Great thread. Props.
Disclaimer:
There was definitely a shift with regards to content/styles. A few notes though:
* Rap was still very (VERY) new and record companies took street kids and cleaned them up (marketed them) in what they thought was a presentable manner. But many of those rappers still lived the same way they did prior to making music. We as consumers were being fed an image.
* Social discourse was really coming to the forefront of the world. In '91 there was the Rodney King beating, in '92 the Riots (which lasted almost an entire week in LA; 63 people were killed and 2,373 injured). Murder rates for urban communities were up, Crack was in full swing, etc. Life was darker, and the music reflected that. That's when/why the music companies began pumping out hardcore everything.
* Young men in that 17-21'ish age group grew up and saw/heard/experienced things that we shouldn't have had to. From @ '91-'94, I had multiple young friends die or had young friends end up in prison (some with big numbers on their backs before they turned 21). Of all my friends that passed, only 1 of them died from what I'd call natural causes (motorcycle accident). But I had friends die from guns, stabbing, fighting, high speed chases that lead to fatal crashes, etc and had a close friend who was killed by Hayward Police, shot 14 times. Life was dark and the
genuine music reflected that so of course the companies wanted to monetize that. The fact that many young men during this time period had no expectation to live beyond 25 is telling.
* Looking back as an old head, I cannot believe some of the music I listened to from a content perspective. I hear some of those songs these days and cringe. It's no wonder so many from my generation looked at/spoke about women (and other men too) so poorly, the lyrical content was often devastating for a young man developing thoughts/ideas/drives/beliefs. We were taught through our music that life had no value, women were less than human and any man looking at you was challenging you so it was OK to fight/shoot/kill/etc.
* That said, some of these songs are so terrible...LOL. But cash rules everything so they did what they were told.
But even with all that, I still love this artform and appreciate what it has meant to me throughout my life.
had that cut with AMG My sista izza bytch
She got marketed so tough she had a skit on her album robbin Onyx..buckin em...the ACTUAL members, I know some of yall remember that shyt
