Three in a day

Yes, I know three posts in one day is excessive. Blame that on both an inexplicably early rise and the boredom that comes from holding office hours and no one showing up. Either way, let’s talk about this discussion of Nation vs. Paid in Full.
I have no idea why this is even a discussion.

While it’s become chiche to say that Nation is the be-all-end-all of rap albums, it’s also true. It’s also cliche to say that Hendrix is the greatest guitar player to walk the earth, though I’ve never heard a legitimate argument against that. Every now and then, everybody things something because the truth is too blinding to ignore. Most of the time, though, run far away when everyone thinks the same thing. Four words–Kool Jim Jones Aid. Arrange those words however you see fit.
Either way, here is why Nation wins the prize for me. First, it completely changed what people thought an album could be. It’s 16 tracks, which made it the longest rap album ever at the time. This wasn’t just a bunch of songs–remember, the album era in rap was relatively young at that point. You’d be hard pressed to get someone that could name a great full-length album released before 1986 that wasn’t done by Run-DMC. Nation was a magnum opus, though.
Of course length isn’t necessarily a good thing, but it was perfect considering how well sequenced this record is. The instrumental interludes are all perfectly placed. It’s almost like Chuck and the boys knew that you’d need a break to consider what’s been put before you. Really, who wouldn’t need a break after “Bring the Noise,” “Don’t Believe the Hype,” “Cold Lampin’ with Flavor,” and “Terminator X at the Edge of Panic?” That’s heat upon heat upon heat upon heat. Had “Louder than a Bomb” come without “Mind Terrorist” as an interlude, someone’s head might have exploded.
What else? The Bomb Squad was clearly in rare form. Every beat was hot like fire. That’s right–every last one. Not only did they sound good, but they left room and time for listeners to try to figure out how in the hell they managed to pull that off. Though many folks tried, no one could do what the Bomb Squad did. No production unit has ever been so singular.
But the big thing is Chuck. This was one of the greatest one-man shows ever, but it was also one of the greatest come-ups ever. He was pretty damn good on Yo, Bum Rush the Show!, but those rhymes can’t hold a candle to the stuff on Nation. Put “Sophisticated Bitch” next to “She Watch Channel Zero” and try to compare. Before you do that, check “Sophisticated” first; otherwise, you’ll think it’s more wack than it actually is. The same dare goes to “Public Enemy #1” vs. “Bring the Noise.” I’m not sure any vocal was better arranged than teh start of the second verse, and Eric Sadler says that worked out like it did as a mistake. So correct, even their errors or right. I wonder if Nikki Giovanni listens to PE.
Wouldn’t shock me.
But what made Chuck so special on this record is that he didn’t try to force anything. He didn’t even force himself to rhyme. It was almost like his anger and his intellect got in a wreck and, rather than trying to separate the two and nurse each to health, he let them come together and form something totally new. That something new has yet to be replicated, save for Fear of a Black Planet, which lacks Nation’s consistency but has better high moments (there’s an argument that “Welcome to the Terrordome” is one of the five greatest hip hop singles ever. The only two, off the top of my head, that compete are “Bombs Over Baghdad” and “One More Chance (Stay With Me).”)
That’s the thing. No emcee has ever been as fearless as Chuck D. The interesting dichotomy was Chuck’s indifference to how white people felt was always juxtaposed against the way college-age white boys loved his shit. You’ve gotta have a special talent to do stuff like that. Jim Brown’s the only person that, off the top, was able to pull things off in such a way, and we know what Jim Brown was–the Superman of running backs.
Does this sound vague? Probably so, since I’m not arguing the counterfactual at all. I’ve got two words on why “Paid in Full” can’t win–Chinese Arithmetic. Keep that shit, man. Matter of fact, keep ’bout every beat on the album.
If it’s an emcee battle of Chuck vs. Rakim, Ra would probably win. However, consider this–a million cats have taken Ra’s style and run with it, many going places we didn’t think it could go. Who has ever successfully tried to sound like Chuck?
No one.
That’s who.
And that might be why Nation wins. Had to throw that in there in case “cuz Bo said so” wasn’t sufficient for you.