>>05. WHAT ARTIST DID YOU DISCOVER THIS YEAR (new or old)?
>
>Not an artist per se, but the America Is Dying Slowly
>compilation.
>Had only heard a few songs from it, but finally found the CD
>used.
>Man, what a solid hip hop comp. Played this most of the
>summer.
>

This album is so dope and never talked about. Second best hip-hop compilation/soundtrack IMO only after Soul In The Hole.

Contains my absolute favorite OC song and probably one of my top 5 hip-hop songs ever in What I Represent.

Great opener.
Lost Boyz classic with the additional PR verse
Wu and Goodie come through with bangers!
Dope Coolio joint although Too Hot from the previous year would’ve made more sense
Ball & MJG kill it.
M-O-B-B with a track that has nothing to do with the topic but who cares lol
Lord Tariq with a dope cut
Spice 1 with the West Coast flavor

Then when you think you’ve got a dope albums you get hit with
Common
De La
Organized Konfusion
OC

That 4 song run is absurd and take it up to classic status.

Close it out with Sadat, Fat Joe, Domino and Mac Mal and you really can’t ask for more in a hip-hop compilation.

It doesn’t waste time like many of the soundtracks from that era do by adding in the R&B and dance cuts like New Jersey Drive, High School High and Sunset Park did, which to me puts it above those.

Definitely underrated and takes me back to 96 for sure...the most prolific year for great hip-hop releases.