I am making this thread hoping it could turn into maybe a sticky. I'm gonna try and list some methods to track down information and download links that you may be looking for, say who produced a certain track or album, a certain cover to an album, the albums themselves, etc. In time, I could update the main post with links and other stuff posted in the thread and keep it as a guide to people who are looking for shit. Maybe this thread breaks too many guidelines to be allowed to remain, but I'm doing this with good intentions at heart (good intentions concerning our visitors, not the musicians themselves).
>> INFORMATION ____
If you are looking for information about tracks, producers, release dates, features, release labels, and so forth, these sites are worth taking a look at. Why would you want to do this? Well, maybe you're an MP3 sorting nazi like myself and Chronic, ehehehe.
- http://www.discogs.com/
This site holds a lot of covers, inlays, back covers, etc. for a lot of releases. Even singles and promos. It seems some people don't know about this site which is weird, because it's a great tool. It's one of the best databases for hiphop releases. Pretty much every album I've searched for sans bootlegs gives me producers, release year and a cover.
- http://www.dubcnn.com/thevault/
A similar site, but built a little different. Has a lot of releases, but nowhere near as big as discogs. Occasionally, I have come over information on releases I was looking for on this site that I didn't find on discogs.
- http://www.last.fm/
Although this site doesn't always list correct information, and doesn't contain very detailed information on releases, what this site can provide for you is a channel through which to discover new music similar to the music that you like to listen to. It works great. There's a web-based radio, or a program that you can download to have the radio in your tray. You can also download audio scrobblers for the different media players depending on which you use, and keep track of what songs you play and such.
>> ALBUM COVERS ___
Here are some sites that are good for finding covers to albums.
- http://www.discogs.com/
Listing this one again as it contains lots of covers.
- http://slumz.boxden.com/forumdisplay.php?f=15
I guess you'll have to search if looking for something specific, but looks quite nice.
For now I'll need some help with this part. So anyone know any good sites with covers to hip-hop albums, please let me know.
>> FINDING LINKS TO SPECIFIC ALBUMS ___
Well, there are many ways to do this. I made myself an account on blogspot, and I don't know if it's always been there but whenever I'm viewing a blog there is a search bar at the top. Anyway, find some good hiphop blogs, bookmark them, and search them for albums you are looking for. It takes a little while but it's a great method.
There's always the good old P2P programs. Here are links to some good ones:
- http://www.slsknet.org/download.html
Soulseek. Chronic swears to this program. It's similar to the old DC++ (what some people called PacShare), but way better. You can search for songs or artists, or browse user files. It tells you the bitrate of songs, file size, and if the person who is sharing has available upload slots or not.
Again, in this section I need some help. I used to use Kazaa and LimeWire long ago, but those are shit right now if I'm not mistaken. So if anybody knows any good programs, let me know.
Websites
- http://blogsearch.google.com/
A search engine with a google interface that returns hits that are on blog sites, free download sites like albumbase, and more. Looks okay but this would probably sit in the second line of my offense initiative. Or third. I'm new to it though, so maybe it proves more useful than the Google method.
- http://www.albumhunt.com/
Similar to albumbase.
- http://www.albumwash.com/
Similar to albumbase.
- http://www.musire.com/search.php
Similar to albumbase.
The Google method.
There's many ways to find specific albums just using google. In these blogging days (yeah, after OiNK died, it's all about blogs now) one easy method is to search for, say, "method man blogspot", "method man megaupload", "method man rapidshare", and so forth. Don't use the rapidshare search engines. All they do is search google using similar methods and giving you the results. Don't use quotation marks. That way, if there is a page on a website that has "method man" and a link containing, or mention of "rapidshare" on it, most likely you have a hit. Also, most blogs with music links are on the page called blogspot. Most blogs on blogspot have files or videos posted in them lol.
Forums
Here are some links to forums that has good download sections.
- http://www.realraptalk.com/
- http://www.55productionz.com/forum/
>> TORRENTS ___
Back before they shut down OiNK, it was a haven for music leechers. Now, I have yet to find a good replacement. For now, the only site I know of is a "third-party" search engine that's really cool.
