Jan 13, 2016 Article Source: Uproxx - Smoking Section BY: EDDIE FU | 01.12.16 1996 was a banner year for hip-hop, with a wide variety of releases that are viewed as some of the best albums of all-time, let alone the year itself. With the East Coast vs. West Coast rivalry at its unfortunate peak, there were plenty of diss records, but it wasn’t the only theme. For example, there were several groundbreaking debuts, with Busta Rhymes, Heltah Skeltah, Jay-Z, Ras Kass, Ghostface Killah and DJ Shadow all releasing their first albums, while a certain Detroit MC inauspiciously appeared under the radar. As for more established artists, some (Fugees, UGK) were finding mainstream recognition for the first time, while others were exploring different styles and sounds (Nas, De La Soul, A Tribe Called Quest, OutKast). Of course, the year will forever be remembered for the September 7 death of 2Pac, who still managed to release two albums: the thug life classic All Eyez on Me and his first posthumous release, Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory. And being that the aforementioned East Coast-West Coast beef was at an all-time high, his influence was felt on releases such as It Was Written, Stakes Is High, Beats Rhyme and Life, Soul on Ice and h--- on Earth. Continue reading for a snapshot of hip-hop in 1996. 2Pac – All Eyez on Me DEATH ROW RECORDS Release date: February 13, 1996 All Eyez on Me was recorded after Suge Knight bailed 2Pac out from jail, and accordingly, marked the rapper’s full transition to West Coast gangsta rap. The double album opens with the nihilistic “Ambitionz Az A Ridah” and doesn’t let up from there, with classic hip-hop anthems like “2 of Amerikaz Most Wanted,” “California Love” and “I Ain’t Mad At Cha.” Fugees – The Score RUFFHOUSE RECORDS Release date: February 13, 1996 Each member of The Fugees found varying degrees of success after the trio’s final album, but it was clear that Lauryn Hill was the breakout star. Her rhyming ability stood out on the first single, “Fu-Gee-La,” while her equally abundant talents as a singer shone on their cover of “Killing Me Softly.” Wyclef’s talents behind the boards and mic shouldn’t be overlooked, however, as “No Woman, No Cry” in particular previewed future solo work. Busta Rhymes – The Coming ELEKTRA RECORDS Release date: March 26, 1996 When Busta Rhymes split from Leaders of the New School, no one really worried because he was the most charismatic member. But, no one could’ve seen what The Coming would hold for Bussa Bus. Led by the energetic first single “Woo Hah!! Got You All in Check,” Busta’s debut LP would set the stage for him to be one of the biggest voices in rap for years to come. Master P – Ice Cream Man NO LIMIT RECORDS Release date: April 16, 1996 Ice Cream Man was the album that began Master P’s transition from underground artist to music mogul. As “the colonel of the motherf*ckin’ tank,” P fifth solo effort landed No Limit their first platinum plaque, bolstered by the success of runaway singles like “Mr. Ice Cream Man” and “Bout It Bout It 2” and down and dirty album cuts “Break ‘Em Off Somethin” and “My Ghetto Heroes.” Heltah Skeltah – Nocturnal DUCK DOWN RECORDS Release date: June 18, 1996 In the mid-’90s, Boot Camp’s name held as much authority as any other clan, posse, crew, or clique, with Da Beatminerz stellar production serving as the backbone. Much like every other collective, each group served to piggyback another one onto the scene. Ruck and Rock emerged from the ashes of tracks like Smif-N-Wessun’s “Cession at da Doghillee” to create their own place withNocturnal. The album’s mood was dark and heavy, as Ruck and Rock dismantled speakers, headphones, sucker MCs and anyone or anything else that got in the way of their Timberlands. Jay-Z – Reasonable Doubt ROC-A-FELLA RECORDS Release date: June 25, 1996 Jay-Z’s classic first album demonstrated his business acumen from the start, as it was released on the independently owned Roc-A-Fella Records. More importantly, Brooklyn rapper showed off natural ability, holding his own with The Notorious B.I.G. on “Brooklyn’s Finest,” and using an effortless flow on complex rhyme schemes on tracks like “22 Two’s.” Nas – It Was Written COLUMBIA RECORDS Release date: July 2, 1996 At the time of It Was Written‘s release, Nas was criticized for moving away from the raw hip-hop of his debut, Illmatic, toward the more popular Mafioso sound. However, the album was more varied than critics would acknowledge, with a mixture of concept songs like “I Gave You Power,” flossier efforts like “Take It in Blood” and “Affirmative Action,” diss tracks like “The Message” and the more conscious raps of “If I Ruled the World (Imagine That),” and “Black Girl Lost.” De La Soul – Stakes Is High TOMMY BOY RECORDS Release date: July 