[chocolate_ladyland]

Chance's album finally grew on me. Same with These New Puritans (diff genres I know)

[Severian]

Originally Posted by SuchFriendsAreDangerous

I feel you, in 1998 there was Outkast, a sick a$$ DJ Quik record, the ridiculoulsly good Black Star record, FUCKING KILLAH PRIEST DROPPED HEAVY MENTAL, my favorite Tribe Called Quest Record came out (The Love Movement), RZA became the Bobby Digital, Redman put out "Doc's Da Name", Heiroglyphics busted out 3rd Eye Vision, WC's The Shadiest One, Sunz of Man had a record out, and to take the mark as perhaps the BEST RAP ALBUM OF 1998 E-40 put out the double album Element of Surprise..

 

Not only was there clearly no room to even remotely bother with DMX, upon further reflection is it safe to argue that 1998 may have been perhaps the single greatest year in rap history? Fucking shit look at those records, and that is just from my ipod right now off my head, I probably forgot at least a dozen more bangerz..

Holy shit, yeah, Black Star, Hieoglyphics, the first Bobby Digital record (which is awesome, for those of you who think it was something other than awesome)...

Man, you really remember your shit. Wu Forever was a year old in 98, so I was pretty much just saying who needs a prison poet who barks like a dog when the best hip hop album ever was only eight or nine months old? But your point is even better- 1998 kicked all kinds of ass, at the underground level.

The basic question was: Was DMX ever supposed to be relevant to actual hip hop, or just the TRL-era mtv crowd, which was just losing its moonblood back in '98? I remember 1998 for one mainstream hit, and that was "Hard Knock Life." Who the fuck needed DMX?

[Severian]

Originally Posted by foreverasskiss

Acid Rap is great

Last time I listened, I was over it big time. But maybe it should give it another go, especially with the end of the year approaching so quickly. Though honestly, he doesn't have a chance at making my hip hop list. If I expanded my album list to include non albums, and doubled it in sizzle, I might have room.

[noisereductions]

I don't think Acid Rap is 10/10... but solid 7... leaning towards an 8.

No matter arbitrary numbers, it's def one of the more interesting rap albums I heard this year.

[SuchFriendsAreDangerous]

Originally Posted by Severian

The basic question was: Was DMX ever supposed to be relevant to actual hip hop

Yes, and stupidly a lot of really smart people listening to rap music mistakenly compared him to tupac!! DMX was totally lame, and Kurupt called it out best, "Salamander ass catipillar ass motherfucker, fake ass mustache fake killer mother fucker!" Take a note Kendrick Lamar, if you want to start a rap beef THAT is a good way to start

 

[SuchFriendsAreDangerous]

Acid Rap is a cool record, the beats are sometimes totally interesting, other times meh. Its not always exactly the radiohead of rap like the critical acclaim suggested, but its definitely different to folks who listen to mainstream rap and have never listened to the Hieroglyphics before

The problem, is I just don't like Chance's flow/delivery/voice, so I can't get too into it. Its how I feel about Kendrick Lamar too.. Also I'm feeling a lot better about Talib Kweli because of Prisoner of Conscious, I'm glad I had initially put in my top-10 of 2013 even when I wasn't that into it, because its definitely a fantastic record. I mean, I was always bumping that Black Star, but that was like Kobe and Shaq, and Mos Def was definitely Shaq in that project. I'm increasingly feeling this record.

[louder]

Originally Posted by noisereductions

I don't think Acid Rap is 10/10... but solid 7... leaning towards an 8.

No matter arbitrary numbers, it's def one of the more interesting rap albums I heard this year.

Acid Rap is just a mixtape though. he's probably going to improve a lot with his major label debut.

a lot of people seem to have a problem with Chance's voice. i don't. i like it. he's a bit corny.. in a good way.
usually i can't stand corny rappers, but Chance pulls it off well.

[Severian]

Originally Posted by foreverasskiss

maybe i have shit taste in hip hop? you guys seem to love the controversial updated comtemporary shit. whatever floats that boat and makes you feel amazing.

I was just giving my current opinion, man. No offense intended. I had it in my top THREE for a while. I think I just severely overplayed it, and that it won't be able to recover. Not because it's not a great mix, but because I took all the shine out if it.

I don't think anyone here really judges others for their taste, anyway. We're all kinda just like: "oh, you like Bone thugs? I kinda hate them, but whatever bro... Hey that[list album both parties like] just gets better and better doesn't it?"

Sorry if if sounded like an ass. I tend toward that kind of thing, and come by it naturally.

[Rob Instigator]

I don't listen to any of this. Just don't care. Hip Hop is now about 40 years old, or the same age as rock and roll was in 1993. It is also as splintered as rock was then, with the mainstream hip hop acts all a fucking bunch of pathetic shit.

[noisereductions]

Originally Posted by louder

Acid Rap is just a mixtape though. he's probably going to improve a lot with his major label debut.

a lot of people seem to have a problem with Chance's voice. i don't. i like it. he's a bit corny.. in a good way.
usually i can't stand corny rappers, but Chance pulls it off well.

yeah, it's a mixtape. But it sounds like an album. Y'know.

But.

I like his voice half the time and find it annoying half the time. Depends on the song.

