I don't even think The Blueprint is a classic to be honest, they are both very good rap albums by very good rappers and that's about it. I think people get caught too much in the idea of labelling an album as a classic to legitimise their favourite rapper, it is entirely possible for great rappers to be great without a classic rap album. Obviously the term 'classic' is subjective and I suppose a large part of it comes down to how that album influences and affects you and how you perceive rap, but a lot of these consensus 'classics' aren't as good as they ever seem to be. Maybe this is because I've always been catching up almost to these landmark albums rather than enjoying them as a moment in time
I don't even think The Blueprint is a classic to be honest, they are both very good rap albums by very good rappers and that's about it. I think people get caught too much in the idea of labelling an album as a classic to legitimise their favourite rapper, it is entirely possible for great rappers to be great without a classic rap album. Obviously the term 'classic' is subjective and I suppose a large part of it comes down to how that album influences and affects you and how you perceive rap, but a lot of these consensus 'classics' aren't as good as they ever seem to be. Maybe this is because I've always been catching up almost to these landmark albums rather than enjoying them as a moment in time
It's everywhere, try a trilli.
nahhh - defo my fav rapper (still). His mixtapes have been better than his albums lately tbh....but his mixtapes are like albums!
There's the key mate. A classic to me is a landmark hip hop album that was essential listening material in its era.
I'd like to see your personal classic album top ten list.
Haha, didnt realise you were a hip hop fan when i replied you with a Lil Wayne song in the other thread, thought you wouldn't get that tbh, its good to know you're part of the fam.
Tupac overrated or nah?
Young Thugs engineer is not happy about these leaks as you'd expect.
“These songs were a huge part of the past two years of my life. Most of those tracks probably would've ended up coming out for free when they were completed and the time was right, but they are for the most part unfinished. Whoever leaked them has no respect for music or the work that goes into creating it. Now there is a very real chance that these unfinished versions will be the only ones that people ever hear. I don't have the time to devote to mixing/arranging the leaks for free, and I doubt there's any interest to pay to have them mixed now that they leaked, so these will be the most complete versions people hear. We spent months on months, more or less living in the studio, creating these tracks. I don't do this for the money. I do it because I care greatly about making something new and unique. Making my client's music better. Making quality sounding music in a genre that change/experimentation/sonics often become an afterthought in. I want to change the world of rap music, and the less these songs are heard, the less of an impact they will make. I'm incredibly disheartened that this occurred and the fact that it will probably result in less official releases and will reduce the impact of some amazing tracks, that deserved a proper release. I'm glad that the songs are getting heard, just wish it could have been in a better context. I hate to give any extra attention to these leaks, but I felt like I had to say something." -Alex Tumay (Young Thug's Engineer)
“These songs were a huge part of the past two years of my life. Most of those tracks probably would've ended up coming out for free when they were completed and the time was right, but they are for the most part unfinished. Whoever leaked them has no respect for music or the work that goes into creating it. Now there is a very real chance that these unfinished versions will be the only ones that people ever hear. I don't have the time to devote to mixing/arranging the leaks for free, and I doubt there's any interest to pay to have them mixed now that they leaked, so these will be the most complete versions people hear. We spent months on months, more or less living in the studio, creating these tracks. I don't do this for the money. I do it because I care greatly about making something new and unique. Making my client's music better. Making quality sounding music in a genre that change/experimentation/sonics often become an afterthought in. I want to change the world of rap music, and the less these songs are heard, the less of an impact they will make. I'm incredibly disheartened that this occurred and the fact that it will probably result in less official releases and will reduce the impact of some amazing tracks, that deserved a proper release. I'm glad that the songs are getting heard, just wish it could have been in a better context. I hate to give any extra attention to these leaks, but I felt like I had to say something." -Alex Tumay (Young Thug's Engineer)
There's a phenomenal 20 song rap album amongst it all which is a shame, no idea why Thug's stuff leaks so much now that the 'leak era' is dead though.
