What was Hip Hop Like Back in the 80's and early 90's?

[Kwan Dai]

OTHER SHIT YOU YOUNGLINGS MIGHT NOT UNDERSTAND:

If cats find out you couldnt rap for real,somebody was g-writing for you...it was basically a wrap.Thats now people admit on camera Easy and Dre didnt write their own shit.That would have been a death sentence back then.Shit not being a good freestyler was a issue..

Even for Female MCs you werent respected(most respected anyways even back then) allowed to not be compotent at least on the mic.

You had to be dope to get noticed.Only pop type/party and fun type artist like Fresh Prince,Kid and Play,Heavy D,etc..got a pass for that.Making BLATANT pop records was frowed upon..Check EPMPD's No Crossover joint for that,which actually became a fucking pop record ironically.

Another example Rob Bass made It takes two then dropped some b.s. pop song to try to top that song and got thrown under the bus.Another good example:Kane.Back then it was between Kane and Rakim and most feared MC.But Kane started dropping the R&Bish type shit(no,not like LL some straight slow music shit) and fell the FUCK off...

You had cats that made respectable pop though not like today.Go youtube Large Proffersor Looking out the front door.

Great post. That was difference. I have seen numerous posts where cats are screaming "well there was whack shit back then too!!!"
And my response to them is, I KNOW!!! And those artists got screamed on and called whack. Cats forget KRS was throwing maffuccas off the stage. Wu would come in rushing maffuccas with a 100 men.

 

[Elzo69Renaissance]

maybe not medallions but islmaic culture does fit in that category

and the stones used that as a front for some years

its kids in chicago that use the term "moe" and dont even know wtf they sayin

its sad

lmao all well!!!!

 

[Paul Hate.]

heavily bootlegged???

folks was jus agreeing on how much more supportive fans were back then

but he was heavily bootlegged???

thats some bs

lol,nah shit was being bootleged for like 5 bucks a tape.CD's (retail) were like 14 bucks to 18.99 some fucking places.We all prefered CD even back then but fuck that shit was too expensive..We bootlegged certain artists and copped retail when its extra dopeshit..Some people used to buy two tapes one for home and one for the box or for the whip..

maxi singles were dope too..you had 2 songs on side and another 2 on the other with remixes or instrumentals clean or dirty verses.Mixtapes were waaay better back then,I dont remember no artist run mixtape till Cormega's tape and the 50.Maybe during the "disco rap era" but not mines,thats something relativley new.Mixtapes were blend tapes and had the dj cutting up and mixing and even freestyling over hot ass instrumentals,live to tap freestyles from hot mcs of the day.

Leaks and singles on tapes were there but the DJing and MC freestlying on the tape and the blends(mixing beats) was the reason to cop mixtapes not new tracks.Kid Capri was the man in my era until late 98 with Clues bitchass with nothing but exclsuives dropping CD's every month with like 20 plus tracks...then the artists run mixtapes which are even worse..

Gimme a Tony Touch 50 MC's tape from back in the day over any "mixtape" of today..

 

[Elzo69Renaissance]

Great post. That was difference. I have seen numerous posts where cats are screaming "well there was whack shit back then too!!!"
And my response to them is, I KNOW!!! And those artists got screamed on and called whack. Cats forget KRS was throwing maffuccas off the stage. Wu would come in rushing maffuccas with a 100 men.

KRS threw one nigga off the stage and he admitted he aint even do it...

 

[Kwan Dai]

maybe not medallions but islmaic culture does fit in that category

and the stones used that as a front for some years

its kids in chicago that use the term "moe" and dont even know wtf they sayin

its sad

I get what you are saying. I just see it as, some get it and some don't whether they are gang affiliated or in the Masjid 24/7.

 

[spc4mack]

OTHER SHIT YOU YOUNGLINGS MIGHT NOT UNDERSTAND:

If cats find out you couldnt rap for real,somebody was g-writing for you...it was basically a wrap.Thats now people admit on camera Easy and Dre didnt write their own shit.That would have been a death sentence back then.Shit not being a good freestyler was a issue..

Even for Female MCs you werent respected(most respected anyways even back then) allowed to not be compotent at least on the mic.

