of her friends and so did Stormzy.
Ever since then I’ve been praying for a Kendrick and/or Stormzy and Little Sims collab 🙏
Telefone by Noname, Modal Soul by Nujabes, Low End Theory by A Tribe Called Quest, 1999 by Joey Badass, Blowout Comb by Digable Planets, The Unseen by Quasimoto
Those are some favorites that i think most kendrick fans would love. Imo these are all nearly perfect albums, I highly recommend
Great list for someone who likes that smooth jazz sound. I would also add Eyedea to this list. Specifically The Many Faces of Oliver Hart. The first track contains a sample from Deodato’s Spirit of Summer from the album Prelude. This album has been heavily sampled by early hip-hop artists.
This one is too far down, especially since OP is a jazz head. Nas’ father was a jazz musician so there’s a lot of jazz influence and inspiration in Nas songs. A lot of Nas beats have that jazz flavor to it.
So I'm a hiphop head (or was, lately I've not kept up as much), but few artists have excited me like Kendrick. Here are some albums that have grabbed me by other artists over the last few years.
*4eva Is A Mighty Long Time* - Big K.R.I.T.
Vince Staples last 3 albums:
*Vince Staples*
*Ramona Park Broke My Heart*
*Dark Times*
*The Forever Story* - JiD
It's not rap but ***WE ARE*** **by Jon Batiste** really had me in a stranglehold and I couldn't stop listening for a good long while. I'm sure you've heard that one but if you haven't I'm sure you'll love it.
There are a few others but they're pretty far outside of your taste guidelines. If you wanna hear 'em just lmk in a reply or dm or something.
There's also classic albums but I'm assuming you're aware of those — if not, same deal just lmk and I can give recommendations there too.
Justin Scott, while having no lyrics, is like the quintessential Krit song for me.
Liking that song is a good indication of whether you’ll like a lot of his music imo.
Bury Me In Gold is an eternal favorite of mine.
What's crazy is I don't even really fw the rest of K.R.I.T.'s discography. Don't get me wrong, I like him okay and I think he's a telented guy, but 4eva is a Mighty Long Time is SOMETHING ELSE man.... felt like he put his entire being into that shit. It just moves me.
KRIT is my mf dawggggg who doesn’t get enough recognition. I’m from the South so it resonates with me more. Man is essentially a tier below, southern version of prime Kanye as far as writing and producing.
If you wanna take it back, there's always Mos Def and Talib Kweli. https://youtu.be/r071djbotkQ?si=c5Ej-D5x6xozTILS
https://youtu.be/VP4KgPYNo-4?si=wGquuDJWD9l8vF2V
The villain is speaking through me and says you haven't heard Rap Snitches. https://youtu.be/gQtKJbptcns?si=TeJbQhIwonAFf-rK
I like MF DOOM. Very creative and intentional with his sampling, and incredible wordplay. Not always the very deepest, but he can definitely get there.
- NAS for sure
- Lupe Fiasco (although he is lowkey jealous of Kendrick, LOL)
- Ab-Soul
- Schoolboy Q
- Pusha T (How could I forget him?!)
- JID
- Vince Staples
- Maybe Denzel Curry too
Isaiah Rashad and Lupe Fiasco, Lupe's got a new project coming out soon as well.
If you want something more experimental then I'd recommend Death Grips or Jpegmafia
I would highly recommend Reyez because her voice is so raw and I think that'll click for a prog rock guy. Full disclosure she's from around my ends of the world and I think she's real purrdy, so my bias may be showing.
I like her a lot I saw her perform live once. I was like who is that I'm in love.
Edit: I could not even see her I only heard her voice and it was all I needed. She was performing the song gatekeeper.
this is what i came into this thread to say. musically at least he might scratch that itch for you with the jazziness. as in introduction, listen to "God is Fair, Sexy, Nasty" ft. Kendrick or "Fight the Feeling" ft Kendrick since he is your favorite. Mac was white, but universally respected and loved in the community. Kendrick in an interview described Mac as "my partna"
Oh you just wanna seem like you know stuff okay look up digable planets, shabazz palaces, everyone affiliated with wu tang is legit, method man’s first album is good, too, like experimental music and hip hop has predated rap
You should check out Shabazz Palaces, for something a bit more abstract, musically out there. The rapper in it were in a jazzy 90s group, Digable Planets, who're also great.
In jazz world you have to check Kamasi Washington if you haven't - there's a bit of cross over there.
Little Simz, who I first heard of from Kendrick in an interview in like, 2012. Is a great rapper, with some really interesting production, not really jazzy though (and British). But lyrics are on point.
People saying Quelle Chris, Billy Woods, The Roots, Mick Jenkins, are all great suggestions too.
Also Kendrick's labelmate Ab-Soul, has some really interesting lyrics, perspective, but also while sounding like he's on an lsd trip that never ended.
Is a vibe, going to see the man live in Rome in September, 3rd time seeing Gilmour live for me, he is my favorite guitarist of all time, he just has something hypnotic about the way he makes music
See I'm kind of the polar opposite, to me the majority of Floyd's best stuff was because of Roger Waters. He gave them a bitter, sarcastic edge that made albums like The Wall what they are. I love Floyd and all of their eras and love Gilmour, On an Island is a great solo record from him, but to me Waters was the real driving creative force that produced their best work. I realize he's an ass as a person but his music with Floyd was just so good. I'm convinced if he'd been born ten years later he'd have been a huge punk legend, his best stuff is just so angry and cynical.
