Those times when I got played for my $22 at the vinyl import spot…salutes to P_gotsachill for the idea.
No Country For Old (Rap) Men: Albums That Fell Tragically Short of Their Potential
48 thoughts on “No Country For Old (Rap) Men: Albums That Fell Tragically Short of Their Potential”
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At the time massively disappointed with “fear of a black planet”and” let the rhythm hit em” – obviously grown to like them, whether it was due to the sound being a bit dated compared to the native tongues and groups such as main source and brand Nubian.
I don’t disagree with much you write Robbie but Brother Arab, Slang Teacher and Here Come the Lords were all solid releases with some dope cuts on….It’s a Dope Thang, Tales from the Darkside (cheesy? Dope!), Psycho and a few others. Sure there was some shit filler too but that’s true of pretty much every album released at the time. Classics no, slightly disappointing maybe, shit…no, you’re wrong on this one mate.
@Sg: I loved half of ‘Fear’ and a few of the songs from ‘Let The Rhythm Hit ‘Em,’ but I agree that it sounded a bit basic compared to the stuff you mentioned.
@Al: Fair enough if you enjoyed them, but I was pissed that I blew my cash on those at a time when I could only afford an album once a month.
I agree about Fear and Let The Rhythm Hit Em…still think Fear is PE’s worst album, I can’t understand why it’s revered as a classic it falls well short of Nation and I much preferred Apocalypse 91.
One thing though, how can you have a most disappointing album feature and not mention Kool Keith’s entire catalogue post Octagon????? Or the Ultra comeback album for that matter…
@Al: I knew that the solo Keith stuff wasn’t going to be any good once he’d adopted his modern style on the Big Willie Smith EP. As for the Ultra album I’m not sure if anyone expected much from that.
The Firm album sucked for the most part but you can’t front that Half-A-Mil track is a banger.
@Ben: Yeah it had it’s moments. Even a broken clock is right twice a day, as the adage goes.
Streets Disciple coulda been reduced to a very good single album. never understood why folks wanna make double albums. Remember the Time was dope too.. lol @ urethra. Ras said that on soul on ice remix
Brand Nubian Everything is Everything. Everyone thought they were through after Puba left, then they somehow got even better! Then they follow up with this shit!!
@Caesar: Seriously, fuck that album. The only good song was ‘Alladat.’
Hey Robbie – Whoever put together the album cover images in this Acclaim piece used the wrong Firm cover. They used the one from the rock band the Firm, which was a shitty supergroup featuring Jimmy Page.
After the singles, I too, was disappointed by the ‘Slang Teacher’ LP.
bobby digital….the beginning of the decline. hugely disappointing after such a strong winning streak…never really got back on track. should’ve had a 10 year plan.
@opi – agree with the rza lp, I think in my 30 years of buying hip hop I have only got rid of two Lps, – Bobby digital and tical2 judgement day.
I remember being very underwhelmed with the organized konfusion equinox lp.
Dr. Dre’s new joint…
Even though I fux with Nas heavy, I agree with @dolo that Streets Disciple woulda been a solid single album. But even the single version of SD Sony released I think was off. The track listing shoulda went something like:
1. Intro/A Message to the Feds, Sincerely, We the People
2. Nazareth Savage
3. These Are Our Heroes
4. Disciple
5. Sekou Story/Live Now
6. Rest of My Life
7. Just A Moment
8. Reason
9. You Know My Style
10. Street’s Disciple
11. UBR
12. Virgo
13. The Makings of a Perfect Bitch
14. Bridging the Gap
15. War
16. Thief’s Theme
Agree with most of the list! LORDS album was DOPE to me! Loved that album! Nas album also (like all his albums besides illmatic) had some really DOPE bangers on it! And some horrible crossover attempts (typical Nas album).
The Chronic album and any 2 Pac or Emienm albums were the most overrated albums.
i gotta agree with the p.e. black planet sentiment, only a few good tracks mixed in with interludes and filler doesn’t work after releasing the greatest hip hop lp ever. ice cube’s predator lp mostly stunk too, after death certificate and the la riots i thought he was going to drop another classic (hell even the first single ‘wicked’ was tough too). i never checked for cube lp’s again after that badly produced mess. redman’s malpractice lp was horrendous, i expected at least a solid to classic lp like his first 4 were and was just floored at how awful it was.
