I think anything really before Tupac came about (around '92) was considered old school. I think Tupac and people like Busta Rhymes, Biggie, Mobb Deep, and the Wu-Tang Clan are examples of the "Gangsta Rap" era. I really do think that hip hop is broken down into eras. Those being:
-Renaissance (Afrikka Bamba...Zu Lu Nation, those type)
-Old Skool (KRS-One, LL Cool J, Run DMC, Public Enemy, Beastie Boys, Rakim, N.W.A.)
-Gangsta Rap (Nas, Tupac, Biggie, Jay-Z, DMX, Busta, Ice Cube)
-Pop/Nu Skool Rap (Nelly, 50 Cent, Common, etc)
-Regional Rap (Dirty Souf, Up North/East, West, Midwest, etc.) I give this example because rap today has so many outlets to it. Before, it WAS different, but blended in more IMO than today's rap. People classify by regions now.
Yea...something like that.
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