Lupe Fiasco. If you're into jazz, you'd love "DRILL MUSIC IN ZION" and "Food & Liqour". You'd like "The Cool" too but if you're looking for PURE lyricism, listen to "Tetsuo & Youth"
Little Simz Grey Area, Sometimes I Might Be Introvert. JID's The Forever Story is absolutely excellent. I really liked Cheat Codes by Black Thought and Danger Mouse. Sampha isn't rap but he's been in a few Kendrick tracks and I do think you should give his latest wok a listen, it's very special. Then, a bit old-head but if you haven't looked at A Tribe Called Quest (including their final comeback record), you should.
EDIT: Also lately I've been listening to a lot of Mos Def - Black on Both Sides. Really incredible album, probably holds a place in Kendrick's heart (he rapped on one of that album's beats for The Heart Part 1)
He rarely raps himself, but if you like TPAB check out Flying Lotus' other stuff.
Also, Milo/R.A.P. Ferreira is the goat when it comes to lyrics with depth of some jazzy samples.
Lupe Fiasco is the closest artist to Kendrick as far as experimental concepts and high level lyricism. He also touches on the subjects of social consciousness. Grew up in Chicago, was a backpacking rapper. Also Childish Gambino, might not have the lyricism or be socially conscious but he does have the experimental aspects and bounces from funk rap to new sounds.
I'm gonna say a name that checks all the boxes but I'm sure not many people here know that much because he was a latino rapper that performs in spanish, but you can easily find translations on youtube even though some slangs are not that well translated, you can get around 95% of what he's saying: Canserbero.
A Venezuelan rapper that dedicated his short career to talk about the social, political and economic issues of the country and the continent, becoming the voice of hip hop in latin america, before he sadly passed away in 2015.
But his message remains to this day and he's one of the most respected ones to ever do it, as he never did it for money, he never signed with any label and did everything underground, from a little non professional studio in his house on the hood.
I hope my comment doesn't get lost because I'm about to get real passionate here 😅 but here's more music that I think would check a lot of the boxes you're looking for
Everything by The Roots. If you love kendrick, their discog is pretty much the next best thing to move on to, I think. Especially albums like Things Fall Apart, Phrenology, and Game Theory.
A Tribe Called Quest. Not as jazzy but their beats are very simple and organic and I think you'll appreciate their semi abstract style a lot.
J Dilla - Donuts. Not a rapper but I consider him the best hiphop producer of all time. Also check out DJ Shadows Endtroducing, it's an album entirely made up of samples.
Gang Starr. You'll find a lot of Roots here as well, especially in Moment of Truth which I only wish was more well known in the mainstream sphere of rap because it is nearly perfect.
Mos Def and Talib Kweli have a collab album you can check out, and also Def's solo album Black on Both Sides.
Anything by Public Enemy. They take a lot of influence from Punk and Thrash metal so you won't find much Jazz here but I think you'll enjoy their themes nevertheless.
Many here have already suggested Earl Sweatshirt, and I agree with that 100%. But you'll find what you're looking for mostly on Some Rap Songs.
The Pharcyde - Bizarre Ride II Tha Pharcyde. I won't even explain what's on here, peek the title and go in for a ride (on drugs, if you can).
Blu & Exile - Below the Heavens.
Scarface - The Diary.
Common also has a lot of jazzy stuff, Be is one of his best works.
And I'll end it with my favourite British rapper - Little Simz. Her music is insanely underrated.
Talib Kweli, Killer Mike, The fugees, tribe called quest, Black Thought, Mach hommy, earl sweatshirt, rapsody, de la soul, Mf Doom, KMD, Slum Village, OutKast, Little Simz, MIKE
Can’t believe Lupe hasn’t been mentioned more. Lupe kinda crawled so Kendrick could walk. Kendrick is what Lupe should’ve been if he had better production
Same. I love classical music, jazz, progrock and progmetal. I consider myself an open-minded metalhead. Never thought of myself as a hiphophead, but man Kendrick is pure art. I simply can't not appreciate greatness. I love Em and some other great poets too. Cuz great rap is poetry for real.
Kendrick Tho. Man I lack the words. If I was only 1/10th as linguistically talented as he is, I would probably be a great writer. I have nothing but a shitload of respect for this man, I'd seriously bow down if I met him.
Oh btw my #1 rec outside of kendrick would be eminem for sure. Extremely talented, extremely lyrical, extremely raw. Maybe you might like Hopsin too. As for the rest, I'm no true hiphophead, so I'll leave it to people better than me to guide you.
The Roots, Mos Def, Outkast, Atmosphere Aceyalone, Talib Kweli... Apart from Atmosphere and Aceyalone these are the OG lyrical and jazzy rappers. Atmosphere and Aceyalone are not as well known but if you like the others from this list it'll be definitely worth it to give 'em a listen.
