I would have to be traditional and say that my favorite era of hip-hop was between '85-'89. That was the era that got me to love hip-hop.
I still love old-school hip-hop, but there hasn't been a lot that I've taken from the new stuff.
I'm definitely inspired by old hip-hop.
I'm really into old school music when hip-hop first came out with Common, A Tribe Called Quest, Queen Latifah, MC Lyte, and Run DMC. I'm really into that! Hip-hop these days isn't the same and doesn't have the same sound anymore. I'd rather listen to the old school hip-hop.
In the late '80s and early '90s, there was a slightly retro drum sound that was popular in hip-hop music called the 808 bass drum sound. It was the bass drum sound on the 808 drum machine, and it's very deep and very resonant, and was used as the backbone as a lot of classic hip-hop tracks.
I come from the golden age of hip hop when all the greats came on the scene.
I had to make different kinds of music for everybody but still keep it classic T-Pain at the same time.
I grew up on hip-hop. I grew up on Run-D.M.C., Whodini, LL when I was in college, so I'm more of a music fan. I probably have the most eclectic collection of music in my Grand Cherokee. Literally, in a span of a week, I'll go from 2Pac to Boyz II Men to Sister Hazel, right down to West Side Story or the Wiz. I love show tunes.
My crew used to listen to 'Taking It to the Top' by Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince.
For me, I like old-school rap music. There was a time when music was so, so rich overall, and the content of what people talked about was so deep on every level, song-for-song, pound-for-pound, and on radio, there was so much content. I gravitate more towards that type of music, to be honest.
My middle school years were defined by memorizing every single word off 'License to Ill' and 'Paul's Boutique.'
I don't listen to much rap outside of Run DMC and the Beasties, but then I'm pretty burned out on most new music.
I grew up listening to a lot of hiphop music and R'n'B. Bands like A Tribe Called Quest, De La Soul, Big Daddy Kane, Boogie Down Productions, Cypress Hill, New Edition, Bob Marley, Prince, Stevie Wonder, and a lot of Spanish music.
Say planet rock, it's a sure shot.
My favorite rappers are a lot of other people's favorite rappers. I love Jay Z, Kanye, 2Pac, Biggie, old Mos Def.
Old-school hip hop, i.e., whatever was popular when you were nineteen, is great. Everything since then is intolerable.
