There’s a gang of songs from 1991 that haven’t gotten any airplay since ’91. There’s a few that will occasionally get a spin for nostalgia’s sake. But if there’s one that without fail gets play every year as soon as June breaks in, it’s “Summertime”. While Will Smith was getting started on bigger and better things in his career, he was still primarily known as a rap star, along with the homie Jazzy Jeff as his DJ and producer.

The first time I heard “Summertime”, I’d imagine, was the same time a lot of people heard it. Fresh Prince of Bel Air was closing up its first season, and as part of the season finale, they aired the video at the end.From then on out, it was officially the song of that summer. It hit the radio instantly and was all over the place. Even as Prince & Jeff were mostly considered to be for the “Pop Tart Charts” by then, this one hit across the board, even with the harder-edged hip-hop audience. Even if their other songs from the Homebase album pretty much fell on deaf ears, “Summertime” was the clear undeniable hit that they probably expected it to be.

Still, I’m not even sure they knew just how long this song’s shelf life was. By the mid-’90s, “Summertime” became similar to those Christmas songs that you can never seem to get away from soon as Black Friday hits. Every June, and no later than July 4th, radio and TV would break it out and sporadically start spinning it through August. The video became a classic just as the song did, and basically set the tone for every “cookout in the park” video that’s ever been made since.

Will continued dippin’ and dabbin’ into his rap career through the ’90s, but it’s mostly played the back to his other endeavors after his acting career turned out to be extra-large. Even though he had major hits prior to “Summertime” and had even bigger ones in the years afterwards, it’s this one that’s become his longest-enduring track. 20 years later, “Summertime” is still getting its obligatory summer spins, and it’s still a winner.

With a laid-back flow (that sounds a lil’ Rakim-ish if you think about it) and a sample of Kool & The Gang‘s  “Summer Madness”, Will & Jeff made a hit that might not be for all seasons, but is apparently one for any year.

Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince “Summertime” (1991) 

-D! 

Chris Brown feat. SWV “She Ain’t You” (Remix) 

-D!

It all started with Shaq. One night, he’s on Arsenio talkin’ about his love for his favorite rap group of the time, the Fu-Schnickens. Next thing you know, he’s on stage rappin’ with ‘em. Then, he appears on a Fu-Schnickens single called “What’s Up Doc? (Can We Rock)”, which for some odd reason was a hit. Long story short, this chain of events led to his big non-rappin’ ass dropping like five albums.

And this was no situation where some athlete just came out with a bunch of amateurish beats and lame raps. Shaq (and/or the label) knew that his shit was gonna need a LOTTA help… and that he got. As a true hip-hop fan at heart, Shaq worked with a laundry list of respected MCs and producers on his albums. This included Biggie, Erick Sermon, Redman, Method Man, RZA, Rakim, DJ Quik, Jay-Z, Trackmasters, Mobb Deep, Warren G, Easy Mo Bee, and more. Not the dumbest move in the world, although it was usually the only reason to listen to a Shaq record (unless, of course, you just wanted to have a good laugh).

Anyway, after the success of Shaq-Fu the rapper, shit went crazy for the remainder of the decade. I guess everyone figured “shit, if he could do it, why not me?”  The most flagrant violation was in ’94- a compilation album called B-Ball’s Best Kept Secret. It was like the Superbowl Shuffle, but with basketball players. Better yet, it was like my favorite wack-ass movie Rappin’, when EVERY-body in the fukkin’ movie rapped in the final scene. It was heavily promoted, and even had some OK production, but nobody (except for those who really wanted to know if Gary Payton could spit) went out and bought it. After the Best Kept Secret project flopped, the trend died down for a while, but came back strong by the late-’90s with equally awful music by the likes of Chris Webber, Kobe Bryant, and Allen Iverson. Jeesh.

You know how some people talk about back in the days, and how (insert lame new rap nigga here) woulda never been signed back then, because “you had to have skills to get on”? Yeah, well that’s bullshit, because if (insert lame new rap nigga here) was in the NBA, he coulda at least got to drop a single. But don’t let me force-feed you this line of thinking- listen for yourself. Below, I give you five incredible moments of lyrical exercise by some of the best MCs the NBA had to offer.

