I overstand what Jamacaia is saying despite all the semantics by people who can't overstand what he's saying.
All my DJ's got that photographic-HipHop memory so I know y'all remember 6 years ago let's say 2006
2006 was a crazy year, everybody was disappointed with "Kingdom Come", the West Coast was riding with Game in his war with 50 and bumping "Doctors Advocate", the South was feeling they self but in they emotions because Nas said HipHop was dead and the South dropped T.I., Luda, Ross, Young Joc, & Jeezy and ran with it.
The ringtones was heavy that year with "Laffy Taffy", "Oh I think they like me" "Grillz", "Rodeo", "Lean wit it rock wit it", "Hustlin" "It's goin down", "MoneyMaker" & of course "Ridin Dirty"
...if my memory serves me correct.
That "Vans" song from LiL B and The Pack was buzzin heavy in the West, Midwest I was playing Ray Cash but Lupe was buzzed up, down south they was saying "Throw some D's on that bitch"...
Nas got nostalgic, Luda got conscious, Outkast disappointed, LL showed his age, Snoop showed his youth, T.I. took his crown, & Ghostface solidified his legacy
Standouts for me that year my fab 5 were "Fishscale", "Hell hath no Fury", "HipHop is Dead", "My Ghetto Report Card" &
" Doctors Advocate"....5 singles I burned out was Why you hate the Game", "What you know bout that", "Imagine", "Hustler Muzick", & "Black Republicans",
If we going to compare 2006-2007 with 2011-2012 then I suggest people jump in their mental time-machine and go back to that era but what you will find is that after 2007 its been LIL Wayne's party so if HipHop is in a better place it's with Wayne at the steering wheel.