The misconception of a masterpiece.

[2Pax]

When describing hip-hop albums, I think the words "Classic" and "Masterpiece" mean different things. Masterpiece's being the albums which have changed rap music, albums like 'The Chronic', 'Paid in Full' and 'Straight Outta Compton'.

Classic albums are albums such 'Illmatic', 'Reasonable Doubt' and 'Doggystyle'. Although these are flawless albums they shouldn't be placed just quite on the same level as 'Masterpiece' albums.

On a side note, the word classic is threw about too much these days, it's starting to lose it's value.

 

[EDouble]

the term 'masterpiece' should be scratched

 

[Ahmet85]

but i will say that i do disagree to a certain extent with ur list of "classics". Probably because my definition of classic is a little different than yours... my definition is as follows-an album in which i can play the entire album, anyday i choose, no matter what mood, and be satisfied enough not to have the urge to change the song that is playing.

:thumb: ^

7 syns view on what makes an album to a classic is wrong. If you would tell a crowd of elvis Beatles or Rolling Stones fans, that just the first first album is a classic cause it was a "new style and had an impact", they would kill you! But I agree absolutely with yours.

 

[Frank Grimes]

yea people shouldnt worry about "classics" and get into that to much, its all about what does you, what the music does for you. for example an album could be widely looked upon as a classic but it does nothing for you, music should extract peoples emotions and music can literally change your life. i dont listen to alot of hiphop these days but.
so what if an album changed hip hop you dont have to own it and like it, i dont like "the chronic' and doggystlye i dont even dig that kinda hip hop.

 

[Ahmet85]

i dont like "the chronic' and doggystlye i dont even dig that kinda hip hop.

wow, huge lack!

 

[Pittsey]

Doggy Style = a better version of the Chronic.

I'l stick with my interpretation of an album being a "classic".

I don't get what you mean?

Are you saying because Doggystyle is a better album than Chronic it should get a mention above it? If so, shouldn't the album that was cutting edge, new and original get the edge. i.e The Chronic.

Doggystyle is my favourite ever album, but Chronic was the album that down the groundbreaking.

 

[Lok]

i made that comment in response to this guys reply:

I can see what your getting at. Can't see any mention of The Blueprint (Jay-Z) which I suppose is a 'marmite-esque' album, in the respect taht you either hate it or love it.
Not a great fan but 'Doggy-style' must get a mention too?

What I ment was that Doggystyle shouldn't be considered a clasic by 7 Syns definition, since it is a better version of The Chronic.

 

[Pittsey]

i made that comment in response to this guys reply:

What I ment was that Doggystyle shouldn't be considered a clasic by 7 Syns definition, since it is a better version of The Chronic.

I get you. Ignore my post.

IMO it is a classic album, but not groundbreaking. I partly agree with 7 Syns. But there are too many grey areas.

 

[Lok]

I don't agree with him at all, but that's just me. Doggystyle is a classic & so is the Chronic in my book.

 

[Frank Grimes]

wow, huge lack!

its entertaing for the 1st listen or so but afta that,nah

 

[7 Syns]

:thumb: ^

7 syns view on what makes an album to a classic is wrong.

How can it be wrong when it's a view? Because it differ's from yours? Dude, please. Cheers for the reply though :thumb:

peace.

 

[bi0x]

What about kool g rap? He def made some classics...

 

[jflballer]

such crap dude. For an album to be genre-changing, it has to be widely recognized. You can craft a masterpiece that isn't recognized for shit. It's the same w/any form of artwork. I could create an absolute masterpiece in my backyard and it wouldn't change shit because no one knows about it. You are focusing too much on an album's INFLUENCE rather than its CONTENT. CONTENT (style, production, subject matter, etc.) is what truly makes a masterpiece.

 

[kman_69]

Cypress Hill - Three Temples Of Boom. is a classic IMO...as it didnt follow any trends, it paved the way for many artists.....and essentially it was a perfect album both lyrically/flow wise (b-real), and instrumentally (muggs)... the content of the album was also ground breaking as it discussed many things that had never been talked about in the world of hiphop before...latino gang life etc...

i could go on, but thats just my 2 cents..

peace.

