1998 - Best year for hip hop ever?

Dude, LOOK at 1998 in hip hop:

January 13:
The Lox - "Money, Power & Respect"

February 25:
Scarface - "My Homies"

March 19:
DMX - "It's Dark And Hell Is Hot"

March 24:
Cappadonna - "The Pillage"
Hussein Fatal - "In the Line of Fire"
(who? One of 2Pac's Outlawz, decent album no less)
M.O.P. - "First Family For Life"

March 31:
Gangstarr - "Moment of Truth"

April 7:
Goodie Mob - "Still Standing"
AZ - "Pieces of a Man"

April 28:
Big Pun - "Capital Punishment"

May 5:
Various - "Lyricist's Lounge vol. 1"
(the kickoff to a STELLAR line of compilations, I still listen to this today)

June 2:
Lord Tariq and Peter Gunz - "Make it Reign"

June 9:
Juvenile - "400 Degreez"

June 16:
Devin - "The Dude"
(yes, his original rap name was just "Devin," but this album caused the second part to be assumed)

June 30:
Def Squad - "El Nino"

July 14:
Noreaga - "N.O.R.E."
(act like you didn't like it at first)
Beastie Boys - "Hello Nasty"

July 21:
Cam'ron - "Confessions of Fire"
(yes, he actually made albums worth listening to before he started wearing pink)
Jermaine Dupri - "Life in 1472"

August 4:
Snoop Dogg - "Da Game Is To Be Sold, Not Told"
(actually, proof that Snoop CAN make and sell a wack album)

August 11:
Funkmaster Flex - "The Mixtape, Vol. 3: 60 Minutes of Funk"

August 25:
Mos Def & Talib Kweli - "Blackstar"
Lauryn Hill - "The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill"
Xzibit - "40 Days and 40 Nights"

September 1:
Fat Joe - "Don Cartagena"
Kurupt - "Kuruption"
Flipmode Squad - "The Imperial"

September 8:
Canibus - "Can-I-Bus"

September 22:
Ras Kass - "Rassassination"
(you slept on it)

September 29: (arguably one of the best single release days for hip hop)
Jay-Z - "Vol 2... A Hard Knock Life"
Outkast - "Aquemini"
A Tribe Called Quest - "The Love Movement"

October 19:
Vanilla Ice - "Hard To Swallow"

November 3:
"Belly" Soundtrack
(an all-star lineup matching that of the movie it represented)

November 10:
DJ Quik - "Rhythm-al-ism"
Pete Rock - "Soul Survivor"

November 17:
Method Man - "Tical 2000 - Judgment Day"
(an album almost as bad as a fucking holocaust)

November 24:
Redman - "Doc's Da Name 2000"
RZA - "... as Bobby Digital in Stereo"

December 1:
Jurassic 5 - "Jurassic 5 LP"

December 8:
Busta Rhymes - "E.L.E."

December 15:
DJ Clue - "The Professional"

December 22:
DMX - "Flesh of my Flesh, Blood of my Blood"



Aside from one hidden joke in that list, that is a year that includes classic albums, fucking stellar ones, still pretty good ones, and most at least worth checking out, still not mentioning the stragglers that one MIGHT have picked up on the in-between... I can HONESTLY say that I have not seen a whole year like that SINCE 1998. There are albums I KNOW I forgot -- evidenced by the number of times (7) that I have edited this blog since posting it. There are a couple that I intentionally left off as well.
We saw the onset of making 2 albums in one year by DMX -- which would be copied by Master P and no limit records, Nas and several others -- with the exception being that HE made 2 good albums.
We saw the last efforts from legends A Tribe Called Quest, a resurgence from Jay-Z and the making of SEVERAL stars who we might have otherwise ignored. I spent A LOT of money on music that year, and I am honestly saddened that I am not able to anymore, even though I EASILY make enough money to be able to these days.

The above list also goes not to mention the albums that were still bubbling HARD from 1997 as well, a list which I will not get into at this time.
Let's just say I am a bit disappointed with the artists of the day and it has more to do with the fans than the artists.

Comments

Wayne Edwards said…
I was about to fucking say until I read your exerpt at the bottom of the page...

"really?

reaaaaally..... Phlip, really?

really?"

lol oh, got me.
Anonymous said…
ONYX. SHUT EM DOWN. 1998.
Kousen Tora said…
That was the height of my Hip Hop mix tape making. I used to grab my cousin's CDs whenever he'd get em & record em... damn near got close to selling them too.

But yeah those were some pretty hot albums when they came out... although I was never a fan of Tariq & Gunns.
Anonymous said…
Sorry but 1994 wuzz prolly tha best year in hip hop...

Nas - Illmatic
The Notorious B.I.G. - Ready To Die
Bone Thugs-N-Harmony - CReepin' On Ah Come Up
Method Man - Tical
OutKast - Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik
Gangstarr - Hard To Earn
Warren G - Regulate...G Funk Era

Three 6 Mafia/Triple 6 Mafia - Smoked Out,Loced Out (For Underground Fanz)

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