[toastyToast]

More like Joe Budden Mood Muzik Vol.4

How could I forget? Joe Budden knows how to crush a brothers' spirit :lol

I think we can all agree that it's been an incredible year for hip-hop. I'm drowning in all this goodness.

[teepo]

What the hell, not even :lol

i can't name another more meticulously crafted and creative hip hop album released this year and i'm sure a lot who have listened to it could possibly agree or at least see where i'm coming from.

[Ephemeris]

FML.

This can change so damn easily. So yeah. This is valid till the end of the month week. :/ Probably do 3 honorable mentions. Except LR.


TCD: Never Let me down (Honorable: Spaceship. Two Words. All Falls Down) *
LR: Gone. (Honorable: My Way Home. Addiction; Gone; Late; Diamonds) **
Graduation: Flashing Lights (Honorable: Good Morning. I wonder. Can't tell me Nothing) ***
808s & Heartbreak: Coldest Winter (Honorable: Welcome To heartbreak; heartless; amazing) ****
MBDTF: Power + Runaway part included (Honorable Mentions: ALL OF THE LIGHTS. All of the lights Interlude. Hell of a life. Blame Game. Gorgeous. Dark Fantasy. So Appalled. Lost in the world) *****


*I really wanted to fit The New Workout plan in there :lol

** I gave up trying to fit only three.

*** This list is definitely different from the time Graduation came out. Stronger barely missed the cut. Truth be told, right now I like "I Wonder" the best. But it'll be flashing lights by noon EST tomorrow.

**** Not really that hard. Came down to Coldest and Amazing for #1 and Heartless and Love Lockdown for the last mention.

***** Can't do it mang. All I know is that I played the hell outta Monster, So Appalled Devil and Runaway. Despite being good songs, I'm not feeling them as much as the others. I really do love that All of the Lights interlude though.


Making this list surprised me. Didn't know I had so many faves on LR.

[peterb0y]

i can't name another more meticulously crafted and creative hip hop album released this year and i'm sure a lot who have listened to it could possibly agree or at least see where i'm coming from.

yup

[enzo_gt]

How could I forget? Joe Budden knows how to crush a brothers' spirit :lol I think we can all agree that it's been an incredible year for hip-hop. I'm drowning in all this goodness.

Agreed, man. It's been quite a year.

But yeah continue arguing over what's the most consistent. Let me put it this way: I think Mr. West's album is one of the most consistent I've listened to this year, and it just so happens I feel it's THE most consistent of the bunch I've listened to. TSOL close second.

Have not listened to Big Boi's though. Before I get all the hate (peterb0y is gonna kill me), I'm not really into Big Boi that much. I do appreciate his lyricism though, it's just something about the flow I'm unused to.

[peterb0y]

Agreed, man. It's been quite a year. But yeah continue arguing over what's the most consistent. Let me put it this way: I think Mr. West's album is one of the most consistent I've listened to this year, and it just so happens I feel it's THE most consistent of the bunch I've listened to. TSOL close second. Have not listened to Big Boi's though. Before I get all the hate (peterb0y is gonna kill me), I'm not really into Big Boi that much. I do appreciate his lyricism though, it's just something about the flow I'm unused to.

lol its cool.. Big Boi's album just has this real quick wit to it, a laid back, non-pretentious vibe, and awesome production. Kno's album was also great btw

[CRS]

What are the rules on posting an amateurish cut and paste mix I made of J. Cole's verses with DiaND?

[toastyToast]

Should be OK since DiaND was a good Friday track (so free) and FNL was also free. Unless there is a monetary value associated with Ricky Ross' verse

[CRS]

I actually got rid of his verse so no problem there. :lol

Here it is. DiaND (Villematic Remix)

[exarkun]

Does the Deluxe CD/DVD edition on Amazon come with the Bonus songs? I'm trying to figure out where to buy it.

[GodfatherX]

Does the Deluxe CD/DVD edition on Amazon come with the Bonus songs? I'm trying to figure out where to buy it.