You had to be dope to get noticed.Only pop type/party and fun type artist like Fresh Prince,Kid and Play,Heavy D,etc..got a pass for that.Making BLATANT pop records was frowed upon..Check EPMPD's No Crossover joint for that,which actually became a fucking pop record ironically.

Another example Rob Bass made It takes two then dropped some b.s. pop song to try to top that song and got thrown under the bus.Another good example:Kane.Back then it was between Kane and Rakim and most feared MC.But Kane started dropping the R&Bish type shit(no,not like LL some straight slow music shit) and fell the FUCK off...

You had cats that made respectable pop though not like today.Go youtube Large Proffersor Looking out the front door.

I especially agree with the bolded. It almost seems like these days not being able to rap is acceptable because "They are getting money". Back then you had to nice to even be considered an MC. I know there were some exceptions to the rule but for the most part dudes back then could spit.

 

[Elzo69Renaissance]

lol,nah shit was being bootleged for like 5 bucks a tape.CD's (retail) were like 14 bucks to 18.99 some fucking places.We all prefered CD even back then but fuck that shit was too expensive..We bootlegged certain artists and copped retail when its extra dopeshit..Some people used to buy two tapes one for home and one for the box or for the whip..

maxi singles were dope too..you had 2 songs on side and another 2 on the other with remixes or instrumentals clean or dirty verses.Mixtapes were waaay better back then,I dont remember no artist run mixtape till Cormega's tape and the 50.Maybe during the "disco rap era" but not mines,thats something relativley new.Mixtapes were blend tapes and had the dj cutting up and mixing and even freestyling over hot ass instrumentals,live to tap freestyles from hot mcs of the day.

Leaks and singles on tapes were there but the DJing and MC freestlying on the tape and the blends(mixing beats) was the reason to cop mixtapes not new tracks.Kid Capri was the man in my era until late 98 with Clues bitchass with nothing but exclsuives dropping CD's every month with like 20 plus tracks...then the artists run mixtapes which are even worse..

Gimme a Tony Touch 50 MC's tape from back in the day over any "mixtape" of today..

them professional joints were dope but i remember those mixtapes u talking bout i still got some at the crib

 

[Kwan Dai]

KRS threw one nigga off the stage and he admitted he aint even do it...

Your post is mad confusing. But whatever fam. The point is, Whack shit was called out and cats were getting stepped too.

 

[king hassan]

them professional joints were dope but i remember those mixtapes u talking bout i still got some at the crib

I still got a Ron G mixtape somewhere in the crib and a Silver Surfa. I miss those old mixtapes

 

[young_reezy]

Your post is mad confusing. But whatever fam. The point is, Whack shit was called out and cats were getting stepped too.

now the culture has changed so much, cats are afraid of being called a hater for callin out whack niggaz. welcome to the age of political correctness, even if they do say shit is whack they do it without mentioning who.

 

[Paul Hate.]

Great post. That was difference. I have seen numerous posts where cats are screaming "well there was whack shit back then too!!!"

And my response to them is, I KNOW!!! And those artists got screamed on and called whack. Cats forget KRS was throwing maffuccas off the stage. Wu would come in rushing maffuccas with a 100 men.

Yea PM dawn was our Young Berg..lol..dude was a fucking punching bag.There was whack shit back then,people just like talking shit.Remember this "Oh,thats not hip hop though thats house music!"..Lol,anything popish niggas would automatically say it wasnt real rap that was pop or house or techno..lol..

But our WHACK shit and Pop-Rap artists were better than alot of these so called "Serious" artists..

Another thing is certain cats HAD to stay in their lane.Aint no way Fresh Prince could have switched up to some gangsta shit on us..Aint no way Queen Latifah could have talked about eating pussy on wax and gotten away with it...Nowadays you can go from cranking dat solja boy to busting your gun on wax..wtff??

 

[Elzo69Renaissance]

Your post is mad confusing. But whatever fam. The point is, Whack shit was called out and cats were getting stepped too.

I meant to say that he admitted to getting on stage and trying to battle PM Dawn but a scuffle broke out and someone kicked homie in the back and knocking him off the stage...

 

[Elzo69Renaissance]

I still got a Ron G mixtape somewhere in the crib and a Silver Surfa. I miss those old mixtapes

I remember the ones that came with the original joints and the remixes. That was the 1st time i heard the flavor in ur ear remix.....

