90's Rap misconceptions?

[DANJ!]

I don't think anybody said that everybody had to be dope, just that you had a higher standard in general.

The Common, Xzibit, Jeru stuff was about about them trying to uphold a standard.

I mean, Jeru dissed Biggie for being to commercial and now we'd kill to have a guy like Biggie today.

He would be considered an underground New York rapper or something

Common was dissing the popularity of gangsta rap, but we'd kill to have anybody as good as NWA or Ice Cube or Ice-T today in the mainstream

Now, when Xzibit puts out "Paparazzi", that right there was where Hip-Hop was starting to go off the rails

People like Wendy Williams and Vibe Magazine had created this "East Coast/West Coast" war that they overdramatized and rappers were playing into it.

We'd be better off if we had guys policing the culture like we had back then. Calling out cats for selling out instead of saying, "Well, so & so wasn't perfect, so now none of us have to have any standards", which is where we're at now

Nah, I've LEGIT heard/seen people say stuff like that... especially talking about wack current rappers and saying they woulda never gotten signed back in the day, as if a record label owner would've bypassed them for not having "bars" nshyt. There were a lotta bar-less nikkas out there either floppin' or scoring fluke hits. MOST record label guys still were about $ first and foremost, signing all kinda half-ass rappers thinking they could blow up.

I definitely agree that there was a lot less fans and artists caping for trash like there are now. But that doesn't mean the trash wasn't being put out there.

 

[Po pimp]

It Was Written being a mafioso album

 

[FreshAIG]

I've always thought this
So who would you guys say was on top during their era?

By time Summer 96 came, Pac had taken the mantle from Snoop as the biggest solo act in Hip Hop. From 93-95 Snoop was unquestionably the biggest solo act. Biggie became the biggest solo act after Pac passed, and he kinda lapped Snoop (debatably) by the beginning of 97, then Master P became the biggest act in Hip Hop after Biggie passed.

Prior to that, Method Man was just as popular as Biggie from 93-95. Treach was more popular in 93. Nas got around Biggie's level of popularity around 96. They were basically neck and neck during that time period.

If you're counting groups, Bone Thugs were probably the most popular act in Hip Hop during the mid-90s. The Fugees were probably second. Wu-Tang as a collective was third, but on the East Coast Wu Tang was first.

 

[JustCKing]

Jay Z wasnt really factor until his third album.

Most of the gangsta rappers were studio thugs surrounded by real street nikkas.

No Limit put the south on another level not Scarface or Outkast.

I agree with the first two points, but the last point needs clarification. If we are talking about commercially, there is an argument. Still, when we look at what No Limit's height, the artists that blew up directly due to No Limit's success were all Louisiana acts as opposed to artists that were popping up all over The South.

 

[mobbinfms]

Absolutely correct in that Big L was not that big an artist when he was alive. Big L was one of those very regional east coast rappers (Really NY) that was incredibly dope but wasn't in the talks of ever being a GOAT when he was alive. Big L wasn't regularly brought up in conversations of who was the nicest at the time to the general public. You had to REALLY be into Hip Hop to even know L like that. Once he died you have a lot of teenagers/younger people enamored with the mythology of Big L more than anything. Big L had 1 album before he passed, and it was 4 Mics at best. The beats were kinda dated by time it dropped and even some of the raps were, to no fault of his own, a lot of it was recorded in 92-93 and it didn't drop til March 1995.

Not to take away from L, he was an elite MC. However, how he's regarded now from people that weren't outside during that era is nowhere near how he was regarded when he was alive.

This is true to a degree, but you can’t leave out that his star was rising right before he died. He bodied shyt on DITC albums in 97, dropped a legendary single in 98 with Ebonics and was basically doing what Doom was doing in rebuilding his career through the underground. There was definitely a feeling in the underground that he had next. When someone dies under those circumstances, they are gonna end up being bigger in death than they were when alive.

 

[FreshAIG]

This is true to a degree, but you can’t leave out that his star was rising right before he died. He bodied shyt on DITC albums in 97, dropped a legendary single in 98 with Ebonics and was basically doing what Doom was doing in rebuilding his career through the underground. There was definitely a feeling in the underground that he had next. When someone dies under those circumstances, they are gonna end up being bigger in death than they were when alive.

That's true, he definitely was rebuilding his buzz around 98. If the social media hype train existed back then he'd be about where Griselda is.

 

[JustCKing]

By time Summer 96 came, Pac had taken the mantle from Snoop as the biggest solo act in Hip Hop. From 93-95 Snoop was unquestionably the biggest solo act. Biggie became the biggest solo act after Pac passed, and he kinda lapped Snoop (debatably) by the beginning of 97, then Master P became the biggest act in Hip Hop after Biggie passed.