The second nas album was one of these for me. After that I knew not to expect to much.
nas ‘it was written’ also disappointed. it was half classic half shit and the pattern continued with all his subsequent lp’s. now we’re lucky if we get 2 or 3 bangers among the shittily produced garbage he releases now. krs-one’s ‘i got next’, i still can’t believe it’s his biggest seller. such a disappointing turd after the great run of solid/classic lp’s going back to the bdp days.
Agree on Ice cube predator. I bought it $5 on cd the other day. Much worse then I remembered even. Had an ice cube binge in the car recently – all albums I own (up to lethal injection). Lethal injection actually holds up better than I remember it.
I got next is a good example of disappointment too.
You are joking right, how was Do it all and Funkee wack mcs, that first album is a classic, some of marly marl and k-def best production ever on that, same with the follow up record keepers of the funk. You are the only person ive ever heard slate that album, crazy
The three albums that made me feel like “damn I want my money back” were:
– LL’ Walking With A Panther (huge disappointment after Bigger And Deffer, too many syrupy love songs and lame raps, a couple of good joints couldn’t save this)
– G Rap’s Giancana Story (I alway expect a lot from G Rap and somehow nerd journalism got me into thinking that Rawkus was the dopest label ever. That’s before I started to hate all Company Flow asskissers. Anyway, this is the only G Rap album I don’t listen to on a regular basis)
Rakim’s The Master (I enjoyed The 18th Letter, I still think it contains classic joints and many solid tracks. That’s why I copped The Master expecting the same level but apart from a couple of songs, the rest was mostly boring raps over even more boring production)
MC Eiht We Come Strapped. I tried really hard to get into this but over time it became obvious that they were trying to copy the success of Streiht Up Menace with all that synth bs. EPMD Back in Business was just a sad reminder that the magic was gone. It had a couple of joints but overall their window was closed. After Reasonable Doubt, I couldn’t wait to grab Jay Z’s second album and it was nowhere near the greatness of the first.
For me it was Love Peace and Nappiness by Lost Boyz. I was a big fan of their first album so when the next one dropped I was hoping to feel the same way. Threw it out the window of my ride in anger…
Off top, I’d say Mobb Deep’s “Juvenile Hell” and Craig G’s debut both fell short if their potential. The two singles from Mobb’s joint rocked, so when the LP dropped, it broke my heart how meandering it was.
And Craig was coming off of Droppin Science. Nuff said.
Wu-Tang Forever…very disappointing production and self indulgent.
Blueprint 2 for the same reasons.
BEATS RHYMES AND LIFE was a WTF album for me. I’m like who’s this Consequence dude and why is he on so many tracks. Quest Lost their fire. As far as The Love Movement, I just can’t…
@Teditron
IMO Triumph, Scary Hours, It’s Yourz, The Projects, Bells of War, Severe Punishment, Older Gods, Hellz Wind Staff, The MGM, & Impossible all had a head nodding feel in the production.
Now BP2 was overpopulated with filler like Street’s Disciple.
here is my list
Mantronix the incredible sound machine trash
LL Cool: 14 shots To The Dome (and every thing since)
Craig G: Rambling Of An Angry Old Man,also That Was Then This Is Now
Torae: For The Record ( coming After Double Barrel This Album Was wack to me)
Nas: anything After Illmatic(I’ll give Him Nigger because of the content, and HipHop Is Dead Because of The courage to say something like that at a time when people are scared to say whats on their mind.
EPMD: We Mean Business
Rakim: The 18 Letter & The Master (kind of surprised to see Let the rhythm hit em on here that was solid all the way through to me)
All Wu Tang Members Second solo albums
All Boot Camp Click Members Second albums ( O.G.C. 1st album No Fear Was A let down also)
Tha Alkaholiks: Fire Water & XO Experience
KRS ONE & BuckShot: Survival Skills
DA Beatminers: Brace 4 Impak
Large Professor: 1st Class(and his most recent one can’t think of the name, that’s how much I don’t like it.
