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Wednesday, April 13, 2011 | 7:16am
SOUND OFF: What Hip Hop Album Is IMPORTANT Enough To Be Protected by the L.O.C.?
The Library of Congress Chose to Protect De La Soul’s “3 Feet High and Rising” for Hip Hop in 2011 but do you agree?
#delasoul @librarycongress
Each year Librarian, James H. Billington of the Library of Congress with an assist from the National Recording Preservation Board (NRPB) select 25 works regarded as “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant” into the Library of Congress’ National Recording Registry.
Last year I told you about the posthumous honor bestowed upon 2Pac’s 1995 hit single “Dear Mama”. At the time it joined Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five‘s “The Message” and Public Enemy ‘s iconic “Fear of A Black Planet” as the only works to be protected by the National Library. But yesterday it was announced that De La Soul’s debut album, 3 Feet High and Rising would join the ranks of just 325 total recordings protected and only the fourth such Hip Hop project.
Now while I have a tremendous amount of respect for De La, and can actually associate that project with a specific era in my life, so to that end I can certainly consider the project “culturally, historically, and aesthetically significant” to me. But for it to be the fourth such project? Come on! There are far more significant albums that should be protected before 3 Feet High and Rising. I don’t have any qualms with the previously chosen projects by Pac, PE and Grand Master Flash but not only was this project not on the same level, the group’s significance wasn’t either. I’ve got a few projects in mind that I think HISTORICALLY speaking are more important but I want to hear your opinions.
SOUND OFF: What Albums do YOU Feel are culturally, historically and aesthetically significant enough to be protected by the Library of Congress?!
Shout to: xxl for the info
FILED IN Business & Marketing, Editorials, Entertainment, Music
De La hit the scene with an original style and sound that helped change the face of hip hop, but I agree there are other joints that should be added ahead of Three Feet…Low end Theory Tribe…Do you Want More?!? Roots…Paid in Full Eric B/Rakim…Mecca and the Soul Brother Pete Rock/CL Smooth(Best album of all time!!) De La is my favorite group of all time(Roots crew close second), so I’m not mad at the selection, but….
Ok I agree with you on Low End Theory because it was perhaps one of the best Hip Hop albums ever made end to end but what was the historical significance of the others?
Do you Want More was and is groundbreaking. The use of actual instruments on a hip-hop album was unheard of then. People lost their minds when Jay-Z went unplugged…Roots been on that for 15+ years!! Mecca and the Soul Brother…perfect example of “diggin in the crates.” T.R.O.Y….Top 5 joints of all time!!
My mentor who practically worships De La pointed out something about the album that I didn’t consider. They were the first ones to include a skit on their album so if for that alone the project had historical significance.
I mean Illmatic should definitely be protected. Straight Outta Compton, Paid in Full, Ready To Die, . Yo know the list goes on. De La Soul is great, I just don’t know if it shoulda came before some of the rest of these.
I think you’re absolutely right. If Straight Outta Compton doesn’t make the list, they’re bugging. ESPN even made a 30 in 30 movie about their cultural impact on gangs, hip hop and LA Raiders back in the early 90′s.
Ready to die
Reasonable dooubt… i can’t commit on these too much, alot of this is before my time… but for me one of the first albums i listened to was Reasonable doubt, it was the beginning of Jay… he holds some weight in hip hop…
Maybe I’m dating myself but I remember someone playing reasonable doubt in my DORM ROOM For the first time. Yikes.
Str8 Outta Compton , Me Against the World, Raising Hell…don’t front like u did not bump RUN-D.M.C. Radio,Takes A Nation of Millions,Chronic and Doggy Style. Ready 2 Die.
Hot,Cool,and Vicious-Salt&Pepa.It’s Dark and Hell is Hot…DMX.
