Best Ever Albums

Re: BYHH GW2: Group D - 1995 vs. 2016

Skinny — Tue, 23 Feb 2021 04:14:49 GMT

Author: Skinny

Posted: 02/23/2021 09:14

2016 wins, 10-8.

Re: BYHH GW2: Group D - 1995 vs. 2016

babyBlueSedan — Tue, 16 Feb 2021 12:46:34 GMT

Author: babyBlueSedan

Posted: 02/16/2021 17:46

Ended up voting for 2016. I still think I'm voting mostly for familiarity, but it has my favorite album and single. And the fact that 1995 was able to compete with Atrocity Exhibition despite me being new (or in the case of Pharcyde, listening for the first time in ~6 years) to everything there is definitely to its credit. I think I would have gone 1995 is there was anything I didn't like on 2016, but that just wasn't the case.

Re: BYHH GW2: Group D - 1995 vs. 2016

RoundTheBend — Sun, 14 Feb 2021 19:54:34 GMT

Author: RoundTheBend

Posted: 02/15/2021 00:54

yeah I noticed that - I fixed it with a different one... basically go look at can I speak to the manager meme's and pick your favorite... hehe.

Was initially shooting for this one:
https://en.dopl3r.com/memes/dank/id-lik...ger/535147

Re: BYHH GW2: Group D - 1995 vs. 2016

Mercury — Sun, 14 Feb 2021 19:43:14 GMT

Author: Mercury

Posted: 02/15/2021 00:43

RoundTheBend wrote:

Mercury wrote:

yeah, i'd like to speak to the manager, please.

right now, thank you./

I'm just being silly with this meme - tough game for sure... super tight vote for me. I honestly can't remember who I voted for now that I think about it... 🤣

Thumbnail. Click to enlarge.

I can’t see it, the meme that is.

Re: BYHH GW2: Group D - 1995 vs. 2016

RoundTheBend — Sun, 14 Feb 2021 19:41:06 GMT

Author: RoundTheBend

Posted: 02/15/2021 00:41

Mercury wrote:

yeah, i'd like to speak to the manager, please.

right now, thank you./

I'm just being silly with this meme - tough game for sure... super tight vote for me. I honestly can't remember who I voted for now that I think about it... 🤣

Thumbnail. Click to enlarge.

Re: BYHH GW2: Group D - 1995 vs. 2016

Mercury — Sun, 14 Feb 2021 10:56:39 GMT

Author: Mercury

Posted: 02/14/2021 15:56

yeah, i'd like to speak to the manager, please.

right now, thank you./

Re: BYHH GW2: Group D - 1995 vs. 2016

kokkinos — Sun, 14 Feb 2021 04:22:02 GMT

Author: kokkinos

Posted: 02/14/2021 09:22

Once again in the slightly awkward position of breaking the tie in a matchup invloving 1995. This time, though, it's the other way around in comparison to the first round, it has to be 2016.

Re: BYHH GW2: Group D - 1995 vs. 2016

cestuneblague — Sat, 13 Feb 2021 03:13:36 GMT

Author: cestuneblague

Posted: 02/13/2021 08:13

Skinny wrote:

Sia Michel is currently Deputy Culture Editor at The New York Times. In 1995, she wrote a critical review of Lacabincalifornia for Spin in which she rather spitefully compared their supposed newfound maturity to "Martin Lawrence doing Chekhov". Not only has the benefit of hindsight proved her initial assessment of the album as some sort of misguided yet "calculated progression [to] get Labcabincalifornia as much play in the streets as their debut did on college radio" to be completely wrong, but there's something I find inherently discomfiting about a white journalist suggesting that comically-minded Black entertainers (in this case, both The Pharcyde and Martin Lawrence) should stay in their lane instead of striving to be taken seriously. (All of which is ignoring the fact that she completely overexaggerated The Pharcyde's progression - which was extremely natural and actually pretty subtle - in order to make what was a reductive, potentially harmful joke at everyone else's expense.)

Anyway, it was written over 25 years ago when she was undoubtedly a relative novice attempting to make a name for herself, and we've all written shit that we later regret. (God forbid anybody go through my posting history with a fine-tooth comb.) I'm sure she's an extremely capable cultural commentator responsible for lots of excellent work, and it is fantastic that a female writer has been able to ascend to numerous positions of journalistic influence and respect in her career. I can only imagine she'd be, at the very least, mildly embarrassed by this 1995 Pharcyde album review. I just thought it was an interesting quote worth sharing, for some reason.

