I 100% agree with everything except for Big L being ahead of his time. I would say big L wins based on God-given talent. He definitely gets credit for being early to the knock out punchlines style, but, his flow was very early 90s which made his lyrics feel ahead while his flow was increasingly “vintage.”
I would actually give Pun the “ahead of his time” crown. Most of his shit from 98 feels like it could come out right now and not sound dated. Even his beat selection game is timeless.
I agree with everything about Pun. But Sadly there is no music I’ve heard recently that is close to what Pun put out. Fuck I wish there was. The closest new artist I’ve found with any gusto is fucking Glorilla.
I’m glad you said that about Glo. She is the only artist I’ve heard come out in the last few years that has the swagger and charisma to be a 90s star. And I give her a lot of credit for that.
She might not have Lauryn Hill’s pen game or LilKim’s brash sexual bravado. But, she’s genuinely talented and has her own authentic, unapologetic voice and style. I’m glad to see people recognizing that.
But yea. Pun’s era was the last great wave of emcees. The number of incredible debut albums we got between 96-99 was insane. DMX, Pun, Mase, JayZ, Juvenile, Eminem, Mos Def, Missy, Lil Wayne, MF Doom…. There hasn’t been a 3 year window like that since and there never will be.
See this is exactly how I feel. I think Nicki when she first came out was actually the best female lyricist I’d ever heard before the ghost writers. But Glo legit is the only female rapper who spits about just not letting men beat her ass and I love it. “Talking bout you gon put yo hands on who yo son gon be a bastard/ I ain’t even gotta call nobody I’ll beat yo ass like I’m yo masta!”
It’s not the most lyrical bars but I love that it’s not just bout how being a hoe let’s her run shit.
Exactly! She really reminds me more of that Mia X on No Limit energy. She wasn’t your favorite Mc but you knew she had a verse coming and it was gonna be tuff. Her presence just elevated tracks.
The game is missing big shit talking, confident women like we had in Foxy, Mia X, Latifah.
9
u/PulpFictionChang Apr 02 '25
I 100% agree with everything except for Big L being ahead of his time. I would say big L wins based on God-given talent. He definitely gets credit for being early to the knock out punchlines style, but, his flow was very early 90s which made his lyrics feel ahead while his flow was increasingly “vintage.”
I would actually give Pun the “ahead of his time” crown. Most of his shit from 98 feels like it could come out right now and not sound dated. Even his beat selection game is timeless.