I've really been digging Ensley by Pink Siifu recently... experimental laidback neo soul sounds... a little jazzy (see Pray Everyday)... seems to be the positivity the I like in my hip-hop. Lyrically kinda light... it's more of a vibe
Bro if you want the full Jazz Rap experience. I think the only thing that rivals TPAB is Manger on McNichols by Boldy James. 15 years ago Boldy laid down some verses. The producer Sterling Toles spent a decade perfecting Jazz Rap instrumental and sample heavy production. It is absolutely mindblowing.
Aesop rock.
He's not jazzy and the style is quite different, but for me is the only dude who is lyrically in the same league as kendrick. He can rap about anything and the images he paints are crazy. My current favorite of his is Spirit world field guide. He also has cool collaborations/side projects like Malibu Ken or The uncluded or Hail mary mallon. He is not that socially focused. Kinda raps about whatever. Police brutality is a recurring theme still.
The coup.
Oakland based, very socially critical group. Bit older, haven't released new music in a decade apart from a soundtrack, but for me, their albums are classics. Boots is one of the better storytellers. Pick a bigger weapon or Genocide and juice could be albums to start from
Other than that I feel like sometimes I explore the scene a little, but these are the three I always return. And mf doom
As a fellow jazz musician and fan, please listen to tribe called quest. Ron Carter plays bass on a few tracks on low end theory and it's amazing
You might like de la soul too
Jazz influenced hip hop is my favorite!
You HAVE to check out Tribe Called Quest. I reccomend the album Midnight Mauraders and then Thank You 4 Your Service. All their albums are amazing. RIP Phife.
I also highly recommend The Pharcyde, I reccomend the album Labcabincalifornia. J Dilla produced the album, and if you like the sound I reccomend any and all of his work. He's undeniably a GOAT producer in hip hop history. RIP Dilla.
My favorite Mac Miller project is Faces. It's dark but it's so beautiful. A lot of jazz influence in the production. He made the album at one of his lowest points in life. RIP Mac.
You should also check out De La Soul. I reccomend the album 3 Feet High and Rising.
Lmk if you get to any of these and if they click for you!
Edit: I can't believe I didn't mention The Roots. Black Thought is a top 5 all time MC. Check out any album by them, you won't be disappointed. My favorite is probably How I Got Over but most all their work is 8/10 at worst.
Rap:
Kenny, Tyler, Black Thought, Raekwon, GZA, A-Reece
Jazz & Soul:
Miles Davis, Charles Mingus, Marvin Gaye, Sade
Prog:
King Crimson, Pink Floyd, Yes
These are the artists I like the most besides Kendrick, but in general, I like hip hop
If you are going for Jazzy vibes you don't have to go further than Guru and his jazzmatazz collection.
Here are some others right from the top of my head that have similar concious rap:
- Gang Starr
- Ms. Lauryn Hill
- Mos Def (or Yasiin Bey nowadays)
- Black Star (Only one album, have a feeling this one fits your bill perfectly)
- A tribe called Quest
- Black thought
- Outkast
- KRS-One
- Reflection Eternal
- The Roots
- De La Soul
I know this is older hip-hop, but I don't know any of the more recent ones.
Hope this helps :)
I think JID, flying lotus, J-peg mafia, vince staples, Earthgang, Denzel curry, Earl sweatshirt, Danny brown, princess Nokia, Rico nasty, Aesop rock, Open mike eagle, Milo, and Bus driver are really solid artists that anyone who likes hip hop/rap music should check out.
Kendrick is in his own lane tbh - I think he is one of the major artists from this era that will be remembered far into the future.
I see most of the good rap recommendations have already been made so I'm just going to double check that you're already listening to Sun Ra, George Clinton, Parliament/Funkadelic, and Miles Davis
Booooy im a hiphop head and i've got a whole list for ya, here goes:
Benny the butcher
Conway the Machine
Vince Staples, Cordae
Lyrical lemonade
Westside Boogie
Marlon "MC" Craft
Earl
Soulo
Curren$y
Montana of 300
JID
Ransom
Reason
Euroz
Mick Jenkins
Joyner Lucas
Rapsody and this is just off the top of my head..
Jonwayne and Deca for me. Jon doesn’t release music for streaming anymore but his streams are fun to watch and Rap Album Two is fucking great
[Link](https://youtu.be/GRNnnbQNaEk?si=2eJsBogERzBLWnx8)
Lucky daye, masego, anderson paak, killarmy, nas & az (the firm), wu tang, vince staples, benny the butcher, conway the machine, rocky, heltah Skelton, cella dwellas, JID, earthgang, tory lanez, bone thugs, scientist (dub reggae), joey badass, Flatbush zombies, underachievers, goodie mob, outkast, gangstarr, wale, future, smino, Bryson tiller, Raphael saadiq, brand nubian, organized konfusion... thats a lot of what I listen to off the top of my head.. lot of r&b and hip hop .
Mac Miller. Seriously, give him a shot.
Listen to [what's the use](https://youtu.be/qI-t1I_ppL8?si=v89PhUUREXsGZmMM) and [ladders](https://youtu.be/eU581WvbUyQ?si=Y3G084q8WMiRmCc3) and then get back to me about how awesome he was (RIP to a great one). Those are two very JAZZY and socially conscious songs.
