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[Vorheez]

If I still like something it's aged well. If I don't anymore, then it hasn't aged well.

I'm not talking about looking back on the music, I'm talking about the creation of the music. Is there anything you can do musically to set it up to age well? What are the actual qualities of an album that allow it to hold up well throughout decades? Production, structure, themes, lyrical ability, technical prowess? What is it? I think it's a good question.

Edit:

I actually vehemently disagree with that argument. While I understand it completely, and acknowledge it's evident for example in some of the pop references Em makes (to use him as an example), I feel like you could use the same argument for anyone from a decade or so ago.

Now, to me, aging well is more based on listening to an album years later and seeing if it still knocks. I can listen to MMLP and still see how good it is. Of course it sounds out of place at times, it was a completely different era. Hell look at Ready to Die (comparing the age). To me the aging argument is more was the album all hype and a product of the climate at the time or is it actually still good. And to me hearing the sheer hunger on those first two Em albums means I can never shit on them for some dated references.
I fully admit I'm a stan though lol.

On the other hand, D12 and even G-Unit have some stuff that didn't age well in the production department I would say...but now that may be construed as hypocritical when it could've just been the sound of the time lol

Sorry, I missed this. This is a good answer.

 

[Esch]

aging well/badly is mostly just a stupid talking point, at least usually when it comes to talking about the music

cultural shifts in values or ideas, now thats something worth gabbing about

 

[Fjordson]

I feel like it just changes from person to person.

I think lyrical content can age a lot worse and a lot faster than anything musical since sensibilities change and references can become dated. And just the way people speak changes. Like I remember cringing when I heard Eminem say "faggot" in Rap God.

Production and/or music is a bit more fluid though. I mean there's so much stuff these days that references older music in its sound so something from the past can still be enjoyable musically. Doesn't always instantly date itself like some lyrics or lyrical styles.

 

[Daria]

Makonnen hitting a peak of swag. Odd colored socks, rockstar bag, and shitty hair style.

I feel like his style (lyrically and fashion) is going to grow old quick toward the end of the year. his low mixes and drug infused verses can only be done so many times, especially by the whole awful group. we'll see though.

anyway, started to listen to this Rick Ruben interview on the Tim Ferriss podcast and one of the stipulations was recording it in his barrel sauna which reaches a point of 200° lol, it shall be entertaining to listen in full.

 

[Eos]

It all depends on the person imo. If you liked the album 10 years ago, and still like it now, then I guess in a sense it has "aged well" for you.

Em is a perfect example of this. His topics and lyrics for his first couple of albums, like all the shit about killing, raping, etc etc, I didn't really care about them when I was younger. But nowadays, it's hard for me to listen to them because I can't really stand the childish, goofy ass lyrics on some of the songs on like SSLP and MMLP.

 

[Syph Medwes]

If I still like something it's aged well. If I don't anymore, then it hasn't aged well.

Basically this lol

aging well/badly is mostly just a stupid talking point, at least usually when it comes to talking about the music

cultural shifts in values or ideas, now thats something worth gabbing about

i was thinking about this the other day when my buddy was playing D12 World
Like just the early 2000s rap in general some of that wouldn't fly today mainstream wise
It's kinda weird that "mainstream rap" is now almost more accepting of drugs but less so of the implied misogyny. I'm not saying either are correct or that people should care in the first place (they shouldn't) but it's just an observation. Or I may be talking out of my ass.

 

[enzo_gt]

If I still like something it's aged well. If I don't anymore, then it hasn't aged well.

Pretty succinctly put. How well something weathers time, the harshest mistress.

aging well/badly is mostly just a stupid talking point, at least usually when it comes to talking about the music

cultural shifts in values or ideas, now thats something worth gabbing about

i.e. time

 

[HiResDes]

aging well/badly is mostly just a stupid talking point, at least usually when it comes to talking about the music

cultural shifts in values or ideas, now thats something worth gabbing about

Why is it a stupid talking point, because it's subjective? If so then we might as well shut down the whole thread. Shifting socioeconomic and cultural values can have an influence on how something ages but are not the sole determining factor in something so relative to each individual. Even if it's completely subjective it seems to be a real phenomenon. I wouldn't claim that aging well or not aging well is purely a question of quality. For example I don't think Rakims albums have aged all too well mostly because of the production whereas A Low End Theory still bumps today, but I still think Paid in Full is a fantastic album as well.

 

[Syph Medwes]

Why is it a stupid talking point, because it's subjective? If so then we might as well shut down the whole thread. Shifting socioeconomic and cultural values can have an influence on how something ages but are not the sole determining factor in something so relative to each individual. Even if it's completely subjective it seems to be a real phenomenon. I wouldn't claim that aging well or not aging well is purely a question of quality. For example I don't think Rakims albums have aged all too well mostly because of the production whereas A Low End Theory still bumps today, but I still think Paid in Full is a fantastic album as well.

This is kind of what I was trying to get at, that while I admit that some albums (to continue using Eminem as an example) may not have technically aged well, (production, references, etc.) that doesn't diminish their original quality in my eyes.

