The Rappin’ Noughties
Happy new year/decade everyone.
I’m a bit late making a “Best of the Noughties” post. By now there have been so many that I think it would be pointless for me to make a list with Discovery, Voodoo, Sound Of Silver, a few others and call it a day. So I figured I’d ramble a bit about my favorite subject: rap.
A few days ago my man Sean C wrote on twitter that Get Rich Or Die Tryin, The College Dropout and The Blueprint were the best rap albums of the decade. “Those albums changed things,” he said. You can’t really argue with that, frankly. I’m going to surprise a few people by saying 50’s debut was probably the closest thing to a flawless album. You see, we’ve grown accustomed to cherishing The Blueprint because it was the first big-name rap album in years that was actually consistent and mature. After years of major label albums that sounded like compilations with their obligatory contributions from hot producers of the moment, Jay brought it back to samples, brought it back to a unifying sound and introduced us to two whippersnapper producers named Kanye West and Just Blaze. But The Blueprint had its flaws. “Hola Hovito” is generally acknowledged as the album’s weak link and really, “All I Need” wasn’t great and “Jigga That N***a” sounded out of place. That didn’t stop me from praising the album, and as far as I’m concerned, my beat juggle on “Jigga” was the reason why Kanye hired me that fateful day in London. Now let’s talk about Mr. West. The College Dropout was a masterpiece, an even bigger breath of fresh air than Jay’s album because of what Kanye himself represented: a sincere, self-conscious, complex, funny and intelligent rapper with seemingly endless creativity. The everyman honesty of “All Falls Down” juxtaposed with the daring message of “Jesus Walks”, delivered by this preppy dude in pastel colors, ushered in a complete paradigm shift. Still, the album weighed in on the lengthy side with too many skits and the sore thumb that is “Breathe In Breathe Out”, and as a rapper Kanye wasn’t quite on par yet. This brings us to Get Rich. 50 Cent is not lyrical. The album didn’t have much depth. But as I look back now, I’m baffled by its strength. It’s not my personal favorite, but…. find me a weak song on there! Each one was an anthem. And sonically, in terms of mixing and mastering, they raised the bar, which only made it more accomplished and untouchable. Bravo, bad guy.
Of course there was a lot more to rap music than those 3 albums. To me, the Noughties symbolized contrast and unprecedented success. Perhaps the biggest contrast in rap was that in age. This was the decade when rappers grew up. For the majority of the decade, rappers were either in their thirties or complete youngsters. On one end you had Eminem, Jay-Z, Nas, Fat Joe, Snoop, OutKast, 50, etc… all dudes from the 90’s. And on the other, the advent of so-called ringtone rappers, interchangeable acts with hugely popular singles, usually teenagers. Each end of the spectrum was quite successful, but there was also a gaping hole in the middle. For a long time, Lupe was the only viable rapper from the new generation making proper albums. He doesn’t get enough credit for that. Even Lil Wayne, Fabolous, Game and the Clipse are older than me. Finally at the tail end of the decade we welcomed the new crop of Drake, Kid Cudi, Asher Roth and Wale who can now carry the torch, filling in the generation gap.
This was also the decade where regional rap dominated. Remember when Nelly took the world by storm in 2000? It wasn’t long before we all became smitten with non-coastal rappers like Paul Wall, Keak Da Sneak, Young Jeezy, Twista… and before you knew it, Three 6 Mafia won a Grammy an Oscar (CORRECTION!). This is where I find an inexplicable omission in all these Best of the Decade lists. Where is “Stay Fly”? Where are the mentions of local sounds like Houston’s chopped & screwed, Atlanta’s snap, Oakland’s hyphy and Southern crunk in general? I’m probably going to get cursed out in the comments section for saying this, but where are the undeniably giant (albeit dubious) smashes like “Crank Dat” and “Laffy Taffy” in these lists? In all seriousness, these records marked a generation and sounded completely novel. Do you remember the first time you heard “Laffy Taffy”? I do. I remember thinking “What the hell is this?” When a record like that becomes as big as it did, it’s worth being remembered because it went against all norms and expectations. I could just as well talk about all the new dances that appeared in recent years. It seems like the music press is snubbing this whole side of rap. Sure, a lot of it is disposable, but the flipside is that these scenes were bursting with creativity.
