Can we be real and admit that the mass appeal releases thus far have been absolutely wack?

[spliz]

We're handing out participation trophies in hip hop now?

I don't care what your age or status is. If you're going to release an album it should be judged and critiqued according to it's quality.

I mean what do nikkas want? It’s not like these shyts is winning awards. Only 2 albums getting glazed crazy is Clipse and Gibbs. Outside of that. nikkas say Rae shyt is dope and Slick Rick still sounds good in 2025. Oh the horror! lol. nikkas need to get a life. None of these Mass Appeal joints are being pushed on anybody. They aren’t selling a crazy amount of records. They aren’t having a million music videos attached. U have some streamers and reactors giving opinions and a few platforms giving legends flowers. Thats about it. They not finna win no undeserved awards like some of these mainstream nikkas. I would listen to 2 of Roc’s last 3 full length albums(Elephant Man’s Bones and Skeleton Key) over GNX or Drake new shyt any day of the week. But one of them shyts(GNX) is literally being called a classic by all of hip hop media while the other is all over the radio(Drake). I don’t see this nikka making threads about that bullshyt. Since nikkas wanna talk about hype and participation points.

 

[AnonymityX1000]

OP might be onto something

No he's just a white boy trying to big up white boys at the expense of legends. No one is giving out fake reviews.

 

[Zero]

No he's just a white boy trying to big up white boys at the expense of legends. No one is giving out fake reviews.

I really don't care what it is, I got better music to listen to

 

[spliz]

I really don't care what it is, I got better music to listen to

shyt me too. Peep my post in this thread. And tell me I’m lying. lol.

 

[Pop123]

So the tracks are terrible and wack to you? But in the comments, everybody is saying it's fire and shhit? So because you don't like the songs personally, the commenters must just be old heads or bots or sumn? Copy.


And not for nothing, but anyone on the "it's having no impact" talk...Raekwon is 50 something. Slick Rick is like 60? Idk but he gotta be close to it. Etc... What are yall doing? Lol, this is hip hop, where they call you old and washed @ 30 now, it's Neverland. Just appreciate good music (if you think it's good)...caring about anything outside of that, as a fan, is goofy.

 

[Lucky_Lefty]

My point is that expecting great albums from Rae at 55 and Slick Rick at 60 is completely unrealistic. We should just be happy they’re healthy and making music that at least some of their fans enjoy

Bruh, nikkas was in that Rick thread calling that shyt a classic and saying it’s a “visual album” and other dumb shyt like that. IDC if the man is 60, that shyt is the weakest in the Slick Rick canon and doesn’t come close to previous works. This Rae album is tough to get into too

 

[KFBF]

Everything has been mid to fine. That's probably a better average than any other hip hop label in the same amount of time.

Run the Jewels is corny though.

 

[AnonymityX1000]

I really don't care what it is, I got better music to listen to

No wonder you commented. WTF?!

 

[Ziggiy]

What it comes down to for me is expectations.

For Slick Rick, its been TWENTY FIVE YEARS since he released an album. I wasn’t expecting an all time classic but I was expecting an album that was worth the wait and allowed The Ruler to be himself and thats what I feel like I got. Plus a bonus was the Visual Album strategy. I LOVE visual albums, have since I was a kid watching Michael Jackson’s Moonwalker. Slick’s visual album was very well done so I was satisfied.

With Rae and Ghost I was hoping for a return to form. It had been 7 years since Raekwon’s last album (which was good) and 10 years since Ghost’s last GOOD album. However that form took I was good as long as I could enjoy a complete body of work from two of my favorite MC’s. I wasn’t here to bytch about Alchemist not producing every song or cry about RZA not being involved like it’s 1998 again. Rae delivered an enjoyable album that i’ve been bumping consistently since it dropped. There was more pressure on Ghost because he named his album as a sequel to one of the most celebrated and classic albums of all time, and SC2 isn’t thematically or lyrically similar to that album, its more in the vein of Fishscale 3 or Pretty Tony 2, but again, its Ghost back to making great music, storytelling like only he can, humorous skits, great guest features, i’m satisfied.

All three of these albums are enjoyable to me and i’m glad that the veteran MC’s can make the music THEY want to make and can release it via a label that gives a damn about their art and won’t hold up or pushback release dates dependent on a godawful Lil Uzi feature or a Yatchy verse to push as some bullshyt single. Or force them to take off a verse to appease a bytch ass Canadian’s feelings. Or hold up sample clearances. Or force them into a 360.

Now bring on Mobb Deep, De La, Big L and Nas/Premier!

 

[THE 101]

I think most of the overpraise comes from old heads who don't really listen to new releases anymore, so there's a desperation for these joints to be better than they are. They never moved on from the artists they listened to in their youth. These the type of mfs who can't even fukk with Griselda and Marci because the drums ain't hard enough

At this point, it's better to think of these Legend Has It releases as lil victory laps for legacy artists. A way of showing appreciation for their past work. The albums are like vessels for them legends to get a lil bit of spotlight. The music just ain't good enough on its own. None of these shyts are going to be remembered in the future.

 

[u mad son?]

I was right. SC2 is terrible.

 

[2ATMsYouSteppinOrWhat]

i’ll say this
if hov were to drop an album right now… it would be fire…
and it would probably be a moment

 

[L. Deezy]

i’ll say this
if hov were to drop an album right now… it would be fire…
and it would probably be a moment

true.. but he has a shyt load of money to put behind it from production to promotion. but his last project which was with Jay Elec felt like some of these albums that nyggas criticizing.

 

[2ATMsYouSteppinOrWhat]

true.. but he has a shyt load of money to put behind it from production to promotion. but his last project which was with Jay Elec felt like some of these albums that nyggas criticizing.

all these artists that are dropping have the notoriety and respect to get any type of feature or producer… and they releasing this thru esco shyt… so at the very least esco can call in some favors

and theyre phoning it in

buddy was right when he said theyre playing into the nostalgia factor and capitalizing off it

more power to them but again i see it as some of these rappers not actually caring about the craft that they supposedly love

what nas did with that hitboy run is hard to duplicate… and i dont think that run was all that amazing to me… maybe i need to give another chance but you can tell with nas that it was actually something special for him

just locking in with someone to create something cohesive… and it shows

i’m just ranting but thats how i see it

 

[Awesome Wells]

The Rae album was almost dope.

But it's true. Mass Appeal and this series haven't lived up to the expectations. You got MC's in their mid-50's who have their own labels, but with mad lean budgets, trying to recapture their greatness on a label that's known for having limited funds too.

So they're not gonna get the right production, or the proper promotion, or even A&R work because they can't afford it. And then the artists themselves are going to do whatever to cut costs. So if you do that, you're most likely gonna get a subpar product. The issue is, legends are cheap as a MF! And they do not want to spend on making music today.