311 was formed in 1990 in Omaha, Nebraska by five self-described "friends for life" (singer/guitarist Nick Hexum, singer S.A. Martinez, guitarist Tim Mahoney, drummer Chad Sexton and the bassist known only as P-Nut), whose common link was a passion for both music and life that eventually brought them together to make music with a positive... [+] Read More

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The rap-rock outfit Brougham was formed in Palo Alto, CA, by childhood friends Luke Oakson (aka Luke Sick) and Jason Slater (also of Snake River Conspiracy and a co-founder of Third Eye Blind). Oakson had been in a hip-hop outfit called Sacred Hoop, and approached Slater about producing a record for them; instead, the two began collaborating on... [+] Read More

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Based in Milwaukee, Citizen King mix hip-hop, soul and punk in a style much like Fishbone (who they've toured with) on their 1995 debut album Brown Bag. Guitarist Kristian Riley, vocalist Matt Sims, pianist Dave Cooley and turntable expert Malcolm Michiles formed Citizen King in 1993 after their previous band Wild Kingdom broke up. Local praise... [+] Read More

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Cypress Hill were notable for being the first Latino hip-hop superstars, but they became notorious for their endorsement of marijuana, which actually isn't a trivial thing. Not only did the group campaign for its legalization, but their slow, rolling bass-and-drum loops pioneered a new, stoned funk that became extraordinary influential in '90s... [+] Read More

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Self-described "psychedelic hip-hop punk rock" outfit the Kottonmouth Kings emerged from Orange County, CA, in 1994. Comprising former Humble Gods frontman Brad Daddy X, rappers Saint Vicious and D-Loc, DJ Bobby B, and "visual assassin" Pakelika, the group first attracted attention with the track "Suburban Life," which appeared on the soundtrack... [+] Read More

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Public Enemy rewrote the rules of hip-hop, becoming the most influential and controversial rap group of the late '80s and, for many, the definitive rap group of all time. Building from Run-D.M.C.'s street-oriented beats and Boogie Down Productions' proto-gangsta rhyming, Public Enemy pioneered a variation of hardcore rap that was musically and... [+] Read More

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Few rock guitarists in the 1990s were as groundbreaking as Rage Against the Machine's Tom Morello, who incorporated a myriad of different styles into his own playing. Born in New York City on May 30, 1964, Morello was raised by his mother (who, decades later, would help create the anti-censorship organization Parents for Rock & Rap) in... [+] Read More

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