HIP HOP 90
SELECTED BY SOULPERSONA
Hip-Hop officially turned 50 years old in 2023, but 1990 was a pivotal year, marking the end of the “golden age” while laying the ground work for its diversification and direction in the years to come. STELLA SONICS is celebrating this seminal year with our Hip Hop 90 Spotify Playlist and second DripDrop of matching merch.
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HIP HOP 90
(BY SOULPERSONA)
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My love of hip hop properly started as an 11-year-old lad in 1985. I blindly bought a cassette tape of Afrika Bambaataa's 'Planet Rock' with my pocket money, captivated by the cover art. It had records flying through space with these illustrated medieval characters floating from a black hole. It looked enchanting, and when I slotted it in my Sanyo boom box, it was like music I'd never heard before. Over the next few years, hip hop would evolve into more complex MCing with the use of jazz, funk, and soul samples. As I'd listen in awe to the lyrical gymnastics telling fascinating stories from another world, I would wonder where these incredible grooves had come from. I'd search the liner notes to see which samples were used to create the songs, and in my late teens and into my 20's I'd try and hunt down the original versions. This process opened an Aladdin's cave of musical treasures that sparked and inspired my deep love for soul and jazz funk, the foundation of the music I create today.
In 1990, hip hop was huge. I had just left high school and my Summer soundtrack was all about the sounds of N.W.A, A Tribe Called Quest, and Big Daddy Kane, to name a few. In this playlist, I have selected 40 of my favourite cuts from 1990, the songs I'd play over and over in my bedroom and on my Sony Walkman while riding around on my bike. I hope you enjoy this trip down memory lane as I take you back to the sounds of Hip Hop 90!
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Compton’s Most Wanted
Late Night Hype
“Late Night Hype” is a song by the West Coast rap group Compton’s Most Wanted, released on their 1990 album “It’s a Compton Thang.” The song details a late-night adventure, cruising the streets of Compton, California, with a detour for a gas station encounter that turns violent. The track showcases the group’s signature storytelling style, painting a vivid picture of street life in Compton during the late 1980s. It contains a sample of a wonderful Anita Baker song ‘Will You Be Mine‘ from her 1983 album ‘The Songstress‘
EPMD
Underground
EPMD are MCee’s Erick Sermon and Parrish Smith “Underground” appears on their 1990 album “Business As Usual.” While details about the song’s specific meaning are scarce, it likely refers to EPMD’s position within hip hop at the time. The group emerged from the underground scene in the late 1980s and maintained a focus on lyrical skill and strong production, potentially contrasting themselves with more commercially-driven hip hop. The song title itself suggests a dedication to the core elements of the genre and their place within it. It contains a smooth sample with some delicious slap bass from Grover Washington Jr’s ‘Hydra‘ from his 1975 album ‘Feels So Good‘
King Sun
Big Shots
King Sun’s “Big Shots,” released in 1990 on his album “Righteous But Ruthless,” tells a story about the dangerous life of a high-ranking figure in the hip hop world. The lyrics depict a dramatic escape from an ambush, highlighting the constant threat faced by those at the top. The song explores themes of violence, loyalty, and the power dynamics within the hip hop scene. It’s notable for its use of vivid imagery and a fast-paced narrative style.It contains samples of Johnny Hammonds ‘Shifting Gears‘ from the excellent 1975 (Mizzel Brothers produced) album ‘Gears‘ and another Sample from ‘T Plays It Cool‘ from Marvin Gayes seminal 1972 soundtrack ‘Trouble Man‘
Big Daddy Kane
Dance With the Devil
Big Daddy Kane’s ‘Dance With the Devil‘ (from his album The Taste Of Chocolate) is a complex and metaphorical exploration of temptation. Kane uses the metaphor of dancing with the devil to represent the allure of crime and violence, a common theme in rap music, but he subverts it by expressing ultimate rejection of that lifestyle. The track showcases Kane’s lyrical dexterity and his ability to weave social commentary into his braggadocio style. The song features a sample taken from a lovely track called ‘Super People‘ by The Notations.
Special Ed
Ya Wish Ya Could
“Ya Wish Ya Could” is a song by rapper Special Ed, released in 1990 on his album “Legal”. It became a hit, reaching number two on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the United States. The song is a boastful rap with Special Ed celebrating his rapping skills and success, claiming that others “wish they could” do what he does. The song’s notable for it’s catchy hook and lyrical wordplay. It contains samples from ‘Superman Lover‘ by the formidable Johnny ‘Guitar’ Watson from his 1976 album ‘Ain’t That A Bitch‘ as well as another sample from Earth Wind & Fire’s banger ‘Africano‘ from their 1975 album ‘That’s The Way Of The World‘
Above The Law
Flow On (Move Me No Mountain)
“Flow On,” also titled “Flow On (Move Me No Mountain),” is a track by West Coast hip-hop group Above The Law. Released in 1990 on their excellent debut album “Livin’ Like Hustlers,” the song features a smooth sample from Love Unlimited’s “Move Me No Mountain” from the seminal album “In Heat” (produced and composed by the immutable Barry White) Lyrically, it’s a showcase of the group’s rapping abilities, with intricate wordplay and confident delivery.
FIGHT THE POWER
PUBLIC ENEMY
FUNKIN’ LESSON
X CLAN feat. Brother J
BONITA APPLEBUM
A Tribe Called Quest
ALL FOR ONE
BRAND NUBIAN
AROUND THE WAY GIRL
LL COOL J
UNDERGROUND
EPMD
LATE NIGHT HYPE
COMPTON’S MOST WANTED
DOOWUTCHYALIKE
DIGITAL UNDERGROUND
SHAKIYLA
POOR RIGHTEOUS TEACHERS
DANCE WITH THE DEVIL
BIG DADDY KANE
LIVIN’ LIKE HUSTLERS
ABOVE THE LAW
SCARFACE
GETO BOYS
MELLOW MADNESS
PARIS
IN THE GHETTO
ERIC B. & RAKIM
WE MADE IT
COMPTON’S MOST WANTED
REAL NIGGAZ
N.W.A
YOU PLAYED YOURSELF
ICE-T
LESSONS TO BE TAUGHT
LORD FINESS, DJ MIKE SMOOTH
YA WISH YA COULD
SPECIAL ED
BALLAD OF A MENACE
C.P.O
RENEE-RENEE
K-SOLO
BIG SHOTS
KING SUN
GHETTO THING
DE LA SOUL
BROTHER ON MY JOCK
EPMD, REDMAN
LET THE RHYTHM HIT ‘EM
ERIC B & RAKIM
KOOL IS BACK
KOOL G RAP, DJ POLO
FUNKY TECHNICIAN
LORD FINESSE, DJ MIKE SMOOTH
WHAT THEY HITTIN’ FOE?
ICE CUBE
FLOW ON (MOVE ME NO MOUNTAIN)
ABOVE THE LAW
NDODEMNYAMA 0 AFRICA NATIONAL CONGRESS MIX
HIP HOP AGAINST APARTEID
DOPER THAN DOPE
SALT-N-PEPA
BLACK MAN IN EFFECT
BOOGIE DOWN PRODUCTIONS
STEP IN THE ARENA
GANG STARR
WHO’S THAT GIRL
YZ
NEW FUNKY NATION
BOO-YAA T.R.I.B.E.
A GROOVE (THIS IS WHAT U RAP 2)
JAZ-O
CAN’T GET ENOUGH
KID ‘N PLAY
PLAYED LIKE A PIANO
KING TEE, ICE CUBE, BREEZE
ARREST THE PRESIDENT 2022
