Best Ever Albums

Re: Educate me on Rap skits (or any skit really)

Skinny — Thu, 2 Jun 2016 03:35:57 GMT

Author: Skinny

Posted: 06/02/2016 07:35

sethmadsen wrote:

Skinny wrote:

sethmadsen wrote:

I'll be honest... all I got out of this was "be original" and don't rip me off.

Is there more to it?

Rae and Ghost are just the greatest shit-talkers, and their disdain for other rappers is palpable here. And whilst there isn't much being said here, what is being said still holds weight today - rappers with mainstream ambitions are still biting those with real creativity.

Ok cool. Thanks!

I guess I didn't understand the claim that "This skit is better than most artist's whole careers."

I at first was like... hmmm... this skit is better than R.E.M., Dr. Dre, Andre 3000, Rolling Stones, and Radiohead's, etc. whole careers... and I didn't quite get that. But maybe when you are saying most, you mean all the stuff I'll probably never spend time listening to?

But I think maybe it was something like... this skit shows how terrible some people's careers are... they just rip off other artists?

Nah, it was just hyperbole to emphasise how much I love that skit.

Re: Educate me on Rap skits (or any skit really)

RoundTheBend — Wed, 1 Jun 2016 20:06:51 GMT

Author: RoundTheBend

Posted: 06/02/2016 00:06

Skinny wrote:

sethmadsen wrote:

I'll be honest... all I got out of this was "be original" and don't rip me off.

Is there more to it?

Re: Educate me on Rap skits (or any skit really)

Skinny — Wed, 1 Jun 2016 04:04:29 GMT

Author: Skinny

Posted: 06/01/2016 08:04

sethmadsen wrote:

I'll be honest... all I got out of this was "be original" and don't rip me off.

Is there more to it?

Re: Educate me on Rap skits (or any skit really)

RoundTheBend — Tue, 31 May 2016 21:26:59 GMT

Author: RoundTheBend

Posted: 06/01/2016 01:26

Skinny wrote:

Link

This skit is better than most artist's whole careers.

I'll be honest... all I got out of this was "be original" and don't rip me off.

Is there more to it?

On the other hand I feel like this gave me an insight into the album/history rap than any other intro... with Superfly/Crack, dysfunctional family leading to the only "way out" being gang life, etc. from The Notorious B.I.G.

I didn't feel this was a waste/dumb.

Link

Re: Educate me on Rap skits (or any skit really)

Anonymous — Tue, 31 May 2016 16:30:42 GMT

Author: Anonymous

Posted: 05/31/2016 20:30

Skinny wrote:

Link

This skit is better than most artist's whole careers.

thought for sure you'd be dropping the torture skit from 36 Chambers, but this works too

Re: Educate me on Rap skits (or any skit really)

Skinny — Tue, 31 May 2016 16:26:49 GMT

Author: Skinny

Posted: 05/31/2016 20:26

Link

This skit is better than most artist's whole careers.

Re: Educate me on Rap skits (or any skit really)

Sometype — Tue, 31 May 2016 16:17:12 GMT

Author: Sometype

Posted: 05/31/2016 20:17

I feel like skits, if used, should be separate tracks (similar to Kanyes older stuff) not just plonked on the start or end of a track; this is especially irritating when adding songs to playlists etc. and having to sit through/skip a skit. Also, i have no problem if the skits give some introspective context to the album or help tell the story but if they are just pointless and silly and don't even go with the rest of the album then they can become very irritating, particularly if there are multiple skits of this type on one album.

basically, keep em relevant and keep em separate.

Re: Educate me on Rap skits (or any skit really)

Lachapelle — Mon, 30 May 2016 22:58:21 GMT

Author: Lachapelle

Posted: 05/31/2016 02:58

Interludes can give you a good break from the album.

Some listeners try to get every single lyric, and for those types of people it can be nice to calm down for a few seconds.

I personally prefer a skit that has a nice beat with some vocal samples over it (MF DOOM is a master at this..) rather than a silly scene with someone getting shot and people yelling and shit.

Re: Educate me on Rap skits (or any skit really)

Romanelli — Mon, 30 May 2016 22:28:51 GMT

Author: Romanelli

Posted: 05/31/2016 02:28

Anti wrote:

Romanelli wrote:

Skits on rap albums (in particular) are overdone, in my opinion. As is having the first track be called "Intro", and the use of "Interlude" tracks. Just make an album of your songs. Having skits and intros and interludes is a waste of my time, as they are usually pretty unnecessary. These things went cfrom being a rare treat to being overdone regularities. They're almost like power ballads on hair metal albums...enough already.

