S/D: Semi-forgotten early-mid 90s rappers

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when most people reference early-mid 90s rap, they talk about De La, Tribe, PE, Eric B & Rakhim, Pete Rock, Gangstarr, KMD, NWA, etc

what about all the other lesser remembered stars (some more forgotten than others)

Kwamé
Big Daddy Kane
Chubb Rock
Father MC
Doug E Fresh
K Solo
Monnie Love
Special Ed (god i still love his first album)
Poor Righteous Teachers
The Fat Boys
Main Source

i'm sure these are all pretty obvious, but i'm just remembering jr high and early highschool

― JaXoN (JasonD), Tuesday, 12 October 2004 18:42 (twenty-one years ago)

That kid, what was his name. Chi-Ali! Yes, his album was awesome! I think he's doing time for killing someone now.

― Huk-L, Tuesday, 12 October 2004 18:46 (twenty-one years ago)

doug e fresh and special ed are frequent customer requests at my store.

― peter smith (plsmith), Tuesday, 12 October 2004 18:47 (twenty-one years ago)

also, biz markie is a frequent CUSTOMER at my store.

― peter smith (plsmith), Tuesday, 12 October 2004 18:48 (twenty-one years ago)

Tell him I really like Weekend Warrior. Tell him.

― Huk-L, Tuesday, 12 October 2004 18:50 (twenty-one years ago)

Domino

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Tuesday, 12 October 2004 18:50 (twenty-one years ago)

what is YOUR STORE?

― JaXoN (JasonD), Tuesday, 12 October 2004 18:50 (twenty-one years ago)

FU-SHNICKENS

― nickalicious (nickalicious), Tuesday, 12 October 2004 18:55 (twenty-one years ago)

That's a S by the way.

― nickalicious (nickalicious), Tuesday, 12 October 2004 18:55 (twenty-one years ago)

SHAQ-FU!

― JaXoN (JasonD), Tuesday, 12 October 2004 18:58 (twenty-one years ago)

cdepot in college park, md

― peter smith (plsmith), Tuesday, 12 October 2004 19:02 (twenty-one years ago)

i dont own it - just a longtime employee.

― peter smith (plsmith), Tuesday, 12 October 2004 19:02 (twenty-one years ago)

Boogiemonsters!!

― Jay Vee (Manon_70), Tuesday, 12 October 2004 19:03 (twenty-one years ago)

oh yeah, Ahmad's "Back in the Day" was a great song.

― JaXoN (JasonD), Tuesday, 12 October 2004 19:07 (twenty-one years ago)

Young MC

― JaXoN (JasonD), Tuesday, 12 October 2004 19:09 (twenty-one years ago)

craig mack

― robin (robin), Tuesday, 12 October 2004 19:11 (twenty-one years ago)

Kid Frost
Son Of Bazerk
The DOC
Paris

― gygax! (gygax!), Tuesday, 12 October 2004 19:11 (twenty-one years ago)

DAS EFX
Me Phi Me
PM Dawn
Divine Styler
Dana Dane
Compton's Most Wanted
Nikki D
Miss Melodie
Paris the Intelligent Hoodlum
3RD Bass (MC Serch and Prime Minister Pete Nice)
Pete Rock and C.L. Smooth

― Taxi Dancing in the Soft Prison (Ben Boyer), Tuesday, 12 October 2004 19:13 (twenty-one years ago)

Positive K - "I Got A Man"

― JaXoN (JasonD), Tuesday, 12 October 2004 19:13 (twenty-one years ago)

so, the question is, where all these any good, or am i just having some sort of weird nostalgia issues?

― JaXoN (JasonD), Tuesday, 12 October 2004 19:16 (twenty-one years ago)

http://image.listen.com/img/0/0/0/0/0/1/4/5/7/8/5/1457853.JPEG

― seahorse genius (seahorse genius), Tuesday, 12 October 2004 19:18 (twenty-one years ago)

Rob Base and DJ EZ Rock
Ed O.G. and Da Bulldogs
Brand Nubian
Poor Righteous Teachers
Nice and Smooth
Three Times Dope

― Taxi Dancing in the Soft Prison (Ben Boyer), Tuesday, 12 October 2004 19:19 (twenty-one years ago)

remember when everlast actually rapped and didn't pretend to be ben harper?

― JaXoN (JasonD), Tuesday, 12 October 2004 19:19 (twenty-one years ago)

King Sun

― Rockist Scientist, Tuesday, 12 October 2004 19:20 (twenty-one years ago)

Also deeply confused re: quality/nostalgia. Jesus christ, out come the Source back-issues and cassingles to investigate... .. .

― Taxi Dancing in the Soft Prison (Ben Boyer), Tuesday, 12 October 2004 19:20 (twenty-one years ago)

BOO-YAA TRIBE

― Roy Williams Highlight (diamond), Tuesday, 12 October 2004 19:22 (twenty-one years ago)

Lakim Shabazz (sp?)
Paris

― Rockist Scientist, Tuesday, 12 October 2004 19:23 (twenty-one years ago)

Also deeply confused re: quality/nostalgia

well it's been 10+ years since i've heard any of this stuff. i'm just wondering if i remember this all being good because i was in highschool (i did like pearl jam!) or because it was actually good.

― JaXoN (JasonD), Tuesday, 12 October 2004 19:24 (twenty-one years ago)

Rodney O & Joe Cooley

― gygax! (gygax!), Tuesday, 12 October 2004 19:25 (twenty-one years ago)

black moon, showbiz and ag, n'tyce, Akinyele, Diamond, Lord Finesse, Big L, DITC, Smif n Wessun, many more.

― djdee2005 (djdee2005), Tuesday, 12 October 2004 19:25 (twenty-one years ago)

Sagat

― King Korn Karn, Tuesday, 12 October 2004 19:27 (twenty-one years ago)

Rico Suave. Or was that just a song.

― Rockist Scientist, Tuesday, 12 October 2004 19:28 (twenty-one years ago)

pete smith from the false accents! I used to go shopping at CDepot and Atomic Music like every weekend because I didn't have any friends at N0rthwestern High School. Say hi to the hairy guitar store guys at Atomic for me.

