The Top 5 Defining Hip-hop Albums of the 1990s

Well, here’s the second installment in my “defining hip-hop albums of a decade” series. The 1990s saw hip-hop music explode into the mainstream with pop rap like MC Hammer’s Please Hammer, Don’t Hurt ‘Em, Vanilla Ice’s To the Extreme, and Sir Mix-a-Lot’s Mack Daddy, to alternative hip-hop’s strong credibility from acts like A Tribe Called Quest, De La Soul, and the Pharcyde, to the West Coast’s dominance thanks to Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, 2Pac, and Ice Cube, to the shift to the East Coast with outstanding debuts from Nas, the Wu-Tang Clan, the Notorious B.I.G., and Jay-Z, and to the East Coast-West Coast feud that brought down two of hip-hop’s greatests  to their deaths during their height. Whatever it was, hip-hop music’s youth had finally emerged into worldwide culture through MTV, VH1, etc., arguably making it hip-hop’s most prolific decade, which makes it all the more difficult to list the top five defining albums. Hopefully, you’ll enjoy what you read, as it took me some time to decide what goes where, and you are certainly free to complain and argue. This list wasn’t meant for everyone. With that said, here’s my list.

5) The Chronic (1992) by Dr. Dre

One of the greatest hip-hop producers of all time made the beats for N.W.A’s Straight Outta Compton and the D.O.C.’s No One Can Do It Better. Then, N.W.A broke up, and Dr. Dre totally changed the game with a vastly different sonic landscape that brought the West Coast back to prominence, and single-handedly I might add. Many may claim Cold 187um developed the initial layout of this innovative G-funk sound, but there’s no denying Dr. Dre popularized it and evolved it beyond its roots. I don’t really know how to describe the sound, as I’m not a hip-hop music theory expert, but Steve Huey of AllMusic.com calls it “fat, blunted Parliament-Funkadelic beats, soulful backing vocals, and live instruments in the rolling basslines and whiny synths.” I guess that’s what it is, but I found it to have that laid-back, smooth production, the kind where you want to crack open a bag of weed and smoke it, even though you don’t do this stuff (at least not me). Whether that makes sense or not, that’s just me, but it’s distinct and sort of addicting. The production alone warrants it to be on this list. However, the lyricism and burst of impact on the hip-hop scene makes it more stimulating. His protégé Snoop Doggy Dogg (yes, that was what he was known as at the time) crafted some of the album’s biggest hits, notably “Nuthin’ but a ‘G’ Thang,” and his trademark smooth delivery introduced audiences to the next big thing. Many West Coast rappers appear as well, including a young Daz Dillinger, Nate Dogg, RBX, and Lady of Rage, all bringing their best. The constructive lyrics, mostly about violence and the inner city life (basically stuff that has been tirelessly and inferiorly overdone in the past few years) were controversial for some reason, even though this is the guy that was part of a controversial group that released two controversial albums, so surprise! It’s not like nobody expected it! A diss toward former N.W.A member Eazy-E is also present, and it’s nasty. Overall, Dr. Dre set the building blocks of the beginning of this artistry. G-funk started dominating at this time and has been dominating ever since, in the form of its influence on modern producers like Kanye West.

Speaking of Snoop, I would like to add his debut album Doggystyle as an extension of this ranking, if you will. Dr. Dre also produced this album, but it didn’t sound like any rip-off of The Chronic. Many compare these two to be the hip-hop music equivalent to Kill Bill Vol. 1/2. They’re pretty much equal in terms of music quality, one and the same, and I believe Doggystyle deserves credit as well.

4) The Low End Theory (1991) by A Tribe Called Quest

All right, let me just lay it down quick: this it the epitome of alternative hip-hop. While they weren’t the first of their kind, they paved the way for acts like De La Soul, Jungle Brothers, and Black Sheep, all of which are coincidentally part of the Native Tongues collective. Their music strayed away from the West Coast gangsta image popular at the time, and this album couldn’t have not only done it better, but more boldly gripping. The unconventional production from Ali Shaheed Muhammad and Q-Tip (one of hip-hop’s most underrated rappers), as well one from Pete Rock, was different from any hardcore production of the East Coast or gangta rap/G-funk of the West Coast, and it didn’t have that multi-layered wall of noise of the Bomb Squad. At a time when hip-hop was all about shooting gangs and sex with women, A Tribe Called Quest’s mature rhymes and simple (minimalistic) sampling was a breath of fresh air for everyone. Their jazziness from highlight tracks “Check the Rhime” and “Jazz (We’ve  Got)” did to jazz and rap what Run-D.M.C. did to rock and rap. It was the perfect marriage between the two genres that only a few could emulate. From then on, alternative hip-hop was never the same without them.

