Often times, we tend to focus too much of our attention on things that have changed that we don’t like. It’s easier, for one— but knowing you came of age during a time that represented something more meaningful can act as a bit of an ego boost, especially when it relates to music. In hip-hop specifically, the tug-of-war between the old school and the new school is frequently at center stage, even on this website. While things have evolved some (for better or worse), the similarities between hip-hip 20 years ago — aka hip-hop’s golden age — and today’s generation, its artists and ideals, are discussed far too infrequently.
Today, you’ll still find reverence for pure lyricism— there’s a reason why the cyber streets went nuts after Kendrick Lamar blacked out on “Control“. Originality still counts for something— it, or an alleged lack there of last summer, spawned the most talked about rap beef of the last five years. Rap is still highly territorial— using your voice to rep one’s hometown is as popular as ever, even if the importance of holding down said territory from a monetary standpoint is not nearly as salient. Record sales still matter, even if our means of consumption have totally flipped, and Grammy Awards still don’t, because the committee still rarely gets it right.
As we reflect on 20-year anniversary of hip-hop in 1996, the year many believe is still the greatest in history, HHSR identified 10 significant observations that came out of that time that help shape the culture.
1) Jay Z, Eminem And Busta Rhymes Introduce Themselves To The World
Unexpectedly, 1996 ushered in a whole new era in hip-hop. This rebirth centered around three future rap hall of famers, and more specifically, two of the greatest lyrical and commercially successful artists in the history of music.
Having already set the world on fire with his work as a member of Leaders of the New School on records like “Scenario”, Busta Bust dropped his debut solo album The Coming in March of ’96. The creative flow and visual interpretation of the album’s lead single set stage for one of the most colorful rap careers of all-time.
Three months later, Shawn Corey Carter’s rookie record Reasonable Doubt quietly emerged on the New York rap scene. Despite only debuting at number 23 on the Billboard charts, Jay Z’s debut and his career in general were slow-going at the outset. Perhaps it was because he was living in the shadows of his dear friend The Notorious B.I.G., or because mafioso rap only played big on the East Coast at a time when the West was in pole position, or maybe because Jay did it all on his own independent label, but for whatever reason Reasonable Doubt flew under the radar. As it turns out, Hov nailed it in 1998 when he said, “I gave you prophecy on my first joint/And y’all all lamed out/ Didn’t really appreciate it/Til the second one came out.” Years later, Reasonable Doubt would go platinum and is still remembered as arguably the best rap album ever.
Then in November, a dude from Detroit dropped an album nobody heard of or cared about. Infinite was only 37:54, but it was enough to launch the career of Eminem. The production was a little crude, but Infinite contained all the residue of the lyrical giant the white boy would blossom into (Em sounds heavily influenced by Big L and or AZ on this album).
As for sales, Em would’ve killed for Jay’s #23 Billboard debut. Infinite sold a cool 1,000 copies. To borrow a line from the movie This Is 40, Em literally could’ve called up everyone who bought the album. Although as fate would have it, Eminem had the most commercial success of the three artists, followed by Jay Z, then Busta Rhymes. The moral of the story: persistence pays. Literally.
Perhaps more remarkable than these three legends debuting their full artistry for the first time in 1996 is Busta Rhymes and Jay Z attended the same high school together (Biggie was there too). And Jay actually bested Busta in a cafeteria rap battle (those are the best kinds)! Busta actually confirmed the outcome, but remarked Hov didn’t want it with the speed raps today. He’s right, but the fact that these three MCs found success during this era is a testament to the times themselves. Like the NBA Draft class of the same year, the 1996 rap rookie class is among the best to ever do it.
2) The West Outsold The East
The power struggle between both coasts was in full swing by the time 1996 rolled around. Artists like Dr. Dre., Snoop, The Dogg Pound, Warren G and Cypress Hill had already seen major success on the charts in the early and mid ’90s; that trend continued into 1996.
East Coast rappers like Nas, Biggie and the Wu-Tang Clan, while critically acclaimed, had not dominated the charts— ’96 brought more of the same as the top three selling albums were from West Coast rappers, two of them by Tupac Shakur— All Eyez On Me and The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory aka “Makaveli” (Snoop’s The Doggfather was the other).
