That'll be the treat for me, don't think I've heard it.

The full Gav Experience involves causing havoc in Vice City while smoking copious amounts of hash whilst listening to it. Highly recommended.

Seriously though, the absolute best beats and bars combo he's ever came out with.

LOL Ozzy's just turned up on ELE.

Never fully understood the Jay Z love, I hear lots of quite good stuff whenever I've been directed to certain tracks/albums but nothing I've gone mad for.

There's a sense of finality to TBA that for me makes it so special. It was framed by him as his last album, and it felt like that at the time. Prompted all the producers on it to bring their AAA game, and for me, it really shows.

Obviously, that retirement was short lived, and much more material has came out since which probably dilutes its importance.

Jay-Z's albums are really hit and miss for me, but Black Album is incredible. Beat selection is amazing as well, and you can tell he's giving it his all.

This, Blueprint and Reasonable Doubt are his best actual albums...otherwise just a few songs off the others (before Face says American Gangster)

I agree generally re the beats on black album. ye and Timbo kill it, as does Just blaze. The only minor quibble is no primo and a meh Em beat. (I dig the lyrics, but it's not Quik's best either.) Still, the majority is bang on.

Lyrically, I think it's worth watching his RnR HOF induction. Plenty of his lines have hit a lot harder for black folks than white boys, it seems.

Facewon wrote:

4:44 sneaky top 3 for me these days.

I should go back and listen to it again, didn't really get into it the first time around. He has some random off beat cadence with some of his rhymes that threw me, if I remember rightly

Blueprint 2.1 for me then.

So, the Black Album. Again, listened whilst doing the weekly shop - which seems to be a great way of listening for me for some reason.

Anyway. Enjoyed it a lot more than I was expecting, mainly because of the production which is first rate. He's obviously a great emcee, of that there is no doubt, and I actually noticed a lot more depth of lyrical content than I did last time I listened to this. However, there's just something that doesn't click with me and JZ. There's just too much shallow posturing and blandness for me to really buy into him. That said, Dirt Off Your Shoulder is an absolutely monumental tune.

Week three

46. The Renaissance - Q Tip



45. Death Certificate - Ice Cube



I've got these two.  Looking forward to revisiting the Q Tip album because I remember not actually liking it all that much, but there was definitely a particular track I was obsessed with for ages that made it onto plenty of playlists.

Never heard the Q-Tip album so that'll be a treat. Death Certificate is one of my all timers, but I haven't heard it in a while.

This was a great idea Moot.

Listened to Death Certificate a couple of times. Don't like it as much as Amerikkka's. Production is okay but doesn't pack as much of a punch as his previous album. He also comes across as a nasty prick at times, which I was expecting but not expecting to feel the need to comment on. The diss tracks didn't land for me either. True To The Game fans the flames under the beef but it's a weak single otherwise. Not an awful record but I'm not a fan.

No Vaseline is surely the greatest diss track ever?

nick_md wrote:

No Vaseline is surely the greatest diss track ever?

It's no F.U.R.B.

Going back to Busta's ELE briefly, it's one of those 'moment in time' albums for me so find it difficult to listen to objectively. It's not as strong as I remember but still feels like a great party album. Beats are generally stronger than lyrics and was soon bouncing along in my chair despite myself.