BYHH GW2: Group B - 1997 vs. 2002

[kokkinos]

Company Flow - Funcrusher Plus is another album produced by El-P. I don't think I've ever listened to so many projects where El-P is involved in such a short period of time as it happened for the sake of this tournament. This one seemed to me worse than I remembered it and I suspect the main reason is exactly the El-P overexposure. I mean, I never was his biggest fan to begin with, you can check my other reviews, too, so this was just too much. Anyway, production-wise (and El-P is all about production, so this matters a lot) it has to be included among his best. It combines the typical 90's boom bap sound with his trademark futuristic vibes to create a rich and lively sound that keeps your attention without relying on catchy hooks or something for (almost) the whole running time of the album, which by the way is on the longer side and could definitely have been shorter by a good 10-15 minutes. The rapping is the best part of the album, it's energetic and passionate enough to convey the ideas and the emotions to the audience, but also has a conversational tone, it's like you take part in a friendly discussion. Lyrics ("Try to keep my lyrics short and fat like Joe Pesci") are of the so called "abstract" kind almost crossing the line of being totally random ("El-P phase through these walls like Vision Choked in the shallow water, a bad executive decision Release the Kraken please put down your skin flutes How could ya... motherfuckers think ya... To this mercenary sunblock 2000 burner All of your knowledge is truant, unlearn all of the shit Then in overtime you become fluent, sell the fucking store At the opposite end of the spectrum your career’s never no more Enter the rectum and at twilight we'll skip stones and laugh about your poems But a blood-red book when the others got funcrushed is a spot The terror fabulously gets hot, Co Flow mossie Walt Disney meets Keyser Soze There will be no grand comebacks unless Lazarus or Kotter"). The highlight of the album is for me the opening track Bad Touch Example ("Yo' eyes get, blind like 2Pac gettin shot in the lobby Most MC's styles is robbery of my freestyles as a hobby I pick apart monkey brains and spread disease through hot zones My cameos on promos seem strange like someone's not home Bigg Jus the outsider rain on your dream field With styles so freaking wet niggas need maxi panty shields Expose more moles out the closet than lead paint on your tenement Got more Black Thought to my Roots than most niggas got in their pigment It's the baby-faced lieutenant with the Luck like Luciano Hardcore like Kool G Rap music made for concert piano").
To sum it up, maybe it has to do with the timing and not the album itself, but it was a slight let down, despite its unquestionable qualities.
Next one is gonna be The Notorious B.I.G. - Life After Death.

[kokkinos]

