Hip Hop Year in Rewind: 2001
Cassettes Were Made Obsolete by Cds, and Cds Were Being Made Obsolete by Mp3S. Longtime Fans and Artists Were Driven to the Underground as the Major Label and Radio Landscape Had Frozen over in the Ice Age. a Tribe Called Quest Broke Up, De La Soul Were Suddenly Veterans, 2Pac Was Dead, Eazy Was Dead and Dre and Cube Were Friends Again. 2001 Stands in Stark Contrast to 1991 in Just About Every Way Imaginable.
Frequently Asked Questions
“Out for the Gold and After That the Platinum” – Frustrated Vets Switch It up for Bigger Sales
Respect and Decent Sales Doesn’t Put Chains Around Your Kids Neck. Unwanted Collaborations and Radio Friendly Beats Did Not Fare Well for Any of These Artists.
“’Cause Nowadays It’s the Ways of the Underground” – 20 Independent Albums You Should Own
Rawkus, Definitive Jux, Rhymesayers, Stonesthrow and the Rest Carved out Their Own Piece of the Pie and Became a Haven for Those Disenfranchised by the Commercial Scene
“Startin’ Drama with Chino? God Forbid / Auction My Lyrics on eBay, That’s God for Bid” – Chino Xl Is Lyrical Jesus
Too Many Fans Only Know Chino Xl as One of the Rappers That ‘Pac Cussed out and Not as One of the Greatest Lyricists of All-Time. His Career Has Been Held Back by Mediocre Production and Infrequent Releases, but Bar-for-Bar Chino Is Tough to Fuck With. Witness One of His Finest Performances on “Nunca” from 2001’S I Told You So, Delivered at Breakneck Speed over Thundering Bass:
“Sid You Ever Think That We Would Be This Rich? ” – 5 on the Come Up
The Stars of the Late ’90S Were Fading – or at Least Making Terrible Albums – and a New Crop of Stars Who Would Own Radio for Year's to Come Stepped In.
“I Wasn’t Down with the Mainstream, or Should I Say Their Team” – 9 Major Albums That Didn’t Suck
Major Labels Churned out So Much Horrible Music During These Year's, It Was Shocking When a Good One Album Dropped, No Matter Who Released It.
“Actually, That’s Best Come to Best” – the Best of 2001
Cannibal Ox – the Cold Vein: an Epic Masterpiece That Defined a movementJay-Z– the Blueprint: Jay-Z Hooks a New generationAtmosphere – Lucy Ford: the Jump off Album for a Lot of Their Huge fanbaseMasta Ace – Disposable Arts: the Comeback of the decadeAesop Rock – Labor Days: an Underground Star Was Born Nas – Stillmatic: Return of the nastyDe La Soul – Aoi: Bionix: De La’s Always Had It, and Never Lost itCormega – the Realness: the Title Sums It upDilated Peoples – Expansion Team: Remains Their High Water markJ-Live – the Best Part: Five Year's Late and Worth Every Second We Waited
The Blueprint, Jay-Z Vs. Nas & the Beginning of a New Era
A Good Chunk of Hip Hop’s Landscape in 2011 Can Be Traced Back to the Nas and Jay-Z Beef and the Blueprint.
“And Now Introducing the Star of the Show” – Producers Step into the Limelight
No Longer Relegated to Liner Note Credits and Shout Outs, Producers Started Playing the Front and Releasing Their Own Albums.
