The Culture of Tapology

This MMA community has many non-MMA threads already.  Music, Jokes, baseball, football, etc.

So, I thought it might serve a purpose to create a thread for all the other contributions to each other's lives that don't fit anywhere else.

Do you have something that would enrich the community culturally?  Maybe dance, comedy, nutritional, inspirational, arresting visuals?  But please let's keep this positive, and appropriate to the general public.

Maybe a video clip of a movie, broadway show, highly unusual, utterly creative, a cutting edge piece of information, a new computer application, or something that would make someone's life better or richer.

Thanks, Swick!

* Edited at 06.11.2013, 10:26 AM ET *

I'm sure Swick and Anik will like this. the history of rap music. from Grandmaster Flash thru Sir- Mix -a- lot to Riff - Raff.

a.k.a. the only three rap artists wolfman knows.

that may be true but the time frame is correct.  GMF 70's, mix a lot 80's, 90's ll cool j?  2000 jay -z and 2010 and beyond, riff raff. better?

 

anik add more for better spectrum.

* Edited at 06.11.2013, 1:12 PM ET *

Alright then, here are some rap lists, people feel free to give me as much **** as you want.

The 10 Best Rap Artists of All-Time
10. Kendrick Lamar
9. Jay-Z
8. Kanye West
7. Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five
6. Public Enemy
5. Eminem
4. Ice Cube
3. The Notorious B.I.G.
2. Rakim
1. NaS

Huh? No Tupac Shakur? Pac is an icon, he's a symbol and he inspired a lot of young black men with the socially conscious themes in his simple, boring, blatant and basic raps. That's the reason why people think he's the best ever; because most of them are so ******* stupid that the only conscious rapper they could understand is Pac.

The 10 Most Gifted MCs Ever
10. Jay-Z
9. Big Daddy Kanye
8. Ghostface Killah
7. The Notorious B.I.G.
6. Chuck D
5. Andre 3000
4. Nas
3. Eminem
2. Kendrick Lamar
1, Rakim

Kendrick at number 2? What the ****? Yeah and he should be number 1 by the time his next album comes out. He's got the wordplay of early Wayne, the poetic ability of Eminem, the smooth and speedy delivery of Tech N9ne, the lyrical prowess of Rakim Allah, the storytelling prowess of Nasir and the flow of the one and only, Kendrick Lamar the new GOD M.C.

The 5 Most Overrated Rappers Ever
5. Lupe Fiasco
4. Eazy-E
3. Snoop Dogg
2. Dr. Dre
1. 2pac

Lupe Fiasco? ***? Yeah, he's overrated. Don't get me wrong, he's a very good rapper there is no doubt about that but he wasn't the second coming of NaS and if you thought he was, you're crazy. He's got excellent ability but the man's raps are super condescending and preachy...andalsoLasers.

The 5 Most Underrated Rappers Ever

5. Talib Kweli
4. The D.O.C.
3. MC Eiht
2. Tech N9ne
1. AZ

AZ is the undisputed king of this list, the man should be on the greatest ever lists but instead he'son this one, what a shame.

I wanted to make a producers list but **** that's way too hard. All I know is that DJ Premier is GOAT.

@wolfmanhowl The fact that you define the 80's with Sir Mix-A-Lot, the 90's with LL Cool J and 2010 and beyond with freakin' RiFF RAFF just says what you know about rap ahha.

No KRS in the top ten most gifted MC's???

I'd also throw Masta Ace in the most underated list!

* Edited at 06.11.2013, 2:13 PM ET *

Besides for Kendrick's **** being stuffed vigorously into the back of your throat Anik....I respect your list. It's unique at least and respectable IMO...


I also agree about Pac...he transcends rapping, so he really doesn't need to be #1.



My Top 5 ever...

