Is Ras Kass “Soul On Ice” the GOAT lyrical West Coast album?

[FreshAIG]

If you was a Ras Kass fan back then, you was snatching, recording, anything and everything this cat breathed on.

Before SOI, murderin The Wake Up Show, college radio, them demos, that Priority mixer with On Earth, soundtracks. If you was fasho an underground head, into lyricism, you was checkin, waitin on that SOI.

"Everything I say turn to yay, this shyt was blowin kids away before Timothy McVeigh...."

FACTS

I love, love, love this song. He literally went ape shyt on this. Dropped in 1997. Classic.

 

[FreshAIG]

Yeah, it's def up there

Nature of the Threat ain't even the best song to demonstrate that

People often bring up Nature of the Threat as his magnum opus of lyricism, but even Ras said he wrote that song mad quick because it's literally him just reciting facts in rap form. There's multiple songs on SOI that lyrically superior (Reelishymn, Etc, If Then, Sonset, SOI, Order out of Chaos), but I get why people put it there because he was really breaking down shyt (though some things he got wrong, but still).

 

[FreshAIG]

Interview With A Vampire certailnly was on SOI lyrical level but Ghetto Fabulous, Grindin, Ice Age these tracks were not up to his standards

His first verse on Ice Age was fire though, and it's from that song Game Face with Xzibit which never got released officially. It's a great song, but there's no quality version available.

 

[Dafunkdoc_Unlimited]

It's the GOAT lyrical album period.

​

 

[JMD]

His first verse on Ice Age was fire though, and it's from that song Game Face with Xzibit which never got released officially. It's a great song, but there's no quality version available.

I listened to it again and you right Ras killed it

it was the beat that was lacking and Kurupts verse sounded like he was drunk

 

[BulletProof]

You can certainly make the argument

 

[threattonature]

If you was a Ras Kass fan back then, you was snatching, recording, anything and everything this cat breathed on.

Before SOI, murderin The Wake Up Show, college radio, them demos, that Priority mixer with On Earth, soundtracks. If you was fasho an underground head, into lyricism, you was checkin, waitin on that SOI.

"Everything I say turn to yay, this shyt was blowin kids away before Timothy McVeigh...."

FACTS

LMAO too true. I found an old Ras mix I made years ago that had a bunch of his random freestyles, unreleased tracks, and guest verses. That shyt was still hard. Wish I still had it.

 

[FreshAIG]

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To me, it's over all them joints. Easily too. Plus I think OK second album is their best album lyrically. To me the only other albums really close are Illmatic and Resurrection. I would put Dare Iz up there as well, but Redman's content (which to me, is part of lyricism) is a little too bugged out and unfocused on that album. But just as far as punches, similes, wordplay it's up there.

 

[threattonature]

Definitely going on a Ras marathon today. This was one of my favorites of him just ripping shyt with his more mainstream type subject matter.

Was I the only one that didn't love Home Sweet Home. I thought he wasted that beat.

 

[FreshAIG]

Definitely going on a Ras marathon today. This was one of my favorites of him just ripping shyt with his more mainstream type subject matter.

Was I the only one that didn't love Home Sweet Home. I thought he wasted that beat.

I thought the song was good but what Kiss and Styles did was so classic that Ras joint felt underwhelming. That beat is classic to the point you could basically do anything and it’ll come out at least decent lol

 

[BXKingPin82]

thats actually one of my favorite West Coast muthafukka albums.

 

[newworldafro]

West Coast people....how come the high caliber West Coast lyricists don't make music together.....

Ras Kass
Blu
Kendrick Lamar

Never worked together??

 

[GeeEffKay]

SOI

 

[FruitOfTheVale]

West Coast people....how come the high caliber West Coast lyricists don't make music together.....

Ras Kass
Blu
Kendrick Lamar

Never worked together??

Two different generations. Ras Kass's era of West Coast lyricists DID make music together, i.e. GSW, Living Legends, Hiero, Project Blowed, Strong Arm Steady, etc. Those crews ain't no different than DITC, Dungeon Family, etc.

 

[Cadillac]

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lol nah

To me, it's over all them joints. Easily too. Plus I think OK second album is their best album lyrically. To me the only other albums really close are Illmatic and Resurrection. I would put Dare Iz up there as well, but Redman's content (which to me, is part of lyricism) is a little too bugged out and unfocused on that album. But just as far as punches, similes, wordplay it's up there.

Im a nas fan and overall prefer him over Kass, but nah. Him, Common nor Redman dont comes close to Kass.

plus if you add content, that only helps Ras further given the stuff that he was talking about.

West Coast people....how come the high caliber West Coast lyricists don't make music together.....

Ras Kass
Blu
Kendrick Lamar

Never worked together??

there is def some

prolly a generational thing for people like you mentioned mixxed in with the group/clique stuff that @FruitOfTheVale was saying. But i think its just lack of connection, and generational differences for artist that come from diff time