The six worst things about 90s hip-hop
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The six worst things about 90s hip-hop
WRITTEN BY ANDREW FRIEDMAN ON THURSDAY, OCTOBER 29 2015
While you were at work, Vince Staples spent his Wednesday antagonizing folks by daring to say that he doesn’t really care about 90s hip-hop.
Dudes promptly stepped in his mentions, offended that a rapper who was born in 1993 didn’t feel strongly about what was poppin’ when he was in short pants. What baffles me is this: how are you gonna cape for an entire decade?
Yes, a lot of awesome rap was made in the 90s. They were the genre’s formative years, and when a lot of its defining history took place. But there was also a lot of garbage, both in terms of music and culture. And if you’re going to go to bat for the vague concept of “90s hip-hop” you are implicitly defending all the fuckery that happened too. So before you dig in too deep, let’s go over some of the lesser points of the decade.
1) THE RAPPING WASN’T THAT GOOD
People like to hold up the 90s as peak lyricism, as if bars have been getting steadily worse since 1999. And yeah, there’s definitely an argument to be made that nobody’s going to ever rap better than Kool G Rap and Nas did on ‘Fast Life’ or Bun B did on ‘Murder’. But if you go back and revisit a lot of the so-called classics from the era, you will be disappointed when you realize every rapper in 1992 ended their verse with two bars about being done with their verse. And while it sounded really smart at the time, rhyming a bunch of five syllable words that sound vaguely scientific wasn’t the revelation everyone thought it was. Word to Afu-Ra.
2) THE POLITICS WEREN’T THAT GREAT
The 90s were better because rappers were really saying something on these tracks, not spitting ignorance and hate like they do today. Right? Yeah OK. First of all, “90s hip-hop” includes ‘Ain’t No Fun’, most of the 2 Live Crew catalog and a bunch of Bushwick Bill songs about stabbing women. I’m not even mad. Just saying, violence and ignorance weren’t invented in 2001. But a lot of the so-called “conscious” rap that folks like to point to when they talk about the sanctity of 90s hip-hop is pretty problematic. The many many songs about racism and the need for equality, if not an outright revolution are great. The antiquated ideas about what women should and shouldn’t do are not. And let’s not forget the rampant homophobia! I’ve made my peace with all this ? — AmeriKKKa’s Most Wanted might be my favorite album of all time — but it’s really hard to say the 90s were an exceptionally positive and progressive decade for rap.
3) NOBODY IN THE SOUTH COULD GET ON
You want to know why Cash Money was able to sign a $30 million distribution deal in 1998? Because they spent the previous seven years building an entire network of their own. Just like everyone else in the South had to do. The New York-centric hip-hop industry didn’t ? with the South because they sounded different. The same thing happened all over the country: rappers couldn’t get noticed in New York no matter how popular they were locally. So they did for self. I guess this was a net gain because so many artists learned how to eat on their own and secured their legacies accordingly. But in a time before internet, it basically took a Jay-Z cash grab to get UGK on MTV.
4) THE LABELS ? EVERYONE OVER
Labels were shady from the jump and continue to be shady today, but they were particularly shady around 1994 when they realized there was money in hip-hop and started indiscriminately signing every rapper to the ? , most exploitative contracts imaginable. The anti-label sentiment of the whole late 90s backpack movement is the collective venting of a generation of artists who got ? when they were young and hungry, after wasting a few years of their life working on albums that would never come out or be shelved indefinitely.
5) THE LABELS ? FANS OVER
The advent of CDs made the 90s a ? time to be a music consumer in two ways. First, since CDs had a higher profit margin than vinyl, there was a push to make records sound ? as a way to nudge fans to buy CDs instead. As vinyl declined, so did the idea of purchasing single songs. If you wanted to own ‘I Can’t Stand the Rain’ you were probably marching your ass down to Sam Goody and paying $16 plus tax for the whole damn Missy album. Which is a bad example because that album is amazing, but you get the idea.
