ABW defines what a classic album is...
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GOAT
🐐
This always hard to define because there are bona fied hip hop classics that nobody can dispute (Chronic, Doggystyle, Illmatic, ect...)
Those are albums that have already stood the test of time, represent an era in the game, and are pillars in the genre.
But since the 90s the game has changed. Rap is pop music now. There are sub-sections and niche audiences within hip hop itself that have their own classics for their sub-genre of hip hop.
There are albums that are classic for New York rap that outside of NY were just cool albums. There are texas classics, underground classics, indie classics, west coast classics, down south classics....
If we keep it buck there are not that many true classics that moved hip hop. But today everyone wanna call everything trash or classic. No inbetween.
95% of the albums ppl claim are classic are really just dope albums
Those are albums that have already stood the test of time, represent an era in the game, and are pillars in the genre.
But since the 90s the game has changed. Rap is pop music now. There are sub-sections and niche audiences within hip hop itself that have their own classics for their sub-genre of hip hop.
There are albums that are classic for New York rap that outside of NY were just cool albums. There are texas classics, underground classics, indie classics, west coast classics, down south classics....
If we keep it buck there are not that many true classics that moved hip hop. But today everyone wanna call everything trash or classic. No inbetween.
95% of the albums ppl claim are classic are really just dope albums
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How well it holds up
Not really.
I remember Hip Hop from Day 2 (when Rapper's Delight came out) The early albums were kinda wack. I guess the labels didn't think there was a market for a rap album all the way through so they had R&B songs and ballads.
Me and my brother had Kurtis Blow's first album, The Sugarhill Gang's first album and Grandmaster Flash and the Furious 5's first album and they were all disappointing because they had ballads with them singing and I wanted them to rap all the way through.
The first round of "classic" albums that stood the test of time were;
Wildstyle Soundtrack (1983)
Run DMC - Self Titled (1984)
Escape - Whodini (1984)
Fat Boys - Self Titled (1984)
Grandmaster Flash & The Furious 5 - Greatest Messages (1984)
^^^^ That was the first round of bonafide classics that stand the test of time 35 years later
By the mid/late 80s you had groups from different regions
Too Short - Bay Area
Ice T - Los Angeles
Geto Boys - Texas
2 Live Crew - Florida
My point is that by the late 80s you had different regions and the "regional classic" came into existence.
I'd say the term "regional classic" came into existence circa 1987.
As far as the Fat Boys; There were 7 songs on the album (although some of those songs are kinda long) but Can You Feel It and Stick Em still bump in 2018. Also Jailhouse Rap and Human Beat Box were good. The whole album is solid.
As far as Whodini goes, the summer of 84 was like no other summer. It was the first summer where you actually had full length albums to bump and anybody who was around in 1984 remembers those days fondly. Every song on Whodini's album stands the test of time.
And there were enough people between, say, 10-30 years old that those albums went gold and platinum.
I'll bite
As a general rule, 10 years should pass before calling an album a "classic".
Here are some albums that were labeled classic when they were released, but 10 years later opinions have changed
1. Please Hammer Don't Hurt Em - MC Hammer (had a lot of top 40 hits, but U Can't Touch This is the only song that gets played nowadays)
2. Cypress Hill - Cypress Hill (They got props at the time for having an East Coast flavor but the novelty wore off imo)
3. MMLP - Eminem (This album was hyped up to be a 5 mic classic, in hindsight the production was suspect and the gimmicks got annoying)
4. Rule 3:36 - Ja Rule (3X Platinum but nobody bumps it nowadays)
5. Pain Is Love - Ja Rule (went 3X platinum but I haven't heard anybody call it "classic" lately.
Word....Life
Haa..I threw that shit before I walked in tha ROOM
I think it all comes down to “classic” being subjective af...tha simple fact that you can’t quantify tha status of a classic with number sales/facts makes tha term classic an opinion at best...that means that there really doesn’t have to be a given “timetable” for what a classic is because if tha music/album resonates with you instantly it can definitely be a classic with in a couple/1 listen
IMO
IMO
Well an album isn't gonna sell 3X plat unless the word on the street is that the album is fire.
Word....Life
Haa..I threw that shit before I walked in tha ROOM
You really believe this bruh or you just trollin’?? Lol
Word....Life
Haa..I threw that shit before I walked in tha ROOM
You think Hammer sold 22 mil because tha album was that dope or because he had a huge crossover hit?? Most albums that have really big album sales sold off tha strength of 1 or 2 crossover or radio hits...of course there are a few exceptions but I think most people give more “critically acclaimed” albums classic status instead of just record sales
Again just my opinion
Again just my opinion
Mister
Ignorance can be remedied. Stupidity is incurable.
In the end, personal classics are all that really matter. How others rank your favorite music isn't going to change how you hear it.
To answer @Goldie question, it's tough to set an arbitrary time limit. Some things come along and you just know. While others don't agree so well once the initial romance has died. Quite the conundrum.