 

[Esch]

Why is it a stupid talking point, because it's subjective? If so then we might as well shut down the whole thread. Shifting socioeconomic and cultural values can have an influence on how something ages but are not the sole determining factor in something so relative to each individual. Even if it's completely subjective it seems to be a real phenomenon. I wouldn't claim that aging well or not aging well is purely a question of quality. For example I don't think Rakims albums have aged all too well mostly because of the production whereas A Low End Theory still bumps today, but I still think Paid in Full is a fantastic album as well.

It's stupid usually because it boils down to this:

If I still like something it's aged well. If I don't anymore, then it hasn't aged well.

Most of these discussions don't ever involve looking at anything from any sort of technical/mechanistic standpoint or ever have any sort of substance to them, because generally fans are laypeople. IMO, a lot of these discussions sorta necessitate talking about equipment, theory, etc to really be anything more than 'i like this/i don't'. but most ppl don't know or care about that shit, and fair enough.

It usually ends up with people criticising old shit without any sort of background or context.

 

[Fjordson]

I was kinda being sarcastic, didn't want to shut down any discussion brehs lol

Like I said, I think you can definitely pinpoint lyrical content and styles that becomes dated, whereas music and production is a little more difficult. Partially because what's old is always being reappropriated as new in music. There's current rock music that sounds like it's 40 years old on purpose, pop music on the radio that sounds like it's from 1985 on purpose, etc.

edit: can even stretch that to equipment and technique. One of my favourite working musicians/producers around is Johnny Jewel and he's always pointed out that he uses old techniques in the studio and works exclusively on old analog equipment.

 

[overcast]

A lot of the aging part is dependant on how much a person changes too. I feel like Em's albums aging poorly are somewhat well documented but something like Deltron 3030 feels a little more corny to me as a person at 22 versus when it blew my mind at 16.

Now is that the album's problem or mine? Do I rate the album lower or simply accept the fact that I'm now a different person?

Nice avatar Esch. Bolo scared the shit out of me when I was younger.

 

[Dereck]

These Walls on Ellen

 

[CountBlack]

These Walls on Ellen

These Walls video with possibly 'u' on it coming

Video for Alright was shot too.

 

[HiResDes]

That's actually Eschs second Bolo avatar.

 

[wenis]

He looks like he's set to reboot the Big Momma's House franchise.

 

[PhoenixDark]

ilovemidichlorians out chea looking like your only aunt who can't fry chicken properly.

 

[Dereck]

ilovemidichlorians out chea looking like that your only aunt who can't fry chicken properly.

 

[Syph Medwes]

Is that a Rockstar Games bag? Mr. Sheran with unlimited swag / great taste.

can't wait for that makonnen alt costume in GTA6

 

[HiResDes]

That Makonnen picture is a shop right guys?

 

[enzo_gt]

I don't even have a witty response for that Macaroni picture. A picture is worth a thousand words.

 

[PhoenixDark]

These Walls video with possibly 'u' on it coming

Video for Alright was shot too.

Maybe they'll do U as an interlude to one of the videos, or perhaps the beginning to the Alright video.

 

[Linkhero1]

What are some decent bangers released in 2015?

 

[CrazyDogg77]

ilovemidichlorians out chea looking like your only aunt who can't fry chicken properly.

Always bringing some nasty ass potato salad instead

 

[ViewtifulJC]

What are some decent bangers released in 2015?

For Free

 

[Az]

 

[Esch]

That Makonnen picture is a shop right guys?

nah that's definitely ilovemargarine in the flesh

 

[Net_Wrecker]

Everything is a product of its time, even things that seem retro or futuristic against their contemporaries (except for Pharoahe Monch's flow on Stress: The Extinction Agenda, he's actually from the year 3126 on that album), so criticizing something for sounding like the year it was made is kinda wack tbh. It's more accurate to say your tastes changed. SSLP and MMLP aren't suddenly bad albums, you just can't mess with them anymore because you're a different person (unless you never liked them in the first place) All "aged well" means is that you can revisit something years down the line and enjoy it in the same way you used to, maybe even more so because the style on that particular project might be dead. Sometimes those tastes are your own, sometimes it's a culture-wide acceptance of "Yeah this sounds like 1994, but we still rock with it" which leads to hearing Gin and Juice in a movie 21 years later.

I'm about to have a serious disagreement with overcast about Deltron 3030 though. Hold me back

 

[ecurbj]

This new Alchemist

 

[Mattlikewhoa]

Young Thug Isn’t Done: Now He Plans To Drop A Mixtape Called Tha Carter V

YESSS! HAHA! And what's with that lame video interview?! Yes, lets play his music rather loud in the background while trying to conduct an interview...

...Seems like a great idea...

This honestly took me a minute to figure out that it was Makonnen...

 

[HiResDes]

Everything is a product of its time, even things that seem retro or futuristic against their contemporaries (except for Pharoahe Monch's flow on Stress: The Extinction Agenda, he's actually from the year 3126 on that album), so criticizing something for sounding like the year it was made is kinda wack tbh. It's more accurate to say your tastes changed. SSLP and MMLP aren't suddenly bad albums, you just can't mess with them anymore because you're a different person (unless you never liked them in the first place) All "aged well" means is that you can revisit something years down the line and enjoy it in the same way you used to, maybe even more so because the style on that particular project might be dead. Sometimes those tastes are your own, sometimes it's a culture-wide acceptance of "Yeah this sounds like 1994, but we still rock with it" which leads to hearing Gin and Juice in a movie 21 years later.

