Barring some fourth-quarter heroics by Drake, 2011’s best-selling album will likely come from either Lil Wayne or the duo of Jay-Z and Kanye West. We were assured of seeing either Watch The Throne or Tha Carter IV on every media outlet’s year end list when both albums earned plaques during their first week of release. Watch The Throne tallied 436,000 units during its first week, while Wayne’s Tha Carter IV nearly went platinum in a week by selling 965,000 copies. But in an era of diminished sales, what exactly does it mean to have a number one album or even the year’s best-selling album when critics and large groups of listeners think the album is flawed?
It should be noted that you can’t really compare Watch The Throne and Tha Carter IV, because even a cursory listen shows they were made with different goals in mind. While the former was a consolidation of power that took nearly a whole calendar year to create and spanned several continents, the latter was an attempt at reclaiming retail and water cooler convo dominance. Yet, you can make a solid argument that both projects fell short of their stated goals.
The Carter Conundrum
By most accounts, Watch The Throne was meant to be an artistic statement—right on down to the decision to have Riccardo Tisci-commissioned album artwork. At this point, rehashing the particulars of our and other outlet’s reviews would be pretty redundant. But suffice it to say, many listeners felt Kanye and Jay-Z’s self-congratulatory posturing for having corralled all the moving parts necessary to make a joint album prevented them from actually making a classic album. If you think that will stop either Jay or Kanye from boasting about having another number one album or going gold in nearly a week, then you clearly weren’t listening to “Illest Motherfucker Alive,” where Jay-Z boasts:
“King Hov I’m exactly what the fuck you think / 11 in a row Bill Russell rings / Michael Jordan swag / Y’all think Michael Jordan bad / Nigga I got five more rings than Michael Jordan had / Elvis has left the building now I’m on The Beatles’ ass…”
Jay’s bars refer to the fact that when his The Blueprint 3 album dropped in 2009, he notched his eleventh number one album on Billboard magazine’s weekly Top 200 Albums chart. The distinction put him ahead of Elvis Presley and with Watch The Throne’s debut at number one in August, Jay now shares a twelfth number one album with West. Can Jay-Z or any other Hip Hop artist stay on a pace to break The Beatles record of 19 number one albums? Does it even matter?
Popularity Versus Acclaim
“Y’all rap niggas make me laugh / Y’all crazy ass / And I don’t give a fuck what you sold that shit is trash…” –Prodigy, “Keep It Thoro.”
Jay’s boast is mostly backed by dollar signs—as evidenced by the fact that he’s been saying it repeatedly over the last decade on songs like “The Prelude,” “The Bounce” and “Moment Of Clarity.” But it also has artistic and cultural merits. Elvis Presley, largely at the coercion of his manager “Colonel” Tom Parker, was notorious for pillaging aspects of black culture, including outright stealing Little Richard’s song “Tutti Fruity.” One has to believe Jay-Z is at least hinting at this sort of thing when he echoes Public Enemy’s sentiments and takes posthumous shots at Elvis, right?
Conversely, Lil Wayne has taken a different approach. His many overt and subliminal shots at Jay-Z in hopes of being crowned the “best rapper alive” now have numbers to back them. While most of us were cringing through Wayne’s raspy, acoustic rendition of “How To Love,” 
his horrible crossover single was rising to the top of the charts. The general consensus is that Tha Carter IV isn’t as good as Tha Carter III, let alone some of Wayne’s earlier mixtapes. How can what most people agree is a subpar album be the year’s top seller? More importantly, at what point did we start letting sales determine who had the best albums?
In short, having the number one album of the week, month, year or decade matters a lot. In an era where the market is oversaturated with sanctioned projects as well as “Free-EP’s,” mixtapes and other works, sales are one of the few quantitative measures for determining what people actually like. Regardless of what I or any other critic says, the weekly SoundScan report allows an artist to definitively say, “X amount of people liked my album enough to pay for it.”
Selling Out Versus Selling-Out
“I’m tired of people judging what’s real Hip Hop / Half the time it be them niggas who fuckin’ album flopped / (You know) Boat done sank and it ain’t left the dock / Mad ‘cause I’m hot / Mad ‘cause he not…” –Nelly, “Number 1 (#1).”
Nelly said the above rhyme during his commercial peak—a time when Jay-Z boasted that, “The only people moving units [are] Em, Pimp Juice and us.” And while Pimp Juice is a decade removed from 2001, when his Country Grammar was the top-selling Hip Hop/Rap album, he brings up a good point. There’s a large contingent of critics and listeners that believe one album from an “underground” or “conscious” artist is worth ten Nelly albums. On some levels, I tend to agree with them.
The dilemma lies in the fact that some underground or conscious artists begin labeling themselves as such because they don’t sell that many albums. By the same token, “commercial” or “mainstream” artists often lose some credibility because they occupy that same space at the top of the charts where you can find Katy Perry and Lady Gaga. If you look across all genre album sales, the year’s best-selling album is more a product of mass appeal than talent. Even the most liberal ear can’t make a case for the High School Musical soundtrack being a great album, despite the fact that it was the top-selling album of 2006.
Men, Women And Numbers Do Lie
“No I ain’t get shot up a whole bunch of times / Or make up shit in a whole bunch of lines / And I ain’t animated like say a Busta Rhymes / But the real shit you get when you bust down my lines / Add that to the fact I went plat a bunch of times / Times that by my influence on pop culture / I supposed to be number one on everybody’s list / We’ll see what happens when I no longer exist…” –Jay-Z, “What More Can I Say.”
One of the reasons Jay-Z universally gets a pass for always bragging about his sales is because he frames them along with his skill set and influence on Pop culture to make his case for being the greatest emcee of all time. Just for shits and giggles, here are the year’s best-selling Hip Hop/Rap albums from the past decade.
2010 – Eminem: The Recovery
2009 – Black Eyed Peas: END (Energy Never Dies)
2008 – Lil Wayne: Tha Carter III
2007 – Kanye West: Graduation
2006 – T.I.: King
2005 – 50 Cent: The Massacre
2004 – Outkast: Speakerboxxx/The Love Below
2003 – 50 Cent: Get Rich Or Die Tryin’
2002 – Eminem: The Eminem Show
2001 – Nelly: Country Grammar
It’s pretty fair to say history hasn’t been kind to The Massacre, Country Grammar or END (Energy Never Dies). I would take it a step further and ask, outside of Speakerboxxx/The Love Below and Graduation, which one of these albums offered anything technically or stylistically groundbreaking? Obviously, those are two subjective statements, but by even the most generous of standards you’re pretty much left with two classics, five really good albums and three other albums that would likely incite a lot of arguments (except END—and if you don’t think that album was a coaster, you’re probably on the wrong website). So why do fans and artists think sales are so important?
Dollars And Sense
“Unlike other rappers / Frontin’ on their fans they ill / Trying to chill / Saying damn it’d be great to sell a mill / That’s when the mind switch / To the pop tip / Kid you’re gonna be large / Yeah right that’s what the company kicks / Forget the black crowd you’re wack now / In a zoot suit frontin’ black / Lookin’ mad foul…” –Parrish Smith, “Crossover” by EPMD.
There’s no need to waste a bunch of keystrokes explaining why some of us put so much emphasis on album sales. I think we do it because people like Jay-Z, 50 Cent and Sean Combs tell us to. If popular culture has taught us nothing else, it’s that consumers can often be mindless sheep.
Before more business savvy emcees began using their SoundScan numbers as a badge of honor, many fans and even emcees used The Source magazine’s five mic rating as the gold standard for judging a classic album. To be sure, it was a system that was far from objective, but it also produced a barometer for many of the Hip Hop albums regarded as classics—including Illmatic by Nas, Ice Cube’s Amerikkka’s Most Wanted and Aquemini by Outkast. It should be noted that nearly all of these ratings took place prior to 1999 and Made Men’s infamous 4.5 mic rating and the subsequent loss of credibility (and staff) that followed it.
Take a look at some of the 44 classic-rated albums released during the years before the Benzino fiasco when compact discs weren’t a dead medium, and you may notice an interesting trend. Aside from Biggie’s Life After Death, Pac’s All Eyez On Me and Jay-Z’s The Blueprint, most of the albums universally regarded as classics aren’t huge sellers. A Tribe Called Quest’s Low End Theory was certified platinum four years after its initial release in 1991. And according to the RIAA, The Blueprint has moved a respectable but not overwhelming 2 million units since its original release on 9/11. I personally don’t think those numbers make the above albums any less classic, but they’re damn sure interesting.
I’m not even entirely sure what you can do with that data other than admit that critically acclaimed albums aren’t always huge sellers and the most profitable albums aren’t always particularly good. But I know we do need both. When someone like 50 Cent or presumably Lil Wayne has two of the best-selling albums in a given decade—in any genre—it puts Hip Hop in a lot of conversations it wouldn’t normally be in. But the sales figures are on public display for anyone who wants to look them up. And when December 31 rolls around, the odds are that a member of either the Young Money or Roc-a-fella family tree will have made Hip Hop’s best-selling album of the year. Whether you want them representing your culture is a different argument for another day.
Omar Burgess is a Long Beach, California native who has contributed to various magazines, newspapers and has been an editor at HipHopDX since 2008. Follow him on Twitter @FourFingerRings.
One of the reasons Jay-Z universally gets a pass for always bragging about his sales is because he frames them along with his skill set and influence on Pop culture to make his case for being the greatest emcee of all time=G.O.A.T
I ain’t no ordinary nigga
Look around, this ain’t what ordinary gets you
Extraordinary figures
I’m an extra-ordinary nigga
Before my name became Jigga
Before I sang, I had that thang on sippers
Can’t complain bout what they ain’t gonna give ya
That ain’t gonna get you shit, might as well give up
Or get up, get out and get something, nigga
Get a job, my nigga, or get to dumping
Only God can judge him, only he without sin
Can tell me if my means can justify my ends
Til’ then, I’m just gonna fly in the Benz
Wire my friends through Western Union
Shh….surprising my sister, knockin’
Here comes the bad guy again!