I would guess it wouldnt include the 3-4 iTunes exclusives

[Ashhong]

FML. This can change so damn easily. So yeah. This is valid till the end of the month week. :/ Probably do 3 honorable mentions. Except LR. TCD: Never Let me down (Honorable: Spaceship. Two Words. All Falls Down) * LR: Gone. (Honorable: My Way Home. Addiction; Gone; Late; Diamonds) ** Graduation: Flashing Lights (Honorable: Good Morning. I wonder. Can't tell me Nothing) *** 808s & Heartbreak: Coldest Winter (Honorable: Welcome To heartbreak; heartless; amazing) **** MBDTF: Power + Runaway part included (Honorable Mentions: ALL OF THE LIGHTS. All of the lights Interlude. Hell of a life. Blame Game. Gorgeous. Dark Fantasy. So Appalled. Lost in the world) ***** *I really wanted to fit The New Workout plan in there :lol ** I gave up trying to fit only three. *** This list is definitely different from the time Graduation came out. Stronger barely missed the cut. Truth be told, right now I like "I Wonder" the best. But it'll be flashing lights by noon EST tomorrow. **** Not really that hard. Came down to Coldest and Amazing for #1 and Heartless and Love Lockdown for the last mention. ***** Can't do it mang. All I know is that I played the hell outta Monster, So Appalled Devil and Runaway. Despite being good songs, I'm not feeling them as much as the others. I really do love that All of the Lights interlude though. Making this list surprised me. Didn't know I had so many faves on LR.

Damn, completely forgot about Never Let Me Down. Beautiful chorus, damn, I need to youtube that shit right now.

[exarkun]

I would guess it wouldnt include the 3-4 iTunes exclusives

UGH there are i-tunes exclusives? Wtf kanye, I don't want to have to deal with that shit. I'd have to double dip AND not have it all on one CD. Terrible.

[Ashhong]

I actually got rid of his verse so no problem there. :lol Here it is. DiaND (Villematic Remix)

I would like this much more if you could just stick Cole's verse at the end over Ross. Would that be too hard?

UGH there are i-tunes exclusives? Wtf kanye, I don't want to have to deal with that shit. I'd have to double dip AND not have it all on one CD. Terrible.

Yea they apparently didn't finish the bonus tracks in time to put it on the physical. Not sure why its iTunes only though. My tracklisting in the OP isn't completely confirmed though.

[CRS]

I would like this much more if you could just stick Cole's verse at the end over Ross. Would that be too hard?

It would sound a little strange if I put it after because of the added guitar from the solo. I even got rid of the solo but I'll see what I can do. Like I said, it's very amateurish and rough. I'll definitely improve it over time, this is just something I did in half an hour. I still need to figure out how to include Cole's "first" verse and seamlessly add it in. Also, I want to fix the position of the "second" verse. If anyone has any suggestions, feel free. (Especially for the first verse.)

I'll try to mess with it tomorrow night and see what I can do but for now I have to sleep. Stupid Bio exam tomorrow.

[Dreams-Visions]

UGH there are i-tunes exclusives? Wtf kanye, I don't want to have to deal with that shit. I'd have to double dip AND not have it all on one CD. Terrible.

summary: FUCKING RIDICULOUS.

[DominoKid]

since everyone is doing favorite songs

College Dropout: Last Call
Late Registration: Drive Slow
Graduation: Can't Tell Me Nothing
808s & Heartbreak: See You In My Nightmares
My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy: Blame Game / Gorgeous

[RJT]

College Dropout: Too many... Love Last Call, Never Let me Down, Slow Jam, Family Business, Through the Wire... This may be my favorite album ever (along with Blackstar)
Late Registration: Gone
Graduation: Everything I Am (Premier scratching... Love it!)
808s & Heartbreak: (haven't listened to it, probably never will)
My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy: Blame Game

[Mikasangelos]

This Album.....omg...... :o

[Coldsnap]

Anyone else think Kanye's flow is amazing in "Dark Fantasy" Runaway's version, it's noticeably better than the leaked release

[enzo_gt]

Anyone else think Kanye's flow is amazing in "Dark Fantasy" Runaway's version, it's noticeably better than the leaked release

It's a different flow, in the Runaway version it's alot more subtle, raw and passive, and in the album version it's much more aggressive. I like both tbh.

And Never Let Me Down will always bea top 5 Kanye song for me because it brings a tear to my eye every single time I listen to it. Amazing all around. I could go on forever about how much I love that song.

[exarkun]

summary: FUCKING RIDICULOUS.

Looked at the songs again, the exclusive ones, and they don't necessarily look all that good. So I guess I'll just order the special edition now.

[enzo_gt]

What's the difference between the regular and the deluxe edition? Only the inclusion of the Runaway DVD?

[Oozer3993]

What was the first album that you heard?

College Dropout. I became a Kanye fan after seeing the premiere of the MTV version of the Jesus Walks video. I got the album after that, more than a year before Late Registration came out.

[GremlinFool]

Don't get the love for College Dropout at all. Last Registration is a better album by leaps and miles. As are Graduation and 808s

MBDTF>>>Last Registration>Graduation=808s>>>>>College Dropout

[Dreams-Visions]

Don't get the love for College Dropout at all. Last Registration is a better album by leaps and miles. As are Graduation and 808s MBDTF>>>Last Registration>Graduation=808s>>>>>College Dropout

um WAT?