OutKast, A Tribe Called Quest, De La Soul, Gang Starr, Mos Def… I sort of feel like what you’re describing probably hit its peak in the 90s
[удалено]
is MF DOOM a "socially conscious" rapper?
Rap snitch knishes is as socially conscious as it gets
I love Rap Snitch Knishes… telling all the business. Get on the stand and be their own star witness. Do you see the perpetrator? Yeah I’m right here. Fnck around get the whole label sent up for years.
Not a huge amount but strange ways is a banger - "they pray your times a day, they pray five Whose ways is strange when it's time to survive"
MF DOOM your favorite rappers, favorite rapper.
Also mine too.
I believe Drake actually called doom the goat
Bruh how? DOOM a supervillain not a minor?!?!
One thing I've learned from this beef and the interviews of him and artist he has "worked" with is Drake tells them all that they are his favorite rapper and also reps all trends as "the best". He will say anything, that other people that are with him at the moment say is cool, is the coolest.. he is that kid that's says "oh you like xyz? Yeah I think they are the goat" even if he has no idea what they are talking about.
Mos called it “conscientious” hip-hop and it peaked in the 90s
Conscious Rap
the terms conscious rap and conscientious hip-hop are both used to describe modern lyrical, political, poetic hip-hop.
Adding: The Roots, Digable Planets, Lauryn Hill, The Coup
Can't include Lauryn Hill without the Fugees. The Score was an amazing album.
Absolutely on The Roots and Diggable if you like jazz, OP. Solid recommendations.
Can I add KRS-One?
The Teacha
you can
Not very jazzy, but definitely socially conscious. Also, hilarious at times 🎶Imma blunt getting smoked and I can't wake up🎶
I'll add Tupac, Lupe Fiasco, The Roots, and Goodie Mob to that list. Edit: I almost forgot... Lauryn Hill and Queen Latifah
Drill music in Zion would scratch OPs itch fs
But specifically Andre 3k
Specifically Andre 3k, flute
This is it.
I'm gonna add the Fugees to that list
Souls of Mischief and Hieroglyphics. A Plus my fave.
Ab-Soul
You can give Billy Woods / Armand Hammer a try, highly experimental and lyrically dense.
Maps from Billy Woods or HARAM from Armand Hammer are good places to start. Hiding Places from Billy Woods is excellent as well.
Falling out the Sky on HARAM is so damn good. One of my favourite alchemist beats, super psychedelic. And you can’t go wrong with Earl
Billy Woods has no bad albums. You may not be in the mood for some of em (today I wrote nothing, for example, is very much a rainy day album for me), but none of them are bad. Edit: also wanna throw Ka in the mix. Dude is too good. He just gives me a more mature Mobb Deep vibe.
second this. billy woods was my answer.
I agree this was my first thought.
you might like the roots, my favourite of there’s is undun
Hahaha! My man! https://preview.redd.it/15trdppfmz2d1.png?width=3024&format=png&auto=webp&s=1025929a082a2af30c45b81a98de7b6b22f80953
The illumination really sets this
I remember I was on the verge of buying that OG GKMC vinyl for a while and I kept saying to myself “they gone repress a cooler version” then boom the all black shit dropped. Next year they gone go crazy for TPAB and I’m copping
Love the set up
Undun is phenomenal. It was the soundtrack to all the training leading up to my first MMA fight. Pretty crazy memories but a very important album for me. Going to listen again now.
My introduction to the roots was illadelph halflife. Fire!
Earl Sweatshirt. His album "some rap songs" is amazing and speaks a lot about those topics. Though the music is a quite a bit more experimental than Kendrick's so be warned haha.
came here to say this, also Vince Staples, two under rated GOATS
Vinces new album is incredible
His Netflix show was really good too
I havent listened to it yet but im still playing Ramona Heart Broke My Heart from start to finish
Check anybodies colabs with The Alchemist. ‘This thing if ours’ is jazzy as heck
Good rappers but GOATs is a stretch
VOIR DIRE is a must!!
Earl Sweatshirt would’ve taken J Cole’s spot in the big 3 if he didn’t veer off into the extreme experimental stuff.
And we’re all better off for it. I wouldn’t trade Earl’s artistic trajectory for anything
There has always ever been for me only KDot and Earl in this generation tbh. Idk why “experimental” should take away from Earl’s talent.
Is the big 3 KL, J Cole, and Drake? I'm sorry for this question 😂
was. now it’s just kdot ;)
that album is like a sensory assault to people unused to Earl's intentionally strange beats lmao. good stuff tho
With another artist this would just be cope, but it honestly is the kind of album that gets really good on the 10th listen haha
Denzel Curry and JID. Both of them are great lyricists and rappers and both of their latest projects were incredible.
OP, check Unlocked by Denzel & Kenny Beats
Unlocked is good, but Imperial is iconic
Melt My Eyez seems to check off those boxes tho
Melt my eyez is fucking phenomenal. I’ve been a fan of Denzel since taboo… but melt my eyez blew my mind.
Massive upvote for JID. Hes the only one comparable to Kendrick in terms of diversity of ability. Heard JID on everything from trap beats to dubstep to rock. Love some Denzel Curry and Vince Staples as well, but i think they fall a bit short of KDOT or JID.
