1998 = The Most Underrated Year In Hip-Hop History

[Art Barr]

Outkast originally was a pimp/track heavy what if spinoff of souls of mischief.
That stole the thunder from som,....
That forced som to sellout and they never recovered.

Outkast later evolved into their own brand of culturally enriched southern style rap music wit their later releases.

There is also,...
Past last interviews that feature how much last was on souls of mischeif's dikk, too.
Where Andre fully admits it.


Art Barr

 

[Art Barr]

Also,.....
You have to point to blackmoon, being the first and fastest fully credible maturing artist for that period.
As buckshot was able to change content and convincability direction from, wgtp to hmemgd, as well.
Which was noted, by nearly everyone in rap.
As his ramp up period from who got the props=wgtp, to how many emcee's must get dissed =hmemgd,.....
Is one of the feats of the early nineties.
Where teenage groups like fam-lee, to the youngstas failed to gain maturity and convincability.
Buckshot was able to permeate from buckshot shawty to buckshot.
in one of the worst single and album delays, in rap history as well.
You pretty much can say buckshot showed the entire culture how to grow up on wax.
in The delay period of the first single release to the second single release.
An up in skill unheard of, that will never be matched.
To the point,...
By the time enta tha stage dropped.
Followed by the bside to killin' nikkas in sight,....
Buckshot had whispers of being the top vocalist.
Which,...
Imo is also how the seeds were planted for nas to be heralded in the manner nas was heralded for illmatic.



Art Barr

 

[Big Mel]

that Black Moon album, arriving on the heels of the Onyx mania, literally had my immediate crew absolutely turnt up to use the now vernacular. Once Wu hit it was a wrap.

 

[ThirtyPlus]

Underrated? It's my second favorite to '96

 

[Big Mel]

then you're buns.


1984. 1986 into 1988. shyt...1989 with NWA & do the right thing....then like...1993-1995.


hip hop stops after that.

 

[DANJ!]

then you're buns.


1984. 1986 into 1988. shyt...1989 with NWA & do the right thing....then like...1993-1995.


hip hop stops after that.

nikka, you just old.

 

[mobbinfms]

havoc was a fixture in the enta da stage sessions.
If you check the jcard notes if I remember right.
Havoc is mentioned there as well.


Art Barr

Well that explains why that album was so well produced. Havoc probably ghost produced the whole thing.

But to be serious, that's a great point and I'll bet he picked up some things from the Beatminerz at those sessions (and in all honesty, maybe vice versa - I don't know how advanced Hav was in 1993, wasn't that the year he produced "Hit It From The Back", you know, Ras Kass' favorite song of all time).

But do you think that was a primary influence, and that without attending those sessions, the Infamous doesn't end up as perfect as it did? Because that's the argument that @Wacky D is making. It's not enough to be influential to be a factor, Hip Hop has to end up not being the same if you don't exist.

Truthfully, I don't know that anyone can answer that question, other than Havoc, it would just be speculation

 

[mobbinfms]

Outkast originally was a pimp/track heavy what if spinoff of souls of mischief.
That stole the thunder from som,....
That forced som to sellout and they never recovered.

Outkast later evolved into their own brand of culturally enriched southern style rap music wit their later releases.

There is also,...
Past last interviews that feature how much last was on son's dikk, too.
Where Andre fully admits it.


Art Barr

Outkast was even on a different tip on the first album, somewhat. They were pimp heavy like you said, but Git Up was on a whole other vibe.

 

[mobbinfms]

Also,.....
You have to point to blackmoon, being the first and fastest fully credible maturing artist for that period.
As buckshot was able to change content and convincability direction from, wgtp to hmemgd, as well.
Which was noted, by nearly everyone in rap.
As his ramp up period from who got the props=wgtp, to how many emcee's must get dissed =hmemgd,.....
Is one of the feats of the early nineties.
Where teenage groups like fam-lee, to the youngstas failed to gain maturity and convincability.
Buckshot was able to permeate from buckshot shawty to buckshot.
in one of the worst single and album delays, in rap history as well.
You pretty much can say buckshot showed the entire culture how to grow up on wax.
in The delay period of the first single release to the second single release.
An up in skill unheard of, that will never be matched.
To the point,...
By the time enta tha stage dropped.
Followed by the bside to killin' nikkas in sight,....
Buckshot had whispers of being the top vocalist.
Which,...
Imo is also how the seeds were planted for nas to be heralded in the manner nas was heralded for illmatic.