[Severian]

While I think Killah Priest and Doley Bernays really released the year's best mix tapes, the two I've been most curious about (regarding "who will win in the end?") has been Chance the Rapper VS. TREE.

At first Tree was the underdog, and barely seemed to receive any recognition at all. Then something happened and people started paying attention, and I have no idea what it was, but Tree's fanbase grew a lot over the course of the year.

He's still nowhere near as popular as Chance, but that's because people like hype and bright colors, and have a harder time seeing the merits of muted earth tones and grind-influenced beats over a gnarly soul flow.

I vote Tree, but Acid Rap was a much more well developed concept with better marketing. More cohesive. More "progressive" and less street. Probably part of what makes it annoying to some of us.

I'm sad that nobody's expressing interest in Just In Time. Fucking really good, album-quality mixtape, forgotten in 5 minutes.

[SuchFriendsAreDangerous]

Which mix tape? Psychic World of Walter Reed is so very clearly a record, in fact, its very clearly three distinct records put together as one. It can only be technically called a mix-tape because there are so many different producers, but all of the songs have a similar sound, feel, and theme in the lyrics. A classic record if I ever heard one.

[louder]

Flatbush Zombies put out a dope tape. so did The Underachievers, Action Bronson and Migos.

[louder]

this new Schoolboy Q song "Man of the Year" (the one that plays at the end of "Bitch Don't Kill My Vibe" video) is soo fucking tight!

i hope it's gonna blow up on radio stations everywhere, so he can get the hype he needs to drop Oxymoron early next year.

https://soundcloud.com/topdawgent/sc...an-of-the-year

[Severian]

Originally Posted by SuchFriendsAreDangerous

Which mix tape? Psychic World of Walter Reed is so very clearly a record, in fact, its very clearly three distinct records put together as one. It can only be technically called a mix-tape because there are so many different producers, but all of the songs have a similar sound, feel, and theme in the lyrics. A classic record if I ever heard one.

I agree. Am I wrong? I assumed it was a mix because of the many free download links and the downloadable artwork, and the fact that I haven't seen a physical copy or an iTunes version.

I could totally be wrong though. Of it's an album, fucking tell me So I can throw it in my top ten albums of the year, irrespective of genre.

Yes, as far as hip hop releases in general go, that one is a goddamn must have. Awesome in every way.

[SuchFriendsAreDangerous]

Originally Posted by Severian

I agree. Am I wrong? I assumed it was a mix because of the many free download links and the downloadable artwork, and the fact that I haven't seen a physical copy or an iTunes version.

Priest is selling it from his website, self-distribution. I got the money to record and produce it himself from private sources.

I could totally be wrong though. Of it's an album, fucking tell me So I can throw it in my top ten albums of the year, irrespective of genre.

Yes, its much to prolific to be a mix-tape, its definitely an album, albeit with all the different producers looks like a mix-tape. I think Priest was using the format of mix-tapes (i.e. not stuck with just one producer) to make a better record.

Yes, as far as hip hop releases in general go, that one is a goddamn must have. Awesome in every way.

I got it not just as best of the year, but honestly one of the top-5 ALL-TIME.

Also, seriously been bumping that Talib Kweli.. I can't believe I slept on that one, though I was sleeping on Priest for several months too

[Severian]

Originally Posted by SuchFriendsAreDangerous

Also, seriously been bumping that Talib Kweli.. I can't believe I slept on that one, though I was sleeping on Priest for several months too

Hmm... I used to be really in to Talib. But somewhere around Liberation and Eardrum he started to rap through his nose and go overly political and I lost interest.

I listened to Prisoner of Conscious (btw: shouldn't it be prisoner of consciousness? That sounds better. Currently, it sounds like a misprint, or the work of a dumb guy) once on Spotify, and it sounded like it was supposed to be some kind of comedy record if I'm remembering correctly.

I'll give it another shot though.
...

BUT SERIOUSLY, EVERY MOTHERFUCKER IN THIS CAFÉ NEEDS TO LISTEN TO DOLEY BERNAYS NEW MIXTAPE "JUST IN CASE".... NOW! It's fucking flooring me more and more with every listen. This dude is no fucking joke.

[Severian]

Also, louder: I forgot to respond to your post about the BOUND 2 video. So I will now do so.

I would love to hear anyone attempt to assemble an argument that supports this video being anything other than a complete bastardization of what is probably the best song on Yeezus. Now, while I dig watching titties bounce as much as the next ninja, I feel like the song got a little worse when I watched this awful, unnecessarily tasteless, stock footage cliche montage being played with it.

Seriously, wild horses? Motorcycles? Kim Kardashian not wearing a helmet, even though they were obviously on the bounciest... Er, bumpiest, mountain road in the world?

No thank you. Unless he was being intentionally ridiculous, this video is displaying a side of Kanye that I do not care for. The songs speak for themselves. He's not releasing singles, so why videos? Just let the album float around in the ethers, and sink into the consciousness of the world.

[noisereductions]

I saw the "Bound2" video as a really over the top "love song" video. You got fast motorcycles, wild horses, side-boob. To me it was like Tawny Kitean stradling the hood of White Snake's car.

[louder]

i love the video. i've watched it over and over again. so cheesy it's awesome.