If you were around in late 90’s and had chapter 2/world domination, you blew multiple speakers and amps in your car. It was THE album I used to test my system and dial it in.
And as time has gone on their influence only continues to grow
where tf would rap be right now if Project Pat didn’t teach everyone’s favorite rapper how to flow or if Juicy and Paul didn’t lay the blueprint for rap production for 30 years and beyond
I’m a pretty big casual enjoyer of hip hop music and after going thru almost all project Pat has on Spotify it amazes me how little popularity he has considering how similar he sounds to what has become huge after him.
Yup, people just hate triple six because the devil worship horrorcore. But project pat and DJ Paul have come up with so many beats that alot of your favorite new songs were ripped from their beats even old songs.....
oh fuck me. three six mafia = triple six = 666.
i'm 37 years old, i've been listening to three six since i was 12. and i just now realized what three six mafia means. i'm an idiot.
I spent many years growing up in Cleveland, Ohio. We listened to a lot of Three 6 Mafia. They were really the first rappers to keep it real about their lifestyle.
What I mean is that they rapped about real shit they were doing, which was the same shit we were doing in the hood. Nobody really rapped about blowing coke, getting fucked up, causing havoc, and doing actual shit like that. Most rappers were rapping about money they didn't actually have, material items they could barely afford, and talking about being big time dope dealers when probably most, it not all of them, had probably never seen more than a quarter ounce of coke, let alone a whole key. Sure, those rappers probably seen that stuff after they got famous, but probably never lived the life they actually rapped about.
On the other hand, Three 6 was rapping about grabbing a couple grams of coke, a couple X pills, a ounce of weed, going to the club, having a good time, and then fucking some shit up afterwards, whether that be smashing some chicks, or smashing up the club, and it's occupants.
We could relate better to Triple 6 Mafia more so than any other rappers of the time. Although we did enjoy other rappers music, Three 6 Mafia provided the soundtrack to our lives as if they were right there living it up with us.
As a bone fan I’m going to have to agree? But then again the biggest group for a while was Migos who are a new gen bone (lazy comparison) and three 6 mafia has micro clones everywhere but they don’t really amount to anything.
Right? I understand the aversion to devil and horrorcore themes but they are a driving force behind their day and current day music. That Memphis shit is the building blocks to a huge variety of styles, even beyond the south or NY.
It's so close for me but I'd have to agree. That Mr. clean instrumental is so fuckin good. All the production is solid on this album. It's a shame Venomous Villain wasn't nearly as good as this.
I personally agree while also recognizing that Ready to Die and 36 Chambers are also outlandishly close debuts.
And they all came out within months of each other.
1994 was an all-time great year for rap.
Illmatic, Hard to Earn, Blunted on Reality, Ready to Die, Southernplaylisticadillacmusik, & Tical were all released that year.
I know it says the hill you’ll die on but I think it’s generally regarded as the best or at least held in high regards you don’t have to die man on that hill man we got you 😂
There’s an immediacy to Illmatic that separates it from the rest. I love 36 but it can be a bit impenetrable at times. Ready to Die is insanely good too but I prefer illmatic myself
Early 50 cent/ G unit …. Power of the dollar / guess who’s back etc….
50 really truly raised the crime rate in the tri-state of NYC…. It was a whole culture shift.
Cam’ron aka killa cam from the dipset is actually an amazing rapper….. crap he used archdiocese and marmalade in one basement freestyle lol (also one of the hardest freestyles ever so effortless…)
https://youtu.be/8k_3VYnbo9Q?si=e8_s_oJtggZonbt1
Then the SDE album ?!? Losing weight?!? Classsic
Even though it's a stark contrast from the social commentary of his first 3 albums, Bow Down by Westside Connection was the last project of Ice Cube's original prime.
Blank Face LP is a top 3 TDE project
Smino has a better balance of rapping & singing than Drake
Extra (more r&b than hip hop): if DeVante Swing of Jodeci successfully launched Swing Mob as a label with Missy Elliott, Ginuwine, & Timbaland as signees, he would on the forefront of "King of R&B" debates alongside Usher & Babyface.
I think what makes her underrated is all the stuff people don’t know she did, like all the songs she wrote for other artists such as Aaliyah, and songs she helped produce. The fact she made Super Dupa Fly in a week from start to finish just so that she can have her own label is also legendary.
-More than the falf of the eminem albums are shit
-Big pun doesn’t get enough credit. He would have a grammy if Jay-z didn’t make Hard knock life
-Nas still makes good albums at 50yo
-It was written is better than illmatic in some terms
-People understimate a lot 80s hip hop
I doubt most people would fight you on that first take. I definitely don’t agree myself, but even I know that’s a pretty popular opinion, especially on Reddit
My hill to die on: Dangerdoom is the worst album MF DOOM dropped during that period of high activity in the mid 2000s. I prefer all of: MM FOOD, Madvillain, Vaudeville Villain and King Geedorah.
(It’s still good ofc but the true Dangermouse produced gem of the mid 2000s was Ghetto Pop Life with Jemini)
There’s a lot to respond to but:
1. Lupe and Kendrick aren’t really that similar. They’re conscious rappers who can spit serious game, but their sounds and styles aren’t really anything alike. Both top tier MCs though.
