a white guy is the reason THE CHRONIC was denied five mics in THE SOURCE

[TAYLONDO SAMSWORTHY]

Reggie's call.

"So my man Matty C, fellow editor and the king of Unsigned Hype, did the do, and he gave it 4.5 – he thought “Lil’ Ghetto Boy” was the weak link in the chain – and that was that. I was firm on my “no 5’s” rule and that was also that. If you check the actual review, you’ll see that the byline is attributed to “TMS” (The Mind Squad) – which, for those that don’t know, was how we handled things that were done by group effort or committee. I can’t remember why we didn’t use Matt‘s name, but it couldn’t have been because of anything too serious."

The Source Magazine (Early 90's) Part 1: The Greatest Story Never Told

DX EXCLUSIVE: The rise and fall of The Source, as told by former Editor Reginald Dennis - for the first and last time.

hiphopdx.com

“And that was that”


I dont like this nikkas tone. fukk him

 

[Zero]

nikkas crying over mic ratings in 2024

 

[strictlystreet]

nikkas crying over mic ratings in 2024

For those of us who lived through it those mics were serious business

 

[boogers]

nikkas crying over mic ratings in 2024

i just wanted a plat thread!

 

[Tommy Gibbs]

last night i was having a drink and listening to The Chronic, one of the best albums of all time

THE SOURCE thought it was only 4.5/5

they took a star off for Lil Ghetto Boy

no im not kidding. thats why it didnt get a 5.

its signed "TMS" but its common knowledge that Matty C wrote the review. this is Matty C

thats who stole the honor from Dre. Lil Ghetto Boy "could go"? thats one of the best tracks on the album

i hope somebody kicks this dudes ass

they were always fukking over albums. They didn't want to give every album 5 mics in the early 90s(though a LOT of them deserved it) because it would have watered down the rating system. I get it, but I'm not too happy about it. I have almost every Source magaznie up to the Trap era(I stopped even reading them then). In the Summer 1990 issue, they rated so many classic albums and 4 of them got 5 mics in that issue alone :

People instictive travles and paths of rhythm
Let the rhythm hit em
Edutainment (the forgotten 5 mic album that absolutely no one ever talks about today, but it's dope)
Amerikkka's Most Wanted

In that same issue, Hammer got 1 mic(totally wack) for Please Hammer don't hurt em. Now, we all know Hammer isn't a lyricist, but totally wack? cmon now. The only other 1 mic album I've ever seen was Young MC's 4th album. Also in that same confusing and fukked up issue, PE's Fear of a Black Planet(which is obviously their 2nd best album or 1st depending on who you ask) got 3.5 mics, but Mob Style's album got 4. Mob Style was AZ's group(the AZ that ran with Alpo and Rich Porter). There is no fukkin way on earth Mob Style's album The Good the Bad, The Ugly is better than Fear of a black planet. FOH!! So, I've never took the Source ratings that serious. You had 2 classic Outkast albums and then Aquemini drops(which is a dope album) and they give it 5 mics to make up for the mics they robbed them for. They also did the same thing with Scarface's The Fix to make up for the mics he was robbed for in the past.

 

[Still Benefited]

Didnt a asian girl give Illmatic 5 mics? That one might have some validity if a nikka she was fukking told her it was his favorite album


Only albums that should ever get 5 mics are albums thats loved by at least 3 out of 4 regions. Meaning it cant just be a classic in the south,or classic in tbe west,east or midwest. It needs to ringing off in cars heavy in 3 out of 4 areas at least.

 

[JQ Legend]

In all fairness 5 mics didn’t start meaning anything till Illmatic got it. Not justifying this because Chronic is def a classic as well ass Chronic 2001.

I remember back in the 90s and early 00s I used to look to see the mic section before I even read anything in the magazine. But they was on some bullshyt between being stingy with the 5 mics and giving bullshyt 4.5 mics. By the time 2002 came around it didn’t even hold weight like it used to.

They basically tried to say there were only 3 classics between Spring 94-Fall 01

Then gave out 3 5 mic ratings in less than a year from Fall 01-Summer 02 (tho I do agree all 3 were classics). They snubbed DMX Hov Eminem Mobb Deep Raekwon and many others over the years. 5 mics went from being highly respected to nobody caring anymore because they tried to make it this rare event

At least they tried to make up for it in like 2002 when they went back and upgraded albums that shoulda got 5. They still missed some but they at least tried to make it right. If I’m not mistaken both Chronic and Chronic 2001 were upgraded to 5, I’m pretty sure Chronic 1 was at least

Edit

I just checked, yea they gave both 5 mics as well as Doggystyle, Straight Outta Compton and Cube as well

 

[ILLMMORTAL]

for years i thought THIS was the cat playing on Lil Ghetto Boy (lol)



Dre produced this... travesty. but he wasnt the flute player on The Chronic

Gotttttdamn this is awful!

 

[WIA20XX]

The Source was founded by and run by a white man.
Dave Mays.

 

[boogers]

nly albums that should ever get 5 mics are albums thats loved by at least 3 out of 4 regions. Meaning it cant just be a classic in the south,or classic in tbe west,east or midwest. It needs to ringing off in cars heavy in 3 out of 4 areas at least.

normally id agree with this take. but this is THE CHRONIC.

it deserved a five

but whats most egregious was that they said that Lil Ghetto Boy, arguably the best song on the album, "could go"

they are SOULLESS

 

[John Reena]

Eminem and Dre were talking about how years later David Mays offered to go back n change The Chronic to 5 mics. The Source always been biased though. All them Made Men/Benzino ads n promo, the reviewers giving southern rappers (except OutKast & Scarface) horrible reviews. They would have a nikka from Brooklyn review a 3-6 Mafia album. You already know he gonna crap all over it. I got sick of their bias and started copping XXL.

 

[prophecypro]

Matty C also put Biggie on unsigned hype right?

 

[Still Benefited]

Matty C also put Biggie on unsigned hype right?

I think the point they are getting at is because he is white,he doesnt know what he is talking about. Unless/until he agrees with them. These are the rules and protective measures in the house of hiphop

 

[prophecypro]

I think the point they are getting at is because he is white,he doesnt know what he is talking about. Unless/until he agrees with them. These are the rules and protective measures in the house of hiphop

I was just asking if its the same Matty C wasnt a rheotical lol

But if you look at it...and read the rest of the review he seems to get what makes the album great and he just said one track he (or the committee) wasnt feeling.
Feels kinda pointless when you consider back then they were very very tough and careful to give 5 mics and sometimes a classic is cemented over time. They did go back and give it 5 mics too so officially its a 5 mic album anyway

 

[boogers]

its bullshyt lol

The Chronic without Lil Ghetto Boy is like Dark Side Of The Moon without Brain Damage