The end of history
Some turning points are the beginning of something new. When „Sgt. Pepper‘s“ was released in 1967, it not only marked a high point of the psychedelic era, but at the same time established the beginning of a recording and album aesthetic as part of which LPs became increasingly ambitious and the studio became a playground for complex sound manipulations. Sometimes, however, turning points are also end points. This was the case, for example, with „Wu Tang Forever,“ which appeared exactly 30 years after the Beatles‘ masterpiece. This record, which is still as dearly loved as it is despised, marked the end of an era in hip-hop that is unlikely to return. Some may not care. But since hip-hop has since become the dominant style worldwide, the question of why is a very fundamental one because the aftermath of that release can still be felt today.
