Im just not sure I understand the logic behind the argument that a double album witharguably an entire disc of material that couldve been cut can be considered better than a single disc release thats pretty solid from front to back.
Nonsense.
Arguably.
But regardless, personally I can not think of ONE hip-hop double album that would not have benefitted from being trimmed down to a single disc release. LAD is just as guilty as the rest.
In my opinion the double disc album trend was the precursor to the vast over saturation trend in hip hop music that would follow and lead to the demise of the "album" format in the genre general. Artists attempting to cover as many bases as humanly possible with varying degrees of success and leading to many filler heavy and unfocused albums.
As far as opinions that no one will agree with, I enjoy Slick Rick's second album more than the first.
I'm not gonna argue the point, I'm just saying that I've listened to The Ruler's Back more than Great Adventures consistently for more than the last ten years. It just has more replay value to me and I still don't believe an album has been made like it since. Fast rap!
Slick Rick's second album is definitely underrated. I'll have to revisit it but I think it's plausible that it is better then the debut.
A lot of you are unable to form opinions that deviate from what someone in The Source wrote 15 years ago, and a lot of you haven't listened to the albums you've mentioned in nearly as long either. Not that repeated listening will do anything to cure an inability to think critically.
J-Zone's long been an exponent of The Ruler's Back >> The Great Adventures Of.. philosophy. He's wrong because the production of the second half of the album after Mistakes Of A Woman In Love With Other Men lets it down, but there's an unfuckwithable 6 track EP in there of his densest storytelling over beats which are like a cartoon version of the Bomb Squad's production.
I Drive A Lexus wrote:J-Zone's long been an exponent of The Ruler's Back >> The Great Adventures Of.. philosophy. He's wrong because the production of the second half of the album after Mistakes Of A Woman In Love With Other Men lets it down, but there's an unfuckwithable 6 track EP in there of his densest storytelling over beats which are like a cartoon version of the Bomb Squad's production.
Shad - "The Old Prince" > "When This Is Over"
The Roots - Do You Want More?!!!??! (Organix! was their official debut album).
Kanye West - Late Registration
Yeah, it's not perfect, but the high points are fucking high. Children's Story, Moment I Feared, Teenage Love, Hey Young World... If Great Adventures is a 9/10, then Ruler's Back is not less than an 8.5, though.
truthaddict wrote:Yeah, it's not perfect, but the high points are fucking high. Children's Story, Moment I Feared, Teenage Love, Hey Young World... If Great Adventures is a 9/10, then Ruler's Back is not less than an 8.5, though.
"Teenage Love" is probably my favorite song on Great Adventures. It rarely changes and is definitely a high point.
On Ruler's Back, my favorite song is "Venus". Right now. But it could be "Bond" one day, "Moses" the next, and "Runaway" the day after that. All of the songs (with the exception of the hip-house outro which is still hot) are so good they can be more amazing with every listen. Like I said, no one's made an album like that since. I do prefer Ruler's Back to Great Adventures.
Good call.
