So I'm listening to LAD and....

[jsindaa]

I'm truly trying to understand why B.I.G. gets a pass for being commercial on this album...and NO ONE else does. I don't think any less of thealbum...hell I think rappers who have a commercial sound are brilliant..because they realize that this a business. But honestly, I think the way people praisethis album is a prime example for those who say he is held in a higher regard BECAUSE he died. To take it a step further if he hadn't died when hedid....he probably would have kept goin down this path...Puff wasn't about to lose any money to appease the streets and BIG wasn't either. So myquestion is...if BIG possibly the best ever can be commercial why is it a sin for any other rapper to do so?

 

[scotthallwithapick]

 

[abeautifulhaze]

Originally Posted by JsindaA

I'm truly trying to understand why B.I.G. gets a pass for being commercial on this album...and NO ONE else does. I don't think any less of the album...hell I think rappers who have a commercial sound are brilliant..because they realize that this a business. But honestly, I think the way people praise this album is a prime example for those who say he is held in a higher regard BECAUSE he died. To take it a step further if he hadn't died when he did....he probably would have kept goin down this path...Puff wasn't about to lose any money to appease the streets and BIG wasn't either. So my question is...if BIG possibly the best ever can be commercial why is it a sin for any other rapper to do so?

Who said making commercial music was a bad thing? MCs shouldn't get paid too?....I only have a beef with bad commercial music but other there just to getover....You can't say that about any track on LAD.

How much gutter tracks was on LAD in relation to the so-called commercial joints? Check the lyrics on the "commerical" tracks not only were theyflawless...they were gutter as hell...

 

[mideastbeast]

I love Biggie, but LAD is definitely overrated on NT, probably because he died.

I didn't like the direction it was going in, from Ready to Die -> LAD you can definitely see a change.

With that said, very few people on NT hate on rappers for being commercial. Just look at the threads.

 

[downtown43]

i don't see Biggie getting a pass for LAD... most often, people say that he fell off from RTD. and i rarely see LAD ranked among classic hip-hop albums.

 

[flatbush147]

my favorite album is ready to die, but LAD is better. lyrics stepped up. way up

 

[purplehazze96]

LAD is definitely overrated on this site. People be hailing a top 15 all time album.

The commercial joints on LAD are dope tracks though. Like abeautifulhaze said, aint nothing wrong with good commercial music.

I still woulda cut LAD down to 18-19 tracks though.

 

[jsindaa]

Scott I know i did...but seriously, why? I'm not saying commercial is bad...it's good IMO...but for instance 50. GRODT was gutta...and so were themixtapes before it...then he dropped The Massacre and while it's a good album in my eyes...people hate on it because it's not as street as GRODT. Justin general(well rappers who are known for street lyrics) will get unwarranted hate because...it's too "commercial". As far as LAD I didn'thave a problem with any of the tracks at all...well except that track with Kim where they are singing...it's garbage. But lyrically its still as hot as RTD. Just saying....why is selling instead of staying "street" looked down upon? Especially when that is the whole point of getting a deal.

 

[mideastbeast]

I personally look down on it because I love that gritty street music. I feel like when rappers switch up to go commercial they HAVE to dumb down their lyricsand soften up what they talk about because that is the only way you will have white teenagers in montana bumpin' you. Very few have been able to sell and"keep it real" at the same time. Nothing wrong with making money, but I'd prefer to hear a hungry dude tearing apart a mic than someone with moremoney than they know what to do with drop an album because they were bored.

You bought up 50... GRODT was in no way, shape or form "gutta". Closest 50 ever came to that was Power of the Dollar.

Commercial music obviously has a place though. Who wants to go to a club and have the DJ throw on the latest Canibus album ?

 

[crossisom]

Originally Posted by JsindaA

Scott I know i did...but seriously, why? I'm not saying commercial is bad...it's good IMO...but for instance 50. GRODT was gutta...and so were the mixtapes before it...then he dropped The Massacre and while it's a good album in my eyes...people hate on it because it's not as street as GRODT. Just in general(well rappers who are known for street lyrics) will get unwarranted hate because...it's too "commercial". As far as LAD I didn't have a problem with any of the tracks at all...well except that track with Kim where they are singing...it's garbage. But lyrically its still as hot as RTD. Just saying....why is selling instead of staying "street" looked down upon? Especially when that is the whole point of getting a deal.

Well you can't compare most of today's commercial music to the "commercial tracks" on here. It's about the quality.Big's commercial tracks had QUALITY.

 

[GreenNGold89]

I've TRIED to like his album, but I just can't. I don't understand how people can put this album up there with other greats. There are some tracksI like but overall, it just didn't do it for me. I've said this album is overrated a lot

and I always catch heat for it. I'm not a big fan of"commercial" music but I won't hate on someone trying to get there paper. But how are people going to say this is up there lyrically with othergreats? @%%@ you tonight?

Another?

Nasty boy?

I'm not a fan of Hypnotize or Mo Money Mo Problems either, but I'll leave those ones out of it.

Honestly, if you think those have great lyrics, I don't know what to say. I guess you can say they have good lyrics compared to other commercial $!#@that comes out, but that doesn't make this album one of the best of all time.

So basically, I'm just trying to say it was a good commercial album I guess (not my style but I can see why some people may like it), but it ain'tanywhere near other great/classic albums.

 

[purplehazze96]

Mo Money Mo Problems is my !@@!.