Listening to The Notorious B.I.G. - Life After Death has always been one of the most painful music-related experiences. Many other artists I am a fan of have passed away, but Biggie is special, thinking about the wasted potential is a torture. Anyway, I guess we should be grateful for what he offered us. It's an album that has something for everyone, that's clearly its biggest advantage/disadvantage depending on your perspective. His trademark top notch storytelling - further elevated by his typical rhymes and godlike delivery - is once again present here. That's the case in - among others - Somebody's Gotta Die ("I look deeper; I see blood up on his sneakers And his fist gripped a chrome four-fifth So I dip Nigga, is you creepin' or speakin'? He tells me C-Rock just got hit up at the Beacon I opens up the door, pitiful: "Is he in critical?" Retaliation for this one won't be minimal 'Cause I'm a criminal Way before the rap shit"), Niggas Bleed ("Room 112, right by the staircase, perfect place When they evacuate, they meet they fate "Ron, pass the gasoline," the nigga passed me kerosene Fuck it, it's flame-able, my hunger is unexplainable Strike the match, just what I expected The dread kid ejected in seconds, and here come two... Opposite sexes, one black, one Malaysian We in the hallway, waiting patient As soon as she hit the door, we start blasting I saw her brains hit the floor, Ron laughing, I swear to God I hit Maxi Priest at least twelve times in the chest Spinned around, shot the chink in the breast "), I Got a Story to Tell ("Televisions, Versace heaven, when I'm up in 'em The shit she kicked, all the shit's legit She get dick from a player off the New York Knicks Nigga tricked ridiculous, the shit was plush She's stressing me to fuck, like she was in a rush We fucked in his bed, quite dangerous I'm in his ass while he playing 'gainst the Utah Jazz My 112, CD blast, I was past She came twice, I came last, roll the grass"). Then there are tracks like Kick in the Door where he goes all out and fires shots in many directions ("Uhh, your reign on the top was short like leprechauns As I crush so-called willies, thugs, and rapper-dons Get in that ass quick, fast like Ramadan It's that rap phenomenon Don Dada, fuck Poppa"). Long Kiss Goodnight follows the same approach ("Laugh now cry later, I rhyme greater Than the average playa hater and spectators Buy my CD twice, they see me in the streets They be like, "Yo he nice, but that's on the low though" Be the cats with no dough, tried to play me at my show"), while the theme of beefs with other rappers is further explored on What’s Beef? ("Pardon my French but, uh, sometimes I get kind of Peeved at these weak MCs (don't stop) With the supreme baller-like lyrics I call 'em like I see 'em, G Y'all niggas sound like me (yeah) Y'all was grimy in the early 90s, far behind me It ain't hard to find me") and of course Going Back to Cali revolves around East/West coast rivarly ("If I got to choose a coast, I got to choose the East I live out there, so don't go there But that don't mean a nigga can't rest in the West See some nice breast in the West Smoke some nice sess in the West, y'all niggas is a mess Thinking I'm gon stop, giving L.A props All I got is beef with those that violate me I shall annihilate thee"). On the other hand, we get to see his softer side on the touching Miss U (" Gave him half my paper, told 'em "Go that route!" Few months, he got his brain blown out, now I'm stressed His baby's mother, she trippin', blamin' me And his older brothers understand the game it be Kinda topsy-turvy; you win some, you lose some Damn, they lost a brother, they mother lost a son Fuck, why my nigga couldn't stay in N.Y.? I'm a thug, but I swear for three days I cried I, look in the sky and ask God why Can't look his baby girls in the eye Damn, I'm missin' him"). Also, there is some more commercial, party oriented catchy stuff, for example Hypnotize ("Biggie, Biggie, Biggie, can't you see? Sometimes your words just hypnotize me And I just love your flashy ways Guess that's why they broke, and you're so paid"), Mo’ Money Mo’ Problems ("I don't know what they want from me It's like the more money we come across The more problems we see") or Nasty Boy ("Back of my mind I hope she swallow Man she spilled a drink on my cream Wallows Reach the gate, hungry just ate Riffin', she got to be to work by eight This must mean she ain't tryna wait Conversate, sex on the first date"). Fuck You Tonight leans so much towards R & B that it's one of the so very rare instances where Biggie is almost overshadowed, fantastic vocals. If you're looking for great vocals, you should also check the chorus of The World Is Filled... . Last Day is one of the songs that highlight why listening to this album is so painful ("You already know what it's about when I run up in your house Put the gun up in your mouth and get the money out the couch Hearin' you out is senseless, perhaps for instance I give this faggot a french kiss Black gloves, no prints, dark tints Word on the street they ain't heard from him since You know about life after kickin' the kid in"), not to mention My Downfall ("You gain thirty pounds when you die no lie, lazy eye I was high when they hit me, took a few cats with me Shit, I need the company (uh-huh) Apologies in order, to T'Yanna my daughter If it was up to me you would be with me"). I Love the Dough has Biggie plus Jay-Z, the universe must have come pretty close to exploding ("We push the hottest V's, peel fast Through the city, play Monopoly with real cash Me and Biggie and the models be shakin' they sadiddy ass And Prada be somethin' you cats got to see"). While we 're on the subject could we change the subject now of great collaborations one has to mention the appearance of Bone Thugs-N-Harmony in Notorious Things ("7 A.M. woke in the morning With Hen' and caffeine and green and nicotine No-Doz so pop a couple of those Lil' RIPsta, nigga Mista Clean, make it gleam Deep in my temple and not to get sentimentally steamed With my instrumelody, and heated, especially for your team And a .45 indeed will beam In between the scenes, destroy your dreams"). Another highlight has to be Ten Crack Commandments, which is exactly what the title suggests ("Number 9 shoulda been Number 1 to me: If you ain't gettin' bagged stay the fuck from police If niggas think you snitchin' they ain't tryna listen They be sittin' in your kitchen, waiting to start hittin'"). Sky's The Limit is another huge track showcasing his development through the years. ("He came out with the phrase He went from ashy to classy – I like that"). In general, I don't mind the so called "filler" tracks, but if there's one I would consider skipping, it has to be Another. Playa Hater is another track that has been getting some hate, but I find it highly enjoyable, just accept it for what it is and don't take it seriously. The spooky You're Nobody ('Til Somebody Kills You) sadly makes for a great closer.
To sum it up, it might have its flaws, but to be honest I just don't care. For me few hip hop albums can compare to this.
Next one is gonna be Scarface - The Fix.

