Hip-hop gems from the 1990s that have been largely forgotten

DJ Quik is often revered as one of the pioneers of the West Coast G-funk sound. His 1991 debut album Quik is the Name helped establish him as one of Los Angeles’ most influential artists. His second single “Tonite” finds Quik giving details to describe a day in his life, which mostly serves as an account of him getting ready to party. The song sampled Betty Wright’s “Tonight is the Night” and peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard Hot Rap Tracks chart.

In 1992, Positive K released his debut album The Skills Dat Pay Da Bills. The project garnered four singles, including his massively successful track “I Got a Man.” In the song, Positive K provides the vocals between a man and woman in which the man is trying to spit game, but the woman keeps telling him that she’s already spoken for. 

Camp Lo is a New York-bred hip-hop duo consisting of friends Sonny Cheeba and Geechi Suede. Audiences got a feel for their smooth tunes when their debut single “Coolie High” appeared on the soundtrack for the sports comedy film The Great White Hype. Camp Lo always had the type of hip-hop sound that blended funk and jazz — “Coolie High” sampled the Janet Jackson hit “Funny How Time Flies (When You’re Having Fun),” and it peaked at No. 25 on the Billboard Hot Rap Singles chart. 

Although Timbaland is widely known as an in-demand writer and producer for other artists, he’s also released his own work throughout his career. In 1997, he teamed up with childhood friend Magoo to release their debut album Welcome to Our World. They joined forces with frequent collaborators Missy Elliott and Aaliyah on the lead single “Up Jumps Da Boogie,” which peaked at No. 12 on the Billboard Hot 100.

When fans think of ‘90s gangsta rap and G-funk, many times it seems like Coolio isn’t always mentioned with his counterparts. However, Coolio had quite an impact on the West Coast sound in its totality. He took a different kind of approach with gangsta rap on his 1994 single “Fantastic Voyage,” which finds Coolio reflecting on people dealing with life things such as gun violence and the American Dream. The song helped establish his imprint with the G-funk sound as it sampled the Lakeside 1980 hit of the same name. 

Arrested Development is a hip-hop group from Atlanta that saw success due to their style of conscious rap. After their debut single “Tennessee” climbed up the Billboard charts, they followed up with “People Everday.” Using a sample of Sly & the Family Stone’s 1969 hit “Everyday People,” the group used the track to reflect on dealing with people disturbing their peace. 

Queen Pen was the protégé of Blackstreet member Teddy Riley and eventually signed with his imprint on Interscope Records. Pen’s debut album My Melody featured three singles, including the fun anthem “Party Ain’t a Party.” Queen Pen is all about being the life of the party which is stressed on the hook as she says, “Yo, a party ain’t a party ‘til it’s ran all through / And leave it to my crew, it’s gon’ be playa proof / After three rounds, we gon’ blow off this roof / A party ain’t a party ‘til it’s ran all through.” 

E-40 has been in the rap game for well over 30 years, and not only is still beloved but respected by many artists in the industry. Some of his earlier material includes quite a few classics including the 1995 single “1-Luv.” On the track, E-40 details his life growing up and knowing people who were incarcerated. 

One thing about ‘90s hip-hop is hearing how creative artists would get in using samples from songs that were released decades prior. Los Angeles group The Pharcyde were artists who did it right on their 1993 track “Passin’ Me By.” Sampling Quincy Jones’ “Summer in the City,” the group’s hit single details the story of dealing with a potential love interest that seems to keep passing them by. 

In 1990, Father MC released his debut album properly titled Father’s Day. The album spawned four singles including the hit track “I’ll Do 4 U.” Using a sample of Cheryl Lynn’s 1978 hit “Got To Be Real” and background vocals from Mary J. Blige, Father MC reflects on how he would treat his lady like a queen. 

Hip-hop duo 69 Boyz consisted of friends Thrill da Playa and Fast Cash. While most fans came to know them with their 1994 single “Tootsee Roll,” another single that isn’t always mentioned in regards to their discography is their 1998 single “Woof Woof.” With their usual Miami bass sound, 69 Boyz always knew how to make songs that kept people on the dance floor. “Woof Woof” was featured on the Dr. Dolittle soundtrack and became a top 40 hit on the Billboard Hot 100. 

Just two years after releasing his debut album, Silkk the Shocker returned with this sophomore album Charge It 2 da Game. His brother Master P produced his Mystikal-assisted single “It Ain’t My Fault,” a track that finds Silkk the Shocker detailing how people shouldn’t start trouble with him. 

Bay Area rapper Rappin’ 4-Tay first came onto the scene in 1991 with his debut album Rappin’ 4-Tay is Back. However, it was three years later with this follow-up project Don’t Fight the Feelin’ that helped him see more mainstream success. On his single “Playaz Club” 4-Tay describes his time in different player’s clubs across the state of California.  

Houston native group Geto Boys dropped one of the most successful albums in 1991, We Can’t Be Stopped. The album’s hit single “Mind Playing Tricks on Me” was produced by group member Scarface, which became a top-40 hit on the Billboard Hot 100. On the track, Geto Boys gives the perspective of a gangster dealing with the highs and lows of life. 

Oakland-bred duo Luniz came onto the scene in 1995 with their marijuana anthem “I Got 5 On It.” A massive hit at the time that reached the top 10 on the Billboard Hot 100, the song saw quite a resurgence in 2019 when it was remixed into a more suspenseful tune for Jordan Peele’s horror film Us.

In 1991, hip-hop duo Black Sheep released its debut album A Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing. Adding to the rap essence of using jazz samples in their music, Black Sheep sampled Johnny Hammond Smith’s “Big Sur Suite” on their hit single “The Choice is Yours.” The hook continues to have one of the most recognizable lines in hip-hop as they say, “You can get with this or you can get with that.” 

Oakland-bred group Souls of Mischief have always been known to incorporate soul and jazz samples into their music. Their debut single “93 ‘til Infinity” samples Billy Cobham’s 1974 track “Heather.” On “93 ‘til Infinity,” Souls of Mischief detail their daily lives from women to weather, and kids and food runs. The song reached No. 11 on the Billboard Hot Rap Songs chart. 

In 1999, girl group TLC put the entire world on notice with their smash hit “No Scrubs,” a track that describes men who didn’t meet a woman’s standards. As a rebuttal to the hit song, hip-hop group Sporty Thievz retaliated with “No Pigeons,” which had the same type of idea of detailing women who simply weren’t up to par.  

In 1997, New York City duo Lord Tariq and Peter Gunz released their sole album Make It Reign. They made sure to show love to their hometown of the Bronx in the hit single “Deja Vu (Uptown Baby).” Built around a sample of Steely Dan’s “Black Cow,” the single reached the top 10 on the Billboard Hot 100. 

When people think of women rappers who had an impact on hip-hop, Bahamadia deserves a lot more recognition. In 1996, she released her debut album Kollage, which featured the hit single “Uknowhowwedu.” Her smooth storytelling and lyrical prowess showcase why she would get nods from artists like Erykah Badu and The Roots.