Classics Discussion: Three 6 Mafia

[Inspect Her Deck]

If - as you say - rappers don't have classic albums because people borrowed what they did and did it better,
then there can't be any classic albums...because there are plenty of Golden Age rappers that would get washed
by new school rappers, but said new school rappers would readily admit they borrowed from the Golden Age ones.

I think he's going along the lines of the Das EFX argument.

Both influential in different ways but lacking the quality in their albums to deserve the classic label.

Whereas there are some that are just as influential but also have quality e.g. Paid in Full.

At least that's what I think lol idk...

 

[SirBiatch]

If - as you say - rappers don't have classic albums because people borrowed what they did and did it better,
then there can't be any classic albums...because there are plenty of Golden Age rappers that would get washed
by new school rappers, but said new school rappers would readily admit they borrowed from the Golden Age ones.

that's not what I'm saying.

I'm saying that 3 6 never released anything classic to begin with. They didn't come with fully formed innovative ideas. they had one or two interesting gimmicks which they repeated ad nauseum.

Rakim came with innovative flow, innovative rhyme content AND innovative production when he debuted. The point is, in 86, Rakim evolved from everything that was going on. So while everyone would go on to copy Rakim and outdo him, the fact of the matter is that Rakim laid out a major blueprint. And in 86, he was the upper if not uppermost echelon of hip hop.

When 3 6 Mafia debuted in 94/95, they didn't bring anything revolutionary to the table. they could barely rhyme for shyt. UGK were already doing that trap sound. Memphis's shyt is more Halloween so I guess that made 3 6 unique but even by 94, Gravediggaz were doing Horrorcore. 3 6 mafia were not upper echelon hip hop artists in 94/95 when they debuted.

also, no rapper has outdone the classics of the mid 90s.

 

[Taadow]

that's not what I'm saying.

I'm saying that 3 6 never released anything classic to begin with.

That is what you said, though. You said they have "no classics albums, not even close".

Rakim came with innovative flow, innovative rhyme content AND innovative production when he debuted. The point is, in 86, Rakim evolved from everything that was going on. So while everyone would go on to copy Rakim and outdo him, the fact of the matter is that Rakim laid out a major blueprint. And in 86, he was the upper if not uppermost echelon of hip hop.

1. Okay, that's Ra. Is Ra the only MC rappin' then who made a classic album? No.
Or by your logic - maybe he was, because perhaps they didn't "evolve from everything that was going on" at the time.

2. Three 6 Mafia laid out a major blueprint as well. As you yourself admitted, they have a major influence on today's rap.

When 3 6 Mafia debuted in 94/95,

Three 6 Mafia didn't debut in 94/95, though. They had been making music way before that.

UGK were already doing that trap sound as evidenced 2 years earlier on "Stoned Junkee".

"...Anytime a artist in Atlanta makes Crunk music and get on a record, y'all need to shout out the Three 6 Mafia because y'all know that's where that music started at, mayne..."
- Pimp C (of UGK)

also, no rapper has outdone the classics of the mid 90s.

But have rappers outdone the classics of the 80s?

 

[Inspect Her Deck]

Mystic Stylez is the only album I have any interest of listening to again

I gave up 4 albums in they're getting progressively worse

I said 'yes' for now but might change on MS

the rest are no

 

[arel]

Don't think mystic style had that kind of universal reputation until relatively recently with the whole tumblrcore revival but it def seems hard to dispute now. The others still lag as regional/cult status but I also voted yes on 6661 as my favourite.

 

[Inspect Her Deck]

Don't think mystic style had that kind of universal reputation until relatively recently with the whole tumblrcore revival but it def seems hard to dispute now. The others still lag as regional/cult status but I also voted yes on 6661 as my favourite.

it seems it wasn't getting radio play at first but eventually one of the songs broke out into somewhat of a well-known song (clearly because I have no clue which one it was lol)

and also the album did influence a lot, but I don't know how it really stands the test of time, I reckon it lives on through its impact

so I'm giving the benefit of the doubt with all these factors, just gonna listen a couple more times to ascertain the quality

it's a good album, way better than the rest of the discog

 

[SonnyDecay]

way better than the rest of the discog

listen to "Underground Vol. 1 (1991-1994)". one of their best. and yes its not an album, but this compilation is too good. if you don't like it - its just not your sound

 

[mobbinfms]

Don't think mystic style had that kind of universal reputation until relatively recently with the whole tumblrcore revival but it def seems hard to dispute now. The others still lag as regional/cult status but I also voted yes on 6661 as my favourite.

Now we're getting somewhere. What is tumblrcore?

 

[SirBiatch]

1. Okay, that's Ra. Is Ra the only MC rappin' then who made a classic album? No.
Or by your logic - maybe he was, because perhaps they didn't "evolve from everything that was going on" at the time.

Ra was not the only rapper. Run DMC, Slick Rick, Big Daddy Kane, KRS-One, Public Enemy, etc. All debuted with legendary albums that changed the course of rap. That stepped everything up, from beats to flows to lyrical content.

2. Three 6 Mafia laid out a major blueprint as well. As you yourself admitted, they have a major influence on today's rap.

a) Their blueprint isn't that major

b) Today's rap is garbage.