I've always said I'd drop Another, !%$* You Tonight, & Nasty Boy. I'd drop Hypnotize too. Make those changes and you got 18 tracks of heat notincluding the intro and still plenty of room for commercial appeal.

 

[crossisom]

Originally Posted by bbllplaya23

I've TRIED to like his album, but I just can't. I don't understand how people can put this album up there with other greats. There are some tracks I like but overall, it just didn't do it for me. I've said this album is overrated a lot

and I always catch heat for it. I'm not a big fan of "commercial" music but I won't hate on someone trying to get there paper. But how are people going to say this is up there lyrically with other greats? @%%@ you tonight?

Another?

Nasty boy?

I'm not a fan of Hypnotize or Mo Money Mo Problems either, but I'll leave those ones out of it.

Honestly, if you think those have great lyrics, I don't know what to say. I guess you can say they have good lyrics compared to other commercial $!#@ that comes out, but that doesn't make this album one of the best of all time.

So basically, I'm just trying to say it was a good commercial album I guess (not my style but I can see why some people may like it), but it ain't anywhere near other great/classic albums.

So basically you singled out the three tracks that everyone else is saying they would leave off just to tell us that it was a good album anyway...

and you TRIED to like the album HA?...

 

[pusha c]

because of n's bleed, whats beef, 10 crack commandments, last day, kick in ya door, etc.

like someone else said, the ratio to commercial gutta joints is about half and half, if not 30/70 cause he had sooooooo much g ++% on this joint and the lyricson everything were on POINT.
greatly appreciated

 

[harlem on the rise]

*** News Flash ***
Life After Death is held in HIGH regards by damn near everyone, so this "Overrated on NT" talk is ******ed. I know people of ALL ages, from alldifferent walks of life who own a copy of this @+!% and enjoy is a GREAT deal, and its been that way since 97 . . .

As far as "Commercial" what does that @+!% mean?? I mean if ANYthing they were Bad Noy styled records as far as using the R&B/Hip Hop records, Imean hip hop is not only meant for this certain group of people, how can an artist be criticized for exposing more people to hip hop?? I'm sure if hip hopstayed as gritty as some of you THINK you would've liked it, I'm sure half of you wouldn't have been exposed to the genre. I mean outside of a FEWold heads in here, the majority of us were exposed to hip hop via some track ANOTHER generation may call "Commercial" or what not . . .

How could ANY man who's lost his virginity, has/had a girl NOT like "+@+*%#! You Tonight"?? That's beyond me, how can you NOT relate?? Areyou willing to tell me BIG didn't deliver lyrically?? Was his flow off?? Is the hook wack?? Are you +@+*%#! kidding me??

"Another" the @+!% is hot to me, and its funny, I mean it was meant to be EXACTLY what it ended up being. How is this any different from "FriendOf Mine"??

"Nasty Boy"?? That @+!% is ill, PERIOD. I mean how is this NOT in the same vein as the orginal "One More Chance"?? How is he goin"commercial" here when he had records like that on his first joint??

How anyone with working ears can hate on "Mo Money, Mo Problems" or "Hypnotize" is beyond me

This album became the BLUEPRINT to what a COMPLETE modern day hip hop album should sound like.

 

[mideastbeast]

Rant all you want, it is a good album, but on NT dudes have it in top 15, 10, 5 even 3 greatest albums of all time. That's just ridiculous.

 

[harlem on the rise]

Life After Death is deffinetly one of the BEST hip hop albums ever recorded. I don't think I've heard a better album since . . .

There were a few albums before that are better, but since March 25th 1997, Life After Death hasn't been topped . . .

 

[mideastbeast]

 

[purplehazze96]

You're wasting your breath. LAD is one of the best hip hop albums recorded? I can't deny that because there's no basis for comparison. Is top 100albums qualify as one of the best ever? Top 50? 25?

Im comfortable naming 25 albums better than LAD, that's no to discredit LAD but it's obvious you hold the album in ridiculously high regard.

Jawn might not even be the best album released in '97.

 

[sohi 23]

Doesn't Nay think that LAD is better than RtD?


And if you can't feel Hypnotize than

That $+%# is pure crack.

 

[sohi 23]

Originally Posted by Harlem On The Rise

Life After Death is deffinetly one of the BEST hip hop albums ever recorded. I don't think I've heard a better album since . . .

There were a few albums before that are better, but since March 25th 1997, Life After Death hasn't been topped . . .

Ehh, idk about that.
Aquemini?
The Fix?
STILLmatic?
The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill?
Supreme Clientele?
Lets Get Free?

 

[the gr8]

LAD is top 15 prob even top 10 and none of yall haters can tell me otherwise.

 

[untitled]

guys you gotta understand...commerical in 1997 is damn near HARDCORE in 2009

shoot if thats a commerical album i want more of that.

 

[purplehazze96]

Very true, Like I stated earlier, good commercial music is good music.

 

[harlem on the rise]

Negative.
None of those albums are better . . .

Its funny tho, "Hyptnotize" & "Mo Money, Mo Problems" were BOTH the #1 song in the country and you have idiots on here sayin theywould've taken them off the album

"What's you're plan, is it to rock the TRI-STATE/
Almost gold, 5Gs a show date/
Or do you wanna see about 7 digits?"

I mean the N NEVER took a bar off, EVERY bar this dude spit is on point . . . Its dudes that get sucked on here that'll take a verse off, a song, some Nsgot albums of just half assed rhymes . . . N never took a break, gave 100% EVERY line . . .