Top 90 Albums of the 90's: 50-41

#50 In My Lifetime: Vol 1 - Jay-Z (1997)

After having his debut considered an instant classic, his sophomore album was Jay-Z's first venture into making true "mainstream" hip-hop.  Biggie died between the new releases, and Jay was eager to take up the throne as the new King of New York, even going so far as to enlist Puffy.  The production is flashier and covered in a distinct layer of polish compared to Reasonable Doubt.  The album suffers from a bit of an identity crisis, though.  Jay made his name with gritty, hood-friendly content and that bleeds over somewhat into Vol. 1.  The glossy radio beats don't compliment them as well.

#49 No Need for Alarm  - Del the Funky Homosapien (1993)

Del got his opportunity to venture out on his own, without Ice Cube's shadow looming over him, for the first time with No Need for Alarm.  Not having that established presence looking over his shoulder was a double edged sword for Del.  He was able to abandon the G-funk conventions that held back Brother George and create his own style, clearly influenced by some of his New York underground contemporaries.  On the other hand, No Need for Alarm sometimes feels aimless.  There's little rhyme or reason as to why these tracks are being put on an album together, most of them are just braggadocio tracks with no real substance behind them.  Del excels in this facet, though.  I don't know if there's anybody in the world who could come up with a more effective hour's worth of rhyming compliments for themself.

#48  Enta Da Stage - Black Moon (1993)

Enta Da Stage tends to get overshadowed by fellow 1993 release Enter the Wu-Tang, as far as it's impact in reviving the East Coast hip-hop scene after America became enamored with G-funk in the late 80's and early 90's.  While it definitely didn't see the same level of sales as Enter the Wu-Tang did, I would argue that it's better withstood the test of time.

Buckshot is an MC that I can't believe didn't get more famous in the 90's  He was only 18 when Enta Da Stage was being recorded, and while his subject matter was limited, it was a more cynical and personal look at hood life than what most other MCs were putting out.  The dark, grimy production accents the cynical, angry lyrics perfectly.

#47 Funcrusher Plus - Company Flow (1997)

This album has the distinction of being the launching pad for two separate record labels.  It was the first release by Rawkus Records, which would shortly after make a name for itself as the the home of Talib Kweli, Pharoahe Monch, and Mos Def.  A couple years down the road, Company Flow's front man El-P would launch Definitive Jux, and proceed to dominate the early 2000's underground scene.

Funcrusher Plus is a definitely rough around the edges, but it shakes so many conventions that I'd definitely believe that it's intentional.  The beats are jagged and arrhythmic, and the lyrics are dense and erratically delivered.  It's just weird enough to work, though, and if you're a fan of the Def Jux style, it's a must listen.

#46 Bizarre Ryde 2 The Pharcyde - The Pharcyde (1992)

The Pharcyde ere clearly cut from the same cloth as their fellow West Coast underground notables from the early 90's.  Sonically, it'd be hard to differentiate it from an early Hieroglyphics release.  The production style is similar, and they feature a similar style of seamlessly trading braggadocios verses between the multiple MCs.  Bizarre Ryde gets a bit bogged down in immature humor at times, but overall it's an album that is a fun listen, with a few moments are legitimately worth a laugh the first few times you hear them.

Also, it scores bonus points because the carver art features the least discrete depiction of a vagina to ever make it by censors.

#45 The Diary - Scarface (1994)

Scarface was clearly the most talented member of Geto Boys.  When the group fell apart after We Can't Be Stopped, he showed quickly after that he was competent as a solo MC with 1991's Mr. Scarface Is Back.  He came out with a unique blending of East Coast and West Coast styles that made him one of the most influential gangsta rappers of all time.  He perfected that style with 1994's "The Diary".  What makes this such a strong release aren't standout tracks or really anything exceptional from a technical point of view, but the consistency of it.  I, honestly, couldn't name a single track on this album because I listen to it end to end without skipping a track every time.

#44 The Main Ingredient - Pete Rock & C.L. Smooth (1994)

The theme of The Main Ingredient is that Pete and C.L. were scaling back their sound; distilling it down to it's most basic key component, a main ingredient, if you will.  Pete Rock's slow, smooth beats are the primary appeal here.  They're full-bodied and satisfying without ever being imposing.  C.L. Smooth holds his own, too.  It's kind of unfortunate that he doesn't get more credit, to be honest. He's got a narrative style of rhyming that was on par with anybody else out at the time.

