Only Real Music Fans Can Name These 90s Hip Hop Stars
- by Jessica
- – on
- in Entertainment
Artists like Grandmaster Flash in "The Message" and Fab Five Freddy got over the goofy bump of figuring out the foundation of rapping over instrumental in the 1980's so people could refine it into a serious genre of the 1990's. Without this base the collectives, alternative genres, jazz experimentation, and socially critical genre of hip-hop would not have been birthed in the 1990's.
Yes, we're returning to the 90's again. But that's because it was an extremely formative time for rap and hip-hop. That decade birthed much of what we consume today; the creative choreographers, ethereal voices, and street realities might not be around without pioneering artists like Public Enemy, Nas, or Lauryn Hill. Later, female rappers like Lil' Kim and Foxy Brown reclaimed their sexuality for their own profit-- even if their performances were directed towards males.
Then there's the lore of the East Coast-West Coast feud that was probably more a publicity stunt than a fight for respect. And of course, there were the artists who were taken away too early, like Aaliyah, 2Pac, The Notorious B.I.G., etc. This is all part of what makes 90's hip-hop a magical era.
But how well do you remember these 90's artists? Are you sure you were really a fan?
It Was a Good Day
This rapper hails from Los Angeles and was a member of the early Hip-Hop group C.I.A. He wrote It Was a Good Day in 1994 and was produced by Dr. Dre and Sam Sneed. The track hit the Top Forty in the R&B/Hip-Hop charts and was made as a precursor to the N.W.A. (another seminal rap group he left in '89) reunion album that never materialized. AllMusic has called him "one of hip-hop's greatest storytellers." Since then this rapper has tried his career in acting in the movie "Are We There Yet?" and series Barbershop.
Gin and Juice
This artist's iconic debut album Doggystyle shot him into fame in 1993 as it made it to number one on both Billboard 200 and Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums. It was later certified 4x platinum. His second album The Doggfather came out in 1996 and he topped both charts again. This rapper's first album was such a success partially because he had been working with Dr.Dre in 1992 for a song featured in Deep Cover and Dre's first album The Chronic.
Can't Truss It
As you can probably tell by their name, group's music was heavily politicized. Constant themes were addressing the history of slavery and racial prejudice still alive in America today. In this way they were an activist rallying call as well as one of the early moulders of hip-hop. By 2000 they had produced four albums and all were certified gold or platinum. They were the fourth Hip-Hop group inducted to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as of 2012.
Down With the King
This trio from Queens were part of the new school hip-hop movement in the 80's and 90's. They were the first group to highlight the importance of a close MC and DJ relationship. In their music the group projected an aggressive and angry tone but denounced the practical crime that came with street rioting. Nevertheless the media often pinned certain riots on this group. Their single "My Adidas" prompted the brand to sign a $1.6 million dollar endorsement with the athletic brand. This was one of the first moments of commercialization in hip-hop.
Crush on You
Her first studio album, Hard Core was released in 1996 and brought her immediate fame with three top singles. Prior to this she had worked with Notorious B.I.G. in his group Junior M.A.F.I.A. She's the second female rapper to have a No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 Chart. In the 90's Queen Lil Bee was always extra with her outfits, and we ate them up! Since this famous MTV awards one was first donned by her the look has been refitted, including five times by Beyoncé this year!
Insane in the Brain
These four were the first Latino hip-hop group to have several platinum albums-- their first four were produced in the 90's and were widely acclaimed. Since they're from California they're seen as shaping the West Coast hip-hop movement. In the late eighties they signed a deal with Columbia Records and they did their first live performance at Lollapalooza in 1992. Since then the group collaborated and went on tour with many other hip-hop 90's royalty. Their rap characteristically has a high nasal tone.
On & On
This singer was signed when her talent was recognized at a show in Fort Worth she was opening for D'Angelo in 1994. The song above is one of three singles from her 1997 album, Baduizm. She is a creative genius and has been described as eccentric by many. Though she once released a single "Love of My Life (An Ode to Hip-Hop)" she is credited with inspiring a new genre of neo soul and is a member of the group, the Soulquarians.