6) WHITE PEOPLE STARTED RAPPING
I don’t have a problem with white people rapping. I have a problem with white people rapping at parties to impress girls, or while playing acoustic guitar, or while on talk shows promoting their movie. If I ever go back in time, I’m not gonna ? Baby ? . I’m gonna find the first dude in puka shells who invented the dorm room cipher by introducing all his buddies on his freshman floor to No Need For Alarm and ? him. Maybe we can stop Macklemore before he even starts!
http://www.factmag.com/2015/10/29/90s-hip-hop/
WRITTEN BY ANDREW FRIEDMAN ON THURSDAY, OCTOBER 29 2015
While you were at work, Vince Staples spent his Wednesday antagonizing folks by daring to say that he doesn’t really care about 90s hip-hop.
Dudes promptly stepped in his mentions, offended that a rapper who was born in 1993 didn’t feel strongly about what was poppin’ when he was in short pants. What baffles me is this: how are you gonna cape for an entire decade?
Yes, a lot of awesome rap was made in the 90s. They were the genre’s formative years, and when a lot of its defining history took place. But there was also a lot of garbage, both in terms of music and culture. And if you’re going to go to bat for the vague concept of “90s hip-hop” you are implicitly defending all the fuckery that happened too. So before you dig in too deep, let’s go over some of the lesser points of the decade.
1) THE RAPPING WASN’T THAT GOOD
People like to hold up the 90s as peak lyricism, as if bars have been getting steadily worse since 1999. And yeah, there’s definitely an argument to be made that nobody’s going to ever rap better than Kool G Rap and Nas did on ‘Fast Life’ or Bun B did on ‘Murder’. But if you go back and revisit a lot of the so-called classics from the era, you will be disappointed when you realize every rapper in 1992 ended their verse with two bars about being done with their verse. And while it sounded really smart at the time, rhyming a bunch of five syllable words that sound vaguely scientific wasn’t the revelation everyone thought it was. Word to Afu-Ra.
2) THE POLITICS WEREN’T THAT GREAT
The 90s were better because rappers were really saying something on these tracks, not spitting ignorance and hate like they do today. Right? Yeah OK. First of all, “90s hip-hop” includes ‘Ain’t No Fun’, most of the 2 Live Crew catalog and a bunch of Bushwick Bill songs about stabbing women. I’m not even mad. Just saying, violence and ignorance weren’t invented in 2001. But a lot of the so-called “conscious” rap that folks like to point to when they talk about the sanctity of 90s hip-hop is pretty problematic. The many many songs about racism and the need for equality, if not an outright revolution are great. The antiquated ideas about what women should and shouldn’t do are not. And let’s not forget the rampant homophobia! I’ve made my peace with all this ? — AmeriKKKa’s Most Wanted might be my favorite album of all time — but it’s really hard to say the 90s were an exceptionally positive and progressive decade for rap.
3) NOBODY IN THE SOUTH COULD GET ON
You want to know why Cash Money was able to sign a $30 million distribution deal in 1998? Because they spent the previous seven years building an entire network of their own. Just like everyone else in the South had to do. The New York-centric hip-hop industry didn’t ? with the South because they sounded different. The same thing happened all over the country: rappers couldn’t get noticed in New York no matter how popular they were locally. So they did for self. I guess this was a net gain because so many artists learned how to eat on their own and secured their legacies accordingly. But in a time before internet, it basically took a Jay-Z cash grab to get UGK on MTV.
4) THE LABELS ? EVERYONE OVER
Labels were shady from the jump and continue to be shady today, but they were particularly shady around 1994 when they realized there was money in hip-hop and started indiscriminately signing every rapper to the ? , most exploitative contracts imaginable. The anti-label sentiment of the whole late 90s backpack movement is the collective venting of a generation of artists who got ? when they were young and hungry, after wasting a few years of their life working on albums that would never come out or be shelved indefinitely.
5) THE LABELS ? FANS OVER
The advent of CDs made the 90s a ? time to be a music consumer in two ways. First, since CDs had a higher profit margin than vinyl, there was a push to make records sound ? as a way to nudge fans to buy CDs instead. As vinyl declined, so did the idea of purchasing single songs. If you wanted to own ‘I Can’t Stand the Rain’ you were probably marching your ass down to Sam Goody and paying $16 plus tax for the whole damn Missy album. Which is a bad example because that album is amazing, but you get the idea.