― n/a (Nick A.), Tuesday, 12 October 2004 19:28 (twenty-one years ago)

MC Shy D

― gygax! (gygax!), Tuesday, 12 October 2004 19:29 (twenty-one years ago)

Keith Murray
Onyx
Bone Thugs

― Alex in SF (Alex in SF), Tuesday, 12 October 2004 19:31 (twenty-one years ago)

Digital Underground, Too Short, Souls of Mischief, Hiero, Del the Funkee Homosapien, Organized Konfusion, Digable Planets, all of Wu-Tang, BDP, Jeru, Mobb Deep, Scarface, Geto Boys, Redman, Large Pro, Beatnuts, Alkoholiks, Aceyalone, Artifacts, Black Sheep, The Coup, Das EFX, Common, Original Flavor, Boogie Monsters, O.C., Ahmad.

― djdee2005 (djdee2005), Tuesday, 12 October 2004 19:32 (twenty-one years ago)

UGK, 8ball and MJG

― djdee2005 (djdee2005), Tuesday, 12 October 2004 19:33 (twenty-one years ago)

DE LA SOUL
PUBLIC ENEMY
MC HAMMER

― gygax! (gygax!), Tuesday, 12 October 2004 19:34 (twenty-one years ago)

Also Cocaine Blunts and Soulsides are doing joint mp3 blogging this week w/ obscure mid 90s hip-hop gems.

― djdee2005 (djdee2005), Tuesday, 12 October 2004 19:34 (twenty-one years ago)

8ball and MJG

Whatever happened to them?

― Andy K (Andy K), Tuesday, 12 October 2004 19:35 (twenty-one years ago)

i think gygax is making fun.

djdee, that last list is all super not-forgotten artists

― JaXoN (JasonD), Tuesday, 12 October 2004 19:36 (twenty-one years ago)

LL Cool J

― Blings of Trife (Andy K), Tuesday, 12 October 2004 19:36 (twenty-one years ago)

xpost
unless you're playing the big old switcheroo?

― JaXoN (JasonD), Tuesday, 12 October 2004 19:36 (twenty-one years ago)

Well the last few are definitely pretty forgotten, but yeah a lot of them seem pretty canonized to me, too.

― Alex in SF (Alex in SF), Tuesday, 12 October 2004 19:37 (twenty-one years ago)

Lucas with the lid off!

― Joseph McCombs (Joseph McCombs), Tuesday, 12 October 2004 19:37 (twenty-one years ago)

Yeah I got carried away haha.

Some of the them are pretty forgotten though (Original Flavor anyone?)

― djdee2005 (djdee2005), Tuesday, 12 October 2004 19:38 (twenty-one years ago)

Also is Andy K joking?

― djdee2005 (djdee2005), Tuesday, 12 October 2004 19:38 (twenty-one years ago)

Cuz I mean 8ball and mjg have never really been given the critical acclaim they deserve even if they're w/ P Diddy now.

― djdee2005 (djdee2005), Tuesday, 12 October 2004 19:39 (twenty-one years ago)

Was Special Ed the one who rapped about Cascade? Ugh.

― Joseph McCombs (Joseph McCombs), Tuesday, 12 October 2004 19:41 (twenty-one years ago)

I don't know if being on BET approx 30 days straight within the last four months counts as semi-forgotten.

― Blings of Trife (Andy K), Tuesday, 12 October 2004 19:42 (twenty-one years ago)

nick from the false fictions! (new website, i see...)

which atomic dudes do you remember? theres a good brotherhood between employees of the stores these days. also, we totally expanded the store, structurally and in content. if you come through, you should check it out and then play a show with us.

― peter smith (plsmith), Tuesday, 12 October 2004 19:42 (twenty-one years ago)

This is a recent development though, they were essentially invisible to critics for the most of their career!

― djdee2005 (djdee2005), Tuesday, 12 October 2004 19:44 (twenty-one years ago)

xpost to kellman.

― djdee2005 (djdee2005), Tuesday, 12 October 2004 19:44 (twenty-one years ago)

I used to love that Ahmad track. I'm listening to it now and it strikes me that he sounds like a combination of Kanye West and Woody Allen.

How's about Rappin 4-Tay? What happened to them?

― Talent Explosion (Talent Explosion), Tuesday, 12 October 2004 19:45 (twenty-one years ago)

(x-post)Yes, but you have to wait until they are semi-forgotten again to list them as they are currently very much remembered.

― Alex in SF (Alex in SF), Tuesday, 12 October 2004 19:46 (twenty-one years ago)

Was Special Ed the one who rapped about Cascade? Ugh

That song (I Got It Made) is a fucking CLASSIC!!!

and um...

2nd II None
N 2 Deep

― M@tt He1geson (Matt Helgeson), Tuesday, 12 October 2004 19:46 (twenty-one years ago)

The reason I posted so many familiar, unforgotten artists is bcuz everyone else was! Pete Rock, Main Source, the DOC, 3rd Bass...those count as semi-forgotten, then most of the ones i posted are "semi-forgotten" as well.

― djdee2005 (djdee2005), Tuesday, 12 October 2004 19:46 (twenty-one years ago)

But yeah posting "wu tang" was me getting carried away.

― djdee2005 (djdee2005), Tuesday, 12 October 2004 19:47 (twenty-one years ago)

Wait wait, DOC is semi-forgotten. The other three are ridiculous though. Esp. Pete Rock and Main Source.

― Alex in SF (Alex in SF), Tuesday, 12 October 2004 19:48 (twenty-one years ago)

Semantics. They're all great.

― djdee2005 (djdee2005), Tuesday, 12 October 2004 19:54 (twenty-one years ago)

re: Main Source. i don't think unless you were there you'd know them. i know it's a classic album, and "headz" will know it, but the average hip hop listener wouldn't have a clue

― JaXoN (JasonD), Tuesday, 12 October 2004 19:56 (twenty-one years ago)

Argh, how could I forget "the fake accents" when we are "the fake fictions"? I r dumbass. I was never on a name-to-name basis with anyone from Atomic, but I would go there all the time. Last time I was there (3-ish years ago?) it had gotten so huge! When I first started going there it was in a tiny little house. I miss it.

