Search - Various Artists :: Beats & Rhymes: Hip-Hop Of The '90s - Part 1

A meticulously selected and sequenced look at rap records from 1990, this disc eschews obvious hits in favor of classic underground jams--the tracks that still provoke cheers of recognition from the hardcore heads. Philosophical talk and groove tomfoolery still sounded compatible then, and the album leads off with Main Source and Poor Righteous Teachers sneaking radical politics into a hand-waving context. The Native Tongue posse, hugely influential at the time, puts in an appearance on the Jungle Brothers' "Doin' Our Own Dang"; even the final gritty Juice Crew hits before the era of the West Coast boom are crisp, intense performances. And Boogie Down Productions summarizes the year's concerns with the threatening celebration of "Love's Gonna Get 'Cha." --Douglas Wolk