Reasonable doubt vs ILLmatic: which has aged better?

daevion0

You know something is a classic when you can listen to it more than 15 years laterand still get that "wow" factor. When ever I come to a hip-hop fourm I always see the same debate R.D. vs illmatic. I decided to listen to both and have decided that reasonable doubt has aged waaaaaayyyyyyy fucking better than illmatic. Not trying take away from illmatic I'm just saying jays beats and flow is still good even in modern times. While illmatic is lyricaly off the chain the beats on thee album really bug me. Fellin' it beat is amazing. So is can I live and dead presidents. I'm not trying to say R.D. is better than illmatic but it has definitely has aged better. Listen to both and tell me what you think.

son of 1973

Well for one, they both sound dated (but thats not a bad thing to me). Second, it depends on what you like. Jay's album came after illmatic and production techniques had changed/upgraded a little bit between 93-94 and 96. If you into early 90's gutter boom bap beats, then illmatic aged better because as you said illmatic lyrically is incredible so its not about that. and nas flow on there is timeless, you even hear jay do it sometimes on rd. if you prefer beats and topics that sound closer to how shit today is, then you'll think rd aged better. i listen to illmatic more than rd though, it amazes me more. and rd is a great album jay kills that shit, but there were precedents for that joint (ready to die). no one saw illmatic coming.

ItzGravitation

Illmatic sound dated as hell
RD still have a good sound to it
Illmatic sound like some 1980s rap
that simple shit

clairascanbe

ItzGravitation wrote: »

Illmatic sound dated as hell
RD still have a good sound to it
Illmatic sound like some 1980s rap
that simple shit

???
Simple & illmatic do go together.

TimroD

imo RD has aged better
not a jigga warrior or a nas stan they both dope albums

hnic1978

For both of them to be mentioned in 2011 lets u know how greatly both have aged. But if i have to give it to one ILLMATIC is still the GOAT. To say it sounds dated is bullshit cuz that wasn't the ONLY sound of the 90s. Sayin in that is just a bullshit excuse to discredit Illmatic cuz there is NOTHING else u can say about it

hnic1978

ItzGravitation wrote: »

Illmatic sound dated as hell
RD still have a good sound to it
Illmatic sound like some 1980s rap
that simple shit

Thats the beauty of Illmatic is the simplicity. They gave Nas beats and he ripped them to shreads......EVERY LAST ONE OF THEM!!!

ItzGravitation

so niggas cant have opinions anymore?
its really more of a fact it sound dated but die hard fans will deny it
if you say the shit dont sound like 80s/early 90s rap you lying
plus the shit wasnt as lyrical as RD

Esiam

I guess Reasonable Doubt although Illmatic is pretty timeless it does sound like it is from 1994, if that makes any sense whatsoever... It's qualitymusic that's what I'm trying to say, like maybe if you compare Illmatic to like Motown songs they sound like they are from the 60's 70's but they are still wellproduced enough to keep interest today... It's not like Craig Mack's Project Funk The World, which just sounds dated... For instance...

clairascanbe

ItzGravitation wrote: »

so niggas cant have opinions anymore?
its really more of a fact it sound dated but die hard fans will deny it
if you say the shit dont sound like 80s/early 90s rap you lying
plus the shit wasnt as lyrical as RD

R u going for shock post of the week. One more shock post and the award goes to you.

c1up

wow no Tomp or Shadyteam yet, this is incredible

NothingButTheTruth

Illmatic, RD has no replay value.

usmarin3

RD has aged better because of the production is soul inspired and that never gets old. Illmatic and The Chronic are probably the most dated sounding albums out of the 90s classic imo, doesn't take away from the fact they are still classic though.

ItzGravitation

NothingButTheTruth wrote: »

Illmatic, RD has no replay value.

dont be a stan all ur life

Mumo X

ILLmatic is hiphop's thriller. The Only hiphop albums that should be mentioned alongside ILLmatic be "It takes a Million" & "Paid in full". End of story.

KeepOnPushing

Nas my favorite Artist but RD .....and i was just getting ready to say what someone said below , Illmatic is dope but it does sound dated..

usmarin3

Mumo X wrote: »

ILLmatic is hiphop's thriller. The Only hiphop albums that should be mentioned alongside ILLmatic be "It takes a Million" & "Paid in full". End of story.

So are you gonna answer the question or not? lmfao

Wonderland

Illmatic has aged better much more replay value and is a classic


Reasonable Doubt sounds boring and doesn't have replay value and too many weak Songs

Law Trafalgar

The fuck? Illmatic has aged better. You have rappers saying their album is the next illmatic, not fucking the next reasonable doubt.

sTaY_TrUe

I Still bump RD regularly, so I'd have to say RD

Wonderland

Illmatic - 10/10

Reasonable Doubt - 7/10

Wonderland

NothingButTheTruth wrote: »

Illmatic, RD has no replay value.

1 of the Albums that lacks any replay value in history hasn't aged well at all but is Jay's best work by far


As far as Flow Jay Z was at his best and did what he known for on the Album Flowing good

bigtim5099

So tell me, how is Illmatic off the chain lyrically? Personally, it doesnt hold a candle to RD in terms of double entendres and catching the bars years down the road, so post some lyrics throughout the album that you wont catch for years later? Jay is a genius on the mic and he'll say some stuff that you wont catch for years down the road and Nas is not that type of lyricist.. I think some of yall cats be just repeating what yall hear..

idoitforhiphop10

bigtim5099 wrote: »

So tell me, how is Illmatic off the chain lyrically? Personally, it doesnt hold a candle to RD in terms of double entendres and catching the bars years down the road, so post some lyrics throughout the album that you wont catch for years later? Jay is a genius on the mic and he'll say some stuff that you wont catch for years down the road and Nas is not that type of lyricist.. I think some of yall cats be just repeating what yall hear..

Right, right, what up niggaz, how y'all, it's Nasty the villian
I'm still writin rhymes but besides that I'm chillin
I'm trying to get this money, God, you know the hard times, kid
Shit, cold be starvin make you wanna do crimes kid
But I'ma lamp, cuz a crime couldn't beat a rhyme
Niggaz catching 3 to 9's, Muslims yelling free the mind
And I'm from Queensbridge, been to many places
as a kid when I would say that out of town, niggaz chased us
But now I know the time, got a older mind
Plus control a nine, fine, see now I represent mine
I'm new on the rap scene, brothers never heard of me
Yet I'm a meance, yo, police wanna murder me
Heine(ken) Dark drinker, represent the thinker
My pen rides the paper, it even has blinkers
Think I'll dim the lights then inhale, it stimulates
Floating like I'm on the North 95 Interstate
Never plan to stop, when I write my hand is hot
And expand alot from the Wiz to Camelot
The parlayer, I'll make ya heads bop Pah
I shine a light on perpetrators like a cop's car
From day to night, I play the mic and you'll thank God
I wreck shit so much, the microphone'll need a paint job
My brain is incarcerated
Live at any jam, I couldn't count all the parks I raided
I hold a Mac-11, and attack the Reverand
I contact 11 L's and max in heaven

Nas on one time for ya mind.

some people don't even catch the car metaphor in this verse.

idoitforhiphop10

King Drew wrote: »

The fuck? Illmatic has aged better. You have rappers saying their album is the next illmatic, not fucking the next reasonable doubt.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
This

bigtim5099

Dude, you have to be an idiot to not catch the car reference, come on dude, are you serious?? Illmatic was simple lyrically, not off the chain. Personification is cute and all, but it is for 8th graders. And it doessnt take long to catch.. And U know it..