can an artist be considered great with no classic albums?

Options
L.O.S.T.
L.O.S.T. Members Posts: 1,362 ✭✭✭✭✭
edited July 2012 in The Reason
Is it possible to be one of the greats without a classic? Jayz arguably has 2. NAS has 2 or 3. Pac has 2 or 3. Common has 1. Outkast has 3. Can you be a Great with just a solid catalog and no classics?
«1

Comments

  • YamoleySensei
    YamoleySensei Members Posts: 8,508 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Options
    Busta Rhymes...imo he has no classic albums to speak about but I do consider him an all-time great, same with Jadakiss and Ludacris.
  • hiphophova
    hiphophova Members Posts: 710
    Options
    sure, its your rapping prowess and hit making ability.

    most these classics arent even classics, and whats good to you differs from the next.

    your great if you got great abilities.
  • 5th Letter
    5th Letter Members, Moderators, Writer Posts: 37,068 Regulator
    Options
    Yes you can be great with no classics.
  • antarticp
    antarticp Members Posts: 8,688 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Options
    def but itll be hard for you to be greater than an artist who does have classic albums ... like there aint no way Busta will every be ranked higher than the likes of Tupac, big, jayz or Nas .......
  • Nile Gambino
    Nile Gambino Members Posts: 934 ✭✭✭
    Options
    Yamoley wrote: »
    Busta Rhymes...imo he has no classic albums to speak about but I do consider him an all-time great, same with Jadakiss and Ludacris.
    when disaster strikes and anarchy are classics wtf r u talkin bout
  • NothingButTheTruth
    NothingButTheTruth Members Posts: 10,850 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited July 2012
    Options
    Yes, most all-time great artists only have 1, maybe 2 real classics. The stans that try to act like their favorite artists have ? like 5 classics sound stupid. Classics are albums that will be played 50 maybe 100 years from now, not 10.

    Basically, if an album has one wack song it's not classic. If it has more than 2 average songs it's not classic. Also, people need to stop confusing personal classics with universal classics.

    For instance, Nas has 1 real, universal classic in Illmatic, and a couple other pending... but a Nas fan will say he has some outlandish number like 5 or 6 classics, which is unheard of for ANY artist.

    ... On topic, Jay and DMX don't have any classics and a lot of people consider them great. Same with Biggie, Eminem, Wayne, and Kanye.
  • jono
    jono Members Posts: 30,280 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Options
    I suppose you could, Jadakiss is a perfect example of that but it hurts the conversation to not have a full body of work to point to and say "look at what he can do..."

    Classics are developed over time anyway. Something that may not have been burnin at first may turn out to have staying power or proven to be ahead of its time (Reasonable Doubt for instance).

    I also feel classic is a subjective term, everybody defines it differently.

    You can compare rappers bar for bar or verse for verse and rank em but its hard without a significant solid product to compare between the two. It can be done but its not easy to argue.
  • P. Town
    P. Town Members Posts: 27,306 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Options
    Who is to say what is classic and what isn't classic though
  • MeekMonizzLLLLLLe14
    MeekMonizzLLLLLLe14 Members Posts: 15,337 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Options
    I can name 5 rappers without classic albums that are considered great

    Chappelles-Show-Making-the-Band-Dylan01.gif
  • Stew
    Stew Members, Moderators, Writer Posts: 52,234 Regulator
    Options
    Can you make it to the Hall Of Fame without a ring? Yup
  • usmarin3
    usmarin3 Members Posts: 38,013 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Options
    yes, look at Eminem, Busta,etc
  • L.O.S.T.
    L.O.S.T. Members Posts: 1,362 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Options
    Yall make some good arguments. I don't consider Busta one of the greats.
  • juan travolta
    juan travolta Members Posts: 2,917 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Options
    nah not imo. they need at least one good album.
  • Stew
    Stew Members, Moderators, Writer Posts: 52,234 Regulator
    Options
    nah not imo. they need at least one good album.

    A good album doesnt mean its classic.
  • DMTxTHC
    DMTxTHC Members Posts: 14,218 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Options
    A lot of ya'll consider Em great, and he has nothing close to a classic.
  • blackbloc
    blackbloc Members Posts: 3,502 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Options
    simple answer NO
  • Bodhi
    Bodhi Members Posts: 7,932 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Options
    Ya'll think Jay-Z is the GOAT
  • KNiGHTS
    KNiGHTS Members Posts: 4,435 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Options
    Yamoley wrote: »
    Busta Rhymes...imo he has no classic albums to speak about but I do consider him an all-time great, same with Jadakiss and Ludacris.

    Shut it down in one. Busta's run as a feature artist is GOAT. Ludacris has some near classics, but his feature record + catalog make him a great. Jada is the only disputable one in your post. I appreciate his stuff, but his monotonous flow holds him back more than anything.
  • gman82
    gman82 Members Posts: 1,800 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Options
    Yes, but without a classic album its nearly impossible to ? the top 10, 15.
  • Turfaholic
    Turfaholic Members Posts: 20,429 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Options
    big-l2.jpg

    a bullet prevented this ? fro being the goat
  • NeighborhoodNomad.
    NeighborhoodNomad. Members Posts: 2,731 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Options
  • Melanin_Enriched
    Melanin_Enriched Members Posts: 22,868 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Options
    Yea you can be a great without a classic but doubtful for being the greatest.
  • Melanin_Enriched
    Melanin_Enriched Members Posts: 22,868 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Options
    Also there's a difference between being a great and a veteran.
  • Disciplined InSight
    Disciplined InSight Members Posts: 13,478 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Options
    Yes, most all-time great artists only have 1, maybe 2 real classics. The stans that try to act like their favorite artists have ? like 5 classics sound stupid. Classics are albums that will be played 50 maybe 100 years from now, not 10.

    Basically, if an album has one wack song it's not classic. If it has more than 2 average songs it's not classic. Also, people need to stop confusing personal classics with universal classics.

    For instance, Nas has 1 real, universal classic in Illmatic, and a couple other pending... but a Nas fan will say he has some outlandish number like 5 or 6 classics, which is unheard of for ANY artist.

    ... On topic, Jay and DMX don't have any classics and a lot of people consider them great. Same with Biggie, Eminem, Wayne, and Kanye.

    I get it....you're ? ' trolling.
  • tharealest561
    tharealest561 Members Posts: 1,859 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Options
    LOL at whoever said Jay don't have a classic. We're talking hip hop here, a genre that's been around for a little over 30 years, and we're comparing classics amongst hip hop artists. Reasonable Doubt and The Blueprint are classics.

    Moving on though, I think a lot of artists could be mentioned in this list.

    Jada definitely
    AZ
    Kurupt as a solo artist (90's Kurupt alone warrants this status)
    Luda
    T.I. (hate it or love it hell go down as a legend, but Trap Muzik is the only thing he has that comes close to a classic album)