I’m looking back at my favorite rap albums from the dawn of the entire genre in 1979. To make the list, the albums have to still be great, i.e., not just “good at the time,” and have to be more than just filler built around a couple great singles.
After what was the greatest year for hip hop so far, 1991, 1992 was a significant drop overall–but still had possibly the most influential rap album of all time (sitting at the #1 spot).
1992 was also marked by genre fluidity. This was the year that Prince released two full-on rap singles (“My Name Is Prince” and “Sexy MF”), Sublime pushed out its first album (much more ska than rap and therefore not included on my list), and Ice-T became a hardcore singer. Several of the GOATs released this year merge rap with soul, rock, or industrial. It was also a year that rap fully embraced live instrumentation–many of the albums below moved away from sample-based beats.
Just to head off any negative comments (in case anyone actually reads this blog anymore), I know that several of the honorable mentions are albums that most people would say are GOATs that belong on the main list. I recognize that they are great records–they’re just not my favorites.
Here’s my list of the classic rap albums released in 1992…
15. Runaway Slave by Showbiz and AG. The duo’s debut, produced by Diamond D of the DITC crew. Diamond D had his own album this year, too, “Stunts, Blunts and Hip Hop.” Lots of people call it a classic. I thought it was nice but not special.
14. Return of the Product by MC Serch. I’m going to admit that this album is not as good as Serch’s work with 3rd Bass. It’s really here for sentimental reasons and should be an honorable mention. But I just couldn’t do that. Plus, when this album works, it showcases why Serch is one of the GOAT emcees.
13. Stunts, Blunts & Hip Hop by Diamond and The Psychotic Neurotics. I had a tough time connecting with this until suddently I didn’t. Great DITC record.
12. Homebrew by Nenah Cherry. I consider Ms. Cherry to be hip hop. If you don’t, then feel free to sub in another album to this list from the honorable mentions below. Or make your own list. This is mine.
11. Bizarre Ride II (1992) by The Pharcyde. I am going to admit that I don’t really dig this album as much anymore–it’s carried by the hit, “Passin’ Me By” and the rest of the album sounds like variations on that same theme It’s definitely a classic, but as I re-listened to make this list I found myself not diggin’ it like I used to.
10. Sex and Violence by Boogie Down Productions. I overlooked this album completely when I was doing my first pass and then gave it a spin and … Damn. It’s still great. A decade after helping birth hip hop, KRS-One is as strong as ever.
9. The Predator by Ice Cube. After his last, politically charged album, Cube makes an album that is solidly in the mainstream–chock full of hits including the summer anthem, “Today Was a Good Day.” After having created back-to-back classic albums, everyone had high expectations for Predator. Some claimed to be disappointed, but his shift to a singles-driven album made sense for the man who was the most important voice in independent rap and then took the West Coast to the East to rap over a “Public Enemy” type sound. By the time Predator arrived, Cube was one of hip hops most successful voices–and that is reflected in his music.
8. Business Never Personal by EPMD. The duo’s third great album in a row, and their last for many years. After recording it, they ended up having financial disputes and Erick hired a crew to rob Parrish’s house. The guys got caught and confessed to the whole thing, leading to Sermon being detained and then released after Sermon did not press charges. They reunited five years later, but the magic was gone.
7. Hiphoprisy is the Greatest Luxury by Disposable Heroes of Hiphoprisy. Michael Franti is a “lite reggae/rock” artist now (not that there’s anything wrong with that), but before that he pioneered experimental rap/punk/industrial with Beatnigs and then in this solo project. The tracks cover just about every extreme left political position (no love songs here!), and include a cover-slash-update of California Uber Alles, originally by The Dead Kennedys. All live music, with bass by the great Charlie Hunter.
6. Music to Driveby by Compton’s Most Wanted. With this album, CMW moved the game of gangland rapping forward. Their earlier album was also a GOAT, but this is the finest piece of music they created–and also MC Eiht’s best album. It’s more sonically diverse and lyrically MC Eiht shifts seamlessly between first- and third-person narratives, making the listener feel as if he’s a part of the scene. The whole thing is Eiht save for one guest feature by no less than Scarface of the Geto Boys.
