IllmaticHandler wrote:j4remi wrote:You gotta go back 20 years to their hey day to understand what I mean. Along with De La, Tribe was able to establish a unique but clearly identifiable sound from the respective rappers to the production. At a time when Gangsta Rap was building momentum, they kept the boom bap soul and didn't change their sound (which is something a lot of rappers can't figure out these days) but still maintained a high level of success and respect from their peers. So when I say they're proof of the potential in hip hop; it's the potential to create your own lanes and sound and still garner respect and value in the game. They wouldn't have to be peak hip hop talent to accomplish that (and btw, if you talk flow, writing, production there aren't many that keep up with Tip's career as a total package). It's a different era with different values though, so I understand when cats disagree.
Their run from Low End Theory to Beats Rhyme and Life (some heads include the Love Movement, I think that's where they tailed off) is a three album streak through the 90's that few rappers can match (talking three straight amazing albums in a row)
I disagree with all of this. In tribe hey day and they were not even the best group at the time, and this is minus any gangster music comparisions. They are not the pioneers of being in your own lane and still getting respect. Your doing what most Tupac Fans do. Your going overboard on it. Dudes basically DITCHED the whole afrocentric look to GET respect. Its a reason why they truly reached success after the first album and the look was a part of it. Its funny you start at Low End Theory when they basically started to look like other rappers. At that point they was just making dope music like everyone else was.
I'm talking about SOUND. They ditched a look; the music didn't lose its identity. So to simplify my stance;
This is what makes the Tribe so beloved as a group"
1. Put on a Tribe album and you KNOW it's a Tribe album.
2. They did that from 88-98 successfully and this new album continues that while still being relevant in 2016.
3. Without compromising their sound (biggest change is when Phife focused more on writing his own lyrics and it improved the music) they continued to be relevant while the genre was shifting focus.
This is what I'm gettin' at with showing hip hop's potential:
Showing hip hop's potential comes down to being able to create music that is uniquely your own while still fitting into the genre without compromising aspects of your music (lyricism and content, identity, melodies, etc.). Not being "the best" is irrelevant because of how subjective that debate becomes. Your opinion on what is and isn't "good" falls to what you like; that Tribe was successful with music that is completely recognizable as theirs is undeniable though.