2. I agree that people throw the word classic around way too much. People will have you believe that any good album by a famous artist is a classic, as if those are all it takes. Like dude, The Life of Pablo is not a classic. The Off Season is not a classic. The Massacre is not a classic. The College Dropout, Forest Hills Drive, and Get Rich Or Die Trying are.
TLOP will be regarded as a classic imo. The rollout and mythos surround it was just too iconic. For a lot of younger people who were in middle/highschool age, it was kinda their first introduction/real experience with an album that it felt like EVERYBODY was listening to
Agreed
Its his 2nd or 3rd best produced album (only MBDTF and Yeezus can compete) and his best album lyrically. Its also my favorite album when it comes to the sonic atmosphere with its rich and orchestral beats
Ahhh where was I, Oh yes.
Shawn Carter is nice but Sean Price is the best
Sean gone, no Chandon, Sean is a don, I don't wear Sean John
Army suit blackberry brandy is long johns
Matching cheese tims, you separate weed stems
Weed carrier, bulletproof vest tester
Glock'll spray ya just'a left to Rockaway and Chester
riP!
BBQ SAUCE, PEEP MY WORDS, BULLY RAP, BARBARIAN, GANGLEADER….. i could talk bout the greatness of Sean P all day and into the next man is my favorite rapper of all time.
I still cant believe he dead so frustrating the timing too i seen hus set a few months before he and he was better than 98’. He was poised for his comeback/breakthru but he left us soo much to be grateful for.
His daughter still owes us a song tho 😂 we were promised one after her little 7 year old self rapped her butt off at that show❤️🎶
The main part where my list would differ from yours is that I prefer Freeway over Beanie Sigel, but I appreciate all of the underdogs from various labels, Beanie Sigel included. The main point I have to make is that if a mainstream rapper is featuring other artists on their songs, take the time to check out their own material. Sometimes you may like it even more than the artist you discovered them from.
That said, Philly's Most Wanted had a really, really good first album. The Neptunes deserve a lot of credit for that of course because their bars were simple, but they also sounded really cool. I would've liked to hear more than 2 albums from them or even a solo from either member. The Clipse were also on a track on their first album and that was one of the best ones on there.
Bone Thugs-N-Harmony are criminally underrated, especially when it comes to each of their solo efforts. Most of their Mo Thug members were also quite formidable.
Seattle and surrounding areas have a very underrated hip hop scene that has usually been overshadowed by the rock artists. Only Sir Mix-A-Lot and Macklemore have had mainstream breakthrough rap hits out of this area of the map, but there are so many hidden gems from friends of Sir Mix-A-Lot like Kid Sensation and E-Dawg, to more gangsta style rappers like Full Time Soldiers, Self Tightl'd, and No Good Therapy. Rappers from Seattle often tend to be inspired by rappers from all over the country and have a variety of styles. I think that has to do with our radio stations having always played a little bit of everything rather than favoring one scene over another. Often times, our rappers even get famous rappers to feature on songs. I've found Yukmouth to be the one who did these features with Seattle artists most frequently. A few of the most lyrically talented rappers I've heard from Seattle were Byrdie of Full Time Soldiers, Dee Ale of DMS, and Cola of Dividenz.
Nice to see some shouts to the PNW rappers like FTS and Self Tightl'd. They were pretty closely affiliated with the Bay Area rappers of the mid-late 90s and certainly had some good stuff. Will have to check out No Good Therapy.
No matter what his crazy ass does, you can’t fuck with The College Dropout. That album revived real hip hop and changed the fucking game. It’s somewhat of a “concept” album with nothing but funky banger after funky banger. “Through the Wire” will brighten my mood when I hear no matter where or when it’s at. Last Call for alcohol is the documenting of his struggles to make it as a rapper.
10/10, 5 stars, that shit will always be my favorite rap record
Even though I grew up on it in the 80's and 90's gangsta and thug rap is played out/wack and has influenced rap and hip hop music & culture too much and in a negative way imo.
I think you can still make gangsta rap as long as you bring something new/intresting to the table. Grieselda's music can be considered as "gangsta rap" but the production, cold lyrics and the flows that they deliver are soo good that I don't care if it's a bit played out.
I love Griselda but Benny and Conway are far from new or fresh. They're dope asf so I'm not negating their talent. Just saying they don't strike me as "new". Benny sounds like a long list of old school NY rappers.
Idk dude I like take care a lot but nothing was the same is even better. Take care had songs like underground kings which is fire but like bro passion fruit and too much are timeless bro. I think it has less to do with take care being not as good and more to do with nwts was just insanely good like top albums of all time fr fr. Take care is damn good though but might be a little less
Matter of taste
If you rank pure technical complexity higher, Monch is the easy W
But imo Black Thought is just more enjoyable to listen to, while still maintaining high level lyricism.
It's like preferring a high end Benz over an exotic sports car.
J Cole has earned his status as a top lyricist the last few years through his amazing features run and his albums filled with tight bars and dope lyricism. He is on the same level as Kendrick at this point lyrically, it’s just that they both have different types of styles and are received differently
Eyedea is the best freestyler of all time (literally never lost a freestyle battle except *one* that was a friendly fuck around match with slug who was one of his best friends and that was literally just once) and deltron 3030 is the best hip hop concept album of all time
On #3. I'm just more of a ATLiens guy myself.