- http://search.conduit.com/default.aspx?ctid=CT329536&SelfSearch=1
Basically, it's like google, but instead of having "Web", "Images", etc on top, you have all the different free torrent sites. Those torrent sites don't normally give great speed on downloads, but hey, in a moment of desperation. As an example, I remember someone posted up a video by Doomsday Productions to a song called Redrum. I found the album on blogs and rapidshare using the google method but it was m4a format, and I'm a consistency freak. My collection only carries mp3. Anyway, I actually did find the album on this search engine, I don't remember which specific site though. So it can be helpful. Out of all the different sites you can search using this engine, Thepiratebay and Isohunt are recommended.
>> BLOGS ___
Although I already talked about the google method that negates the point of this entry, I'll post up links to some good blogs as well. Some times I like to just look around and get random shit.
- http://aintadamnedthangchanged.blogspot.com/
Lots of G-Funk/Westcoast shit. Lot of underground stuff. Great blog.
- http://1hiphop.blogspot.com/
Lots of different shit, old and new, all styles. I don't use this one that much, but a lot of people will probably take a liking to it.
- http://magga-goldenagehiphop.blogspot.com/
The description on the site says it best: "A blog for hip hop and rap from the period 1992-1996." I love this one.
- http://indie-cratez.blogspot.com/
Many many many goodies and rare/hard-to-come-by records.
- http://killahbeast.blogspot.com/
This blog has the discographies of among others, Mobb Deep, Ras Kass, Afu-Ra, Big Pun, Big L, Gang Starr, Biggie, Little Brother, and there's lots of releases on here.
- http://waxattack.blogspot.com/
Pretty much just 12" singles/promos and EPs.
- http://silentsprings.blogspot.com/
Although this blog is small and not all that, the guy who keeps it posted up lots of torrents to entire record label discographies. Just take a look. Also look at all his torrents on his Piratebay profile. There's more good shit on there. This won't help you if you are searching for specific shit, more likely it will present shit you didn't know you wanted.
- http://wakeyourdaughterup.blogspot.com/
Do I really have to say anything about this one. If you didn't know about it already you're a (t/f)ool.
- http://strictlybeats.blogspot.com/
Only posts instrumental albums or rar archives with instrumentals compiled by the blogger himself. I mostly just go for the instrumental albums though.
Thanks to roaches, rlhjr. If anyone has anything I should add to this, just say so.
EDIT: I'm even so gay that I arranged everything to look more neat.
>> INFORMATION ____
If you are looking for information about tracks, producers, release dates, features, release labels, and so forth, these sites are worth taking a look at. Why would you want to do this? Well, maybe you're an MP3 sorting nazi like myself and Chronic, ehehehe.
- http://www.discogs.com/
This site holds a lot of covers, inlays, back covers, etc. for a lot of releases. Even singles and promos. It seems some people don't know about this site which is weird, because it's a great tool. It's one of the best databases for hiphop releases. Pretty much every album I've searched for sans bootlegs gives me producers, release year and a cover.
- http://www.dubcnn.com/thevault/
A similar site, but built a little different. Has a lot of releases, but nowhere near as big as discogs. Occasionally, I have come over information on releases I was looking for on this site that I didn't find on discogs.
- http://www.last.fm/
Although this site doesn't always list correct information, and doesn't contain very detailed information on releases, what this site can provide for you is a channel through which to discover new music similar to the music that you like to listen to. It works great. There's a web-based radio, or a program that you can download to have the radio in your tray. You can also download audio scrobblers for the different media players depending on which you use, and keep track of what songs you play and such.
>> ALBUM COVERS ___
Here are some sites that are good for finding covers to albums.
- http://www.discogs.com/
Listing this one again as it contains lots of covers.
- http://slumz.boxden.com/forumdisplay.php?f=15
I guess you'll have to search if looking for something specific, but looks quite nice.
For now I'll need some help with this part. So anyone know any good sites with covers to hip-hop albums, please let me know.
>> FINDING LINKS TO SPECIFIC ALBUMS ___
Well, there are many ways to do this. I made myself an account on blogspot, and I don't know if it's always been there but whenever I'm viewing a blog there is a search bar at the top. Anyway, find some good hiphop blogs, bookmark them, and search them for albums you are looking for. It takes a little while but it's a great method.
