I don't ever hear anyone say that fwiw. I doubt it will happen. It will be probably the same argument but with the age now or the 90s still. The 2000s was almost all groups that had started in the 90s doing low key stuff, dying, or failing. A couple of the start ups were happening as well, but I would never say hip-hop was great in the 2000s. IDK I am sure to some people it was...
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Hip hop was better in the 90s.
- Thread starter DeSo
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I don't ever hear anyone say that fwiw. I doubt it will happen. It will be probably the same argument but with the age now or the 90s still. The 2000s was almost all groups that had started in the 90s doing low key stuff, dying, or failing. A couple of the start ups were happening as well, but I would never say hip-hop was great in the 2000s. IDK I am sure to some people it was...
All eras of rap have tremendous artists and efforts and low grade artists with subpar efforts. The difference is the popularity in the mainstream and how time allows us to cherry pick the good from the bad. I equate it to the attitude Era of wrestling compared to today where everyone says modern is trash and that Era was the greatest but it follows many of the same beats and is, at times, noticeably worse.
I can list 10 fantastic albums from the 10s, 00s, 90s, 80s, and I can also list 10 completely trash albums from all those Eras. It's just easier to find the trash nowadays because that's what's popular.
I can list 10 fantastic albums from the 10s, 00s, 90s, 80s, and I can also list 10 completely trash albums from all those Eras. It's just easier to find the trash nowadays because that's what's popular.
seriously though, this is like people arguing that games in the 90's were better than they are now
sure, you can make top 10 lists that look mighty because of both quality and nostalgia but in both cases the current landscape is great it's just that a lot of the quality content is coming from places that it wasn't before. the independent artists in both areas have been ballooning. is it hard to hone in on some stuff on steam and bandcamp? yeah, sure. but there is so much quality shit out there to be discovered and typically people are pretty good about circling around the stuff they find that's quality.
sure, you can make top 10 lists that look mighty because of both quality and nostalgia but in both cases the current landscape is great it's just that a lot of the quality content is coming from places that it wasn't before. the independent artists in both areas have been ballooning. is it hard to hone in on some stuff on steam and bandcamp? yeah, sure. but there is so much quality shit out there to be discovered and typically people are pretty good about circling around the stuff they find that's quality.
How can now be the best if there aren't any classics? By you saying that this is "not how anything works anymore" you're telling me everything is disposable.
Am I right?
Maybe 2000's kids, so what in 2025-2030?
Hip hop was absolutely great in the 2000s, especially early on. You talk about no start ups but who cares when an artist or group started as long as they make great music. Jay-z has an album of the year contender, I don't care that he started in the 90s. In 3 years it will be among my favorite/best rap albums of the 2010s.
Stankonia is still one of the greatest rap albums I've heard, purple haze is still on of my top 5 favorite rap albums of all time, Ludacris put out back to back incredible efforts, Common had one of his best albums ever, Wayne rose to prominence and came into his own, mixtapes were the greatest they ever were in history, Kanye got his start, so on. 2000s were amazing for hip hop.
Dreams-Visions
Member
Yes, the 90s were clearly the best for hip-hop. The diversity, the volume of artists and styles from coast to coast, groups still being cool to be in, beats that still sound great today. The sheer volume of classic albums is crazy.
Talent feels concentrated among just a handful of artists now.
Talent feels concentrated among just a handful of artists now.
ElBoxyBrown
Banned
2000s gave us El-P, Mr. Lif, Cannibal Ox, Aesop Rock, Kanye, 50 Cent, Talib Kweli, Mos Def, Immortal Technique, Jay-Z and Eminem reaching the height of their careers, etc. This was not a bad era when you really look back.
Luckily some 90's legends are still around and making music - but it may have slipped under your radar. Ghostface has steadily been putting out stellar albums the past few years. 12 Reasons to die, 36 seaons, and sour soul have all been very good. Raekwon actually just had a new album called The Wild and it's excellent. Tribe had their spectacular come back album last year. Redman even had a pretty good album a year or two ago if you ever liked him. There are also a bunch of rappers that don't do the mumble stuff making decent music. Joey Bada$$'s album from 2015 had a great old school gritty sound and an east coast jazzy vibe going through it. YG's Still Brazy is a pretty extravagant throw back to the old West Coast gangsta funk sound from the early 90's and it has excellent production. There's great stuff out there beyond the mainstream mumble that's currently in vogue.
I'm not some huge hip hop head, but there's a ton of good stuff out there.
Ivy Sole
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YVMzeSNORrQ
Jonwayne
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l4F21FUL1b8
Greyhat vs J'Von
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DNdk72O8lW4
GTA vs Vince Staples
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qkxEKumTj08
Raekwon
https://soundcloud.com/iceh2orecords/raekwon-this-is-what-it-comes-too
This is just shit I casually brushed up against through my everyweek spotify recs and the occasional. Nevermind the Kendricks and the Gambinos and the Drakes and the whatevers.
Yeah yeah you think this one spits weak bars or this one is just wanking about bands and bitches and hoes or whatever, but as a guy who hits a bunch of different genres, hip hop is one where lots of the old and the new are actually co-existing pretty well. The radio fodder is ALWAYS going to be the radio fodder. Right now you got the cheese, the socially conscious, the old school, the new school, the spitting, the mumbling. What are you really missing?
So..."things were better back then". Eh... The mantra holds from the 2000's til now: there's good shit everywhere. Just go fucking look.
Ivy Sole
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YVMzeSNORrQ
Jonwayne
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l4F21FUL1b8
Greyhat vs J'Von
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DNdk72O8lW4
GTA vs Vince Staples
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qkxEKumTj08
Raekwon
https://soundcloud.com/iceh2orecords/raekwon-this-is-what-it-comes-too
This is just shit I casually brushed up against through my everyweek spotify recs and the occasional. Nevermind the Kendricks and the Gambinos and the Drakes and the whatevers.
