Golden Age Hip Hop (From a Gen Z Perspective)
1990
"Its A New Decade..."
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1990 was a pivotal year in hip hop, setting the foundation for the genre’s explosive growth in the '90s. This was the year when hip hop began evolving from its raw, underground roots into a more polished, diverse, and commercially viable force. From the continued rise of hardcore lyricism to the emergence of jazz influences and the mainstream breakthrough of hip hop, 1990 was a turning point that pushed the culture forward in multiple ways.
Favourite tracks from Album
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Welcome To The Terrordome
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Burn Hollywood Burn (Featuring Big Daddy Kane & Ice Cube)
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Power To The People
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Can't Do Nothing For Ya
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Fight The Power
Public Enemy
Fear Of A Black Planet
Even though Public Enemy’s Fear of a Black Planet dropped in 1990 way before I was even born, listening to it today still feels urgent. It’s loud, aggressive, and unapologetic, but more than anything, it’s necessary. This album wasn’t just music it was a call to action, a middle finger to systemic oppression, and a history lesson all in one. Everything they were rapping about back then still hits just as hard today.
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Every track feels like a battlefield, and Chuck D is right in the middle, leading the charge with some of the most powerful bars ever put on wax. His voice is commanding when he raps, you listen.
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The themes of racism, media manipulation, and government corruption? Yeah, those are still very much a thing. The fact that Gen Z is still fighting the same fights Public Enemy was rapping about over 30 years ago just proves how ahead of their time they were.
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But that’s why Fear of a Black Planet still resonates. It’s not just old-school rap, it’s a blueprint for using hip-hop as a weapon of truth. In an era where activism and music go hand in hand again, Public Enemy’s message is more relevant than ever.
A Tribe Called Quest
Peoples Instinctive Travels And Paths Of Rhythms
A Tribe Called Quest’s debut album instantly became a classic when it dropped in 1990, and it’s easy to see why. The production was ground breaking, and the chill vibe lyrics set a whole new standard for alternative hip hop. The way they blended jazz, R&B, and soul samples created a sound that felt both playful and sophisticated something totally fresh at the time. It has this laid back, musically rich vibe that makes it perfect for any setting, but for me, it truly shines on a sunny day. There’s just something about the warm, feelgood energy of this album that makes it the perfect summer soundtrack.
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​But what makes this album even more legendary is how much of an impact it had on the artists that came after. Without A Tribe Called Quest, there’s no doubt that Pharrell, Kanye West, and Tyler, the Creator wouldn’t sound the way they do today. Tribe made it cool to be different, to experiment, to push hip hop beyond the expected. Pharrell took their jazz infused, left field approach and injected it into The Neptunes’ futuristic sound. Kanye ran with their soulful, sample heavy aesthetic and turned it into anthems. Tyler, the Creator embodies their fearless creativity, blending genres and crafting entire sonic worlds that feel both nostalgic and brand new.
Favourite tracks from Album
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Footprints
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Pubic Enemy
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Rhythm (Devoted To Arts Of Moving Butts)
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Go Ahead In The Rain
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Description Of A Fool
Favourite tracks from Album
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The Booming System
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Around The Way Girl
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Mama Said Knock You Out
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Jingling Baby (Remixed)
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To The Break Of Dawn
LL Cool J
Mama Said Knock You Out
Mama Said Knock You Out is an absolute classic that proves LL Cool J’s ability to balance hard hitting rap with themes that feel real and relatable. From start to finish, the album is packed with energy, confidence, and sharp lyricism.
But the title track? That’s on another level. It’s more than just a song it’s a statement. LL came back with a vengeance, silencing doubters and cementing his place in hip hop history. Even
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decades later, that track still hits just as hard, remaining a staple in hip hop culture. Every time I hear it, I can’t help but feel that same raw intensity and motivation that made it such an anthem in the first place.
X Clan
To The East Backwards
What really surprised me was learning that X Clan’s To the East, Blackwards, an East Coast album, actually had some early elements of what we now know as G Funk, this is wild to me because when you think G Funk, you automatically think of Dr. Dre, Snoop, and that whole West Coast wave. But X Clan was already experimenting with that funky, bass heavy sound in 1990.
This album is filled with thick synths, deep basslines, and Parliament Funkadelic style samples. Those same kinds of sounds would later define G Funk. Leader rapper Brother J blended it with Afrocentric messages, pro Black themes, and a spiritual, almost mystical vibe. So while Dre was still with N.W.A and hadn’t even dropped The Chronic yet, the East Coast was already dabbling with that funk fusion in their own way.
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In a way, this album showed that the East Coast was messing with funk driven, laid back beats before the West Coast really turned it into a whole movement. X Clan doesn't always get that credit, but To the East, Blackwards kind of opened that sonic door early on. As a Gen Z listener, it made me realize how connected the sounds across regions really were even if the spotlight didn’t always catch it.
Favourite tracks from Album
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Funkin Lesson
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Grand Verbalizer What Time Is it?
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A Day Of Outrage
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Earth Bound
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Raise The Flag
Luke Featuring 2 Live Crew
The Luke LP (Banned In The USA)
First off Luke and 2 Live Crew were really out here doing what so many women in rap get props for now and doing it back in the late 80s and early 90s when you could barely say "booty" on the radio without someone throwing a Bible at you. Everyone talks about how artists like Cardi B Megan Thee Stallion or Sexyy Red reclaimed the narrative around sex and flipped the male gaze.
But what gets lost is how 2 Live Crew was already performing sexual agency just from a wild reckless male POV that didn't ask permission and definitely didn’t apologize. It’s not feminist in the academic sense but it’s def part of that lineage of artists refusing shame. They were doing explicit rap before it was monetized to be cool. Before labels made it a brand. These dudes were the brand.
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The title track Banned in the USA is literally the blueprint for how rappers would later blend politics and persona. This album was the first to receive a Parental Advisory Sticker, showing how this album was one of a kind.
It’s funny how this album got dragged for being too vulgar too explicit too obscene when that same energy is now the mainstream. And when it’s women doing it the convo shifts to empowerment. But what if Banned in the USA was empowerment too just not the kind we’re comfy with? Luke was loud crude and outrageous but he also knew exactly what he was doing. He dared people to look away and they couldn’t.
Favourite tracks from Album
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Banned In The USA
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Man Not A Myth
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Face Down Ass Up
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This Is To Luke From The Posse (Featuring Debonaire & Professor Griff)
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Fuck A Gang (Featuring Debonaire & JT Money)
Favourite tracks from Album
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Blackman In Effect
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Ya know The Rules
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Beef
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House Niggas
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100 Guns
Boogie Down Productions
Edutainment
Boogie Down Productions’ Edutainment is one of those albums that makes you think just as much as it makes you nod your head.
KRS-One was already known as "The Teacher," but here, he fully embraces that role, delivering some of the most insightful, hard-hitting social commentary I’ve ever heard in hip hop. This isn’t just musicit’s a history lesson, a political statement, and a wake up call all wrapped into one. Despite me giving props to Rakim, Kool Keith & Big Daddy Kane for being top lyricists I have to include KRS One,
KRS One wasn’t just about technical ability, his delivery had an energy that made every word hit with authority. He had a way of commanding the mic like few others, whether he was breaking down social issues, calling out trash rappers, or flexing his skills in battle rap mode. His presence was undeniable, and his music wasn’t just entertainment it was a movement
