Is It Even Possible For An Album To Be An Instant Classic?
- Thread starter 5 Grand
- Start date
konceptjones
The one between three and three.
Paid In Full was an instant classic. The way it changed the landscape of lyricism was undeniable.
Natural Born Sinners
Active Member
Sometimes. The 1st time I heard 50 cent's GRODT. I seriously did not want to be a prisoner of the moment. But I listened very closely to each bar and song structure, beat selection and hooks and knew the shit was a classic off rip. Same goes for Commons BE. I didn't know how other people would respond to it, but it was a personal classic soon as I got to that "BE" outro at the end of the "it's your world" song. I think if albums are shorter they are easily to pick apart and digest. For example 4:44 was easier for me to come to a conclusion on than Damn.
CeLLar-DooR
OG
I don't think I've heard an instant classic I could understand how your Illmatics and Doggystyles could be
MorganFreemanKing
Ouchea
To me that phrase is generally an oxymoron. I don't know how something "stands the test of time" instantly.
Then again some projects affect the culture immediately. That depends on your definition of "classic"
Then again some projects affect the culture immediately. That depends on your definition of "classic"
I can think of a few albums that sold a lot of records but in hindsight, nobody calls them classics
Please Hammer Don't Hurt Em
No Way Out (a few really good songs but it doesn't really play from front to back like a classic should)
I Am
Hardknock Life Vol 2
Bow Wow's album that sold 3X (can't remember the title and too lazy to do a google search)
I'm sure there's more albums that went multiplatinum when it was released but nobody calls them classics.
Please Hammer Don't Hurt Em
No Way Out (a few really good songs but it doesn't really play from front to back like a classic should)
I Am
Hardknock Life Vol 2
Bow Wow's album that sold 3X (can't remember the title and too lazy to do a google search)
I'm sure there's more albums that went multiplatinum when it was released but nobody calls them classics.
SneakDZA
High Brow Negro
Illmatic, It Takes a Nation of Millions..., The Chronic, Paid in Full, Step in the Arena, The Infamous, Ready to Die
All those among others were instant classics and arguably still are.
But there are also tons of albums that seemed like instant classics but fell by the wayside over time.
All those among others were instant classics and arguably still are.
But there are also tons of albums that seemed like instant classics but fell by the wayside over time.
Yeah I remember the day I came home with It Takes A Nation of Millions To Hold Us Back. It came out in the summer of 88 so it was in between my freshmen and sophomore years. I would have been 14.
Keep in mind that Rebel Without A Pause had come out a year prior, it was on the B-side of one of their singles from their first album. And Bring The Noise was about 6 months old, it was on the Less Than Zero Soundtrack. So those two songs were hot, but they were old.
So I bring home the record (I used to collect vinyl) and the lyrics are inside the sleeve. I remember sitting down and playing the entire album from front to back while reading the lyrics. Now this was 1988 when Run DMC were still considered the Heavyweight champions. But there was no denying that Public Enemy had upped the ante, set the bar and Run DMC had an album out the same summer (Tougher Than Leather) but it was a dud with two or three good songs and the rest of the album was pretty horrible.
That summer there must have been at least 7-10 albums that were 4 mics or better, but I think Public Enemy had the best album out of everybody.
I thought the album was hot the first time I heard it, but I had no idea it was history in the making.
SneakDZA
High Brow Negro
Oh and I forgot The Score, Criminal Minded and probably tons of others.
It's probably more of a challenge to name albums that were considered instant classics but didn't age properly at all. Like MMLP and I would reluctantly throw Cypress Hill in there as well since I have a soft spot for that album but probably couldn't sit through a whole listen nowadays.
So basically for every album that was an "instant classic" there's another album that was called an "instant classic" when it was released that doesn't stand the test of time and only has a few good songs.
I remember Das Efx's first album was considered the hottest thing when it came out, but nobody talks about it nowadays.
SneakDZA
High Brow Negro
I actually still bump Dead Serious and consider it to still be dope and stand the test of time but I wouldn't call it a classic and I don't think anyone ever did.
Well I remember the summer it came out. It got a lot of hype because they had a new style and a new look. But when it was all said and done, the diggity diggity style was a fad and nobody checked for their second album when it dropped in 95.
SneakDZA
High Brow Negro
That wasn't 100% their fault though since their whole style got bit into oblivion once They Want EFX came out. I could actually make the argument that Das EFX changed the whole sound of rap singlehandedly from that point on. There was nothing at all like it before and there was a shitload like it right after. Including a lot of my favorite MC's. EVERYBODY at that time was flagrantly biting Das.