Yeah yeah you think this one spits weak bars or this one is just wanking about bands and bitches and hoes or whatever, but as a guy who hits a bunch of different genres, hip hop is one where lots of the old and the new are actually co-existing pretty well. The radio fodder is ALWAYS going to be the radio fodder. Right now you got the cheese, the socially conscious, the old school, the new school, the spitting, the mumbling. What are you really missing?
So..."things were better back then". Eh... The mantra holds from the 2000's til now: there's good shit everywhere. Just go fucking look.
Frustrated_me
Member
Truth.
This is a dope list
Chuck J Cole on there too
Gave us one of the greatest Hip-Hop Albums of all time.
Midnight Marauders is the business.
Not gonna detract or hate as it is said rap is a young man's sport it is for the youth. But I just can't identify with it which make it difficult to listen to much it and by extension support it financially. But it'll be fine it always is.
Midnight Marauders is the business.
Not gonna detract or hate as it is said rap is a young man's sport it is for the youth. But I just can't identify with it which make it difficult to listen to much it and by extension support it financially. But it'll be fine it always is.
Everything was better in the 90s...
White Zombie was definitely better in the 90's.
Which is why they will be talking about the nineties from 93' till Infinity. Good music is timeless.
I hate the fact that I have to search for this stuff now. That's why I say the 90's was better because the popular stuff that was played on the radio or BET was actually good and eventually became classics.
To me, most of the popular stuff now is not good.
Only place we need to chuck J Cole is the dumpster homes
BET was better in the 90's. The Basement was great until it became watered down crap poo poo doo doo.
sans_pants
avec_pénis
plenty of classics in this era, not that you can call a recent album "classic"
qft
Just_myles
Member
Yeah. Easy to be the top dog when everyone is sub par.
This is also true and a bit contradictory based on what I said above. There are some gems out there definitely. You just have to wade through the trash.
ElBoxyBrown
Banned
You can say that for most genres. Idk why you have to single out Hip Hop. In fact, your argument is mostly, "Radio was better in the 90s" which most will agree with you on that. The internet and streaming has made radio and what is popular redundant. Any small rapper can be big today.
We have so many options for discovery now. A side effect of the technology filter bubble is that it's actually easy to play it to give you better recommendations; just seed it by listening to some good stuff on the youtubes and spotifys of the world, and the algorithms will start chucking anything and everything similar at you.
Like I said, radio fodder is going to be radio fodder. And tbh, at that point the argument just dilutes to "radio was better in the 90's".
My answer to that is...what's radio? :x
eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeyyyyyy
Just_myles
Member
Radio in LA was dope in the 90s. 92.3 the beat had Theo in the afternoon and power 106 had the baka boys in the morning.
That's hot. But it sure wasn't like that everywhere in the world.
Hip hop's pretty global now. Scope and context of the comparison's gotta change.
TheSkullPrince
Member
Only guys I really like today are Kendrick, Kanye, Freddie Gibbs, and Run the Jewels. Everyone else is eh.
Plus the 90s had 2pac and Biggie (on top of all the other legends and other great rappers).
Plus the 90s had 2pac and Biggie (on top of all the other legends and other great rappers).
ElBoxyBrown
Banned
Every generation of rappers do drugs and drink. Nowadays some young rappers like Tyler are trying to promote the Straight Edge lifestyle. But to say 90s rappers weren't smoking and drinking as much as today's is wrong.
Widdle Puppy
Banned
No it wasn't. Everything you listed is so corny now.
TheGreatDirector
Banned
You know, I used to think the Low End Theory was better than Midnight Marauders but after a couple of listens recently my opinion may have slightly changed.
Speaking about ATCQ, I really want to make an in-depth lttp/rttp about their albums now.
FantasticMrFoxdie
Mumber
It is known.
I mean isn't that considered the Golden Age
I mean isn't that considered the Golden Age
brianjones
Member
I wish more de la soul was on Spotify
Yeah old dmx hasn't aged well.
Plenty of good hiphop out there today. Just gotta swim through the crap.
I like how you tell people not to get offended then start lobbing personal attacks because someone called you on it. Don't get offended, he was just saying there are good titles you could have used!
rokkerkory
Member
Water is wet OP?
Agreed though
Agreed though
Kanye. T.I, Lupe, Outkast, J Dilla, Lil Wayne, The Game, Clipse, Common, Talib Kweli, Blu, MF Doom
2000 in terms of albums and even new artists is way better then people want to admit.
killatopak
Member
I agree.
I think hip hops first album was amazing and they've been on a slow decline since then
Don't get me wrong Low End is a great album and is quite inspired and was well received at the time. Looking back through Midnight Marauders is such a complete album. From beginning to end it's like eating a extremely satisfying meal. My favorites rap album hands down. ATCQ discography is the collection I want to be buried with.
It's quite surprising how relevant (to this day) and what's the word being used these days "woke' they're albums/songs are.
For example:
RespectThySole
Member
Hov dropped The Blueprint, The Black Album and American Gangster as well. Camron and Dipset had a couple great ones as well.
Add Kendricks discography and post 90s Hip Hop actually looks pretty good.
cryptosporidium
Member
but modern Jazz Hop is so good
yanipheonu
Member
The 90s are over, all that's left is despair.
The day the 90s died all joy died.
This generation.
They don't know.
They don't know
Kids these days.
Kids these days.
This generation.
They don't know.
They missed out.
The day the 90s died all joy died.
This generation.
They don't know.
They don't know
Kids these days.
Kids these days.
This generation.
They don't know.
They missed out.