Still waiting
I was talking to Jordache last night and I believe we were both in agreement that there hasn’t been a better hip hop album than Get Rich Or Die Trying since it came out. That’s a good 5 years now and Curtis proper debut is still reigning supreme. For me personally the only contenders have been Kanye’s efforts (Graduation in particular) and Game - The Documentary.
This of course brings up the point that both Game and 50’s records were Dr Dre helmed - which then brought us to another point - has there been a better record than Chronic 2001 since it came out ? Jordache believed not, I’m of the opinion that Get Rich is a more solid record overall(i.e has almost no wack songs) but I rate the stand out stuff on 2001 higher. Either way you think about it, Dre is essentially in a race with only himself. Being that that’s the case I guess I can somehow understand the lack of urgency in getting Detox out, what’s the rush when noone is gonna put out anything that can fuck with you ? Check out Bishop Lamont speaking on Detox below. Props to NR
March 20th, 2008 at 1:43 pm
That period was pretty great for rap albums… Tha Documentary and College Dropout as you say, plus Jay’s Black album (though I preferred the cohesive sound of DM’s Grey Album version), Scarface’s The Fix (an all-time fave here), Eminem’s Marshall Mathers LP (seriously), David Banner’s Mississippi: The Album and Ghost’s waaaay underrated Pretty Toney all added up to the last peak of the album in hip hop… since then, a pile of great singles, a few albums which get talked up a lot (most notably King) which don’t quite run as full-lengths. A pile of great mixtapes (Wayne’s Da Drought 3 most recently)… The Clipse Hell Hath was killer, but in terms of blockbuster, playable-right-through rap, there’s albums I like more, but none you could truly say are demonstrably better than Get Rich… Incidentally, 2001 can’t sit alongside the best for mine, too many average songs, even if the better half of it is about as good as rap can get.
March 20th, 2008 at 1:43 pm
If you’re going to exclude wack songs from the albums then I would put forward Carter II and The Black Album. Just saying.
And in regards to The Detox; the things I have read about it are pretty mind-blowing. Mixed entirely in 5.1 and whatnot. It’s almost mythical now. I can’t see how it can live up to the hype. But, I’m more than happy to eat humble pie.
March 20th, 2008 at 3:01 pm
“…has there been a better record than Chronic 2001 since it came out ? ”
The Blueprint is on par if not better
March 20th, 2008 at 3:15 pm
^ Holy, massive oversight.
Back to post 03 releases tho I reckon I’d have to switch King with Hell Hath on you Dunc. I thought King was best album of its year and Hell Hath was overrated. Carter 2 you reckon Silver ? I like it but it’s just.. ya know not classic.
March 20th, 2008 at 3:21 pm
I think it may be personal preference. I will say that I have had the bulk of that album on constant rotation since it leaked. But maybe that’s just me huh? It’s a classic in my book.
Blueprint is a great call.
I was going to say the MMLP but it was pre-GRODT right?
Graduation over College Dropout?
March 20th, 2008 at 3:22 pm
I reckon Graduation over College Dropout. C.D has mean shit but workout plan and dry skits alone are enuff to put it below Graduation for me.
MMLP pre GRODT, post 2001
March 20th, 2008 at 3:40 pm
Then I would say MMLP for sure.
Graduation is good, but I think as far as a classic I’d go for Dropout. Mainly because it came out of nowhere. That’s a pretty decent debut. Yeah the school spirit skit and whatnot was pretty lame. But Freeway and Mos of Two Words? Jesus Walks? Spaceship? Breathe In Breathe Out?
With Graduation, I expected a classic and pretty much got it. But that’s more of a tribute to the artist, not the album.
Dropout gets my vote.
What about on the backpacker tip? Madvillain?
March 20th, 2008 at 4:54 pm
Blueprint is ridiculous, no doubt, my fave Jay album, but predates Get Rich by 2 years.
And I take Dropout over Graduation every time, still my fave Kanye, even with the skits (which I can handle, just)… he was just so damn hungry then, and I have to agree with Silver, Two Words and Jesus Walks, you have to go a long way to find raps like that, plus Last Call, Through the Wire, and I personally think Never Let You Down is mindblowing, a lesson in what rap can be , like your man Obama was saying a few posts back.
March 20th, 2008 at 4:59 pm
lol, my fave kanye is late registration (don’t hate) - but that may be just cos i’m a stan of anything fiona apple related
March 20th, 2008 at 10:51 pm
*my 2 cents :P*
Id have Graduation, only coz i don’t got College Dropout, and haven’t had a proper listen,…
but lol, gone from 50 to Jay, to Kanye… hmmm what about Eminem?? :L:L
March 24th, 2008 at 5:19 pm
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http://www.flickr.com/photos/23124248@N04/2354448741/
March 28th, 2008 at 1:25 pm
im 8 days late.
Black Album was better than Get Rich Or Die Trying, and if you wanted to get a bit newer.. minstrel show shat on it in my opinion.
March 30th, 2008 at 3:13 pm
posts on point, dre owns hip hop. Reformation and Detox gonna change the game!
April 2nd, 2008 at 5:42 pm
WTF! Turkstunna your comment slipped under the radar but by golly I have to pull cards on this one. Minstrel Show ?!?!?!? the fucking Minstrel Show shat on Get Rich or Die Trying ??????? My goodness. I bet you Little Brother themselves on their most egotistical full of themselves day would tell you that there is no fucking way their album comes close to GRODT.
You could make an argument for the Black Album, as it has some definitive songs of Hov’s career(PSA at least). The Minstrel Show tho ??!?!? that dont even have a classic song, let alone have what it would take to remotely come close to fucking with GRODT. Percy Miracles is funny.. but not THAT funny.
April 3rd, 2008 at 9:13 am
[...] of 2 albums off-hand that I am anticipating above all others(this is of course excluding Detox for reasons previously stated). They are Game’s L.A.X and Lil Wayne’s The Carter [...]
April 3rd, 2008 at 9:52 pm
I reckon College Dropout over GRODT though I do have fond memories of the time when it came out.
Blueprint over Chronic 2001 hard, only 1 song I skip as apposed to alot of 2001’s
April 5th, 2008 at 8:21 pm
Yeah okay.. the bit which is making me think of Minstel Show being awesome is the Creativity of it it makes it seem like you’re watching a live concert on a Television. I dunno, maybe I been listening to Richie too much and catching some of his backpacker Disease. I don’t hate on Get Rich Or Die Trying by any means. It is a good album. I just think Minstrel Show was better… But yet again- I was born in Wellington. maybe thats the problem. I’ma check myself and come back. LOL