Old-skool only - with very few exceptions, the scene in the 1990s and beyond became lazy and uncreative.
Gangsta violence and negativism destroyed the essentially fun nature of the music, and commercialism killed the creativity. In this way, though PE and NWA are great artists in themselves, they had a terrible influence in the music that followed.
Exceptions today include Missy Elliot and a fantastic young performer called Dazzle who puts out trax on YouTube, and is an absolute sweetie besides being highly talented and very beautiful - though not beautiful in the approved commercial-MTV music way like Beyoncé, she's darker and more voluptuous so she has little hope of fronting her own music on videos.
http://www.youtube.com/user/wvawwtopline
My absolute Old-Skool faves are Erik B and Rakim - Follow the Leader and Microphone Fiend are legendary tracks from the late 80s. I play Microphone Fiend about 5 times a day and never get tired of it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XY90c4ehYzw
Then there's Afrika Bambaata, Man Parrish and Mantronix. Old-skool hiphop mixed with electro sounds influenced by Kraftwek and Jean-Michel Jarre.
Also a monster Old-Skool guy called Just-Ice and his tremendous track "Cold Gettin Dumb" from the early 80s. I loved it so much I made an extended mix with a 1940s kung-fu compilation video. It's a long video and not many people like it, but I get a kick from it still.
And for real heavy-heaviness, there's Original Concept "Knowledge Me"
YouTube - Original Concept_Knowledge Me
Back in 1984 in the Oakland Flats I heard a pimp-mobile blasting this at a thousand decibels and it was the heaviest sound I've ever heard in my life. Blew my mind.
You may hear a lot of people saying "I was into old-skool hip-hop in the 1980s" and suspect it's a lie, but in my case I can assure you it's true. Still love it after all these years, along with punk, techno, reggae and dub from the same era.
Creates the ridiculous spectacle of a middle-aged overweight white guy with hippie hair doing kung-fu and tai-chi routines to this kind of old-skool hippity-hopness. Sad. But I'm happy, so who cares.
Word-Up Bro!:thumbup: