Almost anyone who produces something for public opinion and consumption wants the word “classic” to be associated with it. In the field of the arts this is particularly something that is held in high regard. Movies and music have a premium put on projects that are concerned “classics”. When it comes to music when a hip hop album is considered a classic it is held at mythological status. It is hard as hell to have an album be considered a classic project. The problem is that today people are throwing the word “class
ic” album around too damn willy nilly.
This week Kendrick Lamar’s Good kid, m.A.A.d city dropped to much critical acclaim. Many reviews and opinions have been given on the album given in promising reviews. While the album is a great and refreshing project the one thing I am hearing about the album that I don’t necessarily agree with is the album being a “classic”. Isn’t it too damn early to be calling this project a classic and it has been out less than a week?
In hip hop there have probably only around 200 albums that can be considered classics in the almost 40 young years that hip hop has been around. A classic album is something that stands the test of time and when you throw it on it takes you back to a special place and time. Hence how do we know if this album or any album that has come out in the last few years is a classic yet? The definition the word classic is Judged over a period of time to be of the highest quality and outstanding of its kind. The key words here are “period of time”.
When you hear Snoop Dogg’s (aka Snoop Lion aka Snoop Doggy Dogg whatever he is calling himself now) Doggystyle, Dr. Dre’s The Chronic, Ice Cube’s The Predator, Jay-Z’s Reasonable Doubt, Nas’ Illmatic, Outkast’s Aquemini, Common’s Resurrection, A Tribe Called Quest’s The Low End Theory, De La Soul’s 3 Feet High and Rising, T.I’s King, Eminem’s The Marshal Mathers LP, 2Pac’s Me Against the World, Notorious B.I.G’s Ready to Die, Bone Thugs N Harmony’s E.1999, Wu Tang Clan’s Enter the 36 Chambers, and a host of others you know it’s a classic not only because it was great raps on them but they have stood the test of TIME. Those albums became a back drop of the times these albums dropped. This albums were also given TIME to develop the nostalgia of being a classic.
I have begun to think that we are now living so much in a fast food/instant gratification society that we have a need to anoint praise on something without giving its due process and time. When we do things like this we hinder not only hip hop but Kendrick Lamar as an artist. We want things to happen so much now that Kendrick cannot carve out his own way in hip hop. A part of me feels that the landscape of great hip hop music is so tainted that some of us(including myself) champion anyone we feel is better than what is coming out in the mainstream now.
Do we even know how time will embrace an album like Good kid, m.A.A.d city? Will many of us be even playing this album and heralding it in a few months? And I am by no needs ishing on Kendrick’s project(which I feel is stellar) I just want us to taper our notions of labeling it classic so fast without even it its due diligence of time. I can name numerous albums the last few years people are talking about that are classics but do they get any burn on your playlist? Give the music time to see how it will be looked at not by what we want to feel for it now.
What are your thoughts on Kendrick Lamar’s album being labeled a classic?
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I have been hearing great reviews, but I havent heard it for myself so I can’t state my opinion there.
But I’m with u they are throwing around the word all Willy nilly.. The albums u named are classics along with quite a few others.
This is a much needed piece!!! Thanks!!
Completely agree. Classic is directly correlated with time. I think part of it is that a lot of modern hip hop is so derivative that as soon as we hear something that’s halfway decent and introspective we rush to proclaim it as the greatest ever.
Only those that are actually Kendrick Lamar fans are calling it a classis. I have been listening to him when his name was K-Dot and really became a fan with his Overly Dedication mixtape. Kendrick Lamar is hip hop and speaks the truth. Not saying that others dont but when i listen to his music it speaks to my soul. For those who are given their opinion just from listening to Swimming Pools and the Recipe, take the time out and listen to Faith, Cut you off, Hii Power, and the Heart part 1 & 2
Im hipped to Kendricks past stuff! I have seen his growth and thoroughly enjoy his music just think we need to rare back before call this ablum a classic. Let;s give the project its due time…For the record though HiiPower is one another level than most Mcs are even spitting right now
classic and great are just buzz words now. They have lost a lot of there thunder. Heck listen to John Gruden on MNF and he will tell you how the back up RB is a great player!! I think your number of 200 classic albums may be high. A classic album is one that either defines a genre or generation or redefines the genre or generation.