DMX does mean something to the game, he has 3 classic albums under his belt… i mean classic… Doggy Style, Chronic, Chronic 2001 deserves a nod as well…
LOL…I ain’t gonna front. I listened to Run DMC, Rock Box was the shit! But N.W.A., Dr. Dre, Snoop, Rakim, Biggie, DMX, shit there are so many more that could have been chosen. Oh well, whats done is done. No disrespect, I’m sure De La Soul is happy and proud. Hats off to them…
2 B.E.B,auchamp22,Juan and the rest of the HB Nation u c how many classic we all just named and we did not even dig deep really “off the dome playboy”, what does that say about 2dayz Hip Hop music vs OUR ERA there were female M.C.’z who had classics,dance hip hop when Hammer had everybody from L.L 2 Big Daddy Kane dancing.We had sex rhymes, political and of course the 4ever fav…Lol Gangsta Rap.We were a diverse art from at 1 time , I miss it. What recorded hip hop album would be protected nowadays? Maybe Jay-Z’s Blue Print3 and a few others . I truly miss it tho but I am 4ever bump’n that real shit Our Era.(I take 7 MC’z put’n n a line/add 7 more bothers who think they can rhyme/well it will take 7 more b4 I go 4 mine/now that’s 21 MC’z ate up at the same time….. What!! str8 up classic.My Melody 1986 Eric B.& Rakim.
I still bump DMX aka 2pac Jr. he was so needed at a time of shiny suites and cris bottles.Nothing wrong with the shiny suites but in all things including Hip Hop music u need balance. Then there was X was the str8 butta son.
what you talkin about 2NA$$TEE i use to bump “then there was X” everyday all day… my favorite dmx album.. maybe one of my top 5 hip hop albums… we all have our favorites don’t hate on mine lol…
Nah I would never h8 on any1z selection. My selection is just an opinion like every1 elses . I would never knock ya hustle playboy. Besides we seem 2 like the same Flavaz anyway, I am from San Diego but we were bump’n the hell out of X when Then there was X dropped.
2NA$$TEE let me hear your top 5 bruh….
Mine is:
1. Life after death- BIG
2.Reasonable doubt-Jay-z
3.Then there was X- DMX
4. Ready to die- BIG
5.The Listening- Little Brothers…..
My fav 5 goes like this.
1.Str8 Outta Compton(N.W.A)
2.Me Against the World(2PAC)
3.Raising Hell(RUN-D.M.C)
4.Ready 2 Die(B.I.G)
5.Takes a Nation of Millions(P.E.)
“me against the world” is in my top 10 for sure… my dad is more a otis redding type dude and teddy p, but he still bumps “King of Rock” and “Raising Hell” like its 1986…
Damn I 4got about the Chronic, Efil4zaggin,All eyes on me,Bigger and Deffer.(B.A.D)
The listening… Little Brothers thats my shit… can’t forget that album… Phonte a beast
Gotta co-sign on that one
Oh yeah The Listening is still not tha widely known believe it or not. I keep that joint wit me to put kats on to Phonte cause dude is clever and on point!
tribe called quest – midnight marauders
Ice T, power
LL cool J , rock the bells, and I’m bad
Ice Cube, Amerikkka’s most wanted
Afrika ABambatta and soul sonic force, planet rock
I AGREE WITH ALL U DUDES, BUT PAID IN FULL SHOULD’VE BEEN N BE THERE, RAKIM THE REAL G.O.A.T, HAS INSPIRED GENERATIONS OF MC’S N RAPPERS, NO MATTER THEIR RACE, GENDER OR RELIGION, NUFF SAID.
Come on ya’ll!!! Ya’ll know tha reason that this album got up there before any of tha one’s have have been listed is cause WE aren’t on tha council, folks!!! We need to start a petition to get that changed and get ya’ll on tha committee QUICK
De La Soul had a greater impact overall. The induction is not meant to be best of/ hot list or popularity contest. The music on the album alone covers everything from classical, big band, parliament, Steely Dan, James Brown, and on. The first album to show how diverse hip-hop could be, hence the reason why De La is still putting it down both here and abroad in 2011, while many of the other groups have faded. 3feet is another reason hip-hop is global and diverse.