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 03/16/2021 20:23; edited 1 time in total
Street Gospel is the best album in this entire round of matches. DJ Quik is the greatest producer of all-time, and this album rivals Rhythm-al-ism for his best selection of beats. (In fact, just because of the sheer variety of sounds here, I'd probably give this the nod.) His quirky, virtuosic take on g-funk is incredibly joyous, more lush and layered even than his haircut circa this time. He takes in Eastern sounds at times, but weaves them seamlessly into his mix of dense funk and smooth 1980s R'n'B influences so that it never feels like a novelty. The percussion on 'Doe Doe and a Skunk' is actual heaven. (I'll get onto Free's rapping later, but the way he sings "I sell a dream to her like a quiet storm" before switching up the flow and saying "the only reason why baby wear panties is to keep her ankles warm" on that same song is also heaven.) I am convinced that DJ Quik is the most musical hip-hop producer of all-time, a multi-instrumentalist whose sense of melody and ability to bend the studio to his will is unparalleled to the point that nobody even comes close. Seriously, if you don't like DJ Quik, we cannot be friends. Everything here feels three-dimensional compared to anybody else's beats - these basslines jump out of the speakers, you can smell the flecks of funk guitar, you can reach out and touch those drums. I find it crazy that I've been listening to The Roots' most acclaimed a lot recently in order to try to decide what to pick for my 1999 teams, and even that feels flat and grey compared to these Quik beats, despite them being a literal live band who were in the process of working on D'Angelo's Voodoo at the time. Quik is the Prince of hip-hop, and nobody can touch him. 'Don't No Suckaz Live Here' isn't a Dre-esque P-Funk homage - it sounds like Parliament are in your living room. Motherfucking El DeBarge turns up consistently throughout Quik's discography to sing hooks and backing vocals. Actual motherfucking El 'Rhythm of the Night' DeBarge. And motherfucking El 'Rhythm of the Night', 'Time Will Reveal' DeBarge turns up here to an extra dash of glamour to 'On My Way', the most luxurious song I have ever fucking heard, by an actual pimp from Pomona.
Which brings me neatly onto Suga Free, easily the most talented rapper Quik ever worked with (discounting Snoop, because their collaborations were irregular and never album-length). Suga Free was an old school romantic whose heart was broken by a woman who cheated on him and took his children to live elsewhere. (The dude has a fucking origin story, as if rappers weren't already basically comic book characters.) This convinced Free that all women are evil, and deserve to be exploited. He became an actual pimp, and spent time drifting in and out of county jails. He is not a good person. His lyrics are often indefensible. But he also happens to be one of the funniest, most melodic, most distinctive rappers of all-time. The most frequent comparison is to E-40, and with good reason - both do that switch to cartoonish fast-rapping thing where they fit a ridiculous amount of syllables inside a given space. But Suga Free is a much more musical rapper than E-40, a rapper with an undeniable sense of melody going through everything he does. When he sing-raps his hooks, or even portions of his verses, this is not the flat, practical, serviceable sing-rapping of Drake, but something with genuine feeling, something that could stand apart from the beat. 'I Wanna Go Home' is just built off of Free banging a table for a beat, like he would do in the county jail, but he doesn't just rap over the fucking thing, he produces a genuinely memorable song skeleton - you can hear where the backing vocals are supposed to go, what the bassline would sound like. He was a perfect match for Quik. Quik is a plainspoken and conversational everyman rapper, a very likeable presence on mic but the opposite of showy, whereas in Suga Free he found someone who saw hip-hop in the same colours that he did, a true songwriter with a virtuoso streak. He is also a masterly writer, bringing a knowing, vaudevillian, pimp salesman flair to everything he does, and his punchlines are often laugh out loud funny. I won't quote a list here, because you'll hear them for yourself, but the man is a genius.
The two have collaborated at various points in the years since, but this album is the last time they both worked together across a full-length release. It also found both at the absolute height of their powers. Quik from '96 to '99 was the greatest producer hip-hop has ever seen, making music that makes almost everything else feel dull. Suga Free had a bag full of great pimp jokes, serpentine flows, and ready-made hooks. This is a perfect hour of rap music, and maybe my favourite nomination of the whole tournament. It just makes me smile from start to finish. It is everything I ever wanted from music. _________________ 2021 in full effect. Come drop me some recs. Y'all know what I like.
Disclaimer: The versions of "The Psycho-Social, Chemical, Biological, And Electro-Magnetic Manipulation Of Human Consciousness" on Spotify and YT include their 96' EP, the real 97' LP is the first 12 songs, ending with I Who Have Nothing.
