Was 1996 the Peak of Rhyming? Free Daps & Reps

[mobbinfms]

1994
Nas on Illmatic
Common on Resurrection
B.I.G. on Ready to Die
Redman on Dare Iz A Darkside
OutKast on Southernplaya (best Kast album IMO)
O.C. on Word...Life
Scarface on The Diary
Jeru on Sun Rises

That case for 94
Dre was definitely far better on the rhyme side of things on Atliens though. I may agree with you that Southernplayalistic is better as an album though
I see your Face on the Diary and raise you Bun B on Riding Dirty


Jeru and OC

 

[mobbinfms]

This.

The budgets got huge around '97, but the standard changed too. It lowered. Just seemed like a lot of MC's lost their identify after '96. Image definitely became more of a concern than skill on a large-scale, and that kinda killed what was so dope about the culture prior to that.

Not sure I saw anyone mention Illadelph Halflife. But lyrics took a backseat right after getting so many classic albums that had some of the best lyrics ever on them. It was weird.

Well said.
Thought I was out of reps, but found one more in the stash for this post
It all boils down to purity. Artistic integrity. People use the word purist in a derogatory fashion on here, but that's exactly what we need more of.

 

[mobbinfms]

Nah 97. PUN, Canibus, CNN etc.........

I agree with you about 1995 being the best overall year though. Legendary era.

Pun's album had some commercial shyt on it that wouldn't have been there in 96 I bet. Plus Puff
Mase
This was the year of the shiny suit breh

 

[JuvenileHell]

It was the peak of Hip Hop for the most part, from the music, to the fukkery (RIP Pac and Big )

Imagine if the Booth existed in 96

 

[Pinyapplesuckas]

if its not the best year for lyrics then its the best year for lyrics AND beats together.

 

[Firefly]

Pun's album had some commercial shyt on it that wouldn't have been there in 96 I bet. Plus Puff
Mase
This was the year of the shiny suit breh

I'd say 98 was. You had CANIBUS as a top MC in 1997. Definitely a lyrical year.........WU was still popping off too before they faded out, CNN, yeah you had PUFF and Mase BUT thats off the back of BIGs death. The LOX etc all that was 1998 which I would say was the Shiny Suit era. 97 was the last year for that lyrical shyt.....just look at the mixtapes from that year. shyt 1st time i heard Roc Marci was 1997. Plus all the Rawkus stuff kicked off in 97. Definitely was the start of the shiny suit jiggy era but I'd def say 1997 was the last great year and a rhyming, lyrical PEAK. You forget the number 1 verse from that year and one of the most lyrical......"I bomb Atomically"

 

[big_controversy]

Yeah I think albums is the best way to judge. What year had the most elite emcees at the top of their game. That basically what this thread comes down to.

Illmatic is flat out amazing. No argument there.
36 Chambers. All time classic record. But Rae and Ghost ramped up later. Who do you think was in their prime from the Wu on that album?
Return of the Boom Bap was dope. I've never really thought about if that was KRS' peak though
Biggie was a beast on RTD. Was he better lyrically on LAD?
Com was a beast on Resurrection. Definitely his peak. I'll respond more later.

Yes, BIG was better lyrically on LAD

 

[big_controversy]

96 is the GOAT year of hip hop

The 4 best rappers were all relevant...3 of them dropped classic albums & the 4th was recording his classic album

You had to live 96 to appreciate it

Summer 96 was a special time in rap history

 

[Piff Perkins]

96 was real...

I know Nas/Hov/Andre/etc are the main focuses but ayo I gotta piggy back on @mobbinfms. I gotta talk about Prodigy reaching god status.



I love rap. And in 96 I was a kid living and breathing it. Most of that shyt was going over my head so my appreciation of 96 really grew a few years later. But the rappers that touched me even as a youngin in 96 were Nas, Pac, and P.

My favorite most memorable verses give me chills. shyt literally makes me take pause like damn. P had MULTIPLE verses like that on Hell On Earth. So cold I had to just sit down.

Imagine being a Pac stan listening to that last Drop A Gem On Em verse brehs. shyt had me like

Brehs I remember when all my homies got that shyt on the same day. I didn't even go to school the next day because I KNEW nikkas was gonna be pressing me about that verse. I had to fall back. Told my mom if any of my homies call tell em I'm sick


P was just going HAM at the end of tracks brehs. Hell On Earth's last verse

Still Shining.... "put holes thru you like fukkin Jamaican clothes"

Get Dealt With

 

[Gains]

the jiggy shiney suit era ruined shyt

 

[gluvnast]

Definitely the peak of emceeing and lyricism. 1996 and 1997 are almost night and down, and I blame the deaths of 'pac & Biggie for the drastic shift as well as the Telecommunications Act which changed the game COMPLETELY in both radio and cable.

But immediately after '96, 1997 was the PUFFY SHINY SUIT era and the start of the NO LIMIT ERA (no dis to either, but that's where everything began to go downhill).

 

[Cryptocurrency Scarface]

the jiggy shiney suit era ruined shyt

from grimey to shiny

 

[DMGAINGREEN]

Pun's album had some commercial shyt on it that wouldn't have been there in 96 I bet. Plus Puff
Mase
This was the year of the shiny suit breh

Dog you're being a lil too backpackerish ... you were referring to straight rhymes , not substance or anything else and Pun & Mase we're lyrical with it regardless of the atmosphere of that era ...

 

[TillWeDie]

Good thread

 

[Houston911]

Definitely a top contender