I'm gonna try save all these reviews, props for posting, could easily have it's own thread just for them. Should have a thread for that, and for The Making Of's the mags did too.
EDIT: SOURCE MAGAZINE BIAS PROVEN TO BE MYTH - Source Top 100 Albums list
- Thread starter mobbinfms
- Start date
4 1/2 mics for "business as usual" is bogus.
yea. the critics are usually of the "conscious" variety.
what does my poll show?
4 1/2 mics for "business as usual" is bogus.
yea. the critics are usually of the "conscious" variety.
what does my poll show?
What poll?
ISO
Pass me the rock nikka
Finesse only got 3 Mics
, this a top 3 DITC release IMO They said Finesse style is dated, and the album isn't up to par by 95 standards
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Big Mel
@bigboss
I forgot they shytted on The Awakening.
This thread really flys in the face of the belly aching Cube & co. Posited.
Consider the tremendous disparity between Smif N Wessun & Bow Down quality wise. One is a landmark, all time mid 90s benchmark from NYC. The other is three fat over the hill doofuses over b list gangster synth whining that we don't like bad music.
This thread really flys in the face of the belly aching Cube & co. Posited.
Consider the tremendous disparity between Smif N Wessun & Bow Down quality wise. One is a landmark, all time mid 90s benchmark from NYC. The other is three fat over the hill doofuses over b list gangster synth whining that we don't like bad music.
4 1/2 mics for "business as usual" is bogus.
Business as Usual IMO is EPMD's best album... shyt never let up. If anything the 4.5 for Business Never Personal was over.
What are "all" the De La and Tribe albums that got 5? I count one for De La and two for Quest. The first one for Quest I don't agree... the second one without doubt. The De La is debatable as well. I loved it, but that's me.
But these aren't far-fetched ratings IMO. The same way you don't think they're that great, there are people who do. Thats all I'm saying thruout the thread... everybody has preferences. The word "bias" suggests having a specific agenda FOR one thing and AGAINST another. And all these reviews prove otherwise.
If the reviews and this thread prove nothing else, it's that everybody feels differently about different shyt. It's also worth mentioning that it's easy to look back 20 years later and say what shoulda got what... it's another thing to hear something in real time and make a decision based on a listen or two. I'm positive everybody in this thread has at least one album they don't feel the exact same way about now that they did upon first listen.
Big Mel
@bigboss
De La & the 2 Tribe albums are absolute, 100% 5 mic records. Real time, retrospectively and for generations to come.
I mean, they're no Totally Krossed Out or Funkdafied but few albums are.
I mean, they're no Totally Krossed Out or Funkdafied but few albums are.
This has me ready to pull out all of my old source mags. Aside from the Benzino ish (Made Men review) The Source was as unbiased as any magazine can be. Their best bet was to not review the album, but instead keep with the articles and adverts for it. Even after that, they were pretty unbiased...I say until about 2000. That's when mics were obviously being bought.
As for their ratings, 3.5 was an average album, and 4.5 was stellar. Very few got 5mics but you may have been able to argue .5 mics from their rating but never a full mic. The Source was pinnacle of hip-hop album rating. Now XXL, which I have since 2nd issue had shaky reviews from the start, but better articles.
As for their ratings, 3.5 was an average album, and 4.5 was stellar. Very few got 5mics but you may have been able to argue .5 mics from their rating but never a full mic. The Source was pinnacle of hip-hop album rating. Now XXL, which I have since 2nd issue had shaky reviews from the start, but better articles.
4 1/2 mics for "business as usual" is bogus.
Yet Ice Cream Man is an influential all-time classic
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After seeing all the reviews - do you still think so?
I've been called worse on here...What about Pete & CL getting 4?
Diamond D getting 4?
Midnight Marauders getting 4?
Doggystyle getting 4 was perhaps their most egregious mistake (outside of Hell on Earth only getting 4.5) - but would you really have any kind of argument that the Source was biased if Snoop had gotten the 4.5? It seems that's all your argument boils down to at this point?
@Wacky D
why don't you go year by year and tell us what West/South albums should have gotten a 4 or 4.5?
In 1990 Cube got 5...
Plus they gave the Black Sheep record (which had that huge single) 4. Seems logical to me that they just really thought Tribe and De La were elite.
That's pretty far-fetched.
That track they had with Mobb Deep
That's one review though...
4 1/2 mics for "business as usual" is bogus.