[kokkinos]

Any album that would have to follow Life After Death would be facing a tough task, but as it has already been pointed out, Scarface - The Fix is a fitting counterpart, namely another great (actually, "great" might be an understatement) rapper who takes a slight turn to appeal to the masses, without compromising that much -if any- in terms of quality. Especially in this album you can guess how ambitious it is just by checking the credits. This includes both the production (Kanye West, The Neptunes, Tony Pizarro, Flip, T.Mix, Nashiem Myrick among others) and the featuring MCs (Jay-Z AND Nas, that's all you need to know) and some singers, too (Kelly Price, Faith Evans and Tanya Herron). This all-star cast manages to keep the balance, on the one hand to remain faithful to the south while at the same time adding mainstream elements. By the way, I didn't mention the above to imply that Scarface depends on others to make the album work, he plays his part as it was expected, no major complaints in that department. Lyrics present some classic crime stories ("I started small time, dope game, pushin on the corner Twenty cent cook-up, fifty flippers if you want 'em Full of formaldehyde, my clothes wreakin marijuana Cops rollin up on us, my neighborhood's like a sauna Pistol-grippin, insurin won't nobody run up on us But if they do, fuck 'em, we murderous nickel-dome 'em I ain't playin no games, I'm on a mission fo' the change Motherfuck being a lame, I'm ten toes in the game - deep I can't slip, this whole world want me sleep") mixed with some religious stuff ("I been gone away from home for so long Seems like everything I try to do without you go wrong I'm confused about a lot of things, but not with my faith So I'm depending on your holy ghost to guide me the way See, I'm a sinner in the third degree Ain't afraid to admit it, 'cause I seen niggas worse than me Who am I to judge a man when I'm a man myself In the dark, trying to get me some help? I went from pawn to king, king back to pawn Doing my best to try to ease out the storm"). One issue I have with this album is consistency, I consider the first half significantly stronger than the second, and it's a relatively short album, so it's even more striking.
To sum it up, it holds its own to a way more than decent degree, but it has to be ranked slightly behind Life After Death and ahead of Funcrusher Plus.
Last album of the matchup is gonna be Non Phixion - The Future Is Now.

[kokkinos]

