How do you rate albums? (let's use Nas as an example)

[mson]

Imo, Nas and Jay-Z. Nas comes into the picture because his unreleased discog is the best in hip hop history. At least from what I've seen. Lots of high quality records.

Jay-Z has bangers for days. You could easily do an "all Jay-Z" party and it wouldn't get boring.

Wu as a whole have a great discography, particularly in that 93-97 run. Mobb Deep have a pretty good discography as well, with some really dope unreleased shyt.

Those ones immediately come to mind. what do you think?

I disagree with your rankings for Nas's discography . But I guess that's a fair assessment.

 

[SirBiatch]

I disagree with your rankings for Nas's discography . But I guess that's a fair assessment.

I respect that.

 

[Atsym Sknyfs]

Albums dont need "standout" cuts for me to call it classic... Standout cuts i guess are what you call mega-singles..
I don't need standouts .. i need songs to touch me emotionally..

 

[SirBiatch]

Albums dont need "standout" cuts for me to call it classic... Standout cuts i guess are what you call mega-singles..
I don't need standouts .. i need songs to touch me emotionally..

I'm not talking about radio friendly. I'm just saying standout as in "superb record."

e.g. 2nd Childhood. Imo, that's the standout cut on Stillmatic.

 

[Atsym Sknyfs]

I'm not talking about radio friendly. I'm just saying standout as in "superb record."

e.g. 2nd Childhood. Imo, that's the standout cut on Stillmatic.

So .. is that your favorite song on the album ... or the song you think is the best

 

[Mr. Negative]

that's..... his opinion. that's it.

 

[UpAndComing]

too many Kamikaze posters on this board..

They first come on here trying to have good points. Then, once them negs start hitting them, they just wanna go out in a blaze of glory..lol

Just kill yourself SirBihtch...

ASAP Rocky... it's not really clear who Rocky wants to be yet. Aside from being the most fashionable, eclectic and visually pleasing rapper of all time.

Pause

 

[Prince Cairo]

Imo, Nas and Jay-Z. Nas comes into the picture because his unreleased discog is the best in hip hop history. At least from what I've seen and heard. Lots of high quality records that weren't on albums.

Jay-Z has bangers for days. You could easily do an "all Jay-Z" party and it wouldn't get boring. Personally, I think Jay-Z dropped great (not amazing, but great) albums consistently up until Black Album. Every album had 4-5 standout cuts. That's pretty damn good.

Wu as a whole have a great discography, particularly in that 93-97 run. Of all the members, Ghostface has the best stand out tracks.

Mobb Deep have a pretty good discography as well, with some really dope unreleased shyt.

Those ones immediately come to mind. I love Rae but I never listen to anything non-Cuban Linx.

From a writing perspective, I'd say Rakim. His first 4 albums are crazy. I just don't like the beats for the most part.

Any glaring omissions? Some would argue P.E. and KRS probably.

No Scarface? That dude has one of the strongest discographies of all time.

 

[SirBiatch]

So .. is that your favorite song on the album ... or the song you think is the best

I would say both.

I recognize that it's a thin line. It's not the best just because it's my favorite. after all, my favorite joint on Jay-Z's Vol 1 is A Million and One Questions, but I don't think that's the best song on that album. There are other cuts that are just as strong, maybe even stronger e.g. "Where I'm From."

Why I say 2nd Childhood - it feels like classic Nas. What he does best. But fresh. and the beat is fantastic. That's what Nas does best - paints soulful pictures about people in his environment on some ethnographic shyt.

"Rewind" is dope, but kind of concept-gimmicky. The sort of shyt that Nas introduced into his art in It Was Written (I Gave You Power). And it's not bad (in fact, it's cool in its own way), but it's not Illmatic Nas. Nahmean?

I'll never get tired of listening to Illmatic Nas.

No Scarface? That dude has one of the strongest discographies of all time.

Maybe. I haven't heard much Face. He's dope for sure. I've only heard The Fix, Mr Scarface Is Back & The Diary. Fantastic songs on each album but Face isn't the type of cat I mellow out to.

 

[keon]

I'm not talking about radio friendly. I'm just saying standout as in "superb record."

e.g. 2nd Childhood. Imo, that's the standout cut on Stillmatic.

Ether by far and away is the stand out track on stillmatic

 

[Poetical Poltergeist]

Another Nas thread..smh.

 

[SirBiatch]

Ether by far and away is the stand out track on stillmatic

Not that Chris Rock's word is gold, but something to consider:

"Do you know what I like about Stillmatic? Jay-Z (who is famously dissed on the song "Ether") should have gotten a co-producer's credit on it, because Nas was definitely floundering just before it. It's like Mama Said Knock You Out eleven years earlier, where a guy just reclaimed his spot with some great records. There's a record on there called "2nd Childhood" about people who won't grow up, that's just so fukking smart."

Ether is the more notable record for sure. But 2nd Childhood is the artistic gem.

Again, just my opinion. Not saying it's fact. Ether is great, too.

 

[mobbinfms]

Illmatic - 5
IWW - 5
I Am - 3.5
Nastradamus - 3
Stillmatic - 4.5
Lost Tapes - 4.5
Gods Son - 4
Streets Disciple - 3.5
HHID - 3.5
Untitled - 3.5
LIG - 4.5

Some days I'd give Stillmatic and Lost Tapes a 5.
One of the best catalogs in hip hop history. In spite of multiple meh albums.

Infamous - 5
Hell On Earth - 5
Murda Musik - 4.5
Infamy - 3
Free Agents - 3.5
Amerikas Nightmare - 3.5
Blood Money - 3
Infamous Mobb Deep - 4

 

[BNT]

'untitled has no stand out cuts'

 

[infamousred]

How good the production and mcing is coupled with how much I've listened to the album. I like to take each track in individually but I'm from the era where whole albums were supposed to be dope. Since you used nas...illmatic is the perfect combination of beats and rhymes as far as I'm concerned. Listened to that album so many times I can't even count them. Iww? It was lucky to get the 4 mics it did in the source. That and soul on ice have to be the most unbalanced albums I've ever heard. As far as the rest of his discography goes lost tapes is the only other one I listen to constantly. The other ones I either skip through or were just too unbearable for me. He normally has standouts but its about how much forgettable shyt you have to go through to get to it. Thief's theme completely had me fooled on that note...