Ladies First
Her early music addresses heavy subjects like domestic violence, security on the streets, and relationship issues. She released her first album All Hail the Queen with Tommy Boy Records in 1989 when she was only 19. She was a member of the hip-hop collective Native Tongues. In the early 2000's this star transitioned to more traditional soul and jazz genres, though she's since returned to rap and hip-hop. She recognizes Run-D.M.C., Public Enemy, and LL Cool J as musical influences.
Expression
This duo met at Queensborough Community College and started their music career in the mid eighties with a friend producer. They were signed to Next Plateau Records the following year. They were one of the first all female rap groups and in 1995 Grammy award for best rap performance by a Duo or Group. This duo were unafraid to reclaim their sexuality from men who would use it to boost their own careers. The feminist duo were often scantily clad and weren't afraid to share their own opinions about sex.
One in a Million
This icon signed with Jive Records when she was 12 and her uncle introduced her to R.Kelly who would be her mentor and lead songwriter of her first album, Age Ain't Nothing but a Number. Her second album sold eight million copies worldwide and a single of hers for the film Romeo Must Die topped Billboard Hot 100 on airplay alone--making her the first artist ever to achieve this feat. Alas we'll never know what more greatness was in store for her.
Twisted
This musician and rapper started a band called Jamilah in 1975 but began his solo career in the mid eighties. He often sang at New York City night clubs and began making studio albums not long thereafter. He is credited with the genre new jack swing and his songs in the late eighties like the Soul Train "I Want Her" were critically acclaimed. The singer songwriter is best known for his single Twisted released in 1996 featuring R&B group Kut Klose.
Real Love
Her first role in the music industry was as a backing vocalist until she was signed by the same label--Uptown Records in the late 1980's. She then began working with Puff Daddy and came out with her first album "What's the 411?" in 1992. Her second album, My Life delved into much more personal issues involving her depression. It was a breakthrough for her and is included in Rolling Stone's and Time's greatest albums of all time. She's been dubbed the Queen of Hip-Hop Soul and has won 9 Grammys.
Brenda's Got a Baby
This rapper was one of the highest selling, with over 75 million records worldwide. He often rapped about hardships of inner city life and structural racism; his activist roots came from both of his parents being Black Panther Party members. He went to art school in New York and studied poetry, literature, ballet and was interested in communism. His first solo album inspired many of the iconic hip-hop artists from this time and in 1993 he started the group Thug Life.
Protect Ya Neck
This group of East-coast rappers formed in 1992 and their first album, known colloquially as 36 Chambers is considered one of the best in hip-hop history. In total they released four gold and platinum studio albums and their individual rap members have signed solo deals with record labels of their choice. The group developed their own rap jargon and syntax. In 1995 they came out with their own clothing line, then a novel idea but now something that follows hip-hop stardom. The group is collectively known as the Killa Beez.
Shook Ones
Havoc and Prodigy were the stage names of this duo who hailed from Queens. They were known for their dark themes and harsh delivery of the difficulties in street life. Havoc produced the beats from their second album forward because this was the point where the duo reached critical fame in 1995. They were part of the East coast-West coast rap feud but Havoc revealed it was more about publicity than it was about respect. Prodigy passed away in the summer of 2017.
Honey
This artist signed with Columbia records and was destined to rival other label's top female singers like Whitney Houston and Madonna. Her first album was eponymous and she won Best New Artist and Best Female Pop Vocal Performance for her single, "Vision of Love." The song above off her Butterfly album came when she was experimenting with a new breathy and more sexy sound. She has sold more than 200 million records worldwide and is known for her perfect pitch and five octave vocal range.
My Lovin' (You're Never Gonna Get It)
This group formed in Oakland and was meant to emulate 1950's/60's trio singers. However by the time the producers heard the last audition they decided to make the trio a quartet. Their first album Born to Sing was released in 1990 and was charted on the Billboard 200 and reached No. 3 on Billboard's R&B Albums Chart. The group appeared in a Diet Coke advertisement directed by Spike Lee. They are still considered one of the best female vocal groups of all time.
