"96 was the greatest year in Hip Hop!"... was it really?

[Kool]

"96 was the greatest year in Hip Hop!"

Um... 1988 would like to have a word with you.




Big Daddy Kane - Ain't No Hafl-Steppin' - 1988





Boogie Down Productions - My Philosophy - 1988





Public Enemy - Rebel Without a Pause - 1988





Slick Rick - Hey Young World - 1988





N.W.A. - Straight Outta Compton - 1988





Eric B. & Rakim - Microphone Fiend - 1988





Eazy E - Easier Said than Dunn - 1988





RUN DMC - Run's House - 1988





NWA - fukk The Police - 1988





EPMD - You Gots To Chill - 1988





Rob Base & DJ EZ Rock - It Takes Two - 1988





MC Lyte - Paper Thin - 1988





Geto Boys - Assassin - 1988





Too Short - Cusswords - 1988

 

[Mindfield333]

I was 4 in 88... for me, 1996 was it. Soul food(nov 95), ATLiens, All eyes on me, it was written, reese nibbled out lol

 

[Rev Leon Lonnie Love]

90% of the rap that came before 92 is overrated because of nostalgia. Hiphop really matured after 92 so I have no problem with the claim that 96 was the best year.



Like Big Boi said....96 gon be that year

 

[letti cook]

nvm

 

[prophecypro]

Both years are in the mix

 

[Kool]

FACTS!

Once again... the 90's loses to the 80's.

 

[DANJ!]

It's a strong contender... as is '88...

But to be honest... this is probably the wrong spot to make this argument. Rap didn't happen until The Chronic for a lotta folks... of course, this isn't close to true but IJS...

 

[Soymuscle Mike]

Both years are in the mix

This.

This is similar to the GOAT conversations. There is no 1 answer.

 

[tuckgod]

86 - 96

You can pick any year.

But 96 was the pinnacle.

Everything has been corny since then.

It wasn’t just the albums released, it was the overall vibe of the culture.

You wouldn’t get it if you wasn’t there.

 

[ℒℴѵℯJay ELECTUA]

94 and 95..
96 with mixtapes in rotation.

88 was a blast.. 1982 was great too.

 

[Buckeye Fever]

I was ready to snap on you if you would have put some bullshyt recent yr up there, but since you went even further BACK, I got no issues with the thread

 

[Metal Face]

No 95 was

 

[JMD]

you could make the argument that 96 was the last truly great year in hip hop...there have been very good years since but none better than that year

 

[hex]

Most people on here don't cite the 80's, not as a slight to the 80's but because they weren't alive to know either way. Which makes sense.

People don't say '96 just based off that year. '96 (or whatever) is emblematic of the 90's. 90's was a strong decade in general, the 80's were only really strong towards the end. Let's say half way point to be fair. So it boils down to a decade vs a half decade. I'll take the decade.

Fred.

 

[Mastamimd]

86 - 96

You can pick any year.

But 96 was the pinnacle.

Everything has been corny since then.

It wasn’t just the albums released, it was the overall vibe of the culture.

You wouldn’t get it if you wasn’t there.

I truly believe that Clear Channel buying all the radio stations in 1996 caused the shift. Things haven't been the same since.