30 years ago today, Nas dropped his debut LP, ‘Illmatic.’ Released by Columbia Records in 94′ Nas recorded the album at Chung King Studios, D&D Recording, Battery Studios, and Unique Recording Studios in New York City. Produced by DJ Premier, Large Professor, Pete Rock, Q-Tip, L.E.S., and Nas himself, the bangers on the album will be embedded in Hip Hop culture as classics merely based on their production alone.
The album sold 60,000 in the first week and debuted at number 12 on the US Billboard 200 chart. On January 17, 1996, the album was certified gold by the RIAA. In 2001 it earned a platinum certification after shipping 1,000,000 copies in the United States alone.
Lyrically, Nas delivered certified street verses on ‘Illmatic’ that influenced the majority of the ’90s and is regarded as one of the greatest LPs of all time by critics and major publications globally.
Snoop Dogg has had one of the most celebrated careers in hip-hop history. While he did have to deal with some legal issues throughout, especialy early on, he is easily one of the most beloved figures. He has blessed us with tons of classic tracks and projects over his now three-decade long run. However, arguably his best effort has to be 1993’s Doggystyle.
Yes, it has already been 30 years since his debut tape. It feels surreal that we have made it this deep into Snoop’s story within rap, but here we are. To celebrate this incredible milestone, the California icon had decided to give his fans a 30th anniversary edition. There are quite a few unique touches to this new version as well.
Listen To Doggystyle (30th Anniversary Edition) By Snoop Dogg
One of them is the inclusion of a track that was left off later versions of the record. “Gz Up, H**s Down” had a difficult go of it when clearing the sample used. However, it officially sees the light of day on Doggystyle. In addition to that, there will be some special vinly discs available. According to Revolt, you can grab a copy in black or clear. Or, if you decide to head to your local Walmart or shop online with Amazon, there are additional colors to choose from. At the store you can find the disc in a clear and light blue edition. On the online-shopping powerhouse are a few options. One of which is a clear and black smoke color.
What are your initial thoughts on this anniversary edition of Snoop Dogg’s, Doggystyle? Do you think Snoop would have released this on its 30th anniversary if their were no inclusion of another track? Will you buy one of the unique discs that are now available to purchase? We would like to hear what you have to say about all of this. With that in mind, be sure to leave all of your hottest takes in the comments section below. Additionally, always keep it locked in with HNHH for all of the latest breaking news around Snoop Dogg, as well as all of the best album drops.
On this day in Hip Hop history A Tribe Called Quest Released their third studio album Midnight Marauders. As the group’s most popular work, this album marked the height of Hip Hop’s Afrocentric/hippie movement.
Aside from content, this album’s cover is it’s most distinctive quality. It features a full frontal portrait of the same black, green, and red woman from the The Low End Theory cover as well as head shots of some of the more well known rappers of the time, including: Dr. Dre, Afrika Bambaataa, Busta Rhymes, Chuck D, Ice-T, Kool Moe Dee, MC Lyte, Del the Funky Homosapien, P. Diddy, Heavy D, Too $hort, The Pharcyde, The Beastie Boys, and more.
With this album, Tribe took a slight step away their heavy jazz influence to perpetuate a funkier vibe. Ali Shaheed Muhammad‘s production sounded more on this album like something you would hear on the radio in the early 90’s (with a Tribe twist of course). The largest change however came in the realm of lyricism. Over their four year quest, Q-Tip and Phife Dawg picked up linguistic skills that come full circle on this album. Their cadence, flow, and diction all show signs of improvement along with the length and depth of their metaphors. Although this album features less subject specific tracks than their previous work, the two show that they have finally figured out how to intrigued the minds of both the Hip Hop faithful and everyday music listener.
Commercially, Midnight Marauders is the A Tribe Called Quest’s highest selling album. The album sold over 1,000,000 copies within it’s first year, making it a platinum hit. It also peaked #70 on the UK album charts, #8 on the Billboard 200, and took the top spot Top R&B/Hip Hop chart.
A lot of the album’s success is due to its timeless classic of a single “Award Tour” which peaked at #47 on the Billboard Hot 100. It’s influence has spanned decades with the track being referenced by the likes of Wale, Kanye West, Common, Azealia Banks, and Justin Timberlake.
