Jun 13, 2018

YOU ARE HIDING A CHILD

 

Oct 4, 2018

Adidon by a cuntry mile

 

Apr 23, 2016

Spoiler: #3

3. Jay-Z - Reasonable Doubt (1996)

Out of all the albums on this list, picking Jay-Z’s was probably the most difficult. I had The Black Album and The Blueprint on here at one point, and the very last change I made to this list was switching out American Gangster for Reasonable Doubt, the latter of which gets the edge due to the nostalgia factor. Part of the reason I love this album so much is that it reminds me of the time I first heard it. I was 16 or so and my friends and I were smoking hookah (lol) and drinking the Miller High Life my friend bought with his fake ID that was printed with computer paper and hand-laminated. We thought we were f---ing cool. Jay-Z was f---ing cool.

And that, of course, is one of the most appealing things about Jay-Z. Up until Magna Carta Holy Grail (@Narsh’s favorite album) came out, he could make pretty much anything sound cool. Jay’s almost always charismatic, but the charisma Jay boasts here is a little more “ruthless.” He’s cool, but also cold (maybe not quite flat-out “villainous,” but closer here than in most places), and for that reason there’s nothing more perfect than the album ending with “Regrets.” The trading of verses with Biggie on “Brooklyn’s Finest” is some of the “best rapping for the sake of rapping” in history. Also, “Feelin’ It” is my favorite Jay-Z song of all time (and probably in my top 25 favorite rap songs of all time). It’s one of those songs that I have distinct memories of at vastly different points in my life. I think most of us find this relatable:

“I'm so confused, okay I'm getting weeded now/I know I contradicted myself, look, I don't need that now/It’s just once in a blue when there's nothing to do/And the tension gets too thick for my sober mind to cut through”

Spoiler: #2

2. Clipse – h--- Hath No Fury (2006)

Of all the major rap artists to come up in the 2000s (50 Cent, Game, Kanye West, Dipset, Lupe, etc.), I’ve always felt Clipse didn’t get enough credit – I’d even go so far as to argue they have the best album released in the 2000s out of all of them (hint: it’s this one, though Lord Willin’ isn’t too far behind). The best part about Clipse is that, while they’re not quite underrated, no one overrates them either, so there’s not much stanism associated with them. One day last summer, I was stopped at a red light and there was a guy sitting on a half wall smoking a cigarette. He heard me playing Lord Willin’ out of my car and we proceeded to yell over traffic and have a 30 second conversation about how more people should consider Pusha and Malice some of the GOATs. Clipse fans are the best fans.

Lord Willin’ is a classic, but h--- Hath No Fury is on another level. One of my favorite things about Push (and Malice, but I’ve never listened to his solo s---) is his tendency to rap over unorthodox beats. There’s a reason why I mentioned this album in @Koolo’s topic about albums that still sound fresh, and that’s because the production on here truly is timeless. I suppose it’s still a product of the 2000s more than anything, but it’s not one of those albums you can listen to and say “oh, this was made when X was popular.” The Neptunes’ production is immaculate, Push and Malice are rapping at their peak, and both in combination blow me away no matter what year it is. Also, you know how I mentioned Jay had an almost “villainous” charisma on Reasonable Doubt? It’s nothing compared to that of Clipse. “Yo whatup ma I got a pocket fulla stinkies, let’s go spend these right quick,” might be my favorite opening line of all time. From “Momma I’m So Sorry” to “Nightmares,” it truly is a trip. Also, Coke Rap is the best subgenre. Just throwing that out there.

Spoiler: #1

1. Kanye West - Yeezus (2013)

I felt like everyone was going to guess this one, but a lot of people guessed My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, which surprised me because I feel like I’ve been pretty vocal about how much I like Yeezus. I love both albums, but more than anything I like how succinct Yeezus is. I’m the type of person who pretty much only listens to albums front-to-back, so I tend to gravitate toward 40-50 minute albums over 80 minute albums as I’m able to finish them in one sitting more often. Part of why I love it so much comes from nostalgia (this leaked the last day of finals week my senior year of college…I ended up going two quarters into a fifth year but that’s beside the point!), but part of it is that Yeezus is just that good. I routinely listened to it twice in a row during summer 2013 and it hasn’t left my rotation since.

It’s been said before, but Yeezus is like a midlife crisis. I searched through my posts real quick because I don’t think I’ve said it better than this: “It's simultaneously disjointed and cohesive and there's a strong sense of urgency. It pulls you through this trip of aggression and anger and pride and loss and hopelessness until Kanye somehow ends up in love on “Bound 2.” I love it. It might be my favorite album of all time.” My opinions went back and forth on nearly every song until I realized I love all of them (yep, including “I Am A God”). Even the lead up to it was amazing (the SNL performance, the projections, literally not knowing the final track list for sure until it leaked). I genuinely feel sorry for people who didn't experience that rollout, and even more so for people who don’t like this album. I really do.

Also the unreleased artwork for this is GOAT and so fitting. A golden Kanye being ripped in half.

 

Sep 1, 2017

1. j. cole sucks
2. j. cole sucks
3. j. cole sucks
4. j. cole sucks
5. j. cole sucks