[louder]

I kinda get what Rob is saying.. those kids who be bumpin' Future, Lil Uzi Vert, Travis Scott, etc religiously probably don't give a shit about Illmatic and other 90's hip hop classics.

[louder]

Oh yeah, Purple Rain is finally getting the deluxe treatment. Will be out early 2017. Can't wait to hear the remaster + bonus tracks that accompany it.

[louder]

Prince's "Adore" (the closing track on Sign 'o the Times) directly influenced D'Angelo's Voodoo.. just listened to the album a couple of days and it finally hit me. Voodoo really has Adore written all over it, damn.

[Severian]

Originally Posted by SuchFriendsAreDangerous

also i think you missed the point of why i mentioned Game, its because he is irrelevant so his references of Nas are somewhat an anachronism

You're right, I did miss that point. That was not made clear at all by the way you said it. Never would have guessed that that was your point without your saying so.

But I get it. Not that I actually think Game is irrelevant. He's "past his prime" in the simplest sense of the phrase, but he's dropping albums that are getting decent reviews and inspiring a lot of sideline, old fart hip-hop fans (like us!) to talk about him at length. So he may not be Drake, but I think he's actually
relevant than Nas currently is.

Thing about Nas is that... great as he is (and he is a great mc, truly) it's not Nas the mc who changed the face of hip hop. It's Illmatic. The album was a force of nature... it took a while for it to rub off on people, but when it did it left a mark. Nas himself has always struggled to recapture that fire, and his ego and intellect have been at war for decades, preventing him from achieving creative consistency in his albums. Nas isn't a legend in the way Pac and BIG are... you were very right about that bit... BUT Illmatic is a more important album than anything either of those dudes released. And you know I'm not hating on either of them when I say that. Pac and Big are legends, legendary voices, still inspiring the fuck out of people. With Nas, Illmatic is the legend. Nas is the poor guy tasked with living his entire life in that album's shadow.

Am I making sense? Hope I'm not sounding like a dickass again (I just heard the phrases "dickass" and "shitass" the other day and they're so fucking dumb, but I love them!).

[Severian]

Originally Posted by louder

I kinda get what Rob is saying.. those kids who be bumpin' Future, Lil Uzi Vert, Travis Scott, etc religiously probably don't give a shit about Illmatic and other 90's hip hop classics.

Probably not, but that doesn't mean Illmatic isn't still...matic.... LOL!

Maybe it's a regional thing, but the NYC rappers still name check that record. And its Sonic influence is still being felt.

Rob was wrong about Kanye though. New rappers not Fucking with Kanye... pssshhh! That's like the punchline of a bad joke.

A few crazy statements that are totally backasswards and false as saying next-gen rappers don't care about Kanye West:
• Obama has no impact on decision 2016.
• People don't like Star Wars
• Saved by the Bell is trending somewhere

[louder]

I'd argue that kids who were bumping the likes of Lil Jon and Soulja Boy a decade ago didn't care about Illmatic either.

Illmatic was always for those who appreciate the more intellectual and technical side of rapping, and are into poetry and storytelling, as well as jazzy boom bap production.

Believe it or not, there are just about as many kids who actually respect the legacy of hip hop and delve into the past as those who simply like to "turn up" to a bass heavy banger. Not all of them are braindead druggies who just wanna hear some mindless party music. They do appreciate the album form. Hence why Kendrick and J. Cole albums sell about 3 times more than Future and Travis albums without trying to cater to the radio and the clubs.

Illmatic still serves as the golden standard. 20 years later, every new huge, notable rap release still draws comparsions to it immediately by blogs and fans alike.

Khaled's album was one of the highest selling hip hop releases of the year and it featured a Nas solo track titled "Nas Album Done", enough said.

[louder]

Kanye is even twice as relevant because he appeals to both crowds. He has something for everyone. Like Sev pointed out, the diversity of his crowd is amazing.

[Severian]

Originally Posted by louder

I'd argue that kids who were bumping the likes of Lil Jon and Soulja Boy a decade ago didn't care about Illmatic either.

Illmatic was always for those who appreciate the more intellectual and technical side of rapping, and are into poetry and storytelling, as well as jazzy boom bap production.

Believe it or not, there are just about as many kids who actually respect the legacy of hip hop and delve into the past as those who simply like to "turn up" to a bass heavy banger. Not all of them are braindead druggies who just wanna hear some mindless party music. They do appreciate the album form. Hence why Kendrick and J. Cole albums sell about 3 times more than Future and Travis albums without trying to cater to the radio and the clubs.