Shaquille O’Neal “I Know I Got Skillz” (1993): Oh, word? Yeap, this was the official beginning of Shaq’s illustrious solo career. Along with Def Jef, Shaq attempts to crush the critics by showing his “skillz” on the mic. The key points of this song include: A) he’ll punch a chick in the stomach and he don’t give a heck, and B) knick knack Shaq Attaq, give a dog a bone. Whether or not he had skillz still hasn’t been answered, but the real question now is: with his retirement, does this mean we get another Shaq-Fu album?

Cedric Ceballos “Flow On” (1994): And this was the piece-de-resistance of that Best Kept Secret album, video and all. I guess it should be a plus that Warren G only produced it and didn’t rap on it… but Ced is hopelessly corny all up and through this song. Imagine Warren’s lyrical wizardry (haaaa!) mixed with some Melle Mel-esque vocal inflections and some tiggity-tounge twistin’ shit thrown in. I dare you to get past the part where he says his rhymes are finger-lickin’.

Jason Kidd “What The Kidd Did” (1994): In an unbelievably wooden performance, Jason Kidd connects with Digital Underground‘s Money B. The message in this song is that Jason is paid and nice as all hell on the court. In a completely unenthusiastic tone, he even reminds us midway through that ain’t no party like a J. Kidd party, cause a J. Kidd party don’t stop. As true as that may be, nothing can save this from being possibly the most sleep-inducing party joint ever.

Chris Webber “2 Much Drama” (1998): Aight, he tried to create some kinda emotion here… but Tupac he was not. Here, C. Webb talks about his tough life as a highly-paid athlete- even the misery that is sitting at home lonely although lots of chicks wanna bone him. The pressure is mounting, and he can’t seem to find answers anywhere- not in church, not from his friends, and not even from sitting outside in the rain. Tear.

Kobe Bryant feat. Tyra Banks “K.O.B.E.” (1999): Two things are for sure: Tyra Banks is not a singer, and Kobe Bryant is not a rapper. But why should that stop ‘em? KB was actually signed to Columbia Records and being produced by the Trackmasters, even appearing on a Brian McKnight single in ’99… but once this masterpiece here debuted, the unanimously poor reception killed any chance of him dropping an album. In a incredible display of quality control by a major label, Kobe was dropped from Columbia because his music sucked. By the way, what does K.O.B.E. stand for… Kobe On a Bitch Eatin’?

I doubt these dudes really cared, because rap wasn’t their first profession anyway, and they were likely just doin’ it for kicks. Still, damn near ALL these projects were evidence that there was a reason why them NBA niggas got paid to hoop… because music sure as shit wasn’t their calling.

-D!

So, yeah…

Upon the announcement of this special issue of XXL hitting the stands, I was instantly prepared to do something I haven’t done in a good five years or so: buy a magazine. As the prices have risen over the years, and my interest in the articles has declined, my dedication to buying rap mags generally ended some time ago. I might thumb through ‘em in CVS while waiting for my clothes to dry in the laundromat, but that’s where it stops. Still, leave it to a ’90s-related issue to get my money ($8.00!). To those who haven’t seen this neat lil’ piece of nostalgia as of yet, this is an all-inclusive list of what the staff at XXL considers to be the 250 greatest songs of my favorite era.

The criteria wasn’t made quite clear, but judging from the 250 choices, I’m guessing it ranged from quality to popularity to influence, as most lists of this nature do (and should). Of course, there were some that I scratched my head at like crazy (lookin’ at you, “Dazzey Duks“), and the order of certain tracks was a lil’ wild (“How Do You Want It” = higher than “Dear Mama”, “Hail Mary”, “Keep Ya Head Up”, “Hit ‘Em Up”, etc.?)- but nobody ever fully agrees with these things anyway. That’s part of why these kinds of lists exist in the first place; they’re destined to spark debate and scrutiny. One glaring omission I gotta mention, though, is the absence of “Thuggish Ruggish Bone”. There’s some others that I personally would’ve put in the list had it been mine, but that’s one I was sure would be in there. That aside, I can’t be mad at the majority of the tracks that made the cut.

