When I was in school, I compiled a massive checklist of all the albums that I had come across and that I wanted to listen to. The idea was to help me keep track of what I had and hadn’t heard, which in turn would help me listen to the maximum amount of music possible. In fact, the mission was something like ‘listen to every album ever’.

While I have since realised this is impossible (duhhhhh), having this mentality definitely helped me become a DJ. For me, DJing isn’t just about being able to mix music, but knowing the audience you’re mixing for, knowing the ins and outs of different genres, and knowing the deep cuts that are specific to each generation.

In short, it’s about being an absolute nerd.

 

 

So, what have I learned from my various forays into different musical genres?

Well, for one that I am indecisive.

Growing up, I went through about as many different music fascinations as humanly possible. From wanting to be a rapper, to a Riot Grrrl, to a classical pianist (to many more in between), I have been determined to leave no musical stone unturned. Which leads me on to my second point, that all music feeds into each other, and that inspiration can come from anywhere.

Take this snippet where Method Man talks about the inspiration for the song ‘Method Man’…

 

My favourite part is at 1 minute 20, when he talks about the Bridge being inspired by the Beatles…

 

And last but not least, that musical genres are deeper and more dense than any ‘top 10’ list could ever let on. Every time I think I have learned all there is to learn about a genre, I am humbled to find that there is another artist, another sub genre, another album that I knew nothing about. This feeling is as frustrating as it is exciting, and it is what motivates me to keep digging deeper every time I think I know it all.

With this in mind, here are five 90s hip hop albums that were personally influential to me, which I discovered through a bit of good, old-fashioned digging.

 

TLC – Ooooooohhh… On the TLC Tip (1992, LaFace Records)

There is so much going on in this video…

You would be hard pressed to find someone who didn’t know a song by TLC. While the most likely candidates are ‘Waterfalls’ and ‘No Scrubs’, the TLC that I love the most is them at their debut. All you have to do is watch some of the live performances and music videos from this era to get a sense of how radically different this was to the sleek sexuality that would define their later works. Non existent are the silk pyjamas of ‘Creep’, or the futuristic fits of ‘No Scrubs’, instead we have baggy clothes and songs that dump all over conforming to traditional femininity (most notably in ‘Hat 2 Da Back’ and this intermission where they mock tight jeans).

 

This performance!

 

Admittedly, in a time where terms like ‘Pick Me’ and ‘Slut Shaming’ have edged their way into our collective vocabulary, some of their anti-tight-jean abrasiveness has not aged well. But this album should still get credit for showing that you could be feminine without having a hyper-feminine image, and for providing an alternative to the typically sleek and sexy RnB diva.

My favourite cuts from the album start with the singles ‘Ain’t 2 Proud 2 Beg’, and ‘Hat 2 Da Back’, and continue with the deeper cuts ‘Das Da Way we Like ‘em’, a song in which all three members rap, making it the only song in their whole discography where we hear this; as well as ‘Shock Dat Monkey’, ‘Depend on Myself’, and ‘Bad By Myself’.

 

How I found it:

One of the best ways to find deep cuts from an era is to go on Youtube deep dives. Just type in one video or song that you like, and you’ll find a million more popping up that are just like it (and suddenly you’ve been sat in front of a screen for seven hours…). It was through doing this that I became absolutely captivated by TLC, watching their music videos and live performance, as well as listening to all of their albums in succession (including their underrated final album, 3D). I later dug out my mum’s Crazy Sexy Cool vinyl and Fanmail CD as well, and even did a bit of a dive on Left Eye’s solo work. The following song is one that I especially liked when I was younger.

 

 

Salt-N-Pepa – Blacks Magic (1990, Next Plateau Entertainment)

Salt-N-Pepa were another group that I was completely absorbed by when I was in my early teens. I used to watch their music videos on our family computer when I was meant to be doing my homework. There was even a school dance competition where I incorporated some of the dance moves from the ‘Push It’ music video. I named our cat ‘Hurby’ after their producer, Hurby ‘Luv Bug’ Azor… Need I say more?

But despite my love for hits such as ‘My Mic Sounds Nice’, ‘Shoop’, and ‘Shake Your Thang’, the album that I loved the most was by far their Blacks’ Magic album. It was in the perfect midpoint of them trying to shake off the silliness that characterised some of their work from the 80s, (exemplified best by their ‘Twist- N- Shout’ cover), and of them moving into the grittier feel that would dominate the Very Necessary album.

I don’t care what anyone says, this video is iconic…

 

Not only this, but this is the first album where Salt penned some of the songs, as well as having a hand in production. My favourite songs from this album include ‘Doper than Dope’, ‘Swift’ (a track in which only Salt features, and shows off her impeccable flow and delivery), and ‘Start the Party’, which is just very upbeat and catchy, featuring infectious back-and-forth energy between the duo. This is in conjunction to the singles ‘Expression’ and ‘Independent’ as well, which both have amazing videos to go along with them.

 

How I found it:

While I found out about Salt-N-Pepa in a similar way that I did TLC, I got to know Blacks’ Magic in particular after finding it in my family’s CD collection. It was through reading the credits on the back that I found out about Salts’ involvement in producing and writing some of the songs, and it is this that made me want to listen to the album.

Reading album credits is another great way of digging, as you find out all kinds of musical Easter eggs and ‘did-you-know’ facts through doing this. I could spout out a long list of them now – Did you know that Salt-N-Pepa also featured on a song with the dancehall artist Patra, entitled ‘Hot Stuff’, and that it’s like- the best collaboration ever??? – but I think I best save that for another time…

 

 

J.J. Fad – Supersonic (1988, Ruthless Records)

 

Given that Salt-N-Pepa made the impact on me that they did, it shouldn’t be surprising to say that J.J.Fad was literally the next best thing. Because truly, the attitude is palpable in this video.

