Best Produced Hip Hop Album - 1996

[Inspect Her Deck]

I've never understood this argument of picking and choosing what sounds dated.
That death row sound is completely dead in the mainstream. Pretty much completely dead period. What makes it sound fresh?
What makes Ironman sound dated?

Neither album sounds remotely close to what the current sound of hip hop is.

To me, either none of it is dated, or it all is.

I think dated means would you be able to play it today and still sound fresh? Rather than is it the representative sound of the hip-hop landscape today...

In that case, AEOM sounds fresh because sonically it is expertly mastered and mixed and the beats hold up well. Ironman doesn't hold up as well though it still is decent in its own right. Obviously an album like Criminal Minded is super dated imo. A masterpiece but confined to the limitations of the era it was released in.

That's just my 2 cents.

 

[Dominic Brehetto]

I've never understood this argument of picking and choosing what sounds dated.
That death row sound is completely dead in the mainstream. Pretty much completely dead period. What makes it sound fresh?
What makes Ironman sound dated?

Neither album sounds remotely close to what the current sound of hip hop is.

To me, either none of it is dated, or it all is.

Iron man and all eyez on me don't even sound like they came from the same decade.

 

[JayBaldacci]

Please. All eyez on me sounds fresh even today.


It's one of the best produced hip hop albums of all time.

Iron man sounds dated.

How is AEOM not dated if Ironman is? They both sound like the 90s in different ways.

 

[mobbinfms]

who did it first?

The Roots. All those comic book covers have been made recently. There's a bunch of them.

 

[mobbinfms]

In that case, AEOM sounds fresh because sonically it is expertly mastered and mixed and the beats hold up well.

Ok. I can see the idea that have a super pristine mix would sound less dated than something like 36 Chambers.
But Ironman wasn't the 36 Chambers/Tical sound.
I don't know what "the beats hold up well" means. Outside of personal taste.

I think dated means would you be able to play it today and still sound fresh?

I don't know what "sounds fresh" means. Outside of it having a clean/pristine mix.

Obviously an album like Criminal Minded is super dated imo. A masterpiece but confined to the limitations of the era it was released in.

Criminal Minded sounds like an 80s hip hop album to me. Specically a late 80s sample based hip hop album.
AEOM sounds like a mid 90s west coast album.
Ironman sounds like a mid 90s east coast album.

 

[mobbinfms]

Iron man and all eyez on me don't even sound like they came from the same decade.

Are you saying AEOM doesn't sound like a 90s west coast album? That it sounds like a 2000s west coast album?
Or that Iron Man sounds like an 80s album?

 

[mobbinfms]

How is AEOM not dated if Ironman is? They both sound like the 90s in different ways.

Exactly.

 

[Clive42]

It's not even close really. This was the album where Hav solidified his spot as the GOAT producer :havdahell:

Everybody should have this album on tape, CD and vinyl. :havarmscrossed:
Lettuce not forget his work on the GOAT EP that same year

Its about time i listen to Hell on Earth, been hearing about its greatness for years.

Will add Big Noyd's album to the list

 

[Demon]

whoever didnt pick hell on earth is just a stan to some other artists.

my own mobb stanning aside...this is easily the best produced album of 96. There isn't an album listed that is anywhere near as cohesive Hell on Earth is

 

[Inspect Her Deck]

Ok. I can see the idea that have a super pristine mix would sound less dated than something like 36 Chambers.
But Ironman wasn't the 36 Chambers/Tical sound.
I don't know what "the beats hold up well" means. Outside of personal taste.

I don't know what "sounds fresh" means. Outside of it having a clean/pristine mix.

Criminal Minded sounds like an 80s hip hop album to me. Specically a late 80s sample based hip hop album.
AEOM sounds like a mid 90s west coast album.
Ironman sounds like a mid 90s east coast album.

maybe it is just that the mid 90s west coast sound was fresher and holds up better today, meaning it can be more appreciated today for its clarity or clean/pristine mix as you said

 

[Bugsmoran]

Honorable Mention

 

[T.he I.nformant]

All them classics

That Roots cover

 

[shopthatwrecks]

Go revisit or visit if u never heard these twp

 

[Clive42]

@Clive42 you should listen to Hell On Earth as soon as you can :psalute:

Will do, along with all the other albums from this thread series that i should've heard but havent.

Ive actually had it for a few years already, but never got around to listening to it. Have heard a couple songs from it, plus 'hoodlum' and 'back at you' which i think came out around the same time.

 

[Clive42]

master p - ice cream man

but i cant vote for it because theres too much backpack on the list.

Sorry about that