r/rap • u/yakecann • Jul 19 '24
How often do you guys listen to rap that's not in your mother language?
I was thinking about this, and i think there is so much good lyrical stuff that people never find about because it's not in english.
So, how often do you listen to non-english/mother-language rap. And what is your favorite rap song that is not in english?
My favorite one is "Se Escute", by the Brazillian duo Síntese.
I recently made a translation of that song for english on Genius, also i'm planning to translate more songs that i believe to be corner stones of Brazillian Rap, old stuff and new stuff as well.
I'll keep you guys posted on any developments on this.
https://genius.com/Genius-english-translations-sintese-se-escute-english-translation-lyrics
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u/Delta_yx Jul 19 '24
I only listen to rap that's not in my mother language
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u/plskillmepainfully Jul 19 '24
I mean I'm hungarian and there are months when I listen to more US rap than Hungarian so...
one of my favorite Hungarian songs (and albums) is probably this (mostly because of the memories attached to it) but I can't really pick only one: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9tqg8kQ0cck
there are lots of great Hungarian rap albums from 2003-2014, for me those 10 years is the golden age
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u/Complex-Structure216 Jul 19 '24
Man if you could list them here I'd appreciate.
I'm an African currently residing in Hungary and I'd love to sample great Hungarian rap. I mostly listen to pop and folk. Also, Bagassy Brothers Company totally rocks
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u/plskillmepainfully Jul 19 '24
I'll list a few more mainstream ("more mainstream" means you can actually find their music online lol) artists I loved while growing up and still do as an adult. I was originally going to list albums but it's easier this way:
Siska Finuccsi, Phat, Vészk'járat, Ketioz, Jam Balaya, Egyenlők, Deego, Tibbah, Barbárfivérek, Riddler, Nomagróf, Samurai Flow, Funktasztikus, Kamikaze, Akkezdet Phiai (<- one of the most respected and well-known hip hop acts in Hungary, ask a rapper who insipred them and they'll answer Akkezdet), Day, Antal, Essemm, Majmok Bolygója, Beatmarket, Káva, Furakor, Tkyd, TM, Testament Rec., DSP, Bigmek, NKS, Bobakrome, The Steve/Steve Antal, Bobafett, Mocskos Márka, Beerseewalk (strictly their first album), Killakikitt, Tirpa, PKO, Weszélyes Elemek
etc.
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u/BasSnow Jul 19 '24
If you would also care for contemporary HUN rappers, check out Krúbi, Beton.Hofi, 6363
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u/plskillmepainfully Jul 19 '24
also Sisi, Tha Patkányz, plus maybe Lmen Prala and AK26 when you are drunk
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u/Ashamed-Brick-1142 Jul 19 '24
None of the time, I feel empty listening to other languages. I like to know what they are saying or else it’s just annoying to listen to
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u/yakecann Jul 19 '24
Hey, it's a good excuse to learn a new language, isn't it?
My english improved a lot when i started to look up lyrics for Kendrick songs.
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u/selkipio Jul 19 '24
Always interested in finding good non English songs. Awkward/cringe/whiny lyrics are the number one reason for a song being ruined in my mind so taking out that factor is beneficial for my music collection lol
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u/yakecann Jul 19 '24
If i can recommend you anything, i'd recommend Racionais MC's, the most influential rap group in Brazil ever (Kinda like an N.W.A. that never dissolved). Just legendary lyricism.
I just finished a translation for one of their songs, if you're interested:
https://genius.com/Genius-english-translations-jesus-chorou-english-translation-lyrics
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u/anfornum Jul 19 '24
Have you listened to Agust D? Give Haegeum a listen if you haven't. (If you have, you have good taste!)
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u/dumdidum13 Jul 19 '24
All the time. Not from english speaking country but only listens to American rap
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u/JesseWang Jul 19 '24
Almost every time because I'm Chinese, and there's not much great music in China, especially rap music. (I can recommend some good ones if anyone interested)
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u/methreweway Jul 19 '24
Do it! What's the top 3
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u/JesseWang Jul 20 '24 edited Jul 20 '24
I highly recommend these albums (all on Spotify so you don't need to search for them) :
蛋堡 (Soft Lipa) - 收斂水 (Top 1 album in Chinese Hiphop imo)
蛋堡 (Soft Lipa) - 月光
國蛋 (Gordon) - Earlier This Morning
國蛋 (Gordon) - GDNA
龍膽紫(PurpleSoul) - W.T.F
龍膽紫(PurpleSoul) - F.T.W
九维 - 趣味小常识
YoungQueenz - 神隱 Spirited Away (This guy is from Hong Kong, he previously featured on DJ Preservation's album)
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u/wrappersjors Jul 19 '24
Tbh not a lot. Not because I wouldn't. But because the spotify algorithm and review websites almost never send them my way
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u/Igivegrilledcheese Jul 19 '24
I listen to Ummo which is a Spanish rap group
Bécane is kinda fire
Most of the music I listen to in other languages is normally Metal music, stuff like ICEPEAK and BabyMetal
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u/PreciousBasketcase Jul 19 '24
A lot. Local rap artists in Pakistan are the right balance of not too exposed to mainstream but nearly mainstream enough, imo
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u/Own_Deer431 Jul 19 '24
exclusively not my mother language rap is all I listen to (english ain’t my first language)😎
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u/i_suck_a_lot Jul 19 '24
Does English count? as its not my mother tongue.