Regulate
In the early 1990's this rapper helped form the trio 213 and recorded a early record. The demo was later heard by Dr. Dre who followed them up because he liked what he heard. He was signed with Death Row Records in 1993 and collaborated regularly with Snoop Dogg and 2Pac. He was one of the influencers in West Coast hip-hop. His last album, "It's a Wonderful Life" was released posthumously and featured Mary J. Blige, Dr. Dre, Eminem, and other hip-hop icons.
Big Poppa
In 1994 his first album Ready to Die launched him into the East Coast hip-hop scene. He was a pivotal figure who helped the East Coast compete with mainstream hip-hop influences from the West. In 1997 his double-disc album Life After Death was released 16 days after he was assassinated in a drive-by shooting. The album was certified Diamond. His autobiographical lyrics and storytelling have kept audiences captivated even decades after his passing-- he has had four posthumous albums released in total.
Let Me Ride
This artist is mostly known as a producer and as he was a little older than artists in the 90's he oversaw the rapping careers of Eminem, Snoop Dogg, Kendrick Lamar and more. Inspired by Grandmaster Flash, in the 80's he helped found the gangsta rap group N.W.A. that talked about life on the streets of Compton, L.A. He is the founder and current CEO of Aftermath Entertainment and Beats Electronics. He's dabbled in movies and in 2016 Apple revealed they'd release a series about his life called Vital Signs.
Nobody's Supposed to Be Here
This song was the No. 1 single on Billboard's Hot R&B/Hip-Hop singles for 14 weeks in the late 1990's. The Canadian hip-hop artist held this record for eight years. Her singing career began at age 12 when she would do backgrounds for tv commercials. She later did backup vocals for Celine Dion before moving to L.A. to pursue a solo career. She signed to Arista records but her early successes, including the one above, came with her album One Wish released in 1998.
U Can't Touch This
This artist was around in the late 80's to early 90's and is remembered for his flashy dance moves, expensive music videos and eccentric outfits. He had a massive impact on popular culture and because his songs were light and catchy he pushed hip-hop past the niche of the streets--almost becoming too commercial for some people. He was good at pumping people up as he had worked as a batboy when he was younger. In the late eighties he singed with Capitol Records.
Up Jumps the Boogie
This producer began his career with Aaliyah's One in a Million and Missy Elliott's Supa Dupa Fly. Since then he's been involved in production with a lot of top R&B and pop artists-- probably more than you can imagine, from Nas to David Bowie. You can hear his sound in the clear drum brakes and fast-paced sound. He released his first album in 1997 with rap partner Magoo, and it was recognized as certified platinum. It included Missy Elliott, Aaliyah, Ginuwine and others.
Freak Like Me
This American singer rose to fame in the mid 1990's with her debut album Do You Wanna Ride. The above song was a successful Platinum-certified single in 1995, but it is what this artist is mostly remembered for in the musical realm. The following year she came out with more hit singles and music videos but none were nearly as successful. Beginning in 2008 she starred in the short film Poke the Sleeping Bear. In 2012 she went to Culinary Arts school but she still releases albums.
Poison
This trio branched off from New Edition in the late 1980's and they continue to produce music. This group is known for championing genres new jack swing, r&b, and hip-hop. Since 1990 they've come out with four studio albums, but their first one remains the most critically acclaimed. It was followed up by a remix album called WBBD-Bootcity that mixed blues, pop, and rock to come up with something fresh and exciting. In 1992 they received American Music Award for favourite Soul/R&B Group.
Scenario
This innovate hip-hop group came out of Queens and questioned the boundaries of the sound and genre. They paved the way for alternative hip-hop and "jazz rap," deviating from the 90's norm of rough beats and fast tempos. In their first album at least the subjects they approached were light and playful in contrast to the dark content of social issues other rappers were addressing at the time. With De La Soul, this group was an integral part of the Native Tongues collective.