#43 Step In The Arena -Gang Starr (1991)

It sounds a bit dated now, but relative to what else was coming out at the time, Step in the Arena was a pinnacle of both subject matter and production.  Guru's got a much more mature perspective of what was going on in the ghetto than anybody else at the time had.  Premo is his typical, outstanding, self.  He flexes his scratching muscles here, creating a style which would eventually  become his signature sound.

#42 The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill - Lauryn Hill (1998)

Another hip-hop hybrid album from another former Fugee, Lauryn Hill made her solo debut in 1998 to rave reviews, and absurd sales.  She promptly exiled herself from the music community, and has yet to produce another record.  It still stands as the highest selling hip-hop album by a female artist by a tremendous margin.
The production is heavily R&B and Reggae influenced.  The lyrics focus heavily on the concept of love, not surprising given that the album came in the wake of the birth of her first child, and her breakup with Wyclef Jean and the Fugees, in general.  The first handful of tracks really outshine the rest of the album, unfortunately.

#41 93 'til Infinity - Souls of Mischief (1993)

'93 til Infinity stands out to me as the strongest release of the early California underground scene.  Listening to the four of them effortlessly trade verses back and forth is a real treat, very reminiscent of A Tribe Called Quest's great albums.  The beats don't really stand out, but the rolling basslines and jazzy samples serve as a great backdrop to Souls' freestyle rhymes.

Top 90 Albums of the 90's: 60-51

#60 The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory - 2Pac (1996)

Released just a couple months after his death, Killuminati is considered 2Pac's last studio album.  The story behind the title is that 2Pac occasionally went by the alias "Makaveli", after Italian political theorist Niccolo Machiavelli.  Machiavelli supposedly at some point in his life faked his own death for seven days in some sort of convoluted revenge plot.  The implication of Pac's label giving the album such a title, and having the cover image be an illustration of 2Pac on a cross (another resurrection reference) was that 2Pac wasn't actually dead, and would be returning at some point.  To this day, there are those out there who believe that 2Pac will come back some day and save hip-hop, or something.

So the cover art and title are really stupid and unabashedly exploitative, what about the music?  It's some of Pac's best.  He goes back to his roots somewhate here, defaulting back to the type of content that made him famous. G-Funk style beats and aggressive delivery of strongly worded lyrics.

#59 Doe or Die - AZ (1995)

AZ had been the only guest Illmatic, an album that has gone on to be considered by most to be the best hip-hop album ever recorded.  His outstanding verse on "Life's a Bitch" put the spotlight squarely on him to release an album of his own.  Expectations were too high, unfortunately, and Doe or Die was considered somewhat of a disappointment by those expecting a second Illmatic.  It's an outstanding album in it's own right, though.  AZ isn't quite the MC that Nas is, but he's got the chops to hold his own against anybody in the world.  AZ wasn't the main problem with Doe or Die, lackluster production keeps it from making the leap to all-time classic.

#58 We Can't Be Stopped - Geto Boys (1991)

This album is probably known for it's cover art than it's actual musical content.  It notably features band member Bushwick Bill sitting on a hospital gurney after suffering a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the face, which cost him his right eye.

As far as subject matter goes, it sticks pretty tight to the standard Geto Boys fare; gangsta shit, and hood life.  It's what Geto Boys do best though, and they arguably did it it better than anybody in the early 90's.

#57 Death Certificate - Ice Cube (1991)

Often times when an artist debuts with a classic album, they find themselves saddled with unrealistic expectations for the followup to that album.  Listeners expect an artist to be able to create something even better once they've established themselves and have more resources at their disposal.  Most wind up being considered disappointments.  Nas, Snoop Dogg, and Raekwon all wound up being victims of their debut's success.

