Golden Age Hip-Hop/Rap

[MacrossPlus]

[MacrossPlus]

[ed2962]

[Beantownbrown]

[Surf]

2020 came fast, pandemic got so much **** got moved to the back of the line and a lot of things that would have gotten more attention just didn't for reasons.

A brief list of Hip-Hop and Rap that is now 30 years old as of the end of 2020.

Ice Cube / AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted
Public Enemby / Fear of a Black Planet
Eric B. & Rakim / Let the Rhythm Hit 'Em
X-Clan / To the East, Blackwards
Gangstar / Step in the Arena
Tribe Called Quest / People's Instinctive Travels
CMW / It's a Compton Thang
Brand Nubian / One For All
EPMD / Business as Usual
LL / Mama Said Knock you Out
Too Short / Short Dog's In the House
Poor Righteous Teachers / Holy Intellect
BDP / Edutainment
D-Nice / Call Me D-Nice
Special Ed / Legal
Digital Underground / Sex Packets
N.W.A. / 100 Miles and Runnin'
Chubb Rock / Treat 'Em Right

That was just a wave compared to what dropped in 1991 and 1992, nuthing is like the realization of gettin old. I've been going back to listen to a lot of this with my much older ears than the ears I had when these albums dropped. Some of these records I've never owned so it's kind of a trip to hear them front to back 3 decades removed. Back then you only had so much dough to spend on tapes and CD's so a lot just came down to what got made into videos or what a friend had to fill in your gaps. Some aged well, some are still dope and some were a little more, ahh problematic lol. Been diggin' on To the East, Blackwards currently. Brother J was a TRUE underrated M.C. The Blackwatch/X-Clan stuff was about as pure as it got and while they weren't the only ones, they were the heavies of it. Can't see another climate where that type of pro-Black energy could be that popular again.

[Surf]

Even though I got hip to it a couple months late this was pretty dope to see. I got little kids and a wife that's not really Hip-Hop. I'm sure they was looking at me out of breath after this like, damn how old are you lol.

I Can't Without My Radio is one of my top 2 favorite LL songs ever and I've never see him perform it until this.

[MacrossPlus]

I feel that 1994 was the perfect year for hip-hop, even better than '88

[Surf]

I feel that 1994 was the perfect year for hip-hop,

I never looked at it like that before but that's interesting. Damn, it was quite varied and there were some monster records. I graduated HS in 94 and looking back I prolly bought more Hip-Hop CD's then than any other time. You might be onto something.

even better than '88

Nation of Millions came out in 1988. Straight Outta Compton came out in 1988, them two records alone still give everybody that dropped in '94 a run.

[Immortal Weapon]

[Hypestyle]

I never looked at it like that before but that's interesting. Damn, it was quite varied and there were some monster records. I graduated HS in 94 and looking back I prolly bought more Hip-Hop CD's then than any other time. You might be onto something.



Nation of Millions came out in 1988. Straight Outta Compton came out in 1988, them two records alone still give everybody that dropped in '94 a run.

1987 doesn't get enough attention.

Eric B & Rakim- Paid in Full
Boogie Down Productions- Criminal Minded
Public Enemy- Yo! Bum Rush the Show
Fat Boys- Crushin'
LL Cool J- Bigger and Deffer
DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince- Rock the House
Salt N Pepa- Hot, Cool & Vicious0
Steady B- What's My Name
Schoolly D- The Adventures of Schoolly D

[Vic Vega]

I feel that 1994 was the perfect year for hip-hop, even better than '88

88 is the year that Rap matured as an artform, in my opinion. You had your mix of elder statesman (in a relative sense) breakout stars, novelty acts and dance/club themed acts.

That's a hell of a lot of variety...

[Surf]

1987 doesn't get enough attention.

It's one of those if you know, you know. '87 was a great year for all kinds of music. Hip-Hop though, I consider that year the unofficial jump-off. Radio airplay was non-existant and there were videos but this was before YO!, although I think maybe Rap City might have came first...? It's not mentioned a great deal but Donnie Simpson broke a lot of the era's Rap videos.

Eric B & Rakim- Paid in Full
Boogie Down Productions- Criminal Minded
Public Enemy- Yo! Bum Rush the Show

All the records you put are classics but these 3 right here... Forgetaboutit. There's a ton of guys I had respect for, Kane, Slick Rick, G Rap but I was a Chuck D and KRS guy and everybody was a nut for Rakim. These three records alone wrecked the field. Another thing the waves happened so fast, cats wasn't waiting 4 and 5 years between projects. They were droppin' every year and the flood of not just 'new' but really dope new acts was crazy. It was a couple years later before I even got tough into Bum Rush the Show.

Don't forget the print media was huge in promoting the music. I was in Jr. High back at this time and I didn't have money really to spend on magazines (comics were $.75 then so that's where any availble chore money went) but I POURED over them joints at the corner candy store and the Hooks drug store and the bookstore in the mall. Lyrics in the backs of the magazines... Shiit. Yea shoutout to 1987.

[Surf]

[Surf]

[ed2962]

The irony is that the butts in this video aren't all that big...