Best Ever Albums

Re: BYHH GW2: Group A - 1996 vs. 2012

Skinny — Tue, 23 Feb 2021 04:14:24 GMT

Author: Skinny

Posted: 02/23/2021 09:14

1996 wins, 12-6.

Re: BYHH GW2: Group A - 1996 vs. 2012

babyBlueSedan — Tue, 16 Feb 2021 13:49:40 GMT

Author: babyBlueSedan

Posted: 02/16/2021 18:49

After listening to the albums I was leaning towards 1996, and the singles pushed it over the top. Nothing I dislike on 2012, though I'm iffy on the Rocky single.

Kollage was probably my favorite discovery and the one I'm most likely to come back to. Solid all the way throughout, but I especially liked the closer. The Juggaknots started out really promising but I thought it got a bit less inventive as it went along.

Both of the 2012 albums feel like Run the Jewels lite albums, but that's only with the benefit of hindsight. I guess I disagree with a few other users because I like RTJ for the way their songs sound big and the interplay between the MCs, and neither of these albums really have that. I listened to RAP Music a long time ago and another listen hasn't really changed my opinion of it - some good bars but I've never liked Killer Mike's flow in long doses for a reason I can't really describe. Maybe it sounds a bit unsteady? I think he got a bit more inventive with it on some of the more recent RTJ releases. As for Cancer 4 Cure there are some nice sounds and while El-P has improved on the mic since 2002 this isn't the wild ride that Fantastic Damage or I'll Sleep When You're Dead are. It sounds much closer to the still left-field but not as exciting RTJ production. The highlights were the posse cuts in the middle of the album, especially hearing a pre-Old Danny Brown verse I hadn't heard before.

Re: BYHH GW2: Group A - 1996 vs. 2012

travelful — Thu, 11 Feb 2021 17:11:55 GMT

Author: travelful

Posted: 02/11/2021 22:11

'96 is clear, but the 2012 team is dope too

Re: BYHH GW2: Group A - 1996 vs. 2012

KitchenSink — Wed, 10 Feb 2021 18:31:48 GMT

Author: KitchenSink

Posted: 02/10/2021 23:31

i straight up don't have it in me to adequately illustrate just how good that '96 team is. I'm still trying to understand how Streams continues to make teams that seem pulled directly from my soul

I'll just deliver the possibly hot take that Kollage is as good as any Gang Starr album

anyway '96

Re: BYHH GW2: Group A - 1996 vs. 2012

LedZep — Tue, 9 Feb 2021 10:48:35 GMT

Author: LedZep

Posted: 02/09/2021 15:48

Rap Music is the best thing here, but Juggaknots release was a very pleasant surprise. It's one of the best discoveries so far, I appreciate a short, dense and excellent album among the many 1+ hour releases we've had so far. Bahmadia is another very good discovery. At first I thought it was comfortably 4th best release here, but after additional listens and a relisten to Cancer 4 Cure I'm not so sure any more. In the end I'd go with

1. R.A.P. Music - Additional listen has only confirmed that it's one of the better 2010s rap albums
2. The Juggaknots - Wonderful discovery, very easy on the ear and thoroughly enjoyable
3.a Cancer 4 Cure - I may be underrating it a bit in terms of personal enjoyment, but it's the "worst" thing El-P has done in the last 10-15 years. And it's still very good.
3.b Kollage - Funky, groovy, again very easy on the ear and equally enjoyable on the first, second and third listen

Singles would be

1. Survival Tactics - I just love Joey Bada$$. He rarely misses and this one's fantastic, easily the best single of the bunch.
2. Do G's Get To Go To Heaven? - Smooth, easy on the ear, very much feels like it belongs in this team.
3. Goldie - I like both Rocky singles we've had so far, but I'm not too crazy about either. A fun track.
4. Days of Our Livez - A good single, but it's not Tha Crossroads. It leans heavily into 90s R&B sound/production which is absolutely not my favourite, but it doesn't sound nearly as dated or bad as something like Boyz II Men

There's nothing bad here, and even the "worst" thing is a pretty solid Bone Thugs single. 2012 is a better team and gets my vote.

Re: BYHH GW2: Group A - 1996 vs. 2012

cestuneblague — Sun, 7 Feb 2021 04:48:27 GMT

Author: cestuneblague

Posted: 02/07/2021 09:48

RAP Music is like the hip hop constrast of Joy as an act v ultra mono. I can find it exhilirating and cogent one track and completely unbearable and somewhat callow on the next. Wild feelings on that one. Cancer 4 cure is one I loved when it came out and still enjoy it quite a bit, like all EL-P's solo records the production greatly outweighs the rapping, but still incredibly handsome hip-hop for any mood. 96 is just too fucking good though, hits you right in that (somewhat abstract-but-not-really kind-of) feels.