Not only did the West have the ear of the streets, it had their dollar as well. However the music and death of Biggie Smalls would reverse this losing streak in 1997.
3) The Rise Of The South Began
You had your godfathers of The South, The Geto Boys, reuniting and dropping their first record in three years. You had young gunners like Three 6 Mafia eager to make a splash. You had the one-man tank ready to briefly, yet decisively, take over the rap game when Master P dropped Ice Cream Man. And you had the lionized group projects ready to leave their imprint on rap history in the form of UGK’s Ridin’ Dirty and Outkast’s ATLiens. Perhaps it was the success of these two albums that eventually led to this masterpiece.
Regardless, The South as a collective was just beginning its rule that it arguably hasn’t relinquished since it took the torch from Bad Boy in the late ’90s.
4) Rap Groups Reigned
We’ve talked about the death of the rap group on the HHSR Podcast earlier this year. Be it a hyper-focus on oneself or MCs just being unwilling to divide the pie, rap groups aren’t nearly as prevalent in 2016. But in the year 1996, in addition to Three 6, Geto Boys, Outkast, Cyprus Hill and UGK dropping, we also saw The Fugees, The Roots, A Tribe Called Quest, De La Soul and Mobb Deep all put out music. Additionally, Ice Cube took a break from his solo movement to jump back into group work by joining with WC and Mack 10 to from Westside Connection. Their debut record, Bow Down, was also released in ’96.
Of all those mentioned, The Fugees’ The Score was the most revered. Though the trio seemed to collapse in part due to the immense pressure they created for themselves, and an alleged romantic relationship between members Lauryn Hill and Wyclef Jean that went sour, The Score was vital to the international evolution of hip-hop in the mid ’90s. Rap, reggae, soul, R&B, nobody blended them more seamlessly; nobody could rock a crowd better.
The Refugee Camp were not the only creative group to leave their footprint on the game though.
5) The Influence of Bone Thugs-N-Harmony
Although rich with talent, the Midwest was far from a hip-hop hotbed twenty years ago. Bone had a hand in changing all that when the late Eazy-E first put them on. Sadly, Eazy didn’t live to see the fruits of his clairvoyant labor, but Bone’s influence is still felt today.
Few artists can say they did real records with both Biggie and Tupac when they were alive — both of which were absolute FIRE, a feat for which they still don’t get nearly enough credit — but Bone’s greatest contribution to hip-hop is the singing they introduced to rap. Rap had not seen harmonized melodies fused with pure lyricism prior to the Cleveland natives emergence with 1994’s Creepin On Ah Come Up. By 1996, Bone already had the highest selling rap album of the previous year under their belt and to that point, the highest selling rap debut single ever (“Tha Crossroads”), which would win a Grammy in 1997.
Two decades later, the biggest rap artists you can find, (J. Cole, Nicki Minaj, and especially Drake) are all part time singers. Making flows and freestyles sound more like songs has helped grow the genre while expanding their crossover appeal. Therefore, each of these artists owe a debt of gratitude to the the Thugs from E. 99 & St. Clair, one of the 10 greatest rap groups of all-time.
6) Naughty By Nature Won The First Ever Grammy For Best Rap Album
So…about the Grammys.
Remember that time Karl Malone got the 1997 NBA MVP from Michael Jordan “the ski mask way”? Sometimes history gets it wrong. Long a heavily racist institution, the Grammy Awards seemed to treat Black music as second class, and to this day rarely “gets it right” when it comes to matters of hip-hop. The reasons behind this have been discuss on this site at great length (see the links in paragraph two), but as incredulously as it may seem, Naughty By Nature won the first Grammy for Best Rap Album in 1996.
Granted, this was based off work largely released in 1995, and The Score won the award in 1997, Naughty By Nature’s win for Poverty’s Paradise still seems criminal in retrospect. Pac should’ve received this award for Me Against The World, but a victory for Bone’s E. 1999 Eternal or Raekwon’s Only Built For Cuban Linx… would be far more palatable today. Yes, when it comes to rap music, the Grammys are filled with many whatthefuck moments.
The Source used to be dope, until…ya know, the whole Benzino thing.
