"The Writer's Bench - Best Hip Hop Group EVER March Madness Style"
For this week's episode of The Writer's Bench we're chopping it up about who's the dopest hip hop group EVER. We got 64 hip hop groups all in the tourney bracket ranked from #1 to #16 in their 4 respective "regions" til we find out who's the dopest EVER! There's a rack of upsets going on, beef about why certain groups didn't make the round of 64, beef over why certain groups are ranked too high or too low...basically it's just like selection sunday every year! Plus we've got okayplayer's own Nick's Got A Serious Problem chopping it up with us!
My question to ya'll is who do you think is the dopest hip hop group EVER and why? Not who's your favortite cause that's another convo but when you're looking at discography, classic, albums, beats and rhymes, longevity and impact...who comes out on top for you? Plus grab a copy of the bracket cause I'd LOVE to see what upsets cats pick & who comes out on top for ya'll!
1. "RE: The Writer's Bench - Best Hip Hop Group EVER March Madness Style" In response to Reply # 0
Let me be the first to reply to your post on the new ep. watching the show and I love it but I'ma little younger than some of yall, I'm 33 so some of yall's decisions I disagree with. Public Enemy vs Da Bush Babees. I understand why yall picked PE,but yall just zoomed on through that match up and didn't even discuss it. There's no way that Chuck D can outrap the 2 guys that rapped in Bush Babees. Also OGC vs Gangstarr, once again I understand it. OGC could never make an album better than Hard To Earn or Moment of Truth, but if you listen to the Calm Before The Storm album, it's 3 MC's and they play off each other Top Dog doing the jamaican chantin. Don't think that Guru is better than that whole group mc wise. then, didn't yall pick Whodini over Cypress Hill, that was crazy to me too, thought that would have been an easy one. I'm done watching yet but I'll see what else I'll be disappointed about.
6. "RE: No UTFO, but ya have boogie monsters?" In response to Reply # 3
UTFO was RIGHT there at that #16 seed but started looking at it like the Boogie Monsters had a solid under their belt where as UTFO only had 1 DOPE song under their belt. But like I said...just like selection sunday there's always gonna be beef on who made it and who didn't. Dope that you brought up UTFO tho...been chopping it up all day on twitter about this and nobody had beef with no UTFO.
5. "RE: Fu-Schnickens but no Wu-Tang Clan in this tournament?" In response to Reply # 4
Lol...this is the question of the day. I didn't out Wu in because I look at them as a crew. When we do a who's the illest click on some Wu Tang, Boot Camp Click, Flavor Unit, Native Tongues, Juice Crew, Rough Ryders, Hit Squad, etc. type ish THEN we'll get into Wu. Wu with 9 MC's ain't vs. anybody ain't fair.
7. "I don't agree with that decision" In response to Reply # 5
RZA and GZA had album but outside of that, they came out as Wu-Tang Clan as a group. Boot Camp is a crew made up of a bunch of groups. The thing revolutionary about Wu is that they were the first group who had individual deals penned off of the success of 36 Chamber.
By your Wu-Tang logic, one could argue that Black Star shouldn't be included either because they were essentially two MCs that made one album.
Wu-Tang is a group no matter how you look at it. You could also say that their 'crew' extended to outside members like Killarmy, Killah Priest, Sunz of Man, Shyheim etc etc.
30. "RE: Fu-Schnickens but no Wu-Tang Clan in this tournament?" In response to Reply # 5
>Lol...this is the question of the day. I didn't out Wu in >because I look at them as a crew. When we do a who's the >illest click on some Wu Tang, Boot Camp Click, Flavor Unit, >Native Tongues, Juice Crew, Rough Ryders, Hit Squad, etc. type >ish
Ohh. Ok. I feel you. Very good idea. I look forward to that ep.
THEN we'll get into Wu. Wu with 9 MC's ain't vs. anybody >ain't fair.
Yeah. That's true. Who do you compare the contender to? Gza,Meth, Rae..etc
Ahhhhhh...selection sunday in FULL effect I see lol! I think the thing that bugged me out about this ep was going in, I honestly didn't think there were 64 groups only to find out that hip hop has had close to 90+ groups. So if you add all of the cats you named, who do you take off?
24. "Well..." In response to Reply # 23 Mon Jul-06-15 08:08 PM by Anonymous
I think that the three groups from the South, UGK, Geto Boys and Ball & MJG are all far more important and greater than acts like the Boogiemonsters and OGC for example.
Naughty By Nature shouldn't be less than a 5 seed in my opinion.
Some of it is splitting hairs but there are some glaring omissions in my opinion.
Center of Attention is one of my favorite albums but it's not even an official release so I can't include iNi in this.