Art Barr

that Black Moon album, arriving on the heels of the Onyx mania, literally had my immediate crew absolutely turnt up to use the now vernacular. Once Wu hit it was a wrap.

Buckshot was 22-23 when Who Got dropped. The best example of a transition from a kiddie group to an adult group is Mobb Deep.

Also, for posterity, I want to make sure the record is clear that I'm not dissing Black Moon/BCC. Black Moon was my favorite group until Mobb Deep came through and crushed the buildings. I picked them to make a point that the standard @Wacky D holds Outkast to makes a lot of important groups appear like they weren't factors. Unwittingly I picked a group that may have heavily influenced the making of the greatest album of all time.

 

[Bone$]

Fukk reading all these pages in this thread but you better recognize nore and cam dropping classics on the same day, 98 >>>

 

[Wacky D]

Are we talking suburban hip hop fans or suburbanites who don't know shyt about hip hop? Two very different categories. Also, do you have a source for the sales demographics?

How did Bone change from the EP to e99?

That thread is gonna result in pandemonium when Outkast is ranked 27 behind the Ying Yang Twins.

I agree there's nothing to debate because you haven't made any points to back up your claim.

suburban rap fans. actually both by '98. I don't need sales demographics. whenever I get a hold of sheets like those, they basically tell me what I already knew in the first place. people who get out and have an ounce of a clue, can tell who is who.

you don't see the difference between COACU & E99?

lol @ ying yang comment.

what other points do I have to make? the idea of BCC not being influential on the east coast is just ridiculous.

I picked them to make a point that the standard @Wacky D holds Outkast to makes a lot of important groups appear like they weren't factors. Unwittingly I picked a group that may have heavily influenced the making of the greatest album of all time.

I don't hold outkast to higher standards than they can handle. you need to make that statement towards the people on here that hype them up as goats and the media that made them believe that chit. what part do you not understand? my goodness.

 

[mobbinfms]

suburban rap fans. actually both by '98. I don't need sales demographics. whenever I get a hold of sheets like those, they basically tell me what I already knew in the first place. people who get out and have an ounce of a clue, can tell who is who.

you don't see the difference between COACU & E99?

lol @ ying yang comment.

what other points do I have to make? the idea of BCC not being influential on the east coast is just ridiculous.



I don't hold outkast to higher standards than they can handle. you need to make that statement towards the people on here that hype them up as goats and the media that made them believe that chit. what part do you not understand? my goodness.

Yeah - I would need to see the sales figures. I've personally never seen sales figures broken down by demographics. Who puts them out? How in depth do they get? We talking neighborhood to neighborhood? Where have you seen them?

I'm not a Bone fan, I'm not doubting that they dramatically transformed their sou d or subject meter from project to project. I honestly don't know so I'm asking you to quickly break it down to me. I don't remember their being a dramatic change with the singles.

You haven't made any points to back up your claim. Other than the Infamous - which i brought up - but even then - you just said it wiout an explanation - @Art Barr was the one to she'd some light on how that may have happened.

No one on this thread is giving Kast undeserved props. To the contrary a lot of people are shytting on Aquemini. Like I said, mention me in a thread where that happens and watch my tune change. Till then, your dismissive ness is fair game.

 

[Rapmastermind]

been 15 years, but it feels like yesterday.

great year from top-to-bottom. so much going on. so many shifts & turns. it felt like 3 years in one. which is great, because it coincided with my life at the time, which felt like 3 different years molded into one as well.

ive been watching my '98 vhs tapes and it darn near brought a tear to my eyes. what happened to hip-hop?

1998 it seemed was considered one of the weakest years of the 90's yet it's still a Legendary Year in Hip Hop. That's how far ahead the genre was pushed forward in the 90's. So No 98's isn't an "Underrated" year in Hip Hop cause every single year in the 1990's is conisdered a GREAT year in Hip Hop History. That's right 90,91,92,93,94,95,96,97,98,99 are all Considered Great and Legendary years in Hip Hop History. As for the year in question. I remember it well. I graduated High School as the Class of 98 and started College that fall. Hip Hop has so many amazing albums this year.

