I Miss 90s Hip-Hop Vol. 2 (Late 1990s)
Late 1990 (July-December)
The veterans strike back
Following A Tribe Called Quest's groundbreaking debut in the early 1990s, the latter half of the decade saw artists who had driven the 80s hip-hop scene keenly sensing the changing times and exploring new styles.
For L.L. Cool J, who had a spectacular debut on Def Jam in the mid-80s and became an instant top star with a string of hits, but seemed to be stagnating somewhat, his fourth album *Mama Said Knock You Out* (released September 14th) became a lifeline. Marley Marl produced most of the songs on the album, and the combination of the exhilarating track on the title song ’Mama Said Knock You Out" and L.L. Cool J's power-infused rap is nothing short of perfect. The album also produced other hit singles like "Around The Way Girl" and "The Boomin' System," successfully presenting a new L.L. attitude different from the 80s.
L.L. Cool J "Mama Said Knock You Out"
L.L. Cool J "Around The Way Girl"
Also featuring L.L. Cool J was EPMD's 3rd album, "Business As Usual," released on December 18th. While there wasn't a drastic change in sound like with L.L. Cool J, they showcased their veteran swagger on this album by steadily scaling up from their 1st and 2nd albums.
EPMD "Rampage feat. L.L. Cool J"
Boogie Down Productions“ (hereafter BDP) fourth album, ”Edutainment,“ released on July 17th, is a work that further solidified the already strong political message of BDP. As the album title, a portmanteau of ”education" and "entertainment," suggests, KRS-One literally becomes a teacher, addressing a wide range of topics from the history of Black people in America to human morality. The album boasts a high level of completeness as a concept album, incorporating speeches by activist Kwame Ture, who was also a member of the Black Panthers, into the skits.
Boogie Down Productions "Love's Gonna Get'cha (Material Love)"
Incidentally, D-Nice, a member of BDP, also made his solo debut during this period with the album "Call Me D-Nice," which illustrates BDP's momentum in the hip-hop scene at the time.
D-Nice "Call Me D-Nice"
While they may not have achieved commercial success, Run-D.M.C.'s fifth album, "Back From Hell" (released October 16th), is also not to be missed, as it shows them exploring their own style in a different way than in the 80s. While there are compelling tracks like "The Ave," their somewhat unfocused approach is also evident, as they experiment with New Jack Swing on the single "Faces."
Run-D.M.C. "The Ave"
Run-D.M.C. "Faces"
Juice Crew's Second Golden Age
During this period, works by members of the Juice Crew, led by producer Marley Marl who was instrumental in L.L. Cool J's resurgence, were also released one after another.
The debut album "Intelligent Hoodlum" by Intelligent Hoodlum, who is still active under the name Tragedy Khadafi, released on July 10th, features Large Professor as a co-producer on two tracks. Regardless, Marley Marl's production is outstanding. In particular, the single "Black And Proud" has an excellent synergy between Intelligent Hoodlum's straightforward message as a Black Muslim and Marley Marl's track, making it truly thrilling, including its musical style.
Intelligent Hoodlum "Black And Proud"
Masta Ace's debut album, "Take A Look Around" (released July 24th), also gained attention for its posse cut "The Symphony," considered a Juice Crew anthem. From this album, "Me And The Biz," where Masta Ace imitates his fellow Juice Crew member Biz Markie, became a hit. This song conveys the rich character and uniquely positive aspects of the Juice Crew.
Masta Ace "Me And The Biz"
Kool G Rap & DJ Polo's second album, "Wanted: Dead or Alive" (released August 14th), also from "The Symphony" collective, takes a serious tone, the opposite of Masta Ace. It covers a wide range of themes, from crime stories influenced by gangster films to hard-hitting battle tunes and anti-racism.
Kool G Rap & DJ Polo "Streets Of New York"
Kool G Rap & DJ Polo "Erase Racism feat. Big Daddy Kane & Biz Markie"
On Grand Daddy I.U.'s debut album *Smooth Assassin* (released October 16th), Biz Markie produced all the tracks instead of Marley Marl of the Juice Crew, and it includes smooth songs like "Something New" and "Sugar Free."
Grand Daddy I.U. "Something New"
Grand Daddy I.U. "Sugar Free"
The final act for the Juice Crew will be the 3rd album by Big Daddy Kane, a star alongside Biz Markie, titled "Taste of Chocolate" (to be released October 30th). However, due to the overwhelming success of his first and second albums, this work is unfortunately not as highly regarded. One factor might be Marley Marl's absence as a producer, but listening again, one can find a different charm compared to when it was initially released.
