I agree with you.  But that also means that yes, we're getting old, mate, haha.

I will argue though that the baseline - pun intended - for quaility of sound in music in general has been lowered drastically since around the time you mentioned. Especially hip-hop.  

I'll digress though, don't need these youths whipping up a storm over an old man's opinions.

Another old guy reporting in.  There have been tons of great albums since 2000, but we often have to wade through mountains of bad albums before we get to them.  DOOM, Dalek, and Kendrick Lamar are a few artists that come to mind.  

BET 2017 Awards. I'll probably use these as polls.

Best Hip-Hop Video

Cardi B – Bodak Yellow

DJ Khaled f. Rihanna and Bryson Tiller – Wild Thoughts

French Montana f. Swae Lee – Unforgettable

Future – Mask Off

Kendrick Lamar – HUMBLE.

Best Collabo, Duo or Group

DJ Khaled f. Rihanna and Bryson Tiller – Wild Thoughts

French Montana f. Swae Lee – Unforgettable

Migos f. Lil Uzi Vert – Bad And Boujee

Rae Sremmurd f. Gucci Mane – Black Beatles

Yo Gotti f. Nicki Minaj – Rake It Up

Hot Ticket Performer

Cardi B

Chance The Rapper

Drake

J. Cole

Kendrick Lamar

Lyricist of the Year

Chance The Rapper

Drake

J. Cole

JAY-Z

Kendrick Lamar

Video Director of the Year

Benny Boom

Colin Tilley

Dave Meyers and Missy Elliott

Director X

Hype Williams

DJ of the Year

DJ Drama

DJ Envy

DJ Esco

DJ Khaled

DJ Mustard

Producer of the Year

DJ Khaled and Nasty Beatmakers

DJ Mustard

London On Da Track

Metro Boomin

Mike Will Made It

Pharrell Williams

MVP of the Year

Cardi B

Chance The Rapper

DJ Khaled

JAY-Z

Kendrick Lamar

Single of the Year

Bad And Boujee – Produced By Metro Boomin (Migos f. Lil Uzi Vert)

Bodak Yellow – Produced By J. White Did It (Cardi B)

HUMBLE. – Produced By Mike Will Made It (Kendrick Lamar)

Mask Off – Produced By Metro Boomin (Future)

Wild Thoughts – Produced By DJ Khaled and Nasty Beatmakers (DJ Khaled f. Rihanna and Bryson Tiller)

Album of the Year

DJ Khaled – Grateful

Future – FUTURE

J. Cole – 4 Your Eyez Only

JAY-Z – 4:44

Kendrick Lamar – DAMN.

Migos – Culture

Best New Hip-Hop Artist

Aminé

Cardi B

Kodak Black

Playboi Carti

Tee Grizzley

Hustler of the Year

Cardi B

Chance The Rapper

Diddy

DJ Khaled

JAY-Z

Kendrick Lamar

Made-You-Look Award (Best Hip-Hop Style)

A$AP Rocky

Cardi B

Future

Migos

Nicki Minaj

Best Hip Hop Online Site/App

Complex.com

Hotnewhiphop.com

Theshaderoom.com

Worldstarhiphop.com

XXLMag.com

Best Mixtape

Cardi B – Gangsta Bitch Music Vol. 2

Gucci Mane – Droptopwop

Juicy J – Gas Face

Playboi Carti – Playboi Carti

Tee Grizzley – My Moment

Yo Gotti & Mike Will Made It – Gotti Made-It

Sweet 16: Best Featured Verse

Chance The Rapper – I’m The One (DJ Khaled f. Justin Bieber, Quavo, Chance The Rapper and Lil Wayne)

Gucci Mane – Black Beatles (Rae Sremmurd f. Gucci Mane)

Lil Uzi Vert – Bad And Boujee (Migos f. Lil Uzi Vert)

Nicki Minaj – Rake It Up (Yo Gotti f. Nicki Minaj)

Ty Dolla $ign – Ain’t Nothing (Juicy J f. Wiz Khalifa & Ty Dolla $ign)

Wiz Khalifa – Ain’t Nothing (Juicy J f. Wiz Khalifa & Ty Dolla $ign)

Impact Track

Cardi B – Bodak Yellow

JAY-Z – Story of O.J.

Kendrick Lamar- HUMBLE.

Kendrick Lamar – DNA.

Lecrae – Blessings f. Ty Dolla $Ign

Tyler, The Creator – Who Dat Boy f. A$AP Rocky

my votes, A LOT of choices are missing

New poll.

Best Hip-Hop Video

Cardi B – Bodak Yellow

DJ Khaled f. Rihanna and Bryson Tiller – Wild Thoughts

French Montana f. Swae Lee – Unforgettable

Future – Mask Off

Kendrick Lamar – HUMBLE.

Gonna vote for Bodak Yellow.

"Bodak Yellow" is the first solo female rap single to reach #1 on the Hot 100 since "Doo Wop (That Thing)" in 1998.

— chart data (@chartdata) September 25, 2017

Cardi out here putting female rappers back on the map.

Only 2 females to ever have a no1 on the hot100 as a solo female rapper

Offset just dropped a free style video.


View on YouTube

Anything and everything from BROCKHAMPTON. They dropped 3 albums on 2017, Saturation I/II/III. All fantastic hip-hop, pop and even a few ballads in there. Saturation III specifically is the culmination of all 3 albums and their progression, with each song in it, to me, being damn near perfection in the genre/sound they are going for. Give it a shot for any hip hop fans.