This album is probably the most raw, and ostensibly the most disarming album to be released since Wu-Tang released Enter the 36 Chambers. What 50 does in this album is let everyone know how hungry he is for success, as well as attention. His constant beef with just about every other rapper is evidence of that. I am not sure where Eminem found 50, but by putting him on, we are all eternally grateful.
Eminem is far and away the best lyricist that is currently on. In a battle, he will destroy any rapper that approaches. On I Still Don't Give A F**k he delivers one of the best put-together flows I have ever heard.
The basic problem is the same one that happens to most anyone else who is successful and has no real competition. They get lazy and release basically garbage. As a result this album stands as, lyrically, probably the best album on the list.
2-Pac has to be one of the most prolific hip-hop artists ever. I'm sure the number of songs he has written number in the thousands. However, with all of that volume, there have only been a few quality albums. This was his best. The title track sounds like warfare, and he doesn't stop there.
Every song on this album would be a single on any other hip-hop artist of the era's albums. The only song that is out of place is I Get Around with Digital Underground. The song is a little too playful for the album, but is still an outstanding track.
Ghostface Killah is my favorite rapper, and that bias should be known, but his lyrics are insane, he can deliver fast, he can deliver slow, basically if you have a garbage track you can throw him on it and he will save the track.
If there is a problem with Ironman, it is too much of a good thing. Many of the gems Ghostface drops are lost in the flow of the album, and the RZA's hard beats. The Pretty Tony album and Fishscale should get honorable mention.
Blowout Comb was a very moody album, and a departure from Digable Planets' mainstream style. I get the impression from listening to it that the success of Reachin' made them uncomfortable, and they wanted to go back to their revolutionary roots.
Many would probably wonder why I didn't put Reachin' on the list, but I think that artistically, Blowout Comb is a superior effort
Sunday, November 25, 2007
The Definitive Hip-Hop Collection (Part 5)
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