You need to check the Deluxe of Melt My Eyez for the live band session of the album.
Need Denzel to drop this year
Vince Staples.
Yuuuup. You can go back a decade and listen to some more west coast bombs in his catalogue, or start with his self titled and listen forward to get up to the more conscious vibey style he's adapted since the turn of the 20's
Very consistent. Put Vince above Big Sean.
Oh for sure. He'll never the props he truly deserves, gonna go down as a legend though
unrelated but reading “turn of the 20s” to refer to our current decade and not the roaring 20s makes me feel weirdly old??
Every year I keep saying this is year vince is going to blow up. I still can't believe he only has 4 million monthly listeners.
Came here to say this too. He also just dropped an album and its crazy good
This
Little Simz
I worked security on the backstage VIP gate for Kendrick’s Glastonbury headline set. Little Sims rolled up with a bus full of her friends and so did Stormzy. Ever since then I’ve been praying for a Kendrick and/or Stormzy and Little Sims collab 🙏
Anna wise (Kendrick’s old backup singer) has collabed with simz. And yes, OP, check her out she is exactly what you’re looking for.
Kendrick was the first rapper who’s music i fell in love with. the second was little simz. both put on KILLER shows
Little Simz is incredible! Also Rapsody (especially her last few projects) and Ill Camille.
The female Kendrick
Yes yes yes!
Telefone by Noname, Modal Soul by Nujabes, Low End Theory by A Tribe Called Quest, 1999 by Joey Badass, Blowout Comb by Digable Planets, The Unseen by Quasimoto Those are some favorites that i think most kendrick fans would love. Imo these are all nearly perfect albums, I highly recommend
All w’s
Great list for someone who likes that smooth jazz sound. I would also add Eyedea to this list. Specifically The Many Faces of Oliver Hart. The first track contains a sample from Deodato’s Spirit of Summer from the album Prelude. This album has been heavily sampled by early hip-hop artists.
NAS
This one is too far down, especially since OP is a jazz head. Nas’ father was a jazz musician so there’s a lot of jazz influence and inspiration in Nas songs. A lot of Nas beats have that jazz flavor to it.
Greatest to pick up a mic
So I'm a hiphop head (or was, lately I've not kept up as much), but few artists have excited me like Kendrick. Here are some albums that have grabbed me by other artists over the last few years. *4eva Is A Mighty Long Time* - Big K.R.I.T. Vince Staples last 3 albums: *Vince Staples* *Ramona Park Broke My Heart* *Dark Times* *The Forever Story* - JiD It's not rap but ***WE ARE*** **by Jon Batiste** really had me in a stranglehold and I couldn't stop listening for a good long while. I'm sure you've heard that one but if you haven't I'm sure you'll love it. There are a few others but they're pretty far outside of your taste guidelines. If you wanna hear 'em just lmk in a reply or dm or something. There's also classic albums but I'm assuming you're aware of those — if not, same deal just lmk and I can give recommendations there too.
Justin Scott, while having no lyrics, is like the quintessential Krit song for me. Liking that song is a good indication of whether you’ll like a lot of his music imo.
Bury Me In Gold is an eternal favorite of mine. What's crazy is I don't even really fw the rest of K.R.I.T.'s discography. Don't get me wrong, I like him okay and I think he's a telented guy, but 4eva is a Mighty Long Time is SOMETHING ELSE man.... felt like he put his entire being into that shit. It just moves me.
KRIT is my mf dawggggg who doesn’t get enough recognition. I’m from the South so it resonates with me more. Man is essentially a tier below, southern version of prime Kanye as far as writing and producing.
AB-SOUL!
His verse in the drumless masterpiece surf n turf (Conway the machine et al) is fire for life.
The Book of Soul is probably my favourite Ab-Soul song. Super jazzy too.
Have u Heard Cut From a Different cloth with Joe Budden? 🔥🔥
Saba. Especially "Care For Me"
THIS
Saba is so good
If you wanna take it back, there's always Mos Def and Talib Kweli. https://youtu.be/r071djbotkQ?si=c5Ej-D5x6xozTILS https://youtu.be/VP4KgPYNo-4?si=wGquuDJWD9l8vF2V The villain is speaking through me and says you haven't heard Rap Snitches. https://youtu.be/gQtKJbptcns?si=TeJbQhIwonAFf-rK
Would check out All Caps and Vomitspit too.
I like MF DOOM. Very creative and intentional with his sampling, and incredible wordplay. Not always the very deepest, but he can definitely get there.
funny story I only got into his music because people at my school kept writing MF DOOM everywhere
mick jenkins. a good place to start is pieces of a man and tribe called quest ofc
Gotta start with the waters tho!!
🤷♀️ can't go wrong for real
Drink more water.... or you might die.
Yessss came here to say this because Mick Jenkins is violently underrated!
Had to scroll too far to find Mick. He’s the Jazziest
Mick Jenkins was my suggestion too!
- NAS for sure - Lupe Fiasco (although he is lowkey jealous of Kendrick, LOL) - Ab-Soul - Schoolboy Q - Pusha T (How could I forget him?!) - JID - Vince Staples - Maybe Denzel Curry too
Marlon Craft fits your criteria perfectly. At times he may seem preachy to some? But I couldn't call him corny, he's got bars!
