Classics froms 94-98

These were the 4 best years in hip hop. 94 considered universally the best year while 98 was the year hip hop died our atleast broken into peices. What were the classics in that time frame?

Common-Resurrection* Boogie Monsters-The Underwater album* Reakwon-Only Built 4 Cuban links* ChannelLive/StationIdentification.Gza-LiquidSwords* Old DirtyBastard-The Dirty Version* Wu-Tang Forever* Company Flow-FunCrusherPlus* Talib& MosDef is BlackStar*KRS-One/KrsOne* Nas-Illmatic* GetoBoys-Resurection* 3rd Eye Vision-Heiroglyphics* Roots-Illadeph HalfLife & DoYou WAnt More??* GhostFace-IronMan* Aceyalone-Book Of Human Language*Killah Priest-Heavy Mental*Cappadonna-The Pillage* Gangstar-MOT.

Quick look thru my collection i can pull these ones, while not all the biggest names most of these albums, if not 5 stars they are close..

E.s.g. - Ocean Of Funk 94
Point Blank - Mad At The World 94
20-2-Life - Up 4 Parole 94
G-Slimm - Fours Deuces And Trays 94
Big Mello - Wegonefunkwichamind 94
Chunk - Break 'Em Off A Chunk 94
Coop MC - Home Of The Killers 94
O.C. - Word...Life 94
Get Low Playaz - straight out tha labb 94
Master p - ghetto's tryin to kill me! 94
Spice 1 - Amerikkka's Nightare 94
Warren G - Regulate 94
Lil half dead - dead has arisen 94

DJ Screw - 3 'n the morning part 1 95
Gangsta Dre - Gang Banging Poetry 95
Show & AG - Goodfellas 95

DJ screw - 3 'n the morning part 2 96
Mass 187 - real trues paying dues 96
Playa G - Pimp Shit 96

Gangsta Blac - Can It Be? 97
Big love - representin real 97

Tommy Wright III - Feel Me Before They Kill Me 98
Kingpin Skinny Pimp - King Of Da Playaz Ball 98

Far too many to name, but I'll post my top 5 from each year:

1994:
Outkast - Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik
Justice System - Rooftop Soundcheck
The Coup - Genocide & Juice
Digable Planets - Blowout Comb
Dred Sott - Breakin' Combs

1995:
Goodie Mob - Soul Food
Genius/GZA - Liquid Swords
KRS-One - KRS-One
E-40 - In a Major Way
Ol Dirty Bastard - Return to the 36 Chambers

1996:
UGK - Ridin' Dirty
The Roots - Illadelph Halflife
Outkast - ATLiens
Poor Righteous Teachers - New World Order
Fugees - The Score

1997*:
Latyrx (Lateef & Lyrics Born) - The Album
Company Flow - Funcrusher Plus
Camp Lo - Uptown Saturday Night

1998*:
Outkast - Aquemini
Mos Def & Talib Kweli - Black Star
The Coup - Steal This Album

*I only have three 5-star personal classics for these years, but I can see why plenty would have more. There are many 4.5-5 stars fringe classics IMO.

Trotter who told you that '94 was considered UNIVERSALLY the best year in hip-hop?? I've never heard that mentioned before which is why I ask you that...I've heard '93 and '91 and '88 and also '89 but not '94 which was a good year as well towards the end of the second "golden age"...

IMO those are not the best 4 years in hip-hop by the way...that would go to '88-'91...if you look at what dropped during those 4 years compared to '94-98...then you will see what I mean man....

classics for '94-'98 include:

Nas-Illmatic
Biggie-Ready To Die
Biggie-Life After Death
2Pac-Me Against The World
Outkast-ATLiens
Goodie Mob-Soul Food
The Fugees-The Score
Raekwon-Only Built For Cuban Linx
GZA-Liquid Swordz
Jay-Z-Reasonable Doubt
KRS-One-KRS-One
UGK-Ridin' Dirty

And I'll just stop there man...and let some others name some of their classics from that time frame!

Deleted by author

Powell, the Source magazine did a poll and most people stated 94' was that year. Plus rappers still refer to that year as the pinnacle of greatness. Also, lounge, theres no way Master P can even drop anythingthing close to good let alone a classic.

How could I forget these-Lyricist Lounge vol.1, Black On Both Sides-MosDef* Infamous Mob Deep* Pharoah Monch-Eternal Affairs-Keith Murray-The Most Beautifullest Thing in the world* GraveDiggaz-6 Feet Deep* Ultramagnetic MC-4 Horsemen) Rass Kass-SoulOnIce* ChinoXL* H2O-Izm & Blues

These ones were close but no cigar: Aceyalone-All Balls Don't Bounce* Boogie Monsters-God Sound* Dog Pound-Doggy Food*Cella Dwellas* Artifacts-Thas Them* CNN The War Report*Black Bastards-KMD[/quote]

Hold up!!!! Some of the albums on your list are every bit as regional as No Limit, and you are not gonna tell people down here that Ghetto's Tryin To Kill Me is not classic.

