DOES LENGTH MATTER?!

[Lord Funk]

No guys, I’m not after your opinions on average dick size.

I’m talking about albums. I’m sure a lot of people here would agree that The Fix is one of the hottest albums out at the moment. But one thing I’ve read about it a lot is that, at about 45 minutes, it’s too short.

I disagree. In my opinion, people are too used to getting 20+ songs on a CD, even if a quarter to a third of them are filler. I just can’t see the point of it – no other genre of music works that way, and it underlines the fact that hip hop is treated as a commodity rather than art.

If Warren G came out with the Regulate album today, people would laugh – it was only about 35 minutes long. But I think that’s what made it a classic – Warren narrowed it all down to 10 first-rate jams and put it out. Same with Face’s new album. AZ’s Aziatic, another dope recent album, also clocks in at about three quarters of an hour. Knoc was right to put out an EP – I’d rather hear six straight bangers than a bunch of filler, and it’s got nothing to do with how much money I’ve spent on it.

No disrespect to anyone’s skills, but I can think of VERY few rappers that hold down 70-odd minute long albums without letting up. Give me any album that length – bar Quik’s Rhythmalism in my opinion – and I’d bet there’s something that could have got left on the studio cutting floor, be it skits or filler tracks.

If the topic interests people, I’ll post who I blame for this in a minute (it all boils down to one individual if you ask me). But what do y’all think? Would you rather albums were shorter and more focused, or do you need rappers to fill up every last second of space on a CD to warrant purchase??…

[budsmokeronly]

I would rather have the album short and sweet rather than long and drawn out with a bunch of tracks that need skipping.

good short and sweet albums:
regulate
bow down
its on 187um dr. dre killa

there is others too, I just forget

[shlomid1]

I would rather have the album short and sweet rather than long and drawn out with a bunch of tracks that need skipping.

good short and sweet albums:
regulate
bow down
its on 187um dr. dre killa

there is others too, I just forget

scarface-the diary

nas-illmatic

xzibit-at the speed of life

[FILA::AUS]

dubee - 100% g shit
too short - he has a lot of short albums song wise 10-12 songs, but his songs are usually long

[Kill]

Add "The Sun Rises In The East"

[Twentytwofifty]

Add all classics from the late 80s:
Paid In Full (10 tracks)
Long Live The Kane (10 tracks)
Strictly Business (10 tracks)...etc.

[That_Cracka_J]

I feel you on that 100% Lord_Funk.  I'd rather have a CD where I don't have to skip any tracks.  A lotta CD's now WOULD be 40-50 minutes long if they cut out the filler, boring tracks.  So just cut 'em out to begin with!

One album that I CAN name that is 68 minutes long that has no filler, IMO, is Bone Thugs E. 1999.

As AcGrundy420 mentioned, short and dope albums are:

1. Eazy-E   187um Killa
2. Westside Connection    Bow down
3. Warren G   Regulate
plus
4. Nas   Illmatic
5. Scarface   The Diary
6. Scarface   The Fix
......there's many others...

BTW, Lord_Funk, who do you blame for this?  Is it Master P?

[budsmokeronly]

also creepin on ah come up
mac dre- rapper gone bad

[Liquid-Dogg]

36 chambers
liquid swords

[HBKid_Jr]

i wish all albums were like tha chronic,  an hour longone skit,  all tight

[S.G.V.]

alot of albums being listed are eps...but anyway...before 94 most cds were never longer than 14 songs...which i like...sometimes too many songs cause too many wack songs...

[yung-g]

i prefer to listen to a long album, that has like 20 tracks on there. cause then you got your money's worth, but you still get more music. and most long album's i've bought are one's i could play str8 thru. like dr. dre - "2001", & yukmouth - "thugged outt: albulation".

[E. J. Rizo]

man we just got lazy artist why cant everyone drop a long cd with no bull shit like dres "chronic" and "2001" shit those there are straight bangers no doubt and dont skip a track on there you just need to put your time and effort into it and we get great albums i would rather have an artist make 1 great album in like 3 years time than 2 in 3 years time just make sure a album is finished not half assed

[West Coast Veteran]

I don't care how long it is. As long as 90% of the songs are bangers. Most of the time long albums have too much filler with very few exceptions like The Chronic, 2001, All Eyez On Me, Aquemini, etc. The classic albums from the past are usually no more than 12 tracks.

[THUGLIFE]

01.) THUG LIFE - Volume One
02.) Eazy E - 5150 : Home 4 Tha Sick Maxi Single E.P.
03.) Makaveli  Makaveli
04.) MC Ren - Kizz My Black Azz
05.) NWA - 100 Miles N Runnin