Classic Material: What Makes Up A Classic?

One of the MILLION things that bugs me out that I've heard continuously throughout the past couple of years is how easy bloggers, magazines, website, even cats I run with will throw the word "classic" around like it's nuthin'. I mean, cats were already calling Jay's "Magna Carta" a classic literally 5 hours after it just dropped! A couple of weeks ago I posted on twitter how cats are calling everything a classic nowadays and in my opinion there probably haven't been 10+ classics during the last 12 years. And one of my peoples reached out and asked me did I REALLY believe that and to be honest, I didn't know if I did. At the time I was just venting but after he asked me that, I really started thinking about it. How many classic albums have dropped from the time I got married back in October 2000 to now? So I had to hit the crates and dig through how many albums I actually thought were dope enough to call classics during the past 12 years and post 'em here as well as thrown in some of my old school classic albums and break down why I think they're classics. But first things first, let me break down to ya'll what I define as a classic:

Classic Material: My Dark Twisted Fantasy - Kanye West

Kanye is a musical genius and there's NOTHING anyone can tell me differently. And his latest release "My Dark Twisted Fantasy" just helps to prove my point. This dude is the only one in the game in my opinion who still hustles like he's unsigned. I mean, dude is a one man record label. This dude writes rhymes, make beats, promote like crazy, comes up with the concepts for his own videos, etc. And speaking of promotions, the whole "Good Friday" jawns had the entire internet waiting around all week to see what gem 'Ye was gonna drop (and don't front like ya'll wasn't) and had EVERYBODY from Timbaland to Swizz Beatz trying to do a "Monster Monday" or "Timbaland Tuesday." And just peeping his story of recording "MDTF" in Complex had me amazed. It was like dude was running a boot camp over in Hawaii! While the average artist of 'Ye's caliber (and it ain't many) doesn't even wanna go in the studio, 'Ye is in the studio 24 hours a day! And to me, that's just ANOTHER reason why 'Ye has been the most important MC over the last 12 years. Check this out to find out the other reasons...

Classic Material: Be - Common

This week's "Classic Material" is similar to last week’s with Jay Z because before “Be” came out I was done with Common. And let me make sure ya’ll understand that Common WAS my dude. Easily one of my favorite MC’s and I was mad happy to see dude get his shine with his single “The Light” off his “Like Water For Chocolate” album.  I guess in between recording his previous album “One Day It’ll All Make Sense” and “Like Water…” this dude started falling in love with Medusa (that’s what I call E. Badu cause I heard if you look into those green eyes…it’s a wrap) and that was the start of the ending as Prodigy would say. Next thing I know this dude is wearing corduroy turtlenecks and dressing weirder than Andre 3000 and then I see this dude making videos with him talking to deaf chicks in windows with posterboards and it was like this dude had lost every single brain cel. Then he drops this wack album “Electric Circus” that completely screws up his discography SO bad that I’ve literally had to erase it from my mind to be able to say dude’s name with a straight face. “Electric Circus” was SO wack on SO many levels…I don’t even know where to begin. And I’ve actually had Com fans tell me “that album ain’t THAT bad.” Really? It ain’t that bad? So now I’m just deaf right? Yes, that album was THAT bad. I had so much love for Common that I would listen to the album every couple of months just to try to like but it just never panned out cause the album was THAT bad. But then I hear some good news. This chick Medusa broke up with dude. Could it be that the spell is lifted? Could Com be going back to his former Southside of Chicago self? Could we finally be getting the REAL follow up to “Like Water For Chocolate?” Well, one day while I was watching the Chapelle Show, I got my answer.

Classic Material: The Blueprint - Jay Z

For the first installment of "Classic Material" (which is my breakdown of classic hip hop albums that have dropped between 2000-2011) we've got who I like to to call the 2nd nicest cat coming outta the Planet of Brooklyn....Jay Z with his sixth studio album, "The Blueprint."