Looking back did Jay Z's hard knock life Volume 2 deserve 4.5 mics?

[Toe Jay Simpson]

Same rating they gave Aquemini that year…

 

[JustCKing]

Same rating they gave Aquemini that year…

Aquemini got 5 mics.

 

[Toe Jay Simpson]

Aquemini got 5 mics.

On the revision

 

[JustCKing]

On the revision

No. It originally got 5 mics on first review.

 

[Chip Skylark]

Never knew it did


Albums is not good. Hard knock life is the best song on the joint I hated Bleek on it. Strong 2.5/5

 

[FunkDoc1112]

Honestly? Yeah. It's by far the best mainstream NY album of that era

 

[Toe Jay Simpson]

No. It originally got 5 mics on first review.

You couldnt just let me have this breh?

 

[FunkDoc1112]

For like the next 2-3 years after this dropped, almost everyone attempted their version of it. This started that era's Singles' Compilation album format, as I like to call it.


The quality is not a 4.5 album, as we expected during those times. The album can be all of those things, but still not be an great album based on the quality of music. I think this is the era where the rating of an album took a divide.

Life After Death started that formula, not Hard Knock Life. Hard Knock was just the most successful application of it

 

[PHamm]

Like someone mentioned above it played like “Life After Death” or “All Eyez on Me”,

Volume 2 is not in the same stratosphere as LAD/AEOM

 

[The_Third_Man]

No. Not even close.

 

[987654321]

Volume 2 is not in the same stratosphere as LAD/AEOM

I didn’t put it there. It just plays like them. Grandiose, loud, colorful, diverse, sharp, fun, and accessible. The only thing missing is introspection. The whole world knew who Jay-z was after Vol. 2.

 

[areohbee824]

4 out 5 mics

 

[Zero]

Weak album. Only 4 cuts worth saving

 

[King Poetic]

Solid 4 mics

 

[I'm Blackman]

You wrong though. Close but this was the first album after Jay had become a mainstream star. After Money Ain't A Thing and Can I Get A, Jay was already certified as a star and had a lot more eyes on him. That's why it became is first album to debut number 1.

As far as the album I still love it. Paper Chase is really the only skip for me. It's blowing my mind that so many ain't fukking with It's Alright. Jay bodied that last verse and Bleek was solid as fukk on there to and that beat goes hard. I'm totally cool with a 4.5, with it being a 4 at minimum. This album started the dumbing down but a dumbed down Jay was still better than damn near any other rapper out.

threads like this really show music is subjective. its alright is dope as hell to me
on the other hand...ive always hated paper chase...from the throwaway timbo beat to the lazy lyrics. its the only skip for me.