This should be obvious but for whatever reason KTT doesn't understand this and it leads to people fuming when people say certain albums are classics. A lot of times we are talking about a couple different things when we are discussing classics.

Most people on here define a "classic" as having some combination of critical acclaim (at least within the hip hop community), popular appeal, and in some way defining the genre as a whole. These are like the "grail classics" such as MBDTF, Aquemini, 36 Chambers, etc.

But this isn't sufficient. When we're talking about whether or not something is a classic, we have to contextualize them. There are classics within a sound/region, even if they aren't popularly recognized. For example, anyone who follows Memphis rap would know that Tommy Wright III's Four Corners is absolutely a classic within it's given scene, as it is a definitive example of the sound and highly representative of the subgenre that had a big impact within that scene.

Or what about BLR 66.6? Within its given "scene" it is acclaimed, massively popular (relatively speaking to its scene) and the extent of its influence is obvious.

Likewise if I go to NOLA I can guarantee you there are thousands of people that wouldn't bat an eye if I said Give 2 Em Raw was a classic, but KTT would lose their minds if I attempted to equivocate it to any number of their dearly held classics.

Crime Mob's debut is just as much as the Black Album within the context and audience in which it came out, but I would be laughed at if I attempted to equate them.

So the problem with defining "classics" is that they are highly relative and require a degree of contextualization. There's tiers to classics, but this doesn't make a album that is a classic within a given context any less of a classic compared to another in any objective way. They essentially accomplish the same things within their respective contexts and thus they can each be equally and reasonably said to be "classics" despite their reach being different.

I agree

give it to em raw is a classic thooo
You just had to have been around that era to get it tho. alotta youngins round here.

dont know what blr is tho.

exactly my point. Classics are incredibly relative and contextual to a large extent

Haha 😂dude 😂 that’s a classic thread :; 😂 fffggGjjkklLh.?

im gonna say it

rodeo is a classic

it might be. it def was an entry point for alotta new rap fans and for that. i cant hate.

Not reading all that but yeah there's personal classics, cult classics & true classics; all classics nonetheless & if the word "classic" bothers you please get some p**** & a job

what if we already have a wife plus a secure job? can i still debate classics online or nah?

if you want to yeah, i'm not god, i'm just a nigga with a KTT2 account

Honestly this just goes to show the whole 'classic' thing is really immature and reductive - feels like any genre that moves out of its youth and into various subgenres and scenes is gonna find it pretty limiting.

But conversely it seems to have almost gotten more popular now to label stuff as classics across every genre now cos it's a funny Internet meme

classics as in classical music...

XDDDDDDDD

The only context “classic” should be used imo is conversationally any time people on the internet try to quantify it, make up some weird criteria or whatever it just turns into the worst kind of discourse. I get the impulse to wanna shape the canon of the period of music or culture you’re going through but that s*** jus comes in time tbr

This is a great point

Maybe that’s what god is....

Honestly. It’s pretty a pretty dead-end topic for obvious reasons, but the appeal of “classic” talk to people is that they can come off like an authority on music or culture. Before even discussing what is and isn’t a classic you’d need to like, settle on characteristics of one in order to reach some kind of end. S*** gets very nerdy very quick, but I definitely see why people enjoy the debate

If OP’s gist is that nuance crumbles the commonplace discussion of classics on here then I’m on board

Pretty much this yes

DAMN is a classic for Taylor Swift and Rihanna fans

Edit: FEAR, XXX and LUST goated tho