How is it overrated? It was never hyped, or highly rated, or critically acclaimed. NWA was low-life, street, gang-related music, not for the radio, never intended for the radio, and never got play on the radio. NWA was underground, or as Eazy-E put it, "The underground hip-hop thugsterz.."

To be over-rated you have to be hyped in the first place, I'm just not buying that NWA or Eazy E were ever hyped in the first place. Did they make a lot of noise? Fuck the fuck yeah. Did that noise necessarily translate into critical acclaim or mainstream success? Not entirely.

Interestingly enough, MC Ren was actually quite intelligent and political in his music, both his raps in NWA and his later solo releases. I think the cerebral aspects of NWA are subtle. Songs like "100 Miles and Running", "Dopeman", "Fuck the Police", "Approach To Danger", "Appetite for Destruction", "Boyz In Da Hood", were all very political, very critical of society and socio-economics of American life, very much reflective of the gritty, low-life, pessimistic approach of being poor and living in ghetto America in the Reaganomics era. Yes the music was crude, violent, and hopelessly misogynistic, but interestingly enough, that was sort of the point, so that their music was bordering on ghetto fabulous satire. It was a way to be able to find a way to laugh at otherwise totally not funny shit.

wow that's awesome that it's getting a reissue. insane album. I really love No Man's Land too. That one was sooo slept on at the time but it's great.

you have a point there (honestly i've been waiting for your response :)). i suppose they're the Sex Pistols of hip-hop.

i'm going to buy Lorde's album.

Sky Ferreira is very good too: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1jtTeMgWNhA

i'm digging the hell outta this "post-Lana Del Rey" era in pop music.

Same here. Some of my favorite tracks are on that album (ok, maybe only one or two) but it sounds very basic and dull compared to what came after. The last track is wonderful, even if it's just an interview. I listen to it more than any song on the album.

Late Reg. Is also kinda messy compared to the last three. It's overly long, or feels that way, with its skits and bullshit. Still, whenever I hear "Diamonds.." or any of its remixes, my jaw drops. That was the best single of that year. Period. Jesus Walks may have been his breakthrough, but Diamonds was the wake up call to the world that this motherfucker had real, enduring talent.

One of the best singles ever, if you ask me.

yeah Diamonds is amazing. Jay's verse on the remix is just wow, "yup, i got it from here Ye damn" - he killed Kanye.

GONE is in my top 5 Kanye songs.

http://www.factmag.com/2013/10/07/wa...ngle-wild-out/

so apparently Waka's newest album is going to be even more EDM tinged. Why am I excited for this?

Ross' verse on Hold On (from Pusha's album) is fucking dope! he went in!!

Nah I really like Eazy-E. His lyrics are so ridiculous they can't be taken seriously but he did some great stuff. Nobody Move is such a killa song for me.

Eminem is a good one. HOWEVER when he wants to he could do some awesome raps. His one on 'No Love' from the recovery album was just brilliant.

For me it's gotta be the obvious one-2pac. He did some great stuff sure, but as happens with some musicians who die young, their music gets hyped a lot more (and blown way outta proportion) than if he had lived.

can't argue with that.

Overrated hip hop? I don't think we should go there. Let's keep things nice and pleasant for a while.

I'll tell you who was UNDER-rated: Black Sheep and Black Moon.
Enta Da Stage and Wolf in Sheep's Clothing are two of my favorite hip hop records ever. Hell yeah.

Eminen is the epitome of corny ass dumb fuck music for assholes. Every time I remember a good verse, I realize it's shit when I spin it now. He was a fucking brooding corndog and his delivery... Jesus. How did we ever convince ourselves that it was on the same level as the greats? Was everyone on as much acid as I was back then? That might explain it. But I haven't listened to his big dumb corny ass without laughing since Eminem Show, when I was WAAAY too bored to laugh.

I was never convinced, I hated that shit since day one. It was so damned lame! There are so many great white MCs in the underground hip hop scene, EMINEM was just embarrassing..


Not an excuse, I was taking acid and eating copious amounts of mushrooms around that era ;)

new Tyler video, it's awesome as usual - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OxlJLz9M8hQ

honestly Wolf is a good album.

I hated the Marshall Mathers Lp too. From day one. Yes, I had some fun with invincible and slim shady, but it was short lived. Seriously, there has never EVER been a rapper with such a sense of self importance. Such a god complex. He makes Kanye look downright humble, though that might have something to do with Kanye having some talent to back up his Christ poses. So does Lil Wayne (at his worst; at his best he was Michael Jordan. Em may have come close to MJ during his baseball years, but that's not saying much... Or anything .

Bitch.

the biggest secret is Kanye actually kills Em lyrically. "Gorgeous", "Hell of a Life", "Primetime" and "The Joy" prove this.

like kurdt said though, Em can rap so well when he wants: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hO2wA0Te0wM

Roc Marciano's "Reloaded" is still underrated. dude is probably the closest thing we have to OB4CL-era Raekwon.

Yup. I can't believe someone agrees with me on this. Kanye's got immense skill as an emcee, and his wordplay is sometimes too subtle to be immediately appreciated. He's more versatile stylistically than most rappers (for example: he's capable of doing things other than rapping.)

He's one of the most cleverly self-mocking, but by no means self-deprecating lyricists we have, and he dips from more than just the average "hood", "drug," and "social politics" lexica.

With Em it's either mildly funny jerky boys meets ICP junior high humor for Nebraska meth heads, or it's overly inflated self-referential horseshit.

Now, Lil Wayne at his prime would slay Eminem and even give Ye a run for his money. Eminem is nothing, but I'm sure he'll sell like crazy, unless the "Down with bullshit name-brand rap" campaigns Kendrick and Earl seem to be launching actually gains footing in the culture.