1988 Greatest Year In Hip-Hop?
- Thread starter kes1111
- Start date
Depends on your age. 1988 was one of the best years in my life, from music, to tv, to sports heroes, to fashion, fun at school, the streets, video games, true friendships, etc...., so I am a bit biased. Great Adventures of Slick Rick is the first album I remembered word for word, whole album. One of the most educational, story telling albums of all time, them lessons still relevant today. Some of the albums in 1988 were the foundation for cats, helped mold people into the men they are today. Nas may have never picked up a pen, if Rakim, Slick Rick, and Chuck D had not influenced him (he always acknowledges them). We all know the influence Kane and Dana Dane had on Jay Z. NWA was a mini blueprint for Wutang. Salt N Pepa broke ground for female mc's in the mainstream.
I will call it a ground breaking year, but I think the talent flood came into hip hop from 91 to 95, plateaued until 97, then fell off a cliff after it got too diversified and watered down.
All of this....from sitting in my room dubbing from the radio to getting to go to my first parties....88 was a soundtrack for your age and experiences. All the way thru 94...
kane is remember as much as rakim. shit kane was in madonna's book. kane was before his time with the r&b moves he was doing. kane was just as skilled as rakim and kool g rap for that matter. now that's a emcee's emcee who gets overlooked. g rap.
Big Daddy Kane, Long Live the Kane
Release Date: June 21, 1988
Key Tracks: "Set It Off," "Ain't No Half Steppin'," "Long Live the Kane"
What Caught On: Kane's flow — tough, boastful, and syrupy smooth — gave birth to the "sensitive hustler" persona that Biggie Smalls and Jay-Z parlayed into legendary careers (in fact, a young Jay-Z worked for a short time as a Kane hypeman). Long Live the Kane is in many respects a transition album for all of hip-hop, as the Marley Marl-produced beats sound decidedly old-school, but Kane's rhymes were something entirely new.
What Didn't: Kane's legacy, sadly. Rarely mentioned in the same breath as the other titans on this list, Kane remains something of an MC's MC (not unlike Rakim). Just ask Scarface. "I can still rap Long Live the Kane from memory," he says. "Everybody should rap along with Kane — it will make you a better rapper. It helped me!"
93 thru 97 easily but this shit all depends on your frame of reference. 
Respeck on this thread regardless my G
Respeck on this thread regardless my G
Thanks. Ok 94' is closer to 88' than 92'. 94 was better than 92. But I'd give the very slight edge to 88' Good call though @dHustla .
Ain't No Half Steppin is one of the greatest hip-hop joints period Kane's flow was sick!!
"The best oh yes I guess suggest the rest should fess Don't mess or test your highness.....Unless you just address with best finesse And bless the paragraph.........I mani..I manifest!!!!"
Biz Markie, Goin' Off
Release Date: February 23, 1988
Key Tracks: "Make the Music With Your Mouth, Biz," "Vapors"
What Caught On: You know that typically overweight, extremely odd dude who is always the sixth member of hip-hop crews? That's Biz, or somebody like him. Markie was the rare MC who had incredible mic skills and also knew that it was all a gag.
What Didn't: Humor in hip-hop. It goes through cycles, but nobody goofed like Biz, and few have ventured down that road.
88 - 92 produced a lot of significant Hip-Hop
Eric B & Rakim, Follow the Leader
Release Date: July 25, 1988
Key Tracks: "Microphone Fiend," "Lyrics of Fury"
What Caught On:Follow the Leader established Rakim as the greatest rapper in the game, setting the template for any rapper who would call himself a virtuoso. It's the height of rap for rap's sake, and proof that you could make an entire album just about being a street poet. "There has been great hip-hop since then, but I'm not sure anybody has ever matched 'Microphone Fiend,' " says Chuck D.
What Didn't: Rakim's rhyming still sounds great on this record, but over time he was eaten alive amidst the more innovative and aggressive work of the rappers who followed him.
MC Lyte, Lyte as a Rock
Release Date: September 6, 1988
Key Tracks: "I Cram to Understand You (Sam)," "10% Dis"
What Caught On: Lyte was a female rapper who came as hard as the guys. Lyte as a Rock contains some great storytelling (especially on "I Cram to Understand You (Sam)," which was about her brother's crack addiction), and "10% Dis" is as cutting as any attack song from the Eighties. Though she didn't necessarily subvert her femininity, she also didn't harp on it. "Lyte could hang with anybody," says Joe Budden. "She wasn't a 'female MC.' She was an MC who happened to be female."
