BYHH GW1: Group D - 2000 vs. 2016

[kokkinos]

Quasimoto - The Unseen is Madvillainy before Madvillainy and of course I mean that as a huge compliment. The same cartoonish, surreal atmosphere that we all got to know and love. As we see right from the get go in Bad Character Quasimoto is also viewed as a villain ("Guess who's the new bad character in town?", "I'm labeled as a bad character No matter what I do") so there's even a foreshadowing of what's about to follow. He goes for many short tracks (he fits 24 of them in less than 64 minutes) with smooth transitions from each one to the next, so it feels more like a very big song - that's good for the most part, as you get lost in it, though there were a couple of instances where it felt monotonous, nothing too serious. Despite the futuristic vibes, the album has also a jazzy background, so it combines the best of both worlds. His voice is ideal for this kind of musical environment. Not only isn't it annoying, it actually elevates the whole thing, maybe this explains the decision to keep the guests to a minimum , otherwise there would a danger of breaking the momentum - though on the other hand you could argue that some variety would help, as I already mentioned above. The lyrics, well, I don't know to be honest. It's one of those albums where you can't afford to pay attention to the lyrics, what's happening sound-wise is so captivating you don't wanna miss a thing (the funny thing is last night I was contemplating between listening to this or going to sleep, as I was somewhat tired and didn't know if I could listen to an hour long album and I ended up listening to it twice in a row). Hip hop usually does need lyrics more than most genres, but this is far from a typical hip hop album. Picking highlights is no easy task, I'm gonna say Real Eyes -the stuff of dreams, really-, but I can easily imagine the beat of Disciple 99 Pt. 0 being my morning alarm.
To sum it up, another excellent addition to the 2000 team, about equal to the previous one - if I were forced to pick only one, I would probably go with this, but it's almost too close to make a call, Ghostface Killah - Supreme Clientele definitely had higher highs, but lower lows, too.
Next one is gonna be A Tribe Called Quest - We Got It From Here... Thank You 4 Your Service.

[kokkinos]

A Tribe Called Quest - We Got It From Here... Thank You 4 Your Service came out 18 (!!) years after their last album - and sadly was marked by the passing of Phife Dawg, meaning there won't be another one- but at least it was worth the wait. It has to be one of the most impressive comebacks ever and easily qualifies as a fitting last chapter to their astounding legacy. The production is the absolute star of the album. They draw inspiration from various styles - pop, rock, soul, disco, reggae, R&B etc., you get the point - and use a wide range of samples -Elton John, Michael Jackson, Black Sabbath, Can being among the most famous ones, though there are many more- managing to incorporate them into a cohesive sum. But it isn't only about the samples, the instrumentation is also great. When you have guys like Jack White making a guest appearance, you know it's something special. Rapping is likewise of the highest level, as all members are on the top of their game here and the chemistry between them is as good as ever, while the guests never fail to make an impression. The lyrics explore for the most part ever so timely and relevant socio-political themes ("They’d rather lead us to the grayest water poison deadly smog Mass un-blackening, it’s happening, you feel it y’all? Rather see we in a three-by-three structure with many bars Leave us where we are so they can play among the stars They taking off to Mars, got the space vessels overflowing What, you think they want us there? All us niggas not going Reputation ain’t glowing, reparations ain’t flowing If you find yourself stuck in a creek, you better start rowing Used to see the TV screen as the place to land my dream in And the car stereo where they would promote the show Optimistic little brother with a hope you know"). Dis Generation provides a change of subject and can be seen as passing the torch on to the next generation, ("Talk to Joey, Earl, Kendrick, and Cole, gatekeepers of flow They are extensions of instinctual soulIt's the highest in commodity grade And you could get it today"), which takes another meaning when you take into account that some members of the new generation do feature here (by the way, Kendrick's "Obama nation" devilishly sounding like "abomination" is the one line of the album I can't seem to forget, it's stuck in my head since day one). It goes without saying that a tribute to Phife Dawg couldn't be missing (Q-Tip "Malik, I would treat you like little brother that would give you fits Sometimes overbearing though I thought it was for your benefit Despite all the spats and shits cinematically documented The one thing I appreciate, you and I, we never pretended Rhymes we would write it out, hard times fight it out Gave grace face to face, made it right And now you riding out, out, out, out, damn", Jarobi "Never thought that I would be ever writing this song Hold friends tight, never know when those people are gone So, so beautiful, opined indisputable Heart of a largest lion trapped inside the little dude"). One complaint could be that the first side is so strong (tracks 1,2,3,5 are ridiculously good) that it would be almost impossible for the second side to catch up, but it comes with its own highlights -namely Lost Somebody and Conrad Tokyo - , so the difference is not that striking.
To sum it up, I have to give it the nod as my favorite of the matchup, but all three albums so far have been excellent and it's been extremely close.
Next one is gonna be Ka - Honor Killed the Samurai.