― n/a (Nick A.), Tuesday, 12 October 2004 19:57 (twenty-one years ago)

Lord Tariq & Peter Gunz, yo. One of about a dozen uses of "Black Cow" that year.

― Joseph McCombs (Joseph McCombs), Tuesday, 12 October 2004 19:57 (twenty-one years ago)

re: Main Source. i don't think unless you were there you'd know them. i know it's a classic album, and "headz" will know it, but the average hip hop listener wouldn't have a clue

In which case, aside from Redman and Wu-Tang, most of the ones I listed are semi-forgotten as well!

― djdee2005 (djdee2005), Tuesday, 12 October 2004 20:05 (twenty-one years ago)

i sort of agree with you and sort of don't. most of the names you mentioned carried on and kept making records (some even still)

― JaXoN (JasonD), Tuesday, 12 October 2004 20:07 (twenty-one years ago)

but now we're just saying who's more forgotten which is dumb.

― JaXoN (JasonD), Tuesday, 12 October 2004 20:08 (twenty-one years ago)

it should be pointed out that a TON of the people listed had their heyday in the 80s, not the 90s (Special Ed, Big Daddy Kane, Doug E. Fresh, the Fat Boys etc).

some funny shit I'd forgotten has already popped up - Lucas with the Lid Off, for example. No one's mentioned Justin Warfield or New Kingdom yet...

― Shakey Mo Collier, Tuesday, 12 October 2004 20:17 (twenty-one years ago)

Blahzay Blahzay
Luniz
K7
Wreckx-n-Effex
Da Brat
Craig Mack
Noreaga
Del tha Funkee Homosapien (until Gorillaz, anyway)
Diamond D
Lateef the Truth Speaker

― The Good Dr. Bill (Andrew Unterberger), Tuesday, 12 October 2004 20:18 (twenty-one years ago)

Look people who knew of Main Source haven't forgetten about them which makes them not at all semi-forgotten, just semi-obscure.

― Alex in SF (Alex in SF), Tuesday, 12 October 2004 20:18 (twenty-one years ago)

Noreaga?!?!?!

― Alex in SF (Alex in SF), Tuesday, 12 October 2004 20:19 (twenty-one years ago)

Snow!

― Shakey Mo Collier, Tuesday, 12 October 2004 20:31 (twenty-one years ago)

X-Clan
Yo-Yo . . .

― Andrzej B. (Andrzej B.), Tuesday, 12 October 2004 20:33 (twenty-one years ago)

and of course... Hoes Wit Attitude and Bitches With Problems.

― Shakey Mo Collier, Tuesday, 12 October 2004 20:38 (twenty-one years ago)

moderator, please change title to "semi-obscure". k thx, bye

― JaXoN (JasonD), Tuesday, 12 October 2004 20:38 (twenty-one years ago)

mc breed.

god, how many of these are 1 hit wonders?

― JaXoN (JasonD), Tuesday, 12 October 2004 20:40 (twenty-one years ago)

heartless beasts!
Black Sheep just played a show in Los Angeles a few weeks ago
Brand Nubian has a new album

MAC MALL
ROTTIN RAZCALZ
JUVENILE COMMITTEE
HI-C
AMG

these people earned their forgottenness, let's have some respect

― tremendoid, Tuesday, 12 October 2004 20:47 (twenty-one years ago)

an awful lot are one-hit wonders. Positive K, Ahmad, Lucas....

I nominate Us3! That stupid "Cantaloop" song and various commercial knock-offs were *everywhere* for months, now it is completely forgotten.

Black Sheep and Brand Nubian (and Grand Puba - one of my favorite MCs ever) were both great, I think they were a tier or two above most of the folks listed here as well.

― Shakey Mo Collier, Tuesday, 12 October 2004 20:49 (twenty-one years ago)

Apache!

― Shakey Mo Collier, Tuesday, 12 October 2004 20:55 (twenty-one years ago)

Aw, I was just coming on the thread to see if he'd been mentioned. I think an ex-girlfriend stole my "I Wanna Be A Gangster Bitch" T-shirt.

― Roy Williams Highlight (diamond), Tuesday, 12 October 2004 20:56 (twenty-one years ago)

Monie Love. Question: Who is more disposable -- rappers, teeny pop sensations or country stars?

― mottdeterre (mottdeterre), Tuesday, 12 October 2004 20:58 (twenty-one years ago)

New Kingdom are one of my all time favorites. They kicked ass live.

No one ever remembers the one record that Downtown Science put out on Def Jam, but it was *excellent* and I think Sam Sever went on to become a producer of modest reknown.

― ng, Tuesday, 12 October 2004 21:00 (twenty-one years ago)

rappers, teeny pop sensations or country stars?

???

Country audiences are pretty loyal....even old timers that haven't had a hit in years can still draw decent crowds at casinos.

― M@tt He1geson (Matt Helgeson), Tuesday, 12 October 2004 21:02 (twenty-one years ago)

the correct answer is "techno/electronica/d'n'b/whatever they're calling it this week" producers.

x-post

― Shakey Mo Collier, Tuesday, 12 October 2004 21:06 (twenty-one years ago)

sam sever had stuff on mo wax i think!

kurious!
also: who were that crew that did "universal blues" and "freedom got a shotgun"?

― bulbs (bulbs), Tuesday, 12 October 2004 21:08 (twenty-one years ago)

WC and the MAAD Circle, whom I would nominate as most slept on group ever, even if WC got picked up for that Westside Connect bullshit
Nefertiti(what happened?)
Yaggfu Front(I know what happened)
Boss
Conscious Daughters haha

― tremendoidray, Tuesday, 12 October 2004 21:11 (twenty-one years ago)

KGB, who did "pick up the pace", forgotten in their own time
My rotting VHS recording of their video is the only evidence of their existence

― tremendoid, Tuesday, 12 October 2004 21:18 (twenty-one years ago)

kokane

― bulbs (bulbs), Tuesday, 12 October 2004 21:19 (twenty-one years ago)

WC and Maad Circle had Coolio didn't they (at least for their first record...?)

