
Mapping the Hip-Hop Nation in the 1990s
By 1990, hip-hop culture had inspired regional scenes across the United States. A series of maps attempted to mark the changes.
By 1990, hip-hop culture had inspired regional scenes across the United States. A series of maps attempted to mark the changes.
With his debut solo single, it was clear that 2Pac would be a very different artist from his Digital Underground crew.
The year marked the beginning of the second half of the “golden era,” when the genre’s greatest peaks and worst tragedies were just beyond the horizon.
As I spent the weekend revisiting Company Flow’s Funcrusher Plus, I began to wonder…what other records did I spin as an amateur DJ in 1997?
Of all the years when rap music grew into a global movement – the golden age years – 1991 may be the most difficult to summarize.
In an essay originally written for Maura magazine, the 1996 renaissance of female rappers resonates as a time of missed opportunity.
Chubb Rock’s reputation as a solid, oft-underrated contributor to hip-hop’s golden era is belied by his best-known hit.
Boo-Yaa T.R.I.B.E., a Samoan family band from Los Angeles, are fondly remembered for their memorable role in early West Coast hip-hop.
The Jungle Brothers may have been underrated in America, but they found a receptive audience in Europe, leading to two top-40 UK hits.
While not as essential as the duo’s earlier work, this hit swings with the verve of a master craftsman stepping out of his comfort zone.
BWP’s sharp, raunchy shot at under-performing men remains catnip for fans looking for precursors to today’s smack-talking rap women.
This 12-inch is arguably Bronx heroes Boogie Down Productions’ last great single, and one of the finest story raps of the era.