2007-2008 Hip Hop "Hip Hop Elite"

Ur cazy!lol I don't deny most of the album you listed were great albums (legendary) but you definitely have some duds up there. Many of those albums are great because of the time but don't stand the test of time. The artist do because they came at a time when Hip Hop was "colorful" having variation of artist, hits, etc. It was new, but most of those albums weren't great. When things are new there remembered but when it becomes second nature it looses its fizzle. Currently Hip Hop for the most part uses a cookie cutter approach, just like any other genre. But you can't get credit for:

Jeru the damaja: two singles doesn't make it a great album. Only tree people felt that album.
Grave diggas: c'mon... seriously
Cyprus Hill: what did they say that was worth listening to?
Organized confusion: what?
Krs One: legendary, but this album wasn't nearly as good as his first two. This was at the end of his career. I'll give you that because he can be grandfathered into almost any list. But not because the alum was hot.
Souls of Mischief: c'mon you got to be kidding me. who listened to them but people who wrote poetry and sat in dark rooms depressed about society...
Tribe called quest: this album was decent.
The alkaholics: I had this album cause i loved the single, but after listening to the album a few times (3 at most) all i could do was listen to the single.
Digable Planet: First album hot! 2nd album fizzled.

Everything else I totally agree wit. Good debate points. I totally think you underestimate the lyrical relevance and creativity of the albums I listed. You must be over 30 something though. Thats not a dig its just feel your comments are a little out off touch with the relevance and transition of present day lyrical content relevance, deliverance, and creativity. I know things fall apart wasn't better than rising down. The Carter III was bananas and I was really suspicious about wayne cause his underground stuff was weak. Nas's new album is top 2 or three. Common's album was better than ressurection. I have both albums. ressurection was lyrically a knock out but you got to consider the production. That's where I think the disconnect is actually. Production is much more a relevant piece of the overall album compared to the 80's and 90's. The beats are more complex and play a greater role in the success of the album and the diversity of artist. Producers of now are the DJs of old. You have to consider production.

Thanks for the Debate. I agree.

p.s. I didn't even notice the 80's stuff. Till I already finished my statement. Maybe some other time. I'm tired of typing. Good stuff though. I think that list might have even been stronger than the latter.

since you figure that we're in our thirty's, which i am. how old are you? grave diggas was the shit
cyprus hill will go down as legendary
the souls of mischief displayed excellent use of metaphors and delivery.
jeru? com on man dude is highly respected by real emcee evrywhere.
by your answers imma guess that your about 25

Many of those albums are great because of the time but don't stand the test of time.

We're still discussing them aren't we?
Most people on this board still listen to them.
The albums you mentioned aint even been out for a full year, but you're talkin about "the test of time"? You seriously think any one will remember Eardrum, UGK, THE COOL, The Carter III, Rising down, Finding Forever, or American gangster 2 yrs fromnow?

I totally think you underestimate the lyrical relevance and creativity of the albums I listed.

No I'm not. The albums I listed were fresh raw product. No one had ever heard any thing like them before. Every thing you listed was simply an attempt to ressurrect the true golden era.

Organized confusion: what?

Why the hell are you on rawkus.com when you don't know about Pharoahe monches group?

Tribe called quest: this album was decent.
Decent?! You can still play any of the joints off any ATCQ album and the party will get live.

yrical content relevance, deliverance, and creativity

Are you serious? In an age where "swag" is every thing, and the socalled best emcee in the game is a one line one trick pony, you're talkin about creativity, content, and delivery?

And why are you discussing the ARTISTS I posted, not the individual albums?

Nas's new album is top 2 or three.
Nas new album sucks balls.

Nas top 3 albums:

Illmatic
It was Written
Gods Son

After that it's Stillmatic and The lost tapes.
The production is trash on thew new LP.

That's where I think the disconnect is actually. Production is much more a relevant piece of the overall album compared to the 80's and 90's.

Production is more valuble on albums today because we just got out of the producer era. Emcees played the back over the past few years.

The beats are more complex and play a greater role in the success of the album and the diversity of artist.

What is complex about the production on any of the albums you mentioned?
Because they use synths instead of filter base lines it's more "complex"? Besides Dj Khalil, and El-p, no one is really doing "complex" hiphop production.

Your weak ass argument is that the past 2 yrs have been the best 2 yrs in hiphop in terms of albums. My point was the that I can pick any two years from 88-99 and prove you wrong.

for that matter ... this last two years had some surprises for me i will call classic in the future .... black milk - Popular Demand fe or that sour diesel thing by damn i forgot his name still 90s is my favs so here i go:
Arsonists - As The World Burns 1999 (i think)
Artifacts - Between a Rock and a Hard Place 1994
Nas- I Am... 1999
Mobb Deep - The Infamous... 1995
Main Source - Breaking Atoms 1991

Dude i could go on forever and there will be far more 90 albums i still spin than even track from 2kplus i do .....
call me old call me old fashion
still classic is classic and the past few years only had like a dozen diamonds ... the rest has been average or ok ... up to very few good releases