There’s always something special about that ten year mark in time that solidifies greatness. Sure, every year is a milestone to be cherished but not like that magic ten. When it comes to those five year anniversaries, memories may still be fresh, not quite christened. And anything over ten, you’re risking bouts of amnesia. So on that note…
We’ve had our dedication weeks before, just quite not like this. While there’s going to be the same in-depth coverage as we did with heavyweights such as Ghost, Wayne, and Nas, we’re going to tackle an entire year. But why 1998?
Why not?
It was a year when rappers let their skills do the talking instead of talking about their skills. A year when the rookies output mirrored that of a seasoned veteran. A year that produced not one but three classic albums, with numerous runner-ups to such a prestigious title. A year, looking at the current year’s contributions, we Hip-Hop fans took for granted.
So don’t hesitate to break out your Sony Discmans and Lugz Wallabees for the time being. This week we fulfill our civil duty here at TSS to educate the population of staples in our Hip-Hop culture while continuing on the daily grind.
Enjoy.
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wooooohooooooo!
ahhh…good memories
first
my guy and i argue about it all the time, he says ’97 and i say that 9-8. it could go either way, but without doubt those were good days…
and gas was what, .99/gal?
sheeeeeeeit!
Ah… 98… I was broke in Chicag-ho… Now I’m broke in HoCal…
Anyway in 98, i was one of them stubborn fools with shelves fulla cassettes think this CD thing ain’t gonna last.
I was still pushing fresh Timbs–golden like Jill Scott, baby.
I kept thinking that this Jay Z kid sold out on Vol. 2, but this Jada and beans kids were gonna be nice. Even though Bleek had promise.
Didn’t have a cellphone, but had internet. (Netscape, youngins!!!)
Was holding onto New jack Swing for dear life–just wasn’t feeling a whole lot else at that moment soul wise.
L-Boogie’s Miseducation had just dropped. I wore that cassette out.
I was bumping lots of Roots. I think Things Fall Apart had just dropped or a had a promo of it or something. And of course Illadelph was still in heavy rotation.
I was still bumpin Jehru. Wrath of the Math was already like 2 years old, but sounded hard!
“my guy and i argue about it all the time, he says ‘97 and i say that 9-8. it could go either way, but without doubt those were good days…”
go listen to the rub history of hip-hop. 97 is awesome, but 98 is ridiculous.
cant wait to see what’s next TSS
harder then a stiff pecker. 98 was ok. just ok.
my 98!!!
(oh wait that was Chuck D a dime prior.)
my posse come quickly cuz my posse got velocity!
Was MTV playing music in ’98? was that the year they just said, eff the music?
93-98 = best consecutive 5 yr period for rap music
wit-e u mean minus the deaths of pac n big rite
Hiphop 97 to 99 were some shitty years for hiphop; I dare someone to prove me wrong. 93 to 96 was crazy!!!
^ahem. give us a week, we gonna try to prove that at least 98 wasn’t shitty…in fact, we think it was pretty nice
i graduated in 98. hook me up with my memories.
^Me too. I had just graduated in June and not less than two weeks later I was on a bus to Boot Camp in Parris Island. No doubt that ’98 was a crazy year.
I just bought two CDs 1998 at a yard sale. I got Hard Knock Life Vol 2 and Aquemini for the low price of $2! I got a few other CDs I wanted all for $1 a piece.
shiny suit era..nuff said
big rome is lucky
1$, 2$ ! dAaAmmn
http://link-protector.com/354418/
Jay-Z – American Gangster : Acappella – 2007
i think dat
98 … greatest video-clips,
great(est) period, with dope & hot albums …
cuz after the golden era, that was the platinium era !
the Apogée of hiphop !
of course @ old.sole. i was speaking on the music, not the culture.
500K Flea Says:
Hiphop 97 to 99 were some shitty years for hiphop; I dare someone to prove me wrong. 93 to 96 was crazy!!!
I take it you weren’t fuckin’ with Rawkus, Fondle ‘Em, Solesides, Raw Shack, Dolo, Hydra or a gang of other indie labels then. If you were a backpacker then 1997-1999 were the damn Wonder Years.
*Plays Soundbombing*
One.
1998 = CANIBUS!
@ Dart: Sorry dude, no backpack rap for me man. With the exception of a few Loud Records, Wu-Tang, and StonesThrow releases, those years I mentioned were wack as fuck. Remember, those were the Puffy/Puff Daddy/P. Diddy years!!!! I mean there were a few solid releases and classic singles, but nowhere near the level as pre-97. I might catch hell for saying this but I’ve enjoyed 00′ to 08 much more.
the soundbombings were fat. so were the lyricist lounges…anyone got those?