Say hello
Uh uh
Hello
uh uh
Hello
Here comes the bad guy again
50 TWICE EM TWICE ITS A SHADY WORLD BITCHES
co-sign 120%
co-sign 100%
Niggas said Hova was ova, such dummies
Even If I fell I’ll land on a bunch of money
Ya ain’t got nothing for me
Yeah but he sounded like he was crying when he said that. And, Nas killed him on that track… So..
killed what? it was a duet not a competition
It’s always a competion
If it don’t make Dollar$, it don’t make sense
Motherfukers aint gone learn
My best friends gone, I seen bad days
Still find songs that I hear him on
Getting my Mary J. Blige Reminisce on
I hear his voice in my mind, like, nigga live on
So I get on that fly shit I been on
Spin on corners in enzo with rims on
But for info, puffin on Endo-Nesia
Give me amnesia
you suck
Ye bro for real you are terrible
lol, these are Jay-z lines maaann.
Memphis Bleek will have the top selling album of this year!!!! Mark my words!!!!
bwahahahaha hahahah aaahh bwahahah!!!!!
get rich is most def a classic wat a goof
Eminem twice and 50 twice.
you cant beat them.
eminem 3 times actually…2000 was em’s year with MM LP
good article but id definetly label the eminem show as groundbreaking as far as technically groundbreaking… with flows like those on soldier, white america, business, say what you say, superman, and till i collapse… how can u not consider that album a classic let alone keep it in the same category as anything lil wayne and T.I has put out… and dont get me wrong im a big T.I fan and i respect some of waynes music but come on, you cant even try and tell me that there anywhere near Shadys level on any aspect of rap
GRODT is a Classic, and Massacre is dope
you’re half right.
both of the albums was great i dont know which one i like more
nice article.
great story cuz its getting harder and harder to sell records but its slowly coming back..It’s very rare that a classic albulm sells big but the last to do so cud be Tha Carter 3, GRODT, Eminem Show and Country Grammar. Classics jus dnt appeal to the masses but it cud change
i know 50 fell off, but get rich or die tryin and the massacre, was better then any of lil waynes album. defo classics.!!!
everybody fukd with the unit back then
Them Album Were Garbage To Be Honest
hhah ok turn in your keyboard ^^^
GRODT was a classic. Im sorry it is. Huge influence and alot of dope songs B who are you kidding? And I’ve never been that high on 50, even then, but the album was fire
Great article. More editorials and guest articles please HHDX, generally they’re always good.
So far I’ve only seen people quote this article and Jay lyrics to reiterate Jay’s influence. A bunch of nonsensical stans… Listen closely. From “Success” with Nas, to “Light Up” with Drake, he knows that money and platinum selling records to make him up as an artist. It sounds painful to hear those tracks then hear Nas casually wreck that type of mentality.
“By the time you can afford it the car ain’t important” -Nas
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KkYZHnMQQhk
“…Like you supposed to, spit it for the culture” Jay-Electronica
Nevermind that’s on “Classic” which sounds like he’s taking subtle shots at Kanye considering Rakim and Krs One aren’t materialistically inclined.
Fuck a Jay Z record son.
This dude is far from “GOAT”
He might not be the GOAT but he’s top 10 DOA no question. Trust me, listen to: Reasonable Doubt, Hard Knock Life (vol. 2), The Blueprint, the Black Album, and American Gangster and your perception will change.
top 10 nah you got to go higher than that he influenced have the rappers out now they wasnt talkin platinum until he started they wasnt talkin maybachs until he had one and forget the flows he top 5
I love this write up. I think he makes some interesting arguments and makes solid points.
last paragraph is the clencher. We do need both types of albums to ensure the survival of hip hop artists across the board.
Its ya boy Jason aka El Chupacabra!!!!!
I will hatefuck this article. We all that Weezy the GOAT!!!! Omar Burgess might lie but numbers don’t!!!!! Carter IV vs WTT???????? Now tell me who the GOAT is!!!!!!!
GOAT= Eminem!!!! LOL Cuz I think Recovery has sold more this year than both WTT and CIV and his shit came out last year… Jay has 12 # 1’s, Wayne has 2? 3? Em has 6 or 7 if you count BME w Royce and still has out sold both Jay and Wayne combined.. There all ok in there own right, but come on.. We all agreee Tiger is the best golfer. Em is the best rapper.. Plenty of ppl agree.. Chris Rock, Royce, Joe Budden, Dre, Nas, list goes on and on..
Tha Carter IV best album of the decade
Lmao Al Sharton
he must be deaf.
thank you for this article. 50 ruined hip-hop with this whole jusdging albums on sales and whether jimmy iovene made a profit.
really ? hahah 50 fucked your bitch
rappers was talkin about sells before 50 so stop this shit
THERE’S NO SUCH THING AS REAL HIP HOP, ITS ENTERTAINMENT YOU IDIOTS, LOOK AT HISTORY, DR DRE WAS A DJ FOR SOME GAY ASS GROUP IN THE 80S WEARIN GLITTERY ASS CLOTHES THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN HE BECAME A GANGSTER FROM COMPTON, 2PAC WAS A SMART KID THAT WENT TO PERFORMING ARTS SCHOOL & I SAW A INTERVIEW OF HIM WHERE HE WAS 17 YEARS OLD N LOOKED LIKE HE WOULDNT HURT A FLY, THEN HE CAME OUT WIT AN ALBUM N BECAME THUG LIFE’D OUT, THE MORAL OF THE STORY IS ENJOY THE ENTERTAINMENT & LIVE YOUR LIFE CUZ THERES NO SUCH THING AS REAL HIP, ITS LIKE SANTA CLAUSE, NOW GROW UP!!!
I hear your but your wrong. Hip hop evolved from the streets. You can’t say that shit in places like South Bronx and shit. Hip hop is life, life is hip hop there. It it’s core, it’s essence, hip hop is a culture representing the struggles of the downtrodden, oppressed and the voice of the underclass!
Trust me I LIVE(D) IT!
my point is that people are always talkin about which rappers are real n which ones are not, and im just sayin the majority of them are not so dont get caught up in it, i understand that there are people who live it for real like some breakdancers and graffiti artists but what im sayin is dont get caught up in whos real and whos not because we dont know these people personally, especially nowadays, so just enjoy the entertainment because that is mostly what it is today, especially mainstream rap
i understand that hip hop got real big ,but most of the top 10 jus got into the lab to make money………….
why is everyone hating on the carter 4it was actually a good album, better than that wack ass watch the throne album, watch the throne had a couple good beats and otis is a good song and so was new day and murder to excellence other than that it was just good beats and very lazy performances from jay z and kanye, the carter 4 had good songs like nightmares from the bottom and president carter he was actually sayin somethin with this album, i guess since he was sober, way better than carter 3 that was just incoherent drug talk all over that album
explain why the carter 4 was good?? cause there definatly wasnt any lyrical content. no subject matter,. no word play ,. the beats were generic…no risks??
nightmares of the bottom was a good song, president carter was good, some good lines were” change the stars on the flag into crosses” meaning the stars used on the american flag are witchcraft symbols that freemasons put in the flag so to change them into crosses means he would get rid of the devilish nature of the country, also he said “guerillas in suits fightin over the mythchical truth they shoot missles and nukes and they thought drugs were killin the youth” meaning the government finds ways to blame drugs and other things they don’t benefit off of for the death of young americans when in actuality they dont care because they directly send us off to die, those are just a few lines they are way more, i just think people like to hate on lil wayne and they missed out on a more mature album from him
wait did this nigga just say Carter 4 was better than Watch The Throne? maaaaann wat the fuck u smokinn onnn niggaaa, someone lacin yo shit haha
i dont smoke so i have enough brain cells to know when i hear a wack album like watch teh throne
i think old school niggas are trying to hate on the new niggas so they can start making money again, because old school niggas had gimmicks too, think about it
WTT is the album of the year for the mature pepole that know HIP HOP
that album was actually really boring if real hip hop is boring lazy dudes gettin on hot beats than yea that was the real hip hop
boring because it wasnt made for your ears
i really heard nothing special from that album i dont see what the big deal was other than that people could’ve been gettin caught up in the hype of kanye and jay z finally makin an album together
Anybody educated knows this is real music.. half waynes audience have no idea what a Hublot is..
real music is beethoven, this is hip hop, anything goes
Truthenola:
Anybody educated knows this is real music.. half waynes audience have no idea what a Hublot is..