5. Check Your Head by The Beastie Boys. Just about every Beastie’s album is different from the one before it, and awesome. While last time (Paul’s Boutique) they put together an intricate, sample-heavy long-player with no songs specifically designed to be singles, Check Your Head goes the opposite direction. It’s ALL singles. It also mixes rap with the band’s punk roots, to great effect, but also has their first forays into instrumental tracks. And because of recent court developments, no samples: Nearly all of it is done with real instruments. And they’re played by the Boys themselves. The Beasties had started as a punk band, but the music here skews more funky than punky.
4. Mecca and the Soul Brother by Pete Rock and CL Smooth. With the exception of the gone-too-soon anthem “They Reminisce Over You (T.R.O.Y.), which got a little airplay, Mecca came and went with barely a blip. Yet even today, most heads will tell you it’s one of the best albums of the decade. It’s kind of the antithesis of the #1 album on this list: Understated, with an emphasis on lyrical skill, and a complete lack of commercial appeal. Mecca is mostly remembered for establishing Pete Rock as a standard-bearer for hip hop production. CL Smooth is a solid rapper, but Rock is the star here.
3. Daily Operation by Gang Starr. Another winning album from the duo of DJ Premier and Guru. It’s unbelievable how they keep putting out GOAT after GOAT. On this one, Preem’s production became simpler and catchier–moving away from some of his more “busy” and jazzy cuts on early albums. After Daily Operation, DJ Premier became one of the most in demand producers in hip hop.
2. 3 Years, 5 Months and 2 Days in the Life Of… by Arrested Development. The southern collective Arrested Development had the balls sample Prince on their jazz-influenced debut, which took the native tongue/Daisy Age sound and made it Southern. For a long time after this release, AD didn’t do much notable, but then in the 2020s they resurged wiht some really great records. One last thing: The idea of hip hop collectives wasn’t really a thing yet–Wu Tang Clan would arrive soon–but Arrested Development was not only a collective but one where the members didn’t all fight to be first place. The album feels like a family project, with all the members uplifting each other. It’s a beautiful and rare thing. This album is properly recognized as one of the best hip hop records of all time. Key tracks: The monster hit Tennessee, as well as Mr. Wendal, People Everyday, and Give a Man a Fish.
1. The Chronic by Dr. Dre. It’s hard to imagine a more influential and important album for this year (or any year in the ’90s) than this one. Dre’s album reshaped all of music–not just rap–and led to a glut of copycats and soundalikes that, frankly, had a hugely negative impact on the genre. With The Chronic, hip hop officially became pop music, and supplanted all other types of music in terms of how much money an artist could create for the major labels…And this impact lasted a very long time.
I’m going to say something negative now, but it shouldn’t be misunderstood as meaning I don’t like this album. I made it #1, after all, and this list is intended to reflect my personal taste and not what I think I’m “supposed to like” based on sales or critics. I still listen to songs off this record on a regular basis. OK. So, the negative thing: Dr. Dre is not a great lyricist. I don’t think there’s a single Dre song where he doesn’t tell some other rapper to s**k his d**k. Literally. Every song has him using that specific “insult.” It’s homophobic, sure, but worse than that–it’s boring. It lacks range. He’s got a solid (if unchanging) flow, but his lyrics just aren’t that great. He needs a muse. And of course he had an all-star for this record: Snoop.
The Chronic succeeds because of the brilliance of his production, not his lyricism or flow.
See also: The soundtrack to the film Deep Cover, which came out before The Chronic and introduced the world to Snoop Doggy Dogg.
Other notable 1992 releases:
- 12. Play With Toys by Basehead. An early example of stoner rap, this lo-fi release would probably get lost in the sea of experimental rap today–but at the time, there was nothing like it. It’s hard to image guys like Das Racist or even Earl Sweatshirt without Basehead’s first couple albums.
- Mack Daddy by Sir Mix-A-Lot. “Baby Got Back” is an anthem, but the rest of this album doesn’t reach the heights of his first two album. I will say though that “One Time’s Got No Case” was the first Mix-A-Lot song that I really got into.
- The Real Rock by Shinehead. Reggae with a little rap thrown in.
- Whut? thee Album by Redman
- Heavy Rhyme Experience Vol. 1 by Brand New Heavies
- Don’t Sweat the Technique by Eric B and Rakim
Worst rap album of the year…Carnival of Carnage by Insane Clown Posse. It may not have been the worst in terms of being the most tortuous to listen to (Gerardo had an album out this year, after all), but I just hate everything about ICP.
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