A lot of 90’s nostalgia is in retrospect, shyt wasn’t appreciate till later. Back then there was a lot of 70’s nostalgia, hell a whole music genre (Neo-Soul) sprouted out of that. Will forever be my favorite era tho.
Now what throws me off is 00’s nostalgia lol. Those were my coming of age years(graduated high school, running the streets, first child was born, joined the military, etc), and I can tell you a lot of that shyt wasn’t nothing to rave about.
Fashion wise one of the WOAT eras, if not the WOAT.
Two major negative events (9/11 and the recession) and 2 simultaneous wars.
Gentrification started turning up.
10’s babies got better cartoons IMO.
Music was in a weird place, honestly don’t know what to make of it in retrospect lol.
I'll take that argument for the 2000s lol...
You'll remember, at that time we didn't view that fashion as WOAT. I agree completely, in retrospect, I can't think of an era with worse fashion---->10s/90s/80s/70s/60s etc, every era had better fashion, but nobody thought this at the time...
Getting belt buckles with your name on it was a status symbol. So was airbrushed tees and sneakers. The baggy clothing, shyt we clowned cats with clothes that wasn't baggy...
So while I'd never dress like that again, I have an appreciation for growing up in the midst where everyone dressed like that...
I also agree that during the era, I wasn't feeling like it was some legendary era, but on retrospect, the music was underrated. The biggest flaw about 00s hip hop is ringtone rap, but that only lasted maybe 06-08, and when southern rap completely took over but wasn't matured to what it is now, everybody spammed that sound and the quality of music hit a low bar...
But again we're talking late 00s here...
When you think of the peak of a number of legendary artists from Beyonce to Kanye, Common dropped his best album in the 00s, we saw Wayne turn from a mascot into a bonafide legend, the rise of Fif, Alicia Keys greatness...
We had 106&Park, the OG 106 with AJ and Free that was must watch for anybody black, the OG TRL with LaLa Vasquez before she was LaLa Anthony, we still had BET when it was really promoting black music and causes instead of reality shows and movies....
We still played outside, video games were popping but not the thing they are today. We didn't have music on phones and before the late 00s most of us didn't have phones at all, still had CD players and stereos...
Think of the seminal black shows like Girlfriends, The Parkers, One On One, Bernie Mac Show, etc. That was our era...
The movies like Bad Boys II, Training Day, etc...
And the overall vibe of remembering when we still didn't communicate like this. Remembering how unplugged we were...
I could go on but 00s gets underrated, probably especially by guys and girls our age, who shyt on that era in retrospect, but the tides are turning. We're a decade removed from it, and more than a decade removed from the best parts if it, and I HAVE noticed appreciation for that era going up as time removed us from it...
So nah, it wasn't the best thing living in the moment, but I miss plenty of shyt about it. 2004 and 2005 were amazing years too, but pretty much like older cats in here says the 90s was really 90-96, the 00s was mostly 00-05. 06-08 you had that WOAT ringtone phase and BET transitioned into something worse, and '09 was better and transitioning into this decade...
About the 90s too, I agree with you, nobody back then was running around claiming how awesome the 90s were lol. That started retroactively, around the early 00s and was in full force by 05-06, all the 90s appreciation...but it's like that with every era...
To reference my stepmom again, she says she understands why so many people appreciate the 80s now, and in retrospect she can appreciate being part of it. But actually living in the 80s was different, old heads called their music trash, AIDS exploded and everyone was afraid everyone had it, the 80s is the All-Time most violent and dangerous era in the US in the 20th century (followed by the 20s), and living around and/or hearing just the crazy amount of killings and drugs was a different reality at the time....
So all these appreciations get applied moreso retroactively. And I do put the 00s behind the 90s and 80s, but it is underrated and cats will start appreciating it more very soon...
90s and early 2000s was prime rerun era for television before the internet took over. I can vividly remember being like 9 years old watching family matters, living single, fresh Prince, the Parkers, girlfriends
.... in that case I did miss
run..