For those who get joy from reading these here blogs and don’t really fuck with the mags much, I’ve done you the liberty of dropping the full list here on DLT90s. I’d be glad to see and speak on some of your views on this list… so yeah, Have At It!

XXL Greatest 250 Hip-Hop Songs 1990-1999

1) Nuthin’ But A “G” Thang – Dr. Dre
2) It’s All About The Benjamins (remix) – Puff Daddy
3) I’ll Be There For You/ You’re All I Need To Get By – Method Man
4) The Choice Is Yours – Black Sheep
5) Tha Crossroads – Bone Thugs-N-Harmony
6) Scenario – A Tribe Called Quest
7) California Love – 2Pac
8) One More Chance/ Stay With Me (Remix) – The Notorious B.I.G.
9) Hard Knock Life – Jay-Z
10) They Remimisce Over You (T.R.O.Y.) – Pete Rock & CL Smooth
11) How Do You Want It – 2Pac
12) It Was A Good Day – Ice Cube
13) Juicy – The Notorious B.I.G.
14) Minds Playing Tricks On Me – Geto Boys
15) Rosa Parks – OutKast
16) Bling Bling – B.G.
17) Mo Money Mo Problems – The Notorious B.I.G.
18) Shook Ones, Pt. II – Mobb Deep
19) I Got 5 On It – Luniz
20) Summertime – DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince
21) Dear Mama – 2Pac
22) Big Poppa – The Notorious B.I.G.
23) Pocket Full of Stones – UGK
24) Gin and Juice – Snoop Doggy Dogg
25) C.R.E.A.M. – Wu-Tang Clan
26) Read Or Not – The Fugees
27) Back That Azz Up – Juvenile
28) DWYCK – Gang Starr
29) Hit ‘Em Up – 2Pac
30) Regulate – Warren G
31) I Used To Love H.E.R. – Common Sense
32) Hip Hop Hooray – Naughty By Nature
33) Deep Cover – Dr. Dre
34) Protect Ya Neck – Wu-Tan Clan
35) Flava In Ya Ear (Remix) – Craig Mack
36) I Get Around – 2Pac
37) Put Your Hands Where Your Eyes Could See – Busta Rhymes
38) O.P.P. – Naughty By Nature
39) Still Not A Player – Big Pun
40) Passin’ Me By – The Pharcyde
41) Who Shot Ya? – The Notorious B.I.G.
42) Insane In The Brain – Cypress Hill
43) Wicked – Ice Cube
44) Warning – The Notorious B.I.G.
45) U.N.I.T.Y. – Queen Latifah
46) Keep Your Head Up – 2Pac
47) Rebirth Of Slick (Cool Like Dat) – Digable Planets
48) Whatta Man – Salt-N-Pepa
49) The Humpty Dance – Digital Underground
50) My Name Is – Eminem
51) Throw Ya Gunz – ONYX
52) Electric Relaxation – A Tribe Called Quest
53) Triumph – Wu-Tang Clan
54) F*ck Wit Dre Day (And Everybody’s Celebratin’) – Dr. Dre
55) How Many MC’s – Black Moon
56) Mass Appeal – Gang Starr
57) Come Clean – Jeru The Damaja
58) No Vaseline – Ice Cube
59) Hypnotize – The Notorious B.I.G.
60) Bonita Applebum – A Tribe Called Quest
61) Around The Way Girl – LL Cool J
62) Ain’t No Ni**a – Jay-Z
63) Ruff Ryders Anthem – DMX
64) Slam – ONYX
65) Scenario (Remix) – A Tribe Called Quest
66) 93 ‘Til Infinity – Souls of Mischief
67) Git Up, Git Out – OutKast
68) Sound Bwoy Bureill (Remix) – Smif-N-Wessun
69) Hail Mary – 2Pac
70) Let’s Talk About Sex – Salt-N-Pepa
71) Xxplosive – Dr. Dre
72) Time 4 Sum Aksion – Redman
73) 911 Is A Joke – Public Enemy
74) I Ain’t Mad At Cha – 2Pac
75) Who Am I (What’s My Name)? – Snoop Doggy Dogg
76) Method Man – Wu-Tang Clan
77) Shake Whatch Mama Gave Ya – Poison Clan