― Shakey Mo Collier, Tuesday, 12 October 2004 21:20 (twenty-one years ago)

what about LeShaun?

I still play her song "Wide Open" from time to time: super nasty . . . .

― Drew Daniel, Tuesday, 12 October 2004 21:21 (twenty-one years ago)

actually Coolio totally belongs on this thread. man, his 5 minutes sure came and went.

― Shakey Mo Collier, Tuesday, 12 October 2004 21:21 (twenty-one years ago)

anyone recall UMCs?

― ken taylrr (ken taylrr), Tuesday, 12 October 2004 21:21 (twenty-one years ago)

fist album classic second album they went "real"

― bulbs (bulbs), Tuesday, 12 October 2004 21:25 (twenty-one years ago)

Lords of the underground

― bulbs (bulbs), Tuesday, 12 October 2004 21:26 (twenty-one years ago)

Smooth - you got played

― bulbs (bulbs), Tuesday, 12 October 2004 21:26 (twenty-one years ago)

how about K.M.C. Kru - "The Devil Came Up to Michigan". I had that on cassingle.

― Roy Williams Highlight (diamond), Tuesday, 12 October 2004 21:27 (twenty-one years ago)

also search: redhead kingpin and the fbi - "Pump It Hottie" (samples kraftwerk's "numbers", iirc)

― ken taylrr (ken taylrr), Tuesday, 12 October 2004 21:28 (twenty-one years ago)

d-nice

― fact checking cuz (fcc), Tuesday, 12 October 2004 21:29 (twenty-one years ago)

KMC!

Redheads late 80's i think...thats a Terry Riley production, no?

Y'all so stupid
Afro-plane

― bulbs (bulbs), Tuesday, 12 October 2004 21:29 (twenty-one years ago)

you just don't hear TAIRRIE B's name enough these days.

― fact checking cuz (fcc), Tuesday, 12 October 2004 21:30 (twenty-one years ago)

Does Casual count?

― bulbs (bulbs), Tuesday, 12 October 2004 21:30 (twenty-one years ago)

The Poetess (i think she was..ah, Mohammad Ali's daughter???)

― bulbs (bulbs), Tuesday, 12 October 2004 21:31 (twenty-one years ago)

The Future Sound

― bulbs (bulbs), Tuesday, 12 October 2004 21:31 (twenty-one years ago)

the Canadian hip-hop thread reminded me: Dream Warriors!

De La Soul sure had a lot of "successors" that went nowhere, didn't they...

― Shakey Mo Collier, Tuesday, 12 October 2004 21:32 (twenty-one years ago)

haha that's another thread in itself

― bulbs (bulbs), Tuesday, 12 October 2004 21:33 (twenty-one years ago)

Da Twinz(Round and Round)
Da 5 Footaz

both of whom are in The Show so maybe a bit too much posterity for this thread

― tremendoidmandel, Tuesday, 12 October 2004 21:33 (twenty-one years ago)

i feel like we all need to put on rayon shirts, get high top fades, polka dots, vests, mc hammer pants, african medallions, lines cut into our eyebrows, designs cut into the back of our hair

http://members.aol.com/WernerVWallenrod/polkadots/newbegin.jpg

― JaXoN (JasonD), Tuesday, 12 October 2004 21:36 (twenty-one years ago)

7A3

― Roy Williams Highlight (diamond), Tuesday, 12 October 2004 21:37 (twenty-one years ago)

who were that arrested development spin off that did "droppin h2O on the cipher"?

also 2 kings in the cipher.

― bulbs (bulbs), Tuesday, 12 October 2004 21:39 (twenty-one years ago)

Gumbo!(AD spinoff)

I made a track over a loop of one of their songs as part of a stillborn high school rap group

― tremendoid, Tuesday, 12 October 2004 21:56 (twenty-one years ago)

Gumbo!!!! Thats it, thanks.

try this...argh i don't have my cds here...early 90's guy had a 6-7 track thing with production by prince paul, large prof etc...The something...The Jaz???

― bulbs (bulbs), Tuesday, 12 October 2004 21:57 (twenty-one years ago)

De La Soul sure had a lot of "successors" that went nowhere, didn't they...

definition of sound!!

― fact checking cuz (fcc), Tuesday, 12 October 2004 21:59 (twenty-one years ago)

UMCs is a great one! I have that album, pretty much anyone on Wild Pitch (unless they were Main Source) could probably qualify.

― djdee2005 (djdee2005), Tuesday, 12 October 2004 22:02 (twenty-one years ago)

The Jaz

― bulbs (bulbs), Tuesday, 12 October 2004 22:02 (twenty-one years ago)

MC Eiht!

Totally forgettable apart from his bit role in Menace II Society.

― Shakey Mo Collier, Tuesday, 12 October 2004 22:03 (twenty-one years ago)

It's funny because one dude from the UMCs produced Magic Stick by Lil Kim/50 Cent (Has G I think) and Mr. Polka Dots, Kwame did Fire by Lloyd Banks!

G-Unit: Ressurecting Forgotten Rappers' Careers One Hit Single At a Time!

― M@tt He1geson (Matt Helgeson), Tuesday, 12 October 2004 22:04 (twenty-one years ago)

school of hard knocks - a fucking classic!

― bulbs (bulbs), Tuesday, 12 October 2004 22:04 (twenty-one years ago)

That Jaz album looks terrific! Mark the 45 King is definitely one of the more underrated producers of this era.

― djdee2005 (djdee2005), Tuesday, 12 October 2004 22:06 (twenty-one years ago)

this was the period i first got a cd player / first got a job. you want a copy lemme know djdee.

― bulbs (bulbs), Tuesday, 12 October 2004 22:07 (twenty-one years ago)

have we got Oaktown 357 up in dis?

― ken taylrr (ken taylrr), Tuesday, 12 October 2004 22:07 (twenty-one years ago)

Anyway it was my turn at the stypod this week and you can get the N'Tyce single by going there. I don't know how much longer it'll be up. That's a great song though.