What Didn't: Though Lyte certainly opened the door (and Queen Latifah and Salt N Pepa helped keep it open), it remains an uphill battle for women who take on rap music. Only Missy Elliott, Eve and a handful of others have managed to crack the thick glass ceiling in modern rap.
Let me tell ya something, "Black Steel In The Hour Of Chaos" alone makes '88 the best year. Add Critical Beatdown and it's a wrap.
Unfortunately, '88 is also the bust out year for gangsta rap, and I think in retrospect that that genre didn't really move us in a positive direction in any aspect.
Unfortunately, '88 is also the bust out year for gangsta rap, and I think in retrospect that that genre didn't really move us in a positive direction in any aspect.
Ultramagnetic MC's, Critical Beatdown
Release Date: October 4, 1988
Key Tracks: "Give the Drummer Some," "Ego Trippin," Travelling at the Speed of Thought (Remix)"
What Caught On: Another stunning debut, Critical Beatdownintroduced the rap world to the touched brains of Ced-Gee, TR Love, Moe Love and especially Kool Keith, who rhymes about strange fits of violence, bizarre sex and whatever else pops up in his subconscious. Critical Beatdown is chock-full of the type of scatological word-association rhyming that Keith later made legendary as Dr. Octagon (and other guises), as well as informed the work of Lil Wayne.
What Didn't: Kool Keith's sanity. Heard through the prism of his subsequent work, Keith sounds downright restrained on this record.
‘17 .....NEVER.
Run-DMC, Tougher Than Leather
Release Date: September 16, 1988
Key Tracks: "Run's House," "Mary Mary," "I'm Not Going Out Like That"
What Caught On: Neither a straight hip-hop album like Raising Hellnor a crossover album like King of Rock, Tougher Than Leather proved that a rap group could be everything to everyone. Nobody truly loved Tougher Than Leather, but everybody liked something about it (save for one of its creators). "I hated Tougher Than Leather!" says Darryl McDaniels, a.k.a. DMC. "That album was too rushed. I wanted to just be DMC, and I was stuck rhyming on this radio shit. Chuck D is always saying that Tougher Than Leather is his favorite hip-hop album, and I always tell him he's crazy!" But even McDaniels acknowledges its importance. "Raising Hell opened the door, and Tougher Than Leatherkept it open for groups like EPMD, Jungle Brothers and Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince."
What Didn't: Run-DMC's acting career. The album spawned a film of the same name, but most people only allow Run to play himself on Run's House.
Rob Base & DJ E-Z Rock, It Takes Two
Release Date: August 9, 1988
Key Tracks: "It Takes Two"
What Caught On: With a bouncy beat and a shout-along sample chorus, "It Takes Two" gave birth to a new generation of hip-hop novelty tracks. The song proved that hip-hop could easily cross over in rapid fashion.
What Didn't: The rest of the Rob Base and DJ E-Z Rock catalog.
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The Jungle Brothers, Straight Out the Jungle
Release Date: November 8, 1988
Key Tracks: "Black Is Black," "I'll House You," "Because I Got It Like That"
What Caught On:Straight Out the Jungle represents the beginning of the Native Tongues movement, a collective of forward-thinking hip-hoppers that included A Tribe Called Quest, De La Soul and Black Sheep. The album rests grounded, intense flows on top of esoteric beats. "We knew we were doing something different, but we didn't do it because it was different," says Jungle Brothers' Mike Gee. "To this day, I don't know that it's been reproduced as well, even by us."
What Didn't: The hip-hop dance single. Though "I'll House You" was a minor hit, the Jungle Brothers' house experiment became a liability in hip-hop; the JB's never matched the street cred they had here.
Ice-T, Power
Release Date: September 13, 1988
Key Tracks: "I'm Your Pusher," "Power," "Soul On Ice"
What Caught On: Ice-T is notorious for his latter-day ultra-violence with Body Count ("Cop Killer" came four years later), but in his early days he was the West Coast version of Big Daddy Kane: a hustler with a conscience, a smooth-talking "OG." No stranger to guns, drugs and women (the iconic album cover tells most of the story), T also had the same sort of guilt complex that would inform Tupac's best work. N.W.A. were the shoot-first gangsters, but Ice-T was the gangster-as-businessman.