6) WHITE PEOPLE STARTED RAPPING
I don’t have a problem with white people rapping. I have a problem with white people rapping at parties to impress girls, or while playing acoustic guitar, or while on talk shows promoting their movie. If I ever go back in time, I’m not gonna ? Baby ? . I’m gonna find the first dude in puka shells who invented the dorm room cipher by introducing all his buddies on his freshman floor to No Need For Alarm and ? him. Maybe we can stop Macklemore before he even starts!
http://www.factmag.com/2015/10/29/90s-hip-hop/
Comments
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This article full of ?
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Didn't read lol
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wack article. which is not to say everything about the 90s was goat
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? that list
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Terrible article.
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That was 5 minutes I'm not getting back. Was the person who wrote the article born in '93 too? The '90s weren't perfect but other than some glaring problems, the positives clearly out weighted the negatives in that decade compared to this one.
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Was this written by one of them complex ? who wanna justify this bwatty bwoi excuse for hip hop we got right now?
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I'm not on the whole hate hipster bandwagon but these hipster hip hop vultures, I mean journalist are full of ? .
They are corny and they are just trying to leech off of the lease familiar thing they can find. -
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None of that made sense. From a topical standpoint the south made better music in the 90s, labels still continue to ? over artists and fans today. White people were rapping in the 80s too which is a fact, most of that list is opinion based.
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He's trying to be hip even the white rapper comment is an attempt to be a hip hop yuppie.None of that made sense. From a topical standpoint the south made better music in the 90s, labels still continue to ? over artists and fans today. White people were rapping in the 80s too which is a fact, most of that list is opinion based.
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Very poor understanding of the era
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Vince Staples just lost some cool points
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Vince Staples just lost some cool points
Older heads do be going in on the current acts like it's 07. -
This dude has no idea what hes talking about..
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Vince Staples just lost some cool points
For saying he doesn't care for 90's hiphop ? -
Was UGK really poppin before Big Pimpin?
Thats the first time I'd ever heard of them. -
Was UGK really poppin before Big Pimpin?
Thats the first time I'd ever heard of them.
If you talking about popping off nationally no, many of the southern artist were regional in that era. Musically the foundation and topics that were touched made for great music. -
I hate when people try to make arguments like number 2. Who the ? ever said that every song made in the 90s was a political track? Whoever said the problem with modern rap is that they make party songs? ? fuckas that make that point are missing the point.
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1. To say that rapping wasn't that good is just crazy. Pure hate statement
2. So he's advocating that hip hop in the 90's was wack do to sexism and homophobia. stop it
3. DC has more of southern influence than the other east coast cities. ? been on southern hip hop as far back as i can remember. Anything coming outta rap a lot was getting heavy burn I was totally shocked when i went to college in 99 how little the Bmore Philly and NY ? knew about Scarface outkast ball & mjg no limit or cash money. They were totally clueless. Bmore ? were on No limit and cash money but nothing else southern.
4. No ?
5. This is more on the business side of the game versus the actual music and talent. Not really sure what that has to do with this discussion though he has a good point here.
6. Rap became popular and other cultures started to vulture. Not sure how/what that has to do with anything. I'm sure white folks were rapping in the 80's Beastie Boys maybe
Whoever wrote this needed to take more itme and really break down some content with his points. Hard to define a entire decade with this little ? he posted. I'm sure you can post a counter to every point he brings up if he used specific examples.
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Yes -
You never hear artist from other genres say stuff like that.
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Was UGK really poppin before Big Pimpin?
Thats the first time I'd ever heard of them.
Thats some real east coast ? to say -
i mean every era has had wack rappers. I never really liked a few 90's rappers but i'd take them over the likes of migos, young thug etc i think rap hit an all time low when laffy taffy came out, i mean j kwon i mean other than that fire beat what did he offer ? I also blame the decline on the vets too all that trying to please everyone ? killed originality, granted was cool when big used bone flow that ? was dope but when a ny ? make an south sounding album gtfoh, and then that ? sells so everyone is on the same bs no one raising the bar.
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I'd like to slap whoever wrote this.
Im going to guess he's not only white but probably in his early 20s.