I'm about to have a serious disagreement with overcast about Deltron 3030 though. Hold me back

Deltron 3030 definitely is kinda cheesy now with all of its attempts at ludicrous technobabble and at predicting how a future dystopia might function but ultimately understanding society a lot less than the likes of Orwell or Huxley.

 

[Net_Wrecker]

Deltron 3030 definitely is kinda cheesy now with all of its attempts at ludicrous technobabble and at predicting how a future dystopia might function but ultimately understanding society a lot less than the likes of Orwell or Huxley.

It's always been cheesy with the technobabble and dystopian themes, that isn't something that just happened and suddenly the album is less for it. I can go back to it and appreciate it the same way I can watch sci-fi movies like Forbidden Planet, Soylent Green, or Escape From NY thinking "This is so ridiculous and so 50s/70s/80s, but it's still enjoyable." I don't think anyone was ever holding it up to be hip-hop's Brave New World.

 

[enzo_gt]

Rocky on Sway.

I'm sorry for telling the world I jizzed on [Rita Ora] mannn

 

[HiResDes]

It's always been cheesy with the technobabble and dystopian themes, that isn't something that just happened and suddenly the album is less for it. I can go back to it and appreciate it the same way I can watch sci-fi movies like Forbidden Planet, Soylent Green, or Escape From NY thinking "This is so ridiculous and so 50s/70s/80s, but it's still enjoyable." I don't think anyone was ever holding it up to be hip-hop's Brave New World.

It is kinda held to that standard.

 

[overcast]

Net, I haven't listened to it in a good while honestly. Kind of just figure I wouldn't appreciate it as much based off thinking about it.

 

[TheChits]

These Walls on Ellen

Really nice performance. That last verse in particular was fantastic

 

[Tokubetsu]

 

[Face it Tiger..]

The Weeknd - The Hills (Video)

*heavenly*

 

[Fjordson]

Yeezus is in Oakland for the Warriors / Rockets game. We gotta win now.

 

[Net_Wrecker]

It is kinda held to that standard.

i mean in terms of dystopian concept albums in hip-hop there isn't too much competition so anything even remotely close to those ideas will draw comparisons, but I've never seen it as something with those kinds of lofty pretensions. The whole thing reeks of 80s/90s sci-fi and anime tech obsession, predictions, conspiracy/paranoia, etc. wrapped in space opera cheese. *shrug*

Net, I haven't listened to it in a good while honestly. Kind of just figure I wouldn't appreciate it as much based off thinking about it.

Aged pretty well IMO

 

[Storm Chamber]

After reading PDs comments in the em thread about his shit not aging well, it got me thinking about some other stuff that didn't age too well... whats the consensus on d12s devils night? I'm giving it a spin now and even though its dope, it's really just a tweaked MMLP.

What sets an album up to age well? How do you even classify that?

Corny as hell.

 

[Rastafarian42]

These Walls on Ellen

Yeah this is dope These Walls was always one of my favorites on the album.

 

[enzo_gt]

Kembe X ft. Danny Brown - Hereditary (2 Bitches).

This is something different & weird.

 

[Storm Chamber]

In this case, I'm kind of thinking the only "age" that matters is yours for the most part.

I'll honestly admit that I was all over Eminem/D-12 back in 1999-2001. Now?

 

[Storm Chamber]

Deltron 3030 definitely is kinda cheesy now with all of its attempts at ludicrous technobabble and at predicting how a future dystopia might function but ultimately understanding society a lot less than the likes of Orwell or Huxley.

It's always been cheesy with the technobabble and dystopian themes, that isn't something that just happened and suddenly the album is less for it. I can go back to it and appreciate it the same way I can watch sci-fi movies like Forbidden Planet, Soylent Green, or Escape From NY thinking "This is so ridiculous and so 50s/70s/80s, but it's still enjoyable." I don't think anyone was ever holding it up to be hip-hop's Brave New World.

As much as I enjoy 3030, I believe Dr. Octagon to be the superior album from that "era". No real take on society in the future, hell, 98% of that album makes absolutely no sense, but I honestly don't think it was ever supposed to. I just take it as this unhinged emcee who's gone to the future and (un)surprisingly found himself right at home.



**oh so nobody's gonna post anymore oh ok

 

[Dereck]

Right, I have no idea what's happening on No Awareness but I enjoy every second

 

[Discotheque]

That's actually Eschs second Bolo avatar.

Esch straight mesmerized by the pecs of steel

/dame dash pause

 

[Vorheez]

Corny as hell.

What?

 

[Snuggles]

peep this if ur bored https://soundcloud.com/yungsnuggles/yung-snuggles-sell-out-mix

moderately high and just throwing this out there

🔥👈👀

 

[Storm Chamber]

What?

Devil's Night