Un Rivera doing what he does best.
I would have to think long and hard about that, albums that stick out to me personally though:
The Infamous, Mobb Deep
Stankonia, Outkast
Illmatic, Nas
Death Certificate, Ice Cube
The Chronic, Dr. Dre
Enter The Wu-Tang (36 Chambers), Wu-Tang Clan
Doggystyle, Snoop Dogg
Get Rich Or Die Tryin', 50 Cent (this hasn't aged very well but it's the first rap album I bought)
Boy In Da Corner, Dizzee Rascal
I will have to think and compile a full list to be honest man.
Not a bad list. The Blueprint is easily in the same class as all these albums IMO, Reasonable doubt too. Glad to see Death Certificate on that list. Great album but I hold Amerikkka's most wanted a little higher.
I prefer Death Certificate's sound, not much in it, just a bit more progressive. I will compile a proper list tomorrow.
Arguably the greatest ever, nobody was better when he was at his best.
Probably only behind Doggystyle for me, unbelievable album. Never overrated.
This.
Are we getting yours too?
I don't think so, he was complex character who was capable of being equally capable of being vulnerable and honest as we was of being brash and arrogant. He was never the most technically gifted rapper but his character and charisma always shone through, he would have stopped rapping eventually and just acted IMO. 'Pac really is and was and will always be one of the realest ever to touch a microphone in spite of his technical limitations ('hennessy and enemies' FFS):
Bumrushed the stage, murked it, left and upset Q-Tip.
I think his charisma and character made him a god mc in peoples eyes rather than his penmanship, might be unfair but Hip Hop has not been able to produce a more charismatic rapper and it probably never will...
I posted my top 50 not too long ago!
oh yeah, i remember that
Ether was an amazing track. Completely ripped Jay-Z apart. I read something about Jay-Z apologising to Nas because it upset his mum or something?!
My top 5 are...
Biggie Smalls
Nas
Method Man
Eminem
Gangstarr
That list is easily changed so if you have something to recommend please send it my way!
He apologised for superugly, it was too personal.
No. MATW showed he had artistic merit.
I think the Wu's best album was their second. I would place that, and OB4CL ahead of 36 Chambers.
Jay Z's Blueprint isn't a "classic", but it's almost one. The production was a gamechanger in that climate; the radio hits were quality, and the rapping levels just fell short of RD in terms of rhyme crafting, concept and delivery. Takeover was an excellent song too.
Jay Z's Blueprint isn't a "classic", but it's almost one. The production was a gamechanger in that climate; the radio hits were quality, and the rapping levels just fell short of RD in terms of rhyme crafting, concept and delivery. Takeover was an excellent song too.
A classic album list should come with a definition of the word "classic".
I went to see 'People Under The Stairs' at The Jazz Cafe the other night. Great gig, one of my favourite hip hop gigs ever. Anyone else a fan?
You rob the BP of its classic status then you also rob a lot of albums that are considered classic albums too imo.
Joey Bada$$ and A$AP Rocky were supposed to bring NY back from the dead once upon a time....
If the Blueprint and Stillmatic are not modern hiphop classics then I really don't know man....
If "Classic" is the highest tier of the genre, then we're gonna have to be strict about what gets awarded that title.
The Blueprint is an excellent album. It could sneak into the classic discussion. I wouldn't call Stillmatic excellent, it falls flat in the second half (Memory Lane is so, so dope though). If we're calling Stillmatic a classic then the gravity of the title is lost.
They're both generally regarded as classics anyway, the original impact was far reaching and its still one of the most talked about hiphop releases ever to be honest. Stillmatic is Nas best record after Illmatic, one of the few albums to get 5 mics from the source off the bat when they were relevant. Every major hiphop publication deemed it an instant classic and the streets were buzzing. I remember it like yesterday
I don't like Blueprint at all to be honest and I am shocked it is rated so highly. Reasonable Doubt on the other hand I love and regard as a classic. It's the only Jay Z album I really rate highly.