Illmatic still serves as the golden standard. 20 years later, every new huge, notable rap release still draws comparsions to it immediately by blogs and fans alike.

Khaled's album was one of the highest selling hip hop releases of the year and it featured a Nas solo track titled "Nas Album Done", enough side.

I was going to mention Khaled but.. eh... I don't really like to talk about Khaled

You're right though. For all the bitching I do about "kids" there's a lot of young folks who are more "serious" about hip-hop being "serious" than I've ever been in my life. They sometimes take it to absurd extremes, acting like any rap that's "fun" is just automatically dumb. (This is not the case with any genre; indeed sometimes "dumb" is what makes music brilliant, as most folks who love punk understand.. see Spacemen 3, Butthole Surfers, Ramones... each a little "dumb" in their own way).

For instance, I know a lot of younger hip-hop folks who just abhor anything that's popular, and see it as a betrayal of hip-hop's political and social power and purpose. They'll sing the praises of MellowMusicGroup and BLU, or Jedi Mind Tricks and Immortal Technique. Of course, these kids are missing out on most of the best hip-hop music ever made, but it's encouraging to see that not everyone just wants to get blazed and turnt or whatever. Some folks actually wait for Takib joints ... still!!

These kinds of rap fans are the ones more likely to revere Illmatic.
Earl Sweatshirt is a good example too. He approaches hip hop songcraft from a "poetic" angle, and that's a Nas move.

[Severian]

ERIK B. & RAKIM ARE REUNITING!!!



Wow. WOW.

I mean, this is nowhere near as big a deal for me personally as ATCQ releasing a new album recording with Phife before his death (RIP), but it's still pretty big news. HUGE news.

[louder]

Originally Posted by Severian

ERIK B. & RAKIM ARE REUNITING!!!



Wow. WOW.

I mean, this is nowhere near as big a deal for me personally as ATCQ releasing a new album recording with Phife before his death (RIP), but it's still pretty big news. HUGE news.

And they want a Rae Sremmurd feature. Legendary moves.

[guest]

nxworries is so fucking sweet, pure candy.

also for the record have never seen young people going more nuts at a show than nas performing illmatic in full a couple years ago, he's put out some shite records since then (arguably all of them are pretty dry) but he's a rarity in hip hop in that he can actually carry a show on his own and absolutely owns a sound that is still being like directly aped nowadays even, probably one of the few records in hip hop that ostensibly won't date. think he still maintains a much greater presence than some of you guys are crediting...

[Severian]

Originally Posted by guest

nxworries is so fucking sweet, pure candy.

also for the record have never seen young people going more nuts at a show than nas performing illmatic in full a couple years ago, he's put out some shite records since then (arguably all of them are pretty dry) but he's a rarity in hip hop in that he can actually carry a show on his own and absolutely owns a sound that is still being like directly aped nowadays even, probably one of the few records in hip hop that ostensibly won't date. think he still maintains a much greater presence than some of you guys are crediting...

Nice chime in!

[louder]

So Drake dropped new songs from an upcoming project.. claims it's gonna be more of a compilation than a cohesive album.

http://pitchfork.com/news/69247-drak...e-life-listen/

I’m off like mixtapes, I want to do a playlist. I want to give you a collection of songs that become the soundtrack to your life, so this More Life: The Playlist. Like I said, dropping in December. All original music from me. You might hear some tunes from the family on there. Just really excited. I had a great tour, I had a great summer. And most people would like go probably take a break, but for me I just want to get right back to it. Be with the people again.

[louder]

"Fake Love" is such an obvious attempt from Drake to have his own "Real Friends"..

[_slavo_]

What do you think about the "Atrocity Exhibition" album by Danny Brown? I don't listen to hip-hop much, though that album is the bomb to my ears.

[Severian]

Originally Posted by _slavo_

What do you think about the "Atrocity Exhibition" album by Danny Brown? I don't listen to hip-hop much, though that album is the bomb to my ears.

Nobody seems to be super into it, but I like it a lot. Possibly the third best rap album of the year.

Louder likes it well enough but for some reason doesn't give much of a shit, so it's clearly slipping to the wayside for him.

I don't think NR or Rob have even said word one about it.