In all aspects of music, the Noughties were also the decade of hybrid sounds, with genre barriers coming down as pop embraced rap’s sensibilities. Just look at Britney, Justin Timberlake, Madonna and Christina Aguilera’s use of hip hop producers. Perhaps this was the decade of “Hey Ya”, an astoundingly unique pop creation from one of rap’s most important and credible groups. As pop became more “urban” (pardon the use of that word), rap also became electronic. Unlikely stars such as the Black Eyed Peas (what do those 2 guys do?), Flo Rida (seriously?) and Pitbull (him, I like) have become figureheads and undeniable chart-toppers. Some of the more established rappers are visibly unsure whether or not to dabble. Just a few months ago a Jay-Z demo titled “Ghetto Techno” leaked and boy was that awful. We’re really lucky to have Kanye, who showed us how to tastefully blur those genre lines with Graduation and 808’s & Heartbreaks while still delivering monster hits. Kanye, truly the artist of the decade, the model for this new crop of rappers, and a powerful vehicle for culture and the arts thanks to his blog. Now if only he had a dance.
January 4th, 2010 at 12:16 pm
Marshall Mathers LP was my favourite album of the noughties. Nas released some huge stuff too.
January 4th, 2010 at 12:45 pm
the mention of ‘Stay Fly’ reminds me of Clipse’s ‘Wamp Wamp’ and Rick Ross’ ‘Hustlin’
GOOD TIMES.
January 4th, 2010 at 12:46 pm
great overview, trizzle!
January 4th, 2010 at 12:52 pm
what about spank rock…rap lp of the decade for me
January 4th, 2010 at 12:52 pm
Asher roth? Really
January 4th, 2010 at 1:17 pm
haha laffy taffy still baffles me, Evidence’s Weatherman LP kept it real (the layover was good too)
January 4th, 2010 at 1:20 pm
Very insightful post man, you raise many great points. I agree… I mean Get Rich was the anthem for 2003, without a doubt. I must have listened to that record day in and out till I knew every word. I think that without the “ringtone rappers” (while most are in my opinion, terrible, but catchy) as a whole, people wouldn’t have so quickly accepted the evolution of hip hop into the genre bending we see today in artists like kid cudi and drake. Without a doubt though, Kanye has opened the floodgates of creativity and possibility. His reach has exceeded well past just hip hop, and ego aside, has undoubtedly become one of the top trendsetters and cultural icons of our time.
January 4th, 2010 at 1:22 pm
Sean C was dead on with those albums.
January 4th, 2010 at 2:20 pm
yep, great post.
Your so on the money about regional rap. Such great dance records, so creative.
the only thing i would disagree on is the kanye stuff. I know you will not agree with me on this atrak, but- I LOVED college dropout, so fresh and awesome, but i dont think anything of his since has come close.
what about “underground” interpretation of hip hop by peeps like spankrock, kid sis etc and how it feels like the mainstream was effected by that.
Did anyone else feel like kanye copied spankrocks steez a little?? maybe not copied direct, but i do believe that main stream hip hop was taking inspiration from the underground hip hop genre bending that was going on. Im no expert, but to me it felt like rIght after spankrocks album, Bpms went up with Kanye on stronger, and peeps seemed to start sampling dance records more.
(sorry to keep using words like underground and main stream)
January 4th, 2010 at 2:23 pm
I can’t believe no one’s mentioned the photo at the top of this post - solid gold
January 4th, 2010 at 2:30 pm
p.s did not mean to sound like i was anti kanye in the post above- totally not the case. I think he is an amazing artist who has contributed so much to this decade of music, no doubt. I guess the point of my post was, even if he was getting inspiration from artists like spankrock & kid sis, thats cool- every good artist gets inspiration from somewhere. Just thought it was worth noting.