 

[Paul Hate.]

I especially agree with the bolded. It almost seems like these days not being able to rap is acceptable because "They are getting money". Back then you had to nice to even be considered an MC. I know there were some exceptions to the rule but for the most part dudes back then could spit.

Yep that was a requirement everybody else was considered pop/house or just fun party style rap..Like we was NOT bugging out Fresh Prince wasnt spitting thunder on Parents just dont understand..lol..

Everybody else though to be considered a real MC and a good one at that you had to have your bars together and ...BE DIFFERENT.

You didnt hear Rakim jacking G Raps flows and styles man..at least not consciously im sure...

 

[spc4mack]

I still got a Ron G mixtape somewhere in the crib and a Silver Surfa. I miss those old mixtapes

Son, i still got all my old Clue, Ron G, Tony Touch and Doo Wop tapes. I remember back then Clue Tapes were being sold like albums. Dudes was on the street finding out when the next Clue tape would be dropping. Believe it or not Clue probably sold millions of mixtapes. I still have my Doo Wop 95 Live mixtape. That thing is a certified classic.

 

[young law]

Yea PM dawn was our Young Berg..lol..dude was a fucking punching bag.There was whack shit back then,people just like talking shit.Remember this "Oh,thats not hip hop though thats house music!"..Lol,anything popish niggas would automatically say it wasnt real rap that was pop or house or techno..lol..

But our WHACK shit and Pop-Rap artists were better than alot of these so called "Serious" artists..

Another thing is certain cats HAD to stay in their lane.Aint no way Fresh Prince could have switched up to some gangsta shit on us..Aint no way Queen Latifah could have talked about eating pussy on wax and gotten away with it...Nowadays you can go from cranking dat solja boy to busting your gun on wax..wtff??

now thats strange

i dont see why an ARTIST/WRITER cant be allowed to write about whatever they plz

as longs they put it in the right context

rappers back in the day would say they were tellin a story or rappin from a different perspective.
i feel as longs u put that disclaimer up,why cant u rap about somethin outside of your own life

 

[young law]

and if the old guard had such a good grip on hip hop and moved in more unity

HOW IN THE FUCK DID THEY LET IT GET TO WHERE IT IS NOW???

the gatekeepers stopped guarding the damn gate

most the things people are proud of back in the day,dont even apply today.

 

[Paul Hate.]

OTHER STUFF:

Elitism and Rap snobs were different.

Like I said,you would wave off party rappers and pop rappers but at the same time we wanted diversity.That shit would have been absurd if after Paid In Full everyone rocked benz logo peices and had gucci print suits even though for alot of people that was the style.

Not every rapper was trynna to sound like Rakim,what did happen though is everybody get their fucking pens out and said "oh,shit just got real"..

Then came Kane,G Rap,EPMD,feel me..It was low key competition quality wise not sales wise...of course im sure they wanted to get paid and I said this before peopel were rhyming about the good life waaaay before the 90's but it was about who was the dopest MC and street cred.

THE NOTION OF STREET CREDITABILITY WAS DIFFERENT COMPARED TO TODAY AS WELL.:

Depended on what you was saying?Heavy D aint have to have stripes cuz he wasnt on no street rap shit,dig?

If it came out G Rap was a bitch who aint do nooone of the shit he was doing,then it would have been game over.He aint had to actually go out and beef with italians to prove he who was though...Not like today,MCs gotta live the shit word for word for certain cats to be happy..Rozay for example though...even 10 years ago..would have been R...I...P..in hip hop..

 

[Elzo69Renaissance]

and if the old guard had such a good grip on hip hop and moved in more unity

HOW IN THE FUCK DID THEY LET IT GET TO WHERE IT IS NOW???

the gatekeepers stopped guarding the damn gate

most the things people are proud of back in the day,dont even apply today.

Corporations..........................

 

[Paul Hate.]

now thats strange

i dont see why an ARTIST/WRITER cant be allowed to write about whatever they plz

as longs they put it in the right context

rappers back in the day would say they were tellin a story or rappin from a different perspective.

i feel as longs u put that disclaimer up,why cant u rap about somethin outside of your own life

Depends on which artist.

Fresh prince couldnt talking about pimping and selling rocks,man..