Rank & Rate Jay Z albums

Started by Michael Myers, Jul 18, 2020, in Music Add to Reading List

  1. Michael Myers
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    Michael Myers Moderator

    Jul 18, 2020
    we've done eminem and kanye a million times

    Lets see how we rank and rate hov's catalog
     
    #1
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  2. lil uzi vert stan
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    Jul 18, 2020
    Probably something like this. It’s tough to parse - could def change a lot of this depending on the mood. No collab albums right? (WTT, r Kelly)

    1. Blueprint
    2. Black Album
    3. Reasonable Doubt
    4. American Gangster
    5. V2
    6. V3
    7. 4:44
    8. Blueprint 2
    9. V1
    10. Dynasty
    11. Kingdom Come
    12. Blueprint 3
    13. MGHG
     
    Mar 28, 2024
  3. The Moon Man
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    The Moon Man Out of my mind

    Jul 18, 2020
    The Magna Carta production is pure flames though. I'd probably go for a lost similar to this but Black Album would be #1. I listen to BP3 more than the other two.
     
    Mar 28, 2024
  4. icecube
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    icecube West Coast is the Best Coast

    Jul 18, 2020
    Let me think about this. I'll give his full discog a relisten eventually so this may change upon relistening. From memory/nostalgia...
    1. Black Album
    2. Blueprint
    3. Reasonable Doubt
    4. American Gangster
    5. 4:44
    6. Blueprint 2
    7. Vol 2
    8. Vol 3
    9. Blueprint 3
    10. Vol 1
    11. MCHG
    12. Dynasty
    13. Kingdom Come
     
    Mar 28, 2024
  5. DKC
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    DKC hank trill

    Jul 18, 2020
    Funny this topic was made cuz I just started running through his discog chronologically this morning. On Vol. 1 so I got a ways to go but I'll post my list when I'm done. Haven't listened to some of these in years.
     
    #5
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  6. DKC
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    DKC hank trill

    Jul 18, 2020
    :emoji_eyes: @ Vol. 1 being so low on both lists so far though. Below BP2???
     
    Mar 28, 2024
  7. Enez
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    Enez Purple Heats Forever

    Jul 18, 2020
    black album
    reasonable doubt
    blueprint
    american gangster
    vol 2
    vol 3
    4:44
    blueprint 2
    dynasty
    vol 1
    blueprint 3
    mchg
    kingdom come
     
    #7
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  8. Winter
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    Winter Super Comfy

    Jul 18, 2020
    Blueprint
    Reasonable Doubt
    V3
    American Gangster
    Dynasty
    V2
    Blueprint 2
    Black Album
    V1
    4:44
    Kingdom Come
    Blueprint 3
    MCHG

    This was impossibly hard outside of the top 2 and bottom 3. I don’t think time has been that kind to the Black Album, the fact that he didn’t retire kinda defangs most of the songs imo.
     
    Mar 28, 2024
  9. DKC
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    DKC hank trill

    Jul 18, 2020
    I agree about Black Album, it just doesn't hit like it used to, idk. Still some great s--- on there though.
     
    Mar 28, 2024
  10. WPG
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    WPG sxn80 Rory Gilmore

    Jul 18, 2020
    Reasonable Doubt, 5 mics
    Blueprint, 5
    Dynasty, 4.5
    Vol 3, 4.5
    Vol 1, 4
    Black Album, 4
    Vol 2, 3.5
    American Gangster. 3.5
    Blueprint 2, 3.5
    4:44, 3
    Blueprint 3, 2.5
    Kingdom Come, 2.5
    MCHG, 2.5
     
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  11. WPG
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    WPG sxn80 Rory Gilmore

    Jul 18, 2020
    4:44 over dynasty is preposterous!!!!
     
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  12. lil uzi vert stan
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    Jul 18, 2020
    i dont think its 'preposterous' but alot of the middle is a muddle i could def rethink. what makes you have such a strong inclination?
     
