It set a precedent for so many more emotionally drenched and "808s" imbibed music, but others would be quick to rebuke it. Is eight years enough to be deemed a classic? For me, I would undoubtedly hail this album a classic. The question still remains, however, how long must an album stand for an album to be considered a classic? “808s & Heartbreaks,” Kanye’s auto-tuned and emotional 2008 album, came out eight years ago, but for many, it is an obvious classic. Just as there can be sub-genres of other genres of music, there can be sub-genres of hip hop.
As for the specific “type” of hip hop, there should be no specific guideline for what constitutes a classic rap album. A classic sets a foundation for inspiration and offers something to the genre that some didn’t even know was missing. If the opinions of modern day albums are so debated, how can we be so sure of classic albums?Īfter the objective definition and after the various different examples of how confusing this question can be, I concluded that a classic is timeless. The hip hop purist may not see Drake’s album “Take Care” as a classic, but the underground boaster who was listening to Drake since "Comeback Season” may, without hesitation, declare the album as essential to every hip hop listener’s collection. The fact that hip hop has evolved so much in the last few years only further complicates what constitutes a classic album. But the fact that there are so many divisions of fans and sub-genres of hip hop proves to complicate the question of “What is a classic album?” even further. It’s impossible to mandate what another person should or should not like. None of these are particularly better or worst than the other. Those that listen to a little bit of everything yet still acknowledge their hip hop heritage. Lastly, there are just all around hip-hop lovers. Those that will loudly and proudly say they listened to an artist before they blew up (their favorite artists tend to be Joey Bada$$, Chance the Rapper, Childish Gambino or Mick Jenkins). Then, there are the underground boasters.
Those that may not quite be able to list the discography of De La Soul but can undoubtedly spit lyrics from Migos, Future or Chief Keef with skill and precision. Those that listen to Gil Scott-Heron and Public Enemy and wouldn’t dare put any song on their phone that came out within the last decade. There are, of course, the hip hop purists. Which brings us to another question: Are there certain guidelines for which we can call a hip hop album a classic? As hip-hop shape-shifts to accommodate the generation and culture it’s now emerged in, is there only one type of rap that can be acknowledged as a classic? Kendrick Lamar, one of the greatest contemporary rappers, obviously fits into those stereotypical guidelines befitting a hip hop artist, but what about, say, trap rappers? Does Gucci Mane, a rapper adored by many, get to boast one of his albums or mixtapes as a classic although his songs are in no way similar to those of his hip hop predecessors?Īs time has gone on and hip hop has evolved into the melting pot it is now, its fans have also become somewhat segregated. Albums such as “Midnight Marauders” by A Tribe Called Quest or “Illmatic” by Nas are still being referenced, sampled and honored for their creativity, lyrical skill and ingenuity. Albums from decades ago are still being hailed as crucial to the genre. People, namely millennials, have been quick to call many modern day albums, especially rap/hip hop albums “classics.” But, in our short lives, can we truly give any modern album that title? The classics of hip hop have all stood the test of times. Hip-hop fans have their classic albums from artists and groups such as A Tribe Called Quest, Wu Tang Clan, NWA and Nas, among others.