Retrospect for Life
The song above was released by this artist in 1996 with collaborations with icons like Q-Tip, Black Thought, Lauryn Hill and more. Since it wasn't released by a major label it didn't receive critical acclaim. This artist only was widely popularized after he joined the group the Soulquarians in 1999. Like Water For Chocolate received massive commercial and critical success in 2003. He won his first Grammy for Best R&B Song, "Love of My Life" sung with the one and only Erykah Badu.
Weak
This American vocal trio sent their demos to major record studios with bottles of Perrier in the beginning. They wanted to include a gift but were too poor to offer champagne. By 1991 they were signed and as of 2015 this group has sold over 25 million records globally, making them one of the more popular female R&B groups. They had a bunch of famous guest appearances on their third album, Release Some Tension. But they broke up in the late 1990's to pursue solo projects.
The World Is Yours
This artist produced a debut album, Illmatic, that shot him to fame and had three single hits. The album heavily referenced Tony Montana from Scarface and detailed this artist's young life in the projects. His follow-up 1996 album it was written gained him commercial acclaim and went double Platinum in two months. In 1996 Columbia Records pushed him towards more popular hits with radio-friendly appeal but the artist later signed to Dre's Aftermath label. He was involved in a highly publicized feud with Jay-Z from 2001-2005.
Can't Nobody Hold Me Down
This artist interned at New York's Uptown Records and as talent director came across Jodeci and Mary J. Blige. Early on the rapper established his own label, Bad Boy Entertainment and signed The Notorious B.I.G. which helped him gain clout in the market. Similarly he brought connections from Uptown Records. Bad Boy was seen as the East Coast rival to the West's Death Row Records. This artist has released several albums, his first being No Way Out. He has been recently criticized of commercializing hip-hop.
End of the Road
This R&B trio from Philadelphia is known for their a cappella format and emotional content. In the early 90's they reached international success with the single above that stayed at No. 1 of Billboard Hot 100 for thirteen weeks, breaking Elvis' record. They've spent 50 cumulative weeks at No. 1, making them part of the Billboard history elite. Their first album Cooleyhighharmony was released in 1991 on Motown and was heavily influenced by the new jack swing genre. They recently released an album in 2017 called Under The Streetlight.
Hit Em Up
This quiz wouldn't be complete if it didn't mention this guy and if you miss this question, you might as well forget calling yourself a hip-hop fan. This amazing artists was taken before his time and to this day, his killer has not been found. Conspiracy theories aside, this man was a true icon of the genre and was taken well before his time in 1996. Before then though, he had put out 5 studio albums and left us with enough material to put out 5 more posthumously.
Something's Got to Give
This group is one of the longest standing hip-hop acts, lasting longer than three decades together, but they initially began as a hardcore punk band. After experimenting a little with hip-hop they decided to transition entirely and were invited to tour with Madonna in 1985. Following this they came out with their first album, "License to Ill" which Rolling Stone seemed to like, viewing it as "three idiots make a masterpiece." Since then they've created seven Platinum or better albums.
Hard Knock Life (Ghetto Anthem)
This rapper and businessman has received 21 Grammy Awards and had four number one albums on the US Billboard 200 with 14, a record for a solo artist. His high school in Brooklyn shut down and he didn't end up receiving his diploma at the next one. This entrepreneurial artist began by selling CDs out of his car until he established an independent label, Roc-A-Fella records in 1995. His first album Reasonable Doubt would eventually reach Platinum, just like his second and many more to follow.
Can't Take My Eyes Off You
Singing began for this artist as a family affair. She later appeared in the Sister Act 2 and had also appeared in a hip-hop rendering of Twelfth Night. In 1994 she helped form the group The Fugees who won a Grammy for their second album. The group's name was a way of reclaiming the word "refugee," a sometimes derogatory term for Haitian Americans. She later left the group to focus on her solo career and released an eponymous neo soul album in 1998.