Track for track, bar for bar, beat for beat...can somebody explain

[Ohene]

to me just how Illmatic is actually the greatest album ever?

I'm sorry to beat a dead horse but last night I bumped Reasonable Doubt and couldnt see how people still consider Illmatic to be indisputably better than that, The Infamous, Only Built 4 Cuba Linx...and probably like 5 other albums.

To me it seems like something that was said way back and everyone kinda just ran with it. But with the prevalence of the internet a lot of people have woken up because they were allowed to access greater sums of music than ever before. There still seems to be that group that doesnt wanna budge though. Here I am. Explain to me what is so marvelous. I like the album dont get me wrong. But best ever man? shyt I dunno. No trolling either...Nas stans, share with me what puts Illmatic above the rest.

And remember...this is beat for beat, bar for bar, track for track.

The Infamous
Reasonable doubt
Only Built 4 Cuban Linx
Me Against the world
The Chronic
Black on Both Sides

How is Illmatic transcendent above them? Shoot.

And while were at it can somebody up a zippyshare link for me to download at work. I havent bumped Illmatic in a minute.

 

[A$AP Ahki]

Simple.



Nostalgia and people not wanting to seem like they aren't in the know if they disagree.

 

[FlyGuy]

It's pure

 

[N*IT*2*WIN*IT]

And while were at it can somebody up a zippyshare link for me to download at work. I havent bumped Illmatic in a minute.

 

[Ohene]

Really though I'm guessing this topic is either just too recycled or people are too busy but this is a serious topic. I must say though, I have a craving for it Aint Hard to tell right now

 

[erker]

So, you don't even own Illmatic AND haven't listened to the album in a while..?

Buy the album, then you'll know why the consensus is it's the best hiphop-album.

 

[The Dust King]

3 reasons without going extremely in depth.

#1 ) its the first of its kind a blueprint. before that producers would do collaborations with MCs. illmatic was the first and most intense version of the standard album that is created today.

they take all the hot producers and put them on one album.

#2 ) your trying to recapture an essence of history by re-listening but its deeper than that. since you didnt live the experience then you can only leave it up to the heads like me who bumped nas albums when they dropped.

this is the type of question of re-living the past/trying to alter history and perception amongst other people your age who are inclined to agree with the older ones who lived it.

#3 ) illmatic is the realest album of all time. every classic you mentioned by mobb deep, biggie, 2pac, mos def etc contain large portions of fictional elements. illmatic is not the only, but it is one of the first albums that was 100% accurate as far as an artists life portrayal.

the only times nas penned a fictional line is when the bar contained what people would later call "shock rap". also being the forefather of that style he is a living blueprint as far as rhyme structure and content goes.

 

[28 Gramz]

There isn't one set in stone GOAT album in my opinion, the mid 90's was too full of classics for that to be true. But if you don't consider it classic and in the upper echelon of the game I don't know what to tell you

 

[Non Sequitur]

The Chronic

The only album that comes close, IMO. The other albums you listed weren't exactly game-changers



EDIT: Except maybe Cuban Linx, and that's debatable.

 

[BlackZilla]

Not this sh1t again.

the OP and this terrible thread.

 

[Rohiggidy]

RD is better

 

[Ohene]

So, you don't even own Illmatic AND haven't listened to the album in a while..?

Buy the album, then you'll know why the consensus is it's the best hiphop-album.

Man I've had that shyt twice. No longer have it though. People lend albums and dont return em...people's discs get scratched everyday b. that was way back.

 

[BlackDiBiase]

illmatic was a head of those joints, first real subway music head noddin and escapism the harsh realities through a poetic front line observer.

'i wish a new n1gga for this black cloud to follow, cos while its over me its to dark to see tomorrow' 20 year old queensbridge boy

when you hear memory lane the beat then you hear nas's words, its that bitter sweet sh1t that true art is.

a n1gga getting teary eyed, ..... goes to listen to the trumpets at the closing of 'lifes a b1tch'

 

[BlackZilla]

illmatic was a head of those joints, first real subway music head noddin and escapism the harsh realities through a poetic front line observer.

'i wish a new n1gga for this black cloud to follow, cos while its over me its to dark to see tomorrow' 20 year old queensbridge boy

when you hear memory lane the beat then you hear nas's words, its that bitter sweet sh1t that true art is.

a n1gga getting teary eyed, ..... goes to listen to the trumpets at the closing of 'lifes a b1tch'

"That buck that bought a bottle could've struck the lotto"

"The World Is Yours" was my fav song on that album. Just a classic track and it motivates me to keep on my grind.

And "New York State Of Mind" was great too.

I was 5 when Illmatic came out, even listening to it now I can't deny that it does deserve the prestige that it holds. And it was cohesive (Probably because of the small number of tracks) RD has skippable tracks. I can play Illmatic right through and don't skip shyt...Nas is telling me a dope story throughout.

Illmatic is a classic, and nothing those camel fukking retarded aspergers rotten twat junk science revisionist f@ggots can say to change that.

 

[Versa]

It just is man. Lyrics, hooks, beats, flow, everything was there. It's a complete masterpiece. I don't think any of the albums you listed - while classics in their own right- are as good.

EDIT: Lemmie say that I don't personally believe there is a GOAT album because there's too many genres of music. To say one hip hop album is the best music project of all time is a disservice to classic R&B, rock, house, etc projects. I will say however that as far as hip hop is concerned it should be way up there, and just musically in general it deserves the respect it gets.