Hip-hop’s Golden Age is loosely bookended by the genre’s commercial breakthrough in the late 1980s and the back-to-back deaths of 2Pac and Biggie in the late 1990s. Of course, rap fans haven’t stopped debating which years serve as hip-hop’s true apex. For some, the Golden Age commenced with Run DMC’s rise to fame in 1985 and lasted until New York, by way of Nas and Biggie, was back to being The Rap Mecca in 1994; while for others, it began with NWA’s arrival in 1988 and ended with Gangsta Rap’s explosion in 1993.
That being so, the most important question is: What year is the greatest year in hip-hop history? In what year did the genre peak?
In order to determine hip-hop’s greatest year, we need to focus on five different things.
- The State of the Rap Game — What events were swirling in and around the culture at the time?
- Influence on the Genre — How much and in what ways did the respective year affect hip-hop?
- Classic Albums — What were the year’s biggest and most impactful releases?
- Apex Rappers — At the time, which MCs were operating at the peak of their powers?
- Breakout Stars — What up-and-coming rappers exploded that year?