78) Brenda’s Got A Baby – 2Pac
79) Ice Cream – Raekwon
80) Ha – Juvenile
81) Juice (Know The Ledge) – Eric B. & Rakim
82) Jump Around – House of Pain
83) Get At Me Dog – DMX
84) Doin It – LL Cool J
85) The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly – Missy Elliott
86) Make Em Say Ugh! – Master P
87) Get Money – Junior M.A.F.I.A
88) If I Rule The World (Imagine That) – Nas
89) Let Me Ride – Dr. Dre
90) Murder Was The Case – Snoop Dogg
91) Put It In Your Mouth – Akinyele
92) Jackin’ For Beats – Ice Cube
93) Mama Said Knock You Out – LL Cool J
94) 1st of Tha Month – Bone Thugs-N-Harmony
95) Check The Rhime – A Tribe Called Quest
96) Player’s Anthem – Junior M.A.F.I.A.
97) Can I Get A – Jay-Z
98) Elevators (Me & You) – Outkast
99) I Seen A Man Die – Scarface
100) Crush On You (Remix) – Lil’ Kim
101 Feel So Good – Ma$e
102) Money, Cash, Ho*s – Jay-Z
103) Slow Down – Brand Nubian
104) Renee – Lost Boyz
105) Doggy Dogg World – Snoop Doggy Dogg
106) Fu-Gee-La – The Fugees
107) Quiest Storm (Remix) – Mobb Deep
108) What You Want – Ma$e
109) Shut Em Down (Remix) – Public Enemy
110) Hip Hop Junkies – Nice & Smooth
111) I Shot Ya (Remix) – LL Cool J
112) Big Momma Thang – Lil’ Kim
113) They Want EFX – Das EFX
114) I Got A Man – Positive K
115) U Can’t Touch This – MC Hammer
116) Award Tour – A Tribe Called Quest
117) Money, Power & Respect – The LOX
118) Jeeps, Lex Coups, Bimaz and Benz – Lost Boyz
119) Hate Me Now – Nas
120) Back In The Day – Ahmad
121) Get Me Home – Foxy Brown
122) Sound Of Da Police – KRS-One
123) How High – Method Man & Redman
124) You Got Me – The Roots
125) Shoop – Salt-N-Pepa
126) Down For My N’s – Snoop Dogg/ C-Murder
127) Player’s Ball – OutKast
128) I’m Bout It, Bout It – TRU
129) B*tch Please – Snoop Dogg
130) It Ain’t Hard To Tell – Nas
131) Ten Crack Commandments – The Notorious B.I.G.
132) Welcome To The Terrordome – Public Enenemy
133) Check Yo Self (The Message’ Remix) – Ice Cube
134) Second Round K.O. – Canibus
135) Victory – Puff Daddy
136) Let Me Clear My Throat – DJ Kool
137) New Jack Hustler – Ice-T
138) Natural Born Killaz – Dr. Dre
139) Everything’s Gonna Be Alright – Naughty By Nature
140) Bring The Pain – Method Man
141) I Wanna Rock – Luke
142) Queen B*tch – Lil’ Kim
143) All For One – Brand Nubiam
144) Brooklyn’s Finest – Jay-Z
145) Rump Shaker – Wreckx-N-Effect
146) Soul Food – Goodie MOB
147) All That I Got Is You – Ghostface Killah
148) Dead Presisdents – Jay-Z
149) Uptown Anthem – Naughty By Nature
150) I’ll Be Missing You – Puff Daddy
151) New York, New York – That Dogg Pound
152) Brooklyn Zoo – Ol’ Dirty Bastard
153) Stakes Is High – De La Soul
154) Bow Down – Westside Connection
155) Phone Tap – The Firm
156) How I Could Just Kill A Man – Cypress Hill
157) Funkdafied – Da Brat
158) Po Pimp – Do Or Die
159) Watch For The Hook – Cool Breeze
160) O.G. Original Ganster – Ice-T
161 Punks Jump Up To Get Beat Down – Brand Nubian
162) Tear Da Club Up – Three 6 Mafia
163) Front, Back, & Side to Side – UGK
164) Not Tonight – Lil’ Kim
165) Smile – Scarface