7) Ladies Had Respect On The Mic
In addition to Lauryn Hill morphing into one of the biggest stars in music and Mia X low key bodying verses, Lil Kim and Foxy Brown had seats at the head of rap’s table. Few remember the longtime rivals actually put out albums one week apart in November 1996. Kim’s Hard Core had a solid performance in the stores and was a buoyed high remarks from critics. Foxy’s Ill Na Na followed it up with an even better initial sales performance, however Hard Core would go on to sell more records years down the line while maintaining a greater place in history through the eyes of the media.
Sidebar: Jay Z had guest appearances on both albums.
What we had here was unlike anything we’ve seen in recent years. Although there were rumors of alleged ghostwriting, each of these women (especially Lauryn Hill) were respected lyricists. Today’s leading female emcees are constantly held down by ghostwriting accusations, an overemphasis on having a “pop” sound, stealing the style of rappers like Kim and Foxy and a whole lot of hot air via social media without any relevant music to back it up (Azealia Banks).
8) Big Budget Music Videos Took Over
Pac & Dr. Dre’s “California Love” video was filmed November of 1995, “Tha Crossroads” was shot in February of 1996; from that point forward, rap videos seemed to ascend to a new plateau. Special effects, flashy outfits, high-profile cameos and lengthy scripts with full-on subplots became commonplace. Legendary video director Hype Williams was largely responsible for this; his wiki videography page reads like a Now! tracklist.
After working with Jay, LL Cool J, Nas and ATCQ in ’96, Hype and his brand of eccentric videos carried well on into 1997 and beyond. Some (“Mo Money, Mo Problems”, “Put Your Hands Where My Eyes Could See”, “Feel So Good”) worked better than others (“Sunshine”), but prior to Hype’s run, rap videos were all glocks and bubble coats.
9) Competition From Tragedy Brought Out The Best In Everyone
The East/West mess had effectively glamorized rap beef like never before. While the resulting tragedies surrounding two of the elite artists ultimately resulted in a net loss for hip-hop, the bicoastal competition created some of the best work rap has ever seen.
Above everything else, the reason 1996 stands out in the minds of hip-hop heads is the music it produced was sublime. Rap tends to be cyclical in nature; if the heavyweights all drop in the same year, expect a down year while they tour and get back in the lab the next 12 months. Yet when the circumstances of the era dictate more of an output, then you have Pac dropping two albums in ’96, one a double disc, which basically means he dropped three albums a year after he dropped Me Against The World. You get Nas’ It Was Written — arguably the most anticipated sophomore LP in rap history — which surpassed Illmatic in the eyes of many. You get Ghostface Killah’s Ironman, Mobb Deep’s Hell On Earth and Redman’s Muddy Waters from the East and Bow Down, The Doggfather and Ras Kass’ Soul On Ice from the West.
Hip-hop was and always will be built on competition. While the competition burned out of control in 1996, it produced some of the best music we’ve ever heard, for better or worse.
10) We Lost Tupac Shakur
The 20 year anniversary of Tupac’s passing is in six weeks. One of the most intelligent and charismatic figures the game has ever known, Pac had the ability to show his rough and tumble asshole side, his revolutionary Black militant side and his sensitive side all in the same album.
We lost more than a gifted poet on September 13, 1996. At 25 years of age, Pac (when focused) was the voice of a generation of young Black men. His open appreciation for women (regardless of what you think of his sexual assault case), speaking out against police brutality, putting an end to poverty and gang violence— these are just a sample of the issues Pac frequently spoke about that still resonate to this day.
Mixing the social impact with success at the cash register (you had to actually drive to the store and buy CDs or cassette tapes in 1996) at the highest levels is a quality Pac brought to the table in ways still unmatched in hip-hop after 20 years. His untimely death was the linchpin of the fall of Suge Knight and Death Row Records, which went from juggernaut to afterthought all in the calendar year.
If 1996 was “the golden age of rap“, Tupac Shakur was King Midas. With his crown vacant, the rap game was forced to adapt once again. But if we learned anything from 1996, it’s that the culture was far more agile than anyone had realized. The Bad Boy/Death Row beef eventually ceased and the genre continued its expansion into new sounds, regions and audiences.
We only get years like 1996 once in a generation— maybe we’re just about due for another one.