Pete Rock: NY’s Finest, Soul Survivor 2,
Marco Polo: PA2
Elzhi: The Preface
KRS ONE: The BDP Album, Keep Right, Maximun Strength
Cellar Dwellars: Realms & Realities
OC&AG: Oasis
Master Ace&EdOG: Arts And Entertainment
Roc Marciarno: Marcberg (had a couple cuts but overall was disappointed
Above The Law: Uncle Sams curse
GZA & Dj Muggs: Grandmasters
I could keep going especially any thing from the 2000’s but i’ll chill
for now. but remember this is my opion.
Wutang Forever: Good album but not the great album it was suppose to be.This album was the turning point for the Wu IMO.
The Love Moment:Dilla did his thing on this album but Tip and especially Phife sounded like they were done.
L.O.N.S. “T.I.M.E”: Side a had its moments but Side b WTF Busta had to go solo after that album smh.
Boot Camp For Da People: I was in High School when this dropped and I saw some dude actually smashed this CD in front of everybody he was so upset!!!1997 might have been the worst in the 90’s for hip hop.
Nastradamus: I actually thought it was gonna be better than I am…. because I thought Nas couldn’t drop two weak albums in less than 6 months.
I have some more list of disappointments here we go
Diamond D: The Dime Piece
Run D.M.C. : Back From Hell & Crown Royal
2 Live Crew: Sports Weekend (As Nasty As They Wana Be 2)
K9 Posse: K9 Posse
Brand Nubian: Every Thing Is Every Thing
Mic Gerronomo: The Natrual
Show & AG: Mugshot Music
Public Enemy: Music In Our Mess Age, The Evil Empire Of EveryThing &Most Of My Hereos Still Don’t Appear On no Stamp
Jedi Mind Tricks: Violence Begets Violence
Vinny Paz: God Of The Serengeti
The Roots: Everything after Things Fall Apart
DJ Js1: Ground Original 1& 2
Big Daddy Kane: Prince Of Darkness, Daddy’s Home, & Veterans Day
Kool G Rap: Every album After Wanted Dead Or Alive
Souls Of Mischief: Montezuma’s Revenge
Compton’s Most Wanted: We Come Strapped
Heltah Skeltah: D.I.R.T.(I Know Ruck Passed Away Recently but this album could have been a whole lot better considering the last album before this was 10 years ago and that fell short Magnum Force)
@derrick: No love for G Rap’s 4,5,6?
@robbie @derrick
Yeah, if you don’t like Live And Let Die or 4,5,6, I dunno what you could possibly expect from a great Hip Hop album.
LALD alone had On The Run, Train Robbery, Operation CB, Go For You Guns, Home Sweet Home, Crime Pays, and….ILL STREET BLUES. All of which were/are some of G Rap’s greatest story-telling rhymes.
@derrick
So you didn’t like:
Nas: I Am, Hip Hop Is Dead, Stillmatic, or Life Is Good.
LL Cool: Mr Smith.
All Wu Tang Members Second solo albums: Supreme Clientele, Liquid Swords.
All yall lists are interesting. I’m gonna say Rampage the last Boy Scout burnt me. I’m thinking Bustas cousin gotta get busy. Wrong. I agree with the dymepiece album too. But I guess I’m the only head who still jams that can I bus album. Yall know Buckingham Palace go hard.
Live and Let Die is a goddamned masterpiece from start to finish.
Still trying to make sense out of that NWA picture…
@ robbie I said for nas I give him nigger, and HipHop is dead but every thing else was wack to me. okay Stillmatic I liked maybe half so he gets half for that but every thing after Illmatic except the albums noted were weak to me.
next wutang members second solo efforts were weak to me I didn’t know we were gonna count gza first album with cold chillin records I was talking about once they all had established themselves with the Wu tang brand,but of course Liquid Swords was classic you misunderstood me I was talking about albums like
Gza’s Beneath The Surface,(but Gza 1st album Words Acoording To The Genius wasn’t that bad other than that single for the album come do me,nor was his 4th album if I’m not mistaken Legend O f The Liquid Sword) Meth’s Tical 2 Judgement Day,Rae’s Immobility
Can’t remember Deck’s second nor U gods for that matter(really none of his albums appealed to me) ODB Nigga please and I was never a Ghostface fan Masta killer 1st was tight but after that he slumped to.