Ice Cube was in a similar boat in 1991.  AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted had been considered a smashing success, and listeners were eager for a followup.  Cube absolutely delivered.  Death Certificate features better rhymes, a more impactful delivery, and funkier beats.  You'll notice AmeriKKKa's most wanted landed a few spots higher on the list, though.  The content of Death Certificate really weighs it down.  The vitriol becomes exhausting to listen to. Whether it's directed at NWA, or Koreans, or just the condition of the urban poor, this album is just anger end to end.

Also, it's pretty weak that he waited until after his first release had been successful to make a real beef track towards NWA.
 
#56 Moment of Truth - Gang Starr (1998)

It's an unfortunate rarity it hip-hop for artists to maintain a high level for as long as Gang Starr did.  Moment of Truth was their fifth album in just under ten years, and it still manages to sound fresh and new.  Preemo seemingly expanded his sample source pool drastically in the years between Hard to Earn and Moment of Truth. Guru is also on top of his game here, having updated his delivery a bit.

#55 A Prince Among Thieves - Prince Paul (1999)

Concept albums have been a thing in hip-hop for a long time, but few albums before, or since A Prince Among Thieves have dedicated themselves to telling a clear, coherent narrative.  It's more like musical theater than it is a concept album.   The plot largely happens via a series of skits, with the actual songs serving more as interludes to introduce new characters or set the stage for the next part of the story.

Prince Paul's production does an excellent job establishing the atmosphere of every scene, and a myriad of guest MCs are cast to play individual roles in the story.  Kool Keith, in particular, plays a very convincing crazy arms dealer in "Crazy Lou's Hideout" and "Weapon World".  The main weakness of this album is that the two lead characters, Tariq and True, are played by two relative unknowns, and they often times are shown up by the guest appearances.

#54 Innercity Griots - Freestyle Fellowship (1993)

Aceyalone, we meet again.  Freestyle Fellowship, was a group consisting of Acey, fellow Haiku D'Etat member, Myka 9 and two gentleman who, unfortunately, have largely been lost to history in Self Jupiter and P.E.A.C.E.  Production wise, it's undoubtedly the best album Acey has ever been on. It's got an energy about it that later releases just lacked.  The energetic, even frantic verses that Freestyle Fellowship drop here really showcase the versatility that they had even this early in their careers.  The fact that this release came so early on in their careers is what ultimately holds this album back somewhat, though.  Acey and Myka 9 are both rappers who trended upwards in their abilities over time. So while the beats are actually pretty decent for a change, the rapping itself isn't quite on the level of All Balls Don't Bounce or Haiku D'Etat.

#53 AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted - Ice Cube (1990)

After a messy breakup with NWA, the pressure was on for Ice Cube to deliver a quality solo album.  AmeriKKKa's most wanted shows that his grievances (namely, that he wasn't being paid enough considering how much of the work load he was bearing) with NWA were completely warranted.  While NWA floundered and eventually broke up without their lead vocalist, Cube's career would blossom into one of the West Coast's best.  One of my favorite aspects of AmeriKKKa's Most is the contrast in production style from Cube's NWA work.  The Bomb Swuad's beats really do a great job showcasing Cube's lyrical talents, which were a step or two above anybody else on the West Coast at the time.

#52 Capital Punishment - Big Pun (1998)

Big Pun really stands out from the crowd of late 90's MCs because of his rapid fire, high rhyme density flow.  The fact that he weighed in at almost 700 pounds made his already insane breath control all the more impressive.  Putting very lyrically dense bars over beats that were essentially club bangers ended up being a winning formula for Pun, and Capital Punishment got him a reputation of one of hip-hop's great young artists.  Unfortunately he was dead of a heart attack within a year of it's release, and a really great followup album never happened.  Despite his exceptionally short career, at least Pun can put on his resume that he's one of the few people who have straight up outperformed Black Thought on a track. ("Super Lyrical")

#51 One Day It'll All Make Sense - Common (1997)

If Common didn't have such a strong discography, this album would get more credit nowadays than it it does.  As it is, it often get's overlooked in favor of his other classic releases.  More so than any of Common's other albums, One Day It'll All Make Sense will have a lasting impact on the listener.  Com's fears and concerns about the responsibilities of becoming a father are palpable.  The production is a bit lacking compared to most of Com's other releases, though.

