Best Ever Albums

Re: CLOSED - 750: Round 1: Internal Affairs v. Bizarre Ride II

Anonymous — Mon, 27 Oct 2014 20:06:08 GMT

Author: Anonymous

Posted: 10/28/2014 00:06

You know what's ironic? That something that's on the other side has such internal affairs.

14-11

Internal Affairs advances

Re: CLOSED - 750: Round 1: Internal Affairs v. Bizarre Ride II

drakonium — Mon, 27 Oct 2014 18:50:03 GMT

Author: drakonium

Posted: 10/27/2014 22:50

Silver wrote:

Put me in the camp of people who were absolutely blown away by Internal Affairs on first listen. That album is fucking sick. I've never been able to really engage with Bizarre Ride II on the level I want to despite enjoying it, so I'm pretty comfortably voting the other way in this match.

Word.

Re: CLOSED - 750: Round 1: Internal Affairs v. Bizarre Ride II

mickilennial — Mon, 27 Oct 2014 09:06:04 GMT

Author: mickilennial

Posted: 10/27/2014 13:06

This is really hard for me as both albums for me are iconic, important quality records that have vast things to absolutely adore about them. I think I’m leaning toward Bizarre Ride, but both are records that should have some staying power beyond round one of this so this really is not fair at all. Will be cool with whoever advances, both deserve it.

Re: CLOSED - 750: Round 1: Internal Affairs v. Bizarre Ride II

Anonymous — Mon, 27 Oct 2014 00:27:46 GMT

Author: Anonymous

Posted: 10/27/2014 04:27

Put me in the camp of people who were absolutely blown away by Internal Affairs on first listen. That album is fucking sick. I've never been able to really engage with Bizarre Ride II on the level I want to despite enjoying it, so I'm pretty comfortably voting the other way in this match.

Re: CLOSED - 750: Round 1: Internal Affairs v. Bizarre Ride II

Anonymous — Sun, 26 Oct 2014 20:52:15 GMT

Author: Anonymous

Posted: 10/27/2014 00:52

Internal Affairs

I wasn't expecting for this to be so good, but man oh man, he flows like a madman.

Re: CLOSED - 750: Round 1: Internal Affairs v. Bizarre Ride II

Anonymous — Fri, 24 Oct 2014 23:33:22 GMT

Author: Anonymous

Posted: 10/25/2014 03:33

Internal Affairs. I've always loved Bizarre Ride, but Internal Affairs just blew my skull wide open on first listen. Insanely consistent, dynamic and intriguing throughout. This could easily become my favorite hip hop album of all time. Playful but tough. Intelligent but direct. I'm in love.

Re: CLOSED - 750: Round 1: Internal Affairs v. Bizarre Ride II

Anonymous — Thu, 23 Oct 2014 13:15:23 GMT

Author: Anonymous

Posted: 10/23/2014 17:15

If this were Internal Affairs vs. Labcab it might be a different story, but echoing most of Mercury's above sentiments, Monch's wordplay and internal (obv) syllabic rhyme patterns are just mindblowing. Also "Simon Says" is a beast. fuck you godzilla lawsuit

Re: CLOSED - 750: Round 1: Internal Affairs v. Bizarre Ride II

Mercury — Thu, 23 Oct 2014 12:57:24 GMT

Author: Mercury

Posted: 10/23/2014 16:57

Internal Affairs features just about the sickest and most jaw dropping wordplay conceivable. The first listen was similar in experience to the first time I heard Supreme Clientele in that I was just completely bowled over by the meticulous, complex craft of the rapping. Also the beats and the flow of the album is stellar. I can't really get enough of this album. So it gets my vote. Not that Bizare Ride II is not great too, cuz it is. I just think Internal Affairs is on a higher level in terms of flow and lyrical brilliance. Also I just feel cool (even though I'm really not) when I blast this album.

Re: CLOSED - 750: Round 1: Internal Affairs v. Bizarre Ride II

WindowAbove — Thu, 23 Oct 2014 12:47:41 GMT

Author: WindowAbove

Posted: 10/23/2014 16:47

I think that Stress: The Extinction Agenda by Pharoahe's project Organized Konfusion with Prince Po is a more accessible introduction to his styles and I think that a lot of you would enjoy it. I'm not sure how many of you have listened to it (I know RYM loves it) but it's pretty low here.

Re: CLOSED - 750: Round 1: Internal Affairs v. Bizarre Ride II

meccalecca — Thu, 23 Oct 2014 12:00:27 GMT

Author: meccalecca

Posted: 10/23/2014 16:00

Shit. I thought for sure Bizarre Ride would be a record I'd be voting for nearly straight through the tourney, and yet here we are in round 1 and my first listen to Internal Affairs has me torn. Gonna need to think this one over.

If the rest of the round 1 matchups are anywhere near as tough as 3 of the 4 so far, this is gonna be painful, but one hell of a tournament

Re: CLOSED - 750: Round 1: Internal Affairs v. Bizarre Ride II

Anonymous — Thu, 23 Oct 2014 11:57:59 GMT

Author: Anonymous

Posted: 10/23/2014 15:57

I remember finding Monch really grating - too aggressive maybe?

I heard Bizarre Ride II a couple weeks ago and really enjoyed it, sounds like Tribe Called Quest on steriods, some really punchy tunes.

I probably ought to give Internal Affairs another try, but I feel like Bizarre Ride would still get my vote here.