Outkast finally got the critical credit they deserved with "Aquenimi". DMX brought the that New York Grimey Street sound back on two amazing albums. Jay Z became the Jay Z we know today with the success of "Hard Knock Life". Blackstar debut album gave backpakers everywhere something to be happy about but it was Gangstarr "Moment of Truth" that took the underground hip hop crown for mainstream albums. Lauryn smashed the game with "Miseducation". "N.O.R.E." and "Capital Punishment" got the streets going crazy. "400 Degreez, My Homies" from Juvi and Scarface had the south on Lock but albums from Goodie Mobb, Trick Daddy and Myistakal also made noise. Snoop, E40 and Quik dropped dope albums for the west. Redman and Busta came through with pretty good albums. The year was amazing overall and one I will never forget.

 

[Wacky D]

1998 it seemed was considered one of the weakest years of the 90's yet it's still a Legendary Year in Hip Hop. That's how far ahead the genre was pushed forward in the 90's. So No 98's isn't an "Underrated" year in Hip Hop cause every single year in the 1990's is conisdered a GREAT year in Hip Hop History. That's right 90,91,92,93,94,95,96,97,98,99 are all Considered Great and Legendary years in Hip Hop History. As for the year in question. I remember it well. I graduated High School as the Class of 98 and started College that fall. Hip Hop has so many amazing albums this year.

good point.

Yeah - I would need to see the sales figures. I've personally never seen sales figures broken down by demographics. Who puts them out? How in depth do they get? We talking neighborhood to neighborhood? Where have you seen them?

I'm not a Bone fan, I'm not doubting that they dramatically transformed their sou d or subject meter from project to project. I honestly don't know so I'm asking you to quickly break it down to me. I don't remember their being a dramatic change with the singles.

You haven't made any points to back up your claim. Other than the Infamous - which i brought up - but even then - you just said it wiout an explanation - @Art Barr was the one to she'd some light on how that may have happened.

No one on this thread is giving Kast undeserved props. To the contrary a lot of people are shytting on Aquemini. Like I said, mention me in a thread where that happens and watch my tune change. Till then, your dismissive ness is fair game.

ive seen some when i worked at a mom-n-pop store. also, there was an intern chick that i used to kick it with, who kept me abreast to a lot of that stuff. really, its nothing shocking when you see the figures. its really common knowledge chit if youre aware of whats going on. but if youre a stickler for stuff like that, you'd have a ball with it.

i don't know about "dramatically transformed" but their sound clearly changed from album-to-album, if you actually bothered to listen. the subject matter expanded with each joint as well. a bit too rapidly actually......and really tho, outkast gets too much credit for that. just because they got weirder with each album. later for that.

yea, art did a better job at explaining. thing is, you have a way of sometimes asking some real nit-picky questions. and breaking down the ingredients to apple jacks and such isn't my strong-point. also, i assumed that you were a stickler for east coast hip-hop, so your question alone made me go .

also, i keep forgetting that youre new here. that's why you think that im downplaying outkast.

I agree with homie who said the more albums get mentioned, the weaker the year looks. I don't really remember '98 for albums as much as I do the high volume of quality songs that were out there. It was one of those years where there was always good music out there, but if you bought all those albums you might've been let down.

Case in point: Busta's "Tear Da Roof Off" was live as hell... fukk that album tho'.

"It Ain't My Fault" was poppin'... but shyt if I'll listen to Silkk the Shocker for an hour.

I loved All-City's "The Actual"... the album...

Goodie Mob's "Black Ice" was my shyt... album?

The Lox were killin' it all year... but I could do without more than half of that album.

Even Jermaine Dupri had a couple bangers but I ain't bout to bump that 1472 shyt all the way thru.

'98 is a good year for the music it's remembered for... but there was quite a lot of rightfully forgettable albums.

i agree that '98 wasn't a legendary year for albums, but theres classics that came outta that year.

also, some of these albums youre listening were actually hot.

 

[Wacky D]