The "shiny suit" era was a myth

[Wild self]

shiny suit era... was simply a term for flossing era

everything was platinum this... rolex that... new 7 series... money money money money money

not just the raps.... the videos was over fukking done... i'm talking 1 million dollar videos... 2 million.... busta said on ice-t podcast him and janet joint cost like 2.9 million and cost people their jobs

not just the raps and the videos..... album ADVANCES were 1 million... that doesn't count the budget.... that doesn't count the advertising... that doesn't count the videos... companies was spending 4-5 million dollars for a complete rollout for a nikka who sell 500k

everybody sampling... features with mega stars of other genres.... 100k for a feature from mase... 150k for a neptunes beat.... label was like cool, we'll pay it no problem


everyone had diamonds... versace... shyt they couldn't pronounce (literally)... 500 cars in the video.... video MODELS being paid 300-400 a day... big ignorant houses... mtv cribs... mtv what are they worth... mtv year end who's the richest rapper segments

concerts were TOURS.... 20 rappers on the tour... nikkas had helicopters dropping from the sky.. cars pulling up on the stage... disappearing acts and coming up in the crowd and shyt



y'all wonder why we miss the good times.... and why it'll never be the same again... MONEY

there was sooooooooooo much fukking money in hip hop, it was ridiculous.





look now.... you lucky if your label pays for 1 video and it better cost under 100k. and you'll be paying for the anything else out of pocket... and you better find models on IG and props on your own....

nobody rocking iced out nothing no more... maybe a watch and a chain... not 50.. people got cars...

you lucky to get 1 million spent on your entire rollout from start to finish, including the 50k advance and 360 deal

Just at the times between then and now.

Today, kids on YouTube pushing music digitally and becoming rich, like that troll Lil B.

 

[The Devil's Advocate]

Just at the times between then and now.

Today, kids on YouTube pushing music digitally and becoming rich, like that troll Lil B.

i really understand what Pusha means when he says "When I grew up, rappers were superheros"

like for real... i used to run home to catch Rap City... these dudes were just balling on another type of level.. everything was an event... nikkas had countdown's to releasing videos and shyt.... copying full movie productions for a 3:52 min song... dropping 3-4 videos from the album, everyone a milly plus

 

[Wild self]

i really understand what Pusha means when he says "When I grew up, rappers were superheros"

like for real... i used to run home to catch Rap City... these dudes were just balling on another type of level.. everything was an event... nikkas had countdown's to releasing videos and shyt.... copying full movie productions for a 3:52 min song... dropping 3-4 videos from the album, everyone a milly plus

I remember seeing the video to MO Money, MO Problems and I was when all that shiny shyt was on my TV.

Now, I see videos on WSHH and I exit the Web page in like 20 seconds.

 

[Cryptocurrency Scarface]

Pun was 6 feet and could dunk in his younger days...

Breh don't look nowhere near 6 feet 5'9 at best Fat Joe is 6 ft and they aint nowhere near the same height also watch the John Blaze video.

Coli nikkas getting rappers' heights wrong like always

 

[The Devil's Advocate]

I remember seeing the video to MO Money, MO Problems and I was when all that shiny shyt was on my TV.

Now, I see videos on WSHH and I exit the Web page in like 20 seconds.

hard to match A list stars and a film crew













when you got a 10k budget and 1 guy with a nikon camera

 

[Marc Spector]

The shiny suit/ruff ryders/new orleans explosion I always called the "Superlabel" era. It was a stretch of about 1995-2002 (2003 is crunk era/"New South") wherein, as @The Devil's Advocate put it so eloquently, money wasnt an issue.

The majors had realized that hip hop was no mere fad and there was real money to be made by pushing these guys. You had ENTIRE ROSTERS of artists going platinum, touring, making collabos. Every few months a new crew/label would rise and be just as successful as the previous one.

 

[IllmaticDelta]

 

[TLR Is Mental Poison]

Do YOU have a bad memory?

- You right about War Report...but then Nore had on a Versace jumpsuit on the cover of N.O.R.E.,
and his biggest hit had a big budget video with them in the desert and chit talmbat "the life of a superstar
with fly ass mansions, and a million cars"...

- And In My Lifetime era Jay wasn't a flossy nicca? You 'spect anyone to believe that?

- I KNOW you don't have 400 Degreez and Ghetto D on here, as shiny as them niccas were...
hell - P had a damn GOLD TANK in a video...

- Wu-Tang Forever's disc 2 intro had RZA talkin' about how it was time to stop "all that playa chit"

- The first two times most of the world saw Big Pun, he was (1) dressed in all white linen next to the Beatnuts
and (2) in a large tailored suit in the "I'm Not A Playa" video...

Look mayne - i'm not sayin' it was a bad time for hip-hop...but it's not true to say the era wasn't defined by glitz.

Edit - my bad, just say this thread was old. Sorry.

OK, I picked some bad examples. Still though, late 90s you had Black Star, Aquemini, Miseducation of Lauren Hill, Canibus debut, Slim Shady LP, Black on Both Sides, Things Fall Apart, Ryde Or Die vol 1 etc etc.............. shiny suits was a part of it but I wouldn't say it defined it. There was just too much other shyt going on.

Plus its a stretch to call the stuff coming out of down south "shiny suit"... they def were spending money like nobody's business, but all the Hot Boyz running around in Girbauds and AF1s was hardly shiny. Its not like rappers only just started bragging about having money in 1997 or w/e either. A lot of important things were happening in the late 90s aside from the shiny suit fisheye lens shyt.

 

[Taadow]

OK, I picked some bad examples. Still though, late 90s you had Black Star, Aquemini, Miseducation of Lauren Hill, Canibus debut, Slim Shady LP, Black on Both Sides, Things Fall Apart, Ryde Or Die vol 1 etc etc.............. shiny suits was a part of it but I wouldn't say it defined it. There was just too much other shyt going on.

Plus its a stretch to call the stuff coming out of down south "shiny suit"... they def were spending money like nobody's business, but all the Hot Boyz running around in Girbauds and AF1s was hardly shiny. Its not like rappers only just started bragging about having money in 1997 or w/e either. A lot of important things were happening in the late 90s aside from the shiny suit fisheye lens shyt.

But as you say...all that was happening "aside" the shining. It was on the side. Shining was the major thing.

Yeah, the Hot Boy$ had on white tees and Reeboks...but they had "the price of a mansion on their neck and wrist",
platinum teeth, and were hopping out of Cash Money Helicopters. Mannie Fresh had "rims bigger than your future".

Even out West we saw the shift. Snoop goes to No Limit, then has that seizure inducing cover on Da Game Is To Be Sold.
Ice Cube became Don Mega and blew up with "We Be Clubbin"", then most of the singles out thurr was for the club/porty.

And you right, rappers didn't just start bragging about having money in 1997...but around that time is when the
rappers who didn't used to rap about that started doing it. That's why you could say that defined the era. I mean:

- as was mentioned, Mic Geronimo. Was a gravely-voiced street rapper. When it's time for him to come up,
he went and got the Puffy stimulus package. And he wasn't the only one....a lot of folks went to Bad Boy for heat,
or something similar.

- Fat Joe "traded in "his mac and vest for a double breast".

- The Firm, bruh. Even Nas and AZ with suits and jewelry on.

- bruh...niccas had the shiny leather overalls and jumpsuits with the googles to match. LMAO
I know you remember that chit...