To be fair, this was released around the time of the Martin Lawrence SNL monologue chapter, when he was getting shit from everywhere, so perhaps if anything it's a bit of a parasitic review hopping on a then-current cultural hot potato, but in hindsight yeah actually looking at the full review I can see how that comes across as a bit ick-ily condescending reading through it now. Given I don't think there was malicious intent here (and mainly cause trying to respond to a review by making it all about the percieved flaws and prejiduces of the reviewer- to a lesser extent than actually ignorant trolling- is what's making musical, or rlly discussion about anything, these days completely unbearable), but I agree with a lot said there and it also seems to be dismissing Bizarre Ride as some sort of comedic fluff and not recognizing how immaculate and dexterous it really was, and a more natural precursor to Labcabin in hindsight, an album admittedly that I took a few go-throughs to really appreciate maybe just because their debut was so personally formative. Although LOL spin magazine.

Re: BYHH GW2: Group D - 1995 vs. 2016

RoundTheBend — Thu, 11 Feb 2021 21:34:05 GMT

Author: RoundTheBend

Posted: 02/12/2021 02:34

RoundTheBend wrote:

1995 (captain: Mercury) - (10)

Eightball & MJG - On Top of the World (2.5)
The Pharcyde - Labcabincalifornia (2.25)
Crooklyn Dodgers '95 - Return of the Crooklyn Dodgers (2.25)
Fugees - Fu-Gee-La (500... hehe)

vs.

2016 (captain: travelful) - 10
Danny Brown - Atrocity Exhibition (2.75)
YG - Still Brazy (2.75?)
ScHoolboy Q - JoHn Muir (2.25)
Pusha T - Drug Dealers Anonymous (ft. Jay-Z) (2.25)

Dammit... I didn't even notice until now how close this was for me...

Re: BYHH GW2: Group D - 1995 vs. 2016

Skinny — Thu, 11 Feb 2021 06:45:36 GMT

Author: Skinny

Posted: 02/11/2021 11:45

Going 1995 because 2016 has one choice - 'Drug Dealers Anonymous' - that isn't a complete masterpiece. That isn't a dig at the song or its nomination here: it's great, just not an all-timer. Again, a round of applause for all involved.

Re: BYHH GW2: Group D - 1995 vs. 2016

KitchenSink — Wed, 10 Feb 2021 18:26:33 GMT

Author: KitchenSink

Posted: 02/10/2021 23:26

ended up going '95 but just barely. Labcab put it over the top for me, almost any other album and I would've leaned '16

Re: BYHH GW2: Group D - 1995 vs. 2016

babyBlueSedan — Wed, 10 Feb 2021 15:47:35 GMT

Author: babyBlueSedan

Posted: 02/10/2021 20:47

After listening to the rest of the entries in this match-up I agree that this is an incredible match-up, and one that I haven't decided on yet. On Top of the World really impressed me, it's a long album that isn't too varied but the production is just so good that it doesn't matter. I hadn't listened to Still Brazy since 2016 and was surprised how much I remembered of it, it has a lot of great songs.

The singles are all great, and I'd probably rank them something like this:

1. ScHoolboy Q
2. Fugees
3. Pusha T
4. Crooklyn Dodgers

Not sure it matters that much though because I'd give them all a 4. For the albums I'd go:

Eightball & MJG - 3.5
The Pharcyde - 3.5
Danny Brown - 5
YG - 3

So with that in mind 2016 would win 16 to 15. However, I'm a bit hesitant to decide such a close match-up just based on the fact that it has one of my favorite albums of any genre on one side. And I think my ratings for the 1995 albums are a bit low, and that they could rise with more listens; I almost feel that a vote for 2016 is a vote for familiarity. So for now I'm going to abstain, and if I get a chance come back to the albums again and see if my mind changes.

