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

[thaKEAF]

I recently played this and vol 1 in full. There’s alot of misses on them shyts outside of singles.

 

[Izanami]

Coming Of Age part 2>>>>part 1, rap game crack game
hard knock life>>>>the city is mine
can I get a >>>>>sunshine
a week ago>>>real nikkaz
money cash hoes>>>Face Off
paper chase>>>>I know what girl's like

reservoir dogs is an all timer

 

[Ashtrey]

Vol. 2 is 4 at best.

The Dynasty Roc La Familia deserved it's 4.5

The Source gave Kingdom Come 4.5 mics too which should of been 3/5.

 

[JustCKing]

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

Life After Death actually flows like an album though. It's nowhere near as scattered or all over the place as Vol. 2. Vol. 2 definitely started the trend of albums sounding like a greatest hits or some version of a Hip Hop NOW compilation vs a cohesive album.

 

[FunkDoc1112]

Vol. 2 is 4 at best.

The Dynasty Roc La Familia deserved it's 4.5

The Source gave Kingdom Come 4.5 mics too which should of been 3/5.

Nah, Dynasty had wayyyy too much filler. Them basic ass Rick Rock beats and Guilty Until Proven Innocent drag it down. I'd leave in Squeeze First cuz those are some of Jay's best verses and MAYBE Parkin Lot Pimpin, but you drop the other three then I'd say it deserves 4-4.5

 

[Leasy]

Should have been 5 stars. A mixture of heavy radio hits and raw rap story shyt I mean he covered all bases.

Philly was on fire when this shyt came out

 

[<<TheStandard>>]

4.5 is actually the perfect rating. It's not quite worthy of 5 mics because it's not ground breaking creatively but I wouldn't argue against it given it's impact.

This record ran the streets and anyone who says otherwise either wasn't around back then or just wasn't on the east coast.

"Hard Knock Life (Ghetto Anthem)"
nikka What, nikka Who (Originator 99)" (featuring Big Jaz)
Money, Cash, Hoes" (featuring DMX)
"Can I Get A..." (featuring Ja Rule and Amil)
"Money Ain't a Thang" (featuring Jermaine Dupri)
"It's Alright" (featuring Memphis Bleek)

These were the singles alone and even though Money aint a thang was on JD's album first and It's alright was on Streets is Watching.....these are still on the album.

you mix in joints like "Reservoir Dogs", "It's Like That", "Ride or Die", "A Week Ago" and "Coming of Age 2" and Jay-Z finally delivered an album that could make him the king of rap.

Vol 1 is better lyrically but it was a miss commercially, this album made Jay-Z who he is today.

 

[Po pimp]

His most overrated album. Vol. 1 was much better, and that one gets shytted on. This one just had the singles.

 

[Alvin]

Yes, my favorite Jay-Z album. Perfect mix of street shyt and pop tunes, has some dated songs though

 

[<<TheStandard>>]

People will be like how did it get 4.5 mics and RD get 4 when RD was better?

I look at it like this. In 1996, RD wadn't really different. It didn't stand out. Yes, over time, it is accepted as classic, but here's the deal:

Vol. 2 was different it at least several of the songs were. Nothing sounded like "Hard Knock Life". By 1998, the Timbaland sound was everywhere, but "nikka What, nikka Who" was still alien. Swizz's sound was still new, so hearing "Money, Cash, Hoes" was an experience too and DMX being featured added to the hype.

There was the snowball effect of that culminated into this album from Streets Is Watching to "Money Ain't A Thang" to "Can I Get A..." (which was another song that sounded different from everything else).

There was the album cuts with "A Week Ago" featuring Too Short, "Resevoir Dogs" with The Lox", "Ride Or Die", the intro. I even like "Paper Chaser", but it feels like a Foxy Brown song featuring Jay and not the other way around.

Fabolous and Jada have attempted their own versions of this album.

I've always said Life After Death wss the album that ruined east coast rap because everyone thought they could do an album that pleased everyone but only Biggie and Jay-Z were actually able to deliver.

 

[TheNig]

Vol. 2 is 4 at best.

The Dynasty Roc La Familia deserved it's 4.5

The Source gave Kingdom Come 4.5 mics too which should of been 3/5.

Kingdom Come shoulda been 2 mics

 

[PHamm]

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.

Even that I don't really agree with that but imma let you cook

 

[re'up]

This album defined my life as a 7th grader in 1998. Had the poster on my wall. Had the album. We played it so much we had to buy another and another.

The first time hearing Can I Get A without edits lol

Bleek on Coming of Age II was serious, we really thought he was the ONE, that verse was fire.

Bleek on the intro

think it's a 4.5/mic album, and Vol. 1 is my all time from Jay.

 

[spliz]

Album gives me good nostalgia. Fire.

 

[spliz]

You crazy! It's Alright was a certified Tunnel banger!

I'm surprised nikkas don't fukk wit Its Alright. Classic track.