^^^^
I never realized Hublot knowledge was necessary to know what real music is. Good to know…
“I dumbed down for my audience, doubled my dollars
they criticize me for it but the all yell ‘Holla’
If skills sold, truth be told, I’d probably be, lyrically Talib Kweli
Truthfully I wanna rhyme like Common Sense, but I did 5 mil, I ain’t been rhyming like Common since”
Jay-Z
“Don’t nobody wanna hear that gotdamn dictionary rap” wacka flocka
Great article,..Carter IV is trash ,. biggest joke in hip hop. Watch the throne is so musical and at the very least Jay an Kanye be talking about something. What the hell is Lil’ Wayne talking about.
what were jay n kanye talkin about? all i heard was them talkin about money and bitches, the same thing lil wayne was talkin about lol
really? thats all you got from that album then thats sad i heard nothin but black struggle in america maybe you didnt understand it because you live a certain lifestyle
Money and bitches? obviously u havent heard the album. listen to Who Gon stop me. that shit is lettin all these weak ass fuckin rappers that u aint got shit on them
they illuminati puppets anyways and they not promotin anything real you guys need to wake up and realize they are full of shit
2pac warned yall about these niggas a long time ago yall should’ve listened
black struggle in america? oo thats what he meant by niggas in paris
Listen To “Murder To Exellence” Dumb Fuck, that’s all you need to know.
murder to excellence was actually a good song so was new day but overall a wack album about the same topics as any other album nowadays
2PAC SOLD HIS SOUL TO THE DEVIL NUMEROUS TIMES IN HIS MUSIC WHAT THE FUCK YOU TALKIN ILLMINATI BULLSHIT FOR. 2pac spoke of selling his soul to the devil in exchange for fame and fortune BUT JAY TALK ABOUT UPLIFTING HIS PEOPLE AND BLACK ON BLCK CRIME .BEING A BETTER FATHER AND HE ILLUMINATI GTFOH WITH THAT TIRED SHIT
you are definitely a brainwashed person and a sad excuse for a human being, 2pac soke about it abviosly because he regretted it which shows he had more integrity than a person like jay z who still denies it to this day knowin deep down what he did, n please spare me that upliftin his people shit, big pimpin dirt of ya shoulder is hardly reminiscent of a malcom x speech so chill with that shit
2006 BEST SELLING ALBUM “JAY-Z- KINGDOM COME” * not T.I – KING smh.. Get it right OMAR BURGESS, look it up wikipedia google it or sumtin idiot
Kingdom Come was released in November ’06 idiot, King was March ’06, aint no way Jay-Z sold 2 million albums in 5 weeks, Get Ya Facts Straight Dickbag.
jay and kanye the most disloyal niggas in the game, how jay z gonna shit on dame dash like that, n how kanye gonna shit on dame knowin jay never woulda signed him if dame aint persuade him to, i cant trust what them niggas say, they snakes
dame was a idiot
jay was unloyal regardless n he got ya thinkin its alright to b a snake
Disloyal? They had a falling out and went their seperate ways. Dame would have been nothing without Jay, period. Kanye is not disloyal to Dame, as neither Jay not Dame wanted to sign Kanye as an artist. Dame himself stated that they only signed Kanye as an artist to keep the beats in house. They had no intention on puttin him out but once Jesus Walks had success they rethought that situation.
you are brainwashed
you’ll nigga stupid, son when it come down to money and dealing with it on a level of millions, not nickles and dime its every man for himself, dame is stupid it’s call protect your assest for those two idiot on here try to diss Jay, plus it not like jay left the nigga broke. he got him fair share
maaaan dame dash is so broke its a shame, hes a step above homeless, that was straight cold man
they act like dame didnt walk away with millions everything was spilt dame owns the masters to RESONABLE DOUBT . dame let the fame get to him like he discovered artist.HE TRIED TO GIVE CAMRON A VICE PRESIDENT POSITION AT ROC A FELLA what the fuck are you people talking about people love to hate jay-z without even looking at the FACTS “So I was like, let me get Reasonable Doubt and I’ll give up [the rest of] my masters. I’ll give up Roc-A-Fella Records, I’ll give up president and CEO of Def Jam Recordings—everything. Just give me my baby to hold on to so 10 years down the line, I can look back and I got something—I’m not empty-handed. And I was the one being offered everything. I thought it was more than fair… And when that was turned down, I had to make a choice. I’ll leave that for the people to say what choice they would’ve made. That’s about it. I don’t really wanna talk about Dame or Biggs. I don’t have nothing negative to say about them” DAME TRIED TO ACT LIKE HE WAS SUGE KNIGHT ON JAY LIKE HE SOME BITCH MADE NIGGA GO MAKE ANOTHER HOV
alright you got this investigator, u have succesfully wasted your time proving a point that has gained you nothin got any more words in defense of your boyfriend jay z
HATERS HATE FACTS BUT LIKE TO TALK SHIT^^^
wooow
hes right jay z was unloyal, i agree
loyal to what ?
JAY-Z HOOKING UP WITH 50 CENT OF ALL PEOPLE TO EXECITIVE PRODUCE FREEWAY ALBUM YEAH THATS A UNLOYAL DUDE FOR YOU GTFOH!!!!
word i agree with the last comment hes madd unloyal for that one, n that shyt with dame was too much man that man is starvin now
plus i heard he might b in the illuminati and that aint cool
2005 – Game – The Documentary
What a shitty decade… compared to the 90’s and 80’s. He used Tribe Called Quest’s “Low End Theory” and Jay-z “Blueprint” to show that dollar signs is not a measuring stick for excellence. He should of went in more deeper with examples like Brand Nubian “One for All”, X-Clan “To the East”, Black Moon “Enta da Stage”, Pete Rock “The Main Ingredent”, Common “Resurrection”, Nas “Illmatic”, Raekwon “Only Bullt 4 Cuban Linx”, GZA “Liquid Swords”, Mobb Deep “The Infamous”, Big L “Lifestylez on da Poor and Dangerious”, and Jay-z “Resonable Doubt”; all are consider to be classic-rated hiphop albums, but all albums listed, did not climb the charts or push as many units when released.
hiphop head ^^^^ just because you mentioned x-clan
2000’s >>>>> 90’s
You niggas are nerds
Please Kill Yourself.
Fuck Deez Bitch made niggaz talkin bout? All dees Bum muthafuckaz is neva Gon touch our Muthafuckin status! Beatles Ran shit then We Stil Run shit Now! AND We Made It Rain On Deez bitches wit Our Solo Joints!Fuckin Pussies!
Lmao tell em paul!!
Great Article, Its nice to take a 30,000 ft view of the last decade
“I wanna rap about ice but what about my conscience,
Nonsense, fame, flow what you wanna,
Shoot dice, fuck hoes, smoke marijuana,
On the cool my generations is some goners,
So i fall on my knees, the last days are upon us…..” Famous aka Lil Ken
Some real “underground shit outta h-town, thats real hip-hop. Not Lil Wayne so fucked up in the booth you can’t understand him or Jay and Yeezy on the most hyped cd in a decade that was garbage.
lol
real shit n lol at the comments about lil wayne jay n kanye keep doin ya thing
Unless the artist is signed to a label which has helped market them worldwide, its safe to say, any classic that drops in the future wont be going platinum in a few weeks. Those who listen regularly to hip hop but dont buy the damn album just pass judgement on these damn websites & forums & suckers believe it. Best album in 2001 was The Blueprint. period. Late Registration was a hell of a lot better than King in my opinion but hey, tip sold more, and i got respect for tip skills 2! At the end of the day, real hip hop listeners dont bother with sales, they listen 2 the leak, if they like what they hear, they buy it, peace !
Late Registration was released in august 05, King was Released in march 06, so your argument of those albums in the year of 06 has no merit.
let’s talk about horrible albums…I agree that numbers lie but so does critics. i’v seen multiple album reviews on this site that get overrated because there is promotion on the site for the album. There is also clear bias at times. So don’t kick knowledge when hiphopdx is brainwashing people into thinking an album is sub par or dope.
true!
true i’ve been noticing that too
I agree there are albums that were really good that got average ratings. While albums that weren’t all that get almost a perfect rating. We all know the game was a guest editor for hhdx and they gave him a 4. When they were talking about the album they didn’t say one negative thing about the album. I never thought that would happen especailly for some clown like game.
The Eminem Show was a classic…I don’t care what you say. Outkast might have the only better album on that list.
outkast album was garbage too why was andre 3000 singin, nigga rap, u a rapper, know whatt i mean? eminem show was a classic tho
^^^^^
That’s what made it classic. Everyone hated on the mere idea 3 stacks was gonna sing before the album dropped. Then it dropped. It was hyper expansive is range of commentary, originality, creativity, supremely contagious and progressive. Rappers started singing in droves after and everyone, including the ruggedest cats in the Coney Island project I was living in at the time, were singing “Hey Ya!”
“Yall don’t hear me / ya’ll just wanna dance.”
good point i couldnt get down with it tho, i’m too used to andre 3000 abusin beats liek he did in atliens and aquemini, i can never get down with him jus singin love songs
Agreed. Rapping 3 Stacks > Singing 3 Stacks Everyday on the week. That’s part of why “Idlewild” underwhelmed so much…3 stacks was still singing.
The Eminem Show ain’t a classic but it’s the last good Eminem album in my opinion, there are some weak tracks on The Eminem Show though.
Eminem show classic
WTT gets credit for claiming to attempt to push boundaries, even though ‘Ye dropped arguably the worst collection of raps of his career and Jay’s nearly trademarked brand of aspirational Hip Hop sounds supremely detached when millions world wide are poorer than ever…
Carter IV gets credit for showing Wayne’s ability to make an album clearly targeted towards women, even though his punchline raps are more shallow than ever and he oddly sounds like 50 Cent’s description of Ja Rule (“Sings for hoes and sounds like the Cookie Monster) before Fiddy bait and switched Ja Rule and ended up singing for hoes and sounding like the Cookie Monster.
you are the definition of a hater, congratualtion u have hated more than any othe rhater to ever write a comment on this site, u had nothin posistive to say about either sides and all u did was spew negative hate on the internet and u have helped nothing and done nothin but take up useful space congrats!!!
Ha! Thank you, Anonymous. It feels good to win at something…
***proudly puts on “hated more than any othe rhater to ever write a comment on this site” badge***
cool
Agreed! Kanye hasn’t made good music Graduation and Jay-z fell off after The Black album. These fans are ignorant sheep and continue to worship and dickride everything Jay and Kanye puts out. Jay and Kanye don’t even try to go hard anymore and I don’t blame them cuz the fans will just eat up anyway.
i agree completely with the last comment, co-sign
Honestly, I think the internet is killing Hip Hop. All this saturation of artists doing everything from buying clothes to being in the studio is taking its toll on the actual music. Instead of artists keeping a low key and letting the music speak for itself, theyre on the internet doing pointless shit.
