Out of Print Rap Releases from 1990
A handful of forgotten YouTube gems for your listening pleasure.
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I’ve enjoyed exploring music released in a given year as of late. Sometimes I narrow my focus to a particular genre from that year, sometimes I explore the year more broadly. Either way, it’s a rewarding and fascinating experience.
It makes you appreciate how much