Speaking of Diamond D...

HarveyCanal

It's always been a trip to me that so many internet rap groupie dudes that I run across seem to want to put Diamond D's Stunts, Blunts and Hip-Hop or Main Source's Breaking Atoms or Showbiz and AG's Runaway Slave or Gang Starr's Daily Operation) on a pedastal higher than say NWA's Straight Outta Compton or Too $hort's Life Is...Too $hort or the Geto Boys' We Can't Be Stopped or Dr. Dre's The Chronic. To each their own of course, but is it really all that important for such an emphatic almost-entirely-internet-based[/b] minority to proclaim that their contrary reality is indeed more genuine than reality itself?

izm707

Assuming that you're talking about the whole world, i can give you a clue...Lots of countries had problems to distribute west coast artists. Dont ask me why. The result is maybe an answer to your question : entire communities of people grew up on "East Coast rap" (hence the LPs you mentionned). Personally, i wouldnt trade NWA for Diamond. Meaning that i need both im my life. I'm an Efil4zaggin die-hard fan...

HarveyCanal

I dunno, my suspicion is that Beni B is somehow behind this longstanding trend...like he rewards dudes with raer records from his storied collection for cited internet instances of subordinating Straight Outta Compton to Stunts, Blunts, and Hip Hop.

jazzercism

Those were New York groups (I guess Main Source could kind of be considered Canadian but the dude from Queens did all the work) so they were big in New York. You're scared to come here so you wouldn't know...

SIRUS

emynd

I'm confused.

Did that just happen?

izm707

Beni??? Naw...last tim i saw him, he didnt seems to be concerned with being the reason!lol

piedpiper

subordinating Straight Outta Compton to Stunts, Blunts, and Hip Hop.

I am really happy to be a part of the misguided minority that prefers the real shit golden age east coast records.

noz

who are these people you speak of?

man up and name names.

tonyphrone

It's always been a trip to me that so many internet rap groupie dudes that I run across seem to want to put Diamond D's Stunts, Blunts and Hip-Hop or Main Source's Breaking Atoms or Showbiz and AG's Runaway Slave or Gang Starr's Daily Operation) on a pedastal higher than say NWA's Straight Outta Compton or Too $hort's Life Is...Too $hort or the Geto Boys' We Can't Be Stopped or Dr. Dre's The Chronic.

I know I definitely do (maybe not Runaway Slave). But personally, that has to do with me being in High School in New York when that was out and they were speaking about my experience ("the powerhouse...NOT YO' HOUSE!").

I ABSOLUTELY LOVE THESE RECORDS!

deej

It's always been a trip to me that so many internet rap groupie dudes that I run across seem to want to put Diamond D's Stunts, Blunts and Hip-Hop or Main Source's Breaking Atoms or Showbiz and AG's Runaway Slave or Gang Starr's Daily Operation) on a pedastal higher than say NWA's Straight Outta Compton or Too $hort's Life Is...Too $hort or the Geto Boys' We Can't Be Stopped or Dr. Dre's The Chronic. To each their own of course, but is it really all that important for such an emphatic almost-entirely-internet-based[/b] minority to proclaim that their contrary reality is indeed more genuine than reality itself?

"why do some people like some records more than i do?"

HarveyCanal

I ABSOLUTELY LOVE THESE RECORDS!

So do I, but c'mon now...

rootlesscosmo

who are these people you speak of?

man up and name names.

he did. Harv-chaic beleives the one Beni B to be behind this "effort."

Definitely on some lizardoid conspiracy schitt for which Harv is well known.

That said, it's no secret that East Coast rap purist/nationalists are louder and more fond of making phony top ten lists.

so yeah, Harv's essential observation is true (albeit obvious and unnecessary).

izm707

dude, i was in school at th same age, in France (fucked up, i know) and i was bumping those 4 lps he named lik crazy. And from what i remember, Runaway Slave was essntial. It can't be out the list. The guitar on "represent", "fat pockets", "soul clap", naw, you can't scratch that man...*please.

rootlesscosmo

(maybe not Runaway Slave).

dude really? that might be the best of the four non W Coast albums[/b] originally named by Harv! well OK not better than this:

tonyphrone

I ABSOLUTELY LOVE THESE RECORDS!

So do I, but c'mon now...

C'mon now - what? Everyone agrees that "The Chronic" and "We can't be stopped" sold more records and therefore was probably more influential. But my point is that, because I grew up in NY - Gangstarr, Main Source and Diamond D - were better records to ME. Besides, you jock anything from Texas - your not exactly subjective. (yes,i know too $hort and Dre are from Cali...)

HAZ

I'd be hard pressed to pick what is the best of the records you've named. I'd say The Chronic, We Can't Be Stopped, Straight Outta Compton & Life Is... are all great records. I'd probably take any of them over Stunts, Blunts, & Hip Hop, Runaway Slave or Daily Operation, though. Tough call.

izm707

could be better...lyrics-wise, DITC > Guru. Beat-wise i cant decide...

