This post is inspired by Memphis Bleek. He seemed to come off well when he was featured on other people's tracks (It's Alright, 'Round Here, others) but could never translate that energy to his own full-length albums.

Inspectah Deck qualifies for me as well, but I know some people really like his on LP and may feel his name shouldn't be included with Bleek's.

Are there other MC's like Bleek?

and for opposing reasons, but this has the makings for a fantastic thread

By 'average', I meant an MC without a classic solo or group project.

I've never heard Deck's solo album (and maybe I should) but I've never heard it talked about as a legendary album. But he has truly iconic guest spots.

That's the type of rapper I failed to describe.

>By 'average', I meant an MC without a classic solo or group
>project.
>

Please tell me how Deck fits this when he has the best verses on multiple group classics?

>I've never heard Deck's solo album (and maybe I should) but
>I've never heard it talked about as a legendary album. But he
>has truly iconic guest spots.
>
>That's the type of rapper I failed to describe.

Basically, I'm thinking of an MC who is good, but much better on features than their own work.

You said an MC who doesn’t have a great solo OR group album.

Are Wu albums not considered Deck’s group albums?

You are making zero sense my man

I didn't mean to extend the criteria to group albums.

I’m legit confused.

Bun is a great MC within UGK and guest spots but his solos have been average IMO.

Does that mean he is an average MC who is great on guest spots even though he is ALSO great in his group which is his main contribution to hip-hop?

How is that different than Deck?

But by 'average', I meant that the MC is better on features or posse cuts than they are on the records that we normally hear them.

For instance Deck, to me, would qualify because he was better in a group setting and on posse cuts than he was on his solo records.

But to be honest, I've never heard Deck's full album so maybe it is dope and I am speaking out of my ass by mentioning him in the same vein as Bleek.

It's funny that for some reason the wording of this post threw people off. (I'm not speaking directly to you only, Anonymous)

Normally, I choose my words fairly carefully when posting here. But for this post, I just threw something out there, trying to be spontaneous and I did not expect the fallout.

The lesson for The Lesson - always come prepared. LOL

1. The word “average” seems to be confusing people. Deck is NOT an average MC at all so using him as your example was odd. The post title for your example should’ve been “Dope MCs who haven’t released a great album” or something like that.

Second...when you added in the group portion it just made the post more confusing. Andre 3000 is great in Kast and on guest spots but hasn’t released a great album by himself. So by the way you worded the post and then further explained, he would be an average MC which we all know if crazy.

LOL *shrugs*

Deck is a GREAT team player

.

People are naming Wu members like their albums don’t consist of 36 Chambers, Forever and The W on top of their own solo projects.

Tical, T2 and 4:21 are ALL great hip-hop albums.

Method Man shouldn't even be in this discussion at all, I feel the same for Inspectah Deck but it's fact that him pulling off a great solo album never translate well, he got rhymes & verses it's just he don't have a good executive producer for his solo albums to bring out the best in him, I personally liked his first album (yeah it had a few duds on it but to me every rap album has at least one of them) but it wasn't as great as it should've been.

I don't want to agree with you because Meth was my favorite rapper for a while. But you're right. He has some classic songs but his albums have never lived up to the potential, at least for me.

But his work as a guest artist is amazing, as is his work with Redman. It didn't seem clear when he began his career that he needed the group dynamic to bring out his best, but it is now in hindsight.

I think you lost your rabbit ass mind

werd.

werd.

.

I'm struggling to think of rappers who shine on others songs but are average in skill. I'm immediately coming back to rappers with great guest spots and who are just great in general, but have average/below average albums.

Inspectah Deck specifically fits in that category. He is by no means average. He has some of the best verses in Wu's discography, he's just never been able to replicate that level of dopeness on his own solo shit, though a flood is part to blame for that. The Czarface shit is pretty repetitive by the second album too.

This thread would be easier if it were "Name MC's whose guest spots overshadow their discographies" or something like that.

Just to revisit a response I sent above.

Another who would qualify is Ludacris. Guy was the king of guest spots in the early to mid 00s, but his albums were very uneven to say the least.


