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The 90's: What did YOU sleep on?

© Steve Juon

To start out this week's article, let's make something clear -- the year 2000 is +not+ the new millenium. Forget what you've heard. Technically speaking, the millenium dosn't start until 2001. Nonetheless, the year 2000 does mark something significant in and of itself - the end of the 90's. The 1990's have seen the biggest explosion in hip-hop music and culture yet recorded. One disadvantage to this is that so much happened you may have MISSED a few great albums and artists who simply weren't able to take advantage of the limelight in an overcrowded field. For your perusal, the editor has picked out five releases from the 90's which you may want to check out before the decade comes to a close.

1. Akinyele - Vagina Diner

We all remember Main Source right? If you don't know who they were, that's a subject for another article - but suffice to say that they had +one+ song which was so influential it gave birth to the careers of Nas, Fatal Hussein, and .. Akinyele? Yes, Akinyele, whose debut album was ALSO producded by the Main Source's Large Professor, a.k.a. Extra P. He made some noise later in the 90's as the author of a rude oral sex anthem called "Put It In Your Mouth" but this original album from 1993 showcases Ak's skills to a tee. His metaphors and similes are the template from which a legion of rappers such as Chino XL and Eminem have built their careers on. Long before people jocked punchlines that were too sick for words, Akinyele wrote rhymes "as if they were written with Gillettes". Musically and lyrically, you should consider this album a must have.

2. Freestyle Fellowship - Innercity Griots

Another 1993 release, this one was actually the group's +second+ album although it was the first (and last) to be on a major label. This adventureous musical collage featured members Self Jupiter, Mikah 9, Aceyalone, and Peace switching back and forth between rapping, singing, and singing their raps to a bevy of funky beats provided by Daddy-O and the Earthquake Brothers. This album goes to extremes -- Aceyalone's "Cornbread" is perhaps one of the funniest rap songs ever, while Michael Troy's singing on "Park Bench People" will put you in a somber, reflective mood. The amount of creativity packed into this one album is truly phenomenal.

3. Two Kings in a Cypher - From Pyramids to Projects

Before Derec 'D-Dot' Angelettie and Ron 'Amen Ra' Lawrence went on to score hits for Bad Boy's all star rappers, they were a righteous duo of their own whose funky rhymes showcased asiatic science and mathematics to hardcore beats. They weren't afraid to mix pop culture with serious topics such as racism, as on the song "Daffy Wuz a Black Man" but they could still toss up the dancefloor with songs like "Definition of a King" and "Movin' on 'Em". Unfortunately when their album dropped in 1991, positive or 'concious' rap was just beginning to go out of style and the tide they missed left them stranded on the shore. You can find this one in the bargain bins at a lot of places, so give the brothers a second chance - then smile when you hear "The Madd Rapper" this summer and you can tell people you own his debut album.

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