What makes an Album a Classic?

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innercity99
innercity99 Members Posts: 892
edited January 2011 in The Reason
does that album have to have a good Balance of good/catchy hooks and dope lyrics? Spit on hot

beats? What if the lyrics are mediocre but the hook is great what if they have ill lyrics but the

hooks are so so do u look past that or if the beats are wack but the rest of the song is hot? I ask

cause it seems like the standard is different for every artist like a snoop ? was a classic

hot beats catchy hooks but snoop is no lyricist he's mediocre at best or illmatic the lyrics were ill

but the beats were nothing special nore were some of the hooks does it make it a classic if it

stands the test of time I wanna know what y'all think
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  • Idiopathic Joker
    Idiopathic Joker Members, Moderators Posts: 45,691 Regulator
    edited January 2011
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    Lyrics, production, delivery, subjects have to merge into one errorless, timeless sound. Or just get a bunch of friends to join the IC and call any random album a classic
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  • Hatter
    Hatter Members Posts: 2,451 ✭✭
    edited January 2011
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    If i can play a album from start to finish without skipping a track then its a classic to me.
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  • NuffRespect
    NuffRespect Members Posts: 1,170 ✭✭✭✭
    edited January 2011
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    The_Maryvale_Joker wrote: »
    Lyrics, production, delivery, subjects have to merge into one errorless, timeless sound.

    i thought of illmatic when i read dat
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  • #sneakerhead
    #sneakerhead Members Posts: 665
    edited January 2011
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    i think the best answer is an album u never get tired of(an album that stand the test of time,never sounds outdated)
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  • MC The Rapper
    MC The Rapper Members Posts: 8,140 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited January 2011
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    Hatter wrote: »
    If i can play a album from start to finish without skipping a track then its a classic to me.

    just to add to this. It also has to have re-playability and stand the test of time. So if you can listen to it like 5 years from now and still get something from its definitely a classic
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  • innercity99
    innercity99 Members Posts: 892
    edited January 2011
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    The_Maryvale_Joker wrote: »
    Lyrics, production, delivery, subjects have to merge into one errorless, timeless sound. Or just get a bunch of friends to join the IC and call any random album a classic

    Ok but does one hold more then the other?
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  • innercity99
    innercity99 Members Posts: 892
    edited January 2011
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    NuffRespect wrote: »
    i thought of illmatic when i read dat

    Ok but I think the production was the weakest part about illmatic cause listening to it now u can tell how old the album is just based off that... like do u think ? is a classic? Or AEOM?
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  • innercity99
    innercity99 Members Posts: 892
    edited January 2011
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    #sneakerhead wrote: »
    i think the best answer is an album u never get tired of(an album that stand the test of time,never sounds outdated)

    Ok so do u think illmatic is a classic? Based off ur opinion on what a classic is?
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  • ocelot
    ocelot Members Posts: 10,019 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited January 2011
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    I dont know... because Little Brother "The Listening" To me has better songs...
    but " The Minstel Show" is a classic because of what was going on around 05 and would it live up to the first CD ... I think its all about having a good album at the right time...
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  • G.R.I.P. Money $$$
    G.R.I.P. Money $$$ Members Posts: 18,939 ✭✭✭
    edited January 2011
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    dont ask us ? , its a personal opinion...
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  • MastaAceTheGOAT
    MastaAceTheGOAT Members Posts: 724
    edited January 2011
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    clever, and varied lyriscism (not just about drugs or how dope you are)
    beats - no necessarily an album of premo or dre beats but a album that fits a concept that fit cohesively *VERY IMPORTANT FOR A CLASSIC IMO*
    hooks - i don't mind personally, but if a good song has a catchy song it doesnt matter. Not a major factor in a classic bu it does matter
    delivery - have to sound hungry and passionate (pac - me against the world, mos def - black on both sides)
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  • innercity99
    innercity99 Members Posts: 892
    edited January 2011
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    ocelot wrote: »
    I dont know... because Little Brother "The Listening" To me has better songs...
    but " The Minstel Show" is a classic because of what was going on around 05 and would it live up to the first CD ... I think its all about having a good album at the right time...

    Yea u make a good point cause I know a lot of people base a classic album from a artist off of the past success or if they can relate to the particular album more... so im just curious what is most important to u when it comes to determining a classic like if u had to make a list in order
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  • innercity99
    innercity99 Members Posts: 892
    edited January 2011
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    G.R.I.P. Money $$$ wrote: »
    dont ask us ? , its a personal opinion...