I don’t think you need to wait years before you can call an album classic. We sometimes know right away. Sometimes albums become classic in retrospect, a la Reasonable Doubt.
I am about to take the plastic off the CD and jam it (yes, I still buy certain CD’s I like the feeling). We will see if this joint is classic….
1.) Chriscogmta said a lot of what I feel.
2.) I have something to add to this conversation. You will find it informative in all respects of this “classic” conversation.
I typically hate when people call a album classic ..too early…but heres the truth about the K.Dot situation…hip hop went through a stage of stagnant creative moments…we were given our chance to experience classic such as illmatic reasonable doubt ect…but nowadays the current crop of listeners is tired of jay and nas even though we all love them dearly…the same cats have been dropping albums for the last 20 years and the listeners grew old started working jobs and stopped searching for new music…every complains about the new stuff on the radio but hardly ever proactively listens to new music that hasn’t touched radio yet…so here we an opportunity to spread the word about good hip hop music being released via a major label and its not a kanye nas or jay z album so ppl are genuinely excited…also the fact is …to the kid in middle school that wasn’t listening to music when Illmatic dropped …this album is a classic…he’s never heard anything like this and music of this nature didn’t exist in his/her current generation prior to the release of this album..this project…will grow with them through life and they’ll always refer back to being in middle school moments which they associate with this body or work…the same way we do with old Outkasts albums that dropped when we were younger…so to the new school kids and ppl that are actively listening to NEW music…I think it is a classic.
I agree with the idea that rap got stagnant with the old heads and gate keepters to the game but how we talk an album being classic if we don’t give it time to see how it is received and conveyed? Kendrick’s stuff is dope beyone a doubt and he is one of the best lyricists of his era but why are we so in a rush to anoint it as classic?
pardon my typos …typing fast..lol
I luv Kendrick Lamar, he has been added to my list of favorite artist. I guess I could agree with you on albums being something that stands the test of time. I’m pretty confident that 5 years from now I’ll still luv this album along with Section .80!
Now, All Eyez on Me and Makaveli….Classic!
I think part of the problem is the fact that The Source pretty much ingrained the instant crowning of an album as a classic in the Hip Hop consciousness through their rating system. I mean, the tagline of a 5 mic album is “A Hip Hop Classic.” So I think folks in Hip Hop have always had the desire to crown an album as soon as it drops because that’s what the “Hip Hop Bible” always did. Now with folks being able to voice their opinion over a few mouse clicks, it has really gotten out of hand.
I was a fan of when The Source re-mic’d albums that had become true classics over the years since they originally rated them some years back. I think there’s a couple albums they should do that again to, Thug Motivation 101 being one of them. Oh and de-5mic’ing that Lil Kim album…lol!
Great post!
The album is a classic! Let this great album be
I haven’t heard Kendricks Lamar recent album as of yet so I can’t judge and say this album will be a classic. I’ve heard his work and dude is tough but when I think of an album being a classic I think of it actually reaching out to people, the whole album is just dope and I can see myself bumping it 10 years later. For example, in MY opinion I think Lil Wayne’s first album, “The Block Is Hot” is a classic (in the gangster rap era). I’m sure music lovers have that cd sitting around somewhere and blast it at times.You can’t label ‘classic’ to everything that sounds good. It has to reach people and have that longevity in the music game. You have to know that the artist put their all into the album and not just to get some bucks.
Been listening to the album for a minute now and really appreciate and respect the feel and flow of the album. Shoutout to @mindbonics for turning me on to Kendrick Lamar back when hardly no one knew the talent.
Ask me the question ten years from now and I will reveal whether it was a classic. The last two hip hop albums that were labeled as “classics” – Kanye’s DTF and Jay Z’s American Gangster are exceptional efforts but still not on the same level of cultural mainstays such as Eric B & Rakim, Nas, Jay Z’s debut albums.
Enjoyed the read.
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