Best Ever Albums

Re: BYHH GW1: Group B - 1997 vs. 2015

Skinny — Fri, 22 Jan 2021 11:20:24 GMT

Author: Skinny

Posted: 01/22/2021 16:20

1997 wins, 13-3.

Re: BYHH GW1: Group B - 1997 vs. 2015

Mercury — Thu, 21 Jan 2021 21:47:26 GMT

Author: Mercury

Posted: 01/22/2021 02:47

I think the issue is that Jenny Death is so cutting edge, so almost inconceivably groundbreaking at this time, that people are having reaction to it akin to how people in 1925 would react to Charley Parker if someone somehow got his music to jazz ears 20 years earlier. The vote is reflecting that disconnect.

Re: BYHH GW1: Group B - 1997 vs. 2015

baystateoftheart — Thu, 21 Jan 2021 21:36:03 GMT

Author: baystateoftheart

Posted: 01/22/2021 02:36

Uptown Saturday Night: 4/5
Jewelz: 3.5/5
Tear Da Club Up '97: 3.5/5
G.O.D. Pt. III: 3.5/5

1997 Total: 14.5/20

Jenny Death: The Powers That B Disc 2: 2.5/5
Strange New Past: 2.5/5
Shutdown: 3.5/5
Ultimate: 3.5/5

2015 Total: 12/20

Re: BYHH GW1: Group B - 1997 vs. 2015

KitchenSink — Wed, 20 Jan 2021 01:18:13 GMT

Author: KitchenSink

Posted: 01/20/2021 06:18

Link

Re: BYHH GW1: Group B - 1997 vs. 2015

cestuneblague — Tue, 12 Jan 2021 08:04:39 GMT

Author: cestuneblague

Posted: 01/12/2021 13:04

Yeah I forgot Death Grips made music past 2012, it seemed like a sort-of novelty interest that should've ended with No Love JGuy Webb, I donno maybe just personal it seems like a really odd choice for a hip hop tournament. This album was... okay. Seth Sentry yeah kinda felt somewhat out-of-date and overproduced, it sounded fine overall but he's pretty underwhelming as a rapper. The singles are really strong, even if I haven't quite fallen in love along with the internet wit denzel curry, but a solid mini-banger though sounds fairly tame next to "Shutdown".

97 is again all stuff I like (although I still have never been able to get into Mobb Deep much despite best efforts), though Three Six is the only real standout. But I do considerably prefer the OC and Camp Lo combo, and with the singles comp mostly being a wash makes it in the end a fairly easy vote for '97.

Re: BYHH GW1: Group B - 1997 vs. 2015

kokkinos — Sun, 10 Jan 2021 06:56:40 GMT

Author: kokkinos

Posted: 01/10/2021 11:56

My ranking for the singles

1st: Skepta - Shutdown
My favorite single of the 1st round except mine and it's not even close.

Everything else is a distant second, though there is something to like in every of them.

T-2nd: Denzel Curry - Ultimate
Highly energetic and aggressive, almost crosses the line of getting annoying.
T-2nd: Three 6 Mafia - Tear Da Club Up '97
Anthem, a song for the ages.
T-2nd: Mobb Deep - G.O.D. Pt. III
End of the world vibe without getting overdramatic.

So, pretty much as it happened in the 1998/2012 and 1996/2005 matchups, the albums winner is different than the singles winner and once more it's the former who takes the nod. So, 1997 it is. Case closed.

