The Police Are Gonna Have To Come And Get Me
Well, this was going to be quite a bit longer, but my browser crashed so I'll just do the abbreviated version. The occasion of this post is Entertainment Weekly's (admittedly subjective) ranking of the Top 25 Rap Albums of all time.
Now, while I recognise that The Notorious B.I.G.'s "Ready to Die" was a good album, I think ranking it third is a bit much. Particularly considering that 2Pac's "All Eyes on Me" didn't make the list. Methinks there was a bit of coastal favouratism at play.
At any rate, I can deal with that. I can also deal with the fact that the Cypress Hill album they selected was "Cypress Hill" as opposed to "Black Sunday" (though, I suppose it's also an open question if there should be any Cypress Hill albums on the list). I can even deal with the notable omission of any entry from the Geto Boys.
However, what is inexcusable to me is the fact that a list that includes Eminem's "The Marshall Mather's LP" (yeah, that's not sucking up to current tastes) does not include N.W.A.'s "Straight Outta Compton". Now, I'm not saying that Eminem is bad, but top 25 albums? Come on. As well, from a "impact" perspective, if "Straight Outta Compton" never drops and you don't have an Eminem, a Snoop Dogg or a Mack 10 (and that's just the direct proteges). To say nothing of the fact that a certain John Singleton movie winds up with the title "Criminal Minded". I suppose maybe EW thought that by giving props to Dre and Cube individually for "The Chronic" and "Death Certificate" respectively they were covering their requisite bases. I disagree however. Both of those albums stood on their own merits ("Amerikkka's Most Wanted" arguably had a bigger impact, particularly for the bi-coastal elements, however I've tended to prefer the songs on "Death Certificate" so I'm not complaining. But then, I prefer "The Predator" to both, so I may be out to lunch). "Straight Outta Compton", in my opinion, deserved independent recognition. Pity Entertainment Weekly didn't feel the same way.
Now, while I recognise that The Notorious B.I.G.'s "Ready to Die" was a good album, I think ranking it third is a bit much. Particularly considering that 2Pac's "All Eyes on Me" didn't make the list. Methinks there was a bit of coastal favouratism at play.
At any rate, I can deal with that. I can also deal with the fact that the Cypress Hill album they selected was "Cypress Hill" as opposed to "Black Sunday" (though, I suppose it's also an open question if there should be any Cypress Hill albums on the list). I can even deal with the notable omission of any entry from the Geto Boys.
However, what is inexcusable to me is the fact that a list that includes Eminem's "The Marshall Mather's LP" (yeah, that's not sucking up to current tastes) does not include N.W.A.'s "Straight Outta Compton". Now, I'm not saying that Eminem is bad, but top 25 albums? Come on. As well, from a "impact" perspective, if "Straight Outta Compton" never drops and you don't have an Eminem, a Snoop Dogg or a Mack 10 (and that's just the direct proteges). To say nothing of the fact that a certain John Singleton movie winds up with the title "Criminal Minded". I suppose maybe EW thought that by giving props to Dre and Cube individually for "The Chronic" and "Death Certificate" respectively they were covering their requisite bases. I disagree however. Both of those albums stood on their own merits ("Amerikkka's Most Wanted" arguably had a bigger impact, particularly for the bi-coastal elements, however I've tended to prefer the songs on "Death Certificate" so I'm not complaining. But then, I prefer "The Predator" to both, so I may be out to lunch). "Straight Outta Compton", in my opinion, deserved independent recognition. Pity Entertainment Weekly didn't feel the same way.
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