― djdee2005 (djdee2005), Tuesday, 12 October 2004 22:09 (twenty-one years ago)

haha - I like how that N'Tyce song (which I'd never heard before, btw) quotes fellow forgotten one-hit wonder Positive K's "I Got a Man".

― Shakey Mo Collier, Tuesday, 12 October 2004 22:14 (twenty-one years ago)

bulbs - i emailed you.

― djdee2005 (djdee2005), Tuesday, 12 October 2004 22:16 (twenty-one years ago)

Lunitz and Skeee-Lo didn't last long, did they?

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Tuesday, 12 October 2004 22:30 (twenty-one years ago)

the Luniz have at least maintained some degree of local celebrity here in the Bay Area. Yukmouth put out a solo album a little while ago, and they're dialed in with Digital Underground (for whatever that's worth - not very much at this point unfortunately)

― Shakey Mo Collier, Tuesday, 12 October 2004 22:55 (twenty-one years ago)

Blood Of Abraham
Above The Law
Lay Law
Audio Two
Ron De Vu
Fresh K & The Fila Fresh Crew
Junior MAFIA
is Arabian Prince forgotten or un-forgotten?

― gygax! (gygax!), Tuesday, 12 October 2004 23:11 (twenty-one years ago)

KAM

― bulbs (bulbs), Tuesday, 12 October 2004 23:12 (twenty-one years ago)

Smokin suckas wid logic

― bulbs (bulbs), Tuesday, 12 October 2004 23:12 (twenty-one years ago)

Rumpelstiltskin

― bulbs (bulbs), Tuesday, 12 October 2004 23:13 (twenty-one years ago)

Mellow man ace

― bulbs (bulbs), Tuesday, 12 October 2004 23:13 (twenty-one years ago)

Arabian Prince is pretty 80s - see also: Egyptian Lover.

Blood of Abraham - Eazy E's Jewish rap duo? Oy vey. Probably Jerry Heller's nephews or something...

― Shakey Mo Collier, Tuesday, 12 October 2004 23:14 (twenty-one years ago)

I saw them play a show once, it was pretty funny. It was about the same as House Of Pain.

― gygax! (gygax!), Tuesday, 12 October 2004 23:22 (twenty-one years ago)

I absolutely love 'I Wish' by Skee-lo. I wonder what became of him.

― Wooden (Wooden), Tuesday, 12 October 2004 23:40 (twenty-one years ago)

blood of abraham made me remember the Goats for some reason. i don't think i liked them at the time, though

― JaXoN (JasonD), Tuesday, 12 October 2004 23:55 (twenty-one years ago)

Audio Two is a good one. You never hear "Top Billin" anymore and I've never seen one of their albums anywhere. Guess all their stuff is out of print.

Surprised no one's mentioned Young Black Teenagers yet. They were actually way better than you'd think. Haha, wasn't DJ Skribble in that group?

― Mike Ouderkirk (Mike Ouderkirk), Wednesday, 13 October 2004 03:08 (twenty-one years ago)

How about the Busta-fronted Leaders of the New School.

Also ABC of Aiesha and Playground Fame (tha east coast family).

Does anyone remember in the Boyz II Men video for Motownphilly, there was that all-white group getting their photo taken -- Sudden Impact? Who were those guys?

― Hurting (Hurting), Wednesday, 13 October 2004 03:15 (twenty-one years ago)

obviously part of the East Coast Family

― Mike Ouderkirk (Mike Ouderkirk), Wednesday, 13 October 2004 03:22 (twenty-one years ago)

Did their album ever drop or what? At age 12 I was actually kind of psyched about a white Family member.

― Hurting (Hurting), Wednesday, 13 October 2004 03:31 (twenty-one years ago)

stezo

― Brandon Mitchell (A.H.), Wednesday, 13 October 2004 04:25 (twenty-one years ago)

"search" that is,
"To the Max" b/w "My Turn" anyway

― Brandon Mitchell (A.H.), Wednesday, 13 October 2004 04:49 (twenty-one years ago)

A couple weeks ago, I was at a bar and this really trashed frat-lookin' white guy in his late 20s/early 30s kept blabbering on about how great Doug E. Fresh was. "You gotta listen to Doug E. Fresh, man. Doug E. Fresh is the shit. Oh man, fuckin' Doug E. Fresh." Et cetera.

― jaymc (jaymc), Wednesday, 13 October 2004 05:01 (twenty-one years ago)

Anyway: what about Michael Franti/Spearhead/Disposable Heroes of Hiphoprisy?

― jaymc (jaymc), Wednesday, 13 October 2004 05:04 (twenty-one years ago)

Beatnigs semi-forgotten, Hiphoprisy not forgotten at all, Spearhead still making records and touring successfully

― kit brash (kit brash), Wednesday, 13 October 2004 05:44 (twenty-one years ago)

Hiphoprisy turgid

― tremendoid, Wednesday, 13 October 2004 05:49 (twenty-one years ago)

mostly mid 90s

Smoothe Da Hustler - famous for repeating verses backwards, etc. I still rate his album - the beats are pretty funky

Chino XL - v dark humour, lots of similies. V electronic backing if i remember

Prophets of Da City - south african rappers, who's album was prety good, if memory serves. quite bouncy good time sorta stuff

right, i'm off to listen to these now...

― Robin Goad (rgoad), Wednesday, 13 October 2004 07:28 (twenty-one years ago)

Sister Souljah!

― Tuomas (Tuomas), Wednesday, 13 October 2004 08:00 (twenty-one years ago)

She's rightfully forgotten, in my opinion, even though her message was good and her beats (by the Bomb Squad, no less) tight, her "rapping" was awful.

― Tuomas (Tuomas), Wednesday, 13 October 2004 08:01 (twenty-one years ago)

And what about Da Lench Mob?