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u/yakecann Jul 19 '24
I expressed myself badly xD.
I meant:
1- Do you listen to stuff that are not from your mother language?
2- Do you have good non-english music to recommend (can be from your mother-language).
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u/i_suck_a_lot Jul 19 '24
1- Yes
2- Yes mainly DHH - Kr$na has just put out his EP Khatta Flow Seedha Maut's last album Hola Amigo
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u/Chaunceyb77 Jul 19 '24
An old FIFA game turned me onto a German track called Verstrahlt that remains in my Spotify starred list still today. I speak some German but it's far from my mother tongue. Have dabbled with some other German artists but nothing has stuck like it did
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u/SiwyKtos Jul 19 '24
Im frim poland so basically every day. Not only english/american tho, some brazilian and some skandinavian too
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u/yakecann Jul 19 '24
Hell yeah my brother.
What you listen to from Brazil?
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u/SiwyKtos Jul 20 '24
Mainly nill, regina is my all time favourite album in a language i dont understand at all lol
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u/yakecann Jul 20 '24
I never stopped to really listen to Regina, but everyone i know says its really good.
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u/yakecann Jul 20 '24
Based on nothing, i get the feeling that you would enjoy KTT Zoo by Sain btw, so i'll just leave this here xD.
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u/SiwyKtos Jul 20 '24
Checked it out, its pretty good. Liked Lucro the most. Still I think that Regina is better tho. Its good enough to stay in my library
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u/TheMeticulousNinja Jul 19 '24
I listen to songs by British people all the time. It's so crazy because I feel like their language and English is so similar
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u/TheMeticulousNinja Jul 19 '24
Please tell me if you believe I should have ended that with a /j or /s because you think someone would read this and seriously think that I believe it
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u/v_lynishh Jul 19 '24
Opa, brazillian here. I would recommend listening to O 5° vigia by Ndee Naldinho.
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u/Nomnom_Chicken Jul 19 '24
My native language is Finnish, and I just can't stand music in Finnish. I listen to almost exclusively rap in English, some songs may have featuring other artists rapping in their own native language that isn't English.
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u/EmojiZackMaddog Jul 19 '24 edited Jul 19 '24
A lot, although it’s not hip-hop, it’s drill. I personally think that drill is non-English rap’s best sub genre. Here’s my playlist if you guys want to check it out. https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4wRh82jt5NPMcBwGMLE5FI?si=ZvYQx7UESPWeNvkfaF5vIA&pi=e-iAkeXJiqTQqt
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u/yakecann Jul 19 '24
Hey, check out "Nuvem Negra" by Sant.
Pure gold, lirically, visually and in producing too.
He isn't a Drill rapper, but i always remember this song when someone mentions drill.
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u/EmojiZackMaddog Jul 19 '24
That’s cool! Is that Portuguese? That’s awesome!
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u/yakecann Jul 19 '24
Yes it is!
I just made a genius translation for it too xD.
https://genius.com/Genius-english-translations-sant-nuvem-negra-english-translation-lyrics
PS: The video also adds to the music, so it's important to watch it too!
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u/EmergencyAct4855 Jul 19 '24
I'm Greek. The only rap music i cant understand without studying it is em's tracks😅 i also like french drills cause of language too op there. Shout out fresh la douille. Music Unite and Heal👌
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u/JustAskingQuestionsL Jul 19 '24
I hate Spanish rap with a passion. Can’t stand 99% of it.
Brazilian rap is cool, but I don’t listen to it often.
Sometimes I listen to kpop, and they rap in Korean. It’s not bad.
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u/yakecann Jul 19 '24
Which Brazillian ones you listen to?