JAY Z IS AN ILLUMINATI FAGGOT JUST LISTEN TO PRODIGY’S INTERVIEW EXPOSING HIM ON YOUTUBE, AND KANYE JUS A STRAIGHT UP FAGGOT ANYONE WITH 2 EYES IN THEIR HEAD SHOULD BE ABLE TO SEE THAT
I THINK PRODIGY IS THE ONE WHO GOT EXPOSED
i think ure an idiot watch the video dickhead, and make sure u take your ritalin before you press play
uhm i know jay talk about god alot in his music prodigy talk about bangin on niggas so who you think sounds more on the illumanti side
prodidgy wants to take over the projects with crack sales jay regrets that shit stay off youtube
selling crack to your people is illumanti work regreting that shit is the work of god
hear a song from prodigy called my world is empty without you that whole song is dedicated to god, also hear black devil and hear real power is people and another one called illuminati, who exposes the illuminati and is a part of it at the same time, that makes no sense, prodigy said him n jay z went to malachi york school n learned about the illuminati there, now if jay z knows about it why does he never mention it or expose it, what does he have to hide?
and jay z still glorifies sellin drugs as much as he says he regrets it, he just got through braggin about it on otis talkin about all the dominican and cuban plugs he has
The most violent of violent crimes we give life to
If these QueensBridge kids don’t like you
We bring drama on the worst kind of enemies
Your first time would be your last earth memories
It’s only your own fault
I gave you fair warning..beware..
Of killa kids who don’t care-( prodigy)
This my song to the most high, who created all life on earth
Like the birds that fly, the sweet the air we breathe
All plants and trees, the sun, and every planet in the galaxy
Yo, they feeding us bullshit with all these books
We didn’t ask to be here we got took
Enslaved, and killed, we was raped and hung
We was lied to, and forced to build America
We was robbed of our technology, and knowledge of self
The Black man, is the original man of this earth
We can live under the sun, it give us strength
The White man gets sun burn, and cancer of the skin
I got a lot of white friends, I’m not a racist
I acknowledge the most high, I’m not an atheist
I just tell see trough the bullshit, and speak my mind
They terrified of my words, so they censor my rhymes
Good lord I’m crying out to you, have mercy
On the slave masters souls, they did us dirty
They don’t give a fuck, about they own poor white trash
Just imagine how they feel about my black ass
Fuck Christopher Columbus, the Indians was here first
And fuck the Vatican, the pyramids is older
Shot off the nose and lips of our statues
Mad it was black faces, that was staring ‘Back at you’
We even built pyramids on Mars, they won’t tell us about that
‘Cause then we’d realize who we are
When I wrote ‘Pearly Gates’ they said I hated God
So I wrote this song the creator the all -Prodigy
We live the life that of diamonds and guns
And numerous ways that we choose to earn funds..earn funds…
Some niggaz get shot, locked down and turned nuns
Cowardly hearts send straight up shook ones..shook ones…
He ain’t a crook son, he just a shook one..shook one…
yeah prodigy is a saint haha
This shit is wicked on these mean streets
None of my friends speak
We’re all trying to win, but then again
Maybe it’s for the best though, ’cause when they’re seeing too much
You know they’re trying to get you touched
Whoever said illegal was the easy way out couldn’t understand the
mechanics
And the workings of the underworld, granted
Nine to five is how to survive, I ain’t trying to survive
I’m trying to live it to the limit and love it a lot
Life ills, poison my body
I used to say ‘fuck mic skills,’ and never prayed to God, I prayed to
Gotti
That’s right it’s wicked, that’s life I live it
Ain’t asking for forgiveness for my sins, endz
I break bread with the late heads, picking their brains for angles on
all the evils that the game’ll do
It gets dangerous, money and power is changing us
And now we’re lethal, infected with D’Evils…-Jay-z D’evils
not a saint but he tryna fight 4 whats right unlike jay z who said in light up he dont care about people alll he care about is money
he aint never said no shit like that and jay always talk about the evil of the streets just like what was posted above you
he said he never prayed to god and taht he knows its wicked n doesnt care in case u missed that line above and in light up he clearly said “fuck niggas bitches too all i got is this money and this’ll do” keep listenin to that devil worshipper ill keep listenin to the people who expose them
anyway there’s oppression the drug profession
flourishes like beverages refreshing
sweet taste of sin everything I’ve seen made me everything I am
bad drug dealer or I victim I beg
what came first moving chickens or the egg
this is why I be so fresh I’m trying to beat life
because I can’t cheat death
the truth is the shamelessness ain’t stainless is that aim this is
you know who’s game this is
move coke like Pepsi it don’t matter what the brand name is
I stand behind mine everything I do I’m a man behind mine
I’m not a angel I’m sure but every night before I lay
I drop my knees to the floor and I pray
I’m talkin’ bout life And all I hear is
Oh yeah he keeps talkin’ bout crack
I ain’t talkin’ bout profit I’m talkin’ bout pain
I’m talkin’ bout despair I’m talkin’ bout shame
Sweet King Martin
Sweet Queen Coretta
Sweet Brother Malcolm
Sweet Queen Betty
Sweet Mother Mary
Sweet Father Joseph,
Sweet Jesus
We made it in America
Sweet baby Jesus, ooh
Oh sweet baby Jesus
We made it in America
Sweet baby Jesus, ooh
Oh, sweet baby Jesus,
We made it in America
u beleive that shit lol, everyone who has ever been around jay z has nothin good to say about him, dame dash jaz o beanie sigel this dude is a snake
actions speak louder than words hes a snake
yeah sending 50 kids to college every yeah with a full ride yeah thats a snake him reachin back to jaz-o after his career stalled yeah thats a snake wanting beanie to be a president at the roc instead of camron LMAO yeah thats a snake
JAY-Z HOOKING UP WITH 50 CENT OF ALL PEOPLE TO EXECITIVE PRODUCE FREEWAY ALBUM YEAH THATS A UNLOYAL DUDE FOR YOU GTFOH
Interestingly, this thread reads like a schizophrenic yelling at himself.
roc sign= pyramid illuminati clothin on rocawear, got goat horns of mendes in his videos 2 bullets on jesus in his video, betrayin his long time partner dame dash, yea thats a snake
lmao at the company man good one
http://www.getbentswag.com/
check it out!
Illmatic eclipses all the other albums on that poll…nasty nas brought hip hop forward with that album.
illmatic was over rated ol dirty bastard was way more lyrical
r.i.p. by the way n that wasnt a joke he had lyrics n style
NO CLOUUUDS IN MY STOOOOOOONES!!!
Say What You Want About Kanye But The Truth Is That The Guy Has 5 arguably 6 Classic Albums Under His Best What Other Hip-Hop Artist In History Can You Say That About Except OutKast.
hes a weirdo tho
true
Fuck outta here, Kanye has no classics under his belt. His first three albums are nice but after that he fell the fuck off!
at L boogie
What?! Kanye has no classics?
My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy received perfect scores all across the board on just about every major publication that rates albums.
College Drop Out shifted hip hop into another direction. Before that dropped everyone was tryin to do the hardcore gangsta shit that 50 and G unit were doin cus they all saw it was hot. Kanye made it cool again to not have a gun with just this album alone. Production and lyric was it was crazy, Same goes for Late Registration.
Graduation was damn near a classic as well.
The only one i would say wasnt a classic was 808s
Classic ???
classic with autotune ??!
“The only one i would say wasnt a classic was 808s”
Sorry, but there is a lot of validity to this. Kanye’s music, for the most part, has always evolved into a beast within itself. Only other hip hop faction that has done the same is Outkast.
gucci mane album better than all this shit, jay z who
Capitalism made and killed hip-hop. Nas was right.
I LOVE WHEN PEOPLE QUOTE NAS LIKE HE WASNT TRYING TO GET PAID
lol at anonymous
Not going to argue over classics but this is a good article!
@ Almar… We talkin bout 1st week sales dumbass.. Lol actin like they pay u 2 comment, i wanna c u call dickbag in my face tho bitch ass nigga
Music is supposed to be listened to and enjoyed. If you like it jam to it. If you dont turn that shit down. STOP over-analizing shit!
I hear that. Everyone always trying to make you look at the numbers or other things that distract you from the music (ex. Swag). Just listen to what you like and dont worry about what the next man likes or dislikes. Also, you can’t call something a classic until its 10+ years down the road and we are still talking about and bumping that shit.
best article I’ve ever read on DX…although if he’s sayin Graduation is a classic…hmmm…personally I think GRAD is Ye’s WEAKEST album.
808 & heartbreak is Kanye West’s weakest album for sure.
Naw. I disagree on that one.
why’s this basically all about jay fckin Z!
G.O.A.T
Thatz alwayz been the way in hip Hop remember hammer out sold tribe called quest/Playboy
great article! this debate is goin on in every urban neighborhood in america!
NO LIE THAT WATCH THE THRONE ALBUM MIGHT’VE BEEN THE WORST ALBUM OF THE YEAR
HAHAA NOT
“If popular culture has taught us nothing else, it’s that consumers can often be mindless sheep.”
This pretty much sums it up and describes about 70% of todays hip-hop fans.
jay z too old to b rappin its like watchin jordan when he was playin for the wizards just retire ya jersey already
Jordan wasn’t winning championships with the Wizards. Jay-z still is.
jay z not winnin championships hes sellin tickets
12 number 1 albums really haha
^^^^^
That depends on your definition of “Championship”
my definition is good lyrics flow and performance not album sales, he sellin tickets but he cant dunk no more
THE MAN HAS ABOUT 4 TO 5 CLASSIC AND 3 TO 4 NEAR CLASSIC ALBUMS
those are his 6 rings, and this analogy is gettin tiring lol
You know whos winning? Lil Wayne. Jay is old and should hang it up. Wayne is the past, present, and future of hip hop
Lil Wayne is more popular than his music. He could have came out with the worst album is hip-hop history and it still would have done numbers. Artists like lil wayne, and jay-z have pretty much turned into name brands.
true but carter 4 was still better than watch the throne
a well written article lost alot of credibility naming only two classics, say what you want about 50’s recent work (it’s garbage) Get Rich or Die Tryin’ is a CLASSIC
cant like the doucemtry if you dont like 50 hahah
this what we gonna do we going to keep our rappers from the late 80s and the entire 90s and about 20 albums from the new millenuim j.cole thurz and kendrick lamar you youngins can have the rest
when resonable doubt dropped most of you was 5 to 8 years old so please stop the bullshit jay-z is the G.O.A.T ITS 2011 AND HE STILL DROPPIN THAT HEAT
let go of the past old man its a new day respect it
YEAH IT IS A NEW DAY AND JAY STILL HERE WHATS YOUR POINT
didmt he just kill j.cole on his song just sayin age aint shit the older the better
So? Because I didn’t know it then means I can’t enjoy it now?
