Without question the most intelligent, artistic rap group during the 1990s, A Tribe Called Quest jump-started and perfected the hip-hop alternative to hardcore and gangsta rap. In essence, they abandoned the macho posturing rap music had been constructed upon, and focused instead on abstract philosophy and message tracks. The "sucka MC" theme... [+] 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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One of the more overlooked groups in the early-'90s alternative rap movement, the Goats were an interracial Philadelphia trio who featured a live backing band before fellow hometowners the Roots shot to acclaim with a similar format. The Goats sounded a bit different, though, mixing intelligent, Public Enemy-influenced political raps with... [+] Read More

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Rapper/composer Guru (real name Keith Elam) first rose to prominence as the "lyrical half" of the hip-hop duo Gang Starr, one of the first outfits that attempted to fuse jazz with rap. After three albums by Gang Starr hit record store shelves (1989's No More Mr. Nice Guy, 1991's Step in the Arena, and 1992's Daily Operation), Guru launched his... [+] Read More

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L.A.W 1 (Lyrical Artistic Warriors)
Are lyrical freedom fighters representing the everyday struggle? Following the footsteps of such legendary acts such as Brand Nubian and Public Enemy and Dead Prez,
L.A.W1 raps about things worth fighting for like freedom, justice and everyday life.
Khaz, Krane and Lord Razz founded the Crew... [+] Read More

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The best and most popular French rapper, MC Solaar found success in America among fans of acid jazz and jazz-rap (if not the larger hip-hop community) after guesting on Guru's acclaimed Jazzmatazz project. His fluid phrasing makes up for his lack of English, and the production on his solo work (by DJ Jimmy Jay and Boom Bass of La Funk Mob)... [+] Read More

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Mt. Vernon, New Yorkers Pete Rock (a producer/DJ) and rapper C.L. Smooth emerged in 1992 as both a powerhouse performance duo and as prolific producers. Their 1992 album Mecca and the Soul Brother was a hip-hop classic with great cuts including "They Reminisce Over You (T.R.O.Y.)" and "Straighten It Out." They later collaborated with Mary J.... [+] Read More

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Rough House Survivors released one album, Straight From the Soul, in 1992. DJ Swinn and MCs Dread One, Kev, and Roberto made up the quartet, who were lucky enough to deliver their rhymes on top of some of Tony Dofat's (Mary J. Blige's What's the 411, Monifah's Mo'hogany, Heavy D's Blue Funk) best production work. Although its stature was... [+] Read More

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As a member of Brand Nubian, Sadat X (born Derek Murphy) was one of the key MCs who related messages inspired by the Five Percent Nation. Two years after Brand Nubian's third album, Everything Is Everything, he made his solo debut with Wild Cowboys, which built on his lyrical reputation on top of tough, jazz-inflected arrangements. The album,... [+] Read More

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Scarface quickly became the South's most admired rapper and remained so throughout the '90s after breaking away from the Geto Boys to launch his solo career in 1991. Even if he never scored any national hits or stormed up the Billboard charts with any of his numerous albums throughout the '90s, no one could question his clout throughout the... [+] Read More

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In 1991, bassist Jez Colin and percussionist Willie McNeil formed the Solsonics from Los Angeles's underground club scene. Although the band plays soul-jazz with updated hip-hop rhythms, elements of Afro-Cuban and reggae music also appear. The Solsonics first gained a national release when Chrysalis released Jazz in the Present Tense in 1993. ~... [+] Read More

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Michael Franti released only one album as half of the Disposable Heroes of Hiphoprisy, but it was praised for his insightful raps and Public Enemy-influenced beats. After disappearing for two years, Franti resurfaced in 1994 with Spearhead, a band more rooted in '70s funk; their debut Home was followed in 1997 by Chocolate Supa Highway. ~ John... [+] Read More

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The jazz/hip-hop fusion collective Us3 scored a major hit in 1994 with "Cantaloop (Flip Fantasia)," a song that displayed the group's fondness for sampling classic recordings on the Blue Note label (in this case, Herbie Hancock's "Cantaloupe Island"). The group was founded in London in 1991 when concert promoter and jazz writer Geoff Wilkinson... [+] Read More

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