The Generation Gap

[5 Grand]

If I'm not the oldest on the forum I'm probably one of the oldest. I was born in 1973, so I was 6 when Rapper's Delight came out. I was 9 when The Message came out I saw Beat Street in 1984 when I was 11.

Criminal Minded came out in 1987 when I was 13 going on 14. It Takes A Nation of Millions... came out when I was 14 going on 15. Illmatic came out when I was 20 1/2.

My point is that these songs and albums had a profound effect on my taste in music. I idolized those rappers the same way teenagers idolize Lil Uzi Vert or Migos now in 2019.

Over the past few weeks we've been doing these threads where we vote if a rapper is top 5, top 10, top 25, top 50. I've seen people rank Lupe Fiasco, Kanye West, Joe Budden, Lil Wayne and Kendrick Lamar in their top 5. These are all MCs that were in their prime when I was in my 30s and not at an impressionable age.

I bought two Kendrick albums, GKMC and Damn. I was impressed by Damn. That's a really dope album, but it doesn't really have me stuck like It Takes A Nation... or Criminal Minded, not because the music isn't as good, but just because Rappers and their albums just don't effect me like they did when I was younger. I guess I have too much on my mind to be idolizing a rapper.

I remember I had College Dropout when it came out. I really liked Through The Wire, All Falls Down and Jesus Walks, the singles. But I haven't been following Kanye's career album for album. He has a handful of albums that I've never heard and couldn't name one song from it.

I downloaded Lupe's Food & Liquor and gave it a few spins when it came out but I didn't get the hype.

I had some of Joe Budden's mixtapes but they didn't really blow me away like I've heard some people say.

My point is the stuff that really, really, really blew me away was the stuff that came out in the 80s, 90s and early 00s when I was younger. By around 2005 everything started to have less and less impact on me. I can't decide if it's because I'm just older, or if everything's already been done, or a little of both

I know there's cats that are about 10 years younger than me that are probably going through the same stage.


Add on.

 

[Goldie]

I was gonna make a thread like this but from the opposite POV. In the same series you mentioned I'm seeing a lot of people vote for older artists with a weaker catalog than newer artists whether they want to admit it or not. They've been having the same top 5 for so long I don't think they'll ever allow newer artists to crack it.

My question is, do yall have any new artist (anybody who debuted in the 2000s) , in your top 5? If not, what will it take?

 

[Chi-Town B]

I was gonna make a thread like this but from the opposite POV. In the same series you mentioned I'm seeing a lot of people vote for older artists with a weaker catalog than newer artists whether they want to admit it or not. They've been having the same top 5 for so long I don't think they'll ever allow newer artists to crack it.

My question is, do yall have any new artist (anybody who debuted in the 2000s) , in your top 5? If not, what will it take?

Yep, 50 Cent and Lloyd Banks

 

[Goldie]

I wanna see the other answers.

Cuz during the Kendrick thread niggas was acting shocked af with people who have Kendrick in their top 5. Kendrick's going on his 5th album. By the time Nas was heading to his 5th album (Stillmatic) niggas BEEN had him in their top 5. Why are mfs so shocked at Kendrick being top 5?

 

[Chi-Town B]

It is hard for me to go listen to those early 80s and before rappers. By the time I got into rap that whole old school style was corny to me and gangster rap had drawn everyone in. I can't imagine anyone listening to that hip hop hippity hip stuff from back then.

 

[God_Body]

I wanna see the other answers.

Cuz during the Kendrick thread niggas was acting shocked af with people who have Kendrick in their top 5. Kendrick's going on his 5th album. By the time Nas was heading to his 5th album (Stillmatic) niggas BEEN had him in their top 5. Why are mfs so shocked at Kendrick being top 5?

 

[Goldie]

U gotta learn how to copy and paste fam

 

[God_Body]

U gotta learn how to copy and paste fam

Nah yo. You pissing me off with this Kendrick/Nas shit. Kendrick is not fucking with Nas on any level, muscially or emcee wise. Overall or their first 5 albums. Stop the disrespect.

 

[King Poetic]

I got Kendrick in my top 10 ,no question. To me , he has 3 classics and when it's all set and done , I feel like he will be top 5 . He has it all ...he can spit , has mainstream appeal and make classic albums, which to me the last part, sets the standards to what a mc is .

 

[KINGEC]

This is what it essentially comes down to. Been there. Done that. Seen this.

Not saying that some of the shit isn't good, it's just that as you age you are unimpressed by most shit or it's just "meh".

 

[Word....Life]

I have Kendrick at 5 right now on my personal list...and I’m one of tha “older” posters but it’s funny because I was talking about this earlier to a cat at my job today who’s 45 about tha same exact shit...all his top 5 artist are dudes from early to mid 80’s...but this 3-4 year difference in our ages is huge because while y’all 13-16 y’all still getting basically “infant hip-hop” and as y’all grow it grows with you....connecting you more to that era more...more to those artist...at this time I’m like 10–13 still being “censored” a little bit and only really getting what my pops listened to (plus I was super into sports) but by tha time I’m 15, 16, 17 it’s basically 91, 92, 93..I’m getting arguably tha GOAT era while I’m a teenager damn near tha same age as all these great, dope, iconic rappers...and I have full access to magazines, videos, concerts, mixtapes,etc. etc...

