15. The Geto Boys by Geto Boys (1990). When Rick Rubin decided to remix previously released Geto Boys songs (mostly from their 1989 classic Grip It!), Def American was ready to distribute. But when the album was done, they got cold feet. What the hell did they think they were signing up for? Anyway, yeah, this is all older stuff so I’m not putting it on the main list, but in the hands of Rubin it sounds completely new.
14. Short Dog’s in the House by Too $hort. More pimp raps from Oakland’s finest storyteller. “Short but Funky” actually went up the charts (he intentionally didn’t have any cursing at all in it, and avoided his typical misogyny). But in case anyone thought he was going pop, the other single from this album was “Bitch Ain’t Nothin’ but a Word to Me” featuring Ice Cube.
13. Let the Rhythm Hit ‘Em by Eric B and Rakim. The title track to this album is one of their best, but the rest is just pretty good. Pretty Good Rakim and Eric B is still better than the vast majority of rap in 1990.
12. Gangster Chronicle by London Posse. In 1990, UK Rap was very niche and largely derivative. London Posse changed that. This album is often called the first “Road Style” album, which was basically the British equivalent of the documentary-style rap coming out of the U.S. by artists like NWA, Paris, etc. Sadly, London Posse never did anything this good again. Then again, most artists struggle to ever do something regarded as foundational and important.
11. Edutainment by Boogie Down Productions Entertainment. This album has my favorite KRS-One jam: “Beef.” It’s also got Love’s Gonna Getcha (Material Love) and 100 Guns. It’s not as good as Boogie Down’s earlier records–but when you’re comparing it to some of the most brilliant hip hop of all time, that doesn’t mean much.
10. Kill at Will EP by Ice Cube. I don’t usually include EPs on “best albums” lists because of the unfair advantage–it’s shorter, and easier to build around one or two hits. I’m making an exception here because…Goddamn. KaW came out soon after Amerikkka’s Most Wanted (below), and helped build interest in that groundbreaking and fantastic album. But as great as Amerikkka’s was, it didn’t have Ice Cube’s best song of the year, which was Jackin’ 4 Beats off of this EP. Kill at Will also included a three-plus minute version of, “Get Off My Dick and Tell Your Bitch To Come Here,” which was a 1-minute clip on his main album. In 1990, Cube was truly at the top of his game. Another highlight: The Product, which has one of the most interesting allegories in hip hop history. In 1990, Cube was the best he’d ever been. Or ever would be.
9. New Funky Nation by Boo-Yaa Tribe. The first Samoan-American rap group offers a rap/metal hybrid that still hits hard.
8. It’s a Compton Thang by Compton’s Most Wanted. MC Eiht debuts with a creeping, menacing, heavy electro sound (courtesy of Unknown DJ). Playing this album side-by-side with Straight Outta Compton is cool. It underscores that gangsta rap is not a single sound, even if Eiht and Dr. Dre’s deliveries are similarly laid back. Key cuts: Duck Sick, Late Night Hype.
7. The Devil Made Me Do it by Paris. Strong political rapping with powerful beats.
6. Take a Look Around by Masta Ace. Ace is easily one of the greatest ever to do it. I remember reading someone saying once that Masta Ace “never says anything stupid.” Word. Take a Look Around is his first album without the “Incorporated” in his name.
5. Sex Packets by Digital Underground. Given its frontman Shock G, it’s tempting to dismiss Digital Underground as a novelty band, but they were highly influential on the West Coast. The collective spawned Tupac, after all. Plus, this is the first concept album about virtual sex–but it also is the first record I can think of to make the forceful argument that drugs and sex are both addicting in the same way…Best songs: Sex Packets, Rhymin’ on the Funk, Packet Man.
4. Mama Said Knock You Out by LL Cool J. I’m betting most people wouldn’t rank this in a top 10 or, if they would, wouldn’t put it this high on the list. I also know it’s commercial rap. But every song is fantastic, and on the posse cut “Farmer’s Blvd” LL proves he’s still as tough as they come. Of all the albums on this list, this one still gets the most play from me.
3. AmeriKKKa’s Most Wanted by Ice Cube. Cube went to New York to record his first solo outing, and worked with Public Enemy’s production crew on a career re-defining album. It’s really interesting to hear his West Coast style over the East Coast sound, especially given that Cube’s former producer (Dr. Dre) was busy basically defining what West Coast would sound like for most of the ’90s. The skits can get a little tiresome, but with most of the tracks clocking 2-3 minutes each the album moves at a quick clip and nothing overstays its welcome.
Meanwhile, NWA’s 1990 release was the flat and disgusting 100 Miles and Runnin’ EP, which took all of the shock-rap elements of their first album and left out any relevance or insight. It was just a hateful diatribe against Ice Cube, homosexuals, and women.
2. Fear of a Black Planet by Public Enemy. The single “Fight the Power” debuted a year earlier in Spike Lee’s Do The Right Thing, but the rest of this album took the sound they pioneered in Nation of Millions and put it on steroids. A wall of sound and rage, with Flavor Flav adding dark humor (“911 is a Joke”) and some unwanted homophobia (“Meet the G that Killed Me”). Ice Cube and Big Daddy Kane made feature appearances. A near-perfect album.
1. People’s Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm by A Tribe Called Quest. If you don’t know, there’s nothing I can tell you about how great and enduring this album is.
HONORABLE MENTIONS: Really good albums…but not great enough to be considered GOATs…
- To Hell and Back by Capital Punishment Organization. CPO was at attempt by MC Ren (of NWA) to grow his own artists. The result was largely an imitation of Ren’s own group, but still a good listen. I still have my copy.
One for All by Brand Nubian. Grand Puba was the best afrocentric rapper in the late ’80- Living Like Hustlers by Above the Law. Produced by Dr. Dre.
WORST OF THE YEAR…
At this point, rap is big enough that it’s also producing some crap. Believe it or not, Please Hammer Don’t Hurt ‘Em is NOT my entry for worst of the year 1990. Hammer’s actually pretty fun if you’re in the right mood. No, for me the sign of the apocalypse in 1990 was the soundtrack to The Return of Superfly. The movie itself was terrible, and the album had unlistenable songs by great rappers like Ice-T, Tone Loc, and Eazy-E. It is a symbol of rap moving to being background music for “big” studio content.
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