2, 1996 De La Soul’s fourth album was the first time they stepped away from collaborating with producer Prince Paul, and ultimately allowed the group to handle some of their own production, with the help of others like J Dilla. Despite the change, the Long Island, New York trio continued to be influential, criticizing the the commercial nature of hip-hop culture and gangsta rap, drawing the ire of 2Pac and Naughty By Nature. But that was De La: always going right when the rest of the pack went left. Their uncompromising approach earned them a diehard following who still nod vigorously to “Big Brother Beat” and the title track like it was day one. UGK – Ridin’ Dirty JIVE RECORDS Release date: July 30, 1996 Before their Jay Z-assisted breakthrough, UGK really were Kingz of the Underground. And by the time they released Ridin’ Dirty, they had perfected the formula for car-friendly, country rap tunes, best heard on “One Day,” “F*ck My Car” and “Pinky Ring.” To date, the album’s their best seller with more than 850,000 copies sold and they did it without any videos or singles. A Tribe Called Quest – Beats, Rhymes and Life JIVE RECORDS Release date: July 30, 1996 A Tribe Called Quest’s follow-up to Midnight Marauders found the group in a slightly darker mood, soundscaped by a production group called The Ummah, featuring Q-Tip, Ali Shaheed Muhammad and Jay Dee. In addition to the usual social commentary (mostly regarding gangsta rap), the trio attempted to squash their involvement in the East Coast vs. West Coast rivalries on “Keep It Movin’” and “What Really Goes On.” OutKast – ATLiens LAFACE RECORDS Release date: August 27, 1996 After OutKast won “Best Newcomer” at the 1995 Source Awards to a chorus of boos, André 3000 infamously said, “The South got somethin’ to say.” The group followed through with ATLiens, which expanded the boundaries of hip-hop by combining Southern culture with references to space and alien life. More conventional songs like “Two Dope Boyz (In A Cadillac)” and “ATLiens” sit alongside the atmospheric “Elevators (Me & You)” and soulful “Jazzy Belle.” The Roots – Illadelph Halflife GEFFEN RECORDS Release date: September 24, 1996 Before their foray into late night TV, The Roots always stood alone, apart from the majority of their peers, a fact they highlighted on Illadelph Halflife‘s standout single “Never Do.” Everything about this album was raw energy with its heavy emphasis on instrumentation and Black Thought’s razor sharp lyricism. Rass Kass – Soul On Ice PRIORITY RECORDS Release date: October 1, 1996 Despite dropping modern day gems as a member of Semi Hendrix with Jack Splash, the toothpick-wielding MC from Carson, CA put himself firmly on the map two decades ago, with his magnum opus Soul On Ice. There weren’t any true breakout singles, but his Priority Records debut was adored by fans for including intricate wordplay and more traditional hip-hop soundscapes than most of the Left Coast releases coming out in October of 1996. To this day, “Nature of the Threat” is still considered Ras’ best song. M.O.P. – Firing Squad RELATIVITY RECORDS Release date: October 22, 1996 Riding high off their debut album, the Mash Out Posse leveled up on Firing Squad, adding more angst and energy to their already rowdy repertoire. With DJ Premier at the helm, their overall sound got a little more polished but Fame and Danze never strayed too far the threats of tag team violence that made them street favorites. Tracks like “Downtown Swinga ’96” and “Born 2 k---” cemented that sh*t and set the stage for what fans could consistently expect from the Brownsville villains. Ghostface Killah – Ironman EPIC RECORDS Release date: October 29, 1996 Ghostface Killah set off Wu-Tang Clan’s classic debut with a high-energy, aggressive verse and stood out in the group before co-starring in Raekwon’s Mafioso rap classic, Only Built 4 Cuban Linx. In Ghostface’s first solo effort, the Staten Island native was joined by Raekwon and Cappadonna for storytelling raps over blaxploitation film and soul samples. Standouts including the tribute to his mother, “All That I Got Is You” and crime narratives throughout, including “Iron Maiden,” “Assassination Day,” and “Camay.” 