1998 was about one thing. Hip hop radio station Hut 97 played Hard Knock Life and Miseducation months before either was released till a year after. Incessantly. And for good reason.
After the East Coast/West Coast wars were over with the murders of Biggie and 2Pac, the hip hop world decided to stop fucking around and get down to business. Poised to break pop big time, bigger than ever, bigger than every one, the community looked on in horror as Suge Knight became the symbol of a true reflection of gangsta rock. They brought drama.
Jigga was bringing a pop moment which he entirely nailed with the “Annie” sampled “Hard Knock Life” which singlehandedly changed rap from a police and thieves reincarnation to a pop phenomenan and Lauryn Hill whose “Every Ghetto, Every City’ as well as just about every song from her masterful The Miseducation Of Lauryn Hill (geddit?)
Between the two of them they made hip hop safe not for Hut 97 but for Z100. They made it what we know today.
But it was the last GREAT year for R&B.
After that there has been a steady decline and while I, for one, believe Kid Cudi and Solange Knowles are poised to bring hip hop back to artistic prominance I think dance will beat em to it.