Lead Fugees rapper and sometime guitarist Wyclef Jean was the first member of his group to embark on a solo career, and he proved even more ambitious and eclectic on his own. As the Fugees hung in limbo, Wyclef also became hip-hop's unofficial multicultural conscience; a seemingly omnipresent activist, he assembled or participated in numerous... [+] Read More

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Harlem's confrontational 2 Black 2 Strong came with the backing of MMG, a collective that included members Mean Gene, Johnny Marrs, Warchild, C Dogg, and Dark Chocolate. Doin' Hard Time on Planet Earth, 2 Black 2 Strong's 1991 album, was prefaced the previous year with the Burn Baby Burn EP. The cover of the EP depicted a burning U.S. flag and... [+] Read More

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One of the major success stories of 1992, Arrested Development was a progressive rap collective fusing soul, blues, hip-hop, and Sly and the Family Stone-influenced funk with political, socially conscious lyrics. The group was founded in the late '80s by rapper Speech and DJ Headliner, who decided to make the transition to a more positive,... [+] Read More

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Basehead is the creation of Michael Ivey, a middle-class suburban kid from Maryland. Ivey recorded the bulk of Basehead's 1992 debut, Plays With Toys, on a four-track at home with various friends. Combining laid-back, stoned hip-hop rhythm tracks, pop hooks, drawled raps, and pseudo-folky guitar, the record received glowing reviews in... [+] Read More

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With their confrontational, stridently politically correct dance music, Consolidated became a small sensation in the early '90s. Not only was the group openly socialist, but the group incorporated all of their messages into their music; their records are unapologetically political and sometimes antagonizingly so. And it was the politics, not... [+] Read More

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Though they were not the first to synthesize jazz and hip-hop, Digable Planets epitomized the laid-back charm of jazz hipsters better than any group before or since. The trio's 1993 debut album, Reachin' (A New Refutation of Time and Space), was a mellow ride packed with samples from Art Blakey, Sonny Rollins, and Curtis Mayfield, and the single... [+] Read More

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Nefertiti's lone solo album, 1993's L.I.F.E. (Living in Fear of Extinction), fared better critically than commercially. Despite production from Guru and DJ Pooh, along with guest spots from King Tee, DJ Premier, and MC Lyte, it failed to gather steam. The rapper's Islamic beliefs were instilled through her parents, who were both employed by... [+] 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 Broun Fellinis are a jazz/hip-hop trio hailing from the Bay Area whose members include percussionist Professor Boris Karnaz (born Kevin Carnes), bassist Kirk the Redeemer, and woodwind player Black Edgar Kenyatta. Their debut, Aphrokubist Improvisations, Vol. 9, was released in 1995. The group has created their own mythology explaining their... [+] Read More

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The Fugees translated an intriguing blend of jazz-rap, R&B, and reggae into huge success during the mid-'90s, when the trio's sophomore album The Score hit number one on the pop charts and sold over five million copies. The trio formed in the late '80s in the New Jersey area, where Lauryn Hill and Prakazrel Michel ("Pras") attended a local high... [+] Read More

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