"Enta da Stage: best hip hop album (to me) of that era"
the remixes, the singles, the whole lp can't/couldn't nothin' fuck with it. not wutang, not nas, not biggie, not mobb, not nobody ack like you want it....WHAT?!?!
life always offers you a 2nd chance...it's called tomorrow. use it wisely
29. "RE: *2nd " In response to Reply # 25 Fri Oct-18-13 04:13 AM by melanon
Low End Theory is the 2nd. MM, for all it's okayplayer praise didn't truly bomb atomically upon its release. You could argue that Tha Alkaholiks were more happening in 1993 than Triibe. I also judge "fans" by their treatment of Peoples Instinctive a travels....I can even present an argument for it being the best rap album ever but I know that's lost on the 1993 gateway participants.
33. "RE: you sound dumb" In response to Reply # 32
I sound right. Tribe were old news kinda in 1993. Still great but the must listen factor was edged out by newer acts like Tha Liks. And what sort of Madlib Stan are you for being so dismissive of his entry into the game? Shit, by the time the Mary Jane remix dropped it was cemented. Tha Liks were the business in 1993. Like skip school just to run home and listen type shit.
Tribe were just Tribe. They put out a great album that was a little less great than the first 2.
36. "RE: i love the Liks as much as the next guy but homie please" In response to Reply # 35
Not really. More Wu & Snoop. Tribe took a backseat to the newer flavors. It's not a bad thing, just the what's so of the day. I'm not even certain it got as much actual play as return of the boom Bap. Still a great album that aged very well.
For the record, I'm not trying to be snarky here because I live in sweden and is obviously totally removed geographically from the Hip-Hop center. And I was not on the internet then either.
However, "LET" was one of the absolutely most celebrated and acclaimed and influential rap-albums of '91 and at least here, the expectations for the follow-up were huge and most were not disappointed and it got great reviews in the US press too and sold well.
I know that Hip-Hop is primarily about the latest flavour but this was still an established act that did a follow-up to an incredibly acclaimed album and it's not like when Black Sheep or Souls of Mischief did their follow-ups years after the debut when the trends had changed; Tribe was still a relevant act and the record sold well and got great reviews. I find what you are writing a bit strange but don't have the credentials to say you are wrong. Still, was Alkaholiks EVER on that level (and BTW, I love the liks too)?
I'm just speaking about the in the know, true heads. Clearly Low End Theory had crossed Tribe over to the burbs and they had high sales from that exposure on MM. But the actual city kids who play the freshest shit? MM wasn't their album of the year at all.
Black Moon, Wu, Snoop, Tha Liks......even the emergence of Erick Sermon's def squad were more what kids were fiending for and responding to.
Think of the source which was still credible in 1993 giving MM 4 mics. At the time I agreed with that rating.
40. "RE: fam, tha liks were not on peoples playlist over Tribe" In response to Reply # 39
Uh, they were actually. Just not as commercially successful. You guys who pretend MM was this resounding hit are forgetting what kids were really responding too emphatically at that time. It was the new stuff. Remember how everyone basically kinda ignored Buhloone Mindstate? Me too. MM was more popular than that album but the new acts ran 1993.
a testament to MM is that it's outlasted most of those albums. but in 1993? it was all about the new kids.
41. "But a 4 in the Source then was still very good..." In response to Reply # 38
They were very rarely giving the highest grades and there are several albums now considered classics that got that grade. I CLEARLY remember "Liquid swords" getting a 4 and if I remember correctly, either Daily Operation and/or Hard to earn got like a 3.5 or something (I may be off here and Gang Starr may not have been relevant to the "cool" city kids then either).
I don't know but getting a 4 from the Source then was not bad even if I know their first two both got the 5...
42. "RE: But a 4 in the Source then was still very good..." In response to Reply # 41 Fri Oct-18-13 08:59 PM by melanon
I agree. 3 mics was good enough a mic score for me to buy something if it was a slow month. 4 mics meant you had an excellent album on your hands.
BUT,
The first 2 Quest albums got FIVE. And they deserved it. I played those albums to absolute death. MM was a slower burn. I'm not mad at it being called classic today at all. But in 1993, it was not the hottest cd out.
And Gang Starr were absolutely cool to the city kids. Some people thought Guru was wack but the evolution of DJ Premier and the countless ways he kept topping himself had Gang Starr very much in the hip circle.
also, that Tribe wasn't a tough guy act sort of is the reason for all this as well. 1993 was when the tough shit went next level. I don't waana insinuate that MM was ignored, it wasn't, it just wasn't as revered.
but like i said it outlasted most of those other albums.
