9 Underrated 90s Hip-Hop Albums You Need to Hear
Hidden gems from hip-hop's golden era.
There’s a reason why most hip-hop fans consider the 1990s the genre’s golden era. It was a defining period for the art form musically and commercially, marked by iconic artists and albums that reshaped what the average consumer thought rap could sound like.
Names like Tupac Shakur, the Notorious B.I.G., Dr. Dre, and the Wu-Tang Clan are on the tips of most people’s tongues when asked to name the decade’s best hip-hop offerings. But what happens when you dig deeper? What are some of the hidden gems that not enough self-proclaimed hip-hop heads know about but should?
In the spirit of crate digging, I bring you this list of underrated albums from the genre’s peak period. Despite how exceptional they are, these LPs never achieved the commercial heights of their well-known brethren. But that doesn’t mean they didn’t make significant contributions to hip-hop from both a sonic and storytelling point of view.
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1. "One for All" by Brand Nubian (1990)
At the dawn of the 90s, East Coast rap sank or swam on its technical virtuosity. Emcees like Rakim and Gang Starr’s Guru balanced complex rhyming schemes with an effortless cool, usually backed by soulful, sample-heavy production. Stylistically, these records were often positioned as the antidote to the more aggressive sound of West Coast gangsta rap. However, like One for All, a handful of records married the former’s timeless sound with the latter’s political astuteness.
Influenced by conscious hip-hop mainstays like De La Soul (more on them in a second), the Jungle Brothers, and Souls of Mischief, Brand Nubian’s debut gets left off a lot of “classics of the genre”-type lists, despite its widespread influence. The abstract rhyming style, clearly showcased on cuts like the title track and “Dance to My Ministry,” would be popularized by groups including A Tribe Called Quest later that decade. You could argue that Brand Nubian did it first and better than their imitators.
Incredibly, the estimated sales of this album are still under a million units, even though it spent 28 weeks on Billboard’s album chart, beginning in February 1991.
2. "De La Soul is Dead" by De La Soul (1991)
What if I told you 3 Feet High and Rising isn’t De La Soul’s best record?
Sure, it’s their most popular and influential LP, but I’m talking from a craft standpoint—the lyricism, the production, the experimentation. Based on those criteria, De La Soul is Dead may be the most impressive entry in the trio’s discography, partly because it plays like an anti-De La Soul album. The cover art alone is a pointed statement, depicting the death of the group’s D.A.I.S.Y. (Da Inner Sound, Y'all) sound and hip-hop hippie iconography, ensuring that no one would misconstrue the title as tongue-in-cheek.
The critical acclaim heaped on De La Soul is Dead, which included a coveted five-mic rating from The Source, never translated into sales initially. Blame it on the weightier subject matter, such as drug addiction and sexual assault, or the pervasive sense that, under the sparkling, disco-fied beats, the gents in De La were kind of over the expectations that followed their mainstream success. Lead single “Ring Ring Ring (Ha Ha Hey)” even takes direct shots at aspiring artists who tried to use the group as a way to get their demos heard because of (or maybe in spite of) that middle-fingers-in-the-air energy, there’s never a dull moment on this record, even with a running time over 70 minutes.
3. "Check Your Head" by the Beastie Boys (1992)
Overall, I think the Beasties are severely underappreciated as hip-hop influencers. They merged hip-hop and heavy metal sensibilities on License to Ill, then pushed the sampling art form to new heights with the dizzying production on Paul’s Boutique. However, the album that set them on a course for success for the rest of the 90s was their hard reset, Check Your Head.
As the title suggests, this LP was the group’s attempt to recapture their mojo following the commercial misfire of Boutique. Instead of leaning harder into sampling, the trio recorded and looped their own instrumentation, giving the production a more grounded feel. I’ve read reviews comparing this record to punk rock, but I think it has more in common with early-to-mid-70s funk classics than anything else. Tracks like the aptly named “Funky Boss” and “In 3s” feature irresistable grooves patched together from various jam sessions. The lo-fi nature of the recordings adds to the atmosphere, simultaneously paying homage to jazz-fusion and P-funk while foreshadowing elements that would later be repackaged as trip-hip and house music.
4. "Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik" by Outkast (1994)
If I had to pick an underrated 90s hip-hop album that I return to more than any other, it’s probably Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik.
This 1994 Outkast release is one of hip-hop's most fully-formed debut albums. It established Andre 3000 and Big Boi as creative forces to be reckoned with and set the sonic template for the laid-back psychedelia that Southern rap has become known. Produced entirely by Organized Noize, who were LaFace labelmates of Outkast’s at the time, emphasized the live instrumentation side of hip-hop over more conventional sampling techniques, in addition to programmed 808 beats that tie everything together perfectly.
If there’s a word that defines Southernplayalistic, it’s probably “mellow.” From the swirling title track to the irresistable melody on “Crumblin’ Erb,” the vibes are immaculate throughout. Even the more uptempo, party-oriented cuts like “Player’s Ball” never lose the relaxed, carefree energy that’s become a hallmark of Outkast’s hip-hop persona. Though often overshadowed by the group’s commercial smashes like Stankonia and The Speakerboxxx/The Love Below, the duo’s freshman offering deserves to be ranked among their best releases.
5. "Mystic Stylez" by Three 6 Mafia (1995)
Let’s stay with Southern hip-hop but go in a different sonic direction with Three 6 Mafia’s Mystic Stylez, one of the most visionary underground albums ever made.