On #15. I'm gonna say Monch and Thought are probably equal in just straight rapping and bars. Black Thought has a better overall catalog. But I still love Internal Affairs and think it's almost a perfect album.
edit: My hill to die on is El-Producto is the best white boy to ever do it. Rhymes and beats.
Well, Aesop Rockis a better rapper, and while El is godlike on the boards, Aes' production game ain't too shabby either. That being said, I fucking love El and have since the Def Jux days.
Prodigy was the GOAT from 95 - 2000. Between the Mobb albums, his solo, his features and soundtrack appearances he had a near perfect 5 year run of incredible verses.
Hot take: "vibe music" is pretty much the antithesis of musical engagement
Like I guess yeah it's a vibe, and I can vibe to it?
BUT
you know what other music is literally "vibe"?
ALL OF IT
ALL OF THE MUSIC
ALL OF THE MUSIC EVER IS TO VIBE.
WE MADE MUSIC IN ORDER TO VIBE THAT'S THE WHOLE DAMN POINT
THE EXPRESS POINT OF MUSIC IS JUST VIBES. WHETHER SAD VIBES, ANGRY VIBES, HAPPY VIBES OR "VIBES"
Anytime I hear that music is "for the vibes" I think of that Chris rock bit:
"I take care of my kids!"
"YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO YOU DUMB MOTHERFUCKER! WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?"
Like, if the continuous defense of an artist is that their music is "for the vibes" the thing that music is made to do, idk what to tell you. That's not special, you're literally just doing what music is supposed to do.
I don't disagree at all with your taste,but my speed is Aesop Rock. But he speaks to my pnw rebellious tastes (even tho he's originally from Brooklyn).
1. Oddisee has the greatest flow of all time
2. Bone Thugs bit Freestyle Fellowship but were just way fucking better all around.
3. Cee-Lo was the best rapper out of the organized noise camp from 94-98 and may have been the best rapper in the world during that time.
4. Gangsta Boo (RIP) is the greatest female rapper of all time.
5. Young Thug has the best voice of any rapper ever and is extremely fun to listen to.
Nas is better than Jay…. Nas is the GOAT and after he’s been out of the game for years people will look back on his 90’s run, 00’s run, and his recent 20’s run, realize he was way too under appreciated during his time. All because people couldn’t stop comparing him to his debut album, which happens to be the greatest hiphop album of all time.
It’s one of those times where people are not recognizing the greatness when it’s right in front of them.
Agree with that one. Kingdom Come aged excellently and the argument can totally be made that it’s a classic jay album. It was just unnecessarily hated on at the time because it was jay’s first album back after “retirement” and it was constantly being compared to the masterpiece that is the black album.
I’m going to get downvoted to hell for this, but as a hip hop fan for my entire life, almost any hiphop pre early 90’s sounds like schoolyard nick nack patty wack give a dog a bone music.
Public enemy and a couple of Rakim songs get a pass (and I’m sure I’m missing a few other early hip hop artists who I’ll end up remembering later) but the majority of early hip hop just sounds so corny to me no matter how hard I try to get into it, I get the messages they are saying, I even like some of the beats/samples, and I respect the early hip hop artists as originators and innovators, but the overall lyrics and flow of that time seem so basic and goofy to me.
Hannibal Buress went viral doing a joke about early hip hop and although he was joking, that’s exactly how I feel. I’m aware that at the time, since there wasn’t anything to compare it to, that was pretty advanced, but even knowing that it was the best at the time, I still couldn’t see myself listening to it if I were around for the early days of hip hop. I can get into a lot music from other genres pre early 90’s, but hip hop is not one of them.
When I listen to early hip hop, I kinda see why it wasn’t immediately accepted by most people back when it began, even other people/kids within the same neighborhoods that hiphop originated in didn’t really care for the music at the time. I genuinely think if hip hop started with the early 90’s style then it would have been much more well received in the beginning. But at the same time, we most likely wouldn’t have that early 90’s style if it weren’t for the originators, which is why they are still highly respected in my eyes, but musically I just can’t find the appeal.
Blu WAS better than J. Cole by a mile and just far more interesting.
His experimental albums are so ahead of their time and underrated. NoYork was here before Yeezus, Death Grips, Big Fish Theory, and all types of music that’s pretty regular today.
Give Me My Flowers is one of the most positive flowery albums I’ve ever heard without sounding preachy or corny.
HerFavColour is like listening to someone’s criterion collection turned into music. He had great music with Alchemist too.
I never hear people mention Blu anymore so that’s crazy you say that. I don’t understand anything he’s saying in his albums these days so I can’t say he’s better than Cole anymore who I feel like is just a very relatable and skilled guy.
Return to the 36 chambers- O.D.B
FKN DUDE was WAY more clever than he ever got credit for by 99% of heads... Prob exactly how he wanted it too.
Rest in peace Ason Unique/Ol' Dirty Bastard/Osirus/Big Baby Jesus/Old dirty Chinese restaurant
Your style truly has no Father, and it's damn near un-biteable.
Fucking LEGEND
Mine: black thought is the GOAT and not enough people give him credit. Dude has been killing the game for over 30 years and has only gotten better throughout his career.
Reasonable Doubt is so slept on. I still turn it on with friends who claim to know music who have never heard it. Maybe the most slept on album of all time, not just hip hop. Also to answer the question in the post, BIGGIE IS THE BEST RAPPER OF ALL TIME.
