What rappers are capable of putting out classics right now?

Post whatever rappers you think can release a classic disc (whether it be a mixtape or actual album) and WHY.

Personally, I think the following "have classics in them" as Colt would say (RIP :cry: )...

• Charles Hamilton - the dude is a great producer, above average lyricist, has a good flow, keeps getting better, is consistently great, and is fairly innovative.

• Blu - GREAT lyricist, strong flow. I only think he will put out a classic disc if it is with Exile though... (BTH is classic imo, and I think they could easily make something that good again, or maybe even better).

• J Stalin - listen to Gas Nation. Great delivery, REALLY GOOD ear for beats, good lyricist (not anything amazing, but better than the average), and he simply knows how to put an album together (listen to GS and you'll see what I mean).

• Brother Ali - great, down-to-earth lyricist, makes everything personal (almost always a good thing), can go hard as **** (Show Me What Ya Got) or make the slow paced, more "emotional" tracks (Faheem, Rain Water), and has never dropped anything less than great.

• Slug/Atmosphere - Strong beats, personality, some of the deepest/easiest to relate to lyrics in Rap, Slug's flow/delivery/mic presence/whatever you want to call it is very, very underrated. The only things that makes me think this won't happen is that they have been declining lately, they dropped an amazing record (You Can't Imagine..) and haven't topped it yet, or come close.

• Everyone in SH - they all have everything that makes a great artist, and are all especially dope with their lyrics. Out of the 4, Crooked has the highest chance of dropping a classic imo. 

• Wale - there's something unique and kinda innovative about him, but I can't really explain what, he has dope lyrics for the most part (he can be overly complex sometimes, but when he paces himself, the complexity REALLY works to his advantage), and his flow is pretty strong.

• Jay Electronica - this needs no explanation.

• Saigon - I just love this guy's delivery. That over dope beats (JB needs to pick him up again) would be insta-classic imo. I can see lyric heads appreciating him too, though. He's no early Nas, but his lyrics are pretty sick when he really tries... stuff like "Lay your back on the concrete, rip open your chest and rhyme to your heartbeat" is just beastly. 

CH - Man EFF this guy

Blu - If he gets rid of Exile, maybe

J Stalin - dunno about this guy, but the Jacka sucks, and if they are from the same crew and ish...doesn't say much

Brother Ali - it has been nearly 6 years since Rain Water dropped, and it doesn't seem like he'll come close to releasing any song thats just as good

crooked - agreed

slug - he's peaked twice, God Loves Ugly and YCIHMFWH, i don't think they'd peak for a 3rd time

wale - dont listen to the guy

jay e - word

I'll get back to you on who I think can drop a classic, but I'm a little concerned with your definition of classic. Is a classic just anything that you can listen to repeatedly and that's well put together? There's a difference between good albums and classics. By the way you describe these artists it sounds like they're above average rappers that can put out above average albums.R0cky_Racc00n

Timeless, exceptional quality (in lyrics, mic presence, and production), solid flow/structure and innovation (not really needed, but it helps to tilt me towards calling something classic when I'm in doubt) = what classic is to me. 

And no, I don't think above-average artists can make classics. Everyone I listed up there excels at 1 or 2 or maybe 3 things, and is great at everything else imo... that makes them dropping a classic pretty potential to me.

jay electronica. that is all.DaDukies

i agree. he needs to put out an album, like, now.

Blu - He already did, he can do it again with Exile

Brother Ali - Shadows of the Sun is a cIassic, I don't see any reason why he can't do it again, He's putting out some of the best music in Hip Hop right now. 

Wale - If he keeps making tracks like Ice and Rain he'll be there anytime

Pac Div - In the same way that Hell Hath No Fury is a staple, they can do the same. The arguability of it being a cIassic is there but they have the ability to make a staple Hip Hop album

jay electronica. that is all.DaDukies

Jay-E

Elzhi

J. Cole

Jay-E

Elzhi

J. Cole

fat_rob

Yeah son! He reps my hometown.

