While this is absolutely true, I don't think the average Hip-Hop listener has any historical perspective that a lot of what they listen to nowadays came from 3 6 and their sound. Bone definitely had wider mass appeal than 3 6 during their collective heyday. Record sales kind of back that up too. I do think that in the long run 3 6 has had much more staying power though.
I feel like I tried to address that, already. I think we're discussing two different things and, possibly, viewing this from different angles.
What I was responding to is someone claiming that Bone will "win" because "their sound" is "genuinely liked by a broader audience." What you're referencing here seems more focused on the past and record sales from the past. I'm not sure what constitutes "winning," or focusing on who had the most mainstream radio hits 25 years ago, but I'd argue that the average Hip-Hop listener "nowadays," doesn't know shit about 25 years ago, anyway. So, if we're taking a younger generation and playing unfamiliar music to them from 2 groups, but one group is performing tracks that sound like what they listen to now, right down to directly identifiable samples, styles, cadences, and references... this is really more about what we're measuring and how we're measuring it. Plus, "their sound" has been proven to appeal to a broad audience, because IT IS appealing to a broad audience, presently, whereas, I don't think the average listener is following Bone Thugs too closely in 2021.
My comments aren't coming from as much of a historical perspective as someone who is "older," but as someone considering my age and knowing who would have won with a mainstream crowd 25 years ago. Bone would have. What I'm trying to take into account is what's actually relevant to a new generation TODAY and considering how much relevance that past would really play here. These kids might know "Crossroads" from their parents. What else? Paul is straight up producing Cardi B tracks. Aside from Paul's production work on Scorpion, Juicy J and Project Pat were in a Drake video. "No Friends In The Industry," from Certified Lover Boy even has a straight up Three 6 sample in it, clear as day. Juicy was featured on a Kay Perry song, along with its video.
So, what I'm basically questioning here is if the "average Hip-Hop listener" is going to be more aware of Juicy J when he steps out on stage, or Flesh-N-Bone. From a historical perspective, has Three 6 proven that their significance rivals Bone Thugs? I think most of us would agree with that. But, if we're talking record sales backing up anything, I'd say that the genuine appeal of the Three 6 "sound," -- which is what was mentioned and what I was responding to -- has, at this point, done a number in record sales. It's still selling. Like you're saying, historical perspective might not be as important to most people because, if it was, we'd be discussing who was more relevant when they had their initial beef in the 90s.
I think this is a great VERZUZ and I'm happy to see it come together. I just don't buy the idea that Bone Thugs are going to come out and smash Three 6 with radio bangers and they aren't going to be able to connect with the audience, because they're "too underground" or something. That's not who they've been forever.
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