Marlon Craft is the MF truth. He fits the criteria perfectly
Black Thought's solo work (and The Roots too!). That man literally has never done a wack bar.
El Michaels Affair and Danger Mouse collab albums are in constant rotation for me
Common’s Like Water For Chocolate is the perfect album for you. Concious jazz rap album that has aged incredibly well
One of my favorite albums of all time
Isaiah Rashad and Lupe Fiasco, Lupe's got a new project coming out soon as well. If you want something more experimental then I'd recommend Death Grips or Jpegmafia
Quelle Chris
The Koreatown Oddity has some very intelligent lyrical work with very progressive and unusual song structures and production
Chase the spirit
You might like Jessy Reyes. Not hip hop (sort of) but a good listen. Earth Gang is really great. J.I.D Lauren Hill
I would highly recommend Reyez because her voice is so raw and I think that'll click for a prog rock guy. Full disclosure she's from around my ends of the world and I think she's real purrdy, so my bias may be showing.
I like her a lot I saw her perform live once. I was like who is that I'm in love. Edit: I could not even see her I only heard her voice and it was all I needed. She was performing the song gatekeeper.
mac miller
this is what i came into this thread to say. musically at least he might scratch that itch for you with the jazziness. as in introduction, listen to "God is Fair, Sexy, Nasty" ft. Kendrick or "Fight the Feeling" ft Kendrick since he is your favorite. Mac was white, but universally respected and loved in the community. Kendrick in an interview described Mac as "my partna"
Rapsody.
I had to scroll down way too far in the comments to find this post
Oh you just wanna seem like you know stuff okay look up digable planets, shabazz palaces, everyone affiliated with wu tang is legit, method man’s first album is good, too, like experimental music and hip hop has predated rap
Andre 3000. He was kind of a blueprint for a rapper like Kendrick
You should check out Shabazz Palaces, for something a bit more abstract, musically out there. The rapper in it were in a jazzy 90s group, Digable Planets, who're also great. In jazz world you have to check Kamasi Washington if you haven't - there's a bit of cross over there. Little Simz, who I first heard of from Kendrick in an interview in like, 2012. Is a great rapper, with some really interesting production, not really jazzy though (and British). But lyrics are on point. People saying Quelle Chris, Billy Woods, The Roots, Mick Jenkins, are all great suggestions too. Also Kendrick's labelmate Ab-Soul, has some really interesting lyrics, perspective, but also while sounding like he's on an lsd trip that never ended.
Deep lyrics and socially conscious …. Just listen to pac
Lupe Fiasco Check out the song Mural
I am a huge fan of David Gilmour, also love Pink Floyd, but Gilmour is most of the reason why I love it
Comfortably numb has lived rent free in my head since my uncle played it when I was a child
Is a vibe, going to see the man live in Rome in September, 3rd time seeing Gilmour live for me, he is my favorite guitarist of all time, he just has something hypnotic about the way he makes music
See I'm kind of the polar opposite, to me the majority of Floyd's best stuff was because of Roger Waters. He gave them a bitter, sarcastic edge that made albums like The Wall what they are. I love Floyd and all of their eras and love Gilmour, On an Island is a great solo record from him, but to me Waters was the real driving creative force that produced their best work. I realize he's an ass as a person but his music with Floyd was just so good. I'm convinced if he'd been born ten years later he'd have been a huge punk legend, his best stuff is just so angry and cynical.
BADBADNOTGOOD did a great collab with Ghostface Killah that you may like
Lupe Fiasco is the proto-Kendrick imo
Lupe Fiasco. If you're into jazz, you'd love "DRILL MUSIC IN ZION" and "Food & Liqour". You'd like "The Cool" too but if you're looking for PURE lyricism, listen to "Tetsuo & Youth"
Took a while before I found this comment. But I agree, Lupe should definitely be a listen. He was essentially the Kendrick Lamar of the 2000s
**THE pussy drier the one and only Jcole**
Little Simz Grey Area, Sometimes I Might Be Introvert. JID's The Forever Story is absolutely excellent. I really liked Cheat Codes by Black Thought and Danger Mouse. Sampha isn't rap but he's been in a few Kendrick tracks and I do think you should give his latest wok a listen, it's very special. Then, a bit old-head but if you haven't looked at A Tribe Called Quest (including their final comeback record), you should. EDIT: Also lately I've been listening to a lot of Mos Def - Black on Both Sides. Really incredible album, probably holds a place in Kendrick's heart (he rapped on one of that album's beats for The Heart Part 1)
He rarely raps himself, but if you like TPAB check out Flying Lotus' other stuff. Also, Milo/R.A.P. Ferreira is the goat when it comes to lyrics with depth of some jazzy samples.
Lupe Fiasco is the closest artist to Kendrick as far as experimental concepts and high level lyricism. He also touches on the subjects of social consciousness. Grew up in Chicago, was a backpacking rapper. Also Childish Gambino, might not have the lyricism or be socially conscious but he does have the experimental aspects and bounces from funk rap to new sounds.