January 4th, 2010 at 3:09 pm
I think it’s spank rock, kid sis, and all the electro rap groups got some of their inspiration from kanye, not the other way around. Check your singles and album release dates. Really though, it’s a back and forth, not a one-way exchange.
January 4th, 2010 at 3:21 pm
No mention of MF Doom/Viktor Vaughn/King Geedorah/Madvillain, who is the best rapper on the planet. Maybe the best rapper ever. And Def Jux definitely put out some of the best rap of the decade.
January 4th, 2010 at 3:45 pm
Fair call astrophizz. I agree.
January 4th, 2010 at 3:52 pm
Great article, A-Trak. I’m definitely with you on the last part about Kanye showing us how to truly blend those styles. You’re right about those new, younger guys bringing something different and creative to the scene, but if there’s anyone that should be remembered for his artistic influence on this decade, it’s Kanye West.
January 4th, 2010 at 4:07 pm
Nas’ latest works, even though they received moderate recognition now, will be immortalized as depictions of the current black stuggle (the nigga album) and will mark the end of the first chapter of hip hop (hip hop is dead). The Hip Hop we all grew up to is dead, when Nas said it was, but it changed into something else.
And I really can’t wait for the rappers of the 90’s and 00’s to write books.
January 4th, 2010 at 4:32 pm
Steeze, I both agree and disagree with you. While I agree that hip-hop is changing into something else, I don;t think it’s correct to say that the hip-hop we all grew up to is dead. You have newcomers like J. Cole whose style is similar to that of Nas and even Tupac. At the same time, however, you have guys like Kid Cudi who are creating a whole new realm of hip-hop by blending hip-hop influences with electronic styles and more.
January 4th, 2010 at 5:42 pm
Holy fuck this article is good. I agree about Get Rich. My interest in the album has waned tremendously, but it’s still a good album. At the time though, you couldn’t tell me that 50 wasn’t the best rapper ever. He just came out so strong.
As far as Kayne goes, I think each of his albums, excluding 808s, which I weigh on another plane of music, is better then that last. College Dropout introduced his wit, charm, and beatmaking genius. Late Registration took his music to unprecedented heights with huge orchestral sounds. Graduation has to be his strongest lyrical performance to date, excluding his recent verses, and the sound was so atypical, even for him.
I’ve got a good feeling about this decade. I think hip hop is gonna soar to new heights.
January 4th, 2010 at 9:54 pm
sure ‘laffy taffy’ and ‘crank dat’ were big hits, but I don’t think that necessarily qualifies it to be on ‘best of’ lists. I personally think those songs and artists have contributed to the watering down of hip-hop and have had the adverse effect of spawning numerous gimmick acts which hurt the hip-hop genre as a whole.
gimmick acts have laid the foundation for a culture of disposable music in which the consumer is well aware that the purchase of albums within the hip-hop culture isn’t worth their money anymore. it seems to me like these gimmick acts have single handedly ruined the music industry for the hip-hop culture. because of the catchiness of their songs and the amount of quick money they provide the major labels, gimmick acts come a ‘dime a dozen,’ and have lead to the abandonment of the album and a mindset that is instead catered towards the single. Sure there are a few complete albums out there, some you have stated above, but i think the overall hip-hop climate has changed in a bad way because of these gimmick acts. whole generations of youth are growing up with the idea that ‘laffy taffy’ and ‘crank dat’ are what hip-hop sounds like and that can’t be good for hip-hop’s future…
i know i’m dwelling on a small part of your post but it kind of bothers me that you wouldn’t acknowledge the negative impacts that that these acts have had on hip-hop as a whole, yourself being a tastemaker and all. maybe if you were talking about pop music you would be ok in your acknowledgement of these songs, but your talking about hip-hop or rap as you say, and to me these songs have no part in a hip-hop/rap best of list.