4. "I go back and forth on that album" In response to Reply # 0
On one hand, "Who Got the Props" and "How Many MCs" are absolutely amazing. Both absolutely stand up to this day. And I certainly loved a good majority of the album tracks (particularly "Powaful Impak," "Shit Iz Real," "Blak Smif N Wessun," "Slave," and the title track).
However, I feel like the "I Got Cha Opin" and "Buck 'Em Down" remixes, as well as their respective b-sides ("Reality" and "Murder MCs") were so damn good that the made a lot of what was on the album sound like a first draft, and almost immature. Buckshot's flow on those tracks>>>his flow on the album, and I thought Da Beatminerz's beats were a step up as well.
And my other problem with it is that I really didn't feel 5 Ft. Accelerator. He messed up "Son Get Wrec" for me. Waste of a dope beat.
7. "I nearly got in a fight over this once" In response to Reply # 0
This crew of wack high niggas tried to convince me Enta Da Stage was better than Hard to Earn. I was heated. Just before I could go off on them fools the ice cream truck came, and they all peeled outside to cure their munchies...
<-- Dave Thomas knows what's up... __________________________
Jay: Look here homie, any nigga can get a hit record. This here is about respect. Game: Like Gladys Knight. Jay: Aretha Franklin. Game: Word, I like her too. Jay: Nigga...
8. "RE: I nearly got in a fight over this once" In response to Reply # 7 Wed Oct-16-13 10:01 PM by melmag
I wonder why cats always compare those 2 albums, they sound nothing alike to me. EDS is a better album to me though, Buck's emceeing performance is severly underated on that album, coupled with the new, hard ass Beatminerz sound
>This crew of wack high niggas tried to convince me Enta Da >Stage was better than Hard to Earn. I was heated. Just before >I could go off on them fools the ice cream truck came, and >they all peeled outside to cure their munchies...
9. "It's definitely on the short list of 1993" In response to Reply # 0
(in no order)
Enter the 36 Doggystyle Midnight Marauders Enta Da Stage Buhloon Mindstate Return of the Boom Bap 93 Til Infinity Black Sunday Slaughterhouse In God We Trust
really dope albums that year and there are a few more
I'd say it's in the top 5 of that year but wouldn't be mad if people had it just outside due to taste.
I don't think the album aged that well and agree with the post above that said the remixes make some of the album cuts sound like demo tracks.
It's one of those albums that I think can be an example of "had to be there" as well because I can understand someone hearing it for the first time now, not "getting it".
One my top 50 albums of the 90s for sure.
Best of that era I'm not rocking with though. Not saying it's not a good choice, just isn't even cracking my top 25 and I think Dah Shinin is easily better.
13. "da shining's dope, but it drags along near the end" In response to Reply # 9
i think enta da stage is more cohesive i like buck's mcin' better than tek and steele but you can't miss with the beats on both again, it boils down to taste demo soundin' or not, them joints was harder than most rappers out put at the time they came with that dusty grimy sewa sound it definitely got more burn than mm in my ride! lol
life always offers you a 2nd chance...it's called tomorrow. use it wisely
17. "Maybe it's just me but" In response to Reply # 13
Black Moon was somewhat of an odd group.
It was like Buck was the primary MC but then they had 5ft there whose role was definitely bigger than a Freaky Tah but didn't seem to even be at a level of a Havoc or Phife who shared time but were seen as the secondary MC.
So it seemed like Buck wasn't quite a soloist but they still didn't seem like a duo.
Smif-N-Wessun fit more of that classic duo that I liked back then so I think I identified with the group more.
11. "Not the best but it certainly deserves more respect" In response to Reply # 0
it never really gets mentioned along with the genre greats of that era (i.e The Infamous, Cuban Linx, 36 Chambers, Hard to Earn, etc) but it holds its own weight imo. In fact I prefer it to 36 Chambers..
I dunno but this may be due to the fallout with Nervous Records, and them not being able to release anything else for another 5 yrs. fans pretty much forgot about them
I'm also of the few that disliked the singles remixes which were watered down to get radio play. Buck went soft on them joints and never fully recovered
There were several songs on there I loved and the rest were okay. The remixes and b-sides is where they caught their stride. Too bad we didn't a follow up around 95-96.
****************************************** Falcons, Braves, Bulldogs and Hawks
21. "that was their bigest "mistake"/problem" In response to Reply # 15
not having a proper follow up around 95/96 (even 97), when dusty sample-based shit was still heavily used. When War Zone hit in 99 and Puffy/Bad Boy, No limit, Ruff Ryders and Cash Money changed the face AND sound of popular / mainstream Hip Hop, Black Moon like many "backpack" types were trying to straddle that line of old and new sound and mostly falling flat
31. "mayyybe the best hardcore album of that era..." In response to Reply # 0
but it would have a very tough grapple with 36 chambers. not the best overall in 1993 by a long shot. tribe got that one on lock down for me personally.
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