Hip-Hop Classics from '88-'91

These are the years with the most bonafide hip-hop classics EASILY IMO...of course this thread was inspired by Trotter's thread calling '94-'98 the greatest 4 year period in hip-hop history which I disagree with but also do love those years too....

let's name some hip-hop classics from these years: here's just a few:

PE-It Takes A Nation Of Millions To Hold Us Back
Jungle Brothers-Straight Out The Jungle
De La Soul-3 Feet High And Rising
De La Soul-De La Soul Is Dead
Heavy D And The Boyz-Big Tyme
Heavy D And The Boyz-Peaceful Journey
BDP-By All Means Necessary
NWA-Straight Outta Compton
D.O.C.-No One Can Do It Better
Scarface-Mr.Scarface Is Back
Slick Rick-The Great Adventures Of Slick Rick
Ultramagnetic MC's-Critical Beatdown
Big Daddy Kane-Long Live The Kane
Big Daddy Kane-It's A Big Daddy Thang
A Tribe Called Quest-The Low End Theory
A Tribe Called Quest-People's Instinctive Travels
Special Ed-Youngest In Charge
EPMD-Strictly Business
EPMD-Unfinished Business
EPMD-Business As Usual
PE-Fear Of A Black Planet
PE-Apocalypse '91
Eric B and Rakim-Follow The Leader
Too Short-Life Is Too Short
Ice-T-Power
Kool G Rap and Polo-Road To The Riches
MC Lyte-Lyte As A Rock
Marley Marl-In Control Vol 1.
Bizmarkie-Goin'Off
Brand Nubian-One For All
Gangstarr-Step In The Arena
BDP-Edutainment
LL Cool J-Walking With A Panther
LL Cool J-Mama Said Knock You Out
Kool G Rap and Polo-Wanted Dead Or Alive
Eric B And Rakim-Let The Rhythm Hit 'Em
Digital Underground-Sex Packets
Poor Righteous Teachers-Holy Intellect
Special Ed-Legal
X-Clan-To The East Blackwards
Ice Cube-Death Certificate
Ice Cube-Amerikkka's Most Wanted
Paris-The Devil Made Me Do It


and I'm going to stop there!!

these years '88-'91 are the BEST 4 year period and the best years in hip-hop history period...and I think this very small list shows that...feel free to add on many more classics from that time period...

1988-1991...right in the middle of the golden ages and when hip-hop music was at it's PEAK!

Hell yeah! But Powell we can't sleep on 92-98...that may be the winner. I can't believe Trott left out 92-93.

KRob86 wrote:

Hell yeah! But Powell we can't sleep on 92-98...that may be the winner. I can't believe Trott left out 92-93.

Nope, it must not go over for or five years. Powell you fogot 3rd Bass/The cactus LP.

Some of my favorites that Powell didn't mention,

Geto Boys - Grip It On That Other Level
Geto Boys - We Can't Be Stopped
D-Nice - Call Me D-Nice
Stetsasonic - In Full Gear
The UMC's - Fruits of Nature
Eazy-E - Eazy-Duz-It
DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince - He's the DJ, I'm the Rapper
Lord Finesse - Funky Technician
Masta Ace - Take a Look Around
Black Sheep - A Wolf in Sheep's Clothing
Del Tha Funkee Homosapien - I Wish My Brother George Was Here
Main Source - Breaking Atoms
DJ Quik - Quik Is the Name

88 through 91 was the shit.

Powell and Dwight covered them quite well, here's a few that they didn't mention.....

Queen Latifah- All Hail The Queen
Nice & Smooth- Ain't A Damn Thing Changed
Cypress Hill- CH
Ice-T - O.G. Original Gangster
Leaders Of The New School- A Future Without A Past
3rd Bass- The Cactus Album

Some more all of y'all forgot...

1988:
Doug E. Fresh "The World's Greatest Entertainer"
Rob Base & DJ E-Z Rock "It Takes Two"

1989:
Beastie Boys "Paul's Boutique"
Ice-T "The Iceberg/Freedom of Speech...Just Watch What You Say"
Young MC "Stone Cold Rhymin'"
Three Times Dope "Original Stylin'"

1990:
Paris "The Devil Made Me Do It"

1991:
Organized Konfusion "Organized Konfusion"
The Terrorists "Terror Strikes: Always Bizness, Never Personal"
2nd II None "2nd II None" (Kev, how could you forget?)
DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince "Homebase"
Pete Rock & C.L. Smooth "All Souled Out"

Some that were either forgotten or omitted

88
2 Live Crew- Move Somthing
King T- Act A Fool

89
Willie D- Controversy
Chubb Rock- And The Winner Is...
2 Live Crew- Nasty As They Wanna Be
Low Profile- Were In This Together

90
Too Short- Short Dogg's In THe House
King Tee- At Your Own Risk
King Sun- Righteous But Ruthless
Grand Daddy IU- Smooth Assassin
CMW- Its A Compton Thang
Poison Clan- 2 Low Life Muthas

91
Naughty By Nature (how in the hell did y'all 4get this?)
Cypress Hill
WC & Maad Circle- Ain't A Damn Thing Changed
Convicts
Hi-C- Skanless (Alan, how could you forget?)
Del- I Wish My Brother
PRT- Pure Poverty

Damn! This may be the best era!

