would you call Lifestylez Ov Da Poor & Dangerous a classic?
 

I would, though at the same time it's not a "great" album, which makes it weird. Got me thinking about how I define what a classic album is.

Its classic in its replayability...is that a word...




but according to standards around here probably not....







this & Capital Punishment are albums I hold close

It's a classic only because it's Big L's only album released before his death. If he had not died, he would have made three to five better albums. This is particularly true because his style would have fit in so well with the late-1990s trends. I'm not saying he could have been as big as Jay Z, but he probably would have been more commercially successful than Nas and more artistically credible than Mase. (The Big Picture shows us only flashes because it was stuffed with all they could find from Big L after his death.)

But as far as Lifestylez ov da Poor & Dangerous, I find myself blown away by Big L's talent at times but put off by the lazy production (and two mostly mediocre, long posse cuts, though those young Killa Cam and Jay Z verses are fire). Buckwild and Showbiz gave O.C. better beats for Word ... Life, and everyone involved had a problem with writing and delivering hooks.

"I Don't Understand It" is a perfect example. Big L is sharp as fuck on that track, but the Showbiz beat and hook are really unremarkable. Lord Finesse has three of the four best songs on the album in "M.V.P.," "All Black" and the title track ("Put It On" being the fourth).

He should have been working with DJ Premier, basically.

Long time Big L fan.
And no. No it isn't.

I def agree with Certain on the album's shortcomings, and that he would have gone on to make better albums, but I think I consider it a classic because it is among the best showcases of punchline lyricism of all time. It's a classic in the way that the movie Predator is a classic; it's the best at what it's trying to be. If that makes sense.

When i think of classic, i think in the sense that someone has to hear it. Like if you want to understand the genre here are some hip hop classics that are timeless and near perfect.

You can have personal classics in the sense they mean something to you

But word. With that said i wouldnt put it in either. As an album its kind of terrible. Alot of skippable shit. If i was teaching a class on writing for hip hop then it would probably be on the curriculum tho. Just because he basically originated the style so many have run with, and if he never existed and someone dropped half his bars today theyd still be dope.

But like i like to point out lyrics dont do it for me from a pure musical standpoint. Saying that tho i do need the lyrics to be dope, but i just dont favor them in as heavily as alot of you. I give this album a 5/10 on the whole. Its kind of trrrible but since its big L i give it at least a 5.

can we at least all agree that Word... Life is a hidden hiphop gem/looked over classic?