[GremlinFool]

um WAT?

College Dropout does nothing for me at all. Kanye improved by leaps and bounds when he started to drift from "traditional" hip-hop. Plus, CD's production was pretty terrible in comparison to every other album of his.

[Expendable.]

Don't get the love for College Dropout at all. Last Registration is a better album by leaps and miles. As are Graduation and 808s MBDTF>>>Last Registration>Graduation=808s>>>>>College Dropout

:lol

[MorisUkunRasik]

CD > MBDTF > LR > Graduation > 808s

[enzo_gt]

This is getting way too controversial for me to even comment on now, College Dropout haters exist? Holy crap.:lol

[GremlinFool]

This is getting way too controversial for me to even comment on now, College Dropout haters exist? Holy crap.:lol

I don't know how to articulate my feelings towards in any other manner than saying it was far too "urban" for me. I much prefer cocky, cosmopolitan Kanye to CD Kanye. Not to mention that none of the songs had beats even remotely comparable to even Graduation's (but then again I tend to prefer beats that are rooted in electronic music and have remarkable production value to the more "raw" beats found on CD).

I think if you ask Kanye, he'd likely agree that CD was his worst album. Unsheathing his musical genius required a learning curve, and CD constituted his growing pains. In terms of musicality, CD doesn't even compare to MBDTF.

I feel like Late Registration was his do-over. His vision for the first album uninhibited by inadequate skills and experience along with more control over his own album resulted in something truly special. College Dropout was just too raw.

[Bowser]

I don't know how to articulate my feelings towards in any other manner than saying it was far too "urban" for me. I much prefer cocky, cosmopolitan Kanye to CD Kanye. Not to mention that none of the songs had beats even remotely comparable to even Graduation's (but then again I tend to prefer beats that are rooted in electronic music and have remarkable production value to the more "raw" beats found on CD). I think if you ask Kanye, he'd likely agree that CD was his worst album. Unsheathing his musical genius required a learning curve, and CD constituted his growing pains. In terms of musicality, CD doesn't even compare to MBDTF.

[IMG]http://i54.************/2s7b8lv.gif[/IMG]

[GremlinFool]

[IMG]http://i54.************/2s7b8lv.gif[/IMG]

Nothing against CD lovers, just saying :P I know I'm going against the grain here, just my opinion.

[enzo_gt]

I don't know how to articulate my feelings towards in any other manner than saying it was far too "urban" for me. I much prefer cocky, cosmopolitan Kanye to CD Kanye. Not to mention that none of the songs had beats even remotely comparable to even Graduation's (but then again I tend to prefer beats that are rooted in electronic music and have remarkable production value to the more "raw" beats found on CD). I think if you ask Kanye, he'd likely agree that CD was his worst album. Unsheathing his musical genius required a learning curve, and CD constituted his growing pains. In terms of musicality, CD doesn't even compare to MBDTF. I feel like Late Registration was his do-over. His vision for the first album uninhibited by inadequate skills and experience along with more control over his own album resulted in something truly special. College Dropout was just too raw.

Kanye himself has admitted, he knows that he won't make another College Dropout. Kanye is fully aware of what College Dropout has done for him, and the incredible impact it has had on the industry. The only rawness I see in College Dropout is the raw emotion and, I hate to use this word but, purity in the sound. You can hear it in the inspirational samples, you can hear it in the heartfelt lyrics, you can hear it in the RAW emotion.

Needless to say, I disagree with everything else you said but man, hearing you knock the production on College Dropout vs. his other albums is painful, man, seriously. The production on College Dropout was a hair away from revolutionary, and responsible for what you hear in LR, Graduation, 808s, MBDTF, etc. :lol

[Talon]

We have a winner for worst opinion of the year.

[enzo_gt]

Kanye in the Studio with Rihanna. Reaffirms All of the Lights is still the next single. :D

[Fixed2BeBroken]