IMO, of course.

I'm the polar opposite. I love a good intro to get your feet wet and an outro to bring some closure. But yeah, calling the intro track "Intro" or an outro track "outro" is a bit lazy. And I have an odd fascination with interludes. Some can be really good transitions ("Buried Alive" on Take Care) or a sort of appetizer ("All of the Lights Interlude" on MBDTF). Those are just a couple off the top of my head, but point is I love them.

I think my point is that if you're going to do them (and some are good), don't ALWAYS do them. Don't be so predictable and don't feel that when you are making an album that you have to stick to a formula, which is what it seems like people do. I hate pulling up an album and seeing that the first track is called "Intro". I hate seeing tracks called "Interlude". And I hate that tracks are labeled as skits. (These things happen way too much). If you're going to use them, then at least be creative and give them decent names...and don't force me to know that you're doing it. Show me you care by taking a minute of your time to not have the same cookie cutter track list as the other five albums that came out that same day.

For example...the album Pump by Aerosmith has 4 short interludes and track intros. (And they never did it before or since.) But the intros are actually included as part of the tracks that follow. "Going Down" is listed as track 3.1, and is simply a very short skit that leads directly into "Love In An Elevator" (track 3.2). It actually feels like part of the song (it is), but it's not listed as a skit or an intro...it has its own track name, and the two play together as one. The other 3 are listed the same way, with .1 leading into .2. They have track names, and belong to the next song. "Water Song" doesn't look like an intro to "Janie's Got A Gun", but it most certainly is, just as "Hoodoo" leads into "Voodoo Medicine Man" and "Dulcimer Stomp" goes into "The Other Side".

I'm just wishing that if you're going to have skits and intros and interludes, be a little more creative with how you use them. The element of surprise can be a good thing.

Re: Educate me on Rap skits (or any skit really)

RoundTheBend — Mon, 30 May 2016 21:53:07 GMT

Author: RoundTheBend

Posted: 05/31/2016 01:53

FatalIn10sity wrote:

I can't educate on skits in rap, but I bet this sure can - A History of the Hip Hop Skit

Actually really good article.

Re: Educate me on Rap skits (or any skit really)

Anti — Mon, 30 May 2016 21:48:43 GMT

Author: Anti

Posted: 05/31/2016 01:48

Romanelli wrote:

Re: Educate me on Rap skits (or any skit really)

Anonymous — Mon, 30 May 2016 13:43:08 GMT

Author: Anonymous

Posted: 05/30/2016 17:43

I can't educate on skits in rap, but I bet this sure can - A History of the Hip Hop Skit

Re: Educate me on Rap skits (or any skit really)

corenfro — Mon, 30 May 2016 13:25:12 GMT

Author: corenfro

Posted: 05/30/2016 17:25

I thought Eminem's were just annoying but Kendrick on Good Kid Madd City and TPAB definitely added to the concept of the album.

Kanye's on College Dropout make me laugh a little. There is always a bit of filler on his albums and I usually skip the skits but they're pretty funny.

Re: Educate me on Rap skits (or any skit really)

RoundTheBend — Mon, 30 May 2016 13:16:41 GMT

Author: RoundTheBend

Posted: 05/30/2016 17:16

MrFrogger wrote:

sethmadsen wrote:

Well if you just count any spoken word as skits, then that includes

Thumbnail. Click to enlarge.

To Pimp A Butterfly by Kendrick Lamar

In which the spoken word poetry sections are the core of the albums themes; removing them would decrease the quality of the work as a whole.

I've heard that album once. Excited to listen to it again when I get to the 2010s.

Re: Educate me on Rap skits (or any skit really)

MrFrogger — Sun, 29 May 2016 23:41:18 GMT

Author: MrFrogger

Posted: 05/30/2016 03:41

sethmadsen wrote:

Well if you just count any spoken word as skits, then that includes

Thumbnail. Click to enlarge.

To Pimp A Butterfly by Kendrick Lamar

In which the spoken word poetry sections are the core of the albums themes; removing them would decrease the quality of the work as a whole.

