What albums do yall listen to from beginning to end? There are plenty of artists and bands that I like with great songs but sometimes the album has filler in between the main tracks. Which albums do you feel like have little to no filler? I’d put up Chief Keef’s Finally Rich (debut album) Licensed To Ill by the Beastie Boys, maybe Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band by Beatles, Curtis (1970) by Curtis Mayfield and Cuba Libre by Carlos Puebla. What are your favorites?
Shoutout to XXXtentacion, his ? Album was legendary and Skins nearly made me cry a few times. Absolutely spectacular album that really made you feel the loss of his presence. And before anyone tries to catch me slipping, yes he was an awful person in his personal life, but the music he made resonated with a lot of people. I guess it gets into an Art vs Artist argument which I fully admit I am not principled or consistent on. I love some movies and albums and near nothing can make me dislike those songs. I’ve heard that Ace of Base is slightly Fascist leaning (idk if that’s true) but I love “The Sign”
I think it’s just yet another case of “hurt people hurt people”, the key takeaway to me is that he was young, traumatized, clearly was tortured by his actions, and made substantial steps to taking responsibility and radically changing his behavior and his life by the time ? came out. And THAT is why he is my favorite artist.
I don’t discount his older stuff either, when he was in the middle committing such widespread violence and regularly gloating about it, because the pain is still quite clear. I think he always had a big heart and I know how pain makes us double down and do awful things, both I and many many people in my personal life have been warped by their pain and “passed the buck” so to speak. The difference is, is someone like him actually changed, no small feat, quite rare, dare I say inspiring.
That said though I understand pre-empting, people just assume you love women beaters for liking X (completely discounting all the men he beat and stabbed but okay). I also have some music etc. that I like that is made but much more unambiguously awful people who have NOT changed and WILL NOT change. I try to just love people and not judge them for their ugliest–I would kill a fascist in battle and know it is necessary and even just, but I could not look them in the eyes without seeing the hurt child inside them. I love my dad even though he is greatly warped, I try to be friends with my coworkers and stand against their Andrew Tate brainpoison as a friend and not as an enemy, etc.
And as selfish as it sounds to say, XXXtentacion’s violent music went so fucking hard. Like that shit makes Chief Keef’s Earned It sound like Easy Listening music for the elderly.