Prior to that, Method Man was just as popular as Biggie from 93-95. Treach was more popular in 93. Nas got around Biggie's level of popularity around 96. They were basically neck and neck during that time period.

If you're counting groups, Bone Thugs were probably the most popular act in Hip Hop during the mid-90s. The Fugees were probably second. Wu-Tang as a collective was third, but on the East Coast Wu Tang was first.

In 1995, Biggie was clearly one of the biggest acts in Hip Hop especially solo. He had "Juicy" still and these joints were big:

One More Chance remix
Who Shot Ya
Big Poppa (and the remixes)

Also, he had Junior M.A.F.I.A and "Player's Anthem" was big.

In regard to The Fugees, they dominated '96, but beyond that, but they had a flopped debut. Beyond '96, its just solos and I wouldn't put The Fugees as a group on the same level as Bone or Wu in terms of popularity in the 90's considering The Fugees only had one big album as a group where Bone had three and Wu had two. Then there's they fact that Bone and Wu had off shoots that were successful or semi successful.

 

[Sankofa Alwayz]

By time Summer 96 came, Pac had taken the mantle from Snoop as the biggest solo act in Hip Hop. From 93-95 Snoop was unquestionably the biggest solo act. Biggie became the biggest solo act after Pac passed, and he kinda lapped Snoop (debatably) by the beginning of 97, then Master P became the biggest act in Hip Hop after Biggie passed.

Prior to that, Method Man was just as popular as Biggie from 93-95. Treach was more popular in 93. Nas got around Biggie's level of popularity around 96. They were basically neck and neck during that time period.

If you're counting groups, Bone Thugs were probably the most popular act in Hip Hop during the mid-90s. The Fugees were probably second. Wu-Tang as a collective was third, but on the East Coast Wu Tang was first.

Staying with groups, what about ATCQ, The Pharcyde, Mobb Deep, Gang Starr, The Roots, Smif-n-Wesson, OutKast, Goodie Mob, and Westside Connection?

 

[FreshAIG]

In 1995, Biggie was clearly one of the biggest acts in Hip Hop especially solo. He had "Juicy" still and these joints were big:

One More Chance remix
Who Shot Ya
Big Poppa (and the remixes)

Also, he had Junior M.A.F.I.A and "Player's Anthem" was big.

In regard to The Fugees, they dominated '96, but beyond that, but they had a flopped debut. Beyond '96, its just solos and I wouldn't put The Fugees as a group on the same level as Bone or Wu in terms of popularity in the 90's considering The Fugees only had one big album as a group where Bone had three and Wu had two. Then there's they fact that Bone and Wu had off shoots that were successful or semi successful.

I never said Biggie wasn't one of the most popular. That's a fact. No disputing. I just said Method Man was his equal during that time frame.

And yeah the Fugees run was a 1 album run of being huge but that 1 album literally one of the biggest albums of all-time from any genre.

 

[Techniec]

I've always thought this
So who would you guys say was on top during their era?

Don't listen to these idiots

Pac and Big were the King's when they died, not because they died. They became immortalized as rap gods yes, but both Pac and Big were the hottest motherfukkers out before they died

 

[BulletProof]

Yeah I believe the bio-pic is more because of how big he has become post-death. There's like folklore attached to him now. It's surreal because I love Big L so it's weird for me to feel like I'm downplaying his greatness or shytting on him, but I like being right and exact about the history of rap. And I just can't let people rewrite history that I was there for.

Tv

Coli dustheads won’t like this thread. Them nikkas make it seem everything in the 90’s was perfect music wise and everything was pure

There’s a big ass thread on here somewhere it may be in the rafters now idk about artists biting somebody else and there were plenty names listed for 90’s artists in that thread

90s rap wasnt pure or perfect but it was more than compared to now.

Standards were higher and certain rules came with consequences when broken.

 

[Techniec]

By time Summer 96 came, Pac had taken the mantle from Snoop as the biggest solo act in Hip Hop. From 93-95 Snoop was unquestionably the biggest solo act. Biggie became the biggest solo act after Pac passed, and he kinda lapped Snoop (debatably) by the beginning of 97, then Master P became the biggest act in Hip Hop after Biggie passed.

Prior to that, Method Man was just as popular as Biggie from 93-95. Treach was more popular in 93. Nas got around Biggie's level of popularity around 96. They were basically neck and neck during that time period.

If you're counting groups, Bone Thugs were probably the most popular act in Hip Hop during the mid-90s. The Fugees were probably second. Wu-Tang as a collective was third, but on the East Coast Wu Tang was first.

Very accurate analysis.