LR wasn't typical, yes...but it wasn't quite yet at the level it was at circa Graduation. If "traditional hip-hop sampling and drums/bass" and "Electronic/European house-influenced production" are two sides that Kanye floats between, the needle was still leaning more towards the traditional during Late Registration, even if the split was 60/40 or 70/30 then. Once you got to Graduation, the needle was in the opposite direction - again, a 60/40 split towards the more electro/Eurohouse side of his production...and then with 808s, there was very little of the traditional. The needle had gone almost completely the other way. What Kanye was doing with Jon Brion for Late Registration was refreshing and different than anything else at the time...but it was still able to clearly be defined as "hip hop" under the traditional sonic definition. Graduation was less so, and by the time you reached 808s, if you were a radio programmer, you didn't know what the fuck you were going to do with things like Love Lockdown. A song like Diamonds makes sense on Hot 97 (rap/urban radio); a song like Robocop? Not so much; that song would even have a little bit of trouble being on Z100 (top 40 pop), even. As for Swizz/Timbo, the comparison is not so much the way they sound, but how they choose to create their sound. Neither of those guys would be the kind of guys you expect to be digging in the crates for the basis of their boom-baps; you'd sooner find them blowing on bizarre Middle Eastern woodwinds or an array of handclaps or messing with synth frequencies or using other disparate sounds instead. Premier, Pete Rock and yes - the RZA - are students of the old style, which used the sampling (and the sound of the record sampled) to establish the basis of the song. That's more in-line with classic Kanye's musical MO before Jon Brion, and before Graduation and 808s.

You're right if you are saying Graduation was his most mainstream/popular album. I believe it to be his best "commercial" album. However, it's still classified as hiphop and you can tell its hiphop when you hear it. He still samples throughout the whole album. ust about every song has a sample on it except probably flashing lights. Why you are bringing 808s into this and talking about other crap, has nothing to do with the fact that LR isn't in the same style of CD and can't be lumped with it which is my original point.
Graduation was clearly defined as a hiphop album and was even put head to head against another "hiphop"(tho i dont consider it real hiphop) album...50 cent's. In fact they marketed it as such.

to say hey transitioned to 808s thru each album and with each album he was less and less purely hiphop....yea sure. but that has nothing to do with what I was saying.

also
When I say rza had more of an influence, i am talking about type of samples and feel of the beats. These days kanye even talks about how big of influence wu tang was on him. Early when he was just a producer, just blaze use to talk about how him and kanye had beats that they made just for ghostface or specifically with ghostface in mind to rap on em.

you can't put graduation and 808s together. they are two tottally different albums.

[captmcblack]

You're right if you are saying Graduation was his most mainstream/popular album. I believe it to be his best "commercial" album. However, it's still classified as hiphop and you can tell its hiphop when you hear it. He still samples throughout the whole album. ust about every song has a sample on it except probably flashing lights. Why you are bringing 808s into this and talking about other crap, has nothing to do with the fact that LR isn't in the same style of CD and can't be lumped with it which is my original point. Graduation was clearly defined as a hiphop album and was even put head to head against another "hiphop"(tho i dont consider it real hiphop) album...50 cent's. In fact they marketed it as such. to say hey transitioned to 808s thru each album and with each album he was less and less purely hiphop....yea sure. but that has nothing to do with what I was saying. also When I say rza had more of an influence, i am talking about type of samples and feel of the beats. These days kanye even talks about how big of influence wu tang was on him. Early when he was just a producer, just blaze use to talk about how him and kanye had beats that they made just for ghostface or specifically with ghostface in mind to rap on em. you can't put graduation and 808s together. they are two tottally different albums.

I don't think you quite understand what I was trying to say; in fact, given what I'm reading from you here, we actually agree.

All I was trying to say is that LR is the beginning of the sonic experimentation and expansion of his sounds that Graduation showcased and 808s leaned entirely towards. Like I said, imagine a spectrum of sound, in which case boom-baps and samples is one extreme and electrohouse sounding stuff is the opposite extreme. If CD was more towards the boom-baps and samples, LR moved a little bit away from that, Graduation went more towards the electrohouse stuff and 808s went almost completely towards that.

I'm not saying that the original trilogy of his rap albums weren't rap/hip-hop at all; of course they were! I'm saying that LR is closer to the more typical offerings on rap albums than Graduation was, than 808s was, and than MBDTF is. Also, I included 808s in the discussion because:

- it's a record by Kanye West
- to illustrate the other extreme of Kanye's production, where CD represents the opposite direction

[Ashhong]

Kanye in the Studio with Rihanna. Reaffirms All of the Lights is still the next single. :D

This is a pretty old recording I think. She's recording Man Down which is on her album and leaked like weeks ago.

