BYHH GW3: Group D - 2006 vs. 2016

[kokkinos]

Clipse - Hell Hath No Fury is an album that took way too long to be completed, but in the end it was worth the wait. Production wise, the "less is more" approach works really close to perfection, though it has to be said that some -actually, most - of the hooks are questionable - to put it mildly. When it comes to rapping, I can't say I noticed any significant difference (for better or worse) in comparison to Lord Willin', they might not be the most charming rappers around, but they get their point across without any trouble whatsoever. The themes of the album involve a lot of the typical bragging ("No hotta, flow droppa since Poppa You penny-ante niggas see I know copper Left the game on a high note, flow opera Pusha still got them keys, I can unlock ya See that watch on the sleeve? Call it show-stopper Nigga ball around the world, call me globe trotter Trick dollar, ask what I feel? Nada Give a bitch yellow fever, all these gold bottles And late models, I lean throttles") and gangsta ("Mask on face, Glock in hand I was in and out of homes like the Orkin Man Never listen to my parents like an orphan man Strong finger on the trigger like it's in dwarf's hands Confiscate goodies like Repo Man Sam Make nigga kick that can Fall victim to the Klick Klack Klan My vixen eat ya face like she Ms. Pac-Man") stuff, but they are wisecracking enough to get away with it. Plus, we get to see the darker side as well, it's not all about glory ("Top off the coupe, that's how JFK got shot, B Can't let niggas roll up beside me, and 2Pac me Holla if you hear me, tears flowing sincerely Check up on my block weekly, my health yearly Something's wrong with me, niggas don't get along with me Got a fo-fo, hope your body got strong kidneys, oh!"). Out of the guests, Ab-Liva is the one that delivers my favorite verse in Ride Around Shining ("Ha! It's that look that astounds Life's a circus, I parade the 6 through these clowns The crown is vacant, I'm taking the proper steps I'm takin' them Poppa steps, they prayin' for my downfall Is it the bling, the king, conquistador That my jeweler made the face blush on the Franck Muller The R shape peculiar, it's awesome, laying over dark skin Looking like arson when I park in the left, it's constant Minute hand is like Parkinson's You a fish where the sharks a-swim In that opaque linen with the odd-colored stitching V12 on the Modena, you can see the pistons HREs on it, mami, see it glisten When I (*vrrroom*) make all of her twist like Dickens It's feeling like parts is missing, top stole, push soul Gotta drive it like pole position 'til my soul is risen").
To sum it up, I would rank this as my favorite Clipse album.
Next one is gonna be Lil Wayne - Dedication 2.

[kokkinos]

Not much to say about Lil Wayne - Dedication 2, I don't wanna sound too negative. I once read a comment about Lil Wayne being "a voice you'll hate until you love" or something and I think it perfectly summarises it. I wish I make it to the second stage of this journey at some point, but for now I am sadly stuck in the first one.
Next one is gonna be Noname - Telefone.

[RoundTheBend]

2006 (captain: Tha1ChiefRocka) (8.75)
Clipse - Hell Hath No Fury (2.75)
Lil Wayne - Dedication 2 (1.5)
Yung Joc - It's Goin' Down (2.25)
Young Dro - Shoulder Lean (ft. T.I.) (2.25)

vs.

2016 (captain: travelful) (9.25)
Noname - Telefone (3)
Young Thug - Jeffery (2)
Earl Sweatshirt - Wind in My Sails (2)
Ka - 30 Keys (2.25)

[cestuneblague]

I'm not the only one who's a little dissapointed that Federline didn't make an appearence this round?

[kokkinos]

Noname - Telefone is a rare breed, a very special album - I think it's safe to call it an album despite being labelled as a mixtape. Noname really makes an impression by not trying to make one - if that makes any sense. What I mean is that there's nothing on this album which screams "look at me, I'm the best". It feels like she is a person you've known for ages and you can afford the luxury of a deep and sincere conversation, as you see eye to eye on most subjects. No matter how dark they are ("Shadow man, shadow box, dance in the dark with me This resurrected agony there's apathy for caskets Everything I ever loved I lost in the magic I claim by the river, my body delivered When I die there's 27 rappers at my funeral Moses wrote my name in gold and Kanye did the eulogy Remember all the bashfulness, understand the truancy Here I stand in front of a college dropout My music was a church when your spirit hopped out Met a gypsy in LA and she reading my palm tree Mysterious situation like kissing the concrete i.e getting money I been close to heaven, baby claim he love me Hold me down forever, I never should have bought this halo He waiting for me at his table My funeral a Disney fable 'cause the king 'bout to take me home"), her insight may provide you with food for thought, but it's far from a melodramatic or outright depressing presentation of the relevant themes. The hearty and cosy atmosphere make sure you won't even feel uncomfortable. It's as if it tries to create a shelter and protect you from all the evil and negativity of modern life, it's the kind of album a mother would make for her child. Another major advantage of it is how it fits in many different occasions depending on your mood and also has high replay value.
To sum it up, I would rank it as the best album of the matchup so far, Hell Hath No Fury is up there as well, while Dedication 2 is a distant third.
Next one is gonna be Young Thug - Jeffery.

[Hayden]

Just chiming in to say I'm swinging 2016.

This match up makes me wish I thought Jeffery was just a smidge better, because it's the only fault teetering 2016's team for me. I think it's okay/goodish, and the best part might just be the cover. Being said, I think Telefone + those singles are actually strong enough to topple 2006 (considering Jeffery more of a kicker), as I'm not super fond of the Lil Wayne tape, and Shoulder Lean can get a little annoying over time.

Hell Hath No Fury's probably the best thing on the board though (followed by 30 Keys).
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[kokkinos]

Young Thug - Jeffery is one of those cases where the idea is better than the execution. The general concept of the album - or mixtape if you 'd like- is cool, but the song themselves are too trivial and as a result struggle to justify it. I would blame both the production (on the other hand, it's not a surprise that the standout track of the album in terms of production is titled Kanye West ) and the lyrics for that, but definitely not Young Thug's performance. Entertaining, unpredictable, creative, almost deranged, full of style and personality, I would have no trouble saying it carries the whole album, everything else revolves around it. Not many cases I can think of where I like one aspect of an album to such a high degree, while I don't care that much about the rest. Not an album I listen to very often, but it never fails in the fun department
To sum it up, I would rank this as a distant third behind Telefone and Hell Hath No Fury, but ahead of Dedication 2, meaning that 2016 has the lead so far.
Next one is gonna be the singles.

[kokkinos]

All four singles hit super hard, so I consider the two teams equal in that department (Ka's one may rank slightly above the rest, but the 2006 ones form a fantastic combo). This means that the outcome will be based on the albums, where 2016 gets the nod. Case closed.

[cestuneblague]

Yeah again a case of higher-highs vs more consistiency. Clipse has my favorite album of the bunch, but I can only really tolerate Wayne in smaller doses. Singles are very good and again very '06. 2016 has albums I certainly appreciate more so than really love, but that singles team- hot damn. May be enough to win my vote, but I do have more of personal hankering towards '06.

[baystateoftheart]

Hell Hath No Fury: 4/5
Dedication 2: Gangsta Grillz: 3.5/5
It's Goin' Down: 3.5/5
Shoulder Lean: 3.5/5

2006 Total: 14.5/20

Telefone: 4.5/5
Jeffery: 4/5
Wind In My Sails: 4/5
30 Keys: 4/5

2016 Total: 16.5/20

I love the concept of a team made up entirely of contemporaneously popular southern hip-hop, but it's up against an airtight lineup.
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