Re: BYHH GW2: Group D - 1995 vs. 2016

PossiblyMichigan — Mon, 8 Feb 2021 12:46:18 GMT

Author: PossiblyMichigan

Posted: 02/08/2021 17:46

Wow this bracket is just seven masterpieces huh? Stunning selections from Mercury and Travelful and two years that honestly could go all the way (everyone knows 95 is deep but 16 hasn't even reached for jeffrey, telefone, spaceghostpurpp, skepta, kodak black, moor mother, five fiver posse, black kray and many more).

I think I'm ultimately convinced to vote 16 here, it's got the weakest single (Pusha T) but also my favorite album on the board, Atrocity Exhibition but I could and have flipped several times throughout these relistens.

Re: BYHH GW2: Group D - 1995 vs. 2016

babyBlueSedan — Sun, 7 Feb 2021 14:10:13 GMT

Author: babyBlueSedan

Posted: 02/07/2021 19:10

Bizarre Ride II The Pharcyde was one of the first hip hop albums I got into, and soon after that I listened to Labcabincalifornia and was completely ambivalent. Listening to it again, I have no idea why. I think I was looking for more of the humor that their debut had, but while it's a bit more restrained this one still has a lot of the same personality. And the production is undoubtedly better. With more listens I might consider this their best album.

Atrocity Exhibition is a top five hip hop album from me, from the rapper who might be my favorite. So 1995 has a lot of ground to make up, though Labincabincalifornia just made up some of that. Going to give YG a relisten and check out On Top of the World, haven't heard of that one before but it sounds intriguing.

Re: BYHH GW2: Group D - 1995 vs. 2016

cestuneblague — Sun, 7 Feb 2021 04:43:03 GMT

Author: cestuneblague

Posted: 02/07/2021 09:43

Not overhyped at all, greatest matchup yet with not a less-than-stellar offering anywhere. Surprisingly it's Still Brazy that puts '16 over the top, the great distinctly west coast answer to We Can't Be Stopped than I never knew was needed. Masterpiece, as is Atrocity Exhibition. But '95 is constiently excellent and should be a wild poll regardless.

Re: BYHH GW2: Group D - 1995 vs. 2016

baystateoftheart — Sat, 6 Feb 2021 15:28:40 GMT

Author: baystateoftheart

Posted: 02/06/2021 20:28

On Top Of The World: 3.5/5
Labcabincalifornia: 4/5
Return Of The Crooklyn Dodgers: 4/5
Fu-Gee-La: 4.5/5

1995 Total: 16/20

Atrocity Exhibition: 4/5
Still Brazy: 4/5
JoHn Muir: 4/5
Drug Dealers Anonymous: 4/5

2016 Total: 16/20

Great matchup. Giving my vote to 2016 because the albums are slightly better.

Re: BYHH GW2: Group D - 1995 vs. 2016

kokkinos — Wed, 3 Feb 2021 17:26:07 GMT

Author: kokkinos

Posted: 02/03/2021 22:26

My ranking for the singles:
1st: Crooklyn Dodgers '95 - Return of the Crooklyn Dodgers
Even though all the singles are great, the first spot is a no-contest.
2nd: ScHoolboy Q - JoHn Muir
Extremely addictive, I could listen to it all day long.
3rd: Pusha T - Drug Dealers Anonymous (ft. Jay-Z)
Maybe I'm underrating it, but it won't have any influence on the outcome of the matchup, you can already see where this is going.
4th: Fugees - Fu-Gee-La
An iconic track, it's just that the other three are more special to me.

To sum it up, the two teams are more or less evenly matched in the singles department, meaning the albums decide the winner, which is 2016. Case closed.

