Get those ears ready – you’re about to Hear It Here… Now!
Summer is around the corner, and my musical divining rod tells me that the hip hop and R&B of the years 1988 to 1991, possibly 1992, will be the most exciting and inspiring music and fashion infusion you could imagine for this season of fun on the run. Think head-to-toe style, sophistication, and mastery of beats, lyrics, samples and harmonies – and I think you just saw anywhere from 1 to 4 months ahead into the future.
Do your thing with an ’89 swing with MC Lyte
Or are you more of an Around The Way Girl with bamboo earrings?
Are you dreaming, or is this Christopher Williams with “I’m Dreamin'”?
Or perhaps you’re looking for something Nice & Smooth
If you google “hip hop 1988” like I literally just did, you’ll get Wikipedia’s entry called “Golden Age Hip Hop.” Where was I and what was I doing in that golden age? I definitely had nothing to do with hip hop, so I want to be clear that I’m coming at this from a place of sheer ignorance and instinct.
Rhymes were focused on boasting about – of all things – one’s rhyme skills. The vibes were romantic yet cautious. And production values minted a particular warmth and soul around funky, free-wheelin’ bass lines and cooley high harmonies. It’s going to be a New Jack kind of summer.
You Heard It Here Last 