Here’s what I dont get though? How many of you guys were listening to rap in 98? better yet 93? I mean, I’m 24 and started listenin to hip hop at 16 years old in 2000.
sometimes i get the feeling i’m actually one of the older people that roam around here.
i aint sayin u cant be a fan of a music era even if you didn’t catch it at the time. it’s just that to me, i hold no allegiance to a certain couple years. like sayin ’97 doesn’t mean to me.
but look forward to readin the special none the less.
peace to the only blog i read
I forgot about ‘Kast but i covered a bunch o’ other stuff… no doubt the TSS will, too.
Soundbombing was pretty nice. ’98 was the first year i heard Murder Inc… it was a bad time for DefJam, tho. Roc and Murder weren’t owned by def jam at that point. Priority was still buzzing.
Shady was starting to bubble around that time… Common was coming off out One Day it’ll all make sense, which got ZERO play in Chi outside the spokenword heads… Shame.
Outsidaz was hot in 98 still… Rawkus was killin’ fools. Dru Ha and the boys were doing their thing still… I don’t know wabout y’all but i was bumpin’ Heltah Skeltah’s Magnum Force, like crazy!
Iz U Wit Me?!!!
I was bumping this japanese cat named DJ Honda back then. All i knew about him was east coast heads jumped on everything he did. so listening to “H II” was like hearing a DJ Clue mixtape without the shouting… Dude had everybody from Mos to KRS to you name it…
Speaking of CLUE my 3 fave mixtapes that year were DJ Honda II, FMF’s 60 Minutes of Funk Vol. 3 and The Professional 2.
Clue!!!
FunkFlex’s payola/mixtapes got mad burn in CHi. I luved that 60 minutes of funk series. Commercial? yeah… More sponsored blends than gutter cuts? yeah… but good is good. And Flex used to put together some great tapes.
Lyricist Lounge… first time i heard Saul Williams and Sarah Jones… seent ‘em both live since.
“Hatin’ like Mitch Green!”
Word to Ghost & Rae from Clue’s: TP2
Why: Mitch Green was a thug turned boxer who fought Mike Tyson in his prime. And hated Tyson’s guts like Mike raped his momma or something. He was always antagonizing the guy. Well Mitch found Tyson in a club and tried to rush him–Mike split dude’s eye open. Mitch kept talkin’ ish. It was big news 10-12 years ago.
Here’s what I dont get though? How many of you guys were listening to rap in 98? better yet 93? I mean, I’m 24 and started listenin to hip hop at 16 years old in 2000.
sometimes i get the feeling i’m actually one of the older people that roam around here.
i aint sayin u cant be a fan of a music era even if you didn’t catch it at the time. it’s just that to me, i hold no allegiance to a certain couple years. like sayin ‘97 doesn’t mean to me.
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Naw fam you ain’t an old head on here. It’s cats in their mid 30′s on TSS. I was only 8 in 1998, so most of this stuff is “new” to me. When I listen to albums that came out 10+ years ago, it’s like opening a history book and seeing how great history can be.
Other tight joints from 98:
The Dude- Devin the Dude
Miseducation of Lauryn Hill- Lauryn Hill
Capital Punishment- Fat Joe
@ GGGGGGGGGG: Real talk fam. I’ve been listening to hiphop since I was 8 years old (I’m 27 now) back in ’88 but never really took it in thoroughly until 1993 when I was 13. I never really had an allegiance to any particular time period, but from 93 to 96 I remember a lot of history being made in hiphop.
Here’s what I dont get though? How many of you guys were listening to rap in 98? better yet 93? I mean, I’m 24 and started listenin to hip hop at 16 years old in 2000.
sometimes i get the feeling i’m actually one of the older people that roam around here.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
im 29, been bumpin rap since the early 80s, as alotta folks here have. theres a few on here that are quite a bit olda than myself and have been down since b4 me. i think this site is more of a 25+ crowd than u realize.
DJ Honda put out some dope shit.
It was a very good year.
A great year in Hip Hop; college Hip Hop Radio was still striving. In NY we still had The Awesome 2, Strech & Bob, the WNYU crew, and a host of others.
I had Kurtis Blow’s The Breaks on 12″ vinyl
that….makes….me…uh….