3) Ready to Die (1994) by The Notorious B.I.G.

The Notorious B.I.G.’s debut album came in the heels of the so-called “East Coast artistic renaissance,” and it couldn’t have been released at a better time. This was when Diddy and the Hitmen were at their prime, and when New York began to take the throne from the West Coast. Although lyrics about crack dealing, guns, and similar topics were pervasive in the West Coast, Biggie described them in brilliant narratives that set him apart from them. His flow was loose and chilled, yet his lyricism was packed with complexity and multi-syllabic rhymes, rapping with ease. The monumental hits “Juicy” and “Big Poppa” take their place as hip-hop’s greatest songs, but tracks like “Gimme the Loot” and “Suicidal Thoughts” offer insightful honesty into the faulty environment of Biggie’s life and its meanings in his songs. The semi-autobiographical nature of this album and the loose concept of his life from birth to death presented are quite incisive, like the album has a voice of its own above the crowds of numerous others released in the era. Its impact is undeniable, as today’s greatest from Jay-Z to Eminem take their nods from Biggie and this album. Unfortunately, his life was cut too short, and Bad Boy later fell off. It would’ve been amazing to hear the three-disc Life After Death concept he planned before his death.

2) Illmatic (1994) by Nas

Before Biggie released his debut, Nas released his debut. There’s not much I can say about this album that I already haven’t said about Ready to Die since they’re stylistically similar. Nas was seen as the second coming of Rakim (Canibus was supposed to be the third), and he definitely brought in several innovations that set a precedent in hip-hop. First, the internal rhymes that Rakim pioneered were used extensively and were combined with multi-syllabic rhymes to create complex rhyme schemes that wowed everyone. Second, the gritty hardcore production was handled by a multitude of producers instead of the usual MC/DJ combo. And third, his vivid description of Queensbridge with the use of metaphors and realistic imagery captured the essence of his life. On a more regional note, Queensbridge finally caught the attention of the hip-hop community that was more focused on Brooklyn. Mobb Deep and Capone-N-Noreaga later followed in his footsteps with arguably equal albums. His album became the influence for numerous aspiring rappers, including the Game, Clipse, and even underground artists like Talib Kweli, and his songs have been sampled on masterpieces like Jay-Z’s “Dead Presidents.” Even though it didn’t become a big hit, no one could argue the album’s definitive stamp on hip-hop.

1) Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) (1993) by the Wu-Tang Clan

I know many will argue about this. I actually had difficulties in ranking Ready to Die, Illmatic, and this album in the right order because all of them pretty much had the same impact at the same time. But I’m putting this at numero uno because of its diverse cast of rappers’ sheer talent and RZA’s revolutionary hardcore hip hop production that pushed the boundaries of what Boogie Down Productions and Kool G Rap introduced earlier in the ‘80s. RZA, GZA, Ghostface Killah, Rakeown, Inspectah Deck, U-God, Ol’ Diry Bastard, Method Man, and Masta Killa (what a mouthful!) all ripped the shit outta hip-hop, and I don’t mean that in a bad way. Starting on “Bring da Ruckus,” you immediately identify that unpolished, rough production with complimenting dialogue from old Chinese kung fu movies. Then, RZA’s chorus kicks in with that “Bring da motherfuckin’ ruckus,” and four verses come in from four different rappers. They all have different flows and different styles in their lyricism, yet it’s amazing how pertinacious they’re verses work together, as if they’re glued together if that makes any sense. And that’s just the beginning, let alone just four rappers. “Protect Ya Neck” has seven rappers spitting sick battle rhymes that blow the water in today’s modern times. Now, imagine that uncanny stupendousness that somehow works and multiply it by twelve, and Enter the Wu-Tang is what you get. RZA’s pervasive gritty, course sampling cued all hardcore hip-hop producers to take notes from him. His distinct borrowed dialogue from Chinese kung fu movies was for the Wu-Tang Clan and the Wu-Tang Clan only; it couldn’t have worked any better with other rapper(s). The album as a whole has got to be without a doubt one of the greatest produced albums of all time. Doggystyle was actually released two weeks later to mad craze and overshadowed this album’s moderate success, but in the long run, Enter the Wu-Tang lasting impact and legacy was much more defining than any hip-hop album of the decade.

