the golden era

Most hip hop historians describe hip hop's golden era as the music that was made from 1986 to 1996.

As discussed on my show last night on 12RADIO, here are some of the best albums that were released during that time.

1986

Licensed to Ill - Beastie Boys

1987

Down by Law - MC Shan
Paid In Full - Eric B & Rakim
Criminal Minded - Boogie Down Productions
Yo! Bum Rush the Show - Public Enemy
BAD: Bigger and Deffer - LL Cool J

1988

It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back - Public Enemy
Straight Outta Compton - N.W.A
The Great Adventures of Slick Rick - Slick Rick
By All Means Necessary - Boogie Down Productions
Critical Beatdown - Ultramagnetic MCs
3 Feet High and Rising - De La Soul
Strictly Business - EPMD
Long Live the Kane - Big Daddy Kane
Eazy-Duz-It - Eazy E
Goin' Off - Biz Markie
Follow the Leader - Eric B & Rakim
Power - Ice T
Lyte as a Rock - MC Lyte
Tougher Than Leather - Run DMC
He's the DJ, I'm the Rapper - DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince

1989

Youngest in Charge - Special Ed
All Hail the Queen - Queen Latifah
The Boy Genius - Kwamé
Walking With a Panther - LL Cool J
As Nasty As They Wanna Be - 2 Live Crew
Original Stylin' - 3 Times Dope
Grip It! On That Other Level - Geto Boys
Road to the Riches - Kool G Rap & DJ Polo
Unfinished Business - EPMD
Ghetto Music: The Blueprint of Hip Hop - Boogie Down Productions
No One Can Do It Better - The D.O.C
It's a Big Daddy Thing - Big Daddy Kane

1990

AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted - Ice Cube
One For All - Brand Nubian
Wanted: Dead or Alive - Kool G Rap & DJ Polo
Mama Said Knock You Out - LL Cool J
Let the Rhythm Hit 'Em - Eric B. & Rakim
People's Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm - A Tribe Called Quest


1991

The Low End Theory - A Tribe Called Quest
Breaking Atoms - Main Source
Death Certificate - Ice Cube
De La Soul Is Dead - De La Soul
We Can't Be Stopped - Geto Boys
To the East, Blackwards - X-Clan
Efil4zaggin - N.W.A.

1992

Bizarre Ride II Tha Pharcyde - The Pharcyde
Step In the Arena - GangStarr
Mecca and the Soul Brother - Pete Rock and CL Smooth
Don't Sweat the Technique - Eric B. and Rakim

1993

Enter the Wu-Tang: 36 Chambers - Wu-Tang Clan
Midnight Marauders - A Tribe Called Quest
DoggyStyle - Snoop Doggy Dogg
Enta Da Stage - Black Moon
93 Til Infinity - Souls of Mischief
Comin' Out Hard - Eightball & MJG

1994
Illmatic - Nas
southernplayalisticadillacmuzik - Outkast
The Main Ingredient - Pete Rock & C.L. Smooth
The Most Beautifullest Thing In This World - Keith Murray
Do You Want More?!!!??! - The Roots
The Diary - Scarface
Ready to Die - Notorious B.I.G

1995

Me Against the World - 2Pac
Only Built 4 Cuban Linx - Raekwon
The Infamous... - Mobb Deep
Return to the 36 Chambers: The Dirty Version - Ol' Dirty Bastard
Labcabincalifornia - The Pharcyde
Doe Or Die - AZ
E. 1999-Eternal - Bone Thugs-N-Harmony
Soul Food - Goodie MOB

1996

All Eyez On Me - 2Pac
Reasonable Doubt - Jay-Z
Don Killuminati: The 7-Day Theory - 2Pac/Makaveli
It Was Written - Nas
Illadelph Halflife - The Roots
Muddy Waterz - Redman

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