Great article….but IMO criteria for sales should be eradicated when people discuss about real classic album.
YUP
Tha Carter IV is a classic. Lil Wayne single handedly saved hip hop. It almost died on jay z’s watch
HAHAHAHAHAAH
I lol’d
your a fucking scrub how does it feel to be the bitch of someone who’s 5’6
Blind fool.
GAME dropped a classic album with RED and its not putting up hudge numbers so that proves the truth of the article people should go out and support that album
I WOULD RATHER HAVE STAINDS NEW ROCK ALBUM THAN ANY HIPHOP ALBUM THIS YEAR REAL TALK ITS A CRAZY ALBUM FEELING THE WANNA BE SONG
FUCK YALL I BANG ALL THIS SHIT FUCK A GOAT I LOVE HIPHOP
fuck sosa
Why Do I Have to Chose? Why I Like Jay AND Wayne!?!?!
you aint got to choose shit do you homie hiphop fuck everything else
*Can’t
jay z doesnt run hip hop some old white man does look it up
hahah yeah old white men run everything how you think the U.S.A was born threw some foul shit
WTT RED CARTER 4 LA RIOT SECTION 80 AMERICAN GANGSTA DOGYSTYLE AQUEMINI GRODT WAR ANGEL IN HEAVY ROTATION FUCK YOU BITCHES
I done came through the block in everything that’s fly
I’m like, Che Guevara with bling on, I’m complex
I never claimed to have wings on
Nigga I get mine – by any means on whenever there’s a drought
Get your umbrellas out because, that’s when I brainstorm
You can blame Shawn, but I ain’t invent the game
I just rolled the dice, tryin to get some change
And I do it twice, ain’t no sense in me
lyin as if, I am a different man
And I could blame my environment but
there ain’t no reason why I be buyin expensive chains
Hope you don’t think users are the only abusers niggaz
Gettin high within the game
If you do then, how would you explain?
I’m ten years removed, still the vibe is in my veins
I got a hustler spirit, nigga period
Check out my hat yo, peep the way I wear it
Check out my swag’ yo, I walk like a ballplayer
No matter where you go, you are what you are player
And you can try to change but that’s just the top layer
Man, you was who you was ‘fore you got here
Only God can judge me, so I’m gone
Either love me, or leave me alone
You know what the fuck I hate? I hate how in other music genres the fans respect their greats but in hip-hop we don’t. Jay-Z is what every rapper aspires to be. Who the fuck would u rather be the ambassador of rap, Gucci or Waka? Jay has the talent, the swag (sorry for using that word), and the brain. Hate Jay and u hate hip-hop. Fuck ur comments.
2pac and biggiE taught me a lesson celebrate your rappers before they are gone and that goes for eVery rapper to touch the mic its a fan for every rapper out salute and nuff respect most of you was born when pac and biggie was already gone PEACE
jay said WTT title is aboust us and keeping hiphop alive period.if you cant feel that fuck you he see that other music is trying to takeove, and you waiting on him to diss wayne forget it. he aint gonna do it he not about tearing another black man down and stopping his paper he said he regret that whole nas shit when nas needed a label.who put his hand out when nas couldnt get a contract jay so fuck you and after that they made some classic tracks together hate dont last forever
aint no fuckin goat go listen to a star is born on BP3
word sales have nothing to do with the quality of an album, its just a representation of how well its been promoted and how many people are interested in the artists themselves. R.E.D. was better than both WTH and C4, but had nowhere near the hype and flopped…theres no way WTH or Drake will keep up with C4 by the end of the year
red good better no
This was actually a good read.
i agree
“Imaginary Player”
Yeah
I mean like
I gotta be like the pioneer to this shit, you know
I was popping that Cristal
when all y’all niggaz thought it was beer and shit, you know
Wearing that platinum shit
when all y’all chicks thought it was silver and shit
I got to be the pioneer of this shit
Bottom line
I’m going to show you how to do it
Check it
I spit that other shit
That’s the nice motherfucker shit
Fed time follow me around, deep cover shit nigga
You beer money, I’m all year money
I’m popping, you ain’t got to count it, it’s all there money
I never change money ’cause niggas got strange money
Knocked up, marked up, fucked up in the game money
I got bail money, XXL money
You got flash now, one time we’ll reveal money
I spit the hottest shit, you need it I got it shit
That down South Master P, Bout It Bout It shit
I got blood money, straight up thug money
That brown paper bag under your mattress drug money
You got show dough, little to no dough
Sell a bunch of records and you still owe dough
I got 900 and 96 plus 4 more dough
You crazy, you full gazy, and loco with dough papo
Y’all rapping-ass niggas, y’all funny to me
Selling records, being you but still you want to be me
I guess for every buck you make it’s like a hundred for me
And still you running around thinking you got something on me
But I done did it
And y’all want to take my flow, and run with it
That’s cool, I was the first one with it
Original, jiggas the future flow digital
Still busting a gat when she gets critical
Sit it down, I don’t want y’all to get it confused
I rip it down, like I ain’t got nothing to lose
And now you got these young cats acting like they slung cats
All in they dumb rap, talking about how they funds stack
When I see them in the street, I don’t see none of that
Bad playboy, where the fuck is the hummer at?
Where is all the ice with all the platinum under that?
Those ain’t rolex diamonds, what the fuck you done to that?
Groupies I leave them all fucked
Niggas – all struck
Your single was 99 cents, mines was 4 bucks
Last year, when niggas thought it was all up
But this year I’ve done it again, jigga!
What the fuck
Nigga stop whining, jigga, still shining
Niggas kept complaining so I copped more diamonds
Rock more Versace, ain’t nothing sweet
I still throw t’ree in your body, fleeing the party
Y’all can’t go with me, nope, flow with me
Bet 50, not dollars either I brought some dough with me
I flow like the 5 series, in various areas
And blow holes in your weak niggas theories
It’s funny how one verse can fuck up the game
You bought a 4.0 you better get your change
Ain’t no platinum in those Cartiers, switch your frame
Ain’t no manicures on board, then switch your plane
ahh fuck im a wayne fan but jay-z IS THE G.O.A.T
“like niggas knew me before rap”
After a certain amount, sales do not matter…
Totallly agree, sales don’t reflect the strength of its contents but the artist andd their character, its all in promotion which is so easy these days just not the means of selling
on the reall how you gone say lil wayne is better then Jay or kanye?! he be on dat random shiiiet and every once and a while he get seriouse… Kanye and Hav got them Real Bars… #RealNiggaShitAllDayForYourBitchAssSelf… hahahahahahahaahahahahahaha
thats the long laff for yo bitch ass
H.O.V.A., gold bottles of that ace of spade
Why even fool with these other guys, they all stingy
All these dudes know how to say is gimme
Gimme some head, gimme some brain
Gimme your number, gimme your name
But if I get one night baby girl I swear
I’ll make you tell these other dudes gimme got you here
I’ll take you shopping, take long trips
I’ll take the cork off, you can take sips
I’ll take you there, take my time
Take you clothes off, I’ll take off mine
Ma, show me what you got
Hovie in the spot tried to told you I was hot
Tell these other dudes it’s a wrap
Get the fuck out the throne you clone, the King’s back!
Y’all got less than 2 months to get y’all thing together
Good luck!
Justin Blaze
You Blaze that
Roc-A-Fella Records
Dynasty continues, y’all die
Uh Huh, peace!
The problem with “critically acclaimed” is that the critics who “acclaim” these albums are the equivalent of extremist in any ideology. To be commercially successful is HAS to sound good period. You could rap about the dumbest shit ever and still “sound” good to the ear just like you can rap the “realist” shit ever and still “sound” like noise.
I will say tho.. the Carter IV is just plain terrible in every sense. I don’t believe that shit sold that much.. they’re messing with those sales figures, ain’t no fucking way. That shit might of been believable a few years ago but in this state of affairs, no way.
agreed , co sign
The game’s fucked up
Nigga’s beats is banging, nigga your hooks did it
Your lyrics didn’t and your gangster look did it
So I would write it if y’all could get it
Being intricate’ll get you wood, critic
On the Internet, they like you should spit it
I’m like you should buy it, nigga that’s good business
Hehe, forget this rap shit I need a new hustle
A little bit of everything, the new improved Russell
I say that reluctantly cause I do struggle
As you see I can’t leave so I do love you
But I’m just a hustler disguised as a rapper
In fact you can’t fit this hustle inside of a wrapper
Back when crack was
What these pills are, I was a real star
Complete with real, cars, no video ones
You can come and set up a camera, let the video run
And my real life, complete with real, ice
VVS boulders oh they’re visibly set
Head and shoulders, my invisible neck
You see Hova, wasn’t digital yet
Befo’ Steve Jobs, made the iPod
Was getting head, jobs, we call that intimate
Back when rappers wouldn’t dare play lyrical roulette
With a automatic weapon I was rapping with a tec
(Fresh) like (Mannie) be, chain like anti-freeze
Shoebox full of cash, dealer man hand me ki’s
Pantries full of Arm & Hammer, don’t take Nancy Drew to see
what it do, I’m a damn G
Just sent a million dollars through a hands free
That’s big money talk, can you answer me?
Before the answer was a 3
I was down in Georgetown with a Hoya chick, lawyer chick
Sure he’s rich now cause he saw the shit, all this shit
That’s why they call him Hov’, cause he came before all this shit
Bought a 6, quarter seven, skipped on them quarter eights
Bought a 9 for non-stop glock work all the time
Woo! Guess who’s back?
Since this is a new era, got a fresh new hat
Ten year veteran, I’ve been set
I’ve been through with this bullshit game but I never quit
I used to think rapping at 38 was ill
But last year alone I grossed 38 mill’
I know I ain’t quite 38 but still
The flow so (Special) got a (38) feel
The real is back, hehehehe
The music biz is like musical chairs
Its about where you standing when the music stop spinning
Shawn Corey Carter (born December 4, 1969),[1] better known by his stage name Jay-Z, is an American rapper, record producer, businessman, and occasional actor. He is one of the most financially successful hip hop artists and entrepreneurs in America, having a net worth of over $450 million as of 2010.[2][3] He has sold approximately 50 million albums worldwide, while receiving thirteen Grammy Awards for his musical work, and numerous additional nominations.[4][5]
Jay-Z co-owns the 40/40 Club, is part-owner of the NBA’s New Jersey Nets and is also the creator of the line Rocawear.[6] He is the former CEO of Def Jam Recordings, one of the three founders of Roc-A-Fella Records, and the founder of Roc Nation.[7] As an artist, he holds the record for most number one albums by a solo artist on the Billboard 200.[8] Jay-Z also has had four number ones on the Billboard Hot 100, one as lead artist.
Personally Speaking I wouldnt care about getting my album called a classic on some website if nobody went out and bought it, and it has nothing to do with money, its the love factor.
You make music you want people to react to it, and half the artist who get praised on sites like this couldnt sell out a 2,000 capacity night club, unless there on a Rock The Bells type tour with 30 other acts
I’d rather have an album that people supported and came up and told me “Yo, I’m feelin that record son”
You think Eminem cares what a few over-critical people on a website like this have to nitpick about when he just 120,000 concert tickets for his 2 australian gigs in under an hour??……..I doubt it, thats a 6 figure number of real life fans that will be in the crowd singing along to his records
You think Lil Wayne, or Drake, or Nicki (None of whom I own an album by for the record) give a fuck that I dont like there music??…….There’s plenty of people who do and thats who they cater too, so for you the Carter3 might be an average album, but there’s alot of people who love it and will probably play it years from now, they just dont sit online and argue about it because they dont care what you think
Fan Support >>>>>> Internet support, every time
if there was a like button i would click it… bullseye
Co fucking Sign to that !
co sign times 3
cosign a hundred thousand..a hundred trillion!
i stopped reading when you questioned get rich or die trying.
you guys have it figured out all wrong. selling-out isnt selling a lot of records, its when your down to earth even achieving success. success doesnt change you because you diddnt buy into the game. you only dominated it, now your sitting back under the sun.
smartest shit ive ever read on this site
it dnt even matta no mo cuz sales will continue 2 drop till no1 goes platinum or barely gold n hip hop & daz fans fault solely,so wen underground/so called “real mc’s” complain bout mainstream dey sound ignorant cuz w/o major exposure no1 will largely support da music dey doin…http://www.youtube.com/user/Darealkingrichard?feature=mhee
why does all this crazy shyt come out when wayne out sales jay…if it was the other around people wouldn’t care…you gotta get over it…wayne is young and relevant and jay is not…it’s not about the lyrics with the youth it’s about what sounds cool to them…buy 10 copies or die trying #smallville
You a fucking tool and a idiot. Wayne is wack and destroying the brain cells of his listeners creating a generation of dummies getting in trouble
^doesn’t mean he’s not right dumbass. everythign you just wrote was irrelevant to his point.
Truth be told if skills sold common, black thought , & nas would be diamond.
Great article.
Fuck this guy, Jay-Z is whack.
Jay paid for this article, right ?
And this nigga jay-z has only 2 undisputed classics(TBP, RD), WTF u talking about ?
One classic actually, Reasonable doubt. Blueprint is kinda overrated. Black album and American Gangster are good as well. The remaining 7 albums are all btw mediocre to trash. Oh, Vol 3. was dope as well.
Number don’t necessarily sales numbers, What about sellout shows ? And how much fans come to your concerts ? Eminem has been selling out an average of 80,000 tickets as of late. His last show in UK was 90,000, he just sold out 120,000 within 30mins in Australia. What is Jay-z’s biggest sellout ? Madison square Garden (25,000 max). His biggest sellout was that Joint concert with Em(About 200,000) and 75% of the fans there were all Eminem fans !
**Number don’t necessarily mean sales numbers***
One classic actually, Reasonable doubt. Blueprint is kinda overrated. Black album and American Gangster are good as well. The remaining 7 albums are all btw mediocre to trash. Oh, Vol 3. was dope as well !!!
NAS KILLS EVERYONE!
Agree…Nas kill everyone…Pen game is monster. Eminem, Jay, Outkast….none of these can touch Nasir Jones pen game.
This is the most bull shit article I have ever laid my eyes on.
Mother fuckers I wont be surprised if Jay Z owns the site..Eminem is untouched whether its about sales or fuckin lyrics…u mother fuckers shud be ashamed…Even Nas respects him…Game is skeeed of him…and Lil Wayne got fucked up by him..dumb cunts..
COSIGN
the Source left out Makavelli – The Don Killuminati in their classi hip hop album list, as well as Outkast – Atliens
A business (also known as enterprise or firm) is an organization engaged in the trade of goods, services, or both to consumers.[1] Businesses are predominant in capitalist economies, where most of them are privately owned and administered to earn profit to increase the wealth of their owners.
Its the music BUSINESS, high sales are the end goal. What dont make money gets shelved period. And an album with complex metaphors and a bunch of socially conscious material is not going to sell well we know that.
And honestly, we need to stop closely aligning ourselves with products of a business. Hip-Hop is from our culture but it isnt the cocoon our culture lives in.
Outkast: Speakerboxxx/The Love Below
50 Cent: Get Rich Or Die Tryin’
Eminem: The Eminem Show
These albums are better than every single album Jay-z released in the 2000’s. What d fuck is this editor touching about ? Cock sucking Jay-z Stan !!
Outkast: Speakerboxxx/The Love Below
50 Cent: Get Rich Or Die Tryin’
Eminem: The Eminem Show
These albums are better than every single album Jay-z released in the 2000’s. What d fuck is this editor talking about ? Cock sucking Jay-z Stan !!
fucking co sign shut your dumbass up, underground artist that cant make no fucking chorus
nah american gangsta belongs on that list
The only reason critically acclaimed albums aren’t big sellers is because they are only bought by critics like you. People like you who have time to sit down and analyse music fool.
Since when that’s a bad thing?
So u dont really listen to music. Good job dumbass.
I really hate singing rappers like lil wayne and drake. Get back to rapping you singing too much. by the way lil wayne throws in a few good lines here and next he is back to bullshit. Be consistent like jay and we will respect you
Your whole comment was bullshit. Some singing rappers are good, you are just looking at the surface. Check Z-Ro out if you disagree. On the other hand, since when was Jay-Z consistent?
^^^^^ YOUR WHOLE RESPONSE IS BULLSHIT ^^^^^
Jay-z is way more consistent. whats your definition of consistent
Dumb ass article
hova’lyrics too complicated u need rapgenius 2 decode his clever wordplays compared to other artists like feminem and weezy bullshit who sell albums coz of corny rhymes and emphasis on the beat.jay-z needs more clubbangers in his cds ti reach weezy sales levels
Hova lyrics is complicated ???? Check ur IQ level pls.
I could give two fucks about sales, you gotta have a mindset of “will this be hot 10 years from now?” if you spend money on it, because there’s people who won’t admit to have ever listened to some artists that are now considered to have fallen off.
“I would take it a step further and ask, outside of Speakerboxxx/The Love Below and Graduation, which one of these albums offered anything technically or stylistically groundbreaking? “—————-Eminem Show>>>>>>>>Both Graduation and Speakerboxxx/The Love Below combined !
@Omar Burgess,
You are the dumbest critic and editor ever. You are definitely in the roc A fella bandwagon….Get out of the cheesy bandwagon fool.
did u even read the article?
GRODT too
The people online have a twisted definition of a classic to begin with anyway
If you ask your typical Internet Nerd they’ll tell you Eminem doesnt have any classic albums
Yet both The Eminem Show & The Marshall Mathers LP got certified Diamond last year
When people still go back and buy your record a Decade after its release, I think thats proof of an album stading the test of time
But things like that arent what these Geeks qualify
“Yo son, the new Canibus album Lyrical Law is a classic, I love every song!!!!”
Just because YOU love every song on an album doesnt make it a classic record, it just makes a personal favorite of Your own, cause that shit aint had any impact on the game or the cultural, its just another dope record
I agree that some artists are flash in the pans and just got lucky, but alot of folks on here refuse to accept something as a classic because people in the real world listen to it and its not that “Exclusive Real hip hop, fuck the radio, this is better then what everyone else listens to” Bullshit
Alot of folks online have an Anti Success Complex and its pretty cornball if you ask me, they’ll praise some bullshit that nobody outside of Youtube gives a fuck about and then shit on hit record just because there sister owns a copy, there’s no objectivity, These Ego-maniacal, Self Righteous Underground Elitiest Homos are just as weak minded as the Sheeple that will only listen to summin thats big and ignore a record because there friends dont know who it is, both sides of the coin are equally pathetic
True !
If you think that Eminem albums have anything to do with “the culture” – you are delusional. I don’t comment much, but those sales are largely taken up by the majority; a non-argument. I will say that there is a huge outside impact made by Eminem that continuously pushes inside the bubble of hip-hop, but most living the sincerity of the hip-hop culture aren’t affected by it at all. The next time you see a majority teen thinking its “cool” to rock hip hop and all they have from hip-hop in their predominately rock collection is Eminem – you’ll know what I’m talking about.
