1994. The Better Album. Ready To Die or Illmatic?

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Idiopathic Joker
Idiopathic Joker Members, Moderators Posts: 45,691 Regulator
edited September 2014 in The Reason
Who had album of the year?

filepicker-FlmVXuUySl6W8mXAcvpF_Ready_to_Die.jpg

nasillmatic.jpg

1994. The Better Album. Ready To Die or Illmatic? 75 votes

Ready To Die
40%
dwade206almighty breezerapmastermindusmarin3zombiebigbird_1awwwwwwwwwwwKnightryderDOPEdweebzCoolJoeIbexIdiopathic JokerChi-Town BullyBuilt 4 cuban linxTheRicanKingCocoa_Butternj2089Say WhatCashmoneyDuxDR. JEK 30 votes
Illmatic
60%
verbal jukelion_hearta_lista.manntharealest561dj pre-kfortyacres$ineedmoney$double0sugenillerthekidking hassancoltongman82clairvoyanceilledoutillestni99ainneKwan DaiGlockLesnar iron man1Mastery 45 votes
Other
0%
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  • Idiopathic Joker
    Idiopathic Joker Members, Moderators Posts: 45,691 Regulator
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    Ready To Die
    BIG owned it
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  • illestni99ainne
    illestni99ainne Members Posts: 5,365 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    Illmatic
    naw that was ? Son's year. Biggie had the clubs but nas had the streets.
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  • 5th Letter
    5th Letter Members, Moderators, Writer Posts: 37,068 Regulator
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    Too close to call. But if I had to choose I'd say Nas.
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  • Built 4 cuban linx
    Built 4 cuban linx Members Posts: 12,285 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    Ready To Die
    Close but I'm going with biggie
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  • OhPee
    OhPee Members Posts: 1,075 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    Illmatic
    Pretty tough choice to make....but truthfully I catch myself bangin' illmatic more often.
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  • a_list
    a_list Members Posts: 4,886 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    Illmatic
    Illmatic
    Hard To Earn
    RTD
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  • ojos_negros
    ojos_negros Members Posts: 711 ✭✭✭✭
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    Ready To Die
    I played ready to die so much I almost ruined it, that album had everything.
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  • saracenwire
    saracenwire Members Posts: 523 ✭✭✭✭
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    Illmatic
    Biggie>>>> Nas

    Illmatic>>>> Ready To Die
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  • WiseGuyy
    WiseGuyy Members Posts: 1,517 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    Ready To Die
    Ready to Die aged a lot better imo
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  • [Deleted User]
    [Deleted User] Posts: 2,089 ✭
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    Illmatic
    The user and all related content has been deleted.
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  • R2_163
    R2_163 Members Posts: 1,528 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    Illmatic
    hard choice but I'm going illmatic

    I can still go back and listen to illmatic and feel how special that album was.
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  • Antwuan89
    Antwuan89 Members Posts: 936 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    Tie
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  • dwade206
    dwade206 Members Posts: 11,558 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    Ready To Die
    Biggie had the clubs and streets. The remixes only solidified his dominance even further.
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  • Mister B.
    Mister B. Members, Writer Posts: 16,172 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    Illmatic
    In the ranks of Hip-Hop all-time great albums:

    Illmatic - #1

    Ready To Die - #3 or #4, depending where you rank The Chronic.
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  • dalyricalbandit
    dalyricalbandit Members, Moderators Posts: 67,918 Regulator
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    dwade206 wrote: »
    Biggie had the clubs and streets. The remixes only solidified his dominance even further.

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  • tharealest561
    tharealest561 Members Posts: 1,859 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    Illmatic
    This ain't even close to me.
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  • Idiopathic Joker
    Idiopathic Joker Members, Moderators Posts: 45,691 Regulator
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    Ready To Die
    I can't believe Illmatic is winning like that
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  • 5 Grand
    5 Grand Members Posts: 12,869 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    Illmatic
    Ready to Die had better singles.