Re: BYHH GW1: Group B - 1997 vs. 2015

kokkinos — Sun, 10 Jan 2021 06:11:37 GMT

Author: kokkinos

Posted: 01/10/2021 11:11

Seth Sentry - Strange New Past was the biggest question mark of the first round. Not only had i never listened to it before, I completely ignored its existence. So, I really was looking forward to it. The production is by far the biggest issue. It goes for this digital, overproduced, artificial sound that doesn't do the album any favors. I don't think there was a single enjoyable chorus. The rapping was fine, no complaints there, I don't think there was much more to be done considering the material he had to work with. The lyrics were hit and miss (for the most part miss to be honest). The first two songs were promising. I more than liked the concept of How Are You, demonstrating the absurdity of modern lifestyle and the hypocritic and superficial nature of human relationships from the rebellious youth perspective ("Feel like I have just been living in my head So I've been paying double rent I feel like cleaning up this clutter and this mess Feel like doing gateway drugs while I am sitting on the fence I feel I've woven my regrets into a nest, but I digress I feel all right! I'm feeling better than before If this talk was any smaller it won't fit me anymore Yeah I feel fine, got everything I didn't want I got paid, I got my fucking name in slightly bigger font"). Run provides an entertaining and nostalgic trip down memory lane back to his teenage years when it was he and the gang againist the world ("I used to think that the whole town was against us Punching through hedges and jumping over fences A couple cops on our tails, sweating and getting breathless Yelling out threats to us, "You little fuckers, we'll get yas!" Man, just for skating some ledges And plus we used to rack a bunch of stuff in '98 Jackets with a hundred pockets full of chocolates Looking like a human piñata stumbled out of the IGA Grew up by the beach, face-planting on skate ramps And laughing at tourists using spray-cans Of fake tan as if they hate sand Just a bunch of vague little vagrants in a cultural wasteland With a bono tucked in my waist-band It's not mine! "). Sadly, I couldn't find anything remotely interesting or relatable in the rest of the album. Most of his stories are not meant to be taken seriously, but they weren't that fun either, with the occasional punchline or pop culture reference ("Man, I been bad since I was just a little teenage imp Puttin' secret shit in The Beatles hits that you can only hear when you run the melody backwards") being the exception that proves the rule. Violin is the one instance where it gets serious. It is a personal song, dealing with the father and son relationship, but I can't say it touched me in any special way. The album is not that long for hip hop standards, but after a while every song felt longer than the previous.
To sum it up, credit is once again due to Purplepash for his outlandish picks, but 1997 is ahead with some distance so far.
Next one is gonna be the singles.

Re: BYHH GW1: Group B - 1997 vs. 2015

kokkinos — Sat, 9 Jan 2021 14:33:19 GMT

Author: kokkinos

Posted: 01/09/2021 19:33

Death Grips - Jenny Death is the album that has been by far the most heavily discussed up to this point among all the first round picks, with many interesting and noteworthy contributions. What in particular has raised my eyebrows is the Dalek comparison, as I really can't see (or rather hear) it. I wish I did to be honest and that they were as good as Dalek (or close anyway). I have been a fan of Dalek for quite some time - I even had a discussion with PossiblyMichigan and Skinny regarding the eligibility of the Dalek/Faust album for my 2004 team - and I fail to pick up any shared attributes between them. Ok, it's obvious that they both go for a chaotic noisy background, but that's all pretty much. Death Grips are too aggresive, too violent, it's as if they are trying to force matters. This criticism is mostly pointed towards the vocals (not sure I can call it rapping), but it's also reflected on their overall sound. These guys are maniacs. If Dalek is "I wanna get lost in this mess", then Death Grips is "my head hurts, let me get out of here as soon as possible". If Dalek is David Lynch, Death Grips is Nicholas Winding Refn (no offense to him or his fans). That's enough with the comparison, point taken, but I used it mainly to explain what I don't like about this album, as I usually enjoy this kind of noisy business. To end the review with a positive note, I have to note that the cryptic/seemingly random lyrics are something I enjoy ("Inanimate sensation Vantage perspective from objective it came from Inanimate situation No relation, close liaison No conversation, no social contagion Bother me, wanna be comrade intrusive I remain Inanimate aloof skip Counterfeit Like no can do, bitch My vinyl vibrate higher than you, bitch I represent, ain't meant to pursue which One of you, oh you all wanna ride, well, I ain't got room stress While we continue to make shit tight the loosest") , even though isolating them from everything else that's going on is not an easy task. Despite all these, I have to commend Purplepash for this pick, big props to you for thinking outside the box.
The last album for this matchup is gonna be Seth Sentry - Strange New Past.