 

[Techniec]

By time Summer 96 came, Pac had taken the mantle from Snoop as the biggest solo act in Hip Hop. From 93-95 Snoop was unquestionably the biggest solo act. Biggie became the biggest solo act after Pac passed, and he kinda lapped Snoop (debatably) by the beginning of 97, then Master P became the biggest act in Hip Hop after Biggie passed.

Prior to that, Method Man was just as popular as Biggie from 93-95. Treach was more popular in 93. Nas got around Biggie's level of popularity around 96. They were basically neck and neck during that time period.

If you're counting groups, Bone Thugs were probably the most popular act in Hip Hop during the mid-90s. The Fugees were probably second. Wu-Tang as a collective was third, but on the East Coast Wu Tang was first.

I would actually add that I think Big had passed Snoop by the time LAD was about to roll out. I don't think it's a debate. Snoop took a bit on Doggfather and with Pac dead, Dre AWOL, Suge jailed etc Snoop lost alot of momentum.

However Snoop was still the most known/biggest rapper so he was easily in a position to take it back had he came back with a hot album etc but as it played out from what I remember, in early 97, it was all BIG

My question for you is, since The Chronic is what really introduced me to hip hop....pre 92-93 (Dre/Snoop) who would you say was the biggest/hottest? Cube?

 

[FreshAIG]

Staying with groups, what about ATCQ, The Pharcyde, Mobb Deep, Gang Starr, The Roots, Smif-n-Wesson, OutKast, Goodie Mob, and Westside Connection?

Tribe was very big in the early 90s, they fell off popularity wise after Midnight Marauders. But from 91-93, they were arguably the top group. Definitely in the handful of the biggest.

Pharcyde had two big singles, their album was highly regarded, but they weren't necessarily upper-echelon as far as notoriety. They would fall under one of those groups that people might know the song but not know who made it. But they were dope as fukk. Bizarre Ride is 4.5 mics to me.

Mobb Deep was huge on the East Coast, "Hit It From the Back" pre-"Shook Ones" was actually a semi-hit single even though people like to ignore their first album. By time Infamous and Hell on Earth dropped they were a pretty big deal in the culture but not really record sellers. They got bigger worldwide towards the end of the 90s going into the 2000s when Quiet Storm dropped.

Gang Starr, another group that was big culturally but not a group that sold many records. Their songs were more culturally impactful than actually billboard impactful. Take it Personal, Mass Appeal, Dwyck are all classic songs, they dropped highly acclaimed albums just didn't move the needle much in popularity. As a producer though, Premier was pretty much the go to Hip Hop producer on the East. They're another group that got bigger towards the end of the 90s going into the 2000s as far as mass recognition, but I think that's just more do to Hip Hop expanding. Hip Hop was extremely regional in the early to mid 90s.

The Roots were another group that wasn't big, but well respected and dropped some memorable singles. Another one that blew up more towards the 2000s than in the 90s.

Smif-N-Wessun very regional, but big on the East Coast. Especially during the Shinin'. As far as Boot Camp Clik goes they were behind Black Moon but ahead of Heltah Skeltah popularity wise.

Outkast was always pretty much a big deal out the gate. They were very popular, sold a good records, got a lot of acclaim from the media for their albums. But like the others, they blew up even more post 90s. But they were top tier for sure.

Goodie Mob, was another well respected group, but not big record movers. They're like Gold artists. Their popularity never really was in the upper-tier of groups, but they were known and of course they had a huge single, which always helps.

Westside Connection was a big deal but they only had a short run in the 90s, but when that Bow Down song dropped, it was literally everywhere. That and "Gangsters Make the World Go Round". They sold records, had hits and really capitalized off the West/East thing that was popping off at the time. They antagonized it.

 

[FreshAIG]

I would actually add that I think Big had passed Snoop by the time LAD was about to roll out. I don't think it's a debate. Snoop took a bit on Doggfather and with Pac dead, Dre AWOL, Suge jailed etc Snoop lost alot of momentum.

However Snoop was still the most known/biggest rapper so he was easily in a position to take it back had he came back with a hot album etc but as it played out from what I remember, in early 97, it was all BIG

My question for you is, since The Chronic is what really introduced me to hip hop....pre 92-93 (Dre/Snoop) who would you say was the biggest/hottest? Cube?

Definitely fair. Snoop was probably the bigger name but Big was the bigger artist by then

The biggest artist pre Dre was technically MC Hammer. Hammer for that 2 year run, was unquestionably the biggest artist in rap. Now, if we're talking culturally respected and popular, you had Cube and LL as probably the most popular solo acts, and then Public Enemy, NWA all around the same tier for groups. Tribe and Naughty were close.