What makes its standing in hip-hop culture even more impressive is knowing that there was no major label behind the group initially. Stylez was produced entirely by members DJ Paul and Juicy J and released via Prophet, an independent with roots in the Memphis rap scene. The hardcore rap aesthetic it embraced has since become an extremely popular subgenre that flourished in regional markets outside the bigger ponds of New York and Los Angeles. You can draw a direct line from this record to crossover hits from Lil Durk, 21 Savage, and many others.
Thematically, sex, drugs, and violence abound, as are mentions of the occult, all of which fuel the record’s shock value reputation. However, on closer inspection, there are glimpses of the group’s adaptability, such as “Da Summa” and especially the grimy funkiness of “All or Nothin’.” Give credit to the extensive roster of emcees who, like the Wu-Tang at their best, carve out individual moments to shine without sounding like anyone is trying to steal the spotlight for themselves. It may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but this one's seriously underrated as a tone-setter for countless rap albums that came after it.
6. "The Infamous" by Mobb Deep (1995)
Hip-hop albums don’t get any better than The Infamous when it comes to raw, gritty realism.
Mobb Deep, the duo comprised of Havoc and Prodigy (the latter of whom passed away in 2017), were part of a group of artists who spearheaded an East Coast renaissance in the mid-90s. Along with records like Illmatic and Ready to Die, there’s a truthfulness to the storytelling here that’s still mesmerizing more than 20 years later. Speaking of his verse on standout “Survival of the Fittest,” Havoc told Complex, “[I rhymed about Timbs and army-certified suits because] that was our thing. We were just straight hood.” The rest of the album follows suit.
Upon the album’s release in 1995, the New York rap scene was in the middle of its “shiny suit” era. Biggie Smalls and other acts on labels like Bad Boy were moving towards a more commercial sound, intent on recording radio-ready bangers. I’m not saying those records are bad by any means, but I also think there’s something to the idea that hip-hop lost a little bit of its identity in the process. The Infamous is one of the classics of the golden era, and it does not forget where hip-hop came from. Its bare-bones production, much of it initially completed in Havoc’s Queensbridge apartment, and eerie aesthetic only amplify the world-weariness of the hard-hitting lyricism.
7. "Tha Doggfather" by Snoop Dogg (1996)
Released in November of 1996, less than a year after he was acquitted of murder charges, Snoop Dogg’s second and final album with Death Row Records. By then, Dr. Dre had already left his post as the label’s in-house producer, leaving most of the production in the hands of DJ Pooh and Daz Dillinger. Though Tha Doggfather was eventually certified Platinum multiple times over, it largely failed to live up to heightened expectations in the wake of Doggystyle, Snoop’s star-making debut. Before 1996 came to a close, the record’s executive producer, Suge Knight, would be indicted on racketeering charges and out of the Death Row picture, too.
Considering all that context, this derision typically aimed at this record is a bit unfair. Yes, the misogyny and calls for gang violence in the lyrics are well-documented, but that line of reasoning could hold up for any number of rap albums from the era. Unfortunately, it comes with the territory. What’s impressive is the G-funk ear candy with a significant emphasis on the “funk” aspect. Stompers like “Snoop Bounce” and ”Snoop’s Upside Ya Head” make good use of Zapp and Gap Band samples, respectively, while a track like “Doggyland” reinforces just how dizzyingly intricate Snoop’s flow and wordplay can be when he’s going on all cylinders. He’s not known for being an album artist, but Tha Doggfather is worth the full-length listen.
8. "Supa Dupa Fly" by Missy Elliott (1997)
If nothing else, Supa Dupa Fly is a showcase for one of hip-hop’s most extraordinary musical partnerships. Timbaland’s innovative production, folding in elements from R&B, house, trip-hop, and even jazz fusion, is matched step for step by Missy Elliott, who easily merits her own piece as not just one of the most underrated female emcees of all time, but one of the most slept-on rappers, period. Here, you have two of the most revered practitioners of their crafts, making music without the weight of sky-high commercial expectations that would later follow. From start to finish, you can hear new styles of hip-hop being tried out for the first time.
The most famous example of the duo’s chemistry comes on “The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly),” where Missy’s off-kilter rhyming dips in and out of the space provided by Timbaland’s circular, electro-style beat. But that brilliance is equaled elsewhere, like on “Sock It 2 Me” and “Beep Me 911.” Additionally, this album is a reminder that Missy Elliott is more than a rapper—she sings a lot more than most people might remember, staking her claim as a trailblazer who could’ve carved out her niche as a soulful songstress had she wanted to.
I think the path she ended up taking worked out just fine.
9. "Uncontrolled Substance" by Inspectah Deck (1999)
Beyond their studio output as a collective, the individual members of the Wu-Tang Clan released some of the most memorable hip-hop records of the decade. Raekwon’s Only Built 4 Cuban Linx and GZA’s Liquid Swords are rightly considered timeless, as are at least two or three albums from Ghostface Killah. All that said, an entry in Wu's extended universe that doesn’t get the credit it deserves as a stone-cold classic is Inspectah Deck’s Uncontrolled Substance.
What I appreciate most about this album is how Deck stands on his own as a supremely talented emcee, capable of serving up bar after potent bar, and a producer. The architect of the Wu’s sound, RZA, only contributed a couple of instrumentals to this record, leaving room for Deck and his guest stars, U-God and Masta Killa among them, to craft songs that feel unique. With powerful street-wise storytelling and punchy beats that never let up, this is a record you don’t want to miss out on.
What’s your favorite 90s hip-hop record? Shout it out in the comments!
Organized Konfusion—Stress: The Extinction Agenda
Freestyle Fellowship—Innercity Griots
Odd Squad—Fadanuf Fa Erybody
Leaders of the New School-T.I.M.E. (The Inner Mind's Eye)
Del The Funkee Homosapien—I Wish My Brother George Was Here