The New Golden Era: Comparing'90s Hip Hop to the Modern Day

Credit: BBC

When hip hop fans refer to the ‘Golden Era’ of rap music, our minds are drawn to the 1990s. At a glance, it seems obvious why: the classic albums; the cultural domination of 2Pac and Biggie Smalls. Some would argue that hip hop peaked in the ’90s, but could that really be true?

Following the ’80s, hip hop fully launched into the mainstream. However, it was not until 2017 that rap became the most popular genre in the United States. Considering this, it begs the question: did hip hop truly peak in the ’90s, or has its Golden Era just begun?

The Hot 100

The Billboard Hot 100 is more than a list of popular songs; it’s a snapshot of music culture, offering insight into current trends, including the popularity of different genres. To gauge rap’s popularity in the ‘90s, I counted the number of hip hop songs to reach the Hot 100 in the final full week of every year across the decade, then compared it to the modern day.

The contrast is immediate. Across the ‘90s, an average of 14/100 songs on the Hot 100 were hip hop — a weak number compared to the 2010s, when an average of 29/100 rap songs made the chart. In 2020, there was a sharp decline in rap’s popularity, but this could be due to the December release of Taylor Swift’s album evermore, because of which 15 chart spots were taken up by that album alone.

This factor, in tandem with the spike in Christmas songs, may have pushed rap songs off the chart. Regardless, this illustrates a significant difference in the popularity of hip hop. In the ’90s, rap’s popularity was steady, whereas in the modern day, it fluctuates from tremendous highs to surprising lows.

The Gold & Platinum Program

Aside from the charts, the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a useful tool to observe music trends. The RIAA awards certifications to albums based on sales figures. For example, for US releases, an album becomes Gold-certified after 500,000 sales, then Platinum-certified after 1,000,000 sales. With this in mind, I observed the number of hip hop albums to receive certifications each year, within the same time periods.

This data further solidifies the unpredictability of modern rap music. The ’90s display a reasonable incline in Platinum-certifications, gently rising from eight Platinum in 1990 to 39 in 1999. Though the numbers for 2013–2022 are generally higher, they zigzag between extremes. There were a staggering 28 Platinum certifications in 2017, followed by 12 in 2018, then 30 in 2019.

Although hip hop was more stable in the ’90s, one could interpret that stability as stagnation. The numbers increased modestly, in stark contrast to the jarring changes in rap’s popularity in the modern day. That being said, the evidence is clear: rap in the 2010s was a commercial powerhouse compared to the ’90s, but that growth was far from exponential.

The Hot Rap Songs Chart

Hip hop’s popularity can be traced not only by its sales, but by the stars the genre births. Looking over the Billboard Hot Rap Songs chart, I tallied every number one hit since the chart’s introduction to observe how fast newcomers have risen into household names.

A key takeaway from this data is the sheer supremacy of Drake over the genre. Just three years after he debuted, the rapper had already topped the chart 13 times, beating Puff Daddy’s record of 10 hits in eight years. Drake is a phenomenon in the rap sphere, representing a level of stardom previously unheard of in the genre.

Going further, the chart indicates a newfound level of longevity amongst rappers. For example, since reaching eight number one hits in 1998, LL COOL J has not had another hit. Similarly, Public Enemy reached five number one hits in 1993, but have not topped the chart since. This is despite both acts remaining active as of 2024. By contrast, Drake has had an average of two hits per year since his debut, from 2009–2022. Nicki Minaj had two hits in 2022, 12 years after her debut. These are just a few examples of rappers remaining relevant for far longer than their predecessors, indicating a pattern of improved longevity in the mainstream.

Are we in the Golden Era?

Debates about the state of hip hop may never end, but judging by the numbers, there is no doubt that we are living in the commercial prime of rap music. Rap sales are bountiful; rap stars have more longevity than ever; and hip hop is a leading genre on the charts. Hip hop’s success fluctuates, but one thing is certain: rap music has a firmer grip on pop culture today than ever before, and shows no signs of letting go.