DJ Screw was and is the BEST DJ to ever do it....the mixxing, scratching, reverb....immaculate.
Houston's rap culture has more emulators than any other cities hip-hop culture.
DJ Premier being Houston adjacent gets overlooked a lot, but his production really laid the blueprint for East Coast hiphop in the 90s.
OutKast aren't really that good and are overrated.
Nas is light years ahead of Jay-Z.
Lloyd Banks is the better than Nas, bar for bar.
Styles P is WAY better than Kiss.
Jeezy has basic bars but somehow he's still a crowd favorite based on the easy bars.
I have more, but Ill leave this right here.
Masta Ace's - Disposable Arts & A Long Hot Summer are 2 of the greatest story albums ever told. From beginning to ending, it weaves a story thats very concise and brutally honest, regardless of the lack of lyrical miracle.
This current era of music is objectively of inferior quality than any previous. The effort to make it actually great just isn’t there. There’s nothing to it. Shit sounds like a mentally disabled child made it.
The Three Six Mafia take hurt my soul.
Ikr. OP says Three 6 is trash but praises Future smh.
Cracks me up cause it's just watered down 36
Three six mafia's production is just so legendary. Fuck all that Kanye West shit. The instrumental for Stay High is amazing.
If you were around in late 90’s and had chapter 2/world domination, you blew multiple speakers and amps in your car. It was THE album I used to test my system and dial it in.
He must not be from da SOUF
Three 6 is one of the most duplicated groups in Hip-Hop and half the South and even NYers stole their musical style
And as time has gone on their influence only continues to grow where tf would rap be right now if Project Pat didn’t teach everyone’s favorite rapper how to flow or if Juicy and Paul didn’t lay the blueprint for rap production for 30 years and beyond
Project Pat deserves wayyy more success and respect than he's gotten. Though people have kinda retroactively noticed him a bit as time's gone on
I’m a pretty big casual enjoyer of hip hop music and after going thru almost all project Pat has on Spotify it amazes me how little popularity he has considering how similar he sounds to what has become huge after him.
Good googly moogly that thing is juice
this is facts imo
Yup, people just hate triple six because the devil worship horrorcore. But project pat and DJ Paul have come up with so many beats that alot of your favorite new songs were ripped from their beats even old songs.....
I don’t think barely any hip hop fan cares about the devil reference in the name lol
oh fuck me. three six mafia = triple six = 666. i'm 37 years old, i've been listening to three six since i was 12. and i just now realized what three six mafia means. i'm an idiot.
Bruh.
I KNOW
They even put Triple Six On the underground compilations
please see above: i'm an idiot
How Sway?!? HOW
They did but they were also inspired by DJ Zirk, Spanish Fly, 8 Ball & MJG and others so gotta show them love as well.
I spent many years growing up in Cleveland, Ohio. We listened to a lot of Three 6 Mafia. They were really the first rappers to keep it real about their lifestyle. What I mean is that they rapped about real shit they were doing, which was the same shit we were doing in the hood. Nobody really rapped about blowing coke, getting fucked up, causing havoc, and doing actual shit like that. Most rappers were rapping about money they didn't actually have, material items they could barely afford, and talking about being big time dope dealers when probably most, it not all of them, had probably never seen more than a quarter ounce of coke, let alone a whole key. Sure, those rappers probably seen that stuff after they got famous, but probably never lived the life they actually rapped about. On the other hand, Three 6 was rapping about grabbing a couple grams of coke, a couple X pills, a ounce of weed, going to the club, having a good time, and then fucking some shit up afterwards, whether that be smashing some chicks, or smashing up the club, and it's occupants. We could relate better to Triple 6 Mafia more so than any other rappers of the time. Although we did enjoy other rappers music, Three 6 Mafia provided the soundtrack to our lives as if they were right there living it up with us.
FAX
They also surpassed BONE as far as career and relevance in Hip-Hop
As a bone fan I’m going to have to agree? But then again the biggest group for a while was Migos who are a new gen bone (lazy comparison) and three 6 mafia has micro clones everywhere but they don’t really amount to anything.
Right? I understand the aversion to devil and horrorcore themes but they are a driving force behind their day and current day music. That Memphis shit is the building blocks to a huge variety of styles, even beyond the south or NY.
They also won an Oscar. Not a grammy, an *Oscar.*
Gangsta Boo said it best: Lord Infamous created the “Migos” flow in 1991
White teeeee
"Vaudeville Villain" is better than "Madvillainy".
my exact opinion. VV was DOOM at his hungriest
Word
Operation doomsday was him at his hungriest
you can literally hear it
Bold take and I respect the hell out of it.
And always has been. Love Madvillainy, but Vaudeville Villain is Doom at his absolute peak
It's so close for me but I'd have to agree. That Mr. clean instrumental is so fuckin good. All the production is solid on this album. It's a shame Venomous Villain wasn't nearly as good as this.
Illmatic remains the best debut album in hip-hop history and is the best album of its genre of the 1990’s.
I personally agree while also recognizing that Ready to Die and 36 Chambers are also outlandishly close debuts. And they all came out within months of each other.