The theme of this team is underground vs mainstream. The albums are some of the more experimental and unique underground hip hop of 1997, the singles are just bangers. There were 2-3 albums I've considered taking over Street Gospel, most notably Common's 1997 effort (glad that I haven't picked that one), but this one seemed more "different". And Skinny has already explained why with a fantastic review. I went through 3 Street Gospel phases. First listen was "yeah this is interesting but repetitive and slightly too off-kilter to be enjoyable". Second listen was "well it's actually very unique and cool, I should listen to more DJ Quik". Third listen "I'm in lala land". The Jedi Mind Tricks debut is actually my favourite by them, it's also my favourite rap of this year. X-Files, religion, clever double entendres packed full of energy and slightly abstract production. I know some people find them obnoxious, but I don't. It's so good. Singles are self explanatory. _________________ Finally updated the overall chart
This 1994 team is very good. Very solid but not peak Common album paired with very solid but not peak Outkast is still a recipe for a win, despite it not being their best efforts. Completely forgot that C.R.E.A.M. and a few others were released as singles in 1994, as if Bay needed another boost for his team lol. Just Another Day is an excellent discovery, neo-soul and pop inspired east coast gem. It's probably the best 4th best single in a matchup thus far. The more I look at the 1994 team, the more I like it. _________________ Finally updated the overall chart
I think this is the first matchup where every nominated single is actually a track from an album released the previous year. Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) and Black Reign are both 1993 albums, whilst The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory and ATLiens are both 1996 albums.
Anyway, 'Just Another Day' is a very, very good song, but it really does pale in comparison to 'U.N.I.T.Y.'. (I mean, it doesn't help that 'U.N.I.T.Y.' comes straights after it on the album, although 'Jazzy Belle' suffers from the same fate in that it's placed directly before 'Elevators', OutKast's greatest song, and I still think 'Jazzy Belle' holds up better than 'Just Another Day'.) The other three singles here are all untouchable, but I'd probably rank them 'Hail Mary' > 'C.R.E.A.M.' > 'Jazzy Belle'. (The opening lines of 'Hail Mary' are just fucking iconic: "I ain't a killer but don't push me, revenge is like the sweetest joy, next to getting pussy." There's just something about 'Pac's urgent, desperate, furious delivery on this song, and across that whole album, that really sets it apart for me. Then again, 'C.R.E.A.M.' is also basically a perfect song. There's nothing to split them.)
As for the albums, I need to relisten to that Jedi Mind Tricks album. When I used to listen to them, it was almost always Violent By Design. (I'm fairly sure basically everyone I knew owned that album. For some reason, it was incredibly popular amongst suburban British stoners.) The other albums here are all great, and I would disagree with anybody who thinks this isn't Common's best; it just is. However, it's still a couple of rungs below Southerplayalistic, and in a different league altogether when compared to Street Gospel. I've always appreciated Common's music, but he is corny as fuck.
This is a good matchup - two very well-matched teams. Difficult to say who I'm voting for before a few relistens, but it's difficult to see beyond that combination of Street Gospel and 'Hail Mary' at the moment. _________________ 2021 in full effect. Come drop me some recs. Y'all know what I like.
Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik is Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik, and Jazzy Belle is Jazzy Belle, but Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik is Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik, so, yeah.
I'd rank the singles like
1. C.R.E.A.M (way ahead)
2. Jazzy Belle
3. Just Another Day
4. Hail Mary
—with 3 & 4 being fractionally close, but very far behind 1 & 2.
Skinny's covered Street Gospel, so it would be silly for me to add anything. Very solid and underappreciated release. I prefer it in small doses, and it's always great when a track comes up in a shuffle. Glad to see it pop up here.
Need to note I've never been a fan of Resurrection. I think Common's had two solid album since, but why that's usually considered his best confuses me. Yeah, it has I Used To Love H.E.R, but... the rest never did much for me. I've tried to get into the second half of the record a few times now, but I just think he did much better stuff later on and wonder why I'm not listening to that. I think it's been consistently overrated for decades now and might need a slight reassessment.
I know nothing about that Jedi Mind Tricks record except for the fact it somehow makes Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik only the second most annoying title here to type out without copy + paste. I'll give it a listen soon. If it's great, I'll swing '97, but if I'm only lukewarm/bad, it'll be '94 for me. Really comes down to that one here. _________________ Submit Your List for BEA's 2023 Film Poll!
Yeah I was a bit surprised to see Resurrection used instead of "I Used to Love H.E.R." as a single. I do like Resurrection, but outside of that song it's low on highlights for me and is a bit long, while "I Used to Love H.E.R." is an 11/10 hip hop classic. I definitely prefer Be, but almost entirely for the production. Common has never been all that engaging for me as a rapper.
Excited to give Street Gospel a listen. I've only heard one DJ Quik album but it has incredible production so my hopes are high that I'll enjoy it. I'll also say that Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik is an album I've never really managed to get into, so despite 1994 having a lot of big names my vote is pretty up for grabs right now. _________________ And it's hard to be a human being. And it's harder as anything else.
Resurrection is a great album and the best Common album in my book. And Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik might not be my favorite OutKast album, but it's close. Their first three records are all pure fire. Given that my album nominees and C.R.E.A.M. are widely recognized as classics by hip-hop heads, I'm going to focus my comments here on my less-acclaimed choice "Just Another Day." Trust me, it's even better than you thought on first listen.
First, the beat is incredible and about 15 years ahead of its time. It was released when Clams Casino was 6 years old, and yet it perfectly anticipates cloud rap. The bass is so beautifully dense and hazy. Definitely give this a listen on your best headphones if you haven't yet.
