Classics Discussion: Eric B. & Rakim, Rakim & Black Star

[Inspect Her Deck]

Ok so some of y'all will be familiar with a project I'm deciding to run. I made this thread: The Official 'Classic Album' Discussion Thread, trying to reach a conclusion as to what defines a classic album. After much discussion, I am running with this definition personally, so take it as you will when you consider your classic albums. But this definition in particular was most agreed upon.

Classic: 1. An album considered by consensus of the core hip hop community to be of the highest quality (doesn't have to be perfect or flawless, just an album that the consensus deems the shyt).
2. Assuming that condition 1 is met, is this an album that has stood the test of time amongst the core hip hop community? Is that an album still held in high regard, still referenced at least ten years after its release? By a consensus of the hip hop community?

Props to @mobbinfms for the definition and also for his help generally in helping me with ideas to create these threads.

So I'll be going through one artist per day, and I will list out all their discography or close to all of it until the year 2005, as we decided that an album needs at least 10 years of existence before it can be called a classic or not.

---------------------

First off, I want to thank you guys for truly tremendous participation in the Jay-Z one. I'm hoping EVERY thread here on out can be conducted in that manner, no trolling, good conversation, adherence to the rules.

I just wanna say one thing though. In the polls of the last thread, we had 140+ voting on Reasonable Doubt and then we had like 90 or 100 for the Volume albums. Y'all are meant to vote on ALL the albums, either saying YES or NO to EACH ONE.

Once again though, thanks so much for making this series possible, and the more participation I get from y'all, the better this series will progress as a whole

---------------------------

Today we're looking at Eric B. & Rakim as a duo, Rakim solo and Black Star. Same rules as before.

I will be making a POLL. For each album I will present a YES or NO option so if you think that particular album is a classic, you click 'yes' on the poll for THAT album and vice-versa. The acceptance rate for an album to be deemed a CERTIFIED classic is 80%.

If you don't think an album is a classic, DO NOT LEAVE THE POLL BLANK. You vote NO for that album instead so at least we register your vote.

I will NOT count any comments in the thread as votes, you must use the poll. The comments section should be used for discussion only.

Tagging some mods:

@FreshAIG @That Singer Guy... @hustlemania @houston911 @SoulController

 

[Inspect Her Deck]

@mobbinfms

convince me that Black Star is a classic. I was truly torn on that one. Quality is there for sure.

 

[mobbinfms]

#tpc
#tnt
Yes to the first 3 Eric and Ra albums.
Yes to Blackstar. Very close call.
No to everything else.
@FreshAIG @houston911 @SoulController @That Singer Guy... @hustlemania

It would be great if these threads could get stickied.
If not, that's cool too

 

[Big Mel]

The first 3 Eric B. & Rakim albums are the only classics on this list.


Black Star has multiple doofy songs and Talib Kweli is a puddinhead.

 

[Houston911]

#tpc
#tnt
Yes to the first 3 Eric and Ra albums.
Yes to Blackstar. Very close call.
No to everything else.
@FreshAIG @houston911 @SoulController @That Singer Guy... @hustlemania

It would be great if these threads could get stickied.
If not, that's cool too

Got u bro

 

[Nemesis]

Paid in full is literally the blueprint for the modern MC....

 

[Inspect Her Deck]

#tpc
#tnt
Yes to the first 3 Eric and Ra albums.
Yes to Blackstar. Very close call.
No to everything else.
@FreshAIG @houston911 @SoulController @That Singer Guy... @hustlemania

It would be great if these threads could get stickied.
If not, that's cool too

wouldn't let me rep ffs...but rep from the heart

 

[Deltron]

I voted for Yes for all the EB/R albums, Ra's first solo and the BS album as classics.

 

[Inspect Her Deck]

I voted for Yes for all the EB/R albums, Ra's first solo and the BS album as classics.

damn that's a lot of classics lol

I voted for the first two E&R albums and that's it. I actually voted no on Black Star, which might seem blasphemous but I don't know what it offers other than quality tbh. But my vote can change if I'm convinced otherwise.

 

[BlackMamba824]

@mobbinfms

convince me that Black Star is a classic. I was truly torn on that one. Quality is there for sure.

Same. Not sure I necessary see the influence though. Not to take away from the album, but i see it as just a really dope record.

 

[smitty22]

Ok so some of y'all will be familiar with a project I'm deciding to run. I made this thread: The Official 'Classic Album' Discussion Thread, trying to reach a conclusion as to what defines a classic album. After much discussion, I am running with this definition personally, so take it as you will when you consider your classic albums. But this definition in particular was most agreed upon.

Classic: 1. An album considered by consensus of the core hip hop community to be of the highest quality (doesn't have to be perfect or flawless, just an album that the consensus deems the shyt).
2. Assuming that condition 1 is met, is this an album that has stood the test of time amongst the core hip hop community? Is that an album still held in high regard, still referenced at least ten years after its release? By a consensus of the hip hop community?