Re: BYHH GW2: Group A - 1996 vs. 2012

baystateoftheart — Sat, 6 Feb 2021 14:04:57 GMT

Author: baystateoftheart

Posted: 02/06/2021 19:04

Kollage: 3.5/5
The Juggaknots: 4/5
Days Of Our Livez: 3.5/5
Do G's Get To Go To Heaven?: 3.5/5

1996 Total: 14.5/20

R.A.P. Music: 4/5
Cancer 4 Cure: 3/5
Survival Tactics: 4/5
Goldie: 3.5/5

2012 Total: 14.5/20

A tie, so my vote goes to 1996 for having better albums.

Re: BYHH GW2: Group A - 1996 vs. 2012

baystateoftheart — Wed, 3 Feb 2021 23:01:09 GMT

Author: baystateoftheart

Posted: 02/04/2021 04:01

Gotta say I'm baffled by the choice to pass up Tha Crossroads. Seems like an own goal for 96. Days Of Our Livez is really good, but Tha Crossroads is a classic.

Re: BYHH GW2: Group A - 1996 vs. 2012

RoundTheBend — Tue, 2 Feb 2021 03:07:53 GMT

Author: RoundTheBend

Posted: 02/02/2021 08:07

1996 (captain: Streams) (9.5)
Bahamadia - Kollage (2.5)
Solid - could see growing harder or getting softer.
The Juggaknots - The Juggaknots (3)
Probs another favorite find from this tourney. The rapping and tracks are solid. Chill but hard. Great... probs favorite part is that while some of it is repetitive, it doesn't feel like it... feels very much alive. Then Funk on top of it... yes please.
Bone Thugs-n-Harmony - Days of Our Livez (2) - I dig me some bone thugs, but this track I didn't
Richie Rich - Do G's Get to Go to Heaven? (2) - This kinda more R&B track didn't end up pulling me in past, yeah that's kinda good

vs.

2012 (captain: eyezayzay) (10.25)
Killer Mike - R.A.P. Music (3)
El-P - Cancer 4 Cure (2.5)
I felt like this was an electronic album that happened to rap. BUT it is my favorite El-P album so far. But yeah... idk what to think about "hip-hop" that is actually closer to another genre, but happens to have rap in it (or so it feels to me). Interesting bridge at times for sure. It's stuff like this though that I think inspired more cross over and I guess I'm a classicist. Still good. Just a thought I had while listening.
Joey Bada$$ - Survival Tactics (ft. Capital STEEZ) (2.5)
ASAP Rocky - Goldie (2.25)

Re: BYHH GW2: Group A - 1996 vs. 2012

PossiblyMichigan — Sat, 30 Jan 2021 13:56:29 GMT

Author: PossiblyMichigan

Posted: 01/30/2021 18:56

Unfortunately this is another deeply one sided matchup for me. I generally find myself enjoying the 2012 singles more but it's really close. But come on, as Keith always goes this team is pure heat. Bahamadia is one of the best to ever do it and a massive influence on so many greats to come (Jean, Noname) and the beats here straight from the minds of Gang Starr are as melancholic as this album is good. And Jugganots is just one of those classics that come out of nowhere. Stunning and unconventional channel mixing is a way to immediately grab my attention any time and it doesn't let go. Also this underground ethos that Keith keeps pulling from really makes me hope for a Tommy Wright III drop.

As for 2012 well....we got the pre RTJ outings from both members and while both stack up better than their combined efforts I just am bored. Cancer 4 Cure's some of the best solo music El-P ever made instrumentally but his flow feels now fully jacked from yer Aesop Rock types. Still, this one's grown on me as compared to R.A.P. Music which has completely fallen off. What in early high school felt like revolutionary politics now strikes as boring. Feels about as convincing as the white student communists in Ralph Ellison's Invisible Man, and at least their false equivalency is the point of those moments.

Re: BYHH GW2: Group A - 1996 vs. 2012

Skinny — Wed, 27 Jan 2021 14:58:24 GMT

Author: Skinny

Posted: 01/27/2021 19:58

Relistened to R.A.P. Music today for the first time in a long time, and parts of it are amazing. Other parts feel a bit too much like weird rap-rock crossovers sonically, and occasionally Mike leans into his weird 15-year-old false equivalency politics way too hard for my liking. If I had to rank, I feel like it's a 3.5/4 on a generous day.

