The Bigger Picture: Has Hip Hop Produced A Classic Album This Decade?
In the most recent episode of HipHopDX‘s debate show The Bigger Picture, the three hosts gave their own spin to Pitchfork’s current 100 Best Albums of the 2020s So Far record.
Kicking off the dialogue, host Jeremy Hecht provided his record of contenders for traditional Hip Hop albums of the last decade, naming The Forever Story by JID, Call Me If You Get Lost by Tyler, the Creator, Alfredo by Freddie Gibbs, and Dave’s We’re All Alone in This Together. Aware of the controversy which may come his approach, Jeremy anticipated the criticism, saying: “I know there’s gonna be JPEGMAFIA stans and Little Simz stans, but those [picks] are mine.”
However, his co-panelists Ellliott Wilson and DJ Hed begged to vary. While acknowledging the standard of the albums Jeremy picked, they urged that the 2020s have produced few true classics. Instead, they argued, what individuals typically discuss with as classics are extra like private favorites.
As the dialog continued, Jeremy made further solutions for Hed and Elliott to select from, including Kanye West’s Donda, Drake’s Certified Lover Boy, Pray for Paris by Westside Gunn, Burden of Proof by Benny the Butcher, The Off-Season by J. Cole, and Drake and 21 Savage’s collaboration Her Loss. Kendrick Lamar’s Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers was additionally urged by DJ Hed. But this didn’t sway Elliott, who bluntly shot down the concept of any of those albums being classics, stating merely, “None, none, none.”
Elliott elaborated on his stance, declaring that whereas some 2020s albums have been “big upped” as future classics — Nas and Hit-Boy’s trio of King’s Disease initiatives, 21 Savage and Metro Boomin’s Savage Mode II — he doesn’t imagine they fairly measure up. “I like that album a lot,” he stated of the Savage/Metro mission, “but I feel like most of these albums still fall short.” He defined that whereas some data may be shut, they aren’t fairly deserving of traditional standing: “I wouldn’t give that stamp to a lot of them. Even if they’re on that tier, I don’t think they’re fully there,”
Adding to the talk, DJ Hed threw in his personal decide: Michael by Killer Mike, which earned the Best Rap Album award on the 2024 Grammy Awards.
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As the hosts wrapped the dialog, it turned clear that defining a traditional is a troublesome job, and the talk is way from over. You can examine the entire 2020s classics dialogue on the 47:30 mark of the video beneath.
To catch the total episode, tune in to The Bigger Picture right now, October fifth, at 10 a.m. PST on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.
Additional reporting by Shawn Setaro