Me, I like it. A lot more than I thought I would actually.

[Severian]

Originally Posted by louder

"Fake Love" is such an obvious attempt from Drake to have his own "Real Friends"..

Gonna have to take your word on that. I'm not listening to this shit.

For a practiced actor (and by practiced I mean try-hard acting coach having motherfucker), who enjoys playing silly little word games with the song he (and he alone, certainly no ghost writers!) writes, Drake is not an eloquent fellow. That little paragraph reads like a thought that has just popped into someone's head. Downright formless.

The best thing Drake has ever been a part of is "Fuckin Problems," and "Tuesday" (which he wasn't really a part of.) I can smell the change coming in the air. Drake's time is almost over. This is probably why he's scrambling to put out something new 6 months after the last one. If he gives the world 2 years of silence, he'll be over.

[pepper_green]

I religiously dont' give a fuck about Travis Scott, Future, and Lil Uzi Amughe. all soulja boy post 808 just on bandwagons and wearing tight pants. garbage soulless shit.

fuck those dumbassholes. im glad im old enough too have experienced perfection in hip hop. unlike rock n roll, it's not fun when it's dumb. now, it's like busting a nut and throwing a wiping rag on the bitch and telling her to clean it up. they don' knowt how to make love do the beat. they fuck too fast. all talk, no sensuality to prove their manhood.

I have no alliance with hip hop. I don't care if it advances or not. or what's new. it's like an old man loving the Beatles and not caring what came after. im content with that.

[Severian]

Originally Posted by pepper_green

I religiously dont' give a fuck about Travis Scott, Future, and Lil Uzi Amughe. all soulja boy post 808 just on bandwagons and wearing tight pants. garbage soulless shit.

fuck those dumbassholes. im glad im old enough too have experienced perfection in hip hop. unlike rock n roll, it's not fun when it's dumb. now, it's like busting a nut and throwing a wiping rag on the bitch and telling her to clean it up. they don' knowt how to make love do the beat. they fuck too fast. all talk, no sensuality to prove their manhood.

I have no alliance with hip hop. I don't care if it advances or not. or what's new. it's like an old man loving the Beatles and not caring what came after. im content with that.

I feel you actually. I mean, I can relate to your position. I'm not as content to just listen to he same '90s records over and over, and I think things have happened in the 2000s and 2010s that have made hip-hop better as a whole than it was before. But I still appreciate your position. I kinda view indie rock that way. Can't remember the last time something flat out blew my mind, and really added to the genre's history and legacy, and I'd rather listen to Sonic Youth or Sebadoh or Fugazi than whatever the hell is going on these days.

But you're wrong about one thing: hip-hop most certainly is (or can be) EXTREMELY FUN when it's dumb. There's a whole lot of camp and cheese in the Wu catalog. Kool Keith got dumb as hell and it was intentional and part of his charm. When a good dumb banger comes out, there's genuine good times to be had listening to that shit.

[Severian]

Ok, so Louder -- I'm sure you saw the pitchfork feature about Pusha T v. Drake. I didn't honestly realize there was a rivalry bubbling, and I'm not particularly interested in Pusha wasting his time on Drake disses instead of making the albums he's promised he would make.

But it's nice to hear a super populace mag like Pitchfork taking a solid stance about how silly Drake's burns of Pusha are, how rooted in fantasy they are, how Pusha's an objectively better lyricist and Rapper. None of it needs to be said to folks like us, but as Pitchfork pointed out, VIEWS was a monster pop hit, while the endlessly superior Darkest Before Dawn barely cracked the top 20.

Originally Posted by Pitchfork writer guy

"That feud (between Meek Mill and Drake) inspired no shortage of sub par diss tracks from both Meek and Drake, but the real battle went down on Twitter—which makes one wonder why Drake doesn’t come right out and sic his meme army on Pusha. Post-Drake, it doesn't matter if you can out-rap your opponent, you just gotta out-meme them. Pusha may be King Push in the streets, but we all know who wears the crown in the tweets"

Kinda begs the question though... How will Kanye feel about THIS. Drake clapping back at acid I for saying some crazy shit is one thing. Drake bashing the president of GOOD Music, and Kanye's most trusted protege should be quite another.

I feel like Kanye considers himself to be sort of "above" hip-hop feuds. Always eager to make amends when shit gets ugly. But a public disavowal of Drake might be just what the doctor ordered.