    Juicy is a better song than anything on Illmatic but Illmatic is a better album.
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  • Jabu_Rule
    Jabu_Rule Members Posts: 5,993 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited September 2014
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    Illmatic
    Biggie album made way more noise in the Streets and in the Clubs. But i always liked Nas album better. That was Nas fault. He waited too long.
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  • Jabu_Rule
    Jabu_Rule Members Posts: 5,993 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited September 2014
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    Illmatic
    Stay Chisel wrote: »
    So much classics around that time

    Enter The Wu Tang
    Ready To Die
    Illmatic
    The Sun Rises in The East
    Enta The Stage

    That's crazy. I still listen to each one of these albums. I just started listing to TSRITE after years. Slept on album. I used to thing he only had a couple songs.
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  • KINGEC
    KINGEC Members Posts: 7,833 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    Can't decide
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  • rapmastermind
    rapmastermind Members Posts: 5,574 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    Ready To Die
    NaS admitted "Ready To Die" made him switch his style up. Give credit where credit is due. Biggie also reminded NaS of that on "Kick in the Door":

    "N!ggas used to be on cruddy ? took home, "Ready To Die", Listen study ? , now they on some Money ? "

    And on "What's Beef":

    "N!ggas grimey in the early 90's far behind me, It Ain't Hard To FIND ME"


    Ohh The "ILLmatic Vs Ready To Die" debate. It's like Prince Vs Michael Jackson of Hip Hop debates, lol. Biggie had his ear to the street so of course he heard and liked "ILLmatic". As I posted he felt at The Source Awards he wouldn't win Lyricist of the Year cause of "ILLmatic". There are shades of "ILLmatic" on "Ready To Die" as far as Biggie painting an atmosphere of Brooklyn in the same Way NaS did for Queenbridge. "Things Dun Change" definitely compliments "New York State of Mind". But outside of that they are different albums with different feels and moods. NaS never even attempted to make a club record on "ILLmatic".

    What "ILLmatic" has going for it is it really has no flaws. You could throw rocks at the "Ready To Die" skits as the Source Did but I felt the Skits added to the storytelling of the album and the transitions between songs. "Ready To Die" was able to expand outside of New York streets and made it's way around America. Yes it's the more popular album, that's not debatable but that doesn't automatically make it better than "ILLmatic". "ILLmatic" is Street Hop at it's purest form. "Ready To Die" whole purpose was to go beyond Street Hop to something else. Lyrically NaS was just too sharp.

    Biggie Lyricism was iconic too no doubt but I'd give NaS the slight edge. Production is wash cause both albums not only shared producers but had great production. I think Biggie did try to make more broader and variety STYLE of tracks than NaS did. NaS looked to make a New York Classic and he did. "Ready To Die" though had sounds from the West as well as the East. Shoot there was even a Jamaican song on the album. So I think "Ready To Die" is the more versatile album. Biggie expanded that formula on "Life After Death". NaS started to use the formula on "It Was Written". NaS moved away from what he did on "ILLmatic" and moved closer to what Big was doing on "Ready To Die".

    The closet thing to commercial on "ILLmatic" was Michael Jackson "Human Nature" sample even though the song was hard. Both have 1 rap feature where both shined, AZ on "Life's a bytch" and Method Man on "The What". Both had great production but "Ready To Die" had just a little something more that made it appeal a little more. I was very happy with the 20th Celebration of "ILLmatic" cause I felt like NaS finally got the credit he deserved cause in 94 the album didn't get it's credit from the masses. With that said Biggie album was an instant impact and had an instant effect on Hip Hop. I think "ILLmatic" is the perfect album but Biggie was consistent over even more songs. I feel their equal but I wouldn't be mad at someone liking "ILLmatic" more. Too Bad the "Gimmie The Loot DJ PREMIER REMIX" featuring NaS didn't happen. NaS did rap with Biggie on "Born Again" on a remix of "Everyday Struggle" which he said was his favorite song on "Ready To Die":

    tumblr_manjbayHzv1r94h9do1_500.jpg

    (Biggie and NaS in the studio planning out the rumored "Gimme The Loot" Remix produced by DJ Premier. NaS never came back to do his verse)

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=favOmOUYd_0
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  • DR. JEK
    DR. JEK Members Posts: 5,331 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    Ready To Die
    Even if illmat get a bit of an edge from a lyricall perspective that`s like saying Keith Muray`s first album is better than ready to die. You can only be so lyrical without beats that bang. Im pickin Ready to die for a being the better balanced album from stuff that can get played radio and in clubs, to stuff ? can knock on the block.

    The Beat to Unbelievable >>>>>>The beat on any illmatic song( including Represent which is illmats best overall song to me)
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  • DOPEdweebz
    DOPEdweebz Members, Moderators, Writer Posts: 29,364 Regulator
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    Ready To Die
    ? love Nas on the IC to the point he can't ever lose. Oh well. Both in my top 5.
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  • rapmastermind
    rapmastermind Members Posts: 5,574 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    Ready To Die
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H0lNtfx9Fmw#t=26


    NaS on "ILLmatic", "Ready To Die" and the success of "It Was Written".
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