worst ear for beats

YouTube · Post by **Philaflava** » Wed Feb 23, 2011 11:12 am

there are a few like rick ross who have an impeccable taste for beats, then there are rappers like nas.

who has the worst ear? i just listened to U.B.R. (Unauthorized Biography Of Rakim) and can't believe

thought that beat would be acceptable. since the mid 90's he has had some of the shittest beats on his albums.

add on.

rhickey · Post by **rhickey** » Wed Feb 23, 2011 11:19 am

Nas came to mind instantly seeing the topic title. He's the king of shitty beat selection. Whoever his A&R team is needs to be dragged into the streets and shot

Yohan · Post by **Yohan** » Wed Feb 23, 2011 12:03 pm

rhickey wrote:Nas came to mind instantly seeing the topic title. He's the king of shitty beat selection. Whoever his A&R team is needs to be dragged into the streets and shot

This.

I have a reasonable version of U.B.R. from a Dirty Harry mixtape version ca 2006, where he mixes in original Eric B. & Rakim beats. I listed to that version a lot more often than the original.

Thun · Post by **Thun** » Wed Feb 23, 2011 12:04 pm

MC DJ Premier

A Dirty Lurker · Post by **A Dirty Lurker** » Wed Feb 23, 2011 12:06 pm

Canibus

shadowmaster · Post by **shadowmaster** » Wed Feb 23, 2011 12:38 pm

Cappadonna on his post Pillage shit.

Of course Nas came to mind.

I think certain rappers are so weeded/drugged up at times that when they hear any beat the shit probably sounds ok. It's just a theory. Hard for me to come up with any other reason for their choices in beats, though.

PopeyeJones · Post by **PopeyeJones** » Wed Feb 23, 2011 12:40 pm

Nas is the easy one.

Ras Kass.

I'm sure people will say Eminem, but it seems like he just realized that he can make more money by just doing his own atrocious production without negatively impacting his sales (somehow).

People who keep working with 9th Wonder.

FWIW I fucking despise El-P's production, but that doesn't count b/c a lot of people love it.

YouTube · Post by **Philaflava** » Wed Feb 23, 2011 12:43 pm

PopeyeJones wrote: Ras Kass.

Yup.

Thun · Post by **Thun** » Wed Feb 23, 2011 12:50 pm

PopeyeJones wrote:
People who keep working with 9th Wonder.

FWIW I fucking despise El-P's production, but that doesn't count b/c a lot of people love it.

Whole discography or just recent work?

hellriser · Post by **hellriser** » Wed Feb 23, 2011 1:04 pm

krs one (later works)

PopeyeJones · Post by **PopeyeJones** » Wed Feb 23, 2011 1:09 pm

Thun wrote:
PopeyeJones wrote:
People who keep working with 9th Wonder.

FWIW I fucking despise El-P's production, but that doesn't count b/c a lot of people love it.
Whole discography or just recent work?

Ehh, it has been a long time since I've made a point to listen to the wares of either of them. I think both statements are better read as only somewhat informed grand generalizations.

RoKnew · Post by **RoKnew** » Wed Feb 23, 2011 1:23 pm

Ludacris

ackbar · Post by **ackbar** » Wed Feb 23, 2011 1:25 pm

soul on ice has good beats & he picked that jadakiss beat too..
i haven't really heard much ras kass outside of his first few albums tho

Nav · Post by **Nav** » Wed Feb 23, 2011 1:37 pm

hellriser wrote:krs one (later works)

Godsville is horrible so agreed.

step one · Post by **step one** » Wed Feb 23, 2011 2:08 pm

RoKnew wrote:Ludacris

Really?
He always has his eye on that radio/club single and had a good run in the early 00s - Neptunes & Timbaland beats when they were at their peak plus early Kanye (Stand Up) and more recently Premier.

Nas rhymes on some great beats aswell but they dont always make the cut (hence the Lost Tapes being so good) - it kind of suggests he (or his label) just cant tell the difference between good and bad, or he's so focused on his lyrics he doesnt really care about the beat. Less talented rappers might be more particular about the beat as it'll compensate for weaker lyrics. Just a theory.

COOLEHMAGAZINE · Post by **COOLEHMAGAZINE** » Wed Feb 23, 2011 2:09 pm

I am a fan of Nas' late period work. I am also aware that this puts me in a distinct minority on this board but much maligned beats like Blunt Ashes or M.O.B. or Hold Down The Block, I actually like in the context of the song.

I have a bigger problem with Cam'Ron, post Purple Haze (which had a couple wack beats itself but plenty of fire). Killa Season and Crime pays were packed with derivative throwaways that sounded even cheaper than they probably were.

RoKnew · Post by **RoKnew** » Wed Feb 23, 2011 2:28 pm

step one wrote:
RoKnew wrote:Ludacris
Really?
He always has his eye on that radio/club single and had a good run in the early 00s - Neptunes & Timbaland beats when they were at their peak plus early Kanye (Stand Up) and more recently Premier.

Luda always has some bangers for his singles but IMO he picks a lot of throwaway/mediocre beats translating to a lotta filler on his albums

supnick · Post by **supnick** » Wed Feb 23, 2011 2:39 pm

buddens

Thun · Post by **Thun** » Wed Feb 23, 2011 3:23 pm

PopeyeJones wrote:
Thun wrote:
PopeyeJones wrote:
People who keep working with 9th Wonder.

FWIW I fucking despise El-P's production, but that doesn't count b/c a lot of people love it.
Whole discography or just recent work?
Ehh, it has been a long time since I've made a point to listen to the wares of either of them. I think both statements are better read as only somewhat informed grand generalizations.