Re: BYHH GW2: Group A - 1996 vs. 2012

RoundTheBend — Mon, 25 Jan 2021 20:34:42 GMT

Author: RoundTheBend

Posted: 01/26/2021 01:34

Hayden wrote:

because R.A.P. Music still might be my favourite thing up there.

For real.

Excited to see how the rest of this stacks up.

Re: BYHH GW2: Group A - 1996 vs. 2012

Hayden — Mon, 25 Jan 2021 18:39:07 GMT

Author: Hayden

Posted: 01/25/2021 23:39

After some listening, '96 gets my vote. Maybe a little closer for me than previous comments^, but nonetheless. Really dug The Juggaknots release. Even went on my chart.

Not to sound repetitive, but A$AP Rocky might have just sunk another team for me (and I don't mind the dude! Just not huge on the tracks picked), because R.A.P. Music still might be my favourite thing up there.

Re: BYHH GW2: Group A - 1996 vs. 2012

kokkinos — Mon, 25 Jan 2021 15:17:59 GMT

Author: kokkinos

Posted: 01/25/2021 20:17

My ranking for the singles:
1st: Bone Thugs-n-Harmony - Days of Our Livez
One of the best singles of the tournament so far.
2nd: Richie Rich - Do G's Get to Go to Heaven?
Not my favorite as a standalone track, but it makes a nice pair with the above.
T-2nd: Joey Bada$$ - Survival Tactics (ft. Capital STEEZ)
Aggression that forms a cool contrast with the chill vibe of the 1996 team.
4th: ASAP Rocky - Goldie
Not as memorable as the rest, still above average.
2012 had no album or single I would consider weak, but 1996 wins comfortably. In fact, this 1996 team is so strong that, had it been picked in the first round instead, it would have forced me to -at the very least- consider the possibility of voting againist Late Registration. Crazy stuff. Anyway, case closed.

Re: BYHH GW2: Group A - 1996 vs. 2012

kokkinos — Mon, 25 Jan 2021 12:57:48 GMT

Author: kokkinos

Posted: 01/25/2021 17:57

So, El-P - Cancer 4 Cure is the last album of this matchup - and what a matchup it was, a great way to open the second round. Another album with El-P as a producer, which means I have to give some extra points to the 2012 team, as I do value team chemistry. Still, the production follows quite a different direction in comparison to Killer Mike - R.A.P. Music. This one is closer to his typical stuff. You can already tell from the almost instrumental first track, where a verse suddenly appears seemingly out of nowhere, that El-P will just do his thing. However, these futuristic vibes didn't work for me the same way they did in Fantastic Damage -which I am not a huge fan of to begin with, but I can easily enjoy and even admire nonetheless- , this was one step behind. It was like I've heard this before - well, actually I have, since it wasn't a first listen, but you get my point, it was a bit like yesterday's news, I didn't care that much. Maybe this sound is more impressive in a 2002 album than in a 2012 one, I don't know. The rapping, on the other hand, has to be viewed as an improvement, but still lacking any charisma. The lyrics may not seem impressive at first glance, but they fit nicely with the overall sound("Yes indeed a, dawn of the dirt and doom draws nearer Here's a mirror mirror to peer, fear grows clearer Steer a path away from the panic of our era Pyramided ocular, unlided insignia Weirder here's another burner born and big in ya Sector, rectified and fly sound selector I'm a fucking ill, trill, kill at will etc BK to the basic DNA math measurer Better leave the lion alone do not pet him He'll fuck-start your burp hole, jet in burgundy pleather"). The The Jig Is Up - Sign Here - For My Upstairs Neighbor (Mums The Word) three tracks sequence is my favorite part of the album.
To sum it up, I would rank this the lowest among the four albums of this matchup.
Next one is gonna be the singles, but a turnaround at this point seems rather unlikely, 1996 has a significant lead.

Re: BYHH GW2: Group A - 1996 vs. 2012

KitchenSink — Sun, 24 Jan 2021 20:11:50 GMT

Author: KitchenSink

Posted: 01/25/2021 01:11

this is getting ridiculous at this point I'm convinced at this point that Streams' teams are designed to target me and me specifically

