By artistic talent, it could be anything you find artistic: rhythm, speed, creativity, meaning/message, voice, etc.
Not a “song” per se, but Black Thought freestyling effortlessly for like 10 minutes straight is impressive AF: https://youtu.be/prmQgSpV3fA
For context, that show asks everybody to freestyle and some refuse, some do a few bars, but nobody goes for 10 minutes, lol.
For an actual song, and you wanna talk art, Blackalicious - Attica Black. Really love the sampling and the musicality of it, there are so many layers and it’s fun to listen to. https://youtu.be/qHRxorG8ABs
I was going to recommend a blackalicious track.
Anything from Dr. Octagonecologyst by Dr Octagon (Kool Keith)
The dense intricate rhyming structure mixed with the sci-fi jazz beats and the off the wall, juvenile lyrics are really unique and creative.
I’m not a huge hip hop fan but I really like Aesop Rock’s lyricism and I like the style that astronautilus has.
The first two songs that come to mind is Aesop Rock’s citronella
https://youtu.be/dQmvt9WHfqE?si=7wbb65LTg5aPUuqk
and astronautilus the river the woods.
https://youtu.be/6jg19GyxV2Y?si=BlrJpknydCca7TrR
Both worth at least a listen in my opinion
and some others from him
BIGGIE
- Unbelievable - wordplay
- My Downfall - the flow
- N----z Bleed - storytelling
It’s just so smooth. Saw this also live once. Very impressive.
Similar experience for me: Prezident - Classic Coke (German)
A Day at the Races by Jurassic 5
It’s just got awesome rhythm, it manages to evoke the feeling of racing (awesome song for driving; awful if you’re stuck in a traffic jam). The rhymes are excellent, poetic induction at the level of Shel Silverstein’s poem Magic.
They manage to somehow capture the smooth satisfaction of dry roads and eventual traction, the pacing of the action with zero distraction just perfect samadhi doing naughty shit with haughty wit and they got me with them in the pack even though I’m stuck back in the stack of whack traffic jams that make me slam on my brakes I love the way it gets my brain going. It’s hard to drive slow to this track especially if I listen to it back to back like crack for a sober mind this is my kind of jam man fuck:
Akala - Fire in the Booth 1 The flow, message, content. An artist with top skills, showcasing what he can do.
Supreme NTM - Le Pouvior Just always dug this track. Resonates with me.
Wow didn’t expect to see Akala already posted here.
This is the correct answer although I think Fire in the Booth Part 4 might even eclipse Part 1 in terms of talent.
Second place for me would be Lowkey. For message Soundtrack to the Struggle 2, for pure ability has to be The Return of Lowkey… Genius bars like a laptop shop.
I hadn’t heard Fire in the Booth 4 before as it never hit my music streaming services. Thanks for waking me to its being.
Dig Lowkey too, music was the only good development of the criminal “war on terror”.
I don’t know about a particular song, but DMX pushed out his first two albums, both high selling and well regarded, in the span of about 6 months! That’s pretty impressive.
Edit: 1998 was a massive year for rap!