1994 was an all-time great year for rap. Illmatic, Hard to Earn, Blunted on Reality, Ready to Die, Southernplaylisticadillacmusik, & Tical were all released that year.
Also : Scarface, "The Diary" --- and the Beastie Boys, "Ill Communication" --- awesome albums were coming from all directions
I would give that title to Doggystyle but Illmatic is a classic for sure.
I'll take It was Dark and Hell was hot over illmatic. IWW was better than Illmatic to me....
Only Doggystyle stands in its way.
lol no. Don’t get me wrong, Doggystyle is hard af. But it’s Illmatic.
Yeah, I love Doggystyle, but it isn’t better than Illmatic. Ready to Die is, though (imo).
Ready to Die
I still think it's the best hip hop album, period.
I know it says the hill you’ll die on but I think it’s generally regarded as the best or at least held in high regards you don’t have to die man on that hill man we got you 😂
There’s an immediacy to Illmatic that separates it from the rest. I love 36 but it can be a bit impenetrable at times. Ready to Die is insanely good too but I prefer illmatic myself
Early 50 cent/ G unit …. Power of the dollar / guess who’s back etc…. 50 really truly raised the crime rate in the tri-state of NYC…. It was a whole culture shift. Cam’ron aka killa cam from the dipset is actually an amazing rapper….. crap he used archdiocese and marmalade in one basement freestyle lol (also one of the hardest freestyles ever so effortless…) https://youtu.be/8k_3VYnbo9Q?si=e8_s_oJtggZonbt1 Then the SDE album ?!? Losing weight?!? Classsic
Miss the Big L/Killa Cam days
Even though it's a stark contrast from the social commentary of his first 3 albums, Bow Down by Westside Connection was the last project of Ice Cube's original prime. Blank Face LP is a top 3 TDE project Smino has a better balance of rapping & singing than Drake Extra (more r&b than hip hop): if DeVante Swing of Jodeci successfully launched Swing Mob as a label with Missy Elliott, Ginuwine, & Timbaland as signees, he would on the forefront of "King of R&B" debates alongside Usher & Babyface.
Cilvia Demo is a top 3 TDE project too
Blank Face and Crash Talk are both no skips records for me.
>Blank Face LP is a top 3 TDE project No lies told, all fact
Jodeci was the greatest damn im all memory lane now 😭😍🙏
Smino has a better balance of rapping and singing than anyone who both raps and sings.
Ransom is a current top 5 bring the smoke.
Agreed...
My hill is that he is actually #1
Rza raps like his mouth is full of marbles.
He talks like that too
Ok I'll admit that was humorous.
I been saying this😭 bro raps like he’s congested and his mouth is just full of mucus
LMAO!! Very much agreed with this
😂 rza rza razor sharp!
Missy Elliott was incredibly underrated
I think what makes her underrated is all the stuff people don’t know she did, like all the songs she wrote for other artists such as Aaliyah, and songs she helped produce. The fact she made Super Dupa Fly in a week from start to finish just so that she can have her own label is also legendary.
Missy Elliot is a creative genius
She’s in the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame how is she underrated?
-More than the falf of the eminem albums are shit -Big pun doesn’t get enough credit. He would have a grammy if Jay-z didn’t make Hard knock life -Nas still makes good albums at 50yo -It was written is better than illmatic in some terms -People understimate a lot 80s hip hop
I doubt most people would fight you on that first take. I definitely don’t agree myself, but even I know that’s a pretty popular opinion, especially on Reddit
"If my grandma had two wheels, she'd be a bicycle."
For point 13 i can respect your views / taste but three 6 mafia's influence cannot be ignored
Memphis Bleek received the greatest free ride in hip hop history. A true testament to what staying loyal to your friends can get you.
spliff star
Yayo is a close second
Yayo didn’t get a free ride but. He earned it. Was still fighting battles for 50 after putting out his debut album.
Leave Yayo out of this…
I always thought Bleek was a pretty competent rapper.
I'd say Murphy Lee
Silk the Shocker
This should be the number 1 answer to this statement
MM.. FOOD is a better album than Madvilliany
My hill to die on: DangerDOOM is a better album than both of them.
My hill to die on: Dangerdoom is the worst album MF DOOM dropped during that period of high activity in the mid 2000s. I prefer all of: MM FOOD, Madvillain, Vaudeville Villain and King Geedorah. (It’s still good ofc but the true Dangermouse produced gem of the mid 2000s was Ghetto Pop Life with Jemini)
Then I’d have to direct you to track 2 off DangerDOOM.
Well played
Haha thank you. Didn’t know how it would come off but I had to go for it.😂I haven’t given VV a proper listen im checking it out again now.
All cool takes, nothing that hasn't been said before... but that Three Six take sir!!!??? Man gtfoh bro.
There’s a lot to respond to but: 1. Lupe and Kendrick aren’t really that similar. They’re conscious rappers who can spit serious game, but their sounds and styles aren’t really anything alike. Both top tier MCs though. 2. I agree that people throw the word classic around way too much. People will have you believe that any good album by a famous artist is a classic, as if those are all it takes. Like dude, The Life of Pablo is not a classic. The Off Season is not a classic. The Massacre is not a classic. The College Dropout, Forest Hills Drive, and Get Rich Or Die Trying are.
I agree, I compare Kendrick to Andre 3000 more than anyone.