Like The Chronic, I’d like to give nods to all Wu-Tang-affiliated albums released after Enter the Wu-Tang and up to 1997 as extensions of this ranking. That includes Gravediggaz’ 6 Feet Deep, Method Man’s Tical, Ol’ Dirty Bastard’s Return to the 36 Chambers: The Dirty Version, Raekwon’s Only Built 4 Cuban Linx…, GZA’s Liquid Swords, Ghostface Killah’s Ironman, and the Wu-Tang Clan’s sophomore album Wu-Tang Forever. Yep, that’s right. Seven albums. Why, you may ask? Because this was the Wu-Tang era. Everything they released at this time was masterpiece level, and each had their individual successes that contributed to RZA’s “five-year plan” that established Wu dominance. That just cannot be overlooked.

As usual, here are my honorable mentions:

AmeriKKKa’s Most Wanted (1990) by Ice Cube

Supa Dupa Fly (1997) by Missy Elliott

The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill (1998) by Lauryn Hill

“Wait a minute… Where the fuck is 2Pac?”

Hahaha! I know people will argue that at least one of 2Pac’s albums should be placed on the honorable mentions, if not the actual list. After all, 2Pac is the defining hip-hop artist of all time. His work is taught at universities and his music still influences modern rappers today. But I believe his overall career and legacy is bigger than the individual albums that made it up. Me Against the World and All Eyez on Me are exceptional albums, but I don’t think they were more defining than the ones listed above.

Analysis: “Great Expectations” (1861) [Part I]

I was digging through files of my laptop and found this analysis I had to do for English I Pre-AP in my freshman year in high school for Charles Dickens’ Great Expectations. Then, I was, like, “Damn! This is fuckin’ impressive!” So I wanna share it for those interested.

Section I: Characterization

Phillip Pirrip, commonly known as Pip, is a young orphan born from a very poor family, raised, or “brought up,” not by his parents, because they died before he saw them, but by his sister Mrs. Joe Gargery. As the protagonist of the novel, he is a seven-year-old child at the start, who is terrified by an escaped convict, and is compassionate for him when he ate the food (the convict is later arrested). He is often apprehensive whenever there are any ties to his connection with the convict, like the file, for instance. Pip is really never worried or aware of how poor and uneducated he is, until the day he works for Miss Havisham. There he meets (and falls in love with) Estella, who insults him for being a common laboring boy and calling the knaves Jacks. After this situation, he strives to become more educated and more of a gentleman, devoting much of his time to learning from Biddy. Pip is also disappointed in Joe, who kept on talking to him when answering Miss Havisham, so he wants to teach Joe, too. However, he “loved Joe — perhaps for no better reason in those early days than because the dear fellow let me love him — and, as to him, my inner self was not so easily composed” (p. 42), and fears losing his confidence. When he is apprenticed to Joe, he is greatly disenchanted, for he never expected his future to be a blacksmith for the rest of his life. On the other hand, when he is told of “great expectations” in his future, he is immediately excited and appreciates Miss Havisham for all she has done, who he thinks is the anonymous person. At the same time, however, he is worried of leaving his family behind, even deliberating whether he should go back or not, when he is sent away.

Joe Gargery is the husband of Mrs. Joe and the brother-in-law of Pip. He grew up with an abusive father who usually hit his mother and himself whenever he was drunk. As a result, they would run away together several times from him, and his mother sent him to school to get an education. However, his father “were that good in his heart that he couldn’t abear to be without us” (p. 47), found them with a crowd, and would “hammer” them, which was a drawback on his learning. This may suggest the reason why Joe decided to marry Pip’s sister, because of her strict attitude similar to his father. Pip describes him as a “fair man, with curls of flaxen hair on each side of his smooth face, and with eyes of such a very undecided blue that they seemed to have somehow got mixed with their own whites” (p. 6). Throughout the novel, Joe is seen as a sympathetic being, the opposite of Mrs. Joe, where he embodies the wisdom and honesty that lies within Pip. He often gives in to Mrs. Joe’s demands but is protective of her, physically harming Orlick when he yelled at her. The same goes with Pip, for who he shields from all his wrongdoings, telling him to never lie again. His forge is apparently a symbol of his bond with Pip and the purity of goodness.