Big Daddy Kane "Taste Of Chocolate"
N.W.A. vs. Ice Cube
As mentioned in Vol.1, Ice Cube left N.W.A. and made his solo debut with the album *AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted*. However, a new beef erupted about three months later with the release of N.W.A.’s EP *100 Miles And Runnin'* (released August 14th). On the title track, Dr. Dre touched upon Ice Cube's departure in his lyrics, and on the song "Real Niggaz," MC Ren and Dr. Dre dissed Ice Cube. In response, Ice Cube counterattacked on the track "I Gotta Say What Up!!!" from his EP *Kill At Will* (released December 18th), and the battle between the two continued into the following year.
N.W.A '100 Miles And Runnin'"
Ice Cube - Jackin' For Beats
In the West Coast scene, Compton-born King Tee released his second album, *At Your Own Risk* (out October 2), around this time, and his collaboration with veteran producer DJ Pooh impressed many hip-hop fans.DJ Pooh and Ice Cube also made guest appearances on the sixth album by Oakland, Northern California-based Too $hort, *Short Dog’s In The House* (released September 11). The track “The Ghetto,” which, true to the title, depicts ghetto life, is known as one of Too $hort’s signature early tracks.
King Tee "Ruff Rhyme (Back Again)"
Too $short "The Ghetto"
The emergence of Brand Nubian
Up to this point, we've focused on veteran artists except for those from the Juice Crew, but I'd also like to introduce albums from newcomers who represent the latter half of the 1990s. First up is Brand Nubian's debut album, "One For All" (released December 4th), which is highly regarded as one of the defining albums of 1990. While rooted in a conscious perspective inspired by the Five-Percent Nation, their original and upbeat raps, infused with humor from Grand Puba and Sadat X, are expertly woven over tracks featuring excellent sampling, resulting in classic tunes like "Slow Down," "Wake Up," and "All For One."
Brand Nubian "Slow Down"
Brand Nubian - Wake Up
Brand Nubian - All For One
Another release was Monie Love's debut album, *Down To Earth*, released on October 30th. Although from London, she became known as a member of Native Tongues for her participation in tracks like De La Soul's "Buddy." Her positive and straightforward message is evident in the album's representative song, "It's A Shame (My Sister)," which was a hit in the US, her home country of the UK, and across Europe.
Monie Love – "It's A Shame"
It was also released on the label JMJ, headed by Run-D.M.C.'s Jam Master Jay (and DJ Hurricane of the Beastie Boys was also a member).I'd also like to mention releases from the latter half of 1990, such as The Afros’ debut album *Kickin' Afrolistics* (released August 14th) and *The Devil Made Me Do It* (released October 9th), the debut album of Paris, a radical conscious rapper heavily influenced by the Black Panthers.
The Afros "Feel It"
PARIS "The Devil Made Me Do It"
The commercialization of hip-hop
While not unrelated to MC Hammer's massive success mentioned in Vol. 1, the popularization of hip-hop became an even bigger wave in the latter half of the 1990s. Works that core hip-hop fans would overlook, to varying degrees, were mass-produced, such as Candyman's *Ain't No Shame In My Game* (released October 2nd) which hit with ’Knockin' Boots," and Father MC's *Father's Day* (released October 15th) which featured a young Puff Daddy. However, the deciding factor was the major label debut album *Ice To The Extreme* (released September 4th) by white rapper Vanilla Ice. The single "Ice Ice Baby" from this album reached number 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, and the album itself sold over 10 million copies. However, the backlash from the hip-hop scene against his style, which merely exploited superficial aspects of Black culture, was immense. The white rap group 3rd Bass released the song "Pop Goes the Weasel," which strongly criticized pop-oriented hip-hop, with Vanilla Ice at the forefront. Incidentally, Vanilla Ice's popularity later plummeted after it was revealed that his biography, released by his record company, contained falsified information. However, the popularization of hip-hop did not stop thereafter.
Candyman 'Knockin' Boots"
Father MC - "I'll Do 4 U"
Vanilla Ice - Ice Ice Baby
3rd Bass "Pop Goes The Weasel"
＜本文終わり＞
Music writer. Began writing in 1996, contributing to publications such as the hip-hop magazine "blast." Moved to Los Angeles in 2003, where they covered the underground hip-hop scene, including artists like Stones Throw, while also writing about fashion, art, and other fields. Returned to Japan in 2015 and continues to work as a writer for various magazines and web media, focusing primarily on hip-hop.