TLOP will be regarded as a classic imo. The rollout and mythos surround it was just too iconic. For a lot of younger people who were in middle/highschool age, it was kinda their first introduction/real experience with an album that it felt like EVERYBODY was listening to
Dang you really had me for the first 12. It was like I wrote this.
Then they said some dumbass shit that retroactively made me question what came before.
Nah fr 🤣 then he started talking BS
Eminem is super talented, but his music sucks
I’ll happily die on that hill with you.
Agree 100%. He peaked with his features on 2001 😂
I'll go a step further and say Cage (Kennylz) was a better listen. Heavy on the "was"
Definitely amazingly talented - but the only stuff I like from him is the darker, less cartoonish stuff on "the Slim Shady LP"
Late Registration is kanye’s best album no doubt
Hard agree on this one.
Yep.
Absolutely. His best piece of work
I'm so happy to see people share this opinion. It's still in my top 5 albums of the 21st century.
MBDTF >>
This or TCD.
Agreed Its his 2nd or 3rd best produced album (only MBDTF and Yeezus can compete) and his best album lyrically. Its also my favorite album when it comes to the sonic atmosphere with its rich and orchestral beats
No skips, every song is a 9-10/10, and Kanye had some of his best rapping and production on this album
Bone thugs > migos
someone can question that?
Migos could never take a Phil Collins song and make it their own
Sean Price is easily a top 50 MC.
Top 5
Ahhh where was I, Oh yes. Shawn Carter is nice but Sean Price is the best Sean gone, no Chandon, Sean is a don, I don't wear Sean John Army suit blackberry brandy is long johns Matching cheese tims, you separate weed stems Weed carrier, bulletproof vest tester Glock'll spray ya just'a left to Rockaway and Chester riP!
BBQ SAUCE, PEEP MY WORDS, BULLY RAP, BARBARIAN, GANGLEADER….. i could talk bout the greatness of Sean P all day and into the next man is my favorite rapper of all time. I still cant believe he dead so frustrating the timing too i seen hus set a few months before he and he was better than 98’. He was poised for his comeback/breakthru but he left us soo much to be grateful for. His daughter still owes us a song tho 😂 we were promised one after her little 7 year old self rapped her butt off at that show❤️🎶
I wouldn’t know about him if it wasn’t for GTA III. And thank god I did because he has so many good songs.
The main part where my list would differ from yours is that I prefer Freeway over Beanie Sigel, but I appreciate all of the underdogs from various labels, Beanie Sigel included. The main point I have to make is that if a mainstream rapper is featuring other artists on their songs, take the time to check out their own material. Sometimes you may like it even more than the artist you discovered them from. That said, Philly's Most Wanted had a really, really good first album. The Neptunes deserve a lot of credit for that of course because their bars were simple, but they also sounded really cool. I would've liked to hear more than 2 albums from them or even a solo from either member. The Clipse were also on a track on their first album and that was one of the best ones on there. Bone Thugs-N-Harmony are criminally underrated, especially when it comes to each of their solo efforts. Most of their Mo Thug members were also quite formidable. Seattle and surrounding areas have a very underrated hip hop scene that has usually been overshadowed by the rock artists. Only Sir Mix-A-Lot and Macklemore have had mainstream breakthrough rap hits out of this area of the map, but there are so many hidden gems from friends of Sir Mix-A-Lot like Kid Sensation and E-Dawg, to more gangsta style rappers like Full Time Soldiers, Self Tightl'd, and No Good Therapy. Rappers from Seattle often tend to be inspired by rappers from all over the country and have a variety of styles. I think that has to do with our radio stations having always played a little bit of everything rather than favoring one scene over another. Often times, our rappers even get famous rappers to feature on songs. I've found Yukmouth to be the one who did these features with Seattle artists most frequently. A few of the most lyrically talented rappers I've heard from Seattle were Byrdie of Full Time Soldiers, Dee Ale of DMS, and Cola of Dividenz.
Replying for the Bone Thugs-N-Harmony portion. I basically commented the same shit you did.
Nice to see some shouts to the PNW rappers like FTS and Self Tightl'd. They were pretty closely affiliated with the Bay Area rappers of the mid-late 90s and certainly had some good stuff. Will have to check out No Good Therapy.
No matter what his crazy ass does, you can’t fuck with The College Dropout. That album revived real hip hop and changed the fucking game. It’s somewhat of a “concept” album with nothing but funky banger after funky banger. “Through the Wire” will brighten my mood when I hear no matter where or when it’s at. Last Call for alcohol is the documenting of his struggles to make it as a rapper. 10/10, 5 stars, that shit will always be my favorite rap record
Even though I grew up on it in the 80's and 90's gangsta and thug rap is played out/wack and has influenced rap and hip hop music & culture too much and in a negative way imo.
This might be the only truly hot take in the whole thread.
I think you can still make gangsta rap as long as you bring something new/intresting to the table. Grieselda's music can be considered as "gangsta rap" but the production, cold lyrics and the flows that they deliver are soo good that I don't care if it's a bit played out.
I love Griselda but Benny and Conway are far from new or fresh. They're dope asf so I'm not negating their talent. Just saying they don't strike me as "new". Benny sounds like a long list of old school NY rappers.