1 - Nas
2 - Biggie
3 - Big L
4 - Jay
5 - Pac/Em (tied)

* Edited at 06.11.2013, 2:14 PM ET *

I don't think people who say Pac is the best actually listen to him

I love seeing people's best rapper lists. Here's mine



1) Nas
2) Big L
3) Guru
4) Chuck D
5) Rakim
6) 2pac
7) KRS-One
8) Biggie
9) Immortal Technique
10) GZA (Wu-tang as a whole pretty much, but he's the best one)

Overrated (doesn't mean they suck, I own multiple albums from each of these guys)

1) Kanye West
2) E-40
3) Snoop Dogg
4) Lupe Fiasco
5) Tech N9ne

Underrated

1) Jeru The Damaja
2) RA The Rugged Man
3) Gift of Gab
4) Supernatural
5) Akinyele

I'm a fan of Tech N9ne and Strange Music, but I don't really see him fitting into any GOAT discussions.

My personal favorite list is probably something like

1.Nas
2.Jay Z
3.Big L
4.Kanye
5.Big Pun

I've never really been a fan of making top ten lists because there is so many gifted and unique rappers out there it makes it hard. I could do these same lists tomorrow and it would be a different order and probably even different people in it but here is some of my favorites.


Top Ten Gifted Emcee's

1. Rakim
2. KRS-One
3. Nas
4. Masta Ace
5. Guru
6. Biggie
7. Big Daddy Kane
8. Eminem
9. Jay-Z
10. Slick Rick

5 Most Overated rappers
1. Lil Wayne
2. 50 cent
3. Drake
4. Nicky Minaj
5. Paul Wall, Jim Jones, Rick Ross and too many others to name!

Top Rap groups - (3 or more members)
1. RUN DMC
2. Wu Tang
3. A Tribe Called Quest
4. Public Enemy
5. Naughty By Nature
6. Cypress Hill
7. The Roots
8. De La Soul
9. N.W.A.
10. Beastie Boys

Top Female Emcees
Jean Grae
MC Lyte
Eve

 
@AnikM





You should make a producer list.  I would enjoy reading that, are you considering producing "beat making" or actual production of a track?

Much props to you guys for the Big L love, i think he could have been GOAT....


Looks like we all agree that Escobar is #1 aswell...cool.

As far as beat makers yeah Primo is and probably always will be the GOAT

Yuki Koshimoto
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=747hJQNJpeg

Yuki and Tatsuki in Singapore
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nHE7u40plD0

Yuki playing by herself in the woods
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nSPi2_v_JKI

Yeah, poir. Producers isn't even close, for me it's like

1) Primo












2) J Dilla
3) Pete Rock
4) Jazzy Jeff (so underrated because he gets **** for the Will Smith stuff)
5) Dr. Dre

Here is mine, made them a lil longer since it's so hard to decide, I agree with @poir **** is really hard and those lists don't really matter. I also have the feeling I forgot some guys but those would be my lists.

The 15 Best Rap Artists of All-Time
15. Common
14. 2Pac
13. EPMD
12. KRS-One
11. Kanye West
10. Gang Starr
9. De La Soul
8. Public Enemy
7. A Tribe Called Quest
6. N.W.A.
5. Wu-Tang
4. Jay-Z
3. Rakim (Eric B.)
2. The Notorious B.I.G.
1. Nas


The 15 Best Newcomers/Newskool artists
15. Casey Veggies
14. Danny Brown
13. Home Brew
12. XV
11.Tyler The Creator
10. SchoolBoy Q
9. Smoke DZA
8. EmAy
7. Big K.R.I.T.
6. Roc Marciano
5. Classified
4. Joey Bada$$
3. Action Bronson
2. A$AP Rocky
1. Kendrick Lamar

The 15 best producers/DJ's/beatmakers
15. Large Professor
14. MF DOOM
13. Hi-Tek
12. Statik Selektah
11. The Alchemist
10. Pharrell/The Neptunes
9. J Dilla
8. 9th Wonder
7. Timbaland
6. Madlib
5. Marley Marl
4. Pete Rock
3. Dr.Dre
2. RZA
1. DJ Premier