[kokkinos]

So, the last album of the matchup (actually the last album of the first round, what a ride it was) is Ka - Honor Killed the Samurai. Well, talk about going out with a bang. As it has already been pointed out multiple times, the album cover is so eye-catching it's impossible to ignore. It's not only about style, the samurai concept runs through the whole album both in a literal -that's obvious, I guess - and in a figurative - a warrior/artist who needs utmost precision while doing his thing if he wants to survive - way. It's an album I wouldn't easily recommend to someone whose tastes I don't know, because it's not the most accessible ablum. But if you get into it, it's a fantastic experience - and every time it seems even better than the previous, it just keeps growing on you. It's not an album you can just let play in the background and do something else, it requires your full attention and it unquestionably deserves it. The production keeps coming at you with unexpected twist after unexpected twist, so many unique and seemingly random sounds but in the end it all makes sense. And what to say about his rapping. At points it may seem like he lacks in energy, but that's his style and it fits the dark themes of his songs like a glove. The lyrics work both in one/two lines scale (for example the positive/negative antithesis "The harmony dreamin' had me constantly schemin' Rarely peace, and barely a beast, armed like a demon") and in verse/song scale ("Don't place win it, just no snakes in it, play the grass safely And trust every cut is nuts won't let 'em castrate me If happen to make cash, don't let the cash make me Regardless I'm a guarded artist, never graph hasty No fame, but became a favorite 'cause they know I labored That's when heart allow you market value, they overrate it That show is dated, slowly faded, could meet eternal Can battle hard against catalogs with one leafy journal Broke and filthy, innocence safe from cloaked and guilty Every session respectfully reppin', hope the 'ville see My civil aims - to get a little change and be still me Even if max bustin' back to dust, you can't kill sheep I need money"). There is nothing that even remotely resembles a weak track here, if you told me there are 10 equal tracks I would believe you, but if I had to pick a highlight it would probably be Finer Things / Tamahagene (if nothing else, it's the longest, so more time to enjoy!).
To sum it up, in all likelihood the best matchup album-wise, still this takes the first spot (I'd rank this album at top-3 of the first round overall), meaning the 2016 team has an advantage before heading to the singles.

[kokkinos]

My ranking for the singles:
1st: Kanye West - Saint Pablo
Far from my favorite Kanye West song, but travelful highlighted all the reasons that make this special.
2nd: Skepta - No Security
Clearly one step behind his 2015 single (Shutdown).
3rd: Ludacris - What's Your Fantasy (ft. Shawnna)
Typical Ludacris -ok, back then it wasn't typical yet- provides some -or even a lot- fun for the first listens, but it gets tiring after a while.


4th: Dr. Dre - Forgot About Dre (ft. Eminem)
I've already expressed my thoughts on Eminem, don't wanna repeat myself - yeah, I know it's Dr.Dre featuring Eminem, but still it's impossible to ignore him.

So, the singles overall were a let down in comparison to the incredibly high level of all four albums, but the result is beyond doubt anyway. 2016 wins. Case closed.

[19loveless91]

Maybe my favourite set of albums (*of those I've heard) and my least favourite set of singles in the first round... Very little between them, haven't decided yet

[travelful]

#Recount
#StopTheSteal

[Skinny]

2000 wins, 10-6.
_________________
2021 in full effect. Come drop me some recs. Y'all know what I like.