What is the most important aspect of a good hip hop album for you?

Question

I know a good album should be an all-rounder, but pick just one thing that can make or break it for you - and why? (production, multis, content, delivery - or something else)

BQ: Are there any albums you feel are missing that important factor but get called great by others?

Answer 1

I put production above all else.



Labor Days. I swear I must be listening to a different album, because I think its awful.

Answer 2

Ya, I suppose production is the most important to me. But if the production is bad, it can still be a good hip hop album if it has great lyrics/flow/delivery. A really good album has good production and lyricism.



BQ: Jaylib- Champion Sound. The rapping sucks, plus it has some of the worst Dilla and Madlib production. And to what Killa Spade wrote, I think Infinite could have been a classic if it had good production.

Answer 3

I'd probably go with production. But if the rapping is bad it's not going to be a good album.



BQ: The one example that sticks out to me is comparing ATCQ's first album with Beats, Rhymes and Life. They're both good, but Peoples Instinctive Travels...is not that well produced IMO, while Beats, Rhymes and Life is one of the best produced hip hop albums ever. Yet the overwhelming majority call Peoples Instinctive Travels... a classic while Beats Rhymes and Life is where the fell off???? How does that work?



I feel like people aren't listening to the same two albums as me. Cause Beats Rhymes and Life is fantastic.

Answer 4

Production, if the beats aren't good I'm not even wasting my time listening to the songs.



BQ: I think there's plenty of albums that fall into this category since there's plenty of good rappers but most of their production sucks aka most of the rhymesayers albums like Sage Francis. There's only a few good beats on those rappers albums that I like and it just ruins it for me.

Answer 5

Originality/creativity is most important.



BQ: Wu-Tang Forever. It's a good album, but it has as much filler as The Blueprint 2 does, yet, no one seems to care because it's the Wu. I might be the only person who likes The W more than Forever...

Answer 6

For me I look for knowledge in a album and if I can relate to the material on the album. I dont like water down rappers who talk about the same thing over and over.

Answer 7

Subject matter/Content for me. It's okay to talk about guns and sex and what not, but if every song on the album is about that..then I'm probably not gonna play it more than one time.

BQ: The Carter 3..Wayne's subject matter was off the wall..couldn't get into it..returned it in 6 hours.

Answer 8

Content. How many amzing mcs have we seen fall off despite good production and good flow, because their lyrics are about nothing and are terrible. Flow Rider, Hurricane Chris, Pitbull can all spit and have good beats but they make clubbangers about nothing and confine themselves to be no mentions in the world of rap fans.



All Eyez on Me. Actually any Pac album, I just can't bring myself to like the man's music.

Answer 9

production and lyrics go hand in hand... if one lacks the other one suffers, you gotta have them balance, then the rest like delivery etc

i think az's 2008 album undeniable had great lyrics/content as usual but that album lacked overall production with exception of few tracks, which for me i found it to be a dissapointment

Answer 10

I love albums of all kinds. The one thing that holds them together is....





EVERY TRACK ON THAT MUTHA GOES HARD!!!



It can be unoriginal. It can have weak lyrics. It probably would have to have good production for me to like a song. If I like every song on there, its a good album end of story, regardless of lyrical content, amount of multis or any other factor.

Answer 11

Lyrics and Flow, I could listen to it without production.. Like infinite for example is one of my favorite albums, it has bad production but i can still listen to it because i like his flow and lyrics. Also for canibus i like alot of his albums but he always had bad production but i like his lyrics and flow. I can listen to a album with a production and a little bad lyrics i just like lyrics and flow better. And without flow you'll sound a little like aesop rock which i used to be a fan ( only like a few songs but now not a big fan) the dont got any flow but his wordplay is one of the best. Also I don't really like albums with monotone delivery and bad production.But gangstarr is a exception with premo's beats.



labor days (flow)

Answer 12

It greatly depends on the artist… but overall substance is of greater importance to me… I loath hearing a album filled with the same message, no matter how pivotal. (Labor Days isn't for everyone)





BQ: I can't as it is artful expression no matter how terrible

Answer 13

Production is all I care about and if it excels in other aspects, then that is an added bonus.



BQ: It Takes A Nation Of Millions To Hold Us Back. Sorry, just being honest.

Answer 14

Too me its gotta be the lyrics. Lyrics have to flow and have meaning. Depth. A rapper can flow but if he aint saying nuthin his whole album then its garbage too me.

Answer 15

Yep, Chuck

the beats.



BQ: Sadly, none that I can think of because if the production isn't listenable, I find it hard to get into an album.

Answer 16

Intelligence.....I can't stand stupidity behind a microphone. Today people worry more about what sells than whats good. "lolli lolli pop that body"...yah i like hip hop thats not that.

Answer 17

Originality. I don't want to hear the same album someone else (or that same artist) made a year or two ago.



BQ: Scarface - The Fix. That was the third or fourth time he made the same album, and he's made the same album two or three more times since then.

Answer 18

Solid production can make even bad rappers seem good.

Answer 19

Replayability, if it's not something i could listen to everyday or keep coming back to it, then i wont pay as much attention to it.

Answer 20

yeah

Answer 21

Intelligent lyrics over an awesome instrumentals