And yeah...Livin' Proof is dope but Group Home should not be on here over acts like a BTNH
>I think that the three groups from the South, UGK, Geto Boys >and Ball & MJG are all far more important and greater than >acts like the Boogiemonsters and OGC for example. > >Naughty By Nature shouldn't be less than a 5 seed in my >opinion. > >Some of it is splitting hairs but there are some glaring >omissions in my opinion. > >Center of Attention is one of my favorite albums but it's not >even an official release so I can't include iNi in this. > >And yeah...Livin' Proof is dope but Group Home should not be >on here over acts like a BTNH
I totally feel you fam...no way in the world was I gonna get this 100% right and for everyone to dig it. I do think Naughty should've made the cut not sure a #5 seed tho. Never liked a whole Naughty album. Had 3-4 songs I rocked with but that's splitting hairs like you said. The problem with the down south groups is no one on the bench knew their stuff like that. Outside the 1st Geto Boyz album I've never heard another album so for the big picture they do deserve to be on there but I've always been the 1st to admit that there are holes in my hip hop game & that's with the whole south/midwest vibe. It's funny cause the number one complaint we get with the podcast is all we talk about is east coast hip hop...but we're east coast dudes lol! It's like people complaining that we're too old...well we are lol! I think it's easier for 5 dudes from the midwest or the south to talk east coast hip hop cause I'm sure for years that's all they had where it's the flip for us. We never HAD to listen to midwest hip hop...but that long rant to say I felt like we couldn't do them justice cause we don't know their music. Plus I wouldn't wanna put them at a #16 seed like OGC & Boogie Monsters cause I know they deserve higher. I just appreciate you responding and showing where I dropped the ball!
No doubt...I always watch the episodes. It's dope that y'all do what y'all do.
I'm from CT so I never rocked the southern albums like that either. I just know certain artists are too important to overlook. But I feel you...if no one the bench knows them then it would be pointless.
32. "RE: Well..." In response to Reply # 26 Wed Jul-08-15 02:50 PM by HIM
It's >funny cause the number one complaint we get with the podcast >is all we talk about is east coast hip hop...but we're east >coast dudes lol!
I listen specifically for this reason. I'm not an east coast dude but hip hop wise, that is my 1st preference so I relate to the show.
It's like people complaining that we're too >old...well we are lol!
Another reason I watch. Your prospective is not that of a new jack. I dig that.
I think it's easier for 5 dudes from >the midwest or the south to talk east coast hip hop cause I'm >sure for years that's all they had where it's the flip for us.
I'd add on by saying that we from the other parts of the country will have just as much knowledge of east coast music as you east coast guys but you will find that we are often just as well versed in midwest, west coast, southern hip hop as well.
This being the case, you are always gonna get people saying "yooo, how you gone leave out Boots Riley off the greatest MC list?!?" The rest of the country is typically more well rounded when it comes to hip hop interest(for the reason you mention).
When I began checking your show, I had to often remind myself that I am basically a fly on the wall listening to a group of former college chums talking hip hop(just like me and my crew would do back then). Once you understand that, these shows become much more enjoyable.
>We never HAD to listen to midwest hip hop...but that long rant >to say I felt like we couldn't do them justice cause we don't >know their music. Plus I wouldn't wanna put them at a #16 seed >like OGC & Boogie Monsters cause I know they deserve higher. I >just appreciate you responding and showing where I dropped the >ball!
Exactly. I hate when you guys get to an album or mc that one of you is not familiar with because it just goes silent and the debate dies too easily.
In contrast, I can't wait till somebody gives props to Phife in any way shape or form outside of "Butter" when Bizo is on the show. I know something hilarious is going to ensue. lol
Good looking for the props and checking us out fam! No doubt...we GOTTA keep the show going! I cab chop it up hip hop all day and all night with my eyes closed so this is my weekly hangout! Also, I'm glad you like the show for some of the main reasons that other cats don't...I appreciate that too!
>I think that the three groups from the South, UGK, Geto Boys >and Ball & MJG are all far more important and greater than >acts like the Boogiemonsters and OGC for example. > >Naughty By Nature shouldn't be less than a 5 seed in my >opinion. > >Some of it is splitting hairs but there are some glaring >omissions in my opinion. > >Center of Attention is one of my favorite albums but it's not >even an official release so I can't include iNi in this. > >And yeah...Livin' Proof is dope but Group Home should not be >on here over acts like a BTNH
fam, there was an entire discussion about this prior to the start of filming and best believe I suggested my folks (Geto Boys, UGK, Ball&G) be on there. There was another group left off that got included at the last minute. Some of the convo prior to filming was good shit.
****************************************** Falcons, Braves, Bulldogs and Hawks
That's why I love having you on Nick cause you bring that south element that we don't have. Just for that show I think the rest of us would've looked suspect not knowing anything about them. Hell, the most I know of UGK is Jay's Big Pimpin & Kast's Player's Anthem but any other time I think it'd be dope fro you to school us on the south/midwest. That's another thing I always thought Houston was the midwest but that's considered the south? I need a hip hop map lol! And the group I left off they we had to find space for was the Alkaholiks...I think we got rid of CNN to have a spot for them. Good looking again for sitting it. Always a spot for you whenever you wanna rock!
Man, waaaaay too many groups left off but for what groups you got on here I got Run DMC coming out on top over Tribe but I could see so many different scenarios...like I highly doubt that if 100 people did this bracket that they would all be the same or even all have the same final four and I think that's what's good about this episode.
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