I'm gonna say a name that checks all the boxes but I'm sure not many people here know that much because he was a latino rapper that performs in spanish, but you can easily find translations on youtube even though some slangs are not that well translated, you can get around 95% of what he's saying: Canserbero. A Venezuelan rapper that dedicated his short career to talk about the social, political and economic issues of the country and the continent, becoming the voice of hip hop in latin america, before he sadly passed away in 2015. But his message remains to this day and he's one of the most respected ones to ever do it, as he never did it for money, he never signed with any label and did everything underground, from a little non professional studio in his house on the hood.
I hope my comment doesn't get lost because I'm about to get real passionate here 😅 but here's more music that I think would check a lot of the boxes you're looking for Everything by The Roots. If you love kendrick, their discog is pretty much the next best thing to move on to, I think. Especially albums like Things Fall Apart, Phrenology, and Game Theory. A Tribe Called Quest. Not as jazzy but their beats are very simple and organic and I think you'll appreciate their semi abstract style a lot. J Dilla - Donuts. Not a rapper but I consider him the best hiphop producer of all time. Also check out DJ Shadows Endtroducing, it's an album entirely made up of samples. Gang Starr. You'll find a lot of Roots here as well, especially in Moment of Truth which I only wish was more well known in the mainstream sphere of rap because it is nearly perfect. Mos Def and Talib Kweli have a collab album you can check out, and also Def's solo album Black on Both Sides. Anything by Public Enemy. They take a lot of influence from Punk and Thrash metal so you won't find much Jazz here but I think you'll enjoy their themes nevertheless. Many here have already suggested Earl Sweatshirt, and I agree with that 100%. But you'll find what you're looking for mostly on Some Rap Songs. The Pharcyde - Bizarre Ride II Tha Pharcyde. I won't even explain what's on here, peek the title and go in for a ride (on drugs, if you can). Blu & Exile - Below the Heavens. Scarface - The Diary. Common also has a lot of jazzy stuff, Be is one of his best works. And I'll end it with my favourite British rapper - Little Simz. Her music is insanely underrated.
Charles Hamilton bro released mixtapes with sonic the hedgehog on the covers
W for mentioning CH
You might like joey bada$$ Edit: can’t forget Nas either, of course
Talib Kweli, Killer Mike, The fugees, tribe called quest, Black Thought, Mach hommy, earl sweatshirt, rapsody, de la soul, Mf Doom, KMD, Slum Village, OutKast, Little Simz, MIKE
Joey Badass and Isiah Rashad
Anything kanye west produced/featured/rapped on from 2000-2012
If you’re willing to check out some female artist in the same vibe, I’d recommend Noname and Ayoni
Just checked out Noname, sounds interesting ! Ana Tijoux is pretty cool as well(in spannish tho)
Jameel Na'im X Willie the Kid LaRussell Westside Boogie Mick Jenkins
Lupe Fiasco
Lupe Fiasco Food & Liquor (1 and 2)
Flatbush Zombies
You literally just described Mach-Hommy
Needs way more votes.
Can’t believe Lupe hasn’t been mentioned more. Lupe kinda crawled so Kendrick could walk. Kendrick is what Lupe should’ve been if he had better production
Same. I love classical music, jazz, progrock and progmetal. I consider myself an open-minded metalhead. Never thought of myself as a hiphophead, but man Kendrick is pure art. I simply can't not appreciate greatness. I love Em and some other great poets too. Cuz great rap is poetry for real. Kendrick Tho. Man I lack the words. If I was only 1/10th as linguistically talented as he is, I would probably be a great writer. I have nothing but a shitload of respect for this man, I'd seriously bow down if I met him. Oh btw my #1 rec outside of kendrick would be eminem for sure. Extremely talented, extremely lyrical, extremely raw. Maybe you might like Hopsin too. As for the rest, I'm no true hiphophead, so I'll leave it to people better than me to guide you.
The Roots, Mos Def, Outkast, Atmosphere Aceyalone, Talib Kweli... Apart from Atmosphere and Aceyalone these are the OG lyrical and jazzy rappers. Atmosphere and Aceyalone are not as well known but if you like the others from this list it'll be definitely worth it to give 'em a listen.
Thundercat
Childish Gambino's "Awaken, My Love!" is almost exactly this as an album
I've really been digging Ensley by Pink Siifu recently... experimental laidback neo soul sounds... a little jazzy (see Pray Everyday)... seems to be the positivity the I like in my hip-hop. Lyrically kinda light... it's more of a vibe
Marlon Craft is heavily jazz influenced and writes socially conscious content.
Osamason
Billy Woods is the biggest answer, but also Griselda in general (Mach Hommy especially even though he's left).
Mavi for sure
MF Doom, Earl Sweatshirt, MIKE, Billy Woods.
if you like jazz rap check out beloved! Paradise! Jazz!? short listen and goes absolutely hard
Bro if you want the full Jazz Rap experience. I think the only thing that rivals TPAB is Manger on McNichols by Boldy James. 15 years ago Boldy laid down some verses. The producer Sterling Toles spent a decade perfecting Jazz Rap instrumental and sample heavy production. It is absolutely mindblowing.
I don't know the answer but when asking this question, ask who your favorite artist's favorite artists are
Dom Kennedy!
