1995 is the year that Wu Tang took over pretty much the entire rap genre–or at least the East Coast side of it. Several solo albums from Clan members came out, and they’re all very good. The group’s gritty sound spawned copycats and influenced up-and-comers like Mobb Deep. Everywhere you turned, there were traces of Wu Tang. At the same time, guys like Masta Ace emergeD as alternatives to the Wu Tang sound. In short, a good year for the East Coast, especially if it can claim Tupac Shakur as its own–given that he got the top slot for the year.
Overall, though, 1995 was not a great year for rap music. It was hard to find ten bona fide classics. At least a few of the albums on the bottom quarter this list are just very good–they still have a couple songs I’d skip over.
10. In a Major Way by E-40. The man who Tupac hailed as the voice of the West Coast brings his big, breakout single, “Sprinkle Me.” Lots of creativity here, but on modern re-listens there are several songs that feel more like novelty items.
9. Labcabincalifornia by The Pharcyde. A tour-de-force of artistic, left-field rap. Production by J Dilla.
8. The Infamous by Mobb Deep. I do like this album quite a bit but (and I know this is blasphemy), I doubt it would make my list without Shook Ones. I get why it’s legendary, but I can’t remember the last time I listened to all or most of it (again, other than Shook Ones). It’s here to fill out my list.
7. Sittin’ On Chrome by Masta Ace Inc. Masta Ace’s early work is strong, especially given the lack of other great albums at the time, but it’s also dated. I’ve put this on my list because of how much I dig Ace. If you’re not a dieheard fan, this album definitely won’t turn you into one.
6. Only Built for Cuban Links by Raekwon. I’m going to confess that I appreciate the brilliance of this album but I really don’t listen to any of it very much. That’s why it doesn’t rate higher on my list: This list is supposed to reflect not what I “think” should be on my list and not the albums that “mattered,” but rather covers what I personally continue to love hearing today. That said: It’s a great album and every time I do put it on, I’m all in beginning to end. Best cuts: Incarcerated Scarfaces, Ice Cream.
5. Return to the 36 Chambers by Old Dirty Bastard.
From here down, this list is all great records. The ones above this are very good, but I can’t honestly say they’re timeless or even great overall. With Return, ODB has a bunch of his fellow Wu Tangers jump aboard with guest shots to get some money out of Elektra and make an album that feels like an end-to-end party. Best cuts: Shimmy Shimmy Ya, Brooklyn Zoo, Cuttin’ Headz feat RZA.
4. Soul Food Goodie Mob. Funk trap. For some reason, this album also makes me think of Wu Tang Clan’s sound. Maybe it’s just the video for the title track, though. It’s so freakin’ awesome. Goodie Mob doesn’t seem to be remembered as well as other ’90s bands, and I kinda get it. The rest of their albums aren’t close to this one. But Soul Food? A total GOAT.
3. Dah Shinin’ by Smif-N-Wessun. Straight off their first appearance on Black Moon’s 1993 debut “Enta The Stage,” Tek and Steele rename themselves and come out with a powerful debut. Boot Camp Clik is ’90s New York’s grimiest collective. Wu Tang are fantastic and raw, but they’re more “art grimey.” The members of the Clik shy away from experimentation in favor of a raw sound with hard lyrics. This isn’t just one of the best albums of the ’90s, it’s also one of the most important. Best tracks: Wrektime, Wontime feat Rockness Monsta, Sound Bwoy Bureill with Top Dog and Starang Wondah, and Bucktown. But there are zero skips on this album. Every track is a winner.
2. Liquid Swords by RZA. A dense, complex, self-produced album that is truly best heard in a single sitting, listening all the way through. Personally, this is my favorite Wu Tang solo record in terms of its listenability (and re-listenability) as an album–even if there really aren’t any songs that stand out as singles.
1. Me Against the World by Tupac. If this isn’t the best Tupac album of all time, it’s got to be in the top 2. Many of the tracks were standalone hits, and no songs–absolutely none–are skippable. On Dear Mama, he continues to revere women but here he gets more personal about it than he has in the past. So Many Tears made it cool to cry. Fuck the World was the perfect closing track as Tupac began a prison term–and it was produced by his former Digital Underground bandmate Shock G. Just an excellent record all around.
No honorable mentions this time–I had a hard enough time finding enough albums for the list.
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