166) Shreiht Up Menace – MC Eiht
167) Slippin’ – DMX
168) Nappy Heads (Remix) – The Fugees
169) Superthug – Noreaga
170) Is There A Heaven 4 a Gangsta – Master P
171) Lost Ones – Lauren Hill
172) Treat’ Em Right – Chubb Rock
173) Ruffneck – MC Lyte
174) Banned in the U.S.A. – 2 Live Crew
175) Afro Puffs – The Lady of Rage
176) Hay – Crucial Conflict
177) Space Age Pimpin’ – UGK
178) Sprinkle Me – E-40
179) People Everyday – Arrested Development
180) Head, Head, and More Head – Luke
181) How About Some Hardcore – M.O.P.
182) You Can’t Play With My Yo-Yo – Yo-Yo
183) Rampage – EPMD
184) It Ain’t My Fault 2 – Silkk The Shocker
185) Banned From TV – Noreaga
186) Déjà vu (Uptown Baby) – Lord Tariq & Peter Gunz
187) Down With The King – Run-DMC
188) Runnin’ – The Pharcyde
189) 24 Hrs. to Live – Ma$e
190) Case of the P.T.A. – Leaders Of The New School
191) MC’s Act Like They Don’t Know – KRS-One
192) Watch Out Now – The Beatnuts
193) Shimmy Shimmy Ya – Ol’ Dirty Bastard
194) I Wanna Get High – Cypress Hill
195) So What’cha Want – Beastie Boyz
196) Tennessee – Arrested Development
197) One Love – Nas
198) Nuttin’ But Love – Heavy D & The Boyz
199) Mr. Ice Cream Man – Master P
200) Getting’ It – Too $hort
201) Breakadawn – De La Soul
202) Loungin’ (Who Do Ya Luv) – LL Cool J
203) On The Run – Kool G Rap & DJ Polo
204) What Would You Do? – Tha Dogg Pound
205) Crooklyn – Crooklyn Dodgers
206) A Roller Skating Jam Named “Saturdays” – De La Soul
207) Don’t Sweat The Technique – Eric B & Rakim
208) Dirty South – Goodie MOB
209) I Got Cha Opin’ (Remix) – Black Moon
210) Tonight’s Da Night – Redman
211) How To Rob – 50 Cent (His first entry)
212) Definition – Black Star
213) The Ghetto – Too $hort
214) Ms. Fat Booty – Mos Def
215) Dazzey Dukes – Duice
216) Pimps – 8Ball & MJG
217) Gotta Get Mine – MC Breed
218) Gangsta B*tch – Apache
219) Luchini AKA (This Is It) – Camp Lo
220) Doo Wop (That Thing) – Lauryn Hill
221) Holla Holla – Ja Rule
222) Horse & Carriage – Cam’ron
223) 360 (What Goes Around) – Grand Puba
224) Pass The Mic – Beatie Boys
225) Captain Save A Hoe – E-40
226) Just Playing (Dreams) – The Notorious B.I.G.
227) Ebonics – Big L
228) Mad Izm – Channel Live
229) Dairy of a Madman – Gravediggaz
230) Fu*k Compton – Tim Dog
231) Whoomp (There It Is) – Tag Team
232) Nann Ni**a – Trick Daddy
233) The Art of Storytellin’ (Pt. 1) – OutKast
234) Playa, Playa – Big Mike
235) Looking At The Front Door – Main Source
236) Time’s Up – O.C.
237) Ring Ring Ring (Ha Ha Hey) – De La Soul
238) Jump – Kris Kross
239) I Wish – Skee-Lo
240) Simon Says – Pharoahe Monch
241) Woo Hah!! Got You All in Check – Busta Rhymes
242) Ain’t No Fun (If The Homies Can’t Have None) – Snoop Doggy Dogg
243) Chief Rocka – Lords of the Underground
244) Where Dem Dollars At – Gangsta Boo
245) Leflaur Leflah Eshkoshka – Heltah Skeltah
246) Gold Digger – EPMD
247) The Most Beautiful Thing in This World – Keith Murray
248) Monie in the Middle – Monie Love
249) Where My Homiez? (Come Around My Way) – Ill Al Skratch
250) Take It Personal – Gang Starr