Being a pioneer only counts when you're great, and others become great by learning/emulating you.

Rakim is a pioneer. He was a superb rapper, and the next generation of superb rappers learned from him.

Soulja Boy was a basura rapper, and is more influential to modern rap than 3 6. Are we really gonna give Soulja Boy the pioneer/blueprint award?

Pioneers break new

Three 6 Mafia didn't debut in 94/95, though. They had been making music way before that.

so was everyone else I mentioned. I'm going by debuts because that's what makes it easier to follow.

But have rappers outdone the classics of the 80s?

Absolutely.

By 94/95, Nas was already outdoing Kool G Rap on "Fast Life".

 

[Taadow]

Ra was not the only rapper. Run DMC, Slick Rick, Big Daddy Kane, KRS-One, Public Enemy, etc. All debuted with legendary albums that changed the course of rap. That stepped everything up, from beats to flows to lyrical content.

So do you think nobody else did any of those artists types of rap better than them?

a) Their blueprint isn't that major

b) Today's rap is garbage.

A second ago - you didn't even think they had a blueprint. lol

...and if today's rap is garbage, then who are you talkin' about that does smoked out loc'ed out music better than Three 6 Mafia?

Being a pioneer only counts when you're great, and others become great by learning/emulating you.

I disagree.

Being a pioneer counts when you do something first - when you "lay the blueprint", as you say.

Rakim is a pioneer. He was a superb rapper, and the next generation of superb rappers learned from him.

Soulja Boy was a basura rapper, and is more influential to modern rap than 3 6. Are we really gonna give Soulja Boy the pioneer/blueprint award? [/QUOTE]

We absolutely will give Soulja Boy a pioneer designation, because he was.
Where I disagree with you here is - calling someone a "pioneer" isn't an "award"...it's a statement of fact.

so was everyone else I mentioned. I'm going by debuts because that's what makes it easier to follow.

Three 6 Mafia's debut wasn't in 94/95, though.

Absolutely.

By 94/95, Nas was already outdoing Kool G Rap on "Fast Life".

So does this mean that Kool G Rap doesn't have any classic albums?

 

[Konnan]

When the Smoke Clears got so much play from me

Around the time I got my first stereo system put in my car

The first Choices soundtrack was flames too

 

[SirBiatch]

So do you think nobody else did any of those artists types of rap better than them?

I already told you that the 90s breed outdid the 80s breed. Snoop outdid Slick Rick with Doggystyle, Nas/Mobb Deep outdid Ra and Kool G with Illmatic/Infamous, Jay-Z and Biggie outdid Kane with Ready To Die/Reasonable Doubt, etc.

Look dude, all that is beside the point and I don't wanna waste my time debating other shyt instead of 3 6 Mafia.

This isn't the "if 3 6 don't have classics, then nobody got classics!" show

3 6 have no classic albums, period. They had a few good ideas (the Memphis bounce, Halloween sounding shyt) that they never took the time to form into long-lasting, meaningful music. Just kept making the same song over and over again with mediocre vocals, repetitive flows, borderline-garbage rap content, mediocre and repetitive song structure, reusing the exact same beat constantly, and just all-around mediocrity.

You should be here telling me why random 3 6 Mafia album (e.g. Mystic Stylez) is a classic, instead of wasting my time arguing minutia like their release date, desperately looking for places to "make SirBiatch look contradictory" (all my posts are consistent) and worrying about whether Kool G Rap has classics.

 

[Konnan]

And I'd still to this day go raw in Gangsta Boo

 

[Taadow]

3 6 have no classic albums, period. They had a few good ideas (the Memphis bounce, Halloween sounding shyt) that they never took the time to form into long-lasting, meaningful music.

LOL most artists in the music industry don't take the time to form "long-lasting, meaningful music" -
that doesn't mean the music isn't good, influential, or celebrated - which is the whole point of threads like this.

Three 6 Mafia never made any bones about saying their music is supposed to be "meaningful" or any of that chit.
That's part of the charm.

You should be here telling me why random 3 6 Mafia album (e.g. Mystic Stylez) is a classic, instead of wasting my time arguing minutia like their release date, desperately looking for places to "make SirBiatch look contradictory" (all my posts are consistent) and worrying about whether Kool G Rap has classics.

You're the desperate one here trying to be contradictory...you'll admit Three 6 Mafia is influential and had good ideas,
but won't admit enough other people think so to where they might say their work is classic. You're wasting your own time.

 

[arel]

Now we're getting somewhere. What is tumblrcore?

Tumblr is a blogging platform that essentially does away with longform writing and depths and essentially allows users to curate some hyper shallow aesthetic. A lot of the users tend to fetishise death/ suicide, depression, heavy self destructive drug use, narcissism, urban deprivation etc. Essentially its a culture vulturing enablizer. ASAP and raider clan etc were big hits on tumblr and that seems to have sent the blog mafia scurrying back to dig up and pedestal-ize their most obvious influences in a bid to secure cultural cache. The end result essentially (imo) is 3 6 got a lot wider exposure than even the oscars gave em and mystic stylez became the go to memphis release for taste diversifiers who wanna be throwing scorn at EC or WC centric.

Or summin.

I don't want to take anything away from em. They're excellent and unprecedentedly influential for essentially a cult favourite.