Which classic East Coast album do you prefer?
Jay-Z's Reasonable Doubt or Nas's Illmatic, and say why one over the other.
For me personally, I can't choose, simply 2 classic albums.

this is challengin i couldnt decide

Cormega - The Realness







but between those two, their too hard to compare, 94 sounds WAY different then 96


your better off comparing It Was Written to Reasonable Doubt, both same year



and in that case, It Was Written is better.........more classic tracks on it

reasonable doubt is still illness though

Illmatic, Reasonable Doubt is classic but it just can't touch Illmatic.. Not much can, though Spectrum named a more than viable contender

Umm, Illmatic for the fact that nas wasnt as cocky as jay, but still 2 great albums. Just wish they both put more tracks on there.

IllMatic.............

This is a stupid question, definately Nas Illmatic.

In Rolling Stone magazine, they had the 500 greatest albums of all time (Dec. 11, 2003). At #248 was Reasonable Doubt and at #400............ Illmatic!

^^they could of argued that Reasonable Doubt spawned the then indie label Roc a Fella into a 100 million dollar fortune for the jigga man


what did Illmatic ever evolve into ?

It didnt bring us a new sound (maybe the thug poet concept)
It didnt sell well at all
It didnt spark a new movement in hip hop
and Its not that too influential


dont get me wrong, that doesnt mean its not a dope album nor that Reasonable Doubt brought us any of those things, but a lot of people get worked up about Illmatic only because of the aura it has attached to it, people just make it seem like its the Bible of hip hop and its a must have. Its a classic album, but there have been MANY MANY more prominent albums before that and a few since.

In Rolling Stone magazine, they had the 500 greatest albums of all time (Dec. 11, 2003). At #248 was Reasonable Doubt and at #400............ Illmatic!


Were any other good albums up there? (Rap-wise...)

Were any other good albums up there? (Rap-wise...)

Yeah, #48 Public Enemy - It Takes A Nation Of Millions To Hold Us Back
#120 - Run DMC - Raising Hell
#133 - Notorious B.I.G. - Ready To Die
#137 - Dr. Dre - The Chronic
#144 - NWA - Straight Outta Compton
#154 - A Tribe Called Quest - The Low End Theory
#156 - Beastie Boys - Paul's Boutique
#227 - Eric B And Rakim - Paid In Full
#240 - Run-DMC - Run-DMC
#273 - Eminem - Slim Shady LP
#300 - Public Enemy - Fear Of A Black Planet
#302 - Eminem - The Marshall Mathers LP
#317 - Eminem - The Eminem Show
#346 - De La Soul - 3 Feet High And Rising
#359 - Outkast - Stankonia
#386 - Wu-Tang Clan - Enter the Wu-Tang: 36 Chambers
#444 - Boogie Down Productions - Criminal Minded
#459 - EPMD - Strictly Business
#464 - Jay-Z - The Blueprint
#483 - Notorious B.I.G. - Life After Death
#497 - Public Enemy - Yo! Bum Rush The Show

the only eminem up there should be the marshal mathers lp, and it should be at the bottom of the list, like very bottom


Run DMC flopped, shouldnt be on the list, or if, then at the very bottom too


Outkast ? how can a relatively recent album be on the greatest albums of all time list

if anything then either the first one or ATliens, not stankonia


Jay Z ? same thing, if anything then reasonable doubt







these fucking lists are stupid, every one of them

I think the list refers to most influential hip-hop/rap albums.....

the only eminem up there should be the marshal mathers lp, and it should be at the bottom of the list, like very bottom


Run DMC flopped, shouldnt be on the list, or if, then at the very bottom too


Outkast ? how can a relatively recent album be on the greatest albums of all time list

if anything then either the first one or ATliens, not stankonia


Jay Z ? same thing, if anything then reasonable doubt







these fucking lists are stupid, every one of them


No affence spectrum but u allways think every 1 should agree with you but every 1 has different opinions, i personally think SSLP is betta MMLP by a little bit and not the last on my list... these lists aren't stupid, mabie 2 u? but every 1 has a differnet opinion

yeah I got a big head.........dont work on the internet but does in real life :)

Illmatic all da way.. no "reasonable doubt" about it :D

What about both?

Reasonable Doubt, Im more of a jigga fan and he is more inspirational and set of a big company.

arguably the 2 greatest albums of all time.

theyre not my 2 favorite, but i bet if u asked 5000 different so-called hip hop experts what the greatest album of all time is, reasonable doubt and illmatic get the most votes.

i didnt think reasonable doubt was that great, dont get me wrong its an incredible album but illmatic easily wins in comparison IMO.

Reasonable Doubt isa sick album..by far

We all know Rolling Stone ain't no authority on hip hop. They probably just make the section to get blacks to read the magazine.