Please use the thread to discuss the selections and inform everybody of your voting intentions. A poll will be added at a later date in order to tally votes, once everybody has had the opportunity to listen to all of the selections. If there are specific links to the albums or singles you have nominated (on Youtube, Spotify, etc.) that you would prefer voters to listen to, please post them in this thread. _________________ 2021 in full effect. Come drop me some recs. Y'all know what I like.
Last edited by Skinny on 02/10/2021 19:53; edited 1 time in total
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. _________________ 2021 in full effect. Come drop me some recs. Y'all know what I like.
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.
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.
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.
this is getting ridiculous at this point I'm convinced at this point that Streams' teams are designed to target me and me specifically _________________ A Variety of Artists
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.
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.
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.
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