Originally Posted by Lester Burnham

Hip-hop is like the economy, it is cyclical with ups and downs.

You had young Run-DMC, Whoudini, EPMD, and Rakim...

then things went stale...

Then NWA came to the scene and the blew the shit up...

then things went stale...

Then Tupac, Dre, B.I.G. and Nas brought hip-hop back...

then things went stale

Eminem, 50 Cent, early Cash Money, Mos Def brought hip-hop back...