Stylish hip-hop! A roundup of classic albums in Western jazzy hip-hop
Even among music lovers, there are probably many people who, based on a vague image, feel something like, “Hip-hop—or rather rap—isn’t really my thing…” Of course everyone has their likes and dislikes, but if you change your point of entry, you might be surprised to find yourself getting into it.
With that hope in mind, this article focuses on overseas “jazzy hip-hop”! As the name suggests, it’s hip-hop influenced by jazz—generally called “jazz rap” abroad—a subgenre of hip-hop that blossomed in the 1990s.
Even if you’re not into hip-hop, please enjoy these classic albums with stylish tracks and grooves that are easy to listen to and will get your heart dancing!
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Stylish Hip-Hop! A roundup of classic Western Jazzy Hip-Hop albums (21–30)
Always ShineRobert Glasper
Since the 2000s, one of the most important figures freely moving between jazz, hip-hop, soul, and R&B has undoubtedly been Robert Glasper.
Having played piano in church from a young age and grown up with jazz, gospel, and blues, Glasper also deepened his ties with talents in hip-hop and neo-soul, pursuing a liberated path from the outset as a bridge between the two worlds.
Debuting as a jazz pianist on the storied Blue Note label, Glasper released Black Radio in 2012 under the Robert Glasper Experiment.
The album both won the Grammy Award for Best R&B Album the following year and reached No.
1 on Billboard’s Jazz chart, a work that fully blossomed his crossover sensibility.
Unlike the traditional approach of hip-hop artists sampling classic jazz numbers, Black Radio features live instrumentation with guests drawn from across genres, marking a true new dawn for Black music in the 2010s.
The original tracks are outstanding, and the covers are exceptional as well—especially the closing rendition of Nirvana’s iconic Smells Like Teen Spirit, which has become a live favorite frequently performed at Glasper’s shows.
In conclusion
As mentioned at the beginning, even if you’re not interested in hip-hop or have felt intimidated by it, many of you were probably surprised when you actually listened to the works introduced this time.
Since it’s sometimes used as stylish café BGM in a lounge-music kind of way, you may have already heard it without realizing.
Why not use jazzy hip-hop as a stepping stone to step into the world of hip-hop?