Can we revisit Black On Both Sides for a second?

[PlayerNinety_Nine]

Which is crazy becuz they were starting to come into their own right when the internet was

It was terrible timing.

Saigon was mentioned earlier in the thread, and I think his career is definitely different if Rawkus sticks around and he becomes a big fish in their indie pond as opposed to getting shelved on a major until Just Blaze looks out for him.

 

[I love Latina women]

I actually smoked a blunt with Hi Tek back in 2000 after a show. We had just saw RE, Common, De La, and Pharoah Monch. We were pulling out the parking lot and started smoking when we saw. Hi Tek crossing the street.

We pulled over like “yooooo it’s Hi Tek “

He came over and dapped us up and smelled the weed. He was like “smells like y’all got something good going on over here “

We asked him if he wanted to hit it. He was like cool “I ain’t got shyt to do till the after party”. He hopped in the backseat and passed it around with us

Damn, that's what's up!

 

[Yayo Toure]

Yea idk what happened. I hung with some wild cats back then who used to laugh at the Black Star album but even they loved this album. The streets were all over it. Dude was even somewhat of a heartthrob too becuz the ladies loved this nikka

yeah he had it all. Could've had a career similar to Nas. I saw him live a year ago at a Chapelle show, it was dope, but sad knowing what he was supposed to be.

 

[TheDarceKnight]

It was terrible timing.

Saigon was mentioned earlier in the thread, and I think his career is definitely different if Rawkus sticks around and he becomes a big fish in their indie pond as opposed to getting shelved on a major until Just Blaze looks out for him.

Yeah man a lot of cats like like Saigon and Little Brother came out at the worst time. Especially for LB, they had a big online following because it was the birth of the social media era and they were big on message boards. But there was no way to measure followers or likes, and streams weren't a thing just yet.

If LB had come out a few years earlier when Rawkus was in its prime or a few years later when it was easier to measure online fan engagement, I think their career would've been much bigger. Atlantic (who also had Saigon signed at the time) was really on some "we can tell you've got a strong following but we can't measure it, therefor we don't know how to sell you or what to do with you."

I never met Saigon or worked with him in any capacity, so I don't know if his frustration with Atlantic was over similar issues, but it wouldn't surprise me if it was. I just know Greatest Story Never Told was dine and finished in 2006 and didn't release for another 5 years. It's a shame too because if it had dropped in that 2006 climate it would've been received so much better.

I actually smoked a blunt with Hi Tek back in 2000 after a show. We had just saw RE, Common, De La, and Pharoah Monch. We were pulling out the parking lot and started smoking when we saw. Hi Tek crossing the street.

We pulled over like “yooooo it’s Hi Tek “

He came over and dapped us up and smelled the weed. He was like “smells like y’all got something good going on over here “

We asked him if he wanted to hit it. He was like cool “I ain’t got shyt to do till the after party”. He hopped in the backseat and passed it around with us

That's a great story!

 

[Black Miller]

man this album is so timeless and it got everything for any type of rap head- if you wanted a dope girl single ms. fat booty, then the thinking man joints all throughout, local hood love joints like Brooklyn, smooth melodies on umi says. lyrical concepts like mathematics, dope features with busta. great intro, just an all around great album to me. I can let this play all the way through. I didn't appreciate it as much back then but now I'm older its really dope to me.

mos was in prime form- son got lyrics, wordplay, flows, metaphors, concepts and melodies that not terrible. had it all on this album, but he got away from it all and got sidetracked with movies and I think just living in general.

 

[Hannibal Fox]

Rawkus dropped the ball something serious with G Rap's LP

Or the fact it was really a vanity project for some rich kids don't forget they helped bring hipsters to the party

Don't even get me started on that Rawkus 50 shyt either, complete cluster fukk

 

[The Riddler]

is quality not a great album in its own right?

breh Talib was spitting fire on Black Star but then he comes Mighty Mos for the home run Talib's just to get by run and music with ye was incredible.

This shyt is literally Mos as Goku and Talib as Vegata. Talib ascends pass super sayian but here comes Mos going SS3 for no reason at all

 

[FunkDoc1112]

Oh yea definitely the Listening. We could prolly think of more. I wouldn’t be shocked if Mos Def influenced Drake

Drake was actually wearing a Black on Both sides shirt on one of those Degrassi "Behind the Actors" specials

 

[iamduval]

Dope thread. Going to revisit this again after work

 

[BmoreGorilla]

yeah he had it all. Could've had a career similar to Nas. I saw him live a year ago at a Chapelle show, it was dope, but sad knowing what he was supposed to be.

I’ve always said that MCing is more of a skill and almost anybody can do it with the right amount of practice and dedication to the craft. But the best rappers have always had that IT factor. Mos Def truly had IT

 

[BmoreGorilla]

Drake was actually wearing a Black on Both sides shirt on one of those Degrassi "Behind the Actors" specials

 

[Gifted one]

The May-December outro is so beautiful brehs

 

[Zero]

Still pull this album out every couple of months






And he really was THAT nikka until New Danger dropped

 

[BmoreGorilla]

Still pull this album out every couple of months






And he really was THAT nikka until New Danger dropped

It’s easy to forget but he really was. I remember having debates over who was better between him and Jay

 

[Zero]

It’s easy to forget but he really was. I remember having debates over who was better between him and Jay

It's vexing how this didn't solidify his spot in the game as big as this joint was