Word. I mean he's no John Robinson.

PopeyeJones · Post by **PopeyeJones** » Wed Feb 23, 2011 3:50 pm

Thun wrote:
PopeyeJones wrote:
Thun wrote:
PopeyeJones wrote:
People who keep working with 9th Wonder.

FWIW I fucking despise El-P's production, but that doesn't count b/c a lot of people love it.
Whole discography or just recent work?
Ehh, it has been a long time since I've made a point to listen to the wares of either of them. I think both statements are better read as only somewhat informed grand generalizations.
Word. I mean he's no John Robinson.

You have a preternatural, employee-like memory for asides that can later be turned into micro-disses. And of course my dumb ass wandered in not even knowing the trap had been set.

Thun · Post by **Thun** » Wed Feb 23, 2011 4:06 pm

PopeyeJones wrote:
Thun wrote:
PopeyeJones wrote:
Thun wrote:
PopeyeJones wrote:
People who keep working with 9th Wonder.

FWIW I fucking despise El-P's production, but that doesn't count b/c a lot of people love it.
Whole discography or just recent work?
Ehh, it has been a long time since I've made a point to listen to the wares of either of them. I think both statements are better read as only somewhat informed grand generalizations.
Word. I mean he's no John Robinson.

You have a preternatural, employee-like memory for asides that can later be turned into micro-disses. And of course my dumb ass wandered in not even knowing the trap had been set.

I'm really just fucking around. John Robinson is cool, he's a local cat and I've known him since about 1996 when he was putting out Scienz Of Life songs on Fondle 'Em. And yes, he is def. better than Kweli.

I'm just really wondering whether or not you like The Cold Vein.

drizzle · Post by **drizzle** » Wed Feb 23, 2011 4:14 pm

thun disclosure time - how many time did you stinkfinger stacey epps behind the grease trucks

House of Games · Post by **House of Games** » Wed Feb 23, 2011 4:27 pm

COOLEHMAGAZINE wrote:I have a bigger problem with Cam'Ron, post Purple Haze (which had a couple wack beats itself but plenty of fire). Killa Season and Crime pays were packed with derivative throwaways that sounded even cheaper than they probably were.

Yes. Except for maybe like 3 joints, Purple Haze is a G.O.A.T. record for me. but I dont know what happened to dude post that.
Cam w/ Heatmakerz era >>>>>> anything

Thun · Post by **Thun** » Wed Feb 23, 2011 4:32 pm

drizzle wrote:thun disclosure time - how many time did you stinkfinger stacey epps behind the grease trucks

Zero, but the god shared two-strawed milkshakes with Vita mad times back in 6th grade...

COOLEHMAGAZINE · Post by **COOLEHMAGAZINE** » Wed Feb 23, 2011 4:44 pm

House of Games wrote:
COOLEHMAGAZINE wrote:I have a bigger problem with Cam'Ron, post Purple Haze (which had a couple wack beats itself but plenty of fire). Killa Season and Crime pays were packed with derivative throwaways that sounded even cheaper than they probably were.
Yes. Except for maybe like 3 joints, Purple Haze is a G.O.A.T. record for me. but I dont know what happened to dude post that.
Cam w/ Heatmakerz era >>>>>> anything

I have started wondering if Cam never really had much of an ear for beats and album-making in general. That's the way it is starting to look, kinda like he just wandered into the Rocafella situation which gave him access to Kanye and Just at crucial points in their evolution as producers. And he happened to have the Heatmakers first from other associations, which also was timely. Because although I like his first two albums, the production is up and down on them despite what I imagine were solid budgets. Then once he is on the Roc the production steps up big time, only to fall off harder than ever the minute he is back on his own.

Thun · Post by **Thun** » Wed Feb 23, 2011 4:50 pm

Cam is gifted as an emcee but lazy and deficient as an artist. It's just that so many people here ride his jock to distant galaxies that you'd never suspect it to be the truth.

COOLEHMAGAZINE · Post by **COOLEHMAGAZINE** » Wed Feb 23, 2011 5:08 pm

Thun wrote:Cam is gifted as an emcee but lazy and deficient as an artist.

This is true but his commitment (or lack thereof) to actual artisty came and went though. Now, it's at an all time nadir, while on S.D.E. or Purple Haze, I feel like he was motivated to do more than just a hot single and collect a check.

Certainly he always seemed to be torn between what he was capable of and clearly enjoyed doing lyrically and how not concerned with actual MC'ing he wanted to appear to be.

I also think he is one of those cats who needs a great A&R, someone to be like nah, forget that, do this. Instead he had Duke Da God.

Galvatron78 · Post by **Galvatron78** » Wed Feb 23, 2011 5:19 pm

T.I. after Trap Muzik.

Me Still · Post by **Me Still** » Wed Feb 23, 2011 5:48 pm

Nas is the King of that. He has albums worth of examples. Dude seems to not give a shit about what beat he is rapping on. It is just coincidence if a he is rapping and the beat is good. When I listen to new Nas shit, I expect every beat to be weak as hell.

Comedy Quaddafi · Post by **Comedy Quaddafi** » Wed Feb 23, 2011 5:54 pm

Most older rappers are starting to pick a lot of shitbeats because they don't truly understand the contemporary sound and seem out of place conforming to trends rather than setting them. Often these 'veterans' even appear uncomfortable on some of the beats that end up on their albums, and that's not even just keeping forced 'club-bangers' in mind.