On November 9th, 1993 rap music was changed forever. 9 Gods from the slums of Shaolin, who together form the Wu Tang Clan, released their first studio LP entitled Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers). This album was recorded from 1992 to 1993 at Firehouse Studio in New York City. The album was recorded on Loud Records and distributed by RCA Records. It cost a total of $36,000 to complete.
The album’s concept was inspired heavily by the group’s love for Kung Fu flicks, particularly the 1978 Liu Chia-Liang film The 36th Chamber of Shaolin, a story about a man who set out to become the master of all 36 chambers of kung fu and reach a form of enlightenment. In the movie, the 36th chamber of kung fu is to bring the knowledge and wisdom of kung fu to the people of the entire world. For Wu-Tang Clan, that was the goal with this album.
The project was entitrely produced by the group’s leader, RZA, through the art of sampling. The beats consisted of a lot of soul And martial art samples along with sounds from early hip hop synthesizers. Lyrically, this album was nothing like anything that came before it or would come after it. I was a change from the afrocentric “boom-bap” that was prevalent in New York. It was edgy and street while remaining intellectual in content. The Wu-Tang Clan was able to synchronize their hustler mentality with the wisdom of an ancient martial arts master. Well known singles from this album include, but are not limited to, “Protect Ya Neck”, “Method Man”, and “C.R.E.A.M.”
Upon its release, in an article for The Source, The Ghetto Communicator wrote “This record is harsh, but so is the world that we live in. For B-boys n’girls who come from the core of the hard, this is the hip-hop album you’ve been waiting for”. The rest is history.
On this day in Hip Hop history,Eazy-E releases his second solo EP It’s On (Dr. Dre) 187um Killa. Released one year after his first EP and a long five years after his debut album Eazy-Duz-It, this album was a response to Dr. Dre’s prolific debut The Chronic. Tensions became high between the two NWA heavyweights and after the group’s 1991 split, the beef became public.
The West Coast was in a state of civil war. After NWA’s explosive breakup, its ex-members spared no time to air out their grievances on every other record they released. With Ice Cube attacking the Ruthless Records infrastructure and Dr. Dre siding with the enemy (Suge Knight and Death Row) to bring down all Eazy had built, there was no choice but for Eazy-E to respond as he did. He used the bulk of this album to state his opinion on Dr. Dre and his street authenticity, with each of the eight tracks on the EP attacking Dre’s image, originality, past, and current status in the rap game.
Aside from the disrespect that served as the core of this project, Eazy-E truly flexed his musical muscles with every track. Whether the inspiration surged from his emotional reaction to what was going with his ex-bandmates or simply from him being a seasoned veteran of gangsta rap is uncertain. What can be seen and heard however is that Eazy-E ate his Wheaties before hopping on the microphone to lay down this EP. With this project, we hear Eazy more comfortable with his own flow and who knows exactly where his lane is and how to be the fastest in it. As his final completed work in life, it is a great depiction of his growth and maturity as an artist.
Commercially, the album was a success. Peaking at #5 on the Billboard 200 and claiming the #1 spot on the Top R&B/Hip Hop chart, It’s On (Dr. Dre) 187um Killa sold 110,600 copies in it’s first week and was certified double platinum in 1994.
On this day in Hip Hop history in 1993, Oakland trio Souls of Mischief released their underrated debut album 93 Til Infinity. Hailing from Oakland’s Hieroglyphics camp, which is led by Del Tha Funky Homosapien, these conscious adolescents put together an LP that, despite their “inexperience”, held it’s own against the work of East Coast artists thriving in New York’s backpacker, boom-bap scene. After a quarter of a century, this album is regarded by real Hip Hop purists as a classic.
Quietly peaking at #84 on the Billboard 200 chart, this album is the crown jewel of the Hieroglyphics collective and ranks among some of the most timeless albums of the time. Critically, this album was highly regarded by journalists and other artists as well. It’s a genre-defying subject matter, jazz, and funk-infused production, and unique style apart from anything else in California made this album stand out (even if it didn’t have the sales to show it). The majority of the album’s success was a result of its lead single “’93 til Infinity” which peaked at #72 on the Billboard Hot 100.