Re: BYHH GW2: Group A - 1996 vs. 2012

kokkinos — Sun, 24 Jan 2021 16:46:49 GMT

Author: kokkinos

Posted: 01/24/2021 21:46

Killer Mike - R.A.P. Music is an album I expect most -if not all- users will be pretty familiar with. Despite that, I've always found it difficult to talk about it. I've been in a handful of debates about it the last years and it always comes to the same conclusion: I don't like it to the same degree everyone else does and I can't explain why. Not many albums I can think of that I've given them so many chances. It's not like it has a glaring weakness, something that instantly annoys me, it just doesn't click. Anyway, El-P is in charge of the production. I've already talked about my opinion on him as a producer during the review of Fantastic Damage in the first round. Some elements of his trademark futuristic sound are present here, too, but he has also made some steps towards the sound of the south. The rapping is highly energetic which -even though I'm not a huge fan of his delivery- admittedly fits nicely with the socio-political commentary. Getting to the lyrics, when an album includes a track titled Reagan, you more or less know what to expect ("The end of the Reagan Era, I'm like 'leven, twelve, or Old enough to understand that shit'd changed forever They declared the war on drugs, like a war on terror But what it really did was let the police terrorize whoever But mostly black boys, but they would call us "niggers" And lay us on our belly, while they fingers on they triggers They boots was on our head, they dogs was on our crotches And they would beat us up if we had diamonds on our watches And they would take our drugs and moneys, as they pick our pockets I guess that that's the privilege of policin' for some profits But thanks to Reaganomics, prison turned to profits"). If I had to pick the highlights of the album I'd go with either Untitled ("You are witnessing elegance in the form of a black elephant Smoking white rhino on terraces Will I die slain like my king by a terrorist? Will my woman be Coretta, take my name and cherish it? Or will she Jackie O, drop the Kennedy, remarry it? My sister say it's necessary on some Cleopatra shit My grandmama said nope, never, that it's sacrilege Tend to agree because the thought is so disparaging The Lord give a load, you got to carry it like Mary did That's why I'm giving honor to all these baby mommas It takes a woman's womb to make a Christ or Dalai Lama The world might take that child, turn that child into a monster The Lord'll take a monster and fashion him a saint I present you Malcolm X for those who saying that He can't Saying that He won't, when I know He will You usually don't know it's you until you getting killed For real") or the short and to the point Go!. In general, I tend to enjoy the first part of the album significantly more than the second. Even the closing track, which presents an interesting concept -comparing rap to religion ("Closest I've ever come to seeing or feeling God is listening to rap music. Rap music is my religion. Amen") - and is widely considered the highlight of the album, doesn't do that much for me. In each of my tries, the first few tracks flow nicely and I think something might have changed, but after a while I lose focus. Maybe I should give this album a try in smaller portions and not in one go.
To sum it up, even though my review might suggest I hate it, by no means do I consider it bad, it's just that it fails to live up to its expectations. So, I rank this slightly lower than both 1996 albums - but, as I said, it has more to do with me than the album itself.
Last album for this matchup is gonna be El-P - Cancer 4 Cure.

Re: BYHH GW2: Group A - 1996 vs. 2012

kokkinos — Sun, 24 Jan 2021 15:29:18 GMT

Author: kokkinos

Posted: 01/24/2021 20:29

Still trying to put myself together after the head-on collision that the previous album was, but it's time for The Juggaknots - The Juggaknots. The production encompasses all the things that made 90's the golden era of hip hop. Even some stuff I usually don't care about or find annoying, here works unexpectedly well. One example for this would be the whole scratching concept, which elevates tracks like Troubleman and Epiphany to new levels of greatness. Actually, the production is so good I found myself wondering how the instrumental versions of these tracks would sound like. Not trying to imply anything negative againist the rapping, they all get their point across without trouble, they are good both individually and in terms of team chemistry. The lyrics are also commendable, just check the storytelling in Loosifa, it is nothing short of fantastic ("He figured there was only one way As he rushed the runway lookin wild deranged This was common, without any qualm inside he was tookin Lookin at fiends of the pebble adored praised Devil for lord raised from the crystallized tombs Through fumes from the floor Blazed the sole sacrificial altar He chose now to halt the worship dealin that ultimate headrush... The lead crushed, buyer or seller decoratin hell a flame With the choir of the firearms to blame In the mornin by the time the smoke cleared Everybody seen the massacre, the local folk cheered "Oh, thank the Lord Almighty," the pharmacy was out of business On the L a chubby widow cries alone because her man had gotten..."). Once again it is hard to pick the standout track, it's an incredibly consistent album with no obvious weaknesses. I guess all the three songs I already mentioned ( Troubleman / Epiphany / Loosifa) have a strong case for being the best of the album.
To sum it up, one step behind Bahamadia - Kollage, but that's no small feat, it holds its own reasonably well and together they form a duo that at the moment seems pretty much unstoppable.
Next one is gonna be Killer Mike - R.A.P. Music.