KRob86 wrote:

Naughty By Nature (how in the hell did y'all 4get this?)
Cypress Hill
WC & Maad Circle- Ain't A Damn Thing Changed
Convicts
Hi-C- Skanless (Alan, how could you forget?)
Del- I Wish My Brother
PRT- Pure Poverty

Damn! This may be the best era!

NBN got left out? I was doing a "find" on the page and didn't even bother checking because I thought for sure you would have said that one first. KJ mentioned Cypress, and Dwight mentioned Del.

The Hi-C is not classic to me though. Dope album, but I like 2nd II None a bit more...that would be classic to me. That Convicts album is good. I gotta listen to it more. I also dig the Willie D (got it on tape), Chubb Rock...and I really dig the King Sun pick. That album is dope.

Yeah I like 2nd II None more also but Skanless is not far behind. That King Sun is fucking crazy! Lyricallly the dude is killing them but never blowed.

"PRT- Pure Poverty"

Was my personal "Album of the Year" for '91. Thoes were the days man.

My Top 5 Favs from 88-91

1988 (This and 1994 are probably my fav hip-hop years)
1. Public Enemy- It Takes A Nation Of Millions To Hold Us Back
2. Boogie Down Productions- By All Means Necessary
3. NWA- Straight Outta Compton
4. Eric B & Rakim- Follow The Leader
5. Slick Rick- The Great Adventures Of Slick Rick

1989
1. Big Daddy Kane- It's A Big Daddy Thing
2. De La Soul- 3 Feet High & Rising
3. EPMD- Unfinished Business
4. Geto Boys- Grip It! On That Other Level
5. Queen Latifah- All Hail The Queen

1990
1. Ice Cube- Amerikkka's Most Wanted
2. Brand Nubian- One For All
3. A Tribe Called Quest- People's Instinctive Travels and The Paths Of Rhythm
4. LL Cool J- Mama Said Knock You Out
5. Public Enemy- Fear Of A Black Planet

1991
1. A Tribe Called Quest- The Low End Theory
2. Black Sheep- A Wolf In Sheep's Clothing
3. Scarface- Mr. Scarface Is Back
4. Cypress Hill- CH
5. Nice & Smooth- Ain't A Damn Thing Changed

Lots of classics in ALL these years. 92 & 93 had mad classics as well.

Hell yeah! Dope picks KJ! 88-98 the greatest 10yrs of hip hop period!

KRob86 wrote:

Hell yeah! Dope picks KJ! 88-98 the greatest 10yrs of hip hop period!

I totally agree Kev, although 87 was pretty dope too.

this was the BEST 4 year period by far....nothing even comes close

D.Powell wrote:

this was the BEST 4 year period by far....nothing even comes close

Sorry Powell I still think 92-95 or 94-98 can still hold its own well with this span.

KRob86 wrote:

D.Powell wrote:

this was the BEST 4 year period by far....nothing even comes close

Sorry Powell I still think 92-95 or 94-98 can still hold its own well with this span.

LOL-'94-'98...your buggin real hard on that one Kev...especially including '97 and '98 in any discussion..those two years were the Shiny Suit years man...yes there was some dope shit out but nowhere near on par with '88-'91

'92-'95 was very strong, but just a notch below '88-'91 IMO...just too many hits..just too many classics...just too many dope groups/emcees/producers in '88-'91!

92-95 Was dope maybe he dopest some of the best CD's ever came out those years some that define hip hop.

Chronic, Illmatic, 36 Chambers, Resonable Doubt, Me Against the World, Ready to Die

Those six CD's say it all the were many more.

Reasonable Doubt came out in '96...

C.Roland wrote:

92-95 Was dope maybe he dopest some of the best CD's ever came out those years some that define hip hop.

Chronic, Illmatic, 36 Chambers, Resonable Doubt, Me Against the World, Ready to Die

Those six CD's say it all the were many more.

Yeah man one of those cd's came out in '96 (Reasonable Doubt) so you can remove that one...and the rest of those are GREAT man, but have you looked at the lists above from '88-'91?? I mean talk about defining hip-hop..that's an understatement

as an example:
PE-It Takes A Nation Of Millions didn't define hip-hop?
NWA-Straight Outta Compton didn't define hip-hop?

'88-'91 is the GOAT baby bubba!