Mobb Deep
Black Moon
Wu-Tang
OBFCL
That Wu Tang is the greatest group of all time
Hate it had to be who breh?
Top three thoughFinesse only got 3 Mics
They said Finesse style is dated, and the album isn't up to par by 95 standards
Stunts Blunts
Runaway Slave
Lifestyles of the Poor...
Strictly Business is an all-time GOAT contender. That's their best album to me. BAU is number two though. And I loved BNP.
This is a critical point.
Lucky you ain't mention the GOAT album - E.1999After seeing all the reviews - do you still think so?
What about Pete & CL getting 4?
Diamond D getting 4?
Midnight Marauders getting 4?
Doggystyle getting 4 was perhaps their most egregious mistake (outside of Hell on Earth only getting 4.5) - but would you really have any kind of argument that the Source was biased if Snoop had gotten the 4.5? It seems that's all your argument boils down to at this point?
@Wacky D
why don't you go year by year and tell us what West/South albums should have gotten a 4 or 4.5?
In 1990 Cube got 5...
Plus they gave the Black Sheep record (which had that huge single) 4. Seems logical to me that they just really thought Tribe and De La were elite.
That's pretty far-fetched.
That track they had with Mobb Deep
Mobb Deep
Black Moon
Wu-Tang
OBFCL
That Wu Tang is the greatest group of all time
Hate it had to be who breh?
Top three though
Stunts Blunts
Runaway Slave
Lifestyles of the Poor...
Strictly Business is an all-time GOAT contender. That's their best album to me. BAU is number two though. And I loved BNP.
This is a critical point.
Yes, infact I think so even more. Like in that KRS-One where it said about the jeri curls and N.Y sound, wasn't that something that was a West Coast thing?. So that to me sounded like a diss/shot at the West Coast while hyping their own shyt up. I think taking some reviews out, especially high profile 1's is somewhat out of context. I guess the same argument can be made in reverse but I think if you look at it overall there is enough evidence to suggest there was a bias, to some degree. When I say bias I don't mean a complete bias, anything West fukk it, not like that, I mean more a predisposition to their own music and own sound when defining quality rather than a more objective overall assessment. I certainly believe Soul On Ice would have got a higher rating if Ras was a well connected East Coast MC. I remember on that album there's a song where he kind of says, he was a rap fan who never was at Bam's parties lol. But he still got skills lol. I'm not sure if they wanted 1 of the best lyricists to be coming out of the West. I think that album deserves much more than 3 mics. It would be a lot easier if there was a list where someone could compile all the 3 mics, and all the ratings. Then it's so much easier to discuss with a bigger picture. Doesn't The Naked Truth have 5 mics but Soul On Ice 3? I've seen other non N.Y albums kind of get unfair treatment too. I thought everyone knew the bias existed and it was undeniable, I didn't realize some thought it was a contentious point. But if there was no bias why did Westside Connection even make All The Critics In N.Y.C in the first place? Why did 2 Pac and Ice T and others talk about it? So many people have talked about it,I thought it was an open fact not a point of dispute. Anyway, digressing, but I wish there was a more complete list so I could express what I mean better, but it's hard without all the info to hand.
4 1/2 mics for "business as usual" is bogus.
4 1/2 easy....Tho they weren't the best lyrically....That album is one of the best produced hip hop albums ever.
After seeing all the reviews - do you still think so?
What about Pete & CL getting 4?
Diamond D getting 4?
Midnight Marauders getting 4?
Doggystyle getting 4 was perhaps their most egregious mistake (outside of Hell on Earth only getting 4.5) - but would you really have any kind of argument that the Source was biased if Snoop had gotten the 4.5? It seems that's all your argument boils down to at this point?
@Wacky D
why don't you go year by year and tell us what West/South albums should have gotten a 4 or 4.5?
In 1990 Cube got 5...
Plus they gave the Black Sheep record (which had that huge single) 4. Seems logical to me that they just really thought Tribe and De La were elite.
That's pretty far-fetched.
That track they had with Mobb Deep
Mobb Deep
Black Moon
Wu-Tang
OBFCL
That Wu Tang is the greatest group of all time
Hate it had to be who breh?
Top three though
Stunts Blunts
Runaway Slave
Lifestyles of the Poor...
Strictly Business is an all-time GOAT contender. That's their best album to me. BAU is number two though. And I loved BNP.
This is a critical point.
Da shining smif n Wes
BmoreGorilla
Veteran
One of the best covers