― Tuomas (Tuomas), Wednesday, 13 October 2004 08:02 (twenty-one years ago)

nefertiti
shazzy
penthouse playaers clique
das efx
cpo
kid frost
movement ex
powerule
xclan
the afros
da lench mob
yomo & maulkie
the sindecut
11.59
kings of swing
raw fusion
marla marl
dfc
krispy 3
overlord x
may may (she was ali's daughter)
mc mello
sagat
lil shawn

― bulbs (bulbs), Wednesday, 13 October 2004 08:12 (twenty-one years ago)

that souljah record is pretty interesting. how about griff?

― bulbs (bulbs), Wednesday, 13 October 2004 08:13 (twenty-one years ago)

is there like a supper club circuit for these guys?

― bulbs (bulbs), Wednesday, 13 October 2004 08:19 (twenty-one years ago)

ruthless rap assassins

― bulbs (bulbs), Wednesday, 13 October 2004 08:32 (twenty-one years ago)

and from ruthless rap we get to Honky. 1st lp was great pop-rap (on ZTT !) . second was dead in the water.

― mark e (mark e), Wednesday, 13 October 2004 08:48 (twenty-one years ago)

did trev horn do it?

― bulbs (bulbs), Wednesday, 13 October 2004 08:54 (twenty-one years ago)

how can you say that Big Daddy Kane, Doug E Fresh and The Fat Boys are ... forgotten?

― Jay Kid (Jay K), Wednesday, 13 October 2004 08:58 (twenty-one years ago)

both Lench Mob albums are really good. Even tho they replaced J-Dee with Maulkie after the first one cuz he got sent to jail on murder one.

― Shakey Mo Collier, Wednesday, 13 October 2004 15:47 (twenty-one years ago)

Nobody seems to have mentioned these two yet . . .

Paperboy ("Ditty" is a straight up Zapp infected classic)
and
Delinquent Habits ("Tres Delinquentes" was the greatest Latino rap song of the 90s)

― ainsley harriott, Thursday, 14 October 2004 04:00 (twenty-one years ago)

oh shit, remember Candyman's "Knockin Boots"?

look at this shit

http://image.allmusic.com/00/amg/cov200/drc400/c496/c49621w1264.jpg

― JaXoN (JasonD), Thursday, 14 October 2004 04:07 (twenty-one years ago)

and, i'm sure he's not that forgotten, but tone-loc. my stepdad even has that cd

― JaXoN (JasonD), Thursday, 14 October 2004 04:08 (twenty-one years ago)

shinehead
KC and Envy (shortie swing my way...)

― Disco Nihilist (mjt), Thursday, 14 October 2004 04:46 (twenty-one years ago)

three weeks pass...

I donno if this counts cuz he's still around but you don't really hear anyone talk about him... "24 Deep" is a classic.

"Strikin' through the deuce wit the 40 in ma mouth..."

http://image.allmusic.com/00/amg/cov200/drd500/d560/d5609256v58.jpg

― djdee2005 (djdee2005), Sunday, 7 November 2004 23:40 (twenty-one years ago)

Jeru tha mothafuckin DAMAJA, ya'll.

― Forksclovetofu (Forksclovetofu), Monday, 8 November 2004 02:53 (twenty-one years ago)

semi forgotten?

― bulbs (bulbs), Monday, 8 November 2004 02:55 (twenty-one years ago)

THE JUNGLE BROTHERS RULE

― aldar, Monday, 8 November 2004 04:27 (twenty-one years ago)

How can there be no love here for the lesser stars of Miami bass music? The 69 Boyz? The Get Funky Crew? The immortal (and legendarily awful) Duice? Any Goodwill in central Florida is replete with cast-off 12"s of "Dazzey Duks." It's a fact.

And what of the Boo-Yaa T.R.I.B.E?

But my God, yeah, Blahzay Blahzay. Their mid-90's single "The East Is In The House" was ruthlessly co-opted by members of the 1996 Syracuse University Final Four basketball team; there was a remix of it entitled "The Cuse Is In The House" that was a very brief, VERY regional hit that spring. Then-star power forward John Wallace even dropped a very lame, ham-fisted guest verse near the end (!); I would kill a man for a copy of this single, or the complementary "The Cuse Is In The House/Oh My God! Danger!" bootleg T-shirt you used to be able to buy in gas stations in upstate New York.

― Daniel Cohen (dayan), Monday, 8 November 2004 14:47 (twenty-one years ago)

Crucial Conflict!

― Mike O. (Mike Ouderkirk), Monday, 8 November 2004 18:57 (twenty-one years ago)

five months pass...

Threat
I think he was an Ice Cube associate, had a great verse on 'Color Blind'("Killa Cali, the place where they kill...") and DJ Pooh's 'Nowhere to Hide', one of the thumpinest, hardest songs ever. He had a couple singles, 'Let the Dogs Loose' and two albums according to AMG and disappeared.

― tremendoid (tremendoid), Sunday, 24 April 2005 02:29 (twenty years ago)

Network F1

― Lethal Dizzle (djdee2005), Sunday, 24 April 2005 02:52 (twenty years ago)

The Intelligent Hoodlum
Big L

― Sean Braudis, Sunday, 24 April 2005 05:39 (twenty years ago)

Is Big L considered semi-forgotten?

― - (smile), Sunday, 24 April 2005 05:58 (twenty years ago)

Big L's profile has never been bigger imo
Anyone remember No Face? He had a song called 'Half' about his skeezer wife taking him to the cleaners, Shock G was in the video iirc

― tremendoid (tremendoid), Sunday, 24 April 2005 07:17 (twenty years ago)

Shock G will be in anyone's video if they ask though won't he?

(except for some hip-house thing I saw on telly a couple of times last year, which had both Shock and Humpty on the track, but computer-animated polar bears or something rperesenting them)

― kit brash (kit brash), Sunday, 24 April 2005 15:06 (twenty years ago)

big sellers while working at a record store in the mid-90s that seemed to have dropped off the face of the earth:

Gucci Crew
Rappin 4-Tay
Poison Clan
Crucial Conflict
Do Or Die
Freak Nasty
Dayton Family

― Will(iam), Sunday, 24 April 2005 15:38 (twenty years ago)

Nine

― Guy Incognito (Guy Incognito), Sunday, 24 April 2005 16:13 (twenty years ago)

Do or Die just released an album and have a single out w R Kelly! I dont think its probably selling all that well though.

