The mid-to-late 90s were a special time in Hip-Hop. While many would remember it for the whole East Coast/West Coast fiasco, I’d like to note it as a period of musical excellence.
Back then someone would drop an album and it was like Dr. Seuss’ Butter Battle Book. Another would follow it with a “top that” move.
36 Chambers? Oh word? Illmatic. Ilmatic? How about Ready To Die? Hmm, Have some of that Infamous. Yoooo where did THAT come from? Fugees? That first album was trash son they ain’t coming with nothing…oh. Killed me softly with that. Have some purple tape with that.
The back and forth went on for the better part of the decade, going East to West, down to the Durty, up to the MidWest and all points in between.With so much quality music coming out at the same time sometimes depending on our mood we come to discussions about which albums were better. God knows I’ve had a ton of them.
The point of Saturday Night Special (or Smack Down if I can get Vince to cough up some cheddar) is to throw out similar level albums and let you guys have the final say so over whether an album was superior. Let’s face it, no matter how informed (or not) my opinion is, You’d rather fight with each other over it anyway.
Tonight’s combatants were peripheral participants in the East/West fued. They both released superior albums that, while not generally heralded as classics per se, were definite bangers and close enough in level to pose the question: Which album was better? CNN’s War Report or Tha Dogg Pound’s Dogg Food.
Both had dope, although different production (The slick G-Funk of underrated Daz vs. Marley Marl’s gritty, muddy drums). Although Kurupt was probably miles ahead of partner Daz and both CNN members, the song balance was generally even. In my opinion they both could have done without the wack skits and could have been streamlined, but I think they aged pretty well. Anyway, jumpball thrown. War Report vs. Dogg Food. I’ll put both of them here so you can listen to them. See you tomorrow for the Sickest Sundays on the net. Peace