Re: BYHH GW1: Group B - 1997 vs. 2015

kokkinos — Sat, 9 Jan 2021 10:52:35 GMT

Author: kokkinos

Posted: 01/09/2021 15:52

O.C. - Jewelz is as 90's as it gets. You can instantly recognise it as a product of its time. This is not necessarily bad, because its time happens to be hip hop's golden era (borderline at least, you could argue it ended a a couple of years earlier), but there are some issues that hold it to a lower tier than the top albums of that period. The most striking one is the lack of identitly that has already been stressed by Skinny. From what I understand, you brought it up mostly in regard to O.C's rapping, but I think it applies to all aspects of the album. There aren't enough unique characteristics to make it memorable, stand out and separate it from the mass. The production feels like it took a step in the wrong direction in comparison to his debut album. Maybe it has to do with the presence of many producers which lead to losing its aim. On the other hand, there were many producers involved in Word...Life too and it was more consistent and cohesive, so I am not sure what exactly went wrong. The rapping is kinda ok, but the Big L comparison does O.C. no favors, as it showcases what he lacks and how much room for improvement there was. The lyrics have many great rhymes ("Hazy like asthma, bizarre disaster Stress almost held me down from being a master", "Now a starchild, phenomenon like the X-Files Rappers know I'm coming, so they go in exile Czar in this rap shit, cumming on your mattress Microphone fiend, I make beats do backflips", "You may never find an MC well-orchestrated like a symphony Some will go down in history, some in infamy The infamy will be somewhat a mystery As long as my name O.C. live on through infinity My identity will ring bells in all vicinities From fans to enemies, I’m the antidote and remedy I’ma philosophize, analyze, no question If I die, I’ma return like Jesus resurrection") but most of the themes he's talking about feel like we' ve heard them before and better-when a romantic song comes in and it's a breath of fresh air, you know something is off. The obvious exception to that statement is The Crow-hands down the highlight of the album for me.
It might seem that my stance on this album it's totally negative, but that's far from the truth. I simply wanted to clarify why I don't view this as a classic, even though I find it extremely enjoyable -probably even more thanCamp Lo - Uptown Saturday Night. It may not stick with you for a long time and you may forget it soon once it's over, but this doesn't mean you can't enjoy the ride. Not every album is meant to be groundbreaking. It serves its purpose more than fine.
Next one is gonna be the highly controversial Death Grips - Jenny Death.

Re: BYHH GW1: Group B - 1997 vs. 2015

kokkinos — Sat, 9 Jan 2021 06:41:22 GMT

Author: kokkinos

Posted: 01/09/2021 11:41

Camp Lo - Uptown Saturday Night is another part of the seemingly endless series of 90's gems. Once more I have to start my review by praising the album cover, which perfectly captures the club/party vibes that dominate the album. It ticks all the right boxes. It manages to maintain this chill, relaxed mood throughout, but has enough variety to keep it from getting repetitive. Also, after more than two decades having gone by since it came out, it still feels as fresh as ever, it doesn't sound dated at all. Despite its entertainment value it doesn't compromise in terms of quality, introducing us to an innovative sound. The jazzy background of the album has already been pointed out. Jazz has always been a major hip hop influence, but here the marriage occurs in a creative way that differentiates itself from what was going on back then. This explains its high replayability, which is an exception for this kind of albums (I mean the club/party oriented ones). This one can be played repeatedly without losing any of its appeal. It is crystal-clear that production is the main reason for all its success. "Ski" is the man. I mean, let's be real, the guy was involved in the production of Reasonable Doubt (Politics as Usual, Dead Presidents II, Feelin' It, 22 Two's), not much else needs to be said. Rapping may not be spectacular by itself, but it's just what the doctor ordered, it's a great fit. I especially liked how they went for these short verses where one blends to the next so smoothly and effortlessly. Regarding the lyrics, I have to admit there are many occassions I am totally lost, but I don't think they were focusing on lyrics too much, though they do add to the overall fun ("Now I got crystals, bruh Cola browsin' Blackula If cubic zirconium convince the test, then bash this Money on the wood make the bettin' good Sista, girl, or madams Zenobia is runnin' all them broads and chicks While she directin' flicks Whistlin' the henchmen Yes, I got a few of these cats Got them on drink crouchin' Don't they know I'm diamond crook Satin Struthers production Now you go by my shit And try to screw the" or "Cats be coming with Hammers and dramas with the buddhas and Rugers inside Cruisers and Rovers. Diamond crooks taking it over with Razors and cutters with the sugar and butters Pimping Caesars in leathers, we live for Coolie High treasures and pleasures"). Luchini AKA This Is It is almost universally accepted as the stand out track but in my opinion Black Connection is the one that steals the show.
To sum it up, I wouldn't include it in my absolute favorites -this has nothing to do with the album itself, I'd be hard pressed to point out a single negative thing about it- and I can definitely see why someone else would.
Next one is gonna be O.C. - Jewelz.