There's always the good old P2P programs. Here are links to some good ones:
- http://www.slsknet.org/download.html
Soulseek. Chronic swears to this program. It's similar to the old DC++ (what some people called PacShare), but way better. You can search for songs or artists, or browse user files. It tells you the bitrate of songs, file size, and if the person who is sharing has available upload slots or not.
Again, in this section I need some help. I used to use Kazaa and LimeWire long ago, but those are shit right now if I'm not mistaken. So if anybody knows any good programs, let me know.
Websites
- http://blogsearch.google.com/
A search engine with a google interface that returns hits that are on blog sites, free download sites like albumbase, and more. Looks okay but this would probably sit in the second line of my offense initiative. Or third. I'm new to it though, so maybe it proves more useful than the Google method.
- http://www.albumhunt.com/
Similar to albumbase.
- http://www.albumwash.com/
Similar to albumbase.
- http://www.musire.com/search.php
Similar to albumbase.
The Google method.
There's many ways to find specific albums just using google. In these blogging days (yeah, after OiNK died, it's all about blogs now) one easy method is to search for, say, "method man blogspot", "method man megaupload", "method man rapidshare", and so forth. Don't use the rapidshare search engines. All they do is search google using similar methods and giving you the results. Don't use quotation marks. That way, if there is a page on a website that has "method man" and a link containing, or mention of "rapidshare" on it, most likely you have a hit. Also, most blogs with music links are on the page called blogspot. Most blogs on blogspot have files or videos posted in them lol.
Forums
Here are some links to forums that has good download sections.
- http://www.realraptalk.com/
- http://www.55productionz.com/forum/
>> TORRENTS ___
Back before they shut down OiNK, it was a haven for music leechers. Now, I have yet to find a good replacement. For now, the only site I know of is a "third-party" search engine that's really cool.
- http://search.conduit.com/default.aspx?ctid=CT329536&SelfSearch=1
Basically, it's like google, but instead of having "Web", "Images", etc on top, you have all the different free torrent sites. Those torrent sites don't normally give great speed on downloads, but hey, in a moment of desperation. As an example, I remember someone posted up a video by Doomsday Productions to a song called Redrum. I found the album on blogs and rapidshare using the google method but it was m4a format, and I'm a consistency freak. My collection only carries mp3. Anyway, I actually did find the album on this search engine, I don't remember which specific site though. So it can be helpful. Out of all the different sites you can search using this engine, Thepiratebay and Isohunt are recommended.
>> BLOGS ___
Although I already talked about the google method that negates the point of this entry, I'll post up links to some good blogs as well. Some times I like to just look around and get random shit.
- http://aintadamnedthangchanged.blogspot.com/
Lots of G-Funk/Westcoast shit. Lot of underground stuff. Great blog.
- http://1hiphop.blogspot.com/
Lots of different shit, old and new, all styles. I don't use this one that much, but a lot of people will probably take a liking to it.
- http://magga-goldenagehiphop.blogspot.com/
The description on the site says it best: "A blog for hip hop and rap from the period 1992-1996." I love this one.
- http://indie-cratez.blogspot.com/
Many many many goodies and rare/hard-to-come-by records.
- http://killahbeast.blogspot.com/
This blog has the discographies of among others, Mobb Deep, Ras Kass, Afu-Ra, Big Pun, Big L, Gang Starr, Biggie, Little Brother, and there's lots of releases on here.
- http://waxattack.blogspot.com/
Pretty much just 12" singles/promos and EPs.
- http://silentsprings.blogspot.com/
Although this blog is small and not all that, the guy who keeps it posted up lots of torrents to entire record label discographies. Just take a look. Also look at all his torrents on his Piratebay profile. There's more good shit on there. This won't help you if you are searching for specific shit, more likely it will present shit you didn't know you wanted.
- http://wakeyourdaughterup.blogspot.com/
Do I really have to say anything about this one. If you didn't know about it already you're a (t/f)ool.
- http://strictlybeats.blogspot.com/
Only posts instrumental albums or rar archives with instrumentals compiled by the blogger himself. I mostly just go for the instrumental albums though.
Thanks to roaches, rlhjr. If anyone has anything I should add to this, just say so.
EDIT: I'm even so gay that I arranged everything to look more neat.