    Lls Yea that's exactly why im asking y'all ? since it is a personal opinion I wanna know how many people feel the same way about what makes a album classic
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  • usmarin3
    usmarin3 Members Posts: 38,013 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited January 2011
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    1. Replay value
    2. Impact (mass impact, not no regional ? , album sales and change something in rap)
    3. Balance (great production and lyrics/song writing)
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  • ocelot
    ocelot Members Posts: 10,019 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited January 2011
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    usmarin3 wrote: »
    1. Replay value
    2. Impact (mass impact, not no regional ? , album sales and change something in rap)
    3. Balance (great production and lyrics/song writing)

    if we go by that would Illmatic or Resonable Doubt be classics back in 94/96

    RD sold 37,000 first week and Jay said that album was for his friends more than anyone
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  • innercity99
    innercity99 Members Posts: 892
    edited January 2011
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    MastaAceTheGOAT wrote: »
    clever, and varied lyriscism (not just about drugs or how dope you are)
    beats - no necessarily an album of premo or dre beats but a album that fits a concept that fit cohesively *VERY IMPORTANT FOR A CLASSIC IMO*
    hooks - i don't mind personally, but if a good song has a catchy song it doesnt matter. Not a major factor in a classic bu it does matter
    delivery - have to sound hungry and passionate (pac - me against the world, mos def - black on both sides)

    Ok I see what u sayin and I feel the same way as far as the varied lyricism and beats have to go with the theme of the album like if u talkin bout some gangstah ? u can't have no happy go lucky betas like mase welcome back or no beat like dipset's oh boy and as far as the hook goes 4 me it can't be repetitive shake that laffy taffy over and over or some ? like that
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  • innercity99
    innercity99 Members Posts: 892
    edited January 2011
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    usmarin3 wrote: »
    1. Replay value
    2. Impact (mass impact, not no regional ? , album sales and change something in rap)
    3. Balance (great production and lyrics/song writing)

    Iight so if a album has low sales u believe it can't be considered a classic? And I agree with 1 and 3 though
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  • usmarin3
    usmarin3 Members Posts: 38,013 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited January 2011
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    ocelot wrote: »
    if we go by that would Illmatic or Resonable Doubt be classics back in 94/96

    RD sold 37,000 first week and Jay said that album was for his friends more than anyone


    Both albums still went gold and platinum later on from fans back tracking. The fact that both albums are cited by numerous rappers as a influence shows it's impact, not every debut album is gonna be Ready to Die or ? as far as sales.
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  • G.R.I.P. Money $$$
    G.R.I.P. Money $$$ Members Posts: 18,939 ✭✭✭
    edited January 2011
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    innercity99 wrote: »
    Lls Yea that's exactly why im asking y'all ? since it is a personal opinion I wanna know how many people feel the same way about what makes a album classic

    aw well id say since its personal..? like impact doesnt matter at all, at least not to me..

    id say replay value, and i wouldnt say u necessarily have to be the greatest lyrically, but all of the songs must be at least 7/10..

    its gotta flow together perfectly..

    an album where u skip 1 or less songs..
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  • innercity99
    innercity99 Members Posts: 892
    edited January 2011
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    ocelot wrote: »
    if we go by that would Illmatic or Resonable Doubt be classics back in 94/96

    RD sold 37,000 first week and Jay said that album was for his friends more than anyone

    Yea I was thinking the same thing
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  • NICKY P
    NICKY P Members Posts: 269 ✭
    edited January 2011
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    every track gota be fiya
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  • MastaAceTheGOAT
    MastaAceTheGOAT Members Posts: 724
    edited January 2011
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    QUOTE=innercity99;1998808]Ok I see what u sayin and I feel the same way as far as the varied lyricism and beats have to go with the theme of the album like if u talkin bout some gangstah ? u can't have no happy go lucky betas like mase welcome back or no beat like dipset's oh boy and as far as the hook goes 4 me it can't be repetitive shake that laffy taffy over and over or some ? like that[/QUOTE]

    yeah, although, if its nearing classic stauts, its not gonna have no laffy taffy stuff
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  • ocelot
    ocelot Members Posts: 10,019 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited January 2011
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    innercity99 wrote: »
    Yea u make a good point cause I know a lot of people base a classic album from a artist off of the past success or if they can relate to the particular album more... so im just curious what is most important to u when it comes to determining a classic like if u had to make a list in order

    agian.. cant call it... cause Doom dont use any hooks... but Madvilliany is a classic to me...
    look at aritsit like Game (Documentary) Rick Ross (Teflon Don) or Lil Wayne (Tha Carter 2)... they followed a formula and made great music... but it doesnt have that feeling that the Blueprint gave as far as originality...

    but i wouldnt be mad if a person younger than me would say those 3 are classics
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  • usmarin3
    usmarin3 Members Posts: 38,013 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited January 2011
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    innercity99 wrote: »
    Iight so if a album has low sales u believe it can't be considered a classic? And I agree with 1 and 3 though


    Nope, how can a album have an impact if the world hasn't heard it. When i think of a classic i think it goes hand in hand with a movement or legendary rapper, that drastically changed the music scene.

    There is a difference between a classic album and a 5/5 mic album to me.
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  • ocelot
    ocelot Members Posts: 10,019 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited January 2011
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    G.R.I.P. Money $$$ wrote: »
    aw well id say since its personal..? like impact doesnt matter at all, at least not to me..

    id say replay value, and i wouldnt say u necessarily have to be the greatest lyrically, but all of the songs must be at least 7/10..

    its gotta flow together perfectly..
    an album where u skip 1 or less songs..

    the most important factor... today albums are sounding like mixtapes
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