Pieces Of A Man vs Vol. 2 Hard Knock Life

[stype_ones]

One sold little, one sold many.. But which do you prefer? Both dope in one way or another..



vs

[stype_ones]

AZ for me all day.. And as much as I think that Jay album is overrated, it's still a late 90's classic. It's the Hip Hop Derek Jeter. It delivers and has the stats, but you still feel like eh, there was better.

[Philaflava]

Good analogy. Never was a big fan of Vol. 2.

[EMCEE DARTH MALEK]

worst hov album. dope AZ album. i have trouble ranking his top 4 but this is right there. from that opening nina simone sample, intro, "i'm known" if TUFF. "trial of the century" is incredible even with foxy on there.

it occurs to me that reasonable doubt is probably more comparable, but no point in setting up a blowout.

[blastmaster]

Ha. Love me some Pieces of Man. Always.

[Career Over Like Mike(NJJ)]

Jay-Z is unlistenable to me nowadays, even his good shit. Call it KRS One Syndrome.

Pieces of a Man gets my vote, but my rejigged edit of the album contains these 2 songs:

AZ - Sunshine



O.G version of Pieces of a (Black) Man which got scapped due to Can't Nobody Hold Me Down using the same sample.

AZ w/ Jermaine Dupri - Rock Me (Hey AZ So So Def Mix)



Supreme jigginess. Different lyrics + beat to Hey AZ.

[Career Over Like Mike(NJJ)]

Also, How Ya Livin' is the only track where Nas conclusively outrapped AZ.

"Excuse me, is that your bitch in my 6
Turnin' up the volume when she hear my hits
On her wall mad flicks, now you want me blasted
But don't get it confused over this rap shit"

(Serious is a draw. Nas rapped circles around AZ on that one, but then fucked up the job by mentioning Coldplay.)

[stype_ones]

I like Sunshine but feel the album version fits the scope of the album better.

That Decade is impressive. Not that a bunch of other artists couldn't have the same type of compilation but I love the Az one. Flows right and just has joint after joint start to finish.

[Career Over Like Mike(NJJ)]

It was a best of/Lost Tapes rolled into one (well, two CDs.)

Speaking of which, here's an AZ deep cuts playlist:

https://www.audiomack.com/album/martori ... -deep-cuts" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Spartan]

(Serious is a draw. Nas rapped circles around AZ on that one, but then fucked up the job by mentioning Coldplay.)

[stype_ones]

Vol 2 has some great joints, though. Wish Jay would have rhymed on that intro beat. Bleek was fine but Jay would have sounded lovely on that.

Nigga What Nigga Who
Money, Cash, Hoes
Reservoir Dogs
It's Like That
A Week Ago

People were really going crazy for this album. I was a junior in college I remember the whole school was blasting that shit. I always liked Jay but also always felt he was overrated at the same time and people always call me a hater for that. Especially because people know I'm a big Nas fan. But, and to use a similar analogy, Jay fan's are like Yankee fans. I can be objective and say Jay is great and that Nas has his flaws, but you'll rarely hear a Jay fan admit his short comings or give Nas props outside of illmatic or Ether which are undeniable. It's literally like arguing with a Yankees fan.

I'll still take this AZ album over the Jay album. I'd also take Capital Punishment and NORE over it from 98. It's Dark and Hell is Hot as well.

[EMCEE DARTH MALEK]

"made the yankees hat more famous than the yankees can"

[stype_ones]

Also, How Ya Livin' is the only track where Nas conclusively outrapped AZ.

"Excuse me, is that your bitch in my 6
Turnin' up the volume when she hear my hits
On her wall mad flicks, now you want me blasted
But don't get it confused over this rap shit"

(Serious is a draw. Nas rapped circles around AZ on that one, but then fucked up the job by mentioning Coldplay.)

And A's verse that proceeds that on How Ya Livin is unreal and you're like, it can't be topped. Then Nas comes with that to follow.

Without a doubt, the biggest tragedy in the history of Hip Hop is that Nas and AZ didn't make an album together somewhere between 95 and 2000.. I have a hunch that Nas was scared to get outshined, even though it's basically a tie for the most part on all the songs they're on together. AZ is the most underrated MC of all time all things being equal.

[stype_ones]

"made the yankees hat more famous than the yankees can"

More cringe worthy, that, or "I'm so appalled, I might buy the mall, just so you can see how much I have in store"?

[EMCEE DARTH MALEK]

"i'm planking on a million"

^i actually like this line from BP3

[gusty wingers]

@ planking on a million and how much I got in store... jay got fucking wack over the years and has some really papoose esque moments...

[Philaflava]