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

[Inspect Her Deck]

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.

right but even still it never got that much notoriety. I think Black Star's minimal legacy perhaps hurt that album's legacy too because they didn't do more shyt together and leave this debut as something to look back on. I feel that they're forgotten a lot of the time. I'm gonna stick with my instincts and say no anyway. but quality wise, Mos Def (pun intended). Thieves in the Night is a top 10 calibre song.

 

[mobbinfms]

@Rakim Allah

 

[SoulController]

dont consider Black Star a classic, very good but some beats held it back

Ra? gimme Paid/Rhythm and 18th Letter (fukk the hate!) as his 3 classics. have no problem with someone adding Sweat, i just dont think of it as a classic

 

[blazn101]

Had to put Paid In Full and Follow The Leader..

 

[TEKBEATZ]

Rakim

 

[Inspect Her Deck]

I maintain to this day that perhaps with the exception of Liquid Swords, Follow the Leader has the best first 3 song sequence in rap history. If Eric B.'s monkey ass didn't start putting instrumental cuts to fukk up the flow of the album, it could have been so much more.

But seriously, how the fukk does one react to hearing Follow the Leader, Microphone Fiend and Lyrics of Fury back to back to back? Incredible.

 

[TEKBEATZ]

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

Yup

 

[mobbinfms]

I maintain to this day that perhaps with the exception of Liquid Swords, Follow the Leader has the best first 3 song sequence in rap history. If Eric B.'s monkey ass didn't start putting instrumental cuts to fukk up the flow of the album, it could have been so much more.

But seriously, how the fukk does one react to hearing Follow the Leader, Microphone Fiend and Lyrics of Fury back to back to back? Incredible.

I was just shoveling snow in my backyard listening to these songs.

 

[Inspect Her Deck]

I was just shoveling snow in my backyard listening to these songs.

Haha damn. I mean FTL and LOF are easily top 10 calibre songs and Fiend is a top 50 song for sure.

I get chills from hearing Lyrics of Fury man. Especially the last verse....

all that fukkery leading up to

How to I plead to homicide?


Lyrics of Fury!

 

[mobbinfms]

dont consider Black Star a classic, very good but some beats held it back

Ra? gimme Paid/Rhythm and 18th Letter (fukk the hate!) as his 3 classics. have no problem with someone adding Sweat, i just dont think of it as a classic

What about Follow the Leader?

 

[mobbinfms]

I maintain to this day that perhaps with the exception of Liquid Swords, Follow the Leader has the best first 3 song sequence in rap history. If Eric B.'s monkey ass didn't start putting instrumental cuts to fukk up the flow of the album, it could have been so much more.

But seriously, how the fukk does one react to hearing Follow the Leader, Microphone Fiend and Lyrics of Fury back to back to back? Incredible.

The instrumental tracks were the DJ or turntablism tracks. That was supposed to be Eric B's contribution as the DJ although some say he didn't even do them.
I just think of them as skits and don't hold them against the album.

 

[mobbinfms]

Haha damn. I mean FTL and LOF are easily top 10 calibre songs and Fiend is a top 50 song for sure.

I get chills from hearing Lyrics of Fury man. Especially the last verse....

all that fukkery leading up to

How to I plead to homicide?


Lyrics of Fury!

I think I like Microphone Fiend the most out of those three actually. The way he put his words together on that song is just masterful

 

[Inspect Her Deck]

The instrumental tracks were the DJ or turntablism tracks. That was supposed to be Eric B's contribution as the DJ although some say he didn't even do them.
I just think of them as skits and don't hold them against the album.

right yeah whether he even produced them or not is another story altogether. but I reckon he was an exec at least and probably had a lot to do with how the album was put together.

I hold it against the album because for ANY album, I wanna be able to play it from start to end, and this is a slight detriment to its quality imo. However, the great stuff is SO great it kinda cancels it out. that's why I voted it a classic.

 

[Inspect Her Deck]

I think I like Microphone Fiend the most out of those three actually. The way he put his words together on that song is just masterful

It just sounded a little more simplified imo, terms of flow, voice was a little off as well if you notice. But amazing nonetheless.

 

[phatphuck]

paid in full and follow the leader yes, let the rhythm hit em was a tough one but i went for no in the end, kinda regretting that decision now

blackstar is a yes cuz mainstream hip hop was dominating the airwaves and it was refreshing to hear two mcs doing it right, and it was one of the albums that put rawkus on the map