What Didn't: Though the rhymes are still fresh, the beats on Powersound rote and stale. Also, T's hair (thankfull) went the way of the Jheri curl.
All those 90's acts wouldn't exist if it wasn't for kats who came out in the 80's.
Yours Truly......Professor
88 was great!
One of the best years of my life, wish I could hop in a time machine and go back...
Weak counter. Somebody or something always comes first.
Eazy-Duz-It is the debut studio album by American hip hop artist Eazy-E, released on September 13, 1988, by Ruthless Records and Priority Records.
The album charted on two different charts and went Double Platinum in the United States despite very little promotion by radio and television. Three singles were released from the album, each charting in the US.
A Salt With A Deadly Pepa is the second album by female rap trio Salt-N-Pepa, released July 26, 1988 on Next Plateau Records. The album was certified gold in America, reaching #38 on the Billboard 200 and #8 on the R&B/Hip-Hop Album charts. The album spawned three singles, the top ten R&B hit and moderate popular hit "Shake Your Thang"; the top twenty R&B hit "Get Up Everybody (Get Up)"; and "Twist And Shout", a major pop hit in the UK, hitting #4 in that country.
What More Can I Say? is the debut album by rap duo Audio Two. It was released June 7, 1988 for First Priority Records, distributed by Atlantic Records and was produced by members Milk D and DJ Gizmo. The album found only mild success, only making it to #45 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums. What More Can I Say? is best known for its single "Top Billin'", which is considered to be one of the greatest hip hop songs ever recorded.
Good drop O.P. I agree 1988 was the pinnacle year of hip hop the album variation and volume was way too much.... I can't counter that at all....
In my mind 95 stood out to me as a compitor but when I go through the list the voluume wasn't that great with Hip Hop alone but there was some things done in 95...
Biggie "Who Shot Ya" came out and that song Whoa.... ah man!!! It actually was released two days before 1995. But for them to claim it was recording months before Tupac got shot they must have meant most of it was recorded then because Puffy is constantly saying "95 motherfucker..." Ya know the magnitude of that song.... I digress.....
So I'm brining up 95 because I there were jems out that year... Only built for Cuban Links... oh man.... I think what also made it that music special that year was R&B not a in a classical sense but that hip hop fusion when we were already out of the New Jack Swing.... Mary's second album.... Total and Biggue that's cant you see. When that shit drops.....
Here are some notable Hip Hop albums that year....(Some classics in there along with just other albums out)
1995
Here are some R&B singles that dropped that year too... act like when "This is how we do it" came on you wasn't rocking back then. Or when Adina Howard "Freak Like me" was bumping....
D'Angelo - "Brown Sugar" [EMI, 5/27]
Groove Theory - "Tell Me" [Epic, 7/29]
Brandy - "Baby" [Atlantic, 2/4]
Mariah Carey - "Fantasy" [Columbia, 9/30]
Montell Jordan - "This Is How We Do It" [RAL, 2/11]
Faith Evans - "You Used to Love Me" [Bad Boy, 7/1]
Total - "Can't You See" [Tommy Boy, 4/1]
Soul for Real - "Every Little Thing I Do" [Uptown, 5/6]
Tina Moore - "Never Gonna Let You Go" [Scotti Bros., 5/20]*
Blackstreet - "Joy" [Interscope, 4/1]
Brandy - "Best Friend" [Atlantic, 6/3]
Xscape - "Who Can I Run To?" [So So Def, 10/14]
Monica - "Don't Take It Personal (Just One of Dem Days)" [Rowdy, 4/22]
TLC - "Red Light Special" [LaFace, 3/4]
Usher - "Think of You" [LaFace, 1/21]
Adina Howard - "Freak Like Me" [EastWest, 2/4]
Mary J. Blige - "I Love You" [Uptown, 8/18]
Michael Jackson - "Scream" [Epic, 6/17]
TLC - "Waterfalls" [LaFace, 6/10]
Gerald Levert - "Answering Service" [EastWest, 2/25]
Intro - "Funny How Time Flies" [Atlantic, 11/4]
Raphael Saadiq - "Ask of You" [550, 3/25]*
Deborah Cox - "Sentimental" [Arista, 9/2]
Xscape - "Feels So Good" [So So Def, 10/14]
Brownstone - "Grapevyne" [MJJ, 4/22]
Janet Jackson - "Runaway" [A&M, 9/16]
Boyz II Men - "Vibin'" [Motown, 9/2]
MoKenStef - "He's Mine" [Outburst, 5/27]
Jodeci - "Freek'n You" [Uptown, 6/10]
Boyz II Men - "I Remember" [Motown, 12/2]
Mary J. Blige - "You Bring Me Joy" [Uptown, 6/10]
Monica - "Like This and Like That" [Rowdy, 10/21]
R. Kelly - "You Remind Me of Something" [Jive, 11/18]
Blackstreet - "Tonight's the Night" [Interscope, 8/19]
In my mind 95 stood out to me as a compitor but when I go through the list the voluume wasn't that great with Hip Hop alone but there was some things done in 95...