― Lethal Dizzle (djdee2005), Sunday, 24 April 2005 17:41 (twenty years ago)

I listened to that first Group Home record the other day ridin' around in the sun. I had semi-forgotten about those cats. "Baby Pa" is still my favorite Premier beat.

― Johnny Badlees (crispssssss), Monday, 25 April 2005 00:40 (twenty years ago)

by the way .. heard last week that New Kingdom have reformed ..

could be interesting ..

― mark e (mark e), Monday, 25 April 2005 12:10 (twenty years ago)

four years pass...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MES9eE3T87Q

FUCK NO HE'S A ZERO

― wilter, Tuesday, 25 August 2009 09:18 (sixteen years ago)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3KN-LhuSOz0

awesome

― wilter, Tuesday, 25 August 2009 09:19 (sixteen years ago)

I think we must never forget MC Eiht, Then U Gone and the Menace II Society soundtrack track are at least semi classics

― rizzx, Tuesday, 25 August 2009 09:50 (sixteen years ago)

one year passes...

Lady of Rage. I got her one and only album for like two bucks, she had such charisma and flow, it's a shame her career got swallowed up by the shenanigans at Death Row records.

― u r no man, take the balls (San Te), Tuesday, 28 September 2010 23:06 (fifteen years ago)

Royal Flush. Iced Down Medallions was the shit.

― Louis CK BK ANYBODYK (lpz), Wednesday, 29 September 2010 20:52 (fifteen years ago)

thread needs more youtubes!

― not everything is a campfire (ian), Thursday, 30 September 2010 04:23 (fifteen years ago)

lady of rage is dope as fuck

― mod future admin gang ban them all (The Reverend), Thursday, 30 September 2010 04:26 (fifteen years ago)

Here the gun go and we don't miss
DA LENCH MOB THE GUERILLAS IN THE MIST

fuck yeah I remember buying that shit when I was like 14. I actually remember most of the lyrics to this.

I love the way the whole thing is just riffing on one really long extended metaphor.

― adamirl (Hurting 2), Thursday, 30 September 2010 04:54 (fifteen years ago)

showbiz & AG

maestro fresh wes

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8UFIYGkROII

― fennel cartwright, Thursday, 30 September 2010 07:51 (fifteen years ago)

whoops wrong video lol

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2yoGGvbmdvw

― fennel cartwright, Thursday, 30 September 2010 07:51 (fifteen years ago)

Lady of Rage. I got her one and only album for like two bucks, she had such charisma and flow, it's a shame her career got swallowed up by the shenanigans at Death Row records.

The album is dope, yeah. I think The Lady of Rage was ill-fitted for Death Row, her type of lyricism feels more like an East Coast thing, and the album sounds pretty East Coast too. IIRC a couple of the tracks were even produced by Primo?

― Tuomas, Thursday, 30 September 2010 13:09 (fifteen years ago)

Easy Mo Bee produced a few, and he also did the first Notorious B.I.G. album as well as Craig Mack, so yea there's def an East Coast Vibe.

though Daz produced a lot of tracks and he was basically like a more 'chill' version of Dre.

― officer i didn't know it was a penguin (San Te), Thursday, 30 September 2010 13:46 (fifteen years ago)

There were lots of other lyrics4u-type rappers on the west coast at that time, including her then-labelmate Kurupt, not sure how that translates to "east coast-type lyricism". I guess having good lyrics is an east coast thing. And Mo Bee never was strictly an east coast regional rap producer.

― mod future admin gang ban them all (The Reverend), Thursday, 30 September 2010 18:26 (fifteen years ago)

haha lyrics4u

― zvookster, Thursday, 30 September 2010 18:29 (fifteen years ago)

the new lyrically lyrical

― zvookster, Thursday, 30 September 2010 18:30 (fifteen years ago)

she was ill-served by death row bc dre basically shelved her to deal with snoop blowing up iirc

― zvookster, Thursday, 30 September 2010 18:33 (fifteen years ago)

that's probably otm

― mod future admin gang ban them all (The Reverend), Thursday, 30 September 2010 18:42 (fifteen years ago)

I guess having good lyrics is an east coast thing.

lol WTF smh

― crude interloper of a once august profession (Shakey Mo Collier), Thursday, 30 September 2010 18:55 (fifteen years ago)

he was being sarcastic abt tuomas' comment

― zvookster, Thursday, 30 September 2010 18:58 (fifteen years ago)

internet sarcasm is srs biz

― mod future admin gang ban them all (The Reverend), Thursday, 30 September 2010 20:01 (fifteen years ago)

What I meant by "East Coast lyricism" is that Necessary Roughness has a lot of insular, Rakim-influenced, rap-for-rap's sake multirhymes, and not that much of the more outwards-bound lyrical topics (be it gangsta life, or good life, or whatever) that Death Row and other West Coast artists did at the time. Granted, I'm not the biggest expert on West Coast rap, but I think there was general difference between NYC and California in the early-to-mid-90s regarding what rap lyrics were about.

I checked the CD sleeve, and Primo did indeed produce two tracks for the album.

― Tuomas, Thursday, 30 September 2010 21:48 (fifteen years ago)

And I didn't mean to imply that East Coast lyrics and styles were better, just that they were different, and that TLoR sounds more like an East Coast rapper.

― Tuomas, Thursday, 30 September 2010 21:49 (fifteen years ago)

but I think there was general difference between NYC and California in the early-to-mid-90s regarding what rap lyrics were about.

yeah West Coast rappers cruised around in cars, NYC rappers not so much

― crude interloper of a once august profession (Shakey Mo Collier), Thursday, 30 September 2010 21:52 (fifteen years ago)

bicycles?

