When it comes to a year where many different types of artists showcased their best work, I can't think of another year that tops this one. Think about these releases:

Ready To Die -- Notorious B.I.G.
Hard To Earn -- Gang Starr
Dare Iz A Darkside -- Redman
Blowout Comb -- Digable Planets
The Sun Rises In The East -- Jeru The Damaja
Nas -- Illmatic
Common Sense -- Resurrection

There are a lot of others I am forgetting, but during this year, Enter The 36 Chambers, The Chronic, Doggystyle, Enta Da Stage, Low End Theory and Buhloone Mindstate were also in heavy rotation. Other artists like Craig Mack were also around during this time. What a great time to be a hip-hop head.

Above The Rim Soundtrack was good too that year. Rap took a major turn around 92-94, and I'm not sure I was digging it. 85-1990 was my favorite period. When every rap video became a big block party of people smoking weed and getting liquored up, and got plastered all over MTV, rap seemed to have lost its ambition.

"I dont smoke weed or cess, cuz its known to give a brother brain damage..." what happened to those days?