Hip-Hop has a checkered history of varied perspectives and unique rapping styles, but nothing quite compares to the crossroads the genre reached in 1996. At the time, a whirlwind of changes were occurring amongst artists, record labels and fans, alike. As a major shift developed within the music industry, commercial Hip-Hop began to make a transition from deeper, conscious lyricism to a more gangsta-based sound. Despite this change, several artists maintained their stance and stayed true to the conscious movement. But what caused conscious rap to decline, and subsequently caused fewer artists to produce conscious rap music?
One of the groundbreaking developments of 1996 that impacted Hip-Hop was the Telecommunications Act. This law was meant to diversify ownership and competition among the radio broadcast market on the surface, but it actually caused the opposite occur. Since there were no caps on ownership in markets, many of the diversified radio markets evolved into regional conglomerates, many owned by the same people. Due to this lack of diversity, owners were able to have more say in what was being played nationally. This caused a sharp decline in the politically-driven, conscious rap that spoke for underprivileged communities in America, replaced in large part by dumbed-down, hypersexualized, gangsta rap. Facing fewer opportunities to promote their work, conscious artists found themselves doing more of the independent route and losing traction in the mainstream crowd. Despite these struggles, there were still a number of artists that produced quality records in 1996.
Although conscious rap was on the decline, there were still several major and independent rappers and rap groups that found ways to release music with conscious themes. On the mainstream end, Nas released It Was Written, Tupac (known as Makaveli) had a few conscious moments on The Don Killuminati, and The Fugees blessed fans with The Score. On the independent circuit, there were a few more instances of great conscious works, including De La Soul’s Stakes Is High, Ras Kass’ Soul on Ice, and Wrath of the Math by Jeru the Damaja. These bodies of work proved to both critics and fans that conscious rap was still very much alive, even if traditional outlets weren’t providing the same exposure as the watered-down material that was provided to the public. The Score and It Was Written were very important, as they debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200. They showed that conscious themed rap could still sell commercially, and that people still wanted to hear insightful, thought-provoking music. Even though a majority of mainstream Hip-Hop artists chose not to record conscious subject matter, many of them were still very aware of the need for it and their place in culture. Some chose to make a move in regards to this realization, while others did not.
One of the defining moments of the shift in 1996 was the transition of conscious rap to gangsta rap. While many artists embraced this change, others spoke out against it, ruffling the feathers of some artists. Conscious Hip-Hop releases of that time caused both contempt amongst some of rap’s stars, while also paving the way for a new generation of rappers. De La Soul’s Stakes is High had an impact in both instances; Tupac took great offense to their criticism of gangsta rap, and took shots at them on the record “Against All Odds”. Ironically enough, Tupac’s music had taken on a conscious tone of its own as he became more aware of his influence. Naughty by Nature also disliked De La Soul’s stance on Hip-Hop, and a longstanding feud developed between both groups. Although some artists had an issue with the conscious stance on Hip-Hop, others used the opportunity to start their careers and take on responsibility, themselves. Common and Mos Def both propelled their careers on Stakes Is High and still remain very influential figures in the rap game.
Hip-Hop in 1996 is known for a number of things, but conscious rap is often overlooked. While the style of rap generated a lot of controversy for both positive and negative reasons, it played a major role in the direction of rap, regardless. today, Hip-Hop has all but abandoned socially conscious rap, but there are still a few artists that carry the torch, many of whom credit the movements in 1996 as inspiration. This famed year in Hip-Hop proves yet again why it is so important.