[QUOTE="fat_rob"]

Jay-E

Elzhi

J. Cole

kobegill

Yeah son! He reps my hometown.

Jay Elect

Elzhi

Maybe Joell Ortiz if he gets the right production on it

Maybe Royce

And I think if Black Milk went back to soul samples he could make another really dope album(Tronic is great, but doesn't touch PD)

[QUOTE="kobegill"][QUOTE="fat_rob"]

Jay-E

Elzhi

J. Cole

Toriko42

Yeah son! He reps my hometown.

No, Fayetteville NC

[QUOTE="Toriko42"][QUOTE="kobegill"][QUOTE="fat_rob"]

Jay-E

Elzhi

J. Cole

kobegill

Yeah son! He reps my hometown.

No, Fayetteville NC

Yeah J Cole is dope though. I Really like this mixtapes

Took a hell of a long time for Elzhi to be mentioned!

I'm gonna say Pharoahe Monch, but at the moment he can't even get an album out...again. :(

Eminem probably could as well, but I doubt it.

What Colt has to say about this...

rappers who have a cl@$$ic in them:

webbie: his last album is probably going to go down as a cl@$$ic for me when it's all said and done and his recent guest appearances have been nothing short of incredible.

charles hamilton: do I even have to explain this one?

lil' boosie: goddamit, if boosie could just get his act together he would have already dropped a cl@$$ic. take some joints from the thug passion mixtape, and da beginning mixtape, and you can probably muster up a cl@$$ic disc, and im not exaggerating. Boosie's latest, entitled"Superbad," was a huge letdown mainly due to production, but as far as mic skills, and lyrics go, Boosie has never sounded better. If nothing else, "Superbad" proves that Boosie IS one of the best emcee's on the mic, hands down. Not as good as Webbie, but definitely getting there.

wale: pretty much agree with everything pooz said. give him an album produced entirely by the best kept secret, and if he gets a varied set of interesting topics to rap about i think the dude can put out multiple cl@$$ic$. he clearly has it in him.

tonedeff: you know how long ive been waiting for some new music from ****ing tonedeff? since archetype, tonedeff has fallen into a land of obscurity, limiting himself to small qn5 guest appearances here and there. archetype is one of the most underrated discs of this decade, and tone' sure could benefit from some better production on his next disc. let's hope he gets it.

rick ross: rick ross isn't nearly as bad with the mic as you guys make him seem. he's actually pretty good, great even on his latest disc. ross has TOO much potential, and with the right production behind him (which he often has) i can't see him not dropping at least a near cl@$$ic in the future.

Colt45fool

I'm with Colt on Wale

Wale is the best thing Hip Hop has up and coming right with Bishop Lamont and Pac Div in my opinion

Cory Gunz whenever is album drops.kobegill

Jay-E

Elzhi

J. Cole

fat_rob

royce

raekwon

pharoahe monche

royce

raekwon

pharoahe monche

superapo

Raekwon will never make another cIassic album. He'll make really good albums but OBFCL is the only cIassic he'll ever have to his name and that's a very liberal stance considering the best verses and elements on that album really, aren't even him. 

I wonder if Greatest Story Never Told had ever come out if it could've been a cIassic. Ah well.Foolz3h

there's a reason why he named it "never told" :P

[QUOTE="kobegill"]Cory Gunz whenever is album drops.fat_rob

Well damn, it wouldn't hurt to be optimistic because his album hasn't even dropped.

I wonder if Greatest Story Never Told had ever come out if it could've been a cIassic. Ah well.Foolz3h

Really doubt it although I do like Saigon

Thank you to whoever said J. Cole, and Jay E of course.

haha, Colt's list is automatically better than everyone else's for having Webbie on there. I know that my stamp of approval isn't going to get anyone here to listen to him, but now Fat Rob and Colt have both approved Webbie ... what more is it going to take for you guys to listen to him?