Re: BYHH GW2: Group D - 1995 vs. 2016

kokkinos — Wed, 3 Feb 2021 15:21:24 GMT

Author: kokkinos

Posted: 02/03/2021 20:21

Last album of the matchup is YG - Still Brazy and it more or less confirmed what has already been stated here in regard to how heavily competitive this matchup is. Sound-wise this could fit very well into the 1995 team, which is an impressive feat, considering the 21 years span, but the truth is the 90's vibes here are irresistible. The same applies to the lyrics, too. They are full of gangsta stories -there are some political themes as well, just check FDT - that would make any 90's hip hop artist proud ("I'm like, "Damn, did the homies set me up?" Cause we ain't really been talking much I know that sounds sick, my thoughts dark as fuck Like the barrel of the pistol I saw when he sparked it up Prolly was mad as fuck when I walked out the hospital Stupid ass motherfuckers, thinking they was going to stop Jizzle"). Now, all of this may not sound that inspiring or promising -maybe a bit boring even-, as there have been many artists through the years who drew similar influences, but this has to be near the very top of this category due to the presence of many elements in all of its aspects (production/rapping/lyrics) that guarantee it has its own personality. When looking for highlights, the self titled track is an obvious choice ("Look at my life Been through it all, got bullet wounds twice Still don't know where it came from, yikes Why everybody want a piece of my pie? I, I, gotta keep guns with me Shit real, I ain't tryna be pretty Paranoia got this Henny in my kidney") and I would also add Don't Come to LA ("Ugh! First off, this a no-fly zone If you ain't laying with the chrome, better take your ass home Like it's the first of the month, cash the checks and c'mon Yeah, you better check in if you niggas want room Look, one call on my phone My Tiny Locs pull up, put that thing on your dome Your money chain and Rollie, 60 seconds is gone").
To sum it up, I would rank this clearly behind Atrocity Exhibition, marginally behind On Top of the World and marginally ahead of Labcabincalifornia, meaning that 2016 has an advantage before moving on to the singles.

Re: BYHH GW2: Group D - 1995 vs. 2016

kokkinos — Tue, 2 Feb 2021 15:52:37 GMT

Author: kokkinos

Posted: 02/02/2021 20:52

Moving twenty one years forward from 1995 to 2016, but this matchup continues the streak of classics with Danny Brown - Atrocity Exhibition like a single day didn't pass. Right off the bat you get the main idea, it's gonna be a trip down some of the darkest paths of the human experience, namely drugs. ("I'm sweating like I’m in a rave Been in this room for 3 days Think I’m hearing voices Paranoid and think I’m seeing ghost-es, oh shit Phone keep ringing but I cut that shit off Only time I use it when I tell the dealer drop it off"). The frenzy of his delivery -matched by the production that likewise follows the same direction - showcases how it can make you totally lose control. There is the exception of Tell Me What I Don't Know, which comes with a different delivery, maybe he's getting numb and he's lost his energy - again due to the same reason. One has to mention the guests when talking about this album, especially Really Doe. It comes with its own all star lineup, though it has to be said that Kendrick comes dangerously close to stealing the show ("The rev undid, the all day madness Got it off the wipe it off, the evidence, the blood on mattress Big power, big stages My zoo cannot fit the cages This booth is not used to fakin'") and Earl is not half bad either ("Good, hood I wish you motherfuckin' would Listen, wish a motherfucker would, Brown I had to put my foot down It's like I'm popping a clutch Your hate palpable, your jaw full of dust You gon' keep talkin' or are we lockin' it up? And I'm the type of nigga it ain't never been an honor to judge You a mouse that the falcon picked up So disrespect will get you checked like the top of the month"). 15 tracks in about 45 minutes may seem like too many, but I guess that's the point, they go by too fast and they leave you with a hazy recollection of what happened, just like a hangover.
To sum it up, this easily ranks into top 10 albums of the tournament so far, most likely top 5, too.
Next one is gonna be YG - Still Brazy.

Re: BYHH GW2: Group D - 1995 vs. 2016

Skinny — Tue, 2 Feb 2021 14:20:53 GMT

Author: Skinny

Posted: 02/02/2021 19:20

LedZep wrote:

OK I've relistened to Still Brazy, it's much better than I remember. I forgot how many different styles it dabbles into, G-Funk, Mobb, trap triplets, hardcore west coast stuff... It's still comparable to On Top of the World and it's still not as good, but it's much closer. 1995 wins it for me though.

YG has always been a very limited rapper, but he consistently makes the most of his strengths. The flows on the title track are a lesson in space and repetition, utilising catchy mantras and well-placed backing vocals to come up with an almost endless series of quotables. He's also a super economical writer, able to convey a mood in very few words and able to tell a story with a single line. This album is also extremely clever at using traditionally summery, breezy sounds and turning them on their head to create a sense of claustrophic L.A. heat, of a sweaty, paranoid summer spent indoors, clutching a gun in one hand and a blunt in the other. In that sense, it's a direct descendant of Pac's 7 Day Theory, another of my all-time favourites.