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  13. Fire Squad
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    Fire Squad Boss Don Biggavel

    Jul 18, 2020
    Blueprint
    Reasonable Doubt
    American Gangster
    Black Album
    Dynasty
    Vol 3
    Vol 2
    4:44
    Vol 1
    Blueprint 2
    Kingdom Come
    MCHG
    Blueprint 3

    Honestly everything above Kingdom Come is either solid, then phenomenal and then reaches unimpeachable classics. Each of the volumes can be interchangeable depending on my mood, I definitely think he was reaching his apex right around Vol 3 however.
     
    Mar 28, 2024
  14. WPG
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    WPG sxn80 Rory Gilmore

    Jul 18, 2020
    with jay there is this overwhelming push to canonize the more grandiose, introspective records that are conspicuously made + marketed as Classic Albums. sometimes this works, because he's good (or *was* good) at the hallmarks of that type of rap music, and blueprint/reasonable doubt are masterpieces. but it means people give less serious critical attention to the ones that do not have all those signifiers. when dynasty came out, jay was probably at the absolute apex of his actual rapping ability, and he merges it with extremely heady, morally knotty writing ("soon you'll understand," "this can't be life," the intro, etc). on dynasty he's an all-world talent going basically scorched earth on every song. on 4:44 he's a guy who's recently started therapy and is excited to talk to you about it. i don't hate the latter record but there are really only two, maybe three songs that scan to me as anything other than overstuffed notebook dumps that don't come with the kind of stylistic flair he used to be known for.
     
    Mar 28, 2024
  15. lil uzi vert stan
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    Jul 18, 2020
    That’s fair I just remember Dynasty as kind of a bait and switch, label release repurposed and marketed as a solo project. Many of the features def compelling but overall I just remember it as a bit overstuffed. Point is well taken on 4:44 tho
     
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  16. RetiredAccount
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    RetiredAccount Big Time Stuntin Like My Daddy

    Jul 18, 2020
    1. Blueprint (10/10)
    2. American Gangster (10/10)
    3. 4:44 (10/10)
    4. The Black Album (10/10)
    5. Reasonable Doubt (10/10)
    6. Dynasty (9.5/10)
    7. Vol 2 (9/10)
    8. Vol 3 (9/10)
    9. Vol 1 (8.5/10)
    10. Blueprint 2 (6/10)
    11. MCHG (5/10)
    12. Blueprint 3 (5/10)
    13. Kingdom Come (4/10)
     
    Mar 28, 2024
  17. Tom Brady
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    Tom Brady "I'm a pretty good winner."

    Jul 18, 2020
    444 is a tad overrated. It’s good, but I would for sure rank Dynasty over it. Intro is great.

    This thread reminding me how many good projects Jay got.
     
    #17
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  18. RetiredAccount
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    RetiredAccount Big Time Stuntin Like My Daddy

    Jul 18, 2020
    Disagree about 4:44. I listen to music throughout my work day so about 8.5 hours, and 4:44 has become a near daily listen. It’s concise, poignant and exactly what I want to hear at this point in Jays career. It’s the record he wanted to make with MCHG but didn’t know how to. His rapping is just as skillful as it was in 2000, his content is intriguing for the first time since 2003, and there is no filler.
    Almost the perfect Jay record imo.
     
    Mar 28, 2024
  19. Tom Brady
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    Tom Brady "I'm a pretty good winner."

    Jul 18, 2020
    I can get with that. I think a lot of artists would benefit artistically from shortening the length of their major releases. Truthfully, that was one of the things I loved about 4:44.

    Edit: and MCHG is the most mediocre whiff I’ve ever heard from this man lmao.
     
    Mar 28, 2024
  20. Tom Brady
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    Tom Brady "I'm a pretty good winner."

    Jul 18, 2020
    1. Blueprint
    2. American Gangster
    3. Dynasty
    4. Reasonable Doubt
    5. The Black Album
    6. 4:44
    7. Vol 2
    8. Vol 1
    9. Vol 3
    10. Blueprint 2
    11. MCHG
    12. Kingdom Come
    13. Blueprint 3

    I think..
     
    Mar 28, 2024