Even if you haven’t properly listened to the song ‘Supersonic’, you’ve probably heard it in one form or another. If you know anything about ‘Fergalicious’, you’ll know that the song is a Frankenstein of different Miami Bass and Electro Funk tracks (‘Give It All You Got’ by Afro Rican and ‘Throw The D’ by 2 Live Crew, to name a couple), with the delivery of the lyrics being interpolated from ‘Supersonic’. As well as this, Eminems ending verse in ‘Rap God’ is also an interpolation, and the song was also recently used in the Sonic The Hedgehog trailer…

 

 

But whether you have or haven’t heard the song, you probably haven’t heard the album. It is sassy, Electro- Funk perfection, with production helmed by Dr Dre on several tracks, courtesy of J.J.Fad being the First Ladies of Eazy E’s label, Ruthless Records. Interestingly enough, it was the success of J.J. Fad’s debut album that paved the way for NWA to be so successful, a fact that is left out of the Straight Outta Compton movie. For more on this, watch this interview as well as reading this article.

My favourite cuts from the album include ‘Supersonic’ (of course), ‘Way Out’, which sonically stands out due to its guitar samples of The Monkees; and ‘Blame it on the Musick’, which I’d be the most likely to play at a DJ set due to how upbeat and hype it is. Also, an honourable mention must go to the diss track ‘Now Really’ for featuring some hilariously savage lyrics – ‘On the serious tip/ the girl is hurt with them big porkchop lips’- directed towards another West Coast rap group Sugga & Spice.

How I found it:

Similar to Youtube, streaming services are very good at recommending similar music artists to the ones that you listen to. It was through this that I found out about J.J.Fad (as well as L’Trimm’s ‘Cars With Boom’, which I would be remiss not to mention). It’s an incredibly easy way of discovering music, with accessibility being the main strength of streaming platforms. If you are trying to dig and find similar music to the stuff that you like, then this is one of the easiest way to do it.

 

Charli Baltimore – Cold As Ice (1999, Untertainment Records)

Having been exposed to rap music from a young age, there are few artists that I listen to that still shock me with the explicit content of their lyrics. Charli Baltimore is one of those few.

Listen to the uncensored version of this. The opening verse will change you…

 

As the story goes, Charli Baltimore began rapping on the encouragement of Biggie, who she was dating at the time of his death. As well as this, she was an instrumental part of Murder Inc in the early 2000s, featuring on songs alongside Ja Rule, Vita, and Ashanti.

 

 

Having been a part of two of the most iconic and era defining cliques in Hip Hop, it is baffling to me that she doesn’t receive more recognition for her solo work. To begin with, the above-included ‘Stand Up’, a RZA produced track in which she trades barbs with Ghostface Killah; or the Teddy Riley produced ‘Feel It’, which features an equally stylish video.

Not only that, but Cold as Ice features an all-star lineup when it comes to the features. Take ‘Thorough Sisters’, in which Lady of Rage, Gangsta Boo, Queen Pen, and Da Brat co star; or ‘Infamous’, which features Mobb Deep. But ultimately, no matter what other high profile rapper features on the track, Charli always holds her own with her verses. Take ‘Motha****as Don’t Want It’ in which her verse is last, but the most memorable due to her various different flows and clever punchlines: ‘Never a Has-Been, depends on who you asking, cuz I has been smoking every track I’m last in!’.

How I found it:

I found Cold As Ice through a French online article on underrated rap albums (that I would include a link to if only I could find!). Among ‘Cold as Ice’, I remember the article featuring ‘Talkin’ S**t’ by Lez Mone, which I would recommend to any fans of G-funk; and ‘Takin Mine’ by Heather B, which I would recommend to any fans of hardcore 90s hip hop.

 

 

The Wiseguys – The Antidote (1998, Wall of Sound)

Last but not least, this album is something of a wildcard amidst the American hip hop albums that I have mentioned, but it is a worthy pick nonetheless. The Wiseguys were a British production duo with an eclectic approach to sampling and an experimental style that is especially pronounced on their debut album, ‘Executive Suit’, and only slightly less so on ‘The Antidote’. A lyricist features on a select few of the tracks (‘Experience’, ‘The Grabbing Hands’, ‘Who The Hell Are You’, and ‘Production’) but aside from that, these songs are sonically structured around samples, thus not bound by lyrical conventions. Take ‘Oh La La’ or ‘Start The Commotion’ for example, both songs that you might have heard in adverts.

 

 

The deep cuts off the album are just as strong. My personal favourite is ‘Cowboy ‘78’ for its minute-long intro that eventually drops into a cowboy-themed sample fest, containing snippets from 11 different sources. If you’re ever in the mood to have your mind blown by the way, go on to WhoSampled and look up how The Wiseguys put their songs together. It is insane.

 

 

Other cuts off the album which I love include ‘The Bounce’, ‘Search’s End’, and ‘Who the Hell are You?’. The whole album is excellent though, I can’t recommend listening to the whole thing enough, as with every album on this list.

How I found it:

I first heard the Wiseguys at a music festival where Oh La La was playing as background music between acts. Any DJ will know the feeling of Shazaming a song in an unconventional setting, and this was exactly what I did. Fortunately too, as it lead me to discover one of my favourite albums ever!

With that in mind, I hope I have encouraged at least one reader to give a listen to some of the latterly-mentioned albums- or at least to do some digging of their own! This is easier than ever with the vast array of music that we have at our disposal, and whether it be through streaming services, YouTube, or rifling through your parents’ record collection, discovery is never far away. Happy hunting people!