The Swamp

I'm not sure if there are defined rap eras, but I'm talking specifically about the east coast vs west coast era, not so much post-ATCQ and related groups, but separate from them, and before it migrated to club shit, so like 1992-1997? And I'll probably dig in and refuse to amend what I consider to be the five elite albums of that era ...

Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) - Wu-Tang Clan (November 1993)

Illmatic - Nas (April 1994)

Ready to Die - Notorious BIG (September 1994)

The Infamous ... - Mobb Deep (April 1995)

Reasonable Doubt - Jay-Z (June 1996)

Gun to my face, I'd say that's about the right order if you move Wu-Tang into 3rd, with the biggest gap being between 4 and 5. Mobb Deep is probably the one most people would omit if they were doing a top 5 and most people would be really stupid and wrong. And also this isn't strictly an east coast list, the best east coast rap was just better than the best west coast (or southern) rap.

You've heard Straight Outta Compton, right?

It's Dark and Hell is Hot was released 19 years ago this month. Then Flesh of my Flesh, Blood of my Blood 7 months later. Both went #1.

Outside of Tupac doing that (though technically he was dead when his second album was released), no one else ever did that. Both are classics and DMX is still a bad ass.

No Tupac? I wore out All Eyez on Me and Ready to Die back then. I'd probably throw Ill Communication, Chronic, and Doggystyle on my list as well.

ETA - these may not be the "best" of that era, but that's what I was listening to back then

Jerloma wrote:You've heard Straight Outta Compton, right?

Released in the 80s.

Oh, that was late 80's I guess. I think you can consider it 90s though. Anyway...

1. SOC
2. Illmatic
3. Low End Theory
4. Ready To Die
5. Midnight Marauders

If we're changing the timeframe, then no way It Takes A Nation Of Millions To Hold Us Back isn't on any kind of a top 5 list.

I'm calling irony.

Now I'm listening to Wu-Tang. So thanks?

What's the go to Gang Starr album?

I'd say The Chronic is my favorite rap album from that time period.

Jerloma wrote:What's the go to Gang Starr album?

I don't know if its the best, but "Hard to Earn" is the one that would be most familiar.

As pointed out, I'd say the glaring omission is The Chronic. Fugees the score gets plenty of love here too. Outkast is better than mobb deep and at some point you start including Public Enemy on the front end and the Roots on the back end.

HaulCitgo wrote:As pointed out, I'd say the glaring omission is The Chronic. Fugees the score gets plenty of love here too. Outkast is better than mobb deep and at some point you start including Public Enemy on the front end and the Roots on the back end.

Fugees (really, L-Boogie) and Roots are the next level, maybe Roots are two down if you're doing a lot of different levels. Outkast seems separate to me being the south and usually leaning a lot closer to ATCQ style than the east/west stuff. Public Enemy predates all this. The Chronic is overrated as fuck.

My list starts at 1. E. 1999 Eternal and goes from there.

Outside of that I don't have any qualms with Delaware's list. I'd probably leave Ready to Die on at #2, and then I'd have to think about it.

Underrated from that era: AZ, Big L (who is also a little overrated in certain circles), Goodie Mob (Ceelo kinda fucked them going solo), Black Moon

No Black Sheep love?

mister d wrote:Underrated from that era: AZ, Big L (who is also a little overrated in certain circles), Goodie Mob (Ceelo kinda fucked them going solo), Black Moon

AZ was cool in smaller doses. Big L needed better production - it's like all of his material that I've heard was recorded in Roger Ailes' asshole. I like him tho

Fuck, man. Prodigy of Mobb Deep died.

I would have been at his last show except it was hot as balls and I got free tickets so I pretty much only went to see KRS-One, Ghostface Killah and Raekwon. Didn't stick around for Ice-T.

Ice t still rhymes? Those law and order primary character gigs are like tv tenure. I'd just sit in my house and do nothing between trips to NYC.

Body Count just released an album that has actually been getting good reviews.

HEY ASSHOLES SHOW SOME RESPECT!!!

If you can't discuss Ice-T and Raekwon in the 90s rap thread, well where can you.

It's not the goddamn time.

mister d wrote:Fuck, man. Prodigy of Mobb Deep died.

Saw this earlier. Saddened to hear the news. Time to turn on some M.O.B.B.

Maaaaaaaaan, this right here.

https://genius.com/Prodigy-of-mobb-deep ... oro-lyrics

This was good:



42 is way too young.

Fuck, man. Craig Mack died.

Just when Return of the Morrison was starting to get big again

I hate you for that.

GPJ's favorite lyric of all time: (but the song didn't come out in the 90's)

Uh huh, I take my rap style real serious
What you think it ain't...that serious?

Haaaa, Craig Mack carrying on the lyrical legacy of the old school rappers.

That song was the jam tho. The Guinness line made up for everything that followed.


EDIT: Whoa, didn't even see the posts above that

When I listened to the NWA album from the draft, I was shocked at how often they repeated rhymes.

A_B wrote: ↑Tue Mar 13, 2018 10:08 am When I listened to the NWA album from the draft, I was shocked at how often they repeated rhymes.

Yeah but current rappers with complex rhymes schemes have used Autotune!

A_B wrote: ↑Tue Mar 13, 2018 10:08 am When I listened to the NWA album from the draft, I was shocked at how often they repeated rhymes.

I found that sometimes with the Beastie Boys too.

Gunpowder wrote: ↑Tue Mar 13, 2018 10:13 amYeah but current rappers with complex rhymes schemes have used Autotune!

Beep boop beep boop I am a rapper.

I remember when I first heard this. Stoned, with a bunch of my white-ass friends, probably after a USMNT World Cup game in early summer '94. It blew me away. I mean, the next song was a Coltrane cover and you're left wondering what the hell just happened. It's fucking amazing to hear words so raw, and in a sense, disturbing because they're not relatable.

I tend to listen to the message too closely at times, and I think that's why I tend to stay in my own lane in regards to next gen rap. I've yet to reconcile that weakness.

Four letter words or four syllable words won't make you important
It'll only magnify how shallow you are and let everybody know it
And if they look at you like they think you insane
Or they call you scarecrow thinkin' you ain't got no brain
Or start tellin' folks that you suddenly gone lame
Or that white folks have finally co-opted your game
Or you really don't know...They said that about me a long time ago
If they finally start to tell people that you lost your nerve
That's what they said about Johannesburg
You ain't insane...you have got a brain
You haven't gone lame; you have got your game
Remember...keep the nerve
Keep the nerve
Keep the nerve
Keep the nerve
...I'm talkin' about peace

mister d wrote: ↑Tue Mar 13, 2018 12:03 pm

Gunpowder wrote: ↑Tue Mar 13, 2018 10:13 amYeah but current rappers with complex rhymes schemes have used Autotune!

Beep boop beep boop I am a rapper.

I am a rapper and I spit mad RHYMES
Catch me on the mic and you'll be sur-PRISED
I'm so old school and my beats are FRESH
Don't forget about my rhymes and how much you're im-PRESSED
From the mean streets and the streets are MEAN
I wrote this song in 5 minutes and my rhymes are CLEAN
I'm a star on the mic, I'm a rhyming VET
I slap other rappers with a fresh ba-GUETTE

OHHHHHH! Now my man Rhymey Pete about to step to the mic!


Yo I rhyme really great they call me RHYMEY PETE.....