Re: BYHH GW1: Group B - 1997 vs. 2015

Skinny — Thu, 7 Jan 2021 13:43:48 GMT

Author: Skinny

Posted: 01/07/2021 18:43

Seth Sentry desperately wants to be early Eminem, and whilst that's never really a good sign I do feel like he can occasionally come across as charming, as he does when recounting his days as a teenage stoner/skater, even though a lot of his references making me cringe. He gets a lot of mileage out of self-deprecation, although I would argue that it's a difficult sell when you sound so smarmy doing it. (Asher Roth springs to mind, as does early Example to give a UK counterpart.) Also, some of these lines are just soooooo awful ("love is like seawater, I drink it and get thirsty"; "fuck the Illuminati, I'll ruin their party" - seriously, what the actual fuck?). On top of this, and without wishing to dunk on the album too much, I'm very much struggling to vibe with some of these beats and choruses; shit just regularly sounds like music submitted to (and ultimately rejected by) the FIFA soundtrack committee. Like, I think he's going for a Kendrick Lamar/Ash Riser Section.80 thing, but it's a pretty lame sound to try to replicate in the first place, made lamer by the fact that it's not done very well. Needless to say, Kendrick succeeds in spite of those Ash Riser hooks, not because of them, and this album contains none of the other elements that make Section.80 so great. Unfortunately, this might be the one album from the Gameweek One picks that I think is worse than Death Grips, though it's a close-run thing; both are borderline unlistenable to me, albeit for entirely different reasons.

Anyway, some scores:

1997:

Uptown Saturday Night - 4.5
Jewelz - 3.5
Tear da Club Up '97 - 3.5
G.O.D. Part III - 2

2015:

Jenny Death - 1.5
Strange New Past - 1.5
Shutdown - 6
Ultimate - 3

Ultimately, there's nothing I wholeheartedly adore album-wise (although that Camp Lo record is super great), but those 1997 picks are just way more my sort of thing. 'Shutdown' is the one thing across both teams that I think is genius, and 'Ultimate' has merit, but I just didn't get on with either of those 2015 albums. However, both were interesting picks that a lot of other users wouldn't have chosen, and it's nice to have that sort of variety across the tournament.

1997 wins comfortably for me, though.

Re: BYHH GW1: Group B - 1997 vs. 2015

Skinny — Thu, 7 Jan 2021 12:30:46 GMT

Author: Skinny

Posted: 01/07/2021 17:30

Jewelz is a very nice slice of D.I.T.C. purist NYC hip-hop, and feels like total rap comfort food. (I mean, you know it's '90s purist NYC shit when you hear a rapper say, "we manifess'in'".) However, it's difficult to shake the feeling that it doesn't quite know what it wants to be. Much of the album has a really cool, relaxed vibe, but it also suffers from attempts at more uptempo hardcore rap that aren't bad in and of themselves but feel like the belong on a different record altogether. Also, O.C. is a really natural rapper, he's got a nice line in traditional punchline rap but is also able to write actual, fleshed-out songs as opposed to just series of battle rap lines, even if overall he just kinda feels like a lesser AZ or Nas. His flow is effortless, to the point where he feels almost like a Masta Ace disciple, but he doesn't have a standout personality that allows him to really put his stamp on beats. There are loads of lesser rappers I prefer because you really get a feel for who they are, and they sound in some way distinctive, but despite being familiar with O.C. I'm not entirely sure that I would be able to immediately recognise him on a song I'd never heard. Despite not being among the strongest songs on the album (bar 'M.U.G.', which is the only Premier beat here, out of four, that feels like it stands up to his better work), the tracks that feature Freddie Foxxx (two of them) and Big L (just the one) throw into sharp contrast just how anonymous O.C.'s rapping can feel, as both outshine O.C. by dint of their memorable voices and flows, even if O.C. is, for all intents and purposes, a better rapper than Foxxx (although admittedly not L). That said, there are a handful of really great tracks here (particularly the love song 'Can't Go Wrong', 'The Chosen One', the aforementioned 'M.U.G.', and the philosophical 'The Crow'), and the closing title track is a classic, even if I slightly prefer what Raekwon did over that J.J. Band sample. Overall, it doesn't have the energy of his debut, but it doesn't need it. It's a really easy listen, and if it were able to maintain that relaxed vibe throughout and cut about 15 minutes off its runtime, I could see an argument for it being one of the best albums of its type. As is, it's just too inconsistent, and a little devoid of personality, for me to really fall in love with it. It feels like it comes as naturally to its creators as Uptown Saturday Night does, but it's just nowhere near as memorable. Still, it's been a pleasure revisiting it, and it easily beats Death Grips for me. Cool choice.