LL Cool: Can’t wait to explain him Ok Let’s go. LL to Me only had 4 great Albums RADIO, B.A.D. WALKING WITH A PANTHER(yes I said WALKING WITH A PANTHER let me explain I know He had a bunch of soft love songs but he had a lot of hard songs also NITRO, WHY YOU THINK THEY CALL IT DOPE, IT GETS NO ROUGHER, THE ORIGINAL JINGLING BABY,DROPPING EM, FAST PEG, 1 900 LL COOL J SO W.W.A.P. was dope to me ) & MAMA SAID KNOCK U OUT
MR. SMITH way to many love songs for MY taste. and everything after that trash and i heard every album after 14 shots to the dome
to me the battle with Cannibus ended his career as respected lyricist. Note I said as a respected lyrist not his career as a whole.because other that Ringtone Murder On Exit 13 and I Be Getting busy on In Control Vol 2, I haven’t heard anything from him raw and hard since those first four Albums
Next G Rap: I’m a HUGE HUGE JUICE CREW FAN but G Rap went To street for my taste after Wanted Dead Or Alive. Look I know he would always have songs like that on his albums, but not the whole album I wanted more freestyle songs like POISON,KOOLS IS BACK,IT’S A DEMO,PLAY IT AGAIN POLO, MONEY IN THE BANK, BAD TO THE BONE,MEN AT WORK, TRILOGY OF TERROR those type of songs LALD didn’t have that.Now don’t get me wrong i liked ON THE RUN especially the remixes TRAIN ROBBERY, EDGE OF SANITY ILL STREET BLUES, but I was kinda let down that he didn’t have his other type songs on there. After that album, he kept going more an more street, guns,dope etc. I wasn’t trying to here that on every album. so LALD wasn’t horrible but fell short for my taste. I hope this clears up on my view for these albums let me know your thoughts .
@GNG Check my coment at robbie forgot to add you G RAP had some songs on LALD and 456 had a few but overall was kinda let down
@derrick
Ok, understood on G Rap if you were looking for more “freestyle” (ex: Kool Is Back) type songs. LALD had Letters, which woulda been that type of song, but the times/rhyme styles changed since WDOA. G Rap’s ability to tell gritty, vivid street tales was where he really shined & was lauded (Streets of NY, Road To Riches, Bad To The Bone, etc).
Now LL, you say “I haven’t heard anything from him raw and hard since those first four albums.” After WWAP/MSKYO he never gave us half the album with those type of songs, but he did record them. I’d say LL got raw/hard on No Airplay, Rasta Imposter, Ill Bomb, This is Ring Tone Murder, I Shot Ya (solo), The Ripper Returns, The GOAT (Intro), The Truth, & You Better Watch Me. And of course he drops “raw/hard” type verses on 4,3,2,1, I Shot Ya, & Flave in Ya Ear (Remix).
These two (G Rap & LL) are in my Top 10.
Too many to think of, but AZ never released an album which lived up to his potential. His best tracks outdo most artists’ catalogs but he seems to pick weird beats looking for more mainstream or trend potential. Combat Jack mentioned they were wanting his debut to be as successful as Illmatic, but that was unfair to be honest. Cormega makes better albums than AZ.
Rap fans are the hardest to please and the least loyal.Forgive me if you dont agree or Im wrong but these are just my thoughts.
Good fair few comments on the roll I have to agree with and there are some hard to accept mistakes made on the behalf of rappers – rap groups/producers. Proves no one is perfect worst when they believe their own hype.
Changing with the times is either make or break. Successful ones, and there are few, tend to stick with a formula over a longer period of time and build on it, freshen it up;In an ideal world you would play it to people you trust before you put it out for retail. Other artists fall victim to trends, they mess with stuff that doesn’t really work for them and the people who pay the most attention obviously notice the flaws after paying $22 Robbie. Keep it true people, fck the labels and A&R, the egos, the regrets? should be as least as possible in Art.
With all that said Im interested in finding out peoples opinions on what constitutes a brilliant near flawless hip hop album in detail regardless of what style you rep?.