Top 90 Albums of the 90's: 80-71

#80 Soul on Ice - Ras Kass (1995)

Before he had even released an album, Ras Kass had already made a name for himself via a series of standout features.  He brought a level of lyricism to the table that nobody else who was popular on the West Coast really had at that point, so his debut album, Soul on Ice was highly anticipated.  Long story short, it didn't really sell and Kass's career wound up being a flop.  Despite poor sales, Soul on Ice is still an album held in high esteem by lyrical purists, with good reason.  You can only do so much with barely serviceable beats, though.

#79 Hard to Earn - Gang Starr (1994)

For whatever reason, Gang Starr decided to abandon the level-headed thoughtful themes that got them such acclaim n their first couple releases, and instead make an album with a significantly harsher tone.  Personally, I like Gang Starr a lot better when they're not trying to act hard.  DJ Premier absolutely carries this album, though.  I don't know if he's ever been better than he is on Hard to Earn.  Listening to his beats is more than enough reason to give this album several listens.

#78 A Wolf in Sheep's Clothing - Black Sheep (1991)

Black Sheep is a group that often gets overlooked because of the company they kept.  It's hard to stand out when you're crew-mates with De La Soul and A Tribe Called Quest.  Nevertheless, while the MC's of Black Sheep weren't really exceptional from a technical standpoint, they brought a lot of energy and smart, humor to their tracks, kind of like an early 90's Little Brother.  Self-depreciation is a major running theme, even on the intro skit, they go out of their way to point out that they're the least popular members of their crew.

#77 The 18th Letter - Rakim (1997)

This was the first time Rakim had released an album since 1992's Don't Sweat the Technique, it signals a significant change in tone from his previous releases.  Ra sounds noticably more aggressive than on his 80's classics, likely due to this being the first time he was recording an album without long time collaborator Eric B.  Eric B's presence isn't really missed, and getting to hear an MC of Ra's caliber work with the likes of DJ Premier and Pete Rock is a treat.

#76 People's Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm - A Tribe Called Quest (1990)

Before The Low End Theory and Midnight Marauders catapulted Tribe into hip-hop legend status, there was People's Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm, their exceptionally long-titled debut album.  It's a light-hearted, positive affair that didn't get much fanfare at the time because the listening public wanted to hear gangsta stuff.  It's a smooth, jazzy affair that features Q-Tip and Phife trading verses back and forth with the occasional guest stopping by to add their $0.02.

#75 Stunts, Blunts, & Hip-Hop - Diamond D (1992)

Stunts is one of the early classics from Lord Finesse's Diggin' in the Crates Crew.  Most of the rapping is nothing to right home about, and a handful of the tracks probably could have been left off, but the production is excellent end-to-end.

#74 Runaway Slave - Showbiz & A.G. (1992)

.... and released on the same day, from the same crew is Showbiz & A.G.'s Runaway Slave.  A.G. is really what elevates this album above Stunts.  He rhymes effortlessly over Showbiz's sometimes cacophonous beats.  Showbiz himself isn't a slouch on the mic, either.


#73 Buhloone Mindstate - De La Soul (1993)

Buhloone Mindstate falls in a weird spot spot where it is so universally considered under-rated, that I would argue that it's a bit over-rated.  It's a tighter, more focused effort than their iconic debut and sophomore albums, but in doing so, they lost a bit of what had made De La unique and interesting. Nonetheless, it makes great background music, and "Ego Trippin' Part 2" is an iconic track.

#72 Doggystyle - Snoop Doggy Dogg (1993)

Much like Dogg Food, Doggystyle's biggest flaw is that it doesn't bring much to the table that we hadn't already seen on The Chronic.  The beats are what Doggystyle is most known for, while the lyrics are generally considered to be a weakness.  I can't entirely disagree with that assessment, I don't feel like adding Talib Kweli caliber lyricism to Doggystyle would have added much.  It's an album that's meant to be felt rather than listened to critically.

#71 All Balls Don't Bounce - Aceyalone (1995)

What do you know? Another Aceyalone project with outstanding vocals and decidedly mediocre production.  However, unlike on Haiku D'Etat, All Ball Don't Bounce's production at least features plenty of variety, so it doesn't turn into quite as much of a drag by the end.