Anyways, I'm not so sure about this thread, because there are a TON of rappers out there that CAN release a classic album, but taking circumstances into account, probably WON'T. Is Wale capable of releasing a classic? Sure. Will he? I doubt it. His label doesn't seem to know what a classic rap record is, and frankly, I don't even know if he does anymore. Also, I don't know if we're taking into account rappers that already have released classics. Will Lil Keke drop a classic record? Yes, but he also has over a half a dozen of them under his belt already. In fact, most of the rappers that I'd consider to drop classic albums already have: Slim Thug, E-40, Lil Keke, Paul Wall, Keak Da Sneak (does he ever drop anything that's not a classic?), and so on. But then you have rappers like J Dawg and Eddi Projex that definetely have a classic in them; the world just hasn't heard it yet.

Lil B.

Hiero click was putting out quality just couple years ago, could come back around. Not checking for new Del so much though

Lil B.

Hiero click was putting out quality just couple years ago, could come back around. Not checking for new Del so much though

Balimi

Based God?

but

Wale..... 

lol iti remembers more about me than I do, I forgot I liked a lot of one of Webbie's albums (I think Savage Life 2)....I stopped checking for his stuff though...what's been good since then?fat_rob

Blu - He already did, he can do it again with Exile

Brother Ali - Shadows of the Sun is a cIassic, I don't see any reason why he can't do it again, He's putting out some of the best music in Hip Hop right now.

Wale - If he keeps making tracks like Ice and Rain he'll be there anytime

Pac Div - In the same way that Hell Hath No Fury is a staple, they can do the same. The arguability of it being a cIassic is there but they have the ability to make a staple Hip Hop album

Toriko42

I was gonna post Pac Div

along with the Cool Kids, Mikkey Halsted, Dom Kennedy, Wale

I'm starting to feel this new generation of rappers.

haha, Colt's list is automatically better than everyone else's for having Webbie on there. I know that my stamp of approval isn't going to get anyone here to listen to him, but now Fat Rob and Colt have both approved Webbie ... what more is it going to take for you guys to listen to him?

Anyways, I'm not so sure about this thread, because there are a TON of rappers out there that CAN release a classic album, but taking circumstances into account, probably WON'T. Is Wale capable of releasing a classic? Sure. Will he? I doubt it. His label doesn't seem to know what a classic rap record is, and frankly, I don't even know if he does anymore. Also, I don't know if we're taking into account rappers that already have released classics. Will Lil Keke drop a classic record? Yes, but he also has over a half a dozen of them under his belt already. In fact, most of the rappers that I'd consider to drop classic albums already have: Slim Thug, E-40, Lil Keke, Paul Wall, Keak Da Sneak (does he ever drop anything that's not a classic?), and so on. But then you have rappers like J Dawg and Eddi Projex that definetely have a classic in them; the world just hasn't heard it yet.

IsThisIt_basic

Killa Kyleon will drop one long before J Dawg ever does.

[QUOTE="Toriko42"]

Blu - He already did, he can do it again with Exile

Brother Ali - Shadows of the Sun is a cIassic, I don't see any reason why he can't do it again, He's putting out some of the best music in Hip Hop right now.

Wale - If he keeps making tracks like Ice and Rain he'll be there anytime

Pac Div - In the same way that Hell Hath No Fury is a staple, they can do the same. The arguability of it being a cIassic is there but they have the ability to make a staple Hip Hop album

Ace_WondersX

I was gonna post Pac Div

along with the Cool Kids, Mikkey Halsted, Dom Kennedy, Wale

I'm starting to feel this new generation of rappers.

Can't wait for their full album, Church League Champions already felt like one to me

Love that signature

Can't wait for their full album, Church League Champions already felt like one to me

Toriko42

can't wait either, you know when their gonna drop their album?

[QUOTE="Toriko42"]Love that signature

Can't wait for their full album, Church League Champions already felt like one to me

andyboiii

can't wait either, you know when their gonna drop their album?

They also said Church League Champions was the first of many free albums. Great news.