 

[marc]

i think most of us could agree with you , 7syns, if you changed "masterpiece/classic" to "groundbraking" album. because this way your interpretation of a classic album became clearer.
imo Me Against The World, Moment Of Truth could be considered masterpieces, but not "groundbraking" albums. my definition of masterpiece goes along with the dude saying: you should be able to listen to an album any time, without skipping any (or only 1or2) tracks.

would you agree?

 

[makaveli_411]

Nice clearing up what a classic/masterpiece album is but I disagree with some albums not in your list 7 Syns. Where is MATW, Doggystyle, 2001, It's Dark and Hell is Hot, Blueprint, Stillmatic.

BTW as long as DK7 it is a masterpiece the only thing about is that it's a niche album. If you really think about it which album except for DMX's first is dark as this, nothing that's why. DK7 is an album that's part of a category that differs from all the other rap albums thus making it unique.

Peace

 

[B.Parcells]

Cypress Hill - Three Temples Of Boom. is a classic IMO...as it didnt follow any trends, it paved the way for many artists.....and essentially it was a perfect album both lyrically/flow wise (b-real), and instrumentally (muggs)... the content of the album was also ground breaking as it discussed many things that had never been talked about in the world of hiphop before...latino gang life etc...

i could go on, but thats just my 2 cents..

peace.

:thumb:

 

[B.Parcells]

:thumb: ^

If you would tell a crowd of elvis Beatles or Rolling Stones fans, that just the first first album is a classic cause it was a "new style and had an impact", they would kill you!

:thumb:

 

[Hellrazor1978]

Me Against the World, All Eyez On Me, and 7 Day Theory are all classic......why?? They've stood the test of time. People still buy and play them to this day, more then a decade after their initial release. And they will still continue to be played for years to come. Timeless.

While I think impact and influence is definatly an important factor if determining an album to be classic, replay value and timelessness are equally important.

There is somewhat of a difference between a classic and a masterpiece to me. A masterpiece can (and usually is) a classic, but a classic isnt necessarily a masterpiece. A masterpiece has to be nearly flawless IMO, to be labeled as such. As much of a Pac fan as I am, the only album id say that is a "masterpiece" is 7 Day Theory, because its his best all around work. MATW is pretty damn close, but im borderline if this is an absolute masterpiece or not. AEOM, while a classic, is definatly not a masterpiece. 7 Day Theory and MATW are much closer to being flawless, and 7 Day Theory is as close to flawless as u can get IMO (i dont consider ANY album to be flawless, not even 7 Day Theory or Illmatic).

other masterpieces:

Illmatic
Aquemini
OB4CL
Doggystyle
ATLiens

 

[Hellrazor1978]

^^^because it was an after affect of pac's passing, therefore rap MUSICas a whole did not change. Also if they are mimicing his style then its the same fucking thing theres no difference in mimicing at all, get it straight.









2pac did spawn a legion of wannabe's but outside of the wannabe's (which we all know where just wanna be's) no one really got influenced musically.there was no evolution so to speak


Did 2pac change the way people rhymed??
Did 2pac change the way people heard music??
Did tupac make any landscape changs in hip-hop.

the only way pac changed hip-hop was by dying.




















































In my opinion(damn ima get flammed for this shit)

you cant be serious man......

almost every mainstream MC today (and underground for that matter as well) lists Pac as one of their main inspirations for getting into the game in the first place. He may not have invented new rhyme patterns or wordplay like Rakim did, but the content of his music itself has influenced an entire generation of MC's. Almost every living MC today will tell he is top 3 all time based on impact alone, if not GOAT. Cube and Chuck D were Pac's influences, but they never were or became as versatile as him......Pac was the complete package.

Did Pac spawn any landscape changes?? Heh, almost every mainstream MC today uses AEOM as a blueprint/measuring stick for making their albums. Plus he made it ok for everyone to start putting out double albums.

and Makaveli definatly had some impact......maybe not as much impact as AEOM, which is the standard blueprint for how a mainstream album is made, but nobody was making songs like "Hail Mary", "Blasphemy", etc back then. Makaveli was an album that was ahead of its time, it was Pac's greatest work ever but it was so deep it took awhile for it to sink in with some heads. It wasnt on some simple or dumbed down shit like AEOM was. Plus, if Makaveli had no impact, how come Hail Mary been sampled by other rappers no less then 3 times?? Plus Jay bit (and ruined) the classic Me and My Girlfriend.