This editor/critic is totally delusional. This is by far the worst article of all times on DX. Both C4 and WTT are mediocre albums irrespective of the different styles on it. This nerd is just mad because C4 sold more than Jay and Ye combined(Your favorite(s)). Get a grip Omar, you are being seriously delusional
thats not even what this article is about u fuckin dope.
Graduation & SpeakerBoxx/Love Below groundbreaking ????????????????????? First time i had that in my entire life !
Fuck all this anti-mainstream bullshit! here is what i think : u like an artist, whoever he is, go and buy his album when it drops; you think an album is a classic? buy it period. Standing behind your computer givin 5 stars to an album you downloaded and that you won’t even buy is as useless as this article…
Co sign 100%
Same here.
The people taking offense towards this album are the mindless sheep there talking. Yall are just pointing yourselves out.
you know what is sad about the drake/lil wayne thing, Drake is a 100 times better than lil wayne. Drake does use the occasional punchline but not like lil wayne. drake’s style is original, and i hope he eventually outshines lil wayne.
everybodyknows your a girl 😀
no man is a drake fan.. certainly no grown man lol it just doesnt exist..
fags maybe dno
i got nothing against main steam music. but what i do have a problem with is that all mainstream music seems to be hyped up bullshit that is neveras good as it is suposed to be … fuckin kids like chris webby dont get shit and there real as hell. while fake kids like wayne get all the cash for making garbage
jesus christ there are some retared people in the comments on this site. blows my mind. some of the best articles, best reviews, and stupidest comments.
the guy is actually posing some interesting points about the current state of hiphop. and the best you can come up with is “fuck you. jayz is shit. weezy is best”?
Such idiots. They missed the entire point of the article.
It’s difficult trying to argue with ignorance. Most of these people don’t have any valid statements/opinions or facts. So I don’t know why they comment
the internet is ruining the game. yall need to get a life, get out the house. get off the fuckin computer. get some ass or somethin… i bet most of these people commenting are lil kids (probably white) who just started listenin to rap a few years ago.. im just sayin
I bet you’re retarded…just sayin… What’s the connexion beetween the consistence of the opinions expressed in the comment section and the skin color??
Uh.. What is you’re a hypocrite and judging by your spelling you are truly retarded but you pick on other retards because you are insecure about it? That is my final answer…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_5H5r4_CoJo
Wow!Congratulation U deserves a trophy for finding a misspelling in a sentence… C’mon man Kill ur self and for your information u don’t need to be black anymore to listen to rap music, man this is the year 2011, your skin color doesn’t mean shit anymore, we’re not in the 80’s mayn…
Great Article.
Interesting article
your all wrong maaaan
in 5, 6, 7 years it will be very clear that watch the throne was a real classic..
its a classic album not dissapointing or bad.. it just deals alot with racism and black success, many whites dont wanna hear shit about that. rap fans or not..
80% of rap costumers are white..
so they didnt sell as much.. big surprise..
you dont get it now but you will see in a few yers that watch the throne is a rap classic, much like “distant relatives” for example
plus did anyoone notice there was vertually no promo (i mean very very little)
Couldn’t agree more!
I don’t think that the problem is that it deals with racism but that any social commentary is done through the lens of “Me and Jay are rich as fuck now” (although I’d wouldn’t dispute the idea that much of the country has a problem with rich non-white men or with acknowledging that we sure as shit aren’t living in Post Racial America) which makes you initially think you’re just listening to lifestyle porn in the midst of a terrible recession.
stop bitching about Racism. you guys didnt even have it that bad. the Chinese protested about rights and they got ran over by tanks. you guys just got hoses. sure Racism is alive. but you idiots go right around and hate on homosexuals. you bitch ass black complainers(not all of em mind you)are stupid and probably shoulda stayed in africa. P.S. just cuz you got caught selling dope. it isnt the Governments fault you got arrested. its that asshole in the mirror
You heard of the KKK and institutional racism in the justice system? People got way worse than hoses you dumbass
You sound like a Republican, so here is how we all hope the rest of your life goes:
You help vote Rick Perry into office who promptly dismantles all the parts of Obamacare that help anyone that isn’t a millionaire. Years of underemployment and your inability to maintain a relationship causes you to put a gun in your mouth but you chicken out and jerk the gun when you pull the trigger and just end up being paralyzed for life.
Insurance companies deny you coverage for your condition so your parents have to pay out of pocket for your care, which, along with your terrible personality, helps drive them to divorce and successful suicides. You become the responsibility of the state and your general assholery leads the staff at the nursing facility to slip ground up bits of glass into your food. This causes you horrendous pain over a long period of time and eventually you die with a digestive system that looks like ground beef.
Think before you speak next time you history revising drain on society.
i know, truth hurts. also the KKK is south. i dont count the south as any part of america. they still didnt run you over with tanks. black people just have to complai about all the free benefits they get and bitch cuz they neighbor hood looks like shit but wont take the time to plant flowers. P.S. Hey Jesus. you got issues. its okay. i realize your suffering from chronic homosexuality and you cant function right. dont be black and hate the straight dudes cuz your a faggot [:
What kind of shit is that? You just don’t count everything that directly contradicts your argument? Like it or not, the South is very much part of the USA.
And sure, they didn’t get run over with tanks, but that is an absurd qualification to make for suffering. Jews in concentration camps didn’t get run over with tanks. MUSTA BEEN FUCKING SUNSHINE AND PUPPIES FOR THEM AND THEY SHOULDNT HAVE BITCHED ABOUT IT BECAUSE SOMEWHERE A CHINESE MAN WAS GETTING RUN OVER BY A TANK.
Also, if I was worrying about where my next rent check and meal were coming from, flowers wouldn’t exactly be a top priority for my cash.
maybe if you werent Relying on the IRS to send you your next “paycheck” and got a job. maybe you could buy some daisys
Yeah because so many people are hiring right now…
whoever wrote this article
your talking shit about jay-z through the whole thing..
its very sad..
but i notice im not retarded
(Doctor Voice) Anonymous… I have bad news… I have diagnosed a level of retard in you… It doesn’t look promising… What is promising is your career delivering pizza’s to my house… Oh and don’t forget the crush peppers and parmesan cheese…
@Espi – did you really think that shit was funny when you posted it?
Yes Blunted Daily… The answer to your stupid fucking question is Yes. Why would I post something like that unless I thought it was funny? Oh, it’s probably becuase you’re blunted daily… SMH… Or maybe it’s becuase I offended you? Do you deliver pizzas Blunted Daily? Maybe your Mom does… My bad.
Nah, not offended, I just thought it was stupid as fuck. Just like your second attempt at jokes… Just stop doing it to yourself, man.
Aside from the Jay/Yeezy d-riding, the article was good. Commenting on what your all saying about Wayne yeah his lines are nonsensical still makes me not like his style because he still has the same problem and hasn’t grown out of that.
Dx is the funniest hip hop site..lol. Articles like this brings bad reputation to the site, Even the so called critics are dick-riders…Sad. It’s clear that this Omar guy is a Jay fan, and he’s seriously upset with the fact that Wezzy is pushing more numbers…..Let me quote Jay-z
“Damn though mans I’m just trying do me
If the record’s two mill I’m just trying move three”—–Heart Of The City
No Doubt Jay is more skilled than Wayne, but why are you so upset bro ? Even at that, you started taking subliminal shots at other rappers like 50cent, Em and Nelly. Em is more skilled than Jay. The Eminem Show just got certified diamond some months ago. Buying an album after 10yrs(And Still selling) of release is more than enough to prove an album is a classic. I remember way back in 2002, many professional critics and magazine name TES the best album of the year, but above you said only Graduation and Outkast’s album were groundbreaking(I really wonder what’s groundbreaking about Graduation)….Get Out of the Jay-z bandwagon hommie !!
I disagree. There are multiple times where Omar questions the credibility of records sales being the “Great Album” decisive factor. This would include Jay-Z’s album sales. He merely brings facts and history to our attention and allows us to make the decision. I just think you are being hyper sensitive. This hyper-sensitive reaction that you so adamantly displayed is a common trend amongst many fans and keeps people from thinking about the facts and really questioning themselves and the art. Frankly, I’m tired of seeing it. I believe this is exactly what Omar was referring to with the mindless sheep comment…
Yeah…Aside the Jay-z dickriding, the article is good, but way too much dick sucking. I mean, Eminem has more worldwide impact on hip hop than Jay, but he never brags about it. Nas has more cultural impact than Jay too, but never brags. The Blueprint and American Gangster aside, pretty much every other album jay released in the 00’s are straight up mediocre’s.
The most annoying thing about this article is adding Em in the mix of rappers moving units, but have no skills. The Eminem show was classic, easily better than every album Jay put out in the 00’s.
If u look at Em’s catalog, Relapse sold the least(2million locally). 2milli is an unusual figure for a typical Eminem album, because of the fact that his least is always 4million….but why 2milli for relapse ? That tells you relapse was bad !
Let was know you are a Jay-z fan b4 putting up this type of article !!!!!!!!!!
Let us know you are a Jay-z fan b4 putting up this type of article !!!!!!!!!
I liked this article and its a very interesting perspective. I’m surprised that “Watch The Throne” wasn’t praised for its ambitious concepts, creativity, and uniqueness. I think the success of that album shows that good hip-hop can sell if the music is good enough. Tha Carter IV seems to have been made purely to deliver album sales and satisfy fans. The artistry is lacking. Not so the case with “Watch The Throne”. I guess we can all disagree as to whether its a classic, lived up to expectations, or whatever. For the most part it has been critically praised and sold well. I think the people determine what is a classic album, more so than critics, and it takes some time to pass to really know if an album is at that level.