Re: Educate me on Rap skits (or any skit really)

RoundTheBend — Sun, 29 May 2016 22:46:34 GMT

Author: RoundTheBend

Posted: 05/30/2016 02:46

Hayden wrote:

So, just for kicks, what do you consider a bigger waste of your time on an album: a decent skit, or a bad song?

I'm all for skits. Hip-hop or not. Gives the album an extra dimension of personality. It's also just part of hip-hop... it's it. You get skits, interludes, comedy routines, stories, etc... It's a fantastic aspect of the genre.

You know what, go give this album a listen and see what you think of skits afterwards:

Tricks Of The Shade by The Goats

Apart from being a stellar album, the skits really gives a sense of atmosphere. It wouldn't be nearly as good without them.

Hmmm... I'll have to add that to my queue. I can't think of any albums right now, but I know I've heard some where the skits/spoken word in between totally added to the artistic element of the album. Sounds like this is one of them.

I don't think there's anything wrong with skits if they do add something to the record.

I have a buddy recording a record right now where they were able to get an old cylinder record of someone reading from the Bible about being close to God, and then it fades into a song called Hades about going to hell. I thought not only was it cool they were able to get a cylinder record, and digitize it, but then to juxtapose it. Fantastic.

Would I prefer a good skit vs a bad song? You bet. As a matter of fact, that's another problem I have with a lot of Rap records... there's like 9 fantastic rap songs and then 18 shitty rap songs or skits, etc. that goes with that rap album... it ruins it for me. Sometimes I create playlists of those 9 songs ONLY... so I don't waste my time with them and enjoy some good rap.

Re: Educate me on Rap skits (or any skit really)

Hayden — Sun, 29 May 2016 22:23:13 GMT

Author: Hayden

Posted: 05/30/2016 02:23

sethmadsen wrote:

Are you talking about the readings it seems like at the beginning of some of the songs? Not as familiar with the album... do you have a specific example.

80% of the time, regardless of the genre, it seems they are, as Romanelli put it, a waste of time.

Well, def go listen to that album. It's a classic. I think you'd dig it too. The 'skits' are more-or-less a story that happens over the second half of the album. What about something like the skits on Trout Mask Replica? Or the acclaimed 2012 Canadian classic 'Candles'.

So, just for kicks, what do you consider a bigger waste of your time on an album: a decent skit, or a bad song?

I'm all for skits. Hip-hop or not. Gives the album an extra dimension of personality. It's also just part of hip-hop... it's it. You get skits, interludes, comedy routines, stories, etc... It's a fantastic aspect of the genre.

You know what, go give this album a listen and see what you think of skits afterwards:

Tricks Of The Shade by The Goats

Apart from being a stellar album, the skits really gives a sense of atmosphere. It wouldn't be nearly as good without them.

Re: Educate me on Rap skits (or any skit really)

babyBlueSedan — Sun, 29 May 2016 22:02:26 GMT

Author: babyBlueSedan

Posted: 05/30/2016 02:02

For the most part I find skits pretty unnecessary. Aquemeni and 3 Feet High And Rising are two albums that are padded out by skits that don't offer much to the albums. Sex skits are even worse, even if the interlude on Ready To Die is actually pretty funny. But after a few listens even funny skits lose their randomness and the humor isn't unexpected.

They can be good though - The College Dropout has some humorous skits even if by the time Jimmy hits the point has been driven way too far home. $20 Dollar Sack Pyramid off The Chronic is probably the funniest skit I've heard. Even with these high points though I'd be fine if I never heard another skit again.

Re: Educate me on Rap skits (or any skit really)

RoundTheBend — Sun, 29 May 2016 21:17:03 GMT

Author: RoundTheBend

Posted: 05/30/2016 01:17

This one is funny at least and not stupid. Some try to be funny are just stupid instead.

https://open.spotify.com/track/164al00XRSLWG6h4hc12bD

Re: Educate me on Rap skits (or any skit really)

RoundTheBend — Sun, 29 May 2016 21:16:35 GMT

Author: RoundTheBend

Posted: 05/30/2016 01:16

Gowi wrote:

I like skits and outtakes that give some personal insight, like a looking glass— but yeah, for the most part, I’ve always had issues with skits (I usually skip them) just like interludes. I still laugh at this though:

Link

I agree this one is alright.