-D!

NEXT WEEK: I may not be droppin’ two-fiddy, but I’ll definitely be droppin’ THE FIDDY. Much like I did it last year, I’ll be celebrating the 2nd birthday of DLT90s the same way. Be sure to be here! June 1st.

By late-1997, the “Shiny Suit Era” was at its absolute peak. A monster had been created, which extended to an overflow of glossy videos and ’80s samples. While I personally enjoyed a good deal of the music that came out of it , some of it was flat-out unfukkinecessary. Regardless, it was the thing of the moment, and the whole world was on it. In the middle of this craze, there was an upcoming artist who was the complete opposite of everything that era represented. As a matter of fact, he seemed like he would’ve fit more into the era that preceded it, when things were a lot more grimy and a lot less polished and mainstream-aimed. His name was DMX, and in spite of what was dominating the charts, ’98 was about to be his year.

Ironically (or maybe not), X’s buzz started building through his appearances on albums by people who were actively jumping into the Shiny Suit Era. In the midst of Ma$e‘s extra glossy-flossy Harlem World, X was stealing the show on “24 Hours To Live”. As The Lox were trying their best to fit into the Bad Boy team with their Money, Power, Respect album, X shut it down on the title track. While LL Cool J was Puff Daddy-in’ it up with the Phenomenon album, there was still “4-3-2-1″, which X appeared on and killed. On top of that, he closed out ’97 with his own single “Get At Me Dog”, which hit hard and fast into the new year.

And from there, it was probably the greatest pre-album buildup ever. It seemed like every other week, he was making a guest appearance on some shit. From DJ Clue tapes, to remixes by Ice Cube and Mic Geronimo, to a currently obscure-as-fuck song by two female MCs named Duo, DMX was unavoidable. By May 19, 1998, X could do no wrong, and that was the level of anticipation he had as It’s Dark And Hell Is Hot hit the stores.

That album was the must-have of the time. Just about everybody I knew had it by the end of that week, and of course I did. I was STILL just getting over “Get At Me Dog” (and its video, which was the perfect introduction for him being the anti-shiny suit), so I was definitely ready to hear what else he had on deck. As expected, he brought the same aggression he’d become known for by then. His lyrics were violent, dark, and at times even comical to a degree, while the in-house production (mostly done by Grease) were both timely and different for its time.

Speaking of the production, It’s Dark was also the album that kicked off the long-running career of Swizz Beatz. He only actually did one track, but that one happened to be “Ruff Ryders Anthem”, which ended up being arguably the album’s biggest song. After that blew up, Swizz spent the second half of ’98 the same way X spent the first half- with his name popping up in some of everybody’s album credits. It was also that song which established the Ruff Ryders label as a brand and sound that would expand and remain relevant for the next couple of years.

As I said earlier, X surely brought the aggression and violence, but there was another angle to his music that I didn’t really expect. On top of all the chaos, he also rhymed about struggle- not just “trying to make ends meet” struggle, but being internally conflicted between living right and doing wrong. There was also a religious angle, most emphasized by his prayer towards the end of the album. While it didn’t dominate the content of It’s Dark, it did seem to flesh it out, especially in the era where who an artist was as an individual became just as important as what an artist said. It also turned out to be very true-to-life, as evidenced by the downfalls in both X’s life and career in the years since It’s Dark.

