Truly, Madly, Deeply
Written by JusHH
Written by JusHH
With the release of Eminem’s latest album, it got me in the mood where I want to listen to all of the classic albums that I own just to get that feeling that I get when I hear great music. It’s hard to know exactly when to determine that an album is classic. There are so many false alarms – you pop it in the CD changer and you instantly fall in love… only to realize that its been months since you listened to it and almost forgot you had it. But it’s important to know when that album in your collection is truly a classic. The best way that I can explain it is in the terms of a relationship. Trust me your relationship with your album is very similar to the one you have with your girl or guy. Let’s take a trip to “Makeout Lane” or “Hookup Hill” or any of those Saved by the Bell type names and fall in love with your Hip-Hop record.
The Honeymoon Phase
Most good to great albums get here. You know the feeling well. Everything is so fresh and new. All of the verses and punchlines knock your socks off and you feel like it’s the best stuff that you’ve ever heard in your life. Oh yeah, in the beginning you forget about everyone you’ve had in the past and you listen to it on repeat. You call everyone you know to talk about this new joint you picked up and you brag about all the good qualities. Those first few months feel like heaven.
Duration: Four months
Reasons for the fall off: You realized that you now skip 3 or 4 songs; you say things like, “too many features” or “not enough songs with meaning”
The Appreciation Phase
But the few that make it past the Honeymoon phase enter a new stage. It usually comes about when you start to hear other albums and realize that they aren’t as good as the one you are in love with. You may have slowed down the amount of times you listened but hearing the others makes you appreciate that album even more. You also start to pick up new stuff when you listen. “Oh snap, I never noticed he put those two rhymes together like that”, and “… wait, that was a metaphor” are things that you find yourself saying. That same old spark is still there but there’s some real substance behind it that keeps you honest and loyal.
Duration: One year
Reasons for the fall off: beats get stale; rhymes sound too dated or contrived; other albums put yours to shame very quickly.
The Commitment Phase
After some time passes, things start to slow down. You just don’t do it like you used to. You may go a few months, maybe more without having it in the rotation. But the love is still there and strong. It could have been a conversation, something you read or just a random search through the collection has you stumble upon your favorite joint. You place it in the system and boom - takes you back to day one. Your head starts rockin, your fist starts pumpin’ and everything just feels so good. It’s like falling in love all over again. You realize that this feeling will never change and you want to spend the rest of your life listening to it. Others will come and go but this joint will never ever truly leave your rotation.
Duration: 5 years
Reasons for the fall off: You slowly begin to skip on or two tracks; Album starts to feel too long; you forget some of the intros or songs on the album; you randomly come across it and forgot that you owned it.
The Golden Anniversary
Once you’ve reached this point, there’s really no more words that can express your feelings. That album becomes a part of your history – a part of who you are. You find yourself referencing it when you talk to friends. You compare every new album that comes out to your joint. You may go sometime without playing it but you repeat it in your head and sing it to yourself in the car. If the radio should play a song from it or you hear it in the club, you act like its Christmas morning and you spazz out. Hearing each song takes you to different times in the past and reminds you of great memories. There’s really nothing else like it. The music literally changed your life.
Duration: 10 years
Reasons for the fall off: None. Once you get to this level, that’s it.
Above Picture: 15 years and counting…
6 comments:
That's what it love is.
That's how I feel about Reasonable Doubt and Uptown Saturday Night from Camp Lo. A few other joints.
Yeah.
Word!
Ain't nothing like that real love!!!!
Illmatic is a classic no doubt! But oddly enough I bought It was Written before Illmatic (I know I know....don't kill me). Perhaps its a regional thing...but Southernplayalistic gives me that same feeling that Illmatic gives you(even though Aquemini is the superior album and a classic). My all time number one classic...Death Certificate. Still in my rotation to this day (even though I can't listen to it around my kids).
haha word i hear you and I won't shoot you. I still didn't hear that Cube album all the way through. lol
haven't heard it all the way through? To me it gets better and better to the very end. There's a reason its on the Source Classic album list. Cube at his best...in my opinion
I'm a younger head, but ("dont kill me dont kill me") The Love Below is that joint for me. Recently i discovered that BTH E 1999 Eternal is also on that list, didnt realize i had retained so many mf bizzy/layzie/krayzie bone lyrics. But yeah, Aquemini and ATLiens are phenomenal and it's def regional, ask Jus, haha. The Fix is like that for me too, i think there is only one joint on there that i dont like.
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