Before commenting on anything else regarding Non Phixion - The Future Is Now, I have to point out what a lovely album cover that is, one of my favorites so far (and I do pay a lot of attention to the album covers, even though I don't take them into account when evaluating an album). Production wise it goes for a futuristic sound - I mean, the album is called The Future is Now, what did you expect? - , but it's not your typical futuristic, it is at the same time tied to the past, providing some aggressive and hard-hitting beats. I wonder how it sounded back in 2002. Rapping was direct and definitely effective, but felt kinda monotonous for an almost hour long album, plus there were moments where I struggled to make the distinction between the rappers - ok, that was probably just me, I guess if you are more familiar with them, you wouldn't face such difficulties. The lyrics may be a bit off puting ("Jesus Christ was a gangsta rapper They killed him then he came back and made a platinum album The path I travel's like the dragon shadow Invisible to CIA camera angles They got a file on every rap group They killed the last man who had proof They're after me for information that I have too") and I would suggest either looking at them from a "fun" angle and not taking them too seriously or just ignoring them completely, the production is good enough to carry the album - though it has to be said that they do fit with the overall sound/theme of the album. On that note, however, probably you don't care but I have to add how surprising it was to hear a Megadeth reference ("Peace sells but who’s buying?"), this came out of nowhere. Anyway, if I had to pick a highlight, I would go with the opening track, Futurama, as it sets the tone for the rest of the album.
To sum it up, I would rank this below Life After Death, ahead of Funcrusher Plus and about equal to The Fix (okay, The Fix has to be a tiny bit ahead, but for all practical purposes I would consider them equal). This means that 1997 has the 1st and 4th album, while 2002 has the 2nd and 3rd ones. It looks like the outcome will be decided by the singles.

[kokkinos]

My ranking for the singles:
1st: Jay-Z - Feelin' It
Nothing to say. A classic.
T-2nd: Freeway - What We Do (ft. Jay-Z & Beanie Sigel)
Man, this matchup has had so much Hova, (1 single plus featuring in 2 albums and 1 single). If it were someone else, it would probably have become annoying.
T-2nd: HAWK - You Already Know (ft. Big T)
Can't say I was familiar with this, a great product of the South.
4th: Missy Elliott - The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly)
Never been a fan, but I can't deny it's enjoyable.
To sum it up, once again 1997 takes 1st and 4th spot, while 2002 is 2nd and 3rd. I may have to consider the margins between them- both in albums and singles-, but in all likelihood I will declare this a draw.

[Repo]

[kokkinos]

[PossiblyMichigan]

Going in I thought I'd give this one to 2002. One of my favorite records ever in The Fix (no one sounds so comfortable over a beautifully sped up piano timbre quite like Scarface) that a relisten immediately prompted me to go through the man's entire discography again. Rest of my relistens though really changed my mind on some things. Non Phixion is also a group I have a ton of nostalgia for but it sounds so politically dated now, loaded with false equivalencies and that general sense of righteous yet unfocused deep state phobia that was going around in 2002. While the packaging and production on this thing is still so inspired part of me found a lot of the guest verses super forgettable (that is definitely MF DOOM at some of his most monotonous). Plus I was reallllllly underrating 97's selections at first. In Biggie's case, I chock that up at least in part to the tendency for armchair critics like myself to be extra hard on double albums that falter even slightly but Life After Death is essentially two hours of perfection with less than 7 minutes of filler. Finally come around to this one being the best thing the man ever did. Plus after hating on Def Jux alumni all tournament I finally remembered the spark that first made me appreciate this material. Company Flow goes hard into El-P's strengths as the apocalyptic east coast king and is definitely my second favorite beat collection of his (maybe third? I'm a High Water apologist). Anyway I'd give this to 97 though I still have to refresh my memory on the singles and'll come back to this.

[Skinny]

Leaning 2002 on the strength of The Fix and 'You Already Know'. Love that Houston 1-2 punch, even if The Fix is basically Face's attempt at an early 2000s Roc-A-Fella record. 'You Already Know' is easily my favourite single here, even given the strength of the others. I've listened to it multiple times per day since this matchup went up. One of the best things nominated across the whole tournament. It's very similar in vibe and sound to a song I'm probably gonna nominate for the next match. Nice to see HAWK turn up twice in this round, too - he's a feature on the Guerilla Maab album I nominated.
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[baystateoftheart]

Funcrusher Plus: 3.5/5
Life After Death: 3.5/5
The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly): 3.5/5
Feelin' It: 4/5

1997 Total: 14.5/20

The Fix: 3.5/5
The Future Is Now: 3/5
What We Do: 4.5/5
You Already Know: 4/5

2002 Total: 15/20

What We Do is one of my all-time favorites, and the difference-maker in this close matchup.
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