Biggie "Who Shot Ya" came out and that song Whoa.... ah man!!! It actually was released two days before 1995. But for them to claim it was recording months before Tupac got shot they must have meant most of it was recorded then because Puffy is constantly saying "95 motherfucker..." Ya know the magnitude of that song.... I digress.....
So I'm brining up 95 because I there were jems out that year... Only built for Cuban Links... oh man.... I think what also made it that music special that year was R&B not a in a classical sense but that hip hop fusion when we were already out of the New Jack Swing.... Mary's second album.... Total and Biggue that's cant you see. When that shit drops.....
Here are some notable Hip Hop albums that year....(Some classics in there along with just other albums out)
1995
Here are some R&B singles that dropped that year too... act like when "This is how we do it" came on you wasn't rocking back then. Or when Adina Howard "Freak Like me" was bumping....
D'Angelo - "Brown Sugar" [EMI, 5/27]
Groove Theory - "Tell Me" [Epic, 7/29]
Brandy - "Baby" [Atlantic, 2/4]
Mariah Carey - "Fantasy" [Columbia, 9/30]
Montell Jordan - "This Is How We Do It" [RAL, 2/11]
Faith Evans - "You Used to Love Me" [Bad Boy, 7/1]
Total - "Can't You See" [Tommy Boy, 4/1]
Soul for Real - "Every Little Thing I Do" [Uptown, 5/6]
Tina Moore - "Never Gonna Let You Go" [Scotti Bros., 5/20]*
Blackstreet - "Joy" [Interscope, 4/1]
Brandy - "Best Friend" [Atlantic, 6/3]
Xscape - "Who Can I Run To?" [So So Def, 10/14]
Monica - "Don't Take It Personal (Just One of Dem Days)" [Rowdy, 4/22]
TLC - "Red Light Special" [LaFace, 3/4]
Usher - "Think of You" [LaFace, 1/21]
Adina Howard - "Freak Like Me" [EastWest, 2/4]
Mary J. Blige - "I Love You" [Uptown, 8/18]
Michael Jackson - "Scream" [Epic, 6/17]
TLC - "Waterfalls" [LaFace, 6/10]
Gerald Levert - "Answering Service" [EastWest, 2/25]
Intro - "Funny How Time Flies" [Atlantic, 11/4]
Raphael Saadiq - "Ask of You" [550, 3/25]*
Deborah Cox - "Sentimental" [Arista, 9/2]
Xscape - "Feels So Good" [So So Def, 10/14]
Brownstone - "Grapevyne" [MJJ, 4/22]
Janet Jackson - "Runaway" [A&M, 9/16]
Boyz II Men - "Vibin'" [Motown, 9/2]
MoKenStef - "He's Mine" [Outburst, 5/27]
Jodeci - "Freek'n You" [Uptown, 6/10]
Boyz II Men - "I Remember" [Motown, 12/2]
Mary J. Blige - "You Bring Me Joy" [Uptown, 6/10]
Monica - "Like This and Like That" [Rowdy, 10/21]
R. Kelly - "You Remind Me of Something" [Jive, 11/18]
Blackstreet - "Tonight's the Night" [Interscope, 8/19]
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