[12] The artists most often associated with the period are LL Cool J, Slick Rick, Ultramagnetic MC's,[13] the Jungle Brothers,[14] Run-DMC, Public Enemy, Beastie Boys, KRS-One, DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince, Eric B.

& Rakim, De La Soul, Big Daddy Kane, EPMD, Biz Markie,[11] Salt-N-Pepa,[11] Queen Latifah,[11] Gang Starr, and A Tribe Called Quest.

Referring to "hip-hop in its golden age",[17] Spin's editor-in-chief Sia Michel said, "there were so many important, groundbreaking albums coming out right about that time",[17] and MTV's Sway Calloway added: "The thing that made that era so great is that nothing was contrived.

& Rakim, Ultramagnetic MCs,[22][23] De La Soul, A Tribe Called Quest, and the Jungle Brothers[24] due to their themes of Afrocentricity and political militancy, their experimental music, and their eclectic sampling.

[25] This same period is sometimes referred to as "mid-school" or a "middle school" in hip hop, the phrase covering acts such as Gang Starr, the UMC's, Main Source, Lord Finesse, EPMD, Just Ice, Stetsasonic, True Mathematics, and Mantronix.

[26][27][28] The innovations of Run-DMC, LL Cool J, and new-school hip hop producers such as Larry Smith, and Rick Rubin of Def Jam Recordings, were quickly advanced on by Beastie Boys, Marley Marl and his Juice Crew MCs, Boogie Down Productions, Public Enemy, and Eric B.

[31] The ability to sample different beats, riffs and patterns from a wide variety of sources gave birth to a new breed of producers and DJs who did not necessarily need formal musical training or instruments, just a good ear for sound collages.

AllMusic said the golden age "witnessed the best recordings from some of the biggest rappers in the genre's history... overwhelmingly based in New York City, golden age rap is characterized by skeletal beats, samples cribbed from hard rock or soul tracks, and tough dis raps... rhymers like PE's Chuck D, Big Daddy Kane, KRS-One, Rakim, and LL Cool J basically invented the complex wordplay and lyrical kung-fu of later hip-hop".

[37] Lyrical content from the era often drew attention to a variety of social issues including Afrocentric living, drug use, crime and violence, religion, culture, the state of the American economy, and the modern man's struggle.

According to Tricia Rose, "In rap, relationships between black cultural practice, social and economic conditions, technology, sexual and racial politics, and the institution policing of the popular terrain are complex and in constant motion.

"[49] Music critic Tony Green, in the book Classic Material, refers to the two-year period 1993–1994 as "a second Golden Age" that saw influential, high-quality albums using elements of past classicism – drum machines (Roland TR-808[50]), drum samplers (Akai MPC60,[51] E-mu SP-1200), turntable scratches, references to old-school hip hop hits, and "tongue-twisting triplet verbalisms" – while making clear that new directions were being taken.

They believe the ruling made in Grand Upright Music, Ltd. v. Warner Bros. Records Inc. marked the end of the golden age of hip hop and its sampling practices.

Marl also founded Cold Chillin' Records and assembled various hip hop acts, including MC Shan, Big Daddy Kane, Biz Markie, Roxanne Shanté, Kool G Rap & DJ Polo, and Masta Ace.

[53] More disses (insults intended to show disrespect) from Shanté followed: "Bite This" (1985), "Queen of Rox" (1985), introducing Biz Markie on "Def Fresh Crew" (1986), "Payback" (1987), and "Have a Nice Day" (1987).

[58] The next album By All Means Necessary (1988) left that element behind for political radicalism following the murder of Scott La Rock, with its title and cover alluding to Malcolm X. KRS-One became involved with the Stop the Violence Movement at this time.

Just as Boogie Down Productions had, the pair reflected changes in street life on their debut's cover, which depicted the two wearing large gold chains and surrounded by money.

Like Criminal Minded, the sampling prevalent in the album cemented James Brown's status as a hip hop source,[60] while Rakim's allusions showed the growing influence of mystic Islam-offshoot The Nation of Gods and Earths in hip-hop.

"[63] Looking back at the late eighties in Rolling Stone in 1997, Ed Moralez describes Rakim as "the new-school MC of the moment, using a smooth baritone to become the jazz soloist of mystic Afrocentric rap.

[67] The West Coast, which became the home of gangsta rap, had Toddy Tee's influential Batteram mixtape in 1985,[68] and Ice-T's "Six in the Morning" in 1986[69] before N.W.A's first records, leading to the hugely successful Straight Outta Compton in 1988.

[70] Developments in the New York new-school continuum in this climate were represented by the Native Tongues groups—Jungle Brothers, De La Soul, A Tribe Called Quest, Queen Latifah, Chi-Ali, and Monie Love—along with fellow travellers like Leaders of the New School, KMD and Brand Nubian.

"[75] The sixties pop band the Turtles filed a lawsuit in 1989 against hip hop group De La Soul for the uncleared use of a sampled element derived from their original 1968 track "You Showed Me."