>I'm immediately coming back to
>rappers with great guest spots and who are just great in
>general, but have average/below average albums.

I didn't quite know how to describe Deck or Bleek. They've had really great features. Like Deck is a legend off of Triumph along and Bleek's verse on It's Alright is classic.

But neither of them have a 'classic' as a solo project.

So, now that we've gone back and forth about it, I meant to say a rapper without a classic.

Right and exact...MURDERED a lot of his guest spots..

*ducks*

I think over the course of his entire albums...he’s an average MC. Dope for sure but his flow isn’t great and his lyrics are pretty basic for the most part.

I’m debating if I would call him average but what’s the honest scale here?

I don’t see average as bad or wack by any means.

*shrugs*

>*ducks*
>
>I think over the course of his entire albums...he’s an
>average MC. Dope for sure but his flow isn’t great and his
>lyrics are pretty basic for the most part.
>

I like his rhymes a lot and his voice cuts to tape a certain way, but I think he's as good as anyone when it comes to creating tension and a sense of mood on his albums. For me that's what keeps me there, I just love hearing him rap but I get exactly what you're saying


>I’m debating if I would call him average but what’s the
>honest scale here?
>
>I don’t see average as bad or wack by any means.
>
>*shrugs*

I see what you're saying and that honestly makes more sense than how the OP had it set up. That's why I said I'm not sure if he fits or not

He's great in group settings but he also doesn't have a classic or masterpiece. It's hard to call him average but in that light I don't think many would think of him as a 'great' rapper.

dope voice. not wack at all but not sure hes better than average in the big scheme of things. hes great on tracks with other rappers but theres few songs with only him rapping for three verses that i love.

maybe?

Keith Murray dope on Hostile, fatty girl, special deliver remix, I shot ya...
But released average albums.

And Fat Joe ..albums average. But better on guest appearances.

.

I mean, "Sicko Mode" is Travis Scott's song sure, but Drake makes it.

Meek's "RICO"
Future's "Where Ya At"
Blocboy JB's "Look Alive" (who you'll never hear from again)

just some of the more fun examples. I find Drake to be a tedious listen for a full album's-worth of content, but it's always exciting when he's in a big feature spot.

Also the scrapped "Aston Martin Music" verse that's probably the best of his career.

What does that make everyone outside of the Top 50?

Because clearly Busta is NOT lower than that on any respectable list.

The dude had two above average albums in the 90s and everything since? Garbage.

Yet he'll murder and guest appearance.

Not to mention you’re wrong because 9 Lives and Aziatic attire dope as shit too.

*shrugs*

And then Jay bit what he was already doing, for the 2nd time.

AWOL was a good album too, and that was 05. Imagine saying that and Aziatic are garbage, smh.

I’ve grown to be content with people shitting on anything he does for whatever reason.

I’ve heard the dumbest shit online.

He’s a poor version of Nas
Doe Or Die sucked because of the production
He’s technically so good that he’s boring

*shrugs*

Because I’ve got The Coming, When Disaster Strikes, ELE, The Big Bang, and his new one as at least “above average”.

Plus he did that Dillagence mixtape that was heat.

ELE is aight. I'd rate Genesis above the others you listed, but even that it's not something I'd ever go out of my way to listen to.

He's only got 3 good albums himself though.

That you don’t know shit about hip-hop and have been proving so for over a decade.

Also, you fuck kangaroo pouches so *shrug*

it's one thing to say you don't care for Busta's albums, but saying he only has two decent albums and nothing else but garbage is not an opinion, it's simply wrong.

Always dope when he hops on. His own shit.....ehhhhh

I never thought about it but he must.

.

although I like his solo stuff, he's really best as a cameo

Every guest verse I hear, I love.

But his albums I can take or leave.

and 2 Chainz are MCs who murder guest appearances but don't have great albums on the same level.


**********
"Everyone has a plan until you punch them in the face. Then they don't have a plan anymore." (c) Mike Tyson

"what's a leader if he isn't reluctant"

Because you can kill guest spots, have albums that don’t live up to those guest spots and still be an above average MC.