Re: BYHH GW2: Group A - 1996 vs. 2012

kokkinos — Sun, 24 Jan 2021 14:33:30 GMT

Author: kokkinos

Posted: 01/24/2021 19:33

Batteries charged after the first round marathon, so let's get things going. First album of the second round is Bahamadia - Kollage. Well, talk about a promising start. I can't say there's a female rapper that I consider belonging among my absolute favorites, as I usually find it hard to connect/relate with them. But there is one exception to the above rule and it's Bahamadia - with all due respect to some other undoubtedly great femcees. I just love her delivery, it's so natural, so effortless. Also, the production does a good job of showcasing this even further. It creates a warm and cozy atmosphere with a soul-based background. It draws you in slowly but surely in a hypnotising and irresistible manner and then she delivers the finals blow with her vocals. It might seem that she lacks energy, but that's exactly the point (though it has to be said that it's not monotonous all the way through there are more "active" moments, for example Rugged Ruff or Total Wreck). All the guest are fine, both Da Jawn and 3 Tha Hard Way are deservedly some of the best tracks of the album due to their contributions, but I prefer listening to Bahamadia to be honest. It's not their fault, it's just that she is the unquestionable star, so captivating. The lyrics don't matter that much, because everything else is excellent, but they happen to be great, too, both as standalone lines or verses ("Spits the riddles like phlegm Loose with my lyrics like I double jointed them Twist and I bend, common episodes past freak modes The monstrous bass beneath my pace be like morse code Slash, beep, slash, beep, scanners Zero in to the system in your jeeps I'm out there with Kool Keith and Ced-Gee and De La Inventors of my third seeing eye The futuristic vision, I'm not among loony nut cakes upon a mission I gets in where I fit in, 'cause life's too short So you could all label me weirdo, but yo I know it's talent") as well as when it comes to storytelling that runs through a whole track, with True Honey Buns (Da Freak Shit) being a prime example of this. Good luck trying to spot the highlights, almost every track is one. Anyway, apart from the ones I already mentioned at various points (Rugged Ruff/Total Wreck/Spontaneity/True Honey Buns (Da Freak Shit)/Da Jawn/3 Tha Hard Way), it has to be I Confess, UKNOWHOWWEDU, Innovation. Yeah, you get the idea.
To sum it up, I'm not familiar with all the albums of the second round, but I suspect this is gonna end up near the very top.
The temptation to keep spamming this all day is real, but I have to move on. Next one is gonna be The Juggaknots - The Juggaknots.

Re: BYHH GW2: Group A - 1996 vs. 2012

Skinny — Sun, 24 Jan 2021 14:14:17 GMT

Author: Skinny

Posted: 01/24/2021 19:14

At the time, R.A.P. Music felt like a really fresh, exciting change of direction for Killer Mike, even though I was a fan of his earlier street shit as well, but hindsight and a decade of increasingly indistinguishable Run the Jewels records which feel like they're designed to sound good on big festival stages have left me with rather more mixed feelings about it, to be perfectly honest. Working with El-P felt like an inspired choice, but much of the initial goodwill I had towards them has been eaten away at by a series of relatively uninspired, formulaic albums. It's still a very good album, but it feels like the beginning of a never-ending chapter in Mike's career that leaves me bored and cold. As for El-P, I've always had mixed feelings about him, and I definitely prefer him as a small-doses rapper. I recall liking Cancer 4 Cure at the time, so I'll try to take a positive view of it moving forward. I will re-listen to everything here, but those are just my initial reactions to those album selections. Add to that Joey's mid-'90s cosplay and a disappointing Rocky single (it's no 'Peso' or 'Hands on the Wheel', is it?), and I'm a little underwhelmed by the 2012 team. I really feel like I was super tuned into that year in real time, and it holds loads of great memories, and it was a year that produced a lot of rap music I truly fell in love with and still bump (Blue Chips, Sunday School, Mista Thug Isolation, Duality, Plateau Vision, Mysterious Phonk, Live from the Underground, Mic Tyson, Grief Pedigree, History Will Absolve Me, Reloaded, Baby Face Killa, God's Father, Russian Roulette, Son of Yvonne, Ice Cold Perm, Drilluminati, Kenny Dennis EP, amongst others), but I also understand that it's unfair to judge a team based on what hasn't been picked rather than what has. It's just that a lot of stuff I loved in 2012 has aged really well, and I feel like these picks have done the opposite, but again that's an unfair statement before having listened to them again.

My main takeaway from 1996 is how melancholy it all is, though that's probably more to do with the singles than the albums, which (like 2012's) both need a focused relisten.