GLOOB’S 1991 HIP HOP TOP 15
This is a list that my good friend Gloob conjured up in an era long gone, but it is nevertheless still topical and very relevant to my current undertakings.
1: A Tribe Called Quest — The Low End Theory
an absolutely perfect transcendent album. every minute is thoughtful and necessary. a dense essential piece of the hip hop poetic lexicon and a dab of color on every djs atmospheric pallate. a drop in the the jazz pond rippling through music today.
2: De La Soul — De La Soul Is Dead (prod. by: de la soul, prince paul)
a distinct ear for samples and loops with a tongue-in-cheek concept woven into skits between the songs. it all adds up to a searing critique on the macho mainstream that typecast DLS as naive carefree hippies based on their unique style and refusal to conform.
3: Ice Cube — Death Certificate (prod. by: sir jinx, ice cube, boogiemen)
perhaps cubes most potent release in a storied and dense career. cinematic and violent, with lyrics and samples ranging from intense criticisms of systemic racism to misogynistic layups, all expertly splayed over funky earworm beats with that west coast bounce.
4: DJ Quik — Quik Is the Name
unabashedly old school but dont be fooled this sound is spearheaded by a self made 19yo whos name is a brag about how fast he can produce records. smooth funk and lyrics about pimpin and smokin weed imply dre was paying attention to quiks grasp on the compton underground while reaching beyond n.w.a’s hardcore cops, guns and violence motifs.
5: Main Source — Breaking Atoms
producer large pro has touched a few influential albums in this era moving forward, but this is an oft underrated part of his humble beginnings. soulful beats with a vibrant palatte of textures are the highlight, but the rapping is above average as well if a bit straight forward and lighthearted.
6: Public Enemy — Apocalypse 91… The Enemy Strikes Black (prod. by: the bomb squad)
an exclamation point on a legendary 4 albums in 5 years run. not quite as solid as its predecessors, but the core is present and in your face. laser beam focused critical raps over funky riffy loops without falter.
7: Organized Konfusion — Organized Konfusion
tight beats and conscious rapping on this relatively unknown underground gem. received great reviews but they were so ahead of their time they were almost completely missed by the mainstream. an obvious staple to a discerning listener with the benefit of hindsight.
8: KMD — Mr. Hood (prod. by: kmd, stimulated dummies)
MF doom’s meager beginnings aligned with a lesser known group. pre metal fingaz moniker he was known as Zev Love X, but his distinct sound and knack for concept sampling is apparent to an experienced MF listener. on the whole its kinda like a slightly harder edged de la soul.
9: Ed O.G & Da Bulldogs — Life Of A Kid In The Ghetto (prod. by: teddy ted, special k, joe mansfield)
beats are old school and funky with a dash of unique subtlety hidden in the loops. subject matter is thoughtful and ahead of its time with a few overt political critiques sprinkled in. even the ubiquitous funny sex songs are a thought provoking mix of cheeky yet tasteful.
10: 2pac — 2Pacalypse Now (prod. by: atron gregory and others)
similar to #3 but less dense, featuring a brand new intelligent and ambitious flow. lyrics often concerning a deep sensitive but hard edged take on controversial social and political topics. fairly gritty production adds to the mystique but we can hear him doing this over better beats with a little patience.
11: Queen Latifah — Nature Of A Sista’ (prod. by: queen latifah, shakim compere)
shiny new-jack-swing trading a bit of the angst from her ’89 debut for some new found soul. notable for being her first album with singing, but she still brings some ahead of her time feminine conscious heat with her flow, albeit in a pleasant candy-ish “will smith” form.
12: Black Sheep — Wolf In Sheep’s Clothing
yet another intricate jazzy self produced effort from the native tongues collective. rapping is hilarious and fun with sharp wit, but too insular and snarky to leave a mark on the mainstream. depending on the readers propensity for such humor this will sink or float quickly.
13: Geto Boys — We Can’t Be Stopped (prod. by: bushwick bill and others)
horror core with hard hitting infectious loops. infamously irreverent and violent like the iconic cover. bushwick grew to regret submitting to being photographed in his state, but its hard to know how to feel about that when objectification is so easily wielded for shock value in their lyrics.
14: Del Tha Funkee Homosapien — I Wish My Brother George Was Here (prod. by: boogiemen, del the funky homosapien, ice cube)
the distinct funky touch of the legendary namesake george clinton is all over this obscure gem, but the title is also a reference to liberace. overall the rapping is complex and cool but succumbs to the occasional teenager pitfall.
15: Cypress Hill — Cypress Hill (prod. by: dj muggs)
distinctive beats mixed with an unmistakable flow. sampling is subtle but leads to a tasteful blend with intoxicating break beats and tight loops. voices and subject matter can sound exaggerated and cartoony at times, but underneath these are fairly dense crime rhymes.
HONORABLE MENTIONS:
Ice-T — O.G. Original Gangster (prod. by: ice-t, dj aladdin and others)
beats are a primitive echo of from a bygone era but ice continues to dictate the hardcore gangster lyrical trends of the time that many say he ‘originated’ some years before with “6 in the mornin’”. notably the first appearance of ‘body count’.
Scarface — Mr. Scarface is Back (prod by: cracy c, scarface)
even more gruesome crime raps but with more focus on the titular character. beat curation and intelligent introspective lyrics with violent motiffs are maintained effectively, but #13 is a more vibrant tapestry that id recommend over this, unless youre specifically interested in a second dose of early southern hip hop.
NWA — EFIL4ZAGGIN (prod. by: dr. dre, dj yella, eazy-e)
bad ass beats and sampling but the group is clearly lacking direction and a degree of bravado without cube. more of a precursor of things to come from dre than anything else, but if you know hip hop you know his beats alone just might be enough.
2nd II None — 2nd II None (prod. by: dj quik)
fun and poppy with slick lyrics and infectious vampy production. not as dense as #4 but further evidence of dj quiks innovation and underrated influence on the modern wave of dancey party music. i recommend the listener try to see past the narrow minded subject matter because havin’ a good time is inseparable from the roots of hip hop.
UMC’S — Fruits Of Nature (prod. by: rns)
beats are the highlight with a tightly looped familiar and alluring bounce kicking off with a take on everybodys favorite “funky president” break. rapping is critical but perhaps not as dense as their peers and the big picture lacks strong identity and direction. nas most def low key borrowed from “never never land” when he made “i can”