January 5th, 2010 at 6:19 am
Errm what about lil wayne? he barely got a mention. I dunno bout the states but hes been pretty prominent in Australia and to talk about albums that are well made and have depth what about the carter 2? i mean really that is a sick albulms with lyrical depth and dope beats from start to finish. Spot on with College drop out being a master piece an album that truly can define a decade. People can say what they want about him, the man is a genius!
January 5th, 2010 at 9:48 am
I really enjoyed this post. It’s cogent and reflects a sophisticated train of thought. Good work!
January 5th, 2010 at 11:31 am
I wanted to respond to vikvega who made some good points.
To be clear, I don’t literally think that “Laffy Taffy” should be remembered as one of the best rap songs of the decade. It wasn’t. But if mags make lists of the biggest songs, or if there are articles talking about what had an impact, critics shouldn’t snub this whole side of rap.
I can’t fully agree with the idea that these gimmick songs have ruined hip hop culture and the music industry. First of all, gimmicky rap is nothing new, it goes all the way back to the days of the Fat Boys and Rappin Duke. Second, it’s quite passive to blame the guys making silly hits for the downfall of real hip hop. If people really like those songs, then let them be popular! The real fault is the so-called real hip hop artists who are failing to make popular songs as a viable alternative. New York rappers have been uninspired for 10 years. I’m a huge Kweli fan, but when’s the last time he made a good record, one we all bumped? Why are guys like Jadakiss and Fabolous so incapable of making solid albums? Rap has been single-driven for years, we can’t just blame the G.S. Boys for that.
The idea that the hip hop album is an endangered species does disturb me. I’m personally a fan of the album format, and hey, I have a record label too. But there has been an interesting development at the tail end of the decade that gives me hope: the dichotomy that used to oppose Southern single-driven acts with East Coast substance rappers is finally breaking up. One of the most consistent albums of the year was Rick Ross’s, and those are some real hip hop beats full of soulful samples. Atlanta rappers like Pill and Donnis are making songs that are club-friendly but still lyrical. Pill can spit, have you listened to his mixtapes? People like me who simply don’t want to listen to Slaughterhouse all day can turn to a Drake or a Lupe for some lyrics too. They’re making better East Coast records than New Yorkers. The subsets that kept rap too segregated in the heart of the Noughties are getting shaken up. Drake’s mixtape was the best hip hop album of the year. A mixtape. It’s all getting flipped upside down and it’s making me optimistic.
EDIT: I edited my statements about Kweli and Slaughterhouse to make it clear that I’m not dissing…
January 5th, 2010 at 11:51 am
ohh, c’mon kids…what do you hipsters know about rap albums? you know hip hop only from videos on mtv or discobelle. spank rock album of the decade? are you serious…you guys ever heard j dillas “welcome to detroit”, “madvillainy”, the last two el-p and cannibal ox albums or dabyre’s “two/three”?
@atrak: blueprint yes agreed…but kanye and 50cents album? because it was well mixed & mastered? listen to the mastering of common “electric circus”. that album was like 5 years ahead. im not a backpacker. sometimes i even dance to “pussy poppin” but list…im going to cry now.
January 5th, 2010 at 12:34 pm
Hound-
I didn’t say 50’s album was a standout *because* it was well mixed & mastered. That just gave it an extra notch. That album is a classic, I don’t even need to defend it.
As for Common… Again, I’m a huge fan. I did scratches on Be, his best album since Resurrection. In my humble opinion, I think it’s safe to say that Electric Circus was a badddd album. He lost it on that one.
Love the Dilla and Madvillain albums of course.
Also, to everyone: thanks for your insight! Even if there’s stuff I left out in my post, I’m glad it sparked a discussion. Keep it coming…
January 5th, 2010 at 12:37 pm
in my opinion new skool mc are not inspired by kanye..kanye is inspirated by them.
about the albums of decade- it’s hard to pick 3albums. i dont want to pick any cuz its too hard.
kanye’s college droput is cool. jay’s lp has got big idea and concept, takin hiphop to another level…but he could do it better. 50cent album: lyrically its one of worst albums of decade. production is great (dre, storch or whoever it was) , but this guy is really weak.
ps
spank rock album is really great and i like it as well…but its not strictly hiphop lp!its just rappin over uptempo beats!