No question the kid is nice and no doubt he gets busy- I’m not talking about him but Ali Lafayette Rhea. One Love
More like Ali Lafayette GonorRhea, amirite brochacho!
Only a few albums that sold a lot, W.T.T., C4, Bad Meets Evil:H.T.S.
if i took jay-z/kanye, wayne/drake, Em/royce amd putted all of them in a pair on the same track then em/royce r gonna kill everybody mic skill wise, jay-z/kanye will prob. 2nd.
yet still eminem and Royce would get wrecked by multiple other rappers
“… mc’s are just hopeless, thinking record sales make them the dopest…” – KRS-ONE.
nuff said.
hip hop is dead because of fans like ya’ll, not really dead because people like me still live it, but alotta people have really lost sight
carter 4 sold more than watch the throne “men lie women lie numbers dont” -jay z
THIS GUY KNOWS WHATS UP!!!!!!!!!!
YMCMB!!!!!!!
You Mad Cole Much Better
JAY 50MIL>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>WAYNE10MIL
Good article, but Omar’s view(s) is kinda myopic.
“if u go platinum, it’s got nothin to do with luck/it just means that a million people are stupid as fuck”- immortal technique
immortal technique is one of the dopest period.
I think the best album out of that list of big selling albums was The Eminem Show. I think that album was groundbreaking. He was att his most political with that album. He had shared alot of personal experiences on that album. He also had the most ridiculous flow on there then any other album you got up there that was successful. GRODT was a stellar album but it didn’t do anything but make 50 cent a superstar. The same for nelly’s CG. Also since when is selling 436k copies in the first week considered going gold. Lil wayne got a plaque with his debut but jay and ye only went gold after the second week of it’s release.
this dudes an idiot. i agree with his concept but his argument is terrible. also let’s be honest if wayne had spit How to Love, people would have been saying it was some dope and lyrical shit. but he decided to sing it to get sells so everyone hated it. ya’ll kill me.
and the black eyed peas are no form or associate of hip hop or rap.
They were before Fergie joined the crew.
true
Who cares? Record sales do not reflect talent anymore. Its only one big ass popularity contest. The best sell the most while actual good artist go un-noticed. SO WHO GIVES A FUCK!? 🙂
i want to shit on ur face rt
the best albums, or the majority of the ones with the most substance usually don’t sell alot. says alot about society
PAYOLA!!!!!!!!!
Get Rich Or Die Tryin’ ain’t a classic?
LOL DX IS str8 trash
DX is on that half way shit. They put good artist up and promote some good stuff but at the same time they have to appease the dumb ass mainstream fans. You cant really blame them.
then get off a mainstream hip hop website and go on undergroundfaggots.com and blow ur load all day. fuckin twat
saying GRODT isnt a classis is like saying College Dropout wasnt a classic..almost every record was a hit & 50 was still hungry and ready to take ova like he did at dat time
GRODT is classic man. COllege Droput, ehhh. Good album but ehhh
Lil Wayne is the pennacle of rap godliness
Highly over-rated weak word play and simple ass lines, flow not complex one bit. Shits average at best. Ant no fucking godlessness, thats like some respectful shut to say looking at artist like Pac and Biggie this dude is pure trash. garbage just like the area of rap he represents. Only reason this shits big is because the masses are uneducated sheep that fallow whatever is popular, not to mention the fact that they only like shitty music but hey if thats what they like more power to them, I guess.
holy shit RT r u fucking retarted or wat. obviously he’s joking look at his damn name. al sharpton. cmon man dont get your panties in a bunch it will be okay. fuck ur stupid
one of the realest articles ive read.
hey everyone!
the guy isnt saying one rapper is better than the other. or that certain albums are shit. he’s just saying that we used to judge the quality of albums based on different measures, ie their songs rather than their numbers. and that this might lead us to miss out on other good albums because they dont get the same exposure that, say, a weezy or jayz album gets.
its an interesting point that doesnt get much play in hiphop circles. and raises a lot more questions that just who’s better out of two EXCELLENT fucking rappers.
and tbh if it wasnt for hiphopdx and their reviews i wouldnt know about half the good shit that is currently coming out. seriously, they do a good balance of reviewing mainstream shit and the stuff that doesnt get as much marketing coverage. like, i dont even know what some of you guys are on this website for if its not to find out about new and good music?
This article should have been Wayne Vs Jay, but including other classics like GRODT and TES, which actually did well commercial flaws the whole article. Graduation is no where near classic(Thats kanye’s worst record).
You do know I made 808’s and Heartbreak right? LOLOLOLOLOLOL
Graduation is my worst album and its a classic, that means I;m one of the greatest, so GTFO.
I been saying that for a long time. Graduation is Kanye’s worst album in my opinion.
Graduation was his best…College Dropout and Late Regs., though stacked with classic jams, were too over bloated….except for Drunken Hot girls, every track was solid. It is the perfect blend between College Dropout and Late Regs…..I tend to favor it over MBDTF given that it’s Kanye’s last “fun” album…most of his stuff as of late has been dark, moody, and over the top shallow at time
Numbers don’t lie….Wayne will do 2x platinum max with C4. C3 did 3.5x platinum….See the difference yourself !
good article. sales do matter, but the best albums dont go double or triple tho.
its all marketing..record labeles gather dumb teens and ask them a whole bunch of questions…the most common answer you”ll get is “he is the best cause he has more money and sells more”. we all know that rick ross is fake, lil wayne doesnt know what he is rapping about,and drake aint a real singer…but thats what they to the kids…i bet if you give them an alternative they will more than likely go with the alternative.
normally i would say that if your album is good enough, its gonna sell.
But this year, Jay Rock -Follow Me Home was the best album out and it sold fuck all, so what do i know?
Sales dont matter anyone with a brain can see that. The population is dumbed down, at least the majority, so that reflects onto the music that is considered “good”. To be honest these two albums were mediocre at the best and there are plenty of albums that came out this year that deserve this ind of recognition 10 times more. Its just fucking sad
YES. now this man right here gets it. to a T.
I believe that sales should matter somewhat to the artist being that they are getting paid for the album, but i feel like it shouldnt matter as much to the fans. All that sales numbers are to fans are recognition that their favorite artist is still popular or are more popular than someone else. If you need that recognition to continue being a fan of someone then you are just comforting with everyone else and are listening to music for the wrong reasons.
It would be great if HipHopDx wasn’t so on Prodigy’s jock…really.
lol
funny
ahh. well. here i go and im gonna get hate for this but idgaf. im not paying for ANY album from this “look at me for this one album so i can get my money from this ringtones, imma bubblegum sale out and i want the anals of history to echo this fact.” rappers. example? rocko. waka. gucci. WE as fans are financing bullshit music and these type of shitty people are building empires off OUR money, and you wanna pay for the shit? seriously? a music culture that me, a white/American indian kid isnt supposed to be in tune with but i went through shit and had to rise up myself, i seem to care more about REAL Hip Hop than most people who claim it. And prodigys jock? do you know who Prod and Havoc are??? THATS what i mean about disrespecting hip hop. if you dont know get in the know because look at all the rappers over just the last two years that had one or two hits AND ARE GONE. And you gonna tell me thats real hip hop? seriously? “But josh theres enough money for everyone to get some!” Ha not my hard earned Dollars. When someone can touch Big Daddy Kanes syllables and compounds or Nas knowledge and creativity or hell even LL’s longevity, ill pay cash for an album.
excellent post, completely agree. problem is, a lot of people just like to dickride. they like whatever there friends like or mtv or the girls like cuz they think itll get em puss. than they try and come on here and talk some ignorant bullshit saying the legends and ogz in the game are bad. I have found that these people have no ear for lyrical, real music (not just rap, but music). and for me, and probably most of those dickriders too, music is my life, i put a lot into music. so why the fuck would you waste your money or time on something that isnt expanding your mind? I mean i fucks with gucci and waka a little, but when they drop shit they arent getting my money, they arent helping people or reaching out to people, they just talk bout papes, pushin weight and broads, which is fine but just be smarter and more intricate about it. in the end music is music and people are people. all i ask is that people think and research a little before shit starts falling out there mouth, Peace god.
03 was the death of the golden era of hip hop
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aH-AFQ27VaE
lil wyanita the queen of homo hop aka lil wyane
carter 4 straght up gay!!!!!
“They say numbers don’t lie – except one time”
-Lil Wayne
Baby bought those first week copies of the Carter 4. You want proof? Sales dipped 77% the second week!
…or word got around that the album wasn’t good and the ones who missed out the first week didn’t show up the second…
no, it’s just a trend in hip hop that first week sales are through the roof and second week sales are pathetic in comparison, nearly every album after 2006 was like that.
Great Article.
first for trying imply get rich wasnt a groundbreaking masterpeice and second for putting massacre with END go plank yourself on a knife bitch nigga
GroundBreaking? lol
GroundBreaking? lol
look at movies, a lot of critically panned movies are cult favourites or just straight beloved by the masses, are you gonna tell me happy gilmore is a shit movie? fuck you then. And I GOT to call bull shit on saying Speakerboxxx/Love Below and Graduation as the only groundbreaking albums in that list. first of all no critic would say that those we’re each artists best albums and secondly how is carter 3 not groundbreaking? no album like it hate it or not; Eminem Show? that shit was a revelation. Get Rich, King, and even Country Grammar were all game changers in their own way as well just not in a typical critical darling way. Critics rarely fully endorse straight g shit, that ignorant shit that even that Gods Outkast can’t deliver. (and if you think Nelly aint g then u haven’t watched tip drill, dude gets g status jus 4 that shit)
As Andre said on hey ya! “y’all don’t wanna hear me you just wanna dance.” Nobody cares about a message anymore, they just want to hear a catchy hook and good beat. The eminem show was a good album and so was GRODT but they were mainstream and had hooks on most songs, plus there was massive marketing around them at the time so it’s not just hits you have to take into consideration but also marketing by the label and features before the album landed.