So why is Masta Ace’s Disposable Arts on this best 1,000 albums ever thing?
It’s always such a pleasure to encounter a hip hop album with superior production and a rapper or collection of hip hop artists who can bring the goods. As you might have guessed, such is precisely the case with Masta Ace’s Disposable Arts.
A great example is “Acknowledge,” where right away I’m all in as I love a hip hop track that effectively uses strings on top of a nice break beat. Masta Ace’s clean, precise flow meshes with it perfectly.
It’s clear throughout that Masta Ace (stage name for Duval Clear) is smart and clever in equal measure. For example, he has this to say about those who would try to diss his name:
And I heard a few cats tryna take shots on the low
These XFL rappers tryna f*** with a real pro
Presuming you know what the XFL is – a somewhat off-brand version of the NFL that only lasted for a single season in 2001 before getting resurrected in 2020 – that line is hilarious.
“Block Episode,” credited to Masta Ace and Punch&Words, is a striking and effective narrative of what’s happening on the streets of New York City.
There’s great variety musically on Disposable Arts that makes it an exciting listen. “Every Other Day” mixes in a really sweet little disco beat for what’s more of a party track.
Some stats & info about Masta Ace – Disposable Arts
- What kind of musical stylings does this album represent? Rap, Hip Hop, East Coast Rap
- Rolling Stone’s greatest 500 albums ranking – not ranked!
- All Music’s rating – 4 out 5 stars
- When was Disposable Arts released? 2001
- My ranking, the one you’re reading right now – #610 out of 1,000
Masta Ace’s Disposable Arts on Spotify
A lyrical snippet from Masta Ace’s Disposable Arts that’s evocative of the album in some way, maybe
Ain’t nothing changed: everyone still want the Benz and the Range, everybody still want the gems and the chains.
What does the “best 1,000 albums ever” mean and why are you doing this?
Yeah, I know it’s audacious, a little crazy (okay, maybe a lot cray cray), bordering on criminal nerdery.
But here’s what it’s NOT: a definitive list of the Greatest Albums of All-Time. This is 100% my own personal super biased, incredibly subjective review of what my top 1,000 albums are, ranked in painstaking order over the course of doing research for nearly a year, Rob from High Fidelity style. Find out more about why I embarked on a best 1,000 albums ever project.