Now tha reason why I can still listen to, respect and be a real fan of younger artist (I routinely have talked about Joey Bada$$, Flatbush Zombies, Ab Soul, J.I.D., EsrthGang and I could name new artist for days I consider personal favorites) and list rappers like K Dot and Cole as high as I do is because I literally ate, slept, dreamed, lived hip-hop from 13-14ish until...well now lol...there was a few years period from early 2003-ish time frame to about 2010-2011 time frame that I kinda hated hip-hop (ringtone era maybe) but since then I’ve been back checking for new shit weekly...that’s also how I stumbled across tha IC a few years ago and found ABW last year...googling new hip hop music lol


Just my 5 cent...for now lol

 

[5 Grand]

I wanna see the other answers.

Cuz during the Kendrick thread niggas was acting shocked af with people who have Kendrick in their top 5. Kendrick's going on his 5th album. By the time Nas was heading to his 5th album (Stillmatic) niggas BEEN had him in their top 5. Why are mfs so shocked at Kendrick being top 5?

Nas can rap circles around Kendrick and that's not debatable. There's absolutely no comparison. Kendrick makes good music, but as far as lyrics, flow, metaphors, similes, storytelling, voice, etc Nas is that absolute best MC ever and Kendrick is just the best rapper out now.

It's not even close and I wouldn't take you seriously if you tried to dispute what I just said.

Nas's flow on One Love, Life's A B!tch, If I Ruled The World, Purple, Stillmatic Freestyle >>>


That's not a diss to Kendrick but its like comparing Muhammad Ali to Lennox Lewis.

 

[Goldie]

Nas can rap circles around Kendrick and that's not debatable. There's absolutely no comparison. Kendrick makes good music, but as far as lyrics, flow, metaphors, similes, storytelling, voice, etc Nas is that absolute best MC ever and Kendrick is just the best rapper out now.

It's not even close and I wouldn't take you seriously if you tried to dispute what I just said.

Nas's flow on One Love, Life's A B!tch, If I Ruled The World, Purple, Stillmatic Freestyle >>>


That's not a diss to Kendrick but its like comparing Muhammad Ali to Lennox Lewis.

And that's where the disconnect is. Some people like yourself seem to put 100% stock into lyricism. For me it's 50/50. Half on how dope a lyricist the artist is and half how good they are at making music. Some niggas are fire "lyricist" and make mediocre music. At the end of the day it comes down to the music for me, idgaf how dope of a lyricist the mf is, if the music aint good it means nothing to me.

Not saying Nas makes wack music he's around my top 6, but Kendrick has been 4/4 so far, Nas' fourth album was Nastradamus.....

 

[Word....Life]

Nas can rap circles around Kendrick and that's not debatable. There's absolutely no comparison. Kendrick makes good music, but as far as lyrics, flow, metaphors, similes, storytelling, voice, etc Nas is that absolute best MC ever and Kendrick is just the best rapper out now.

It's not even close and I wouldn't take you seriously if you tried to dispute what I just said.

Nas's flow on One Love, Life's A B!tch, If I Ruled The World, Purple, Stillmatic Freestyle >>>


That's not a diss to Kendrick but its like comparing Muhammad Ali to Lennox Lewis.

But...but...NONE of those old niggaz you be caping for can hold a candle to Kendrick wit none of that shit you just named...and not because they wack but they just old and basic af...ljs

 

[God_Body]

Kendrick 4/4? Kendrick got 3 classics? y'all niggas on dust. This past decade Kendrick ain't even got the best albums from his own city. Doc 2, 2.5, 1992 >>> Kendrick 3 albums. @Goldie and @Word...Life debate me tomorrow.

 

[5 Grand]

And that's where the disconnect is. Some people like yourself seem to put 100% stock into lyricism. For me it's 50/50. Half on how dope a lyricist the artist is and half how good they are at making music. Some niggas are fire "lyricist" and make mediocre music. At the end of the day it comes down to the music for me, idgaf how dope of a lyricist the mf is, if the music aint good it means nothing to me.

Not saying Nas makes wack music he's around my top 6, but Kendrick has been 4/4 so far, Nas' fourth album was Nastradamus.....

Like you said, there's a difference between making good music vs being the illest MC.

By no stretch of the imagination is Kendrick the illest MC. He makes good music and he can rap, but he's not a top 10 MC.

 

[Revolver Ocelot]

I do have a post 2000 rapper in my top 10

Justin Scott

 

[SeaSnake]

I feel this. I be really trying with alot of after 2012 rappers but i just dont feel it. People love j. Cole but he bores me. I dont like alot of newer rappers whole albums just certain singles.

But back in highschool id bump whole albums rarely skipping songs.

 

[SeaSnake]

Kendrick 4/4? Kendrick got 3 classics? y'all niggas on dust. This past decade Kendrick ain't even got the best albums from his own city. Doc 2, 2.5, 1992 >>> Kendrick 3 albums. @Goldie and @Word...Life debate me tomorrow.

Nigga dont even.put the game in this conversation. Name dropping for punchlines

 

[CeLLar-DooR]

This generation crap is just a way for niggas to be stuck in their biases imo. Old niggas who like rappers who could barely rhyme and people who like modern rappers who are either trash or average/quite good by the mid 90s/early 2000s standard. Niggas like Kendrick

I think its a mad cop out and I can't stand seein' this argument.