January 5th, 2010 at 12:49 pm
ps
dont take it too seriously,but 50 ’s career for me looks like dre&eminem took weak but not the weakest gangsta mc, gave him dope production, budget, label etc for fun. sorry,but 50 didnt do anything new for this music and culture. compere 50 to 4 example last qtip or mos def lp’s and tell me which one was better…
January 5th, 2010 at 1:34 pm
*THIS IS OFF SUBJECT*
ATRAK,
YOU & EVERY1 ON HERE SHOULD THANK YOU!
YOU BRIDGED THE GAP BETWEEN ELECTRO AND HIP-HOP.
YOU TOLD KANYE HE SHOULDN’T DIS JUSTICE.
YOU GAVE KANYE THE INSIGHT OF WHAT REALLY GOES ON IN THE ELECTRO/HOUSE WORLD!
YOU INSPIRED KANYE!
EVERYTHING YOU WROTE IS CORRECT & I FOLLOW.
SPANK ROCK TO ME DOESN’T GO HARD.
KID SISTER IS THE SHIT. BIG THANKS TO HER 2! & SANTO AKA SANTI GOLD & M.I.A.
ONCE AGAIN. THANKS ATRAK
-
January 5th, 2010 at 2:46 pm
I listened to an amazing interview on the website of the New Yorker on the subject of hip hop. The interviewee compared (traditional) hip hop music to jazz. He said a important jazz record hasn’t been made in decades.. but the music still lives on in jazz clubs and radio stations.
Jazz became a scene which will not die even though the music has ceased reproducing. Some people chose to follow the new forms of jazz and others have not. Hip hop and Jazz are movements which reached their full potential and cannot evolve.. any change would result in creating something entirely different (i.e hip-house, acid-jazz)
January 5th, 2010 at 10:22 pm
Great post. I am a hip-hop head myself, and often hear some of my friends hate on that new rap wave coming up, saying it’s not like that og boom bap ec style. But fuck this, hip-hop is evolving, and I’ll listen to whatever entertains me, wether it’s that new Strong Arm Steady joint with Madlib or the last Gucci Mane album.
also: “his best album since Resurrection” -> What about Like Water For Chocolate trizzy?
January 5th, 2010 at 11:55 pm
Nice to read a decade recap from your side, a-trak. see u in SoBe this year! FOOLS GOLD, cant wait! Greetings from Am*dam.
January 6th, 2010 at 1:41 pm
Phil,
Like Water was a great album too… Actually just the other day Mehdi mentioned on his 00s blog post that he thinks that album is too often forgotten about, and I agree. Meanwhile, critically, Be made a big impact.
Like Water VS Be is a very valid debate. I think Be left a bigger mark in the history books, but I’d venture to say that Like Water aged better.
January 7th, 2010 at 5:30 pm
A-trak, I was listening to your holiday mix that you did with your broski at the LTD/Fools gold parlay! and you played Lemonade by gucci…and i never liked gucci that much but hes making a statement in HIPHOP now, you mention drizzy and cudder ect, but gucci and waka floka, other “NON LYRICAL” artists those are the new generation of “hiphop” as well, but College Dropout was album of the decade!
January 15th, 2010 at 3:46 am
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January 24th, 2010 at 4:22 am
potato makes some good points, you and the people you bring in are making/ have made a real difference. the real artists have their own influences already and versatility (kid sis has her chi-forever roots, cudi is a space-case, these people arent coppin’ steez from cats) etc that allow themselves to move artistically while others have to calculate moves even if they are still on top like jay (ghetto techno had potential but was a serious fail).
March 15th, 2010 at 11:21 am
I’m afraid that the Pit bull requirements a specific kind of owner…these dogs, no matter how ‘tender’ nevertheless have teeth, are still animals without having moral concepts and when they DO bite, won’t let go. As in all creatures…some often be far more suseptable to instinctual habits and time and time again, this breed tends to accomplish just that.