[thinklong]

You're right if you are saying Graduation was his most mainstream/popular album. I believe it to be his best "commercial" album. However, it's still classified as hiphop and you can tell its hiphop when you hear it. He still samples throughout the whole album. ust about every song has a sample on it except probably flashing lights. Why you are bringing 808s into this and talking about other crap, has nothing to do with the fact that LR isn't in the same style of CD and can't be lumped with it which is my original point. Graduation was clearly defined as a hiphop album and was even put head to head against another "hiphop"(tho i dont consider it real hiphop) album...50 cent's. In fact they marketed it as such. to say hey transitioned to 808s thru each album and with each album he was less and less purely hiphop....yea sure. but that has nothing to do with what I was saying. also When I say rza had more of an influence, i am talking about type of samples and feel of the beats. These days kanye even talks about how big of influence wu tang was on him. Early when he was just a producer, just blaze use to talk about how him and kanye had beats that they made just for ghostface or specifically with ghostface in mind to rap on em. you can't put graduation and 808s together. they are two tottally different albums.

sidenote: He use a Curtis Mayfield sample/elements on Flashing Lights... honestly one of his best in my opinion.

[MWS Natural]

I don't know how to articulate my feelings towards in any other manner than saying it was far too "urban" for me. I much prefer cocky, cosmopolitan Kanye to CD Kanye. Not to mention that none of the songs had beats even remotely comparable to even Graduation's (but then again I tend to prefer beats that are rooted in electronic music and have remarkable production value to the more "raw" beats found on CD).

:lol

[Ashhong]

I understand what he means. CD is obviously more "old-school hip hop" than any of his other albums. Yes Kanye slowly transitions into a more electric sound (which is what I love, like Flashing Lights), but I wouldn't say that he was intentionally building up to his 808s. It just happened.

[Dabanton]

Still can't believe the end of blame game. :lol :lol

[Dabanton]

I don't know how to articulate my feelings towards in any other manner than saying it was far too "urban" for me. I much prefer cocky, cosmopolitan Kanye to CD Kanye. Not to mention that none of the songs had beats even remotely comparable to even Graduation's (but then again I tend to prefer beats that are rooted in electronic music and have remarkable production value to the more "raw" beats found on CD). I think if you ask Kanye, he'd likely agree that CD was his worst album. Unsheathing his musical genius required a learning curve, and CD constituted his growing pains. In terms of musicality, CD doesn't even compare to MBDTF. I feel like Late Registration was his do-over. His vision for the first album uninhibited by inadequate skills and experience along with more control over his own album resulted in something truly special. College Dropout was just too raw.

What the hell. :lol

I don't even know where to begin with this post.

[Straightballin]

The ranking of his albums should be...


CD>LR>MBDTF=Graduation>808

And thats not to say 808 is a bad album or even MBDTF and Graduation. Just not feeling MBDTF that much, after a few more listens I might have to put it above Graduation or possibly even below.

[GremlinFool]

lol guys, it just means I don't like the more urban feel of CD. That's all

btw the 320 has officially leaked

[peterb0y]

lol guys, it just means I don't like the more urban feel of CD. That's all btw the 320 has officially leaked

but what does that mean? :lol :lol i dont even...:lol

yeezy taught you poorly

[GremlinFool]

but what does that mean? :lol :lol i dont even...:lol yeezy taught you poorly

It's too much like actual hip-hop, which I don't like.

His new music takes the best aspects of traditional hip-hop and mixes it with the conventions of good pop music and a brilliant electronic-synthy feel. Which makes it better in my opinion.

This hivemind mentality/sentimentality really frustrates me. CD isn't objectively better than fucking Flockaveli from Waka Flocka Flame, so you guys can relax with the vitriol shot in my direction. It's music, and it's subjective, the most subjective of mediums.

[enzo_gt]

It's too much like actual hip-hop, which I don't like. His new music takes the best aspects of traditional hip-hop and mixes it with the conventions of good pop music and a brilliant electronic-synthy feel. Which makes it better in my opinion. This hivemind mentality/sentimentality really frustrates me. CD isn't objectively better than fucking Flockaveli from Waka Flocka Flame, so you guys can relax with the vitriol shot in my direction. It's music, and it's subjective, the most subjective of mediums.

Hivemind? In this thread we argue based on merits. That's why LR to some is better than TCD, and for some even, 808s. Maybe not objective, but we are pretty damn shocked at someone disregarding a classic hip hop record as being worse than more poppy, but still good sequels.

You must understand that, there are hip hop fans in this thread. And you saying it's "too much like actual hip hop," may conflict with the rest of the people rating his albums in the context of being hip-hop albums. At least you know your in the minority, but you should've made it clear beforehand that you were rating albums as far as how pop/electro they were instead of hip hop. If I were to rate based on poppyness:
Graduation > 808s > LR > MBDTF > TCD

At least now we know why you don't get the love for TCD, soul samples and inspirational rhymes aren't really your cup of tea.

[Dreams-Visions]

btw the 320 has officially leaked

no, it hasn't. it's is a fake.