Welcome To aBlackWeb

Let's Discuss The Technical Definition Of The Word, "Classic"

5 Grand

Old School Godfather
There's another thread that celebrates Jay Z's Blueprint album being inducted in the National Recording Registry of the Library Congress. Here's the link:

https://www.loc.gov/programs/nation...complete-national-recording-registry-listing/


I listed some songs and albums that may be of interest to ABW. There's probably twice as many songs and albums as well as a lot of speeches.


National Registry


Go - Dexter Gordon (dope jazz album)

The Blueprint Album - Jay Z

Minnie The Moocher - Cab Calloway

Mississippi Goddamn - Nina Simone

Superfly Album - Curtis Mayfield

September - Earth Wind & Fire

Raising Hell album - Run DMC

Straight Outta Compton - NWA

A Love Supreme album John Coltrane

The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill album

Stand! Album - Sly & The Family Stone

Night at Birdland Vol 1&2 - Art Blakey

Theme From Shaft LP - Isaac Hayes

Dark Side Of The Moon - Pink Floyd

Mothership Connection - Parliament

Purple Rain - Prince

Rappers Delight - Sugarhill Gang

Three Feet High & Rising - De La Soul

Let’s Stay Together - Al Green

Dear Mama - 2Pac

At Last - Etta James

Headhunters album - Herbie Hancock

Burnin - Bb Marley & The Wailers

Are You Experienced - Jimmi Hendrix Experience

The Revolution Will Not Be Televised - Gil Scott Heron

Songs In The Key Of Life - Stevie Wonder

Fear Of A Black Planet - Public Enemy

Giant Steps - John Coltrane

Nevermind - Nirvana

Born To Run - Bruce Springsteen

Brilliant Corners - Thelonious Monk

Mingus Ah Um - Charles Mingus

SRGNT Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band - The Beatles

Tapestry - Carol King

Kind Of Blue - Miles Davis

The Message - Grandmaster Flash & The Furious 5

Respect - Aretha Franklin

Strange Fruit - Billy Holiday


As you can see there's only a handful of rap songs and albums.

I didn't even notice any Elvis songs, without double checking.


So let's discuss what a true classic is.

The National Registry has


Blueprint
Raising Hell
3 Feet High & Rising
Fear of a Black Planet
Straight Outta Compton
The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill

also

Rappers Delight - Sugarhill Gang
The Message - Grandmaster Flash & The Furious 5
Dear Mama- 2Pac


So now that we have a bar set for what is and isn't a classic, let's have everybody name 1 song and 1 album that you feel should be inducted.

I'll go first

song - Planet Rock - Africa Bambaattaa & The Soul Sonic Force
album - Criminal Minded - Boogie Down Productions
 
I wouldn't have picked BP to be in there, but I can't think of any album that definitively deserves to be in there. If they chose a pivotal NYC rap album, I think Illmatic, 36 Chambers, and Ready to Die all deserved inclusion more than BP.
 
Back
Top