Ready to die - Biggie Smalls is my favourite hip hop album of all time.
The Fugees - The Score has to make a top 10 list easily.
Recently been listening to Action Bronson - Mr Wonderful. Some great tunes on there.
The Fugees - The Score has to make a top 10 list easily.
Recently been listening to Action Bronson - Mr Wonderful. Some great tunes on there.
By who?
It is not a classic. It was well received because in comparison to it Nastradamus was doo, and it had the response to Takeover, and Nasty Nas was back. It's a great album, but it and the Blueprint was the best of a weak class of albums in 2001.
I would rate It Was Written and The Lost Tapes higher than Stillmatic. And that says a lot about Nas' struggles in creating an album that bangs from start to finish.
To make sure I wasn't speaking rubbish, I looked up the track list. The Intro, Ether, Got Ur Self A..., You're da Man, Rewind, One Mic, 2nd Childhood, The Flyest.... Those tracks are pure heat. Smokin, Destroy and Rebuild, Brave heart Party, Rule, My Country, What Goes Around? Range from mediocre to garbage. And you can't have that much filler on a classic. With a little more patience, more deference to Large Professor and Premier, and narrowing down the track list to 12, it could have been a classic.
What albums would you classify as classic albums in the 00s then? The Blueprint and Stillmatic were one of the first modern classics, the Blueprint especially was ahead of its time, but if RD and Illmatic are the ceiling then I guess you're right which would strip a lot of albums of the "classic" title.
The concept of a classic album is skewed imo, it has a certain bias towards subject matter,artists and Eras.
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It was written is still one of the most underrated albums though.
I agree with this.
By who you ask? Why most hiphop heads, scholars and critics! The source gave it 5 mics, a perfect score and at the time that was huge if you remember the days when the source was legit and considered number one in hiphop journalism. It also got a perfect score on HiphopDX. Where were you when Stillmatic dropped? Up to this day, even with higher selling albums by the likes of 50, Eminem and Kanye being released since, I still haven't seen larger anticipation for an album than that for the Blueprint and Stillmatic combined in the modern era of hiphop. Also, the intense hype and anticipation was matched by the positive response, no one was disappointed, no one felt duped by the hype. It was an exciting time for hiphop.
I don't know where you live and how it was received there, but Stillmatic is generally considered a classic in the hiphop community in the states, not just New York (I guess it doesn't really matter where because your personal opinion is yours only, but I mention this because you asked 'by who' which leads me to think you probably didn't experience the strong reception it got when it came out). The buzz that both the Blueprint and Stillmatic generated was felt even in the south. Just take a sample from Amazon for example, rated 4.5 average by 450 customers. The only filler on that whole joint was the Bravehearts jumpoff and im glad it was taken off new presses after 02. You're entitled to your opinion but it won't change history. The streets spoke and the verdict was 'classic'.
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A lot of albums are only called classics because loads of other people said it was classic but I don't really know if that actually makes it a classic because it's a well known fact that people don't know shit. I mean nowadays all the old rap heads tie themselves in knots telling kids they are prisoners of the moment and that classic albums don't exist anymore and then I listen to what they think are classics and I become very confused. I also notice that there are only very specific types of albums that can apparently be cosigned as classics too, I mean no way could Waka Flocka Flame have a classic rap album with Flockaveli, that would be blasphemous.
That Future song though....
Future has the whole game on lock.
I'm painfully constructing a list. I'm restricting the list to 50 entries.
The Source gave Lil Kim's album at the time 5 mics! The Source isn't an objective rating provider, they screwed Little Brother over because their album took shots at the establishment in hiphop. The hype was amazing at the time, New York and hiphop revolved around Jay Z and Nas' beef, so all that excitement inflated the reception of Stillmatic.
I was living in Brooklyn around the time Jay Z dropped Takeover. 2 subway stops away from Marcy to be exact. Man, feck these streets. The streets also think Jadakiss is top 5 dead or alive.
I agree.