No. 5 The murders of 2Pac and Notorious B.I.G.
The mid-1990s were a dark time for hip-hop music. Many of the most popular artists in the genre embraced a nihilism and fatalistic image and worldview, with songs and album titles dedicated to the idea of dying young. Sadly, that aesthetic proved to be a little too realistic after the murder of Tupac Shakur in September 1996, which was followed by the murder of Christopher “Notorious BIG” Wallace in March 1997. Many artists and fans were forced to take a long hard look at what had gone wrong and what had to change going forward.
