

Best HipHop/Rap/R&B Basslines?

Discussion in 'Miscellaneous [BG]' started by geoneo, May 3, 2005.

  1. geoneo


    Apr 12, 2005

    Ive been playing rock bass for a while now and want to expand my horizons a little and get into some funky grooves!

    What are your favourite HipHop/Rap/R&B Baselines?
  2. Anything off of the albums "Brown Sugar" or "Voodoo", by D'Angelo. There's some smooth a$$ grooves courtesy of Pino Palladino on there.

    I've also heard Raphael Saadiq's stuff is pretty good too. I haven't heard any of it myself.

    The Brand New Heavies is another favorite of mine... not strictly R&B per se, but there's some good stuff there anyway. It can be hard to find modern-day stuff in these genres that isn't all synth. It's a shame too, because I find that most of the rap, R&B, and hip-hop you hear on corporate radio doesn't groove nearly as hard as it would with an actual band laying it down.
    Toddb57 likes this.
  3. msquared


    Sep 19, 2004
    Kansas City
    Anything by The Roots. The MTV Unplugged album that Jay-Z did has them as his backing band and it's awesome too.

    I second the Raphael Saadiq suggestion. Also try to find stuff with Preston Crump on it. He's very groovin'.
  4. jazzbo


    Aug 25, 2000
    San Francisco, CA
    Hip Hop, Rap, and R&B may not be your cup of tea normally, but the question you asked is so expansive that it's hard to really answer.

    There are literally thousands and thousands of songs in those 3 HUGE genres.
  5. Don't_Fret

    Don't_Fret Justin Schornstein

    Dec 10, 2003
    That Jay-Z unplugged album is pretty good. I'd start there.
  6. TLCs song Waterfalls has a SMOKIN bassline. I know, cheesy song, but an amazing line, with cool wah parts in it.
  7. Bryan R. Tyler


    May 3, 2002
    There's some top-notch bass work on Maxwell's "Urban Hang Suite"- one of my favorite albums of all time. His successive albums also have great musicians on them, but that one has more of a live feel and the grooves are just untouchable.
  8. msquared


    Sep 19, 2004
    Kansas City

    "Urban Hang Suite" is fabulous.
  9. ras1983


    Dec 28, 2004
    Sydney, Australia
    dre's chronic 2001. mike elizondo lays down some text book grooves.
    (not that i know any theory)
  10. Vorago

    Vorago (((o)))

    Jul 17, 2003
    Antwerp, Belgium
    That third track has a great bassline, too bad about the lyrics :scowl:
  11. Vorago

    Vorago (((o)))

    Jul 17, 2003
    Antwerp, Belgium
    Did anyone mention "The Low End Theory" by A Tribe called Quest? Ron Carter on bass + an excellent album.
    ImNotJoel likes this.
  12. tifa

    tifa Padawan Bassist

    Mar 8, 2005
    Blackburn, UK
    I'd agree with The Roots, also maybe some Erykah Badu or De la Soul?
  13. JimK


    Dec 12, 1999
    The BNH, IMO, are what many R&B/Soul bands sounded like back in the '70s.
    I know they get lumped into what's called 'Acid Jazz'...the 1st time I heard them, I thought, "Wow, they're a retro-'70s R&B/Soul band".
  14. JimK


    Dec 12, 1999
    Back in '75, when I made a move from Rock to R&B...the Average White Band was pretty popular. Learning most of their stuff was an effort(for me)...but attainable("Pick Up The Pieces", "Cut The Cake", "Groovin' The Night Away", "Work To Do", "School Boy Crush", "Goin' Home", etc).
    From there, it was onto Brothers Johnson, Brick, Chic, Motown, Rose Royce, Commodores, Ohio Players, Pleasure, L.T.D., etc.

    Bass Player recently had an issue(Dave Holland cover?) with various '70s Philly Soul/R&B hits charted out...I think a recent issue also had some James Brown things charted out, too.

    My stance is this-
    If you can play '70s R&B, you can play whatever they're playing now.
  15. The Roots.....any album of theirs
    A Tribe Called Quest
    Erykah Badu - Baduizm Live
    Outkast - the love below has some great lines
    Snoop Dogg - Basically P-Funk
    Black Eyed Peas - Elephunk is an essential
    Cypress Hill - Live at the Filmore
    Kurtis Blow - The Breaks is an Amazing Tune
    Meshell Ndegeochello - Cookie, Peace Beyond Passion.....great mixes of jazz and hip hop, being the bassist and vocallist she's easily one of my favourites

    as well as getting into hip hop get into some blues, because blues and hip hop bass playing is very simular, along the lines of playing repetively and constant that is.....personally i find playing repetively and groovy rather easy....i also find it the best bass playing style as well...but each to his own
  16. Broach_insound


    Jan 25, 2005
    New York
    rappers delight
    ImNotJoel and Boom762 like this.
  17. Bryan R. Tyler


    May 3, 2002
    Doesn't Carter only play bass on the one track (with Q-tip saying "Ron Carter on the bass....")?
  18. Vorago

    Vorago (((o)))

    Jul 17, 2003
    Antwerp, Belgium
    yeah I checked, "Verses of the abstract" is with Carter on bass, don't think he stars on the other tracks too..
  19. I'm pretty sure he's on most of the tracks. Just listen to the timbre of the bass... it's unmistakably an upright.
  20. Vorago

    Vorago (((o)))

    Jul 17, 2003
    Antwerp, Belgium
    maybe, but the booklet only mentions him on that track, maybe the other ones are sampled...

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