2Pac – Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory DEATH ROW RECORDS Release date: November 5, 1996 The first of many posthumously released 2Pac albums, Don Killuminati was allegedly completed in seven days prior to the rapper’s shooting on September 7th. While the LP focuses East Coast vs. West Coast beef with the iconic diss song, “Hail Mary,” as well as “Bomb First (My Second Reply)” and “Against All Odds,” it also celebrates the L.A. lifestyle with “Toss It Up” and “To Live And Die In L.A.” Eminem – Infinite WEB ENTERTAINMENT Release date: November 12, 1996 Eminem’s debut studio album is nearly impossible to track down, as only 1,000 copies were made. It’s probably better that way, as the still-underground MC was struggling to find his own unique voice and flow, although the lyrical content provided glimpses into his potential. The future Slim Shady even said that “Infinite was like the demo that just got pressed up,” and it showed in the lackadaisical production — Dr. Dre wouldn’t enter the picture until a few years later. Mobb Deep – h--- on Earth https://uproxx.files.wordpress.com/2016/01/mobb-deep-h----on-earth-album-art.jpg?quality=80&w=650 LOUD RECORDS Release date: November 19, 1996 While h--- on Earth didn’t quite match the highs of its legendary predecessor,The Infamous, it was still an excellent album in its own right. Soundtracked by Havoc’s atmospheric, sinister sounds, it features the 2Pac diss “Drop A Gem on ‘Em,” along with street heaters like “G.O.D. Pt. III,” “Extortion,” and “Nighttime Vultures.” DJ Shadow – Endtroducing… MO’ WAX Release date: November 19, 1996 Endtroducing… is a seminal hip-hop instrumental album (with elements of trip hop and electronica tossed in) which took sample-based music to new heights. Composed mainly on the legendary Akai MPC60, Shadow chopped up records to create a moody, atmospheric beats built atop his signature dusty, head-nodding drums. There are elements of funk, jazz, blues, rock and even classical music throughout the release, which helped open the door for future artists like RJD2 and Flying Lotus. Redman – Muddy Waters DEF JAM RECORDS Release date: December 10, 1996 Red’s third solo LP was arguably one of his best works and the one that solidified his reputation as one of the lyrically consistent MCs out at that time. The album had cuts like the Erick Sermon-produced numbers “Whateva, Man” and “Pick It Up” that casually crossed over without showing an inkling of selling out, the prerequisite smoker’s anthem (“Smoke Buddah”), a m--- collab (“Do What Ya Feel”) and deep album grooves galore that help it stand the test of time.
Jan 13, 2016 Eminem infinite has no business being on this list with so many classics it looks like they tried hard to find a 20th
Jan 13, 2016 Another sad reminder of how sad Sean Price's passing away was, that Heltah Skeltah album is so f---ing dope. A lot of personal favorites of mine turn 10 this year also: Food & Liquor, h--- Hath No Fury, Fishscale, Donuts, Game Theory, King, Hip-Hop Is Dead, St. Elsewhere...
Jan 14, 2016 Infinite doesn't even come close to any of those albums. You're talking about top notch albums versus a glorified demo. It's very disrespectful to mention that album in the company of the others. That said, '96 was such a big year for me as a Hip Hop fan. I was 10 going on 11 that year. I was in elementary school but I was really beginning to get into Hip Hop culture at that point. I remember when All Eyez On Me, h--- On Earth, The Score, Ironman and Beats, Rhymes & Life dropped. Also Lost Boyz dropped their debut album, Legal Drug Money. That was a big record for us in Queens as well as h--- On Earth. The Score was a huge success and I think I still might have the grey Maxell tape that my uncle gave me. He dubbed the whole album for me. I was also really into Ironman. Ghost was the s--- and in NYC, people were really buying Clark Wallabee's off the strength of that album cover alone. It wasn't just the music, Wu were very influential in terms of fashion. Nobody but Wu were dying Wallabee's. It Was Written was the first Nas album that I heard in it's entirety. My cousin's dubbed that album for me on cassette. They also dubbed Muddy Waters for me- that was the first Redman album that I heard in it's entirety. His debut and Muddy are my favorite Red albums of all time. Also, even though it didn't get as much attention and wasn't as great as the others, Keith Murray's Enigma album was another pivotal record for me in '96. The other albums I picked up later on. I recently ordered a Japanese import of Soul On Ice. I've been wanting to own a physical copy of that album for years. I met Ras Kass once. It would have been great to get him to sign that album. What also amazed me about that era was that people didn't really take sides in beefs, for the most part. People were bumping Pac, Biggie and Mobb Deep. If the music was good, regardless of whether the artists had friction, people would listen to it. In comparison to let's say Meek and Drake, where Drake fans are literally calling the cops on Meek--- suffice it to say that the times have changed. These 20 year anniversaries are really reminding me of not just how old I am but also how long I've been listening to Rap and appreciating Hip Hop in general.
Jan 16, 2016 Riding Dirty might be top 5 rap albums oat, and easily the most important southern album.