DJ_Enki

It's always been a trip to me that so many internet rap groupie dudes that I run across seem to want to put Diamond D's Stunts, Blunts and Hip-Hop or Main Source's Breaking Atoms or Showbiz and AG's Runaway Slave or Gang Starr's Daily Operation) on a pedastal higher than say NWA's Straight Outta Compton or Too $hort's Life Is...Too $hort or the Geto Boys' We Can't Be Stopped or Dr. Dre's The Chronic. To each their own of course, but is it really all that important for such an emphatic almost-entirely-internet-based[/b] minority to proclaim that their contrary reality is indeed more genuine than reality itself?

"why do some people like some records more than i do?"

That's pretty much what I got out of this. Thinking Breaking Atoms is better than Life Is...Too $hort is "contrary reality?" No, it's called "liking that Main Source album better than that Too Short album."

crossings

i think it just has to do with the fact that the east coast albums that you're mentioning just plain weren't as played out to death [on a commercial/popular level] as the west coast stuff you're mentioning... so for some people hearing something like "sally's got a one track mind" is a lot more refreshing than say hearing "dre day" for the zillionth time. everyone is aware of the legendary status of the NWA, dre, quik, etc stuff... but just plain don't want to have to hear it all the damn time... that and the fact that a lotta people love to act jaded about cool shit once it becomes mainstream... right?

noz

Breaking Atoms is better than Life Is...Too $hort is "contrary reality?" No, it's called "liking that Main Source album better than that Too Short album."

I agree, but if we're measuring impact, I don't think Breaking Atoms really comes close to Life Is. And I love both those records.

I guess the larger issue Harvey gets at whether it's the responsibility of a music critic to merely state opinion or to analyze the music in light of larger cultural trends.

Oh and that everyone in New York is a hating ass hater who hates.

cas

Thinking Breaking Atoms is better than Life Is...Too $hort is "contrary reality?" No, it's called "liking that Main Source album better than that Too Short album."

yep.

rootlesscosmo

I guess the larger issue Harvey gets at whether it's the responsibility of a music critic to merely state opinion or to analyze the music in light of larger cultural trends.

lol. no doubt this is what he was "getting at!"

izm707

hating on N.Y. is played out...they dont have much left, so i'd rather encourage New Yorkers to go back in the lab and create as much good music as they did in the past. As much as i like the state of hiphop right now (!), it's not as emulating as it was back then, mostly because people was "free". Now we're trapped in a cage. That's the reward for fame and glory. When it was underground, people was fighting to make it official...now it's official, people like me are getting nostalgic of the past underground times. I guess it's been like that forever, not only in music...

DocMcCoy

Anyone who can't recognise that Straight Outta Compton is one of the most important and influential anything records of the last twenty years, never mind rap, probably shouldn't be listening to rap anyway.

I like all these records, although I like the Too $hort one the least. Something about his shit never really travelled too well outside the US.

HarveyCanal

Yes, impact has everything to do with what I'm talking about. All too often the people who cite said NYC records as their ultimate favorites haven't been able to cite much else since then as equal or better than those said NYC records. It's like a refusal to recognize that hip-hop has moved on from those stringent NYC-centric, sampling-is-God parameters and IMO it's been for the better at that. I mean, I can see why someone from NYC would still be holding on like that. But someone from Houston or the Bay? C'mon now...

deej

Breaking Atoms is better than Life Is...Too $hort is "contrary reality?" No, it's called "liking that Main Source album better than that Too Short album."

I agree, but if we're measuring impact, I don't think Breaking Atoms really comes close to Life Is. And I love both those records.

I guess the larger issue Harvey gets at whether it's the responsibility of a music critic to merely state opinion or to analyze the music in light of larger cultural trends.

Oh and that everyone in New York is a hating ass hater who hates.

captain save-a-canal

i dont think the critic has a responsibility towards either ... someone can write a great piece about how they like 'breaking atoms' or they can write a great piece about how significant 'life is ... too short' is.

I am interested in knowing what critics like and why. Well, the 'why' there is extremely important - but i don't want to read critics who relentlessly press the 'this is important = i like it' standpoint any more than i want dudes who will ride with new york blindly.

noz

I am interested in knowing what critics like and why. Well, the 'why' there is extremely important - but i don't want to read critics who relentlessly press the 'this is important = i like it' standpoint any more than i want dudes who will ride with new york blindly.

But on the other hand, I would not want to read anything written by a rap critic who dislikes NWA or Too Short.

deej

I am interested in knowing what critics like and why. Well, the 'why' there is extremely important - but i don't want to read critics who relentlessly press the 'this is important = i like it' standpoint any more than i want dudes who will ride with new york blindly.

But on the other hand, I would not want to read anything written by a rap critic who dislikes NWA or Too Short.

i dont know how helpful this rhetorical critic is, so how do you feel about a rap critic who dislikes 2pac?

certainly one of the best examples of this out there

and i've seen plenty of rap critics hate on him

HarveyCanal

so how do you feel about a rap critic who dislikes 2pac?

By far the worst type entity posing as a human being on the entire planet.

deej

http://www.avclub.com/content/node/53068

lol