This could get outta hand and Powell while I semi agree with your choice of the best yrs 94-98 makes a very strong case. Like Alan said there are to many to name for me but I will list 5 personal classics for each year....

94
Big Mike- Something Serious
Face- The Diary
Thuglife- Vol. 1
Biggie- Ready To Die
Nas- Illmatic

95
Goodie Mob- Soul Food
Mobb Deep- Infamous
Pac- Me Against The World
Raekwon- OB4CL
Ball & G- On Top Of The World

96
Pac- All Eyes On Me
Geto Boys- Resurrection
Kast- ATLiens
UGK- Ridin Dirty
Mr Mike- Wicked Wayz

97 (only 4 from this year)
Biggie- Life After Death
Face- Untouchable
Jay-Z- Vol. 1
Mystikal- Unpredictable

98
Kast- Aquemini
DMX- Its Dark
Mac- Shell Shocked
8Ball- Lost
Quik- Rhythmalism

some i didnt see mentioned

Big Pun - Capital Punishment
Bone Thugs - E1999 Eternal
Wu-Tang Clan - Forever (classic to me)
The Dogg Pound - Dogg Food
Big L - Lifestylez of Da Poor and Dangerous
Method Man - Tical
Redman - Muddy Waters
Smif n Wessun - Dah Shinin
Organized Konfusion - Stress: the Extinction Agenda
Show & AG - Goodfellas
Pete Rock & CL Smooth - The Main Ingredient (borderline)
2Pac - Me Against the World
AZ - Doe or Die
The Roots - Illadelph Halflife
Killarmy - Silent Weapons for Quiet Wars (Personal Classic)

probably forgetting some, and a bunch have already been mentioned

Just throwing it out there... but.. uh... 94-98 is 5 years, not 4...

I noticed it too, but why bother correcting?

It's ok Trotter, I understand your deep resentment of Master P blinds you.

One that's not mentioned yet....

DJ Shadow-Endtroducing

gametheory91 wrote:

One that's not mentioned yet....

DJ Shadow-Endtroducing

Yea man, that cd's fire... I can't get enough of Organ Donor

Yeah man Organ Donor is the shit. I can't get enough of What Does Your Soul Look Like part 1 and Changeling.

gametheory91 wrote:

Yeah man Organ Donor is the shit. I can't get enough of What Does Your Soul Look Like part 1 and Changeling.

Ill go back and check that one out... on your copy how long is Organ Donor? Cause on the download I have it was like 2 minutes so I just downloaded the extended music video version from youtube which is like 5 minutes and has some bad ass scratches towards the end.

K.Rob, Atliens & Aquemeni, but not Southernplayalistic...ouch baby...very ouch. I like the 2nd & 3rd, but the 1st is far and away their best, one of my top 10 ever, maybe even top 5.

Southern.... is my 3rd favorite 'Kast album... lol

No worries Shaun, I don't like much that dropped before I was 5, of course hip hop was only about 5 when that was so.

Esco wrote:

gametheory91 wrote:

Yeah man Organ Donor is the shit. I can't get enough of What Does Your Soul Look Like part 1 and Changeling.

Ill go back and check that one out... on your copy how long is Organ Donor? Cause on the download I have it was like 2 minutes so I just downloaded the extended music video version from youtube which is like 5 minutes and has some bad ass scratches towards the end.

Yeah i noticed that too. But whatever i still really like the version on the cd anyway. I wonder why the youtube vid is longer?

My Top 5 for 94-98

1994
1. Nas- Illmatic
2. Biggie- Ready To Die
3. Common- Resurrection
4. Gangstarr- Hard To Earn
5. Outkast- Southernplayalisticadillacmusik

1995
1. Raekwon- OB4CL
2. 2Pac- Me Against The World
3. GZA- Liquid Swords
4. Mobb Deep- The Infamous
5. The Roots- Do You Want More?!!!??!

