White supremacy meets “black boy rage”: Why Tupac’s needed more today than ever

[Romulox]

73. Watching hip hop develop from the 80s into the 90s was incredible.

It was an art form in the 1980s, and I still listen to music from that era (PE, NWA, Eric B & Rakim, De La and Tribe, etc.), but the development of hip hop into the 90s was just an incredible journey into newer and seemingly always bigger and better things. More sounds, more expression, less barriers.

I remember the first time I heard The Chronic. Yes, the "g funk" sound got played out quickly, but when it was new, I found it mind boggling. Not just the sound, either. I can't tell you how many times I sat down with different people--grunger whiteboys, preppy blacks, hippy latinos, asians with "naturals", and any imagineable combination of those adjectives/nouns--and "threw down" to that record! It was our Woodstock!

I know it's corny, but it does feel like Biggie and Tupac's death brought everything to a screeching halt. It's never felt the same for me since, really, but a big part of that is getting older I suspect.