How Three Cities Turned the 90s Into Rap’s Golden Age
New York, Los Angeles, and Atlanta each built a sound of their own — and the friction between them made the 90s the golden age of hip-hop.
New York, Los Angeles, and Atlanta each built a sound of their own — and the friction between them made the 90s the golden age of hip-hop.
Between 1990 and 1999, Golden Age hip-hop stopped bragging and started narrating — turning rappers like Nas, Biggie, and the Wu-Tang Clan into the great American storytellers of the decade.
From The Chronic to Illmatic, the Golden Age of hip-hop turned the 1990s into the most fearless decade rap ever had. Here’s how it happened.