There’s a friend of mine who in retrospect said, “I can’t believe I used to listen to a nigga who barked on his records”. That is kinda funny when you think about it- I don’t know that if an artist came out nowadays making animal noises of any sort, I could even attempt to take that shit seriously. But it also says a lot about how strong DMX was as an artist at his peak in ’98. Outside of all the growling and barking (and I’m positive I heard him yelp and wimper a few times too), he had a voice that came along at just the right time. For that reason among others, It’s Dark And Hell Is Hot was one of the best and highest-selling albums of ’98, and one that brought the street element back into the forefront.

“Ruff Ryders Anthem”

“Get At Me Dog”

“Damien”

“Stop Being Greedy”

“Niggaz Done Started Something” (feat. The LOX and Ma$e) 

-D!

Yeah, I know right… Been quite a while since the last entry here on DLT90s, but the lights are back on- extra bright, I want y’all to see this. With no further ado, we continue…

Around 1993, you couldn’t tell me shit. I was a youngin with enough time on my hands to stay up on every little new song by every little new group that popped out of the woodwork. At that time, there were still lots of labels, and they were signing lots of acts. Of course, the quantity didn’t always equal quality, but there was no shortage of new music out there. At the same time, it was also easy for an artist to get lost in the shuffle without strong enough music or promo to get over the top. Such was the case with a teenage duo from Queens, NY known as Mobb Deep. Despite production from Large Professor and DJ Premier, and a decent underground buzz, they weren’t exactly setting the world on fire with their debut album Juvenile Hell.

After seeing them come and go in ’93, I (and probably many others) didn’t exactly count on seeing or hearing much from Mobb Deep again. Then, in the summer of ’94, they signed with Loud Records and dropped a single called “Shook Ones”. I would hear it on WEAA every Friday for the remainder of that summer, and read in The Source about how they were about to drop some unexpectedly crucial new shit in the near future. Judging from “Shook Ones” alone, Havoc and Prodigy had taken quite the creative turn from the ’93 stuff. The content was still violent, but with the sound of most East Coast hip-hop heading in a generally darker direction, Mobb’s music was less rah-rah and a lot more haunting than their Juvenile Hell-era work.

Still, the REAL impact the the Mobb was about to make came right at the dead end of ’94, when “Shook Ones, Pt. II” dropped. With all the music that was out around that time, everything stopped for a minute when that one hit. There were songs more popular, songs that got more airplay, but just about anyone that was following hip-hop in early-’95 instantly got put on to Mobb Deep through that one. On the strength of this one track, anticipation was high for their second album, The Infamous. Once it dropped on April 25, they were officially established as one of the elite groups of the time. There were thousands of groups out there talkin’ about street life, so it wasn’t like they’d covered any uncharted ground- they were just doing it better than most.

The Infamous was that shit I couldn’t stop playing throughout the spring and summer of ’95. In fact, as incredible as Raekwon’s Cuban Linx was, it only edges out The Infamous as my favorite album of that year. Havoc’s production (aided by Q-Tip) and Prodigy’s lyricism in particular set them apart from most crime-rhyme acts of the time. From there on out, the Mobb was heavy on the street level, not only through singles like “Survival of The Fittest”, but their unreleased mixtape-only joints as well. Through ’95 and ’96, they stayed droppin’ little heat rocks here and there, leading up to their third album Hell on Earth. Although it took me a minute to get acclimated to Havoc’s new production style, it confirmed that the Mobb was in it for the distance.

The thing that kept Mobb present was that they always dropped new material, at a time when many artists were still just dropping albums and falling back. There was always a new Mobb joint, whether it was on a soundtrack, mixtape, or just randomly floating around. They’d established a sound and a brand, to the point where even though their subject matter never deviated much, it was a formula that always worked. It also didn’t hurt that they regularly worked with other artists who had a strong street audience, such as Wu-Tang and Nas, making for some classic collabs.

’99′s Murda Muzik, an album that I immensely disliked at first listen (but since grew to like), kept the Mobb’s popularity going. At a time when hip-hop in general was huge, it was also their first platinum album. As a group that for the most part had never made many dramatic changes to their musical approach, it was another win for them. Without doing what most artists did in order to attain platinum status, they kept it Mobb Deep and still put up big numbers.