On this date in 1993, De La Soul dropped their third full-length studio album, Buhloone Mindstate.
The legendary Long Island Hip Hop trio known as De La Soul showed and proved that the third time was the charm when they released their Buhloone Mindstate album two years after their oxymoronic De La Soul Is Dead LP. Marketed and promoted by Tommy Boy Records for DSL’s third time around, Buhloone Mindstate flew pretty much under the radar but still managed to make 10th on comedian Chris Rock’s Top 25 hip-hop albums of all time as published by Rolling Stone magazine.
The most familiar single would be “Breakadawn,” which features the unforgettable samples from Michael Jackson’s “I Can’t Help It” and Smokey Robinson’s “Quiet Storm.” Even the late great Guru from Gangstarr appeared on “Patti Dooke,” making this project one of the most well-rounded LPs from the three Plugs.
Salute to Trugoy, Mace, and Posdnous for this classic project!
Today, legendary hip-hop pioneers De La Soul mark a significant milestone, commemorating the 30th anniversary of their groundbreaking album Buhloone Mindstate with a Digital Deluxe edition. Originally released on September 21, 1993, this seminal work has left an indelible mark on the music industry and continues to inspire artists and fans worldwide.
Available everywhere today, the Digital Deluxe edition of Buhloone Mindstate features three exclusive bonus tracks: “Lovely How I Let My Mind Float,” “My Mindstate,” and “Sh.Fe.MCs.” Additionally, a mesmerizing lyric video for “Lovely How I Let My Mind Float” is now live, offering fans a unique visual experience alongside the captivating music. Watch the video here.
Exclusive merchandise will also be available for purchase on the official De La Soul website, wearedelasoul.com. To mark the anniversary celebration, the first 30 customers to visit the website at 9:21 AM EST on September 21st will have the opportunity to acquire select merchandise for just $0.30.
Today also marks the birthday of Dave, the beloved member of De La Soul who passed away in February. Though bittersweet, this special release reflects his enduring legacy and the ongoing impact of De La Soul’s music, which continues to resonate with fans across generations around the world.
On this date in 1993, J-Ro, Tash, and E-Swift, the West Coast collective known as Tha Alkaholiks, released their premiere album 21 & Over on Steve Rifkind’s Loud/RCA imprint.
Founded by West Coast legend King Tee, Tha Alkaholiks and their music are recognized as the epitome of Cali party music, with the clinking bottles and drunken burps as the backdrop. The 21 & Over project served as one of the few examples of West Coast Hip Hop that wasn’t oversaturated with California gang life. Instead, Tha Liks were a part of the Cali movement of MCs who had to prove their lyrical skills were competitive compared to their East Coast counterparts.
The ten-track classic is less than 40 minutes in length. Still, the drunken style theme is maintained throughout the entire project, with sure shot singles like “Last Call,” “Make Room,” and “Likwit” that solidified Tha Liks as a force from the West that continues to be recognized for their contribution to the game.
Salute to King Tee and the crew for churning out this timeless Hip Hop classic!
On this date in 1993, legendary DITC delegate Fat Joe dropped his debut full-length studio album Represent on the Relativity/Violator imprint.
In 2020, Fat Joe is recognized as one of the icons of NYC Hip Hop, however, back in 1993, Joe was knee-deep in the streets and having only appeared on Diggin’ In The Crates founder Diamond D’s Stunts, Blunts And Hip Hop album was fairly a newcomer to the rap game. With assistance from his DITC crew members Diamond, Lord Finesse, and Showbiz behind the boars, Joe formulated one of the most integral audible time capsules of the era. Tracks like the Beatnuts-powered “Shit Iz Real”, “You Must Be Out Of You Fuckin’ Mind” featuring the late Apache of the Flavor Unit and Kool G Rap and the premiere single “Flow Joe” were all foundational examples of the “Fat Joe Da Gangsta” persona that is now respected and celebrated in 2020.
Salute to the late Chris Lighty, Fat Joe, Diamond D, Lord Finesse, Showbiz, and the entire DITC for this timeless piece of Hip Hop history!
