Seeing as most of you would have wound up here after having hit up my Myspace page and listened to some of my music, I thought it was fitting that the maiden post on this blog should be a music one.
The other day while I was in the city doing some legal research I stopped by JB Hi-Fi as is my custom to check out what bargains I can pick up. As usual the discount bins were filled with trash, but there were still gems waiting to be found. I ended up buying two albums: 2Pac's Greatest Hits album and DMX's The Great Depression. I don't fork out hard cash for anything unless I believe it's worth having, and although some would argue that The Great Depression isn't a great album I still think it's a classic. More importantly it reminds me of 2001, the year that it all began for me.
A lot of the older hip hop heads would hark back to 1994, the height of the so-called 'golden era' of hip hop characterised by boom-bap beats, east coast lyricism and socio-political awareness. The Source even named it the greatest year in hip hop history, ironically back in 2001. Don't get me wrong – I'm a big fan of 'golden era' hip hop, and I'm sure that anyone who's listened to a fair amount of hip hop would detect its influence on my style. However having been born in 1985 and only hit my teenage years in the late 1990s I was never going to have the same spiritual, emotional connection to 94. For me the year was 2001.
I first developed an interest in hip hop in 2000, but it wasn't until 2001 that I really got into the scene and immersed in the culture. It was that giddy honeymoon period that you get when you find something new, and I was obssessed with soaking myself in all things hip hop, whether it was the music, the fashion or the art. Of course, being the individualist I am I put my own spin on things, but I still went out and copped the jerseys, the bandannas and the iced out pieces. My walkman had albums like 2Pac's Until the End of Time, Dr Dre's 2001 and Eminem's The Slim Shady LP in heavy rotation, and I ended every second sentence with 'aiight'. For a couple of years after that I looked back on 2001 with a little bit of embarassment, but now I'm far enough removed from those days to remember them with the rose-tinted nostalgia that only the passage of time can create.
And although my musical tastes and style have changed immeasurably since those days I still remember the music from back then with pleasant memories. It may not have been the most technically excellent music, but it will always hold a special place in my memories. If I had to categorise that time, I would say that it fell between the end of the West Coast dominated gangsta rap era and the rise of crunk and snap. It was almost like a period of limbo where hip hop found itself without any overall direction and slap-bang in the middle of the mainstream. Hip hop was huge, but it was also starting to truly diversify (in the public eye, that is) without yet being so big that it was lampooned left, right and centre (including by itself). Lyrics were focused on mainstream subjects but still sharp, beats were rich and hip hop was becoming a melting pot with no single dominant stream.
Looking back, it was an excellent time to get inducted into hip hop. By 2001 hip hop had well and truly made the transition into the mainstream, and while it was still considered 'black' music (with all the accompanying ribbing that one suffered as a result of following a 'black' artform) it was entrenched enough in society not to require a move to the inner city in order to enjoy it. Hip hop had also matured past the teething problems associated with the overly intellectual and obtuse early 90s east coast material and the violent excesses of mid 90s gangsta rap. It was still undeniably urban, but it felt like hip hop had finally found its feet – it was established. The battle to cement its place was over, and heads were now experienced and solid enough to form a stable culture within a greater societal context. In short, hip hop had finally hit the straps as the 'urban' style of music – it was not yet mired in sub-par beats and rhymes to the point where its mainstream manifestations attracted derision from both outsiders and true insiders.
Not many heads will think of 2001 as a watershed moment in hip hop history, and perhaps it wasn't. But it was a big year – think back and you'll remember. Nas and Jay-Z were ferociously tearing each other new ones, with Jay-Z conquering the radio with tracks like Izzo and Nas reconquering the streets with Stillmatic. Eminem had exploded on the scene and was now solidifying his position as the first white emcee with real credibility. Stan was on the radios everywhere. Old school heads like Masta Ace (Disposable Arts), KRS-One (The Sneak Attack) and Wu-Tang Clan (Iron Flag) were still dropping bombs. The south was cementing its position with acts like Outkast and its Dungeon Family, Ludacris and UGK. DJ Clue pushed mixtapes into another level of prominence with The Professional 2. Ruff Ryders was still an industry force with Jadakiss, DMX and Eve all pushing discs to various levels of critical and commercial success. Ja Rule was still trying to sing. Jennifer Lopez became J.Lo and started defending her 'street rep'. Gruff underground heads like 7L & Esoteric, Immortal Technique, Mars Ill and Necro were all starting to rise to prominence. Come one, admit it – 2001 was a good year.
Maybe (probably) my judgment is clouded by the aforementioned rose-tinted glasses. Only heads that came into the game later or earlier than I will be able to give a truly objective account of 2001. However to me personally and musically, 2001 is still a stand-out year. I still can't listen to Nas' One Mic without getting nostalgic or Eve's Got What You Need without wanting to try to dance. I can only hope that the state of the art form has not deteriorated to the point that heads coming into the game this year can't look back on 2008 in a few years time with similarly fond memories.