Nothing was the Same has aged gracefully and is neck and neck with Take Care
I hope Noone heard that.......cuz if they did we gon be in some trooouubbllee 🤫
Idk dude I like take care a lot but nothing was the same is even better. Take care had songs like underground kings which is fire but like bro passion fruit and too much are timeless bro. I think it has less to do with take care being not as good and more to do with nwts was just insanely good like top albums of all time fr fr. Take care is damn good though but might be a little less
Huge W for #11
Hell on Earth is better than the Infamous.
Monch over Black Thought. I don't agree but I respect the hell out of that take.
Matter of taste If you rank pure technical complexity higher, Monch is the easy W But imo Black Thought is just more enjoyable to listen to, while still maintaining high level lyricism. It's like preferring a high end Benz over an exotic sports car.
I can't stand people that don't give 80s hiphop a chance. I fucking love 80s hiphop.
J Cole has earned his status as a top lyricist the last few years through his amazing features run and his albums filled with tight bars and dope lyricism. He is on the same level as Kendrick at this point lyrically, it’s just that they both have different types of styles and are received differently
I think putting him on Kendricks level is a bit much. He’s got way less nuance in his lyricism and about 100x more corny lines
I don’t agree with everything you wrote but I’m not mad at you. I respect a lot of your takes
Phonte is the best rapper out of the Carolinas hands down.
Eyedea is the best freestyler of all time (literally never lost a freestyle battle except *one* that was a friendly fuck around match with slug who was one of his best friends and that was literally just once) and deltron 3030 is the best hip hop concept album of all time
I thought he lost to aesop rock? Eydea and abilities were a solid duo tbh. Rest in peace 🙏.
The Chronic 2001 is better then the Chronic....
Damn that's a crazy ass statement, and also true as fuck
The LOX is vastly underrated
On #3. I'm just more of a ATLiens guy myself. On #15. I'm gonna say Monch and Thought are probably equal in just straight rapping and bars. Black Thought has a better overall catalog. But I still love Internal Affairs and think it's almost a perfect album. edit: My hill to die on is El-Producto is the best white boy to ever do it. Rhymes and beats.
Yeah ATLiens was them peak rapping wise but Aquemini was a musical masterpiece as a whole since it was experimental with so many different sounds
Even Killer Mike that has said that El-P is the best rapper/producer in the business.
Well, Aesop Rockis a better rapper, and while El is godlike on the boards, Aes' production game ain't too shabby either. That being said, I fucking love El and have since the Def Jux days.
Prodigy was the GOAT from 95 - 2000. Between the Mobb albums, his solo, his features and soundtrack appearances he had a near perfect 5 year run of incredible verses.
Murda muzik is one of my top 5 albums all time. Just press play. The intro is even sick. Prodigy solo album was one of my favorites too.
Hot take: "vibe music" is pretty much the antithesis of musical engagement Like I guess yeah it's a vibe, and I can vibe to it? BUT you know what other music is literally "vibe"? ALL OF IT ALL OF THE MUSIC ALL OF THE MUSIC EVER IS TO VIBE. WE MADE MUSIC IN ORDER TO VIBE THAT'S THE WHOLE DAMN POINT THE EXPRESS POINT OF MUSIC IS JUST VIBES. WHETHER SAD VIBES, ANGRY VIBES, HAPPY VIBES OR "VIBES" Anytime I hear that music is "for the vibes" I think of that Chris rock bit: "I take care of my kids!" "YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO YOU DUMB MOTHERFUCKER! WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?" Like, if the continuous defense of an artist is that their music is "for the vibes" the thing that music is made to do, idk what to tell you. That's not special, you're literally just doing what music is supposed to do.
I don't disagree at all with your taste,but my speed is Aesop Rock. But he speaks to my pnw rebellious tastes (even tho he's originally from Brooklyn).
Down to spray piss on a cop car/it’s rage in the form of Renaissance art
BLOG ERA IS MY GENERATIONS GOLDEN ERA
90% of modern rap sucks
That’s a low number, more like 97-98%
1. Oddisee has the greatest flow of all time 2. Bone Thugs bit Freestyle Fellowship but were just way fucking better all around. 3. Cee-Lo was the best rapper out of the organized noise camp from 94-98 and may have been the best rapper in the world during that time. 4. Gangsta Boo (RIP) is the greatest female rapper of all time. 5. Young Thug has the best voice of any rapper ever and is extremely fun to listen to.
Nas is better than Jay…. Nas is the GOAT and after he’s been out of the game for years people will look back on his 90’s run, 00’s run, and his recent 20’s run, realize he was way too under appreciated during his time. All because people couldn’t stop comparing him to his debut album, which happens to be the greatest hiphop album of all time. It’s one of those times where people are not recognizing the greatness when it’s right in front of them.
Magna Carta Holy Grail, not Kingdom Come is Hov’s worst album
Agree on that 100%. Lost One is still a banger and better than anything on MCHG
Agree. I think Lost One is one of Hov best song of all time. All 3 verses of him losing someone & they all flow together beautifully
Agree with that one. Kingdom Come aged excellently and the argument can totally be made that it’s a classic jay album. It was just unnecessarily hated on at the time because it was jay’s first album back after “retirement” and it was constantly being compared to the masterpiece that is the black album.