― officer i didn't know it was a penguin (San Te), Thursday, 30 September 2010 21:55 (fifteen years ago)

heiroglyphics, saafir, etc all them were def. west coast dudes with east coast style lyricism...also freestyle fellowship

― who's got the (platform) 9 3/4ths? (upper mississippi sh@kedown), Thursday, 30 September 2010 21:58 (fifteen years ago)

Pharcyde too

― crude interloper of a once august profession (Shakey Mo Collier), Thursday, 30 September 2010 22:01 (fifteen years ago)

I dunno I'd be more inclined to delineate east/west coast by production and rapping styles and not so much by content. people from all over rap about different stuff, apart from particular details like citing where they're from, etc.

― crude interloper of a once august profession (Shakey Mo Collier), Thursday, 30 September 2010 22:02 (fifteen years ago)

A mixed bag of wretchedness, mediocrity and sporadic greatness here. But I used to smoke a lot at the time. I know it isn't strictly hip hop or early 90's but New Kingdom's 'Paradise Don't Come Cheap' is my album of that decade.

Grand Daddy I.U. - Smooth Assassin/Lead Pipe
Just Ice - Kool and Deadly/The Desolute One
Mad Skillz - From Where???
Hard 2 Obtain - Ism and Blues
Craig Mack - Project Funk Da World
Masta Ace - Take a Look Around
Das Efx - Dead Serious
The Afros - Kickin' Afrolistics
Paris - Sleeping With The Enemy
Onyx - All We Got Iz Us

― Damo Suzuki's Parrot, Thursday, 30 September 2010 22:31 (fifteen years ago)

aw yeah the Afros!!!

― crude interloper of a once august profession (Shakey Mo Collier), Thursday, 30 September 2010 22:47 (fifteen years ago)

― crude interloper of a once august profession (Shakey Mo Collier), Thursday, September 30, Suggest Ban Permalink
2010 3:02 PM Bookmark

^^^^this

my point here is that as many lyrically lyrical rappers there were floating around the west coast in the 90s, labeling them as "east coast-style rappers" is bullshit and then some, especially since most of these rappers' style (including rage's) was pretty distinct from their east coast counterparts

― mod future admin gang ban them all (The Reverend), Thursday, 30 September 2010 23:21 (fifteen years ago)

It may be bullshit, but I've read many rap journalists and rappers themselves make the distinction between West and East coast lyrical/rapping style, at least in the 90s. Whatever you call it, I think there was a distinct rapping style in early-to-mid-nineties that was most prominent in East Coast rap, though of course there people doing that (or something similar) in the West too. Maybe it should be called "Rakim-influenced rapping" or "boom bap rapping" or something like that, instead of tying it to a specific geographical location. Anyway, IMO on Necessary Roughness The Lady of Rage falls pretty squarely into that camp. What do you think makes her style distinct from the East Coast (besides her accent)?

― Tuomas, Friday, 1 October 2010 06:47 (fifteen years ago)

you got way too many faulty premises there for me to even

― mod future admin gang ban them all (The Reverend), Friday, 1 October 2010 07:59 (fifteen years ago)

her style is way more similar to like kurupt or xzibit or other (more gangsta, less backpacker-y) lyrics4u west coast rappers of that time than anyone on the east coast, as much inluenced by like...ice-t and cube and hell, snoop as rakim. and on the other side of the spectrum, west coast started that whole backpack shit. hiero and pharcyde and freestyle fellowship and all that shit was coming out when on the east coast it was still og native tongues who didn't really have the same intentionally underground ethos. there's nothing "east coast" about being influenced by rakim or any other east coast rapper. is snoop an east coast-style rapper cause he was influenced by slick rick? ice cube cause of schooly d?

smarten up, tuomas.

― mod future admin gang ban them all (The Reverend), Friday, 1 October 2010 08:13 (fifteen years ago)

there's nothing "east coast" about being influenced by rakim or any other east coast rapper. is snoop an east coast-style rapper cause he was influenced by slick rick? ice cube cause of schooly d?

Did you read my post? I didn't say that there was an universal "East Coast" style that applies to all East Coast rappers of all eras. What I said is that there was a specific style that was prominent on East Coast in the early-to-mid-90s (it wasn't the era nor the style of Slick Rick or Schoolly D), and that this style is often affiliated with East Coast. Like I said above, there probably should be a better name for it, but I've often read people speak of "East Coast lyricism", which is why I used the term.

as much inluenced by like...ice-t and cube and hell, snoop as rakim.

Ice-T maybe, but I don't really hear much Cube or Snoop on Necessary Roughness. (Except for Snoop's guest verse, of course.) And IMO the album sounds more like something that was coming out of the Boot Camp Clik at the time than what the Hieros or Freestyle Fellowship were doing on West Coast.

― Tuomas, Friday, 1 October 2010 09:24 (fifteen years ago)

ftr I only agreed on the production tip, I think her style is a mix of the gangstaisms of her Death Row colleagues, mixed with a very "lite" version of The D.O.C. style rhyming.

― officer i didn't know it was a penguin (San Te), Friday, 1 October 2010 12:29 (fifteen years ago)

Chunk

― Lazarus Niles-Burnham (res), Friday, 1 October 2010 14:43 (fifteen years ago)

To clarify:

Lady of Rage was originally from New York by way of Virginia, she was in an NYC group way before they ended up moving out West, so Tuomas is correct, she is east coast.

― who's got the (platform) 9 3/4ths? (upper mississippi sh@kedown), Friday, 1 October 2010 15:09 (fifteen years ago)

huh crazy! had to check wiki to make sure I wasn't talkin' shit and I found this little nugget:

Chubb Rock - Bring 'Em Home Safe --->2nd verse is Lady of Rage before she moved out West, under the name "Rockin' Robin"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GniZehyFm7w

― who's got the (platform) 9 3/4ths? (upper mississippi sh@kedown), Friday, 1 October 2010 15:12 (fifteen years ago)

Chunk

oh man East Palo Alto repraZENT

― crude interloper of a once august profession (Shakey Mo Collier), Friday, 1 October 2010 15:33 (fifteen years ago)

that Chubb Rock song is one of the weirdest things in his catalog btw. really stuck out the first time I heard it.

― crude interloper of a once august profession (Shakey Mo Collier), Friday, 1 October 2010 15:34 (fifteen years ago)

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