Grown Man Bars: Remember the Rhyme, Respect the Era

90s hip hop laid the groundwork for everything that came after it — but who really bent the decade?

In this episode of Grown Man Bars, Chad and Big Absoloot break down their real top six MCs of the 90s based on impact, not sales:

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Ice Cube – th... more

Most people talk about diss tracks like they’re memes. Funny moments, quick jabs, something to repost. But the real ones—the truly disrespectful ones—did more than win a beef. They changed careers. They shook regions. They rewired the power structure... more

Let’s stop pretending.

If you’re over 35, you’ve said it: “Rap fell off.”

But in this episode we’re putting the nostalgia goggles in the trash and grading hip hop before 2005 vs after 2005 with real criteria:

• Lyrics

• Production

• Cultural Reach

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Who really ran 90s hip hop?

Grown Man Bars breaks down the decade coast by coast — East Coast (1990–1994), West Coast (1994–1997), and the South (1998–2000) — to finally crown the true winner of the 1990s rap era.

We dive deep into the golden era of... more

Jay-Z said, “Nobody can stand on that stage with me.” Tonight we test it for real—Verzuz rules: 20 songs, 20 rounds. In classic barbershop fashion, Grown Man Bars lines up the catalog kings across eras and asks who actually has the ammo to beat Hov: ... more

Welcome back to Uncle Willie's Barbershop — where Gen-X hip hop heads still rewind with a pencil and argue like it’s ’96. Today, Chad (resident rap nerd) and Big Absoloot break down CeeLo Green — from Dungeon Family roots to Goodie Mob, solo “Soul Ma... more

Grown Man Bars (Chad & Big Absoloot) dive into the golden era of rap soundtracks—from Krush Groove and Wild Style to Above the Rim, Menace II Society, Belly, and the Straight Outta Compton score. We break down why 1988–1996 changed hip hop, how sound... more

Grown Man Bars dives into 1996 in hip hop—a year stacked with all-timer albums and larger-than-life moments. We unpack how Tupac’s Death Row run turned him into a myth, why ’96 vs ’06 might be a draw if you only judge the pen, and how Lil’ Kim and Fo... more