Best sounding Hip-Hop/Rap album ever

N

NickSpringfield

New member
On the mixing/mastering forum, there's a thread about what is the best sounding album of all time. That's all well and good, but I wan wonderin' what everyone's opinion is of the best sounding rap/hip-hop album ever. I have som crappy car speakers and for the past 2 years only the right side works and that's my primary listening enviroment, so take my opinion with a grain of salt, but I would say Dr. Dre, Chronic 2001.

And you?

-Springfield
 
hmmm

i like the quality of Mackavelli's 7day theory.

biggie's Life After Death and Born Again
 
Wasn't that Makavelli album actually produced and recorded in 7 days? I remember reading somewhere that they had like three studios; one for beats, one to record vocals and the last to mix shit down or something. I always thought that album sounded a little odd. Not bad, just different which I guess is a good thing. And if it's true that it was all done in 7 days, then the production is def up there for the amount of time spent on it.

Anyone else?

-Springfield
 
Well DR. Dre's Chronic 2000 is the best hip hop recording ever made in IMO now I'm not saying best LP but best recording. The dolby digital sound at the begining set it off. The balance of the recording is there too you can really tell the whole LP was done in the same studio. The warmth and clarity in the recording is a standard alot of folks should follow. I use it as a reference alot in my mastering.
 
Well not really. I havent heard anything to that effect yet. The reason for this I believe is that some big pro studios are closing due to the little studio becoming more popular. Doesnt mean little studios sound better it's just that the creative process is easier when your recording from a home built one than a pro studio. Since the differences are minor...well I wouldnt say minor but alot folks really cant tell the difference between pro stuff done with analog equipment in the mix or pro stuff done with all digital age equipment. So alot of Hip hop artist are putting out stuff that they basically recorded in a home type set up. IMO stuff done around 2000-2001 sounds alot better than the stuff we have out now. The upside to this though is I can sit in my home studio and record and mix a track that can sound similar or just as good as some pro releases. That's really how I know that recent stuff just isnt as good. I do have some decent skills though :)
 
before i really never listened to album quality,to me they all sounded the same but now i can tell differences.i like how 50cent's the massacre sounded,nice production on that.(dont forget dre helped with that to)i dont know how it compares to the others yall listed.
 
2pac - all eyes on me
many diff producers - still consistent clear sound + knocc.
++my studio ref. cd ++
p-weller.
 
Speaking as an engineer myself, I'd say the best quality album in my opinion, is the Marshall Mathers LP. The sound quality on that album is nothing short of spectacular. The frequencies mesh and blend so well, and the overall feel and flow of the album are attributed to the mastering.

However, the Chronic 2001 is a very good choice as well.
 
I haven't pulled out the booklets to check out the liner notes in a while, but does Aftermath/Shady/G-Unit always use the same mastering engineer? For a while everything sounded spectacular (i.e. Chronic 2001, Marshal Mathers LP, Get Rich or Die Trying if I remember correctly) but since that era, it seems as if it's gone down a few steps in quality. I'm not sure if its the actual producers, engineers or what, but it just seems that way. And I disagree about The Massacre. I hated that album, not just because it was boring, but I thought the sound quality was horrid (my opinion). They always seem to layer 50's vocals like 18 times and it sounds like a mixtape. Some people like that I guess.

-Springfield
 
NickSpringfield said:
I haven't pulled out the booklets to check out the liner notes in a while, but does Aftermath/Shady/G-Unit always use the same mastering engineer? For a while everything sounded spectacular (i.e. Chronic 2001, Marshal Mathers LP, Get Rich or Die Trying if I remember correctly) but since that era, it seems as if it's gone down a few steps in quality. I'm not sure if its the actual producers, engineers or what, but it just seems that way. And I disagree about The Massacre. I hated that album, not just because it was boring, but I thought the sound quality was horrid (my opinion). They always seem to layer 50's vocals like 18 times and it sounds like a mixtape. Some people like that I guess.

-Springfield
Click to expand...
I've noticed it too, Nick.

Song #3 on Encore, is possibly the worst sound quality I've heard on a commercial release in 10 years. I can actually hear the slapback reverb on the vocals, and they sound "tinny" or hollow. It's pathetic. Seems to me, they've lost quite a bit of quality over the last few years, and it started with G-Unit's "Beg for Mercy" album. Some of the worst mixing and mastering I've ever heard on that album.
 
That's the song with 50 and Nate Dogg, right? I couldn't believe it when I heard it. It sounded worse than the mixes I do...lol. That album in a whole was a disappointment - as a rap album. As a comedy album it was ok. Worse release so far for Em tho as far as I'm concerned.
 
yall will probably call me crazy but i like the roots tipping point...everything just sounds so smooth and perfect to me and its got a real mellow vibe to it, but then again its all being played by an actual band so that may have a lot to do with it. i cant disagree with anything else thats been said though, especially the 7 day theory and all eyez on me, but im also always biased to anything that has tupacs voice on it.
 
NickSpringfield said:
That's the song with 50 and Nate Dogg, right? I couldn't believe it when I heard it. It sounded worse than the mixes I do...lol. That album in a whole was a disappointment - as a rap album. As a comedy album it was ok. Worse release so far for Em tho as far as I'm concerned.
Click to expand...
Yup, that's the one.

And I agree, as a rap album, it fell way short of the mark. Only a few tracks on there I actually dig...

I hope Detox doesn't end up sucking, especially after all the press it's garnered.
 
Change of POETS said:
Yup, that's the one.

And I agree, as a rap album, it fell way short of the mark. Only a few tracks on there I actually dig...

I hope Detox doesn't end up sucking, especially after all the press it's garnered.
Click to expand...


Nah, I think if Dre has complete control over this one, which I would think he will, it'll be hot. Dre isn't into that corny shit, but he'll put up with it if it's makin' him money. I was just surprised that on Encore, all of the real corny songs were over Dre beats. He couldn't have been too happy about that.

-Springfield
 
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