Overrated Hip-Hop Albums

[EminemBase]

What albums do you know of, which you consider average to good which you feel have been praised or rather, over-praised as something much more?

One which springs to mind, even as a huge Kanye fan myself is The College Dropout.

I feel that it has some really good tracks and that, it all flows as an album but, I think Late Registration and Graduation are both much better lyrically, structurally and musically and that The College Dropout is way overrated.

When you consider it's constantly quoted as one of the best albums of the decade from what I can see and, I don't think it even approaches the artistic potency, structure or boom of say The Slim Shady LP, which is hardly praised at all.

I mean, they're both pretty much toted as classics but I always see The College Dropout gawked over like it's a masterpiece and I just feel it's a good album.

What albums do you know of which you feel this way about?

[Slim Fiasco]

Jay Z's The Blueprint. I don't think it's THAT good.

[Hiphopdane]

A tribe called quest - Midnight marauders
- It has really dope production but I find the lyrical content quite monotome, it never really surprises me or entertains me. Sorry. Maybe I have to give it a few more spins.

Reflection Eternal - Train of thought
- Talib Kweli tends to write some kind of a battle rap which isn't really my thing, at least not when he does it. The music is not really want you want it to be but in order to get my respect, you have to dig a little deeper lyrically which is why Quality is one of my favourite albums of all time. THAT is how I want Kweli to write his songs. Most people consider it a classic so I'm quite alone with this one.

[Devil'sAdvocate]

MBDTF and C3 spring to mind first.

[FreeSpeech]

36 Chambers, it's nowhere close to as good as people say. For it's time yes it's good, but it is way overhyped. The lyrics are not very good. I like it, but people treata it like some untouchable holy grail. It's definitely not.

[Devil'sAdvocate]

36 Chambers, it's nowhere close to as good as people say. For it's time yes it's good, but it is way overhyped. The lyrics are not very good. I like it, but people treata it like some untouchable holy grail. It's definitely not.

hell the fuck no.

[OMEGA]

Jay Z's The Blueprint. I don't think it's THAT good.

I'd agree. I also didn't like Food and Liquor too much.

[FreeSpeech]

36 Chambers, it's nowhere close to as good as people say. For it's time yes it's good, but it is way overhyped. The lyrics are not very good. I like it, but people treata it like some untouchable holy grail. It's definitely not.

hell the fuck no.

OK. Show me the best lyrics from it. I said I like it, it's just not nearly as good as people say.

Funny shit is, I gaurantee if you gave this album to most people who praise it, and they didn't know who it was or the hype behind the album, they probably wouldn't still suck its dick.

[Devil'sAdvocate]

36 Chambers, it's nowhere close to as good as people say. For it's time yes it's good, but it is way overhyped. The lyrics are not very good. I like it, but people treata it like some untouchable holy grail. It's definitely not.

hell the fuck no.

OK. Show me the best lyrics from it. I said I like it, it's just not nearly as good as people say.

Funny shit is, I gaurantee if you gave this album to most people who praise it, and they didn't know who it was or the hype behind the album, they probably wouldn't still suck its dick.

i find it a classic.

[dR3]

Illmatic. Hate me.

[FreeSpeech]

i find it a classic.

Oh, good reasoning. Flip out and say "hell the fuck no" and then respond with the opinion of a stupid Lebanese kid who is only exposed to hiphop via his laptop. Well gee Einstein, I'm convinced! I guess the album really IS that incredible. Thanks for clarifying.

Illmatic. Hate me.

Nah I agree. Still a great album, but half the people who praise it do just because of the hype. That's the problem with a lot of classic albums. Like, I'm not a massive Biggie fan, but Ready To Die ages much, much better.

[Slim Fiasco]

Jay Z's The Blueprint. I don't think it's THAT good.

I'd agree. I also didn't like Food and Liquor too much.

F & L is actually one of my favorite albums but I'm completely fine if someone else doesn't feel the same way about it.

[EminemBase]

Illmatic. Hate me.

Nah I agree. Still a great album, but half the people who praise it do just because of the hype. That's the problem with a lot of classic albums. Like, I'm not a massive Biggie fan, but Ready To Die ages much, much better.

I wouldn't quite agree with Illmatic being overrated.

It kind of deserves the praise it gets, but...

I actually only truly love a few songs from Illmatic, but every track is good and Nas' lyrics and flow still sound good to this day. Especially "NY State of Mind" which is just amazing...

But Illmatic is really just endless rhymes about hood struggles and... the same old shit lmao. It's just done a lot better than most people. He was more eloquent and poetic but still, it's hardly breathtakingly creative or daring is it.

[Sam.]

MBDTF and C3 spring to mind first.

[Hiphopdane]

Nas revolutionized people's way of thinking rhymes and had some of the most vivid songwriting that has ever been released. Show me an album from the last ten years that is as good as Illmatic in terms of rhymes and imagery. It is the blueprint of hip hop in almost every possible way + it is, along with Michael Jackson's Thriller, a perfect example of "less being more". A lot of artists could learn from that (I'm looking at you, Snoop).

Wu-tang created a whole new style and universe of hip hop with 36 Chambers. To this day they are still the dopest group there has ever been, and as solo artists they put out classic material regularly. Definitely not overrated.

Why do people always use these "follow the hype" and "if it came out today" arguments when they discuss classic hip hop material? People don't listen to look cool and knowledgeable, they listen because they actually find it good.
Of course some people are biased because the albums came out when they were young (nostalgia and all that) but still. Sometimes you also gotta take the way those albums influenced hip hop at time time into account to fully appreciate them (though I firmly believe those albums would be considered classics if they came out today, they are simply better than any album that has been released in '11). Hip hop is a young genre and the art of it has 'grown up' quickly.

Before anyone starts, I'm not saying you're not allowed to say those albums aren't your cup of tea (I just went at two other classics before) but to say they are bad is mind blowing.