The 15 Most Underrated Rappers Ever
15. Aseop Rock
14. Evidence
13. Zion I
12. CunninLynguists
11. MF DOOM
10. C-Rayz Wallz
9. Blaq Poet
8. Bambu
7. Lords of The Underground
6. OC & AG
5. Q-Tip
4. elZhi
3. Masta Ace
2. AZ
1. Slug/Atmosphere

The 5 Most Overrated Rappers Ever
5. Xzibit
4. T.I.
3. 50 Cent
2. Rick Ross
1. Eminem

Speaking of all these great artists....check out the lineup for the show I'm going to this Friday at Foxwoods!

http://www.foxwoods.com/oldschoolhiphop.aspx

Featuring: 

• DMX
• EPMD
• Naughty By Nature
• Rakim
• Big Daddy Kane
• Special Ed
• Slick Rick
• Biz Markie

* Edited at 06.11.2013, 4:49 PM ET *

Italian Cuisine
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Italian_cuisine

Cheese and wine are a major part of the cuisine. Coffee, specifically espresso, has become important in Italian cuisine.

Traditional Central Italian cuisine uses ingredients such as tomatoes, all kinds of meat, fish, and pecorino cheese. In Tuscany and Umbria pasta is usually served alla carrettiera (a tomato sauce spiked with peperoncini hot peppers). Finally, in Southern Italy, tomatoes – fresh or cooked into tomato sauce – peppers, olives and olive oil, garlic, artichokes, oranges, ricotta cheese, eggplants, zucchini, certain types of fish (anchovies, sardines and tuna), and capers are important components to the local cuisine.

Examples include spaghetti (thin rods), rigatoni (tubes or cylinders), fusilli (swirls), and lasagna (sheets). Dumplings, like gnocchi (made with potatoes) and noodles like spätzle, are sometimes considered pasta.

Italian culinary technicians love nothing more than designing a new dish by shaping their pasta into a new configuration, and stuffing it with a new combination of vegetables or meat.  Their heritage is the richest on record.  Past Italian food masters created a galaxy of masterpieces for the world to savor.

Italian cuisine is also well known (and well regarded) for its use of a diverse variety of pasta. Pasta include noodles in various lengths, widths and shapes. Distinguished on shapes they are named —
penne, macaroni, spaghetti, linguine, fusilli, ravioli, tortellini, Macaroni, rigatoni, vermicelli, cannelloni, lasagna and many more varieties that are filled with other ingredients like ravioli and tortellini.

Spaghetti, ravioli, tortellini, linguine, macaroni, rigatoni, vermicelli, penne, cannelloni, assorted breads, pizzas, cheeses, wines, sauces, an almost infinite variety of pastas, soups, desserts, coffees, cookies, risottos comprise the various Italian menus. Tomatoes and cheese have always held places of honor in the Italian kitchen, along with virgin Olive oil.

Justified fame is given the Italian Renaissance artistic geniuses but little is mentioned with respect to their food artistry.  The Italian chefs have forgotten more than the French ever knew in the first place.  And what they did learn, they took from Italy.  
In category after category, Italians have shown the world the way.  They all but invented cooking. When it comes to wine, they start with their g**** vineyards and study the science of soil composition.  The Italians were putting out rare wine when the French were still shaggy-haired, Gallic tribes fighting Caesar.

In the middle ages, when they heard of a new spice called pepper from India, they sent out explorers to set up trade routes.  That's what Christopher Columbus was doing when he crashed into a continent that got in his way and got side-tracked.  When a new world opened up, all thought of pepper flew out the window.  And that's how native Americans got called 'Indians'.

When it comes to bread, pasta and noodles, they all but invented it from making dough from grains.  Forget the Chinese.  Italian cooking is one of the few cuisines that appreciates the value of garlic.  Italians are also famed for their inclusion of artichokes in many of their dishes.

Pastas are served with sauces such as pesto, marinara or arrabbiata.  Chicken cooked Italian style is called cacciatore, using tomato sauce liberally.  They bake dishes like layered lasagna or Pastitsio.  They bake ziti noodles using cheese and tomato pasta casserole.

* Edited at 06.11.2013, 4:53 PM ET *

@poir damn that looks nice, have fun man...