1996
1. The Roots- Illadelph Halflife
2. Jay-Z- Reasonable Doubt
3. Nas- It Was Written
4. Fugees- The Score
5. Outkast- ATLiens

1997 (Only 3 classics from this year IMO)
1. Biggie- Life After Death
2. Capone N Noreaga- The War Report
3. P Diddy & The Family- No Way Out

1998
1. Outkast- Aquemini
2. Gangstarr- Moment Of Truth
3. Lauryn Hill- The Miseducation Of Lauryn Hill
4. Mos Def & Talib Kweli- Black Star
5. Big Pun- Capital Punishment

1997
Jewelz by OC
Uptown Saturday Night by Camp Lo
Wu Tang Forever
Fan-Tas-Tic, Vol. 1 by Slum Village
The Equinox by Organized Konfusion
One Day It'll All Make Sense by Common
Future Development by Del Tha Funkee Homosapien

just to name a few, i could go on more but there is lots of classic material 1997 was a personal favorite

The Genius wrote:

1997
Jewelz by OC
Uptown Saturday Night by Camp Lo
Wu Tang Forever
Fan-Tas-Tic, Vol. 1 by Slum Village
The Equinox by Organized Konfusion
One Day It'll All Make Sense by Common
Future Development by Del Tha Funkee Homosapien

just to name a few, i could go on more but there is lots of classic material 1997 was a personal favorite

Damn I forgot about Camp Lo!!! That one is definitely a classic.

The others you mentioned are dope but they fall in the 4-4.5 range.

i dont understand the biggie 5 stars. i mean you really liked every track on that album. there where so pretty bad songs on their.

The Genius wrote:

i dont understand the biggie 5 stars. i mean you really liked every track on that album. there where so pretty bad songs on their.

I'm assuming you're talking about Life After Death.

Yes, I did like every track on there. I feel it's easily the best hip-hop double LP ever made. I occasionally skip Playa Hater but I can stand to listen to it.

Uptown Saturday Night is too good of an album. Endless replay value. Near flawless.

You gave Equinox 5 stars?? Are you mad?

Shaun wrote:

Southern.... is my 3rd favorite 'Kast album... lol

Co-Sign, but it's still in my Top 50.

gametheory91 wrote:

One that's not mentioned yet....

DJ Shadow-Endtroducing

Cosign, DJ Shadow actually has 2 classics IMO....if you count "The Private Press", which may be more like 4.5 stars, but I give it the classic nod...it was partly the soundtrack to my college years.

RompedOutCutthoat wrote:

K.Rob, Atliens & Aquemeni, but not Southernplayalistic...ouch baby...very ouch. I like the 2nd & 3rd, but the 1st is far and away their best, one of my top 10 ever, maybe even top 5.

I feel Southernplayalistic and Aquemini are neck and neck, but Southernplayalistic is easily my #2 favorite....by a nose hair though really. I always used to think it was their best until I got way into Aquemini a couple years back.

gametheory91 wrote:

Esco wrote:

gametheory91 wrote:

Yeah man Organ Donor is the shit. I can't get enough of What Does Your Soul Look Like part 1 and Changeling.

Ill go back and check that one out... on your copy how long is Organ Donor? Cause on the download I have it was like 2 minutes so I just downloaded the extended music video version from youtube which is like 5 minutes and has some bad ass scratches towards the end.

Yeah i noticed that too. But whatever i still really like the version on the cd anyway. I wonder why the youtube vid is longer?

I'm pretty sure that version of Organ Donor was the single version. Kinda like how "Paid In Full" is the 2:30 version on the Eric B. & Rakim album. My buddy has it on vinyl and it has the long version. I agree, it's a classic...

The Genius wrote:

1997
Jewelz by OC
Uptown Saturday Night by Camp Lo
Wu Tang Forever
Fan-Tas-Tic, Vol. 1 by Slum Village
The Equinox by Organized Konfusion
One Day It'll All Make Sense by Common
Future Development by Del Tha Funkee Homosapien

just to name a few, i could go on more but there is lots of classic material 1997 was a personal favorite

I'm confused by the Organized Konfusion pick. Not so much confused, but it's easily their worst album IMO. It was just such a drop-off from the first two (which are classics). I mean, I'd still give it 4 stars, but the classic rating?

I suppose the same could be said about a couple others (OC, Wu, SV, Common, Del).

EDIT:

Dang! Trotter wrote:

You gave Equinox 5 stars?? Are you mad?

lol

Wu-Tang Forever was Wu lyrically shitting on the genre in every way, shape, and form....so many different styles, topics, wordplay, slang, stories, battle rhymes all condensed into one LP




cant wait to see the responses to this post

Slang Editorial wrote:

Wu-Tang Forever was Wu lyrically shitting on the genre in every way, shape, and form....so many different styles, topics, wordplay, slang, stories, battle rhymes all condensed into one LP




cant wait to see the responses to this post

Great album, but it's not skip free IMO.

I don't see "I Got Next" up there anywhere.

Zoltar wrote:

I don't see "I Got Next" up there anywhere.

From KRS-One? Probably because it's not classic. From what my ears tell me anyway.

A couple Southern classics that were not mentioned:

BG-Chopper City (1996)
Trick Daddy-www.thug.com(1998)
Juvenile-400 Degreez(1998)

Agreed. Not a classic, but there were some killer tunes on that one.

The MC
Can't Stop Won't Stop
Step Into a World
Friend
Over Your Head