#GreatAlbums1990s – TOP 20 - #LaurynHill - #TheMiseducationOfLaurynHill (1998). A premier neo-soul album of the 90s, Hill’s only studio solo CD fused rap, reggae and new jack soul with incisive lyrics about love/ spirituality/ sexuality. Even diss songs like “The Lost Ones” are eloquent, and the rugged social commentary on “Everything is Everything” recalls Marvin Gaye at his best. The disc’s influence resonates in the music of Amy Winehouse, Beyoncé, etc. #GreatPopAlbums, #Soul, #GreatRapAlbums

#GreatAlbums1990s – TOP 20 - #ATribeCalledQuest – #TheLowEndTheory (1991). Classic jazz samples, minimalist production, and a thick bass groove (with jazz legend Ron Carter on one track) provide the backdrop for Q-Tip and Phife Dawg’s fluid rapping on this landmark of progressive hip hop. “Check the Rhime” and “Jazz (We’ve Got)” bristle with positive vibes, while “The Infamous Date Rape” and “What?” bring humor and empathy to serious subjects.

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#GreatAlbums1990s - #BeastieBoys - #IllCommunication (1994). Although knucklehead party antics were already long gone, the Beasties never lost the feelgood spirit of music intended to move yer rump more than ignite your political animal. The one-two punch of “Root Down” and “Sabotage” epitomize the Beasties’ rap-meets-punk instincts, with plenty of hooks and the occasional jazzy interlude to keep the grooves flowing through various shifts in mood.
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#GreatAlbums1990s - #DrDre - #TheChronic (1992). As much as gang life and the specter of Death Row/ Suge Knight infuse the lyrics, Dre’s production was a leap forward from everything that came before. Real instruments vie with samples for more organic and soulful grooves, while co-star Snoop Dogg provides a laidback counterpoint to Dre’s harder vision. “Nuthin’ but a ‘G’ Thang” proved rap no longer had to turn vanilla (ice) to crack the pop charts.
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#GreatAlbums1990s - #IceT – OG: #OriginalGangster (1991). Original though Ice-T certainly was, his “gangsta” persona was more approachable than West Coast peers like NWA. “Home of the Bodybag” scrubs the glory out of street life, while “Bitches 2” tackles misogyny by using the epithet as a metaphor for dishonorable men. The Black Sabbath sample on “Midnight” and the metal turn on “Body Count” echo Run DMC’s rap-metal while anticipating Rage ATM, et Al.
#GreatRapAlbums, #Reviews, #HipHop

#GreatAlbums1990s - #MCSolaar - #QueSemeLeVentRecolteLeTempo (1991). Solaar’s chilled-out, jazz-influenced rap (an early hybrid between genres) transcended the French-language world to attract a cult audience of listeners seeking respite from the gangsterism dominating the US charts. Tracks like “L’histoire de l’art” combine tongue-in-cheek braggadocio with sincere concerns about the quality and social responsibilities of hip hop as an artform.
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#GreatAlbums1990s - #Nas - #Illmatic (1994). Something of a sleeper hit, this disc brought Nas’s fluid and literary instincts to bear on tales of urban strife and reality drawn from his project housing roots in Queensbridge Houses, NYC. Nas’s jazz musician father apparently influenced music that tumbles and churns, as Nas’s streetwise persona elevates 2nd-generation East Coast rap with production help from Q-Tip, Pete Rock, DJ Premier and Large Pro.
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#GreatAlbums1990s - #OutKast - #Aquemini (1998). Planting Atlanta’s stake in the rap game deeper than ever, duo Andre 3000 and Big Boi bring in a spate of guests to reinforce their southern soul-influenced take on 90s hip hop. Tracks like “Rosa Parks” and “Liberation” (with Cee-Lo and Erykah Badu) think on their feet as they rock the house, and the P-Funk grooves (George Clinton also guests on “Synthesizer”) broaden the appeal even further.
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#GreatAlbums1990s - #Tricky - #Maxinquaye (1995). Hardening the sound of his earlier work with Massive, Tricky combines found samples with his own brand of sexual poetry – romantic and sometimes deranged beneath raging beats. Nods to alt-rock – the thundering trip-metal of “Black Steel” and the Smashing Pumpkins mashup two tracks later – helped Tricky crossover to the mainstream. Martina’s & Goldfrapp’s vocals balance the heat with soulful moments.
#GreatRapAlbums, #Reviews, #Rap, #TripHop