Re: BYHH GW1: Group B - 1997 vs. 2015

Skinny — Thu, 7 Jan 2021 11:25:10 GMT

Author: Skinny

Posted: 01/07/2021 16:25

This is the last match where I really need to absorb all the nominations. Camp Lo's debut is a classic, really laidback fun. 'G.O.D. Part III' is well below Mobb Deep's best, and that Moroder Scarface sample is just too on the nose for me to take it seriously, regardless of how much I love P. Need to revisit Jewelz (it's been a long, long time), and that Seth Sentry record (never heard of him), but 'Shutdown' is easily the best thing here to my ears, perhaps the quintessential song of grime's recent resurgence, and an all-time favourite. Denzel Curry is just OK, one of those rappers that the internet seems bizarrely obsessed with but whose work doesn't really do it for me. Will come back with more thoughts on this matchup later.

Re: BYHH GW1: Group B - 1997 vs. 2015

mickilennial — Thu, 7 Jan 2021 01:08:19 GMT

Author: mickilennial

Posted: 01/07/2021 06:08

RoundTheBend wrote:

I was an idiot then... and an idiot now... 🤣

I was also vanilla then and basically vanilla now... I should've spent more time in the lounge... missed out. :cry:

you're smarter and cooler now its ok

Re: BYHH GW1: Group B - 1997 vs. 2015

RoundTheBend — Thu, 7 Jan 2021 01:04:33 GMT

Author: RoundTheBend

Posted: 01/07/2021 06:04

Gowi wrote:

I miss the communal aspect of everyone being active. Hyper-active, even.

I was an idiot then... and an idiot now... 🤣

I was also vanilla then and basically vanilla now... I should've spent more time in the lounge... missed out. 😢

Re: BYHH GW1: Group B - 1997 vs. 2015

mickilennial — Thu, 7 Jan 2021 00:48:17 GMT

Author: mickilennial

Posted: 01/07/2021 05:48

KitchenSink wrote:

i sometimes get nostalgic for 2012/13 era BEA but uhhhh not necessarily that aspect of it

I miss the communal aspect of everyone being active. Hyper-active, even.

Re: BYHH GW1: Group B - 1997 vs. 2015

KitchenSink — Wed, 6 Jan 2021 23:28:10 GMT

Author: KitchenSink

Posted: 01/07/2021 04:28

i sometimes get nostalgic for 2012/13 era BEA but uhhhh not necessarily that aspect of it

Re: BYHH GW1: Group B - 1997 vs. 2015

Mercury — Wed, 6 Jan 2021 22:59:39 GMT

Author: Mercury

Posted: 01/07/2021 03:59

Those were the days. When I arrived that was the level of greatness on these forums. I thought it would continue forever.

Re: BYHH GW1: Group B - 1997 vs. 2015

Tha1ChiefRocka — Wed, 6 Jan 2021 22:47:48 GMT

Author: Tha1ChiefRocka

Posted: 01/07/2021 03:47

Jiminy Christmas.

I read through 3 pages of that, and I felt my aortic valves tightening.

That dude's got some unresolved issues for sure.

Re: BYHH GW1: Group B - 1997 vs. 2015

RoundTheBend — Wed, 6 Jan 2021 22:38:38 GMT

Author: RoundTheBend

Posted: 01/07/2021 03:38

cestuneblague wrote:

caused THIS

Fuck mich I've been here too long. Truly Spy J. Man's magnum opus

Well.. thanks for at least a half hour of entertainment.