Whats going on people. Its Sunday which means its my day to contribute to the AFA blog with whatever I want. Today I want to talk about the "sophomore slump." Ever since Ive been listening to HIP HOP I've noticed that for many of my favorite rappers, album number two is not always as dope as album #1. Its not always the case as Redman held It down with three solid albums to jump off his career. Nas in my opinion did a good job with his second effort. Some say "It was written wasn't as dope as "Illmatic," no shit. If you compare his second album to his first you'll miss all of the good things that album #2 has to offer. Many people criticize Cannibus' first album for being weak and a complete let down. I disagree. I think Cannibus' first album was very good in fact. It had a lot of versatility, dope lyrics, interesting concepts. However His second album, though it may have had slightly better beats. Every song was the same thing over and over.
I think the Sophomore Slump is a combination of many things. Number one is that when the first album is so good, people will expect certain things from the second. Instead of just treating it as a fresh new project, they see it as a continuation of the first. Another key factor in the Slump is that all the hunger driving the first album is genuine. Its a hunger that has had a whole life to develop. The hunger for the second effort only has time to develop between albums and its also not genuine in that its corrupted with expectations to meet the success of it's predecessor. Thus making some of the content forced and unauthentic.
With that I leave you with what in my opinion was the most disappointing "Sophomore Slump." Yeah Baby, by Big Pun...R.I.P. I hate to say it, but Capitol Punishment is arguably one of the best albums ever. It had everything that I as a fan wanted to hear in an album. It was in my opinion some of the best rhyme delivery in hip hop. I remember waiting for that second album to come out. I just knew it would be regarded as the, "Best Album EVER!!" Though it had some good points, it was far from that. Very Disappointing.
Oh well, Ill take Yeah Baby over any album distributed in todays Hip Hop mainstream.
I think the Sophomore Slump is a combination of many things. Number one is that when the first album is so good, people will expect certain things from the second. Instead of just treating it as a fresh new project, they see it as a continuation of the first. Another key factor in the Slump is that all the hunger driving the first album is genuine. Its a hunger that has had a whole life to develop. The hunger for the second effort only has time to develop between albums and its also not genuine in that its corrupted with expectations to meet the success of it's predecessor. Thus making some of the content forced and unauthentic.
With that I leave you with what in my opinion was the most disappointing "Sophomore Slump." Yeah Baby, by Big Pun...R.I.P. I hate to say it, but Capitol Punishment is arguably one of the best albums ever. It had everything that I as a fan wanted to hear in an album. It was in my opinion some of the best rhyme delivery in hip hop. I remember waiting for that second album to come out. I just knew it would be regarded as the, "Best Album EVER!!" Though it had some good points, it was far from that. Very Disappointing.
Oh well, Ill take Yeah Baby over any album distributed in todays Hip Hop mainstream.
By Quest, The Rising Sun
www.myspace.com/risingsunquest
www.soundclick.com/risingsunquest
5 comments:
That doesnt seem to be the case with my favorite mcees though. A cerain fellow came out with an album called Stellar Evolution which is most definitely a classic, but his follow up release, Surviving Life, was much better. He displayed growth, a passion and hunger comparable to the first, and a broader sense of creativity and versatility! Kudos to Quest!
I think the answer is to make a really wack first album so everyone thinks you've grown with the next one. . . lol. . . sheeeeeiiiittt that's what i'm doing
some sophmore slump opposites to note.
Outkast. Atliens amazing in comparison to Southerplayalistic.
3rd Bass. The Cactus Album was very dope. Darilects of Dialect. very doper.
Del the Funky.
phenetiks.
quest.
cypress hill
the beatles....ok I'm done
I always liked YEAH BABY!!! What's doper than 100% ?
I feel you, though, but you gotta figure, artist have their WHOLE LIVES to come up with a debut album, then, they get put on and gotta create something that's supposed to exceed the bar they set on the first record in 6-18 months. Like Sketch said, I think the key is a wack first album. King frown is gonna tear the roof off with his 2nd album.
Son, the best example of this ever is Raekwon...Cuban Linx is a jewel, one of the best rap albums ever made-
Immobilarity? Not so much.
Capital Punishment vs. Only Built for Cuban Linx???
Expertiz' favorite album:
Jedi Mind Tricks "Violent by Design"
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