Mrs. Joe Gargery is the sister of Pip and the wife of Joe Gargery. She is more than twenty years older than Pip — making her at least twenty-seven — and has “black hair and eyes, [. . .] a prevailing redness of the skin, [. . .] and was tall and bony” (p. 6). Well-know throughout the village for bringing Pip up by hand, Mrs. Joe is a hot-tempered, nosy woman, leading Pip to suggest that she may have also brought up Joe by hand to marry her. She usually physically punishes Pip whenever he gets into trouble, like throwing him around and pouring medicine down his throat, and considers him a burden to the household. She apparently would do anything to get him out of the house, automatically approving of him being sent to “play” for Miss Havisham because of the money. As for being nosy, she is a most “unscrupulous spy and listener,” (p. 120) as described by Pip, and is always curious about Miss Havisham and what’s inside her house. Despite her hateful attitude over them, she is not entirely spiteful towards other. She is particularly fond of Uncle Pumblechook, in that she is gracious for his sherry wine for which he brings every Christmas Day and that they almost always agree with each other. On the other hand, whenever she is injured or physically immobile, “her temper was greatly improved, and she was patient” (p. 129). She was also kinder to Pip and Joe after her attack, which shows that she is really loving and caring in the inside.

Biddy is the granddaughter of Mr. Wopsle’s great-aunt, which I guess is Wopsle’s cousin. Her history is somewhat similar to that of Pip, most notably that she was an orphan “brought up by hand.” Pip respects her for her extremities, for “her hair always wanted brushing, her hands always wanted washing, and her shoes always wanted mending and pulling up at heel” (p. 45-46). When Pip wanted to get on with life, to become uncommon, Biddy obliged to his request to impart all of her knowledge to him. This would continue on for several years during which Pip would also work for Miss Havisham. After Mrs. Joe is hurt by Orlick, Biddy moves in to nurse her, thereby having a closer relationship with Pip. On a particular Sunday night, Pip confesses his attraction to her but with Estella, too, and Biddy cautions him to stay away from her. However, Pip gets angry at her for the comment but still remains jealous when Orlick tries to flirt with her, so there’s some kind of love triangle. Pip sees her as envious and grudging after he’s informed of his “great expectations.” However, Biddy doesn’t care what he thinks, because in her mind, it doesn’t affect her remembrance of him.

Miss Havisham is a wealthy, fairly old woman who owns and lives in Satis House. The moment Pip sees her, he notices several things: “She was dressed in rich materials — satins, and lace, and silks — all of white” (p. 59). Everything from her hair to her dress were white, objects in Pip’s vantage point that were all once white faded into yellow, she wore sparkling jewels, and the clocks in her room are all stopped on a particular time. At first, she doesn’t seem like she really cares about Pip, other than for him to play, but later on, it is revealed that she is manipulative in that she wants to cause pain and grief to other boys through Estella, her adopted daughter. She is unmarried, so she wants other people, specifically males, to experience her pain, and Pip is her victim, letting Estella break his heart. She further appealingly dresses Estella in jewels in hopes of displaying how rich and etiquette she is, driving Pip to aspire to become uncommon. When Pip returns to Miss Havisham after his “great expectations” foreshadowment, the latter asks him if he feels he has lost Estella, since she was sent away, but dismisses him before he could answer, which leaves Pip “dissatisfied with my home and with my trade and with my everything” (p. 123). Everyday, she wears the same dress and is “yellow skin and bone” (p. 90), causing herself to “rot” in the mansion by herself. A long time ago on her birthday, she was supposed to be married, but it didn’t happen, so she wishes to die on a bride’s table with the decaying cake on that day. She reproaches her birthday and doesn’t like it when people speak of it, for she doesn’t “suffer it to be spoken of” (p. 93).