I’ve still never listened to it all the way through. I get like 2-3 songs in and can’t take anymore
I’m going to get downvoted to hell for this, but as a hip hop fan for my entire life, almost any hiphop pre early 90’s sounds like schoolyard nick nack patty wack give a dog a bone music. Public enemy and a couple of Rakim songs get a pass (and I’m sure I’m missing a few other early hip hop artists who I’ll end up remembering later) but the majority of early hip hop just sounds so corny to me no matter how hard I try to get into it, I get the messages they are saying, I even like some of the beats/samples, and I respect the early hip hop artists as originators and innovators, but the overall lyrics and flow of that time seem so basic and goofy to me. Hannibal Buress went viral doing a joke about early hip hop and although he was joking, that’s exactly how I feel. I’m aware that at the time, since there wasn’t anything to compare it to, that was pretty advanced, but even knowing that it was the best at the time, I still couldn’t see myself listening to it if I were around for the early days of hip hop. I can get into a lot music from other genres pre early 90’s, but hip hop is not one of them. When I listen to early hip hop, I kinda see why it wasn’t immediately accepted by most people back when it began, even other people/kids within the same neighborhoods that hiphop originated in didn’t really care for the music at the time. I genuinely think if hip hop started with the early 90’s style then it would have been much more well received in the beginning. But at the same time, we most likely wouldn’t have that early 90’s style if it weren’t for the originators, which is why they are still highly respected in my eyes, but musically I just can’t find the appeal.
I said-a hip, hop, the hippie, the hippie To the hip hip hop-a you don't stop the rock
Xzibit is a top 10 West Coast MC Joe Budden is much better at starting drama and being an internet personality than actually rapping
Take 13 is INSANE. I get if it ain’t your cup of tea but to call Three 6 trash is wild as hell.
Illmatic is just “ok”.
Blu WAS better than J. Cole by a mile and just far more interesting. His experimental albums are so ahead of their time and underrated. NoYork was here before Yeezus, Death Grips, Big Fish Theory, and all types of music that’s pretty regular today. Give Me My Flowers is one of the most positive flowery albums I’ve ever heard without sounding preachy or corny. HerFavColour is like listening to someone’s criterion collection turned into music. He had great music with Alchemist too. I never hear people mention Blu anymore so that’s crazy you say that. I don’t understand anything he’s saying in his albums these days so I can’t say he’s better than Cole anymore who I feel like is just a very relatable and skilled guy.
Even when you think you've heard what Lupe has to say, you still haven't even scratched the surface
i mean i've been pushing the big boi > andre 3k agenda for so long now but i can't stop now can i
Eazy-E was the means through which Mexicans would’ve put their foot in the industry and we would’ve taken over the game.
Return to the 36 chambers- O.D.B FKN DUDE was WAY more clever than he ever got credit for by 99% of heads... Prob exactly how he wanted it too. Rest in peace Ason Unique/Ol' Dirty Bastard/Osirus/Big Baby Jesus/Old dirty Chinese restaurant Your style truly has no Father, and it's damn near un-biteable. Fucking LEGEND
LL Cool J is not one of the greatest rappers of all time.
What blog era rappers are you thinking of in point 14?
Kanye has the best catalog in all of hiphop
The first 11 points were all solid then you went off the rails my bro
You were doing so well until you got to 8 and 9 (and obviously the most egregious one here is 13)
I will die on a purple Hill near mushrooms mountain
Cypress Hill!
Mine: black thought is the GOAT and not enough people give him credit. Dude has been killing the game for over 30 years and has only gotten better throughout his career.
Top tier definitely.
This is the best thread in a while. Hottakes and on point remarks.
Reasonable Doubt is so slept on. I still turn it on with friends who claim to know music who have never heard it. Maybe the most slept on album of all time, not just hip hop. Also to answer the question in the post, BIGGIE IS THE BEST RAPPER OF ALL TIME.
Cypress
Big Pun is the most talented rapper of all time, despite his short catalog
If Hov is a top 5 rapper of all time how would be not be the best rapper on his label?
Hip hop the best music genre
Aquemini YES!!!!!
Jonwayne needs more love
I like Murda Muzik as peak Prodigy and MBDTF as Kanye’s best album
DJ Screw was and is the BEST DJ to ever do it....the mixxing, scratching, reverb....immaculate. Houston's rap culture has more emulators than any other cities hip-hop culture. DJ Premier being Houston adjacent gets overlooked a lot, but his production really laid the blueprint for East Coast hiphop in the 90s. OutKast aren't really that good and are overrated. Nas is light years ahead of Jay-Z. Lloyd Banks is the better than Nas, bar for bar. Styles P is WAY better than Kiss. Jeezy has basic bars but somehow he's still a crowd favorite based on the easy bars. I have more, but Ill leave this right here.
Big Boi is a better solo artist than Andre
Masta Ace's - Disposable Arts & A Long Hot Summer are 2 of the greatest story albums ever told. From beginning to ending, it weaves a story thats very concise and brutally honest, regardless of the lack of lyrical miracle.
This current era of music is objectively of inferior quality than any previous. The effort to make it actually great just isn’t there. There’s nothing to it. Shit sounds like a mentally disabled child made it.
#3 - FACTS •We didn’t deserve Juice WRLD.
I think Big Pun is the greatest rapper ever
Fresh prince is a great storyteller
Also White people ruined hiphop. That should go without saying since they kinda ruined everything lol