The Best of 90’s Hip Hop Music

A look at the best of 90’s Hip Hop music and how it has influenced the music industry today.

Introduction

If you grew up in the 1990s, hip hop was undoubtedly a big part of your life. The genre underwent a huge transformation during the decade, with artists experimenting with new sounds and styles that would shape the direction of the music for years to come. From East Coast rap to G-funk and everything in between, the 1990s was a golden age for hip hop. Join us as we take a look back at some of the best hip hop tracks of the decade.

The Birth of Gangsta Rap

In the late 1980s, gangsta rap became the predominant subgenre of hip hop. Starting in Compton, California, and based on earlier styles of African-American music such as funk and soul, gangsta rap featured explicit lyrics that used authentic slang to describe inner-city life in the US. Gangsta rap artists often came from disadvantaged backgrounds and glorified drug use, violence, and crime as a way to escape their circumstances.

The first significant gangsta rap hit was N.W.A.’s “Straight Outta Compton” in 1988. Dr. Dre, one of the group’s producers, helped popularize the use of minimal accompaniment and the drum machine in rap music through his work on N.W.A.’s album Efil4zaggin (1991). Dre also went on to produce for other seminal gangsta rap artists such as Snoop Dogg, Tupac Shakur, and The D.O.C..

While many consider gangsta rap to be a negative influence on society due to its graphic depictions of violence and drug use, it has also been credited with providing a voice for those who are underserved by mainstream media outlets. Additionally, many gangsta rap songs contain positive messages about staying true to oneself and one’s community despite difficult circumstances.

The Golden Age of Hip Hop

The Golden Age of Hip Hop is often cited as occurring between the mid-1980s and the early 1990s. This period was marked by the commercial success of rap music, which experienced a significant increase in popularity around the world.Rap music became one of the most prominent genres of music during this time, and artists such as Public Enemy, N.W.A, and Run-D.M.C. became some of the most commercially successful musicians in the world.

During the Golden Age of Hip Hop, many of the genre’s pioneers and innovators began to experiment with different sounds and styles, which laid the groundwork for the development of subgenres such as gangsta rap and alternative hip hop. This period also saw the emergence of hip hop culture, which included elements such as graffiti art, break dancing, and DJing.

The Death of Hip Hop

In the early 1990s, Hip Hop was on the rise with artists such as Snoop Dogg, Dr. Dre, Tupac Shakur, and The Notorious B.I.G. dominating the charts. However, by the mid-90s, Hip Hop began to decline in popularity. There are many theories as to why this happened, but one of the most commonly cited reasons is that Hip Hop became too commercialized and lost its original message of peace, love, and unity. Another theory is that rappers began to rely too heavily on drugs and violence in their music, which turned off many listeners. Whatever the reason, Hip Hop’s decline in popularity led to the death of many promising careers and left a void in the music industry that has yet to be filled.

The Resurgence of Hip Hop

In the early 90’s, Hip Hop began to see a resurgence. This was due in part to the commercial success of albums such as N.W.A.’s Straight Outta Compton and Public Enemy’s Fear of a Black Planet, which helped to introduce the genre to a wider audience. The mainstream success of these albums led to the signings of other artists such as Snoop Dogg, Warren G, and Dr. Dre, who would go on to have successful solo careers. This newfound success also resulted in the formation of new record labels such as Death Row Records and Bad Boy Records, which helped to further popularize Hip Hop music.

Conclusion

After much deliberation, we have come to the conclusion that the best of 90’s hip hop music is the album “Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)” by Wu-Tang Clan. This album is a true classic and features some of the most iconic tracks in hip hop history, such as “C.R.E.A.M.” and “Protect Ya Neck”. If you’re a fan of 90’s hip hop, then this album is a must-have in your collection.