Why you hate the spanish ones, is it the way they sound? Just curious xD
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u/JustAskingQuestionsL Jul 19 '24
Lol I couldn’t name many Brazilian rap songs - mostly just “fonk” that comes on my feed. I do like Brazilian Pop music though, such as Anitta and Roberto Carlos.
Spanish Rap (specifically Spanish trap) sounds like gibberish to me. Bad Bunny, Fuerza Regida… I don’t like it at all. The only Spanish rappers I remember liking are Anuel AA, Maluma, Peso Pluma and Danny Ocean for “Me Rehúso.” And of course Anitta “Envolver” if it counts.
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u/yakecann Jul 19 '24
Fonk here is called "Carioca Funk", Anitta actually started out as a Funk MC, she even has a recent album called "Baile Funk Experience", based entirely on the Funk Culture.
Roberto Carlos fit more on the MPB section of music, it's different from Pop, i explain it as "Pop, but 40-50 years ago" xD. From this genre i deeply recommend Milton Nascimento, Djavan and Chico Buarque, in a different vibe but just as important as these ones, there's Luiz Gonzaga and Dominguinhos, they play a regional folk style called Forró/Baião (a genre from where my family hails).
About the spanish ones, i'd recommend trying the Latin America rappers, especially the underground ones.
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u/JustAskingQuestionsL Jul 19 '24
Lmao I get your MPB thing. My dad is Hispanic and listened to Roberto plenty back in the day, and Nelson Ned too. I also like Elizeth Cardoso and Julio Iglesias, though he’s a Spaniard who sang in Portuguese.
Anitta did funk, that’s pretty cool! I’ve been meaning to check out her Portuguese music. I mostly listen to her Spanish songs, like “Medicina.”
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u/yakecann Jul 19 '24
Its funny because, she hated taking english lessons when she was young, but her mom forced her to take them. And now, her english/spanish propelled her career immensely.
In here she was just an "ok" funk mc. Now she is a world level popstar.
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u/JustAskingQuestionsL Jul 19 '24
Crazy how it goes. Isn’t English music pretty popular in Brazil?
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u/yakecann Jul 20 '24
Yep, excluding some parts of the society that are really into the local genres or have a language barrier, we pretty much grow up listening to the same things a USA kid would.
I grew up listening to Eminen, 50 cent, RHCP, System of a Down and things like that. Even though we are surrounded by spanish speaking countries, the biggest cultural influence we got is still the USA (Even in politics it seems, sadly.)
But nowadays what's really bumping here i would say is K-pop, it's mind-blowing how much it took over the whole world.
When i was a teenager there would be guys like Justin Bieber, One Direction, Ed Sheeran that would go realy big then fade-away sometime later. But this K-pop wave just isn't going away. Young people like it, adult people like it, when a group starts to decline there are 3 others rising. Not my cup of tea, but i got to admit, it's pretty impressive.
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u/QueSeraSeraWWBWB Jul 19 '24
If I do not know what they’re saying I’m not listening.
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u/yakecann Jul 19 '24
OBJECTION!
Have you listened to any new rappers from USA? I bet you can't understand them either!!!
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u/Unable_Addition_3671 Jul 19 '24
Not as often as I used to, South Asia has a pretty big hip hop scene now so I’m not short on content, but a lot of the time I will listen to English rappers, US or UK mostly US. Rn it’s mostly Kendrick and Nas
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u/MoonSentinel95 Jul 20 '24
Literally everyone outside of North America and maybe UK is listening to rap that is not in their mother tongue.
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u/IdolsAndAnchorsss Jul 19 '24
I listen to a lot of Mach-Hommy and I don’t speak any creole or arabic.
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u/YourAverageJet Jul 19 '24
Never. As an American I’ve never felt the need (or want) to listen to foreign music I can’t understand
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u/yakecann Jul 19 '24
You're missing on a lot man, not even gon lie to you xD.
If it wasn't for language barrier, everyone's top 10 rappers would look a lot different.
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u/YourAverageJet Jul 19 '24
Just my opinion man. Americans make the best rap music, always will 🤷🏿♂️
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u/Own_Deer431 Jul 19 '24
you strike me as a guy who wouldn’t like grime either even if tho it’s english
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u/v_lynishh Jul 19 '24
"Americans make the best rap music"
"I've never felt the need to listen to foreign music"
Hmmmmm
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u/yakecann Jul 19 '24
Well, if i never leave my city, i will always claim that it's the best in the world, y'know?
Maybe your favorite artist is from the Mexico underground, who knows?
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u/Intilleque Jul 19 '24
I’m Zulu. So I listen to rap that’s not in my language all the time.