Estella is the adopted daughter of Miss Havisham and is now educating for a lady some where else (so far). She is similar to Pip, in that she was born an orphan child, but instead of being brought up by hand, she was raised by Miss Havisham. Her uncaring and insolent attitude around Pip most of the time is often her reaction to him, calling him “boy” and trying to break his heart. When asked what Pip thinks of her, he denounces that she is “very pretty” and “very insulting,” (p. 63) but isn’t sure whether he shouldn’t like to see her again. She is basically Miss Havisham’s servant, her gateway to haunt men through her, because she is too old and fragile. Estella criticizes Pip for being a common laboring boy, losing to her in a card game, and many other mistakes he does. However, the next time they played, she was less condescending and lets him kiss her, but it was worth nothing. Later on in the year or so, though, she would coldly tolerate, condescend, be familiar with, or tell him that she hates him, which differs from time to time, but Miss Havisham enjoys it. When she is sent away, Miss Havisham describes her as “prettier than ever; admired by all who see her” (p. 123). As for her relationship with Pip, the latter still loves and longs for her, for when he was working in the forge, he thought he saw her face mocking him.

Section II: Plot

The novel begins with a seven-year-old Pip at a graveyard, mourning the loss of his parents, who he has never seen. There he meets an escaped convict, who tells him to bring him a file and food, or else he would tear out Pip’s heart and liver, which Pip eventually does the next day. However, as the convict ravenously eats the food, Pip tells him of another escaped convict, for who the convict wants to put in jail, even sacrificing himself to be arrested. A year passes after both convicts are arrested, and Uncle Pumblechook suggests that Pip play for Miss Havisham, so that she can give him money. As these events occur, Pip is also building upon his knowledge, taught by Biddy, because of what Estella, Havisham’s daughter, told him of being a common laboring boy. After several years of working, Miss Havisham gives Pip credit to be apprenticed to Joe as a blacksmith, and subsequently, Uncle Pumblechook bounds him to an indenture. All the while, Pip and Joe meets a mysterious man, who shows Pip the file that he stole for the convict from Joe. On top of that, the file was also used by Orlick to attack and disable Mrs. Joe Gargery. Nevertheless, Pip is not really satisfied with his life of being a blacksmith, until a lawyer, Mr. Jaggers, apprised him of “great expectations” in his future from an anonymous person, for which Pip is excited about but is also upset because of leaving Joe and Biddy. So he leaves his sister, Joe, and Biddy for a journey of great expectations.

Section III: Vocabulary

1) Betwixt – preposition, adverb – 1. between: “‘You’ll drive me to the churchyard betwixt you, one of these days, and oh, a pr-r-recious pair you’d be without me!’ (p. 8)”

2) Bib – noun – 1. a piece of cloth, plastic, or paper that covers the chest and is often tied under the chin of a child to protect the clothing while the child is eating: “First, with her left hand she jammed the loaf hard and fast against her bib — where it sometimes got a pin into it, and sometimes a needle, which we afterwards got into our mouths. (p. 9)”

3) Apothecary – noun – 1. a druggist; a pharmacist: “Then she took some butter (not too much) on a knife and spread it on the loaf, in an apothecary kind of way, as if she was making a plaister — using both sides of the knife with a slapping dexterity, and trimming and moulding the butter off round the crust. (p. 9)”

4) Larcenous – adjective – 1. of, resembling, or characteristic of larceny, which is the wrongful taking and the carrying away of the personal goods of another from his or her possession with intent to convert them to the taker’s own use: “I knew Mrs. Joe’s housekeeping to be of the strictest kind, and that my larcenous researches might find nothing available in the safe. (p. 9)”

5) Consternation – noun – 1. a sudden, alarming amazement or dread that results in utter confusion; dismay: “The wonder and consternation from which Joe stopped on the threshold of his bite and stared at me, were too evident to skip my sister’s observation. (p. 10)”

6) Countenances – 1. appearance, especially the expression of the face: “So, we had our slices served out, as if we were two thousand troops on a forced march instead of a man and a boy at home; and we took gulps of milk and water, with apologetic countenances, from a jug on the dresser. (p. 22)”

7) Vestry – noun – 1. a room in or a building attached to a church, in which the vestments, and sometimes liturgical objects, are kept; sacristy: “I conceived the idea that the time when the banns were read and when the clergymen said, ‘Ye are now to declare it!” would be the time for me to rise and propose a private conference in the vestry. (p. 23)”