Second, Queen Latifah is a two-way threat on this song. It's hard to say whether her lovely singing or smooth rapping is better. Both are great.
Finally, the lyrical content is of course central to why this song is so good. I'm going to quote this five-star review from RYM that captures why it's brilliant.
G.O.Z. wrote:
Oooh man... this one hits me really hard... even as soon as that bassline plays, I get choked up.
For anyone that's unfamiliar with this song, this is Queen Latifah's description of a day in the hood and...I dunno, I just find this unbelievably sad. This hits me the same way that John Singleton's film Boyz N the Hood hits me. First of all, this beat has a super thick bassline and a vibe that's as atmospheric as it is melancholy. God, and every time I hear that gunshot sound in the song, I think about that scene where Ricky gets shot.
However, "Just Another Day" isn't as dramatic as Boyz N the Hood or that Ricky scene. The way in which Queen Latifah describes all the goings-on of her surroundings is very casual, almost banal. And this is what is so damn tragic about this. In this setting that Queen Latifah calls home, it's not out of the ordinary to need to be strapped with automatic weapons before stepping out of the door of your house, see carjackings, or see innocent little kids struck down with stray bullets. For Latifah, it's "just another day around the way, heyyy". She and everybody else just continue to happily live on and do their best to maintain, but the precarity of life in this environment is always present in their minds. This constant trauma is just the norm for Queen Latifah and her neighbors. Just because one can adjust accordingly to it ("I hear the *gunshot* but I'm here to stay") doesn't mean that it doesn't irrevocably traumatize them. The saddest part is the very end (which is unfortunately cut off in the music video version of this) with the last thing Queen Latifah says: "it's gonna be okay". Followed by one more gunshot sound and the song cuts off with that.
To make another comparison to Boyz N the Hood, this is an absolute masterpiece just like that film.
OutKast - Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik has to be one of the most ridiculous album titles ever, though it goes without saying that's the only thing that's ridiculous about it. The debut album of the legendary duo that right off the bat introduces us to what 's about to unfold in front of us ("See that rap shit is really just like selling smoke If you got some fire shit, yo niggas gonna always toke"). By the way, what a year 1994 was for debut hip hop albums (Without thinking about it too much, Ready to Die, Illmatic, Word...Life, 6 Feet Deep and this, I'm sure there are more). You could point out some aspects of it that would get better further down the road of their career, but this is already a finished product, a complete artistic statement that differentiates itself from anything else that was going on at that point, no part of it is severely lacking whatsoever and it's fair to assume hip hop as a genre would be another world without it. For example, the production may not be as distinctive as in future attempts, but achieves a highly enjoyable combination of smooth and funky anyway. Also, you could argue their songwriting would get more mature further down the road - which is more or less the natural thing, what else would you expect, plus there are signs of their great storytelling here ("Y'know I do some things more different than I used to 'Cause I'm a player, doing what the players do The package store was closed, okay my day is ruined This is ridiculous, I'm getting serious, I'm getting curious 'Cause the house is smelling stank, the chitlins old as bitches I made no wishes cause I'm mobbing folk niggas in the back"). There are days I would call this my favorite OutKast record - this applies to almost all their albums - but it doesn't happen as often as with other parts of their discography.
Next one is gonna be Common Sense - Resurrection.
Common Sense - Resurrection is his second album and what a difference did these two years make. It's like he is a different man, the improvement is unreal. The production may appear simplistic and too 90's, but it gives Common plenty of room to shine, which is the main point of the album. The lyrics are easily the highlight of the album. The obvious one would be I Used To Love H.E.R., a brilliant way to showcase hip hop's development through the years ("I might've failed to mention that this chick was creative Once the man got to her, he altered her native Told her if she got an image and a gimmick That she could make money, and she did it like a dummy Now I see her in commercials, she's universal She used to only swing it with the inner-city circle Now she be in the burbs, lookin' rock and dressin' hippie And on some dumb shit when she comes to the city"), but pretty much every track has a message -it's equally impressive both in terms of content i.e. what he has to say and how he does it i.e. his rhymes, metaphors, etc.- to deliver ("I want a job but I ain't lookin' (how come?) I ain't tryin' to degrade myself, bein' nobody's Calvin I'm a couch bum What makes it bad, I had incentive But that disintegrated to a state that stagnated I procrastinated I can't recall a day without bein' intoxicated, or blowed I'm dealin' with a full deck, at any day I can fold What makes it bad, I wasn't dealt that bad a hand And I had a plan But things didn't go through The way they were supposed to Thank God I found you"). Despite the power of his words, he has this gentle and tactful delivery that could be perceived as somewhat dull, but I've never had any problem with it. It may not excite you initially, but I think the more you listen to it the more it will grow on you.
To sum it up, I really like this one to the point I would even rank it a tiny bit ahead of Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik, which is defintely a major achievement.
Next one is gonna be Jedi Mind Tricks - The Psycho-Social, Chemical, Biological & Electro-Magnetic Manipulation of Human Consciousness.
You cannot post new topics in this forum You cannot reply to topics in this forum You cannot edit your posts in this forum You cannot delete your posts in this forum You cannot vote in polls in this forum
