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Originally Posted by noisereductions
that's what I mean tho - features like that, or even a tribute after someone dies or whatever I get. But, why did they review 4 Biggie albums TODAY? Is it an anniversary or something that I didn't realize and it's at least topical? Or is it random? Or maybe they're going to review old albums on Thursdays for #throwback?
EDIT: oops yeah. 20th anniversary of his death. So I missed that. RIP.
Also why did they only review 2 albums yesterday?
BTW, they gave Ready To Die a 10. Which in fairness it deserves. But I called it. Know why? Because that's what they do. They give old albums a 10. I'm sure there's more new releases, but the ONLY new album I remember getting a 10 was Yankee Hotel Foxtrot - which had been leaked for a year prior. I just find it kind of weak that these 'tastemakers' don't seem to have the balls to give out 10's (IE: "I think this album is perfect.") to anything unless it's been out for a year or more. Gives the impression that they can't really make such a bold statement without hindsight on their side.
I know I"m being overly harsh. Because in fairness we all need time to let art sink in. But they're the ones that choose to go w/ number scores (which I find arbitrary anyway).
EDIT: on the topic of Biggie, I think Ready To Die is amazing. Like really really amazing. To me, I always preferred 2Pac as a rapper... but he never made an album that I thought was as good start-to-finish as Ready To Die. Ironically, there is no other Biggie album that I love. I think the rest of his discography is just good. Shrug.
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Well, to be fair the rest of his *real* solo discography is... Life After Death. Just that. All those other shits were weird, mostly lame, posthumous grab bags of repurposed verses and "duets."
But yeah... Ready to Die is amazing. I like Life After Death too, and it has some GREAT moments on it, but let's be honest, it also has some shitty moments. Puff rapping is always a bad thing. 112 and Total or whatever... yuck.
I see Pitchfork have it a 9.5, but... naaah. It really does have some amazing tracks and some incredible writing, and Big's delivery is more smoothed out and versatile than on RTD. "My Downfall" band "Kick in the Door" are two major highlights. If "Mo Money Mo Problems" didn't have Puffy and Mase mumbling and stumbling around on it, it would be one of the best Biggie tracks... like "Juicy" pt. 2.
But the urge to look at the past through rose-colored glasses is something we should resist. "Hypnotize" was alarmingly catchy, but also alarmingly "What the fuck???" when it came out. It did not sound like Big. It sounded like the Big from the "One More Chance" remix. Felt like a bid for airplay, and as a radio hit it was huge, but ... it didn't have the fire of RTD.
It took me a long time to come to terms with Life After Death. I think it's probably a solid 7/10. Good... great at times... classic even! But like many, many double albums, it's bogged down, and like pretty much every rap album since, it's obscenely feature- and filler-heavy.
Just being honest. Still love it... but I don't listen to that shit all the way through, and if anyone here claims they do, I'll have to call bullshit.