Props to @mobbinfms for the definition and also for his help generally in helping me with ideas to create these threads.

So I'll be going through one artist per day, and I will list out all their discography or close to all of it until the year 2005, as we decided that an album needs at least 10 years of existence before it can be called a classic or not.

---------------------

First off, I want to thank you guys for truly tremendous participation in the Jay-Z one. I'm hoping EVERY thread here on out can be conducted in that manner, no trolling, good conversation, adherence to the rules.

I just wanna say one thing though. In the polls of the last thread, we had 140+ voting on Reasonable Doubt and then we had like 90 or 100 for the Volume albums. Y'all are meant to vote on ALL the albums, either saying YES or NO to EACH ONE.

Once again though, thanks so much for making this series possible, and the more participation I get from y'all, the better this series will progress as a whole

---------------------------

Today we're looking at Eric B. & Rakim as a duo, Rakim solo and Black Star. Same rules as before.

I will be making a POLL. For each album I will present a YES or NO option so if you think that particular album is a classic, you click 'yes' on the poll for THAT album and vice-versa. The acceptance rate for an album to be deemed a CERTIFIED classic is 80%.

If you don't think an album is a classic, DO NOT LEAVE THE POLL BLANK. You vote NO for that album instead so at least we register your vote.

I will NOT count any comments in the thread as votes, you must use the poll. The comments section should be used for discussion only.

Tagging some mods:

@FreshAIG @That Singer Guy... @hustlemania @houston911 @SoulController

These threads are dope . Paid in Full, and Follow the Leader for sure

 

[Inspect Her Deck]

These threads are dope . Paid in Full, and Follow the Leader for sure

thanks for the support bro

 

[-Quikness-]

Ok so some of y'all will be familiar with a project I'm deciding to run. I made this thread: The Official 'Classic Album' Discussion Thread, trying to reach a conclusion as to what defines a classic album. After much discussion, I am running with this definition personally, so take it as you will when you consider your classic albums. But this definition in particular was most agreed upon.

Classic: 1. An album considered by consensus of the core hip hop community to be of the highest quality (doesn't have to be perfect or flawless, just an album that the consensus deems the shyt).
2. Assuming that condition 1 is met, is this an album that has stood the test of time amongst the core hip hop community? Is that an album still held in high regard, still referenced at least ten years after its release? By a consensus of the hip hop community?

Props to @mobbinfms for the definition and also for his help generally in helping me with ideas to create these threads.

So I'll be going through one artist per day, and I will list out all their discography or close to all of it until the year 2005, as we decided that an album needs at least 10 years of existence before it can be called a classic or not.

---------------------

First off, I want to thank you guys for truly tremendous participation in the Jay-Z one. I'm hoping EVERY thread here on out can be conducted in that manner, no trolling, good conversation, adherence to the rules.

I just wanna say one thing though. In the polls of the last thread, we had 140+ voting on Reasonable Doubt and then we had like 90 or 100 for the Volume albums. Y'all are meant to vote on ALL the albums, either saying YES or NO to EACH ONE.

Once again though, thanks so much for making this series possible, and the more participation I get from y'all, the better this series will progress as a whole

---------------------------

Today we're looking at Eric B. & Rakim as a duo, Rakim solo and Black Star. Same rules as before.

I will be making a POLL. For each album I will present a YES or NO option so if you think that particular album is a classic, you click 'yes' on the poll for THAT album and vice-versa. The acceptance rate for an album to be deemed a CERTIFIED classic is 80%.

If you don't think an album is a classic, DO NOT LEAVE THE POLL BLANK. You vote NO for that album instead so at least we register your vote.

I will NOT count any comments in the thread as votes, you must use the poll. The comments section should be used for discussion only.

Tagging some mods:

@FreshAIG @That Singer Guy... @hustlemania @houston911 @SoulController

Nice thread. Good shyt.

I voted the first 3 Eric b and Rakim albums as classics.

The mos and talib was a great album for sure,not classic imo.

However mos debut for me is one of the best hip hop albums ever ..

 

[Nemesis]

You know, Doug E. Fresh told me—we used to hang out when he was touring with us—he said, “Man, Prince, Rakim is so bad, Prince, he don’t have no friends. Just no friends.” I said, “Why?” “Nobody wanna be around him, they just feel small.” And that’s why I always know I’m doing alright:

-Prince

 

[mobbinfms]

@mobbinfms

convince me that Black Star is a classic. I was truly torn on that one. Quality is there for sure.

Same. Not sure I necessary see the influence though. Not to take away from the album, but i see it as just a really dope record.

The album isn't perfect. There are a couple weak tracks. But the highs are absolutely phenomenal. KOS. Brown Skin Lady. Thieves In The Night. Respiration.
Top flight rhyming from both of them.
Quality wise it is a very close call. But I feel it just edges it out.
Then is it still held in high regard? I think so. Remember, I'm only looking at the core audience, so the fact that it was a slow burn and not very successful on a mainstream level is irrelevant.