@derrick, Mr. Smith’s only love song was Hey Lover. Doin’ It was about fuckin’ !! As far as everyone shitting on 14 Shots, please explain to me, what’s wack about “Straight From Queens”, Soul Survivor, Funkadelic Relic, All we Got Left Is A Beat, NFA ? The only song I can honestly think no man couldn’t or wouldn’t want to fuck with was “Stand By Your Man”. I always felt that project got a raw deal due to who was poppin’ at the time. I truly feel 98 % of those who “Dont Like It” really never heard it at all. Back Seat and Pink Cookies as well as How I’m Coming are classics and the fact there wasn’t a 6 Mins… on it, it’s harder than MSKYO just critically slept on.
@Curtis75black First and formost If you read my list I said this is my opinon, but I will explain Here we go. 14 shots to me was weak REPEAT TO ME was weak I’m looking at the tape now 1: HOW I’M COMING SO SO he wasn’t really spitting nothing lethal on there. next BUCKING EM DOWN beat is dope to this day but the rhyme once again so so 3: STAND BY YOUR MAN you already knew what time it was with that.4: A LITTLE SOMETHING wack to me 5: PINK COOKIES IN A PLASTIC BAG both the original and remix dope and the rhyme was dope to,so I ok I’ll give you that one. So far out of five joints he only has 1 solid one, let’s continue 6: STRAIGHT FROM QUEENS it’s ok but he’s reaching with this. 7: FUNKADELIC RELIC WAS TRASH WITH ALL THAT BEING SAID WE HAVE COMPLETED SIDE ONE. OUT OF SEVEN SONGS HE HAD 2. Next is side 2
8:ALL WE GOT LEFT IS THE BEAT CHORUS WACK, BEAT WACK, RHYME WAS WACK. 9:NFA with LOTUG not bad but wasn’t all that 10:BACK SEAT never like this nor the video 11:SOUL SOURVIVOR same for this also 12:AIN’T NO STOPPING THIS THIS WAS A MESS SAME FOR DIGGY DOWN AND CROSSROADS FOR GODS SAKE HE HAD A ORCHESTRA ON THERE. Look I was a LL fan once,but he kept getting weaker & weaker. In my opinon WWAP was the album that was critically slept on read my post where I break the album down
yeah I know he had a lot of mush but the hard stuff more than made up for it. Mr. smith was horrible to me Hollis to Hollywood the joint with total the only ruff song he had was who shot ya, I mean I shot ya. I,m not hating I bought this album. I was Excited to hear it. as I write this I’ll give this another listen and if I feel different I’ll admit on here. I have somewhere on my old vhs tapes of videos from THE JUKEBOX,YO MTV RAPS,RAP CITY,AND PUMP IT UP LL SAYING HE DID NOT WAN TO DO THIS ALBUM . HE WAS NOT READY RUSSEL SIMMONS WAS RUSHING HIM HE WAS DEALING WITH EITHER A MOVIE BEING FILMED, ONE OF HIS CHILDREN BEING BORN,MOTHER OR GRANDMOTHER WAS SICK, OR SHOW DATES WERE CONFLICTING WITH HIS TIME CAN’T REMBER WHICH ONE BUT IT WAS ONE OF THESE. HE ALSO SAID MARLEY WAS NOT ON HIS GAME LIKE THEY WERE FOR MSKYO BUT LIKE I SAID BEFORE THESE ARE MY FEELINGS ABOUT IT ANY WAY I HAD FUN GOING OVER THIS WITH YOU. SINCE YOU COMMENTED ON THIS ALBUM I’M GONNA GIVE IT AOTHER LISTEN. PEACE
@derrick, it’s all good. We can agree to disagree. Sometimes I feel we as Hip Hop fans hear what critics say or checkout a video/single and run with it without really listening to the music. It’s too easy to call something wack with our genre and we don’t go back to check it. Hearsay is a muthafucka !! It’s been 25 years since MSKYO, I was 15 when it dropped. that was a lot.
@ Curtis75Black ok man I went back over 14 shots. Some songs were not as bad as I thought Straight from queens was better than I said so was nfa however this was not enough,but you’re right about how critics can influence people but not me they said WWAP was weak and I totally disagreed same with Canibus’s 2000 B.C. they said that was wack and I love that Album. Any way whats some of your albums that fell short of your expectations kind of curious to know?