Which back to back years in Hip Hop saw the biggest change in the overall sound of music?

[Awesome Wells]

'87-'88.
'91-'92.
'96-'97.

These were the biggest shifts. Sh*t was like night and day, back then.

 

[Rasille]

I think 97 was a continuation of the shift we began to see in 96. By 98 things changed almost completely.

 

[FreshAIG]

When you say back to back years, you mean both years being similar? (The first year starting the change in sound then the following year being the execution of the change). Or one year being a complete opposite of the previous year?

Previous year being the complete opposite or the sound having the biggest change

 

[Mac Ten]

Ballin came out in 06. U also had mimz. NYC just failed to adapt

Yes it did…

In 2005, we went from Lil Jon making jams to make folks wanna fight and get wild.


NY was trying to push folks like Maino and Uncle Murda but it didn’t work out.


Mims was cool but was a victim of Wayne’s beat jacking.


He shouldn’t be sad because he did that to Mike Jones too… redid your song and made it better to the point where folks don’t wanna hear the OG.


I hated that song “Ballin”. Automatic skip. I’d rather hear Reppin Time instead

 

[Mac Ten]

I think 97 was a continuation of the shift we began to see in 96. By 98 things changed almost completely.

Hip Hop was a lucrative business by then….


Jay-Z became a star that year and decided to reissue RD to catch folks up.

In 97, we was still mourning Biggie.

In 98, DMX brought back that reality rap.

He was a underdog for the people just like Pac.

 

[Mike the Executioner]

87 to 88 is a great one

I would say from '86 to '87 is where you really see the shift starting. In '86, the most popular rappers were Run-D.M.C. and the Beastie Boys. In '87, Rakim, Public Enemy, EPMD, BDP, and Kane all dropped their debut albums or singles. Public Enemy was supposed to drop their first album in '86, but it was delayed for months and by the time it came out, it was already dated. They heard "I Know You Got Soul" at a club, realized that the sound of hip hop was changing rapidly and made "Rebel Without a Pause" in response.

'88 was the continuation of the shift that started a year ago, but that year was when you saw more competition and more acts drop their debut albums. Sample-based production had already been around, but it became widespread in '87 when rappers started sampling funk and soul music.

 

[Newark88]

I would say from '86 to '87 is where you really see the shift starting. In '86, the most popular rappers were Run-D.M.C. and the Beastie Boys. In '87, Rakim, Public Enemy, EPMD, BDP, and Kane all dropped their debut albums or singles. Public Enemy was supposed to drop their first album in '86, but it was delayed for months and by the time it came out, it was already dated. They heard "I Know You Got Soul" at a club, realized that the sound of hip hop was changing rapidly and made "Rebel Without a Pause" in response.

'88 was the continuation of the shift that started a year ago, but that year was when you saw more competition and more acts drop their debut albums. Sample-based production had already been around, but it became widespread in '87 when rappers started sampling funk and soul music.

Right. Going by @FreshAIG explanation, 86-87 is more accurate. In 86, acts like Run DMC and LL were still the kings but that was the same year Rakim and KRS dropped their debut songs. 87, was when the albums (Paid In Full, Criminal Minded for example) started dropping. 88 was the year where the new era of rap was officially in the forefront, culminating in the first real golden era.

 

[KingSol81]

97 to 98, perfect example is DMX, Its Dark was primarily recorded in 97 and Flesh Of in 98 and those albums sound like night and day

 

[FlyRy]

everything has been ass since 08