Life After death is not a classic

[Tuling]

Sales/Impact? Check
Influence? Check
Classic Material? Check
Lyrics? Check
Flow? Check
Creativity? Check
Hit Songs? Check
Replay Value? Check
Versatility? Check
Critical Acclaim? Check
Awards? Check

"Life After Death" passes every threshold for Classic Status. At this point it's not even debatable. Big gave you an ALBUM, not just a collection of songs like a lot of rappers are doing now. It was Big's last will and testament to Hip Hop. The way the album just picked right up from "Ready To Die" made it like a sequel to a Blockbuster movie. It's 15 years later and dudes still trying to recreate their own versions of "Life After Death" and can't do it like Big did it. How did Jay do on his double? What about NaS? Neither could make a double LP as timeless as LAD. The man gave a song for every type of rap fan. He gave the Streets Tracks, He gave the Clubs Tracks, he gave Backpakers tracks, he gave The Midwest, The South and the West Tracks. He gave Females tracks, he gave storytellin fans tracks. "Life After Death" is probably the most versatile rap album of all time. Is it perfect? No but there were 24 total tracks. 1 song was an intro and 1 song was an interlude so that leaves 22 tracks. The only songs you can throw rocks at is "Another, Nasty Boy and Playa Hater". "Another" was for the chicks and ask any female you know, they will call the song a Classic. "Nasty Boy" was for the clubs and Big's bars were so sick they remixed the song 9 years later on "Nasty Girl" and it became a Platinum #1 international hit. "Playa Hater" was Big just being comedic, showing you he has a sense of humor. These tracks you cannot say are wack, they are too soild:

Somebody's got To Die
Hypnotize
Kick in the Door
F*ckin U Tonite
Last Day
I love the Dough
What's Beef
Mo Money, Mo Problems
N!ggas Bleed
I got a Story To Tell
Notorious Thugs
Miss U
Going Back To Cali
10 Crack Commandments
Sky's The Limit
The World is filled
My Downfall
Long Kiss Goodnight
Your Nobody

That's 17-18 Hot joints and it's not CLASSIC? The thing people need to understand is several factors make an album a Classic and Big again passes every threshold for Classic Status.

Quoted for Truth

 

[the rhyme king]

What I like most about LAD was it was like a time capsule of the 90's. Big had production from Premo (Gang Starr) RZA (Wu Tang), Kay Gee (Naughty By Nature), Buckwild (D.T.I.C.), Havoc (Mobb Deep) DJ Clark Kent and amazing production from the Hitmen (Stevie J, D. Dot, Easy Mo Bee, Chucky Tompson, A. Lawence, Nashiem Mavrick and Carlos Brody). It's easily one of Hip Hop Best Produced LP's.

i agree with this

it's a classic album but it's not even the best album from 1997 let alone of all time.

 

[Rapmastermind]

i agree with this

it's a classic album but it's not even the best album from 1997 let alone of all time.

It's "One of" the Best albums of all time, not "The" Best. Also it was the Best album of 97'. I can't think of one LP from 97 that I would say was better overall. There were some quality albums in 97 but I can't put anything over LAD. 96 was Pac's year and 97 was Big's year (which extended into being Bad Boy's year in general).

 

[Tom Foolery]

I love how people say this albums sucks, but they never really say why.

 

[Threnody]

Never was feeling this album outside of a few joints....Wu, Camp Lo and OC dropped better albums in 97

 

[the rhyme king]

It's "One of" the Best albums of all time, not "The" Best. Also it was the Best album of 97'. I can't think of one LP from 97 that I would say was better overall. There were some quality albums in 97 but I can't put anything over LAD. 96 was Pac's year and 97 was Big's year (which extended into being Bad Boy's year in general).

oc organized konfusion jay-z capone n noreaga eminem mase bg hot boys trick daddy common hot boys b.g etc dropped classic albums that year

 

[Loose]

Like i said last week shyt was a dud

 

[god shamgod]

Life After Death is the greatest double album ever and a top 3 hip hop album of all time

1.Life After Death
2.It's Dark and Hell is Hot
3.Late Registration
4.Midnight Marauders
5.Blueprint

 

[OG Talk]

How can an album with like 8 classic songs on it not be a classic?

People saying "I don't fukk with Mo Money Mo Problems and Hypnotize "when they are arguable the biggest hit records ever released by a New York emcee (on the same album)




Attention Coli Poster... Just because you personally don't like something has no affect on rather its classic or not...


