BYHH GW1: Group C - 1999 vs. 2017

[kokkinos]

So, Roc Marciano - Rosebudd's Revenge. Roc Marciano has to be one of the most overlooked hip hop artists, not only by the mainstream audience, but also by underground standards. His body of work is impressive. Most -if not all- of his albums are above average and this one is no exception - by the way, during the nomination phase I was listening to UN or U Out for my 2004 team and comparing it to this, they are both great but different, his development over time is qute interesting, it's definitely worth cheecking it out. Anyway, this is an album that delivers on pretty much every aspect. The production goes for a wider range of sounds than his previous albums and for the most part they work, maybe a couple of missteps, especially towards the end of the album. The instrumentation is great and provides much needed energy. His rapping might not be that spectacular or charismatic, but it at least has a distinctive style that stops it from being dull. Even though there aren't many guests -only 2 actually-, one of them is Ka ("To our production, much destruction for our appetite With steel fist, if meal missed wasn't for lack of might We been bingin, we purgin dividends with snub nose My bud's rose, my service citizens Cain and Abel, my rappin' plight, wrote on same table they packaged white Ain't wrapped this tight if catching stripe and ain't actin trife"), who steals the show in a typical fashion. The lyrics are multidimensional and probably the best part of the album. On the one hand, they portray vivid images that would feel right at home in a crime movie ("Ten bricks of raw under the floorboard My nigga check the scoreboard I'm official across the board We headin toward the morgue I fled to Ecuador", or "The first chain I ever owned I stole a Herringbone (Herringbone) The end result: I boned a yellow bone Back when I was peddling blow in the red zone I can see me in Venezuela in dress clothes"). On the other hand, they are full of memorabe punchlines ("Look what I did here with a book and pen Might stomp you, leave a Gucci footprint They groom the pimp to Bergdorf Goodman", or "I paid a lump, the table spun I dip my blunt in angel dust The gauge pump, turn your brain to mush The slug'll make your potato bust Imagine what that Draco does Give you a halo, while i'm sniffin' yayo off of J-Lo butt It made a playa face go numb Beefin' with me and mine'll lead to E.Coli You're not bonafide, them hoes I just bone and slide I had a moment, sky open").
To sum it up, I would rank this a tiny bit above Quelle Chris - Being You Is Great, I Wish I Could Be You More Often. Overall, I don't see a definite winner after listening to all four albums, as 1999 has the first and fourth album, while 2017 the second and third. To be honest, all of them are close (in particular 2nd, 3rd and 4th spot) and I think that both of the 2017 albums would require a few more listens before forming a certain conclusion, but I'd like to move on to the next matchups, so maybe I will go for a re-listen if the there is no verdict after the singles.
So, next one is gonna be the singles.

[Hayden]

[cestuneblague]

God that ODB video is just iconic. I may remember watching it all the time on that rent-a-video channel that was at the back edge of cable, which I would always watch late at night waiting for the scrambled porn to come on. Takes one back, doesn't it? But no it's a classic, it's got that same awkward, vulgar but surprisingly still dexterous and lyrically clever ODB vibe that contrasts and fits really well with Kelis's elegant swagger on the chorus, definitely perhaps the sexiest bass line of the late 90s.

And dear fucking gawd "My Name Is" reallllyyyy takes me back to '99, I mean during the spring/early summer this song was eve-ree-where. Hate to sound like an old fart (again), but if you weren't around then it's impossible to comprehend how massive this really was. I probably heard it at least 600 times but beyond the "MY NAME IS" bit haven't put it on probably a good sixteen years, it was a nice little blast from the past and almost feels quaint compared to what Eminem was doing both at the time and directly after, usually he was better when he wasn't trying so hard to shock or be taken dead-serious-ly.

"Black on Both Sides"- no more words. Formidable, classic.

"Crooked Lettaz" is a really nice find, kind of unique to the southern scene at the time but still feels very late 90s to the core. Only complaint is that it by symmetrical nature of the tournament is going to be compared to BOBS.


2017 was really good too. Roc really was one of the most consistent rappers of the '10s even if I don't think he truly made a masterpiece (don't @ me, Nezz), but this was another really strong effort throughout if maybe not his most adventerous or daring work in comparison. For some reason I've never listened to Quelle Chris before now, this was an interesting way to take the plunge, this was less consistient but with more interesting highs, again maybe just needed to be already-initiated into his work previously. Singles are a standout.


So yeah in all I kind of find most of the albums of similar quality despite their very different approaches, though "Black on Both Sides" stands high above everything, and the singles are really excellent on both sides but perhaps nostalgia value (I have a feeling '95-96, '99-'00 I'm going to have that bias in each match) makes the 99 team win out. So yeah gonna party like it's the Willenium in here, but really good first fight regardless. Gonna have to work hard in my next matchups, for sure.

[kokkinos]

Man, those singles were huge. This has to be the best matchup of the first round in that regard.
My ranking for the singles:

1st: Ol' Dirty Bastard - Got Your Money (ft. Kelis)
I've always been in love with ODB's eccentric delivery and Kelis simply skyrockets it.
T-2nd: Kendrick Lamar - DNA
Typical Kendrick, not much to say. In most matchups this would easily take the first spot.
T-2nd: Lil Uzi Vert - XO Tour Llif3
If only all mainsteam music were that good...

Those 3 were ridiculously good, all of them have a strong case of being included in my top 5 of the round.

4th: Eminem - My Name Is
Eminem has -unluckily enough- been the artist that introduced me to hip hop and the reason I had once dismissed the whole genre as unlistenable. These days I can appreciate him a bit more (at least his 1999 - 2002 period), but still can't compare to the other 3 singles.

I hate the fact that Eminem is gonna decide the matchup, but everything else is superb and the albums were also very close.
For now it has to be 2017, but if there is some time left after I'm done with the other matchups, this and 1998/2012 are the ones I'll revisit.

[travelful]

[Repo]

This one's so tight I'm going to need a rubber even though she's on the pill.

[Repo]

yeah. Once again the album's were a wash. All four kick ass. So it came down to the singles once again. And this time it wasn't really a fair fight. Maybe because of our age. First off, we think early Eminem is the best. Those first two albums are mad genius. And then ODB's iconic classic. Shit. No contest.

We do like both of the 2017 hits, but it's just not the same. We like hits. And we like nostalgia.

Team 1999.

[Hayden]

[Repo]

[kokkinos]

The result could be expected, even though I went with 2017, but the margin is surprising.