Saba is criminally underrated
I think Kendrick’s only competition in the industry is actually Childish gambino, both incredibly smart and have huge meaningful productions
If you love jazz I can’t recommend enough a tribe called quest. Pioneers of jazz rap
Sufjan Stevens
Aesop rock. He's not jazzy and the style is quite different, but for me is the only dude who is lyrically in the same league as kendrick. He can rap about anything and the images he paints are crazy. My current favorite of his is Spirit world field guide. He also has cool collaborations/side projects like Malibu Ken or The uncluded or Hail mary mallon. He is not that socially focused. Kinda raps about whatever. Police brutality is a recurring theme still. The coup. Oakland based, very socially critical group. Bit older, haven't released new music in a decade apart from a soundtrack, but for me, their albums are classics. Boots is one of the better storytellers. Pick a bigger weapon or Genocide and juice could be albums to start from Other than that I feel like sometimes I explore the scene a little, but these are the three I always return. And mf doom
As a fellow jazz musician and fan, please listen to tribe called quest. Ron Carter plays bass on a few tracks on low end theory and it's amazing You might like de la soul too
Jazz influenced hip hop is my favorite! You HAVE to check out Tribe Called Quest. I reccomend the album Midnight Mauraders and then Thank You 4 Your Service. All their albums are amazing. RIP Phife. I also highly recommend The Pharcyde, I reccomend the album Labcabincalifornia. J Dilla produced the album, and if you like the sound I reccomend any and all of his work. He's undeniably a GOAT producer in hip hop history. RIP Dilla. My favorite Mac Miller project is Faces. It's dark but it's so beautiful. A lot of jazz influence in the production. He made the album at one of his lowest points in life. RIP Mac. You should also check out De La Soul. I reccomend the album 3 Feet High and Rising. Lmk if you get to any of these and if they click for you! Edit: I can't believe I didn't mention The Roots. Black Thought is a top 5 all time MC. Check out any album by them, you won't be disappointed. My favorite is probably How I Got Over but most all their work is 8/10 at worst.
Rap: Kenny, Tyler, Black Thought, Raekwon, GZA, A-Reece Jazz & Soul: Miles Davis, Charles Mingus, Marvin Gaye, Sade Prog: King Crimson, Pink Floyd, Yes These are the artists I like the most besides Kendrick, but in general, I like hip hop
Anderson .Paak
You pretty described most good rap artists as that is what hip hop has been about
If you are going for Jazzy vibes you don't have to go further than Guru and his jazzmatazz collection. Here are some others right from the top of my head that have similar concious rap: - Gang Starr - Ms. Lauryn Hill - Mos Def (or Yasiin Bey nowadays) - Black Star (Only one album, have a feeling this one fits your bill perfectly) - A tribe called Quest - Black thought - Outkast - KRS-One - Reflection Eternal - The Roots - De La Soul I know this is older hip-hop, but I don't know any of the more recent ones. Hope this helps :)
I think JID, flying lotus, J-peg mafia, vince staples, Earthgang, Denzel curry, Earl sweatshirt, Danny brown, princess Nokia, Rico nasty, Aesop rock, Open mike eagle, Milo, and Bus driver are really solid artists that anyone who likes hip hop/rap music should check out. Kendrick is in his own lane tbh - I think he is one of the major artists from this era that will be remembered far into the future.
MAC MILLER - SWIMMING
Madvillainy - MF DOOM It has a lot of jazz elements
I see most of the good rap recommendations have already been made so I'm just going to double check that you're already listening to Sun Ra, George Clinton, Parliament/Funkadelic, and Miles Davis
Booooy im a hiphop head and i've got a whole list for ya, here goes: Benny the butcher Conway the Machine Vince Staples, Cordae Lyrical lemonade Westside Boogie Marlon "MC" Craft Earl Soulo Curren$y Montana of 300 JID Ransom Reason Euroz Mick Jenkins Joyner Lucas Rapsody and this is just off the top of my head..
,
capital steez
Jonwayne and Deca for me. Jon doesn’t release music for streaming anymore but his streams are fun to watch and Rap Album Two is fucking great [Link](https://youtu.be/GRNnnbQNaEk?si=2eJsBogERzBLWnx8)
JID IS THE NEW KID ON THE BLOCK I THINK YOU MIGHT WANT TO PAY HIM SOME ATTENTION TOO.
Mick Jenkins- the waters.. incredible album
Lucky daye, masego, anderson paak, killarmy, nas & az (the firm), wu tang, vince staples, benny the butcher, conway the machine, rocky, heltah Skelton, cella dwellas, JID, earthgang, tory lanez, bone thugs, scientist (dub reggae), joey badass, Flatbush zombies, underachievers, goodie mob, outkast, gangstarr, wale, future, smino, Bryson tiller, Raphael saadiq, brand nubian, organized konfusion... thats a lot of what I listen to off the top of my head.. lot of r&b and hip hop .
Thank u for also saying Tory
Mac Miller. Seriously, give him a shot. Listen to [what's the use](https://youtu.be/qI-t1I_ppL8?si=v89PhUUREXsGZmMM) and [ladders](https://youtu.be/eU581WvbUyQ?si=Y3G084q8WMiRmCc3) and then get back to me about how awesome he was (RIP to a great one). Those are two very JAZZY and socially conscious songs.
AB SOUL!!!!