8) Exonerated – verb – 1. to clear, as of an accusation; free from guilt or blame; exculpate: “My state of mind regarding the pilfering for which I had been so unexpectedly exonerated, did not impel me to frank closure; but I hope it had some dregs of good at the bottom of it. (p. 42)”

9) Ablutions – noun – 1. a washing or cleansing of the body, especially as part of a religious rite: “When my ablutions were completed, I was put into clean linen of the stiffest character, like a young penitent into sackcloth, and was trussed up in my tightest and fearfullest suit. (p. 54)”

10) Farinaceous – adjective – 1. consisting or made of flour or meal, as food: “Mr. Pumblechook’s premises in the High-street of the market town, were of peppercorny and farinaceous character, as the premises of a corn-chandler and a seedsman would be. (p.55)”

Section IV: Diction and Syntax

Charles Dickens was a prominent British author of the nineteenth century, well-known for his style of writing. Even though many other British authors of the nineteenth century were character driven and included meticulous detail, like “Great Expectations,” Dickens had his own unique touches. Most of his characters are drawn from his own life experiences (e.g. Pip as an orphan), and Dickens describes them with vivid descriptions. The dialects of the characters are also very important, because they demonstrated their social class, which touched a range of people. People of the era liked the style of writing, whereas today, we are more akin to plot driven stories. At the time, the novel was split into various sections by method of serials in magazines, which led to Dickens’ episodic writing. Therefore, he had to leave readers interested by ending his chapters in cliffhangers. The way he was able to integrate cohesive storylines while keeping the audiences anticipated for the next part was one of his notable aptitudes. His stories and novels focused on tensions and contradictions of our drives and emotions, which many people from different social classes enjoyed. He had a strong sense of detail as well. The descriptions of his characters are often animated and rich with detail to add a sense of tangibleness that satisfied the readers of the time.

Secion V: Poetic Devices

The quote “He was a mild, good-natured, sweet-tempered, easy-going, foolish, dear fellow — a sort of Hercules in strength, and also in weakness” (p. 6) is an example of imagery, in which Pip describes Joe Gargery. It exemplifies Joe’s personality that alludes to a mythological hero, so that the reader can get a sense of what he was like. Throughout the novel, poetic devices are used to add detail and description to the character’s actions and appearances. Personification is used to liven up inanimate objects, like Satis House, which personifies a deathly state that Miss Havisham is laid to waste in. Metaphors and similes are used to compare things, most notably the difference in the social classes between Pip and Miss Havisham/Estella. Joe Gargery can be seen as a symbol of hope for Pip, and Miss Havisham as the opposite. Characterization is also one of the strongest poetic devices used in the novel. Dickens clearly describes each character in Pip’s point of view to convey the characters’ attitudes and physique. Satis House is often associated with irony, in that it’s owned by a wealthy lady of the upper class but has decayed through the years. Dickens uses various amounts of poetic devices in his literature to not just enthrall the readers but to compare the characters and objects to that of our world.

Section VI: Lasting Impressions

” ‘I know you do,” said the stranger; ‘I knew you would. I told you so. But now I’ll ask you a question. Do you, or do you not know, that the law of England supposed every man to be innocent, until he is proved — proved — to be guilty?‘ ” (P. 142)

The above quote didn’t really have any special meaning to me (none did, to be quite honest), but I just found it to be interesting and intriguing. The whole argument between Mr. Jaggers and Mr. Wopsle was fun to read because it was very similar to the movie 12 Angry Men, which was also about one man being able to convince everyone in a place that a supposed murderer was innocent. Other than the fact that it shows Mr. Jaggers as a really good debater (he’s a lawyer, after all), it doesn’t reveal anything about any characters. However, in that short period of time, it might’ve foreshadowed some significance of the supporting character later on in the book. On the other hand, it kind of built up suspense of what or who the character was going to be. His constant biting of his forefinger and pointing was humorous, too. Along with that, Dickens’ characterization of him further enhanced the quality of the situation. The quote didn’t speak of any of the possible themes, either. There was no implying or mentioning of social class, gratitude, or anything. Nevertheless, I still saw it as one of the few pleasing occurences in the novel that’s beside the plot.