While the years that followed weren’t as kind to Mobb (the Jay-Z feud, declining sales, a failed move to G-Unit, and Prodigy becoming both a constant punchline and punching bag), the late-’90s were the years in which they controlled the dice. Hav and P delivered consistently hard music and had a loyal fanbase that wouldn’t have had it any other way. It’s been a long time since the last Mobb Deep joint that really hit hard… like a real, real long time… but at their peak, they were always reliable to come through in the clutch with that music that’d even make the softest nigga on Earth try to pull off a stickup.

“Shook Ones” (1994)

“Shook Ones Pt. II” (1995)

“Survival of The Fittest” (1995)

“Give Up The Goods” (feat. Big Noyd) (1995)

“Still Shinin’” (1996)

“G.O.D. Pt. III” (1996)

“Back At You” (1996)

“Everyday Gunplay” (1996)

“Reach” (1997)

“It’s Mine” (feat. Nas) (1999)

“The Realest” (feat. Kool G Rap) (1999)

“Quiet Storm (White Lines)” (1999)

-D! 

After Nate Dogg had his second stroke in 2008, and news on his condition since then was scarce at best, I had a feeling that his health wasn’t on the up. Still, it was a shock to wake up at 2:30 this morning and see that he had passed last night.

As one of the original “Death Row Inmates”, Nate was the writer and performer of some of the catchiest and most familiar hooks in hip-hop. For years, he was a reliable guest star on tracks by everyone from Snoop and Dre to 50 Cent and Ludacris. I don’t even know what I can say about his influence and importance to the game that hasn’t been said today. But I’ll suffice it to say that he’s participated in a number of classics that may not have been as classic without him.

In paying tribute to Nate’s life, DanjLovesThe90s drops eight of my personal favorite guest appearances by him- here they go:

8- Shade Sheist “Where I Wanna Be” (2000): This coulda been anyone’s song, as I still don’t recall one line from Shade’s verse. Nate’s hook and verse, however? Very much the opposite.

7- Mista Grimm “Indo Smoke” (1993): From the Poetic Justice soundtrack, Warren G and Nate get their first single, featured on a single by Mista Grimm. Grimm didn’t go on to do much more, but Nate’s hook made it happen. ARE YOU HIGH YET?

6- 2Pac “All About U” (1996): As ‘Pac joined Death Row with All Eyez On Me, his album wouldn’t have been complete without a Nate hook. For “All About U”, Nate delivered another catchy one about their neverending adventures of seein’ the same hoes regardless of where they were.

5- Eminem “Til I Collapse” (2002): Besides being one of Em’s most spirited lyrical performances, and one of his better production works, Nate’s ambitious hook completed The Eminem Show‘s “Til I Collapse”.

4- Dr. Dre “Deeez Nuts” (1992): In his first appearance ever, Nate debuts with his comical “Dre-EEEEEEE, Day-EEEEEEE” high notes on one of the best album cuts from The Chronic. He can’t be faded.

3- Snoop Dogg “Ain’t No Fun” (1993): “When I met’cha last night, babaaaay…” The undeniable catchiness that was the Doggystyle album was highlighted by the appearance of Nate on “Ain’t No Fun”. His instantly classic verse even had girls singing “…and you even licked my balls”.

2- Dr. Dre “Tha Next Episode” (1999): Two words: HOLD UP.

1- Warren G & Nate Dogg “Regulate” (1994): Probably not a surprise at #1, but “Regulate” was always Nate’s greatest appearance. As Death Row’s unofficial hook-man by this point, he added a much-needed vocal assist for the track that made Warren a successful solo act in ’94. Who knows this song would have been without him.

There’s been many acts that were the hot choice of the moment to perform other artists’ hooks, and then they became played out by the end of those years. Nate was a consistent choice, whether in ’94 or 2004, whose appearance almost always guaranteed a hit. While his own solo projects didn’t have the same success, it was a given that his presence on a track would equal a success for whomever the main artist was. And that presence will be missed. R.I.P. Nate Dogg

-D!