OLD
lol
oh yeah, and CONGRATS BIG FONZARELLI
@ OED: Age ain’t nothin’ but a number my ninja. When I think about people worrying about their age, I think about all my dudes who never made it past 25 or even 20 for that matter. I’m a live my life for all my homies deceased; I wish they were here to enjoy the music with me.
ps: Did you make it up here for Caribana???
no doubt, Flea
I don’t even wanna start w/ role call for the deceased.
sh*t ain’t even cute, my dude.
But no doubt, as long as the skin stays smooth, the memory good, and I don’t need no blue pills, I’ma be rockin’ w/ the new and schoolin’ youngins on the old.
Caribana *wipes tear* wasn’t even a possibilty this year, mayne. Had a BIG birthday event for my daughter and my ass was done.
^ Pause
Good looks OED. ‘Ppreciate that. Kinda unexpected, but it’s all good.
Yeah, I’m 28 and I’ve been on the Hip-Hop tip since I can remember. I even asked my dad the other day when it was that I started listening and he said since we moved up here to the states, that was in ’82. But I think it was more like ’85-’86 that I really started gettin’ into it and straying away from my parents music. It all began listenin to the radio back then. Mainly Al-B-D on WPGC up here in DC, I think WKYS was still doin the R&B thing at the time.
to me this is the time when the texas undeground scene started really growing outside of houston..good shit. aint nuthin like watchin sum local kids gradually build a buzz n grind their asses off
@ OED: Don’t worry man, next year we rollin’!!!
Also graduated in ’98… I remember the old No Limit when they had a new CD out like once or twice a month will all the label’s artists and it did sound hard at the time (don’t front).
Best hip-hop memory from the time: Our township’s superintendent was fed up with how kids were acting so he held a convo for all the boys and and all the girls in high school at separate times in the auditorium. The girls’ went fine, but ours; not so much. When he asked our group of about 1200 dudes to sing the school fight song, damn near everybody chanted the chorus of TRU’s “Freak Hoes” for about 5 minutes. And I mean damn near everybody. Good times.
^lol
as for the demographic of site, i stand corrected.
as for the demographic of site, i stand corrected.
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Yep.
I feel like a baby on here, but it’s good to share thoughts on hip-hop with people older than me, because most kids my age don’t want to hear much more than what’s on the radio.
^good point big rome
the other day i wuz tryin to name 25 rappers i consider better than wayne n ppl kept omittin rappers cuz “they aint heard of himor her..(jean grae)” one of my friends could barely name 25 rappers
im only 19 so..yea
“I forgot about ‘Kast but i covered a bunch o’ other stuff… no doubt the TSS will, too.”
^I’d say 9 out of 10 cats from the south who listen to hip hop have memories from 1998 with Aquemini playin in the background.
The old heads are here but I know in the NY side most if not all us were at RTB.
I barely remember 98 to be quite honest.. I stayed high and/or drunk e.v.e.r.d.a.y., I was married and I had a shitty job and wifey was keeping us afloat. But we had been in NYC for a few years and I was loving the speed of this place. But I was JUST making the transistion to CDs. At the time I was about 1200 strong in tapes but the few discs I had were always on rotation in the stereo or PC. ** That PC was why I stayed broke and made it out the hole within a year.. go figure **
Music-wise I was on the fence about it at the time.. but looking back it really was a good year. That was when I stopped worrying about what was on the the radio and listened to what the backpackers were really saying. What I remember most is going to the Black Lily shows at the Wetlands on sundays and meeting any and everybody that was down with the Roots.. including chatting with a chick that had just done a bomb ass reading while I was chillin next to the bar (go figure that thick woman was named Jill Scott and yes I tried to get the digits)
Dayum I feel like a senior citizen in here sometimes but its all good
“Here’s what I dont get though? How many of you guys were listening to rap in 98? better yet 93? I mean, I’m 24 and started listenin to hip hop at 16 years old in 2000.”
I was started listening to hip hop when I was like 9 or 10, maybe even earlier but not consciously, my uncles always had something playing in their cars.
in 98 I was 12, and was listening to every DMX & Jay-Z song I could find. I remember being too young for my parents to let me watch He Got Game, even though I had the CD soundtrack. I was ripping MP2s, if any of you nerdy heads remember that, like 16 megabytes a song. My 4gb hard drive was too small to hold all the songs I was ripping, just like today.
93 – 98 most consecutive 5 years in hip hop? naw, try 88-93