Re: CLOSED - 750: Round 1: Internal Affairs v. Bizarre Ride II

Norman Bates — Thu, 23 Oct 2014 11:45:49 GMT

Author: Norman Bates

Posted: 10/23/2014 15:45

Just discovered Internal Affairs, I'm totally blown up. Excellent stuff, probable slightly better than Bizarre Ride, not sure though because I love that one a lot. Anyway, on the strength of the new discovery, voting Monch.

Re: CLOSED - 750: Round 1: Internal Affairs v. Bizarre Ride II

eyezayzay — Wed, 22 Oct 2014 21:29:51 GMT

Author: eyezayzay

Posted: 10/23/2014 01:29

Bizarre Ride II Pharcyde is a masterpiece. It's absolutely brilliant. Listen to those lyrics.

Re: CLOSED - 750: Round 1: Internal Affairs v. Bizarre Ride II

Anonymous — Wed, 22 Oct 2014 14:07:29 GMT

Author: Anonymous

Posted: 10/22/2014 18:07

Top album is the one 😄

Re: CLOSED - 750: Round 1: Internal Affairs v. Bizarre Ride II

Skinny — Wed, 22 Oct 2014 10:30:54 GMT

Author: Skinny

Posted: 10/22/2014 14:30

Hayden wrote:

I think Internal Affairs is a very under appreciated hip-hop record. Not that it's unknown, but it just deserves more appraise than it gets, and I'm glad it's in this tournament. That Simon Says remix is stellar. I prefer Desire to be honest, but both are fantastic.

Interesting you say this, because Internal Affairs was actually pulled from stores because of legal issues (to do with the clearance - or, rather, the non-clearance - of the Godzilla sample in 'Simon Says'). The album's never been reprinted, and likely never will be in its original form (especially now since Rawkus have sadly disappeared). But yeah, the whole incident really fucked Monch's career up - Internal Affairs was supposed to be his mainstream breakthrough after years of excellent records and critical acclaim with Organized Konfusion, but nobody could buy a copy. He left Rawkus, and it took another eight years to get the follow-up, the awesome Desire (not very far behind Internal Affairs in terms of quality, but it just doesn't bump as hard from beginning to end, and it isn't quite the same all-out lyrical assault - both are completely essential though, and along with a couple Organized Konfusion albums they make up a pretty flawless portfolio (ignoring, of course, everything since Desire)).

Re: CLOSED - 750: Round 1: Internal Affairs v. Bizarre Ride II

Hayden — Wed, 22 Oct 2014 10:10:31 GMT

Author: Hayden

Posted: 10/22/2014 14:10

Bizarre Ride for me. It is my nom and all.

I think Internal Affairs is a very under appreciated hip-hop record. Not that it's unknown, but it just deserves more appraise than it gets, and I'm glad it's in this tournament. That Simon Says remix is stellar. I prefer Desire to be honest, but both are fantastic.

But Bizarre Ride II The Pharcyde is Bizarre Ride II The Pharcyde. It encompasses the sound of west coast jazz rap perfectly. It doesn't sound dated whatsoever either, the production on it was just on another level at that time. The storytelling is also on par with Ghostface and Nas in my opinion, excellent imagery.

It gets my vote.

Re: CLOSED - 750: Round 1: Internal Affairs v. Bizarre Ride II

Skinny — Wed, 22 Oct 2014 08:44:19 GMT

Author: Skinny

Posted: 10/22/2014 12:44

God, another horribly harsh first round matchup. I adore both (I'm sitting at my computer desk which also houses my Bizarre Ride 7" singles boxset, just a few feet away from my record shelf where you can find Internal Affairs), and both should definitely be going further than the first round. I think I described Pharoahe Monch somewhere as sounding like a cross between Chuck D and Charlie Parker, all booming, authoritative voice, but with the lightness of touch and unpredictability of a great Bird solo, and that is what I hear particularly on this record. Over an array of stellar head-nodders, Monch finds the perfect balance between his underground side and his accessible side, touching on a variety of topics with his trademark angular flow and ridiculous collection of internal rhymes (Eminem has constantly pointed to Monch, Masta Ace and Redman throughout his career as his biggest influences, and of those three Monch is definitely the precursor in terms of Em's technicality - i.e. the "rappity-rapping" Eminem that can fit countless syllables into a line without it sounding unnatural (*cough* Talib *cough*)). And Bizarre Ride is just one of the most fun, carefree hip-hop records ever, those jazzy J-Swift beats acting as the perfect base from which The Pharcyde can launch, tossing rhymes between themselves as you would a frisbee on the beach with friends.

It's difficult to split the two, but I think Internal Affairs is Monch's strongest record, whereas I prefer Labcab to Bizarre Ride, so Monch gets my vote here.

Re: CLOSED - 750: Round 1: Internal Affairs v. Bizarre Ride II

WindowAbove — Wed, 22 Oct 2014 07:43:23 GMT

Author: WindowAbove

Posted: 10/22/2014 11:43

Internal Affairs

CLOSED - 750: Round 1: Internal Affairs v. Bizarre Ride II

Anonymous — Tue, 21 Oct 2014 19:31:29 GMT

Author: Anonymous

Posted: 10/21/2014 23:31

Captain: Mercury

Thumbnail. Click to enlarge.

Internal Affairs by Pharoahe Monch

v.

Captain: Hayden

Bizarre Ride II The Pharcyde by The Pharcyde