I don't personally like Star Wars or The Titanic...Every time I see either movie on I turn the channel...Does that mean they aren't classics?

 

[The Notorious B.I.G.]

Make my name taste like ass when you speak it.

 

[ZEB WALTON]

i consider it a classic only cause it influenced basically every big release album after it.BIGGIE

 

[Rapmastermind]

How can an album with like 8 classic songs on it not be a classic?

People saying "I don't fukk with Mo Money Mo Problems and Hypnotize "when they are arguable the biggest hit records ever released by a New York emcee (on the same album)




Attention Coli Poster... Just because you personally don't like something has no affect on rather its classic or not...


I don't personally like Star Wars or The Titanic...Every time I see either movie on I turn the channel...Does that mean they aren't classics?

That's what I don't understand. The O/P didn't even give a reason why, his reason why it wasn't Classic was "Not even close", LOL. Saying "it's not a Classic" doesn't change it's status. There are so many factors that make something Classic. It's 15 years later and dudes are trying to make a case about something that's already established? Big dropped 2 back to back Classics, 1 of the albums happen to be a double so he dropped 3 LP's of quality material and died. He had the perfect career 2 solo albums, 2 Classics.

 

[god shamgod]

That's what I don't understand. The O/P didn't even give a reason why, his reason why it wasn't Classic was "Not even close", LOL. Saying "it's not a Classic" doesn't change it's status. There are so many factors that make something Classic. It's 15 years later and dudes are trying to make a case about something that's already established? Big dropped 2 back to back Classics, 1 of the albums happen to be a double so he dropped 3 LP's of quality material and died. He had the perfect career 2 solo albums, 2 Classics.

T/s is pac stan.You know pac stans hate big cuz he was everthing pac wasnt a skilled mc who didnt have to get arrested,shot up multiple times and jailed and act a damn fool to be noticed

An album with

You're Nobody Til somebody kills you
What's Beef
nikkas Bleed
Somebodys Got to Die
My Downfall
10 crack commandments
Notorious Thugs
Hypnotize
Story to tell

Isn't classic?

 

[Trizz54]

i agree with this

it's a classic album but it's not even the best album from 1997 let alone of all time.

you wasnt even listening to Hip Hop in 97 ..nikka please

 

[Rapmastermind]

Like i said last week shyt was a dud

LAD A Dud? One of the Highest Selling and most Critically Acclaimed Rap albums of all time a Dud? I really give up.

*Certified Diamond
*Hypnotize - Platinum
*Mo Money, Mo Problems - Platinum
*Sky's The Limit - Gold


Publication Country Accolade Year Rank
About.com United States 100 Greatest Hip Hop Albums [23] 2008 40
About.com United States Best Rap Albums of 1997[24] 2008 1
Addicted to Noise United States Albums of the Year 1997 7
Blender United States The 100 Greatest American Albums of All time 2002 25
ego trip United States Hip Hop's 25 Greatest Albums by Year 1980-98 1999 1
Face United Kingdom Albums of the Year 1997 20
Fnac France The 1000 Best Albums of All Time 2008 858
Hip Hop Connection United Kingdom The 100 Greatest Rap Albums 1995-2005 2005 14
Tom Moon United States 1000 Recordings to Hear Before You Die 2008 *
The New Nation United Kingdom Top 100 Albums by Black Artists 2005 60
OOR Moordlijst Netherlands Albums of the Year 1997 87
Pure Pop Mexico Albums of the Year 1997 18
Q United Kingdom Albums of the Year 1997 *
Rolling Stone United States The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time 2003 483
Rolling Stone United States 100 Best Albums of the Nineties[25] 2011 66
Rolling Stone United States The Essential Recordings of the 90s 1999 *
The Source United states The 100 Best Rap Albums of All Time[26] 2005 8
The Source United States The Critics Top 100 Black Music Albums of All Time [27] 2005 60
Spex Germany Albums of the Year 1997 19
Spin United States Albums of the Year 1997 7
(various writers) United States 50 Years of Great Recordings 2005 *
Vibe United States 51 Albums representing a Generation, a Sound and a Movement 2004 *
Vibe United States 150 Albums That Define the Vibe Era (1992-2007) 2007 *
Village Voice United States Albums of the Year 1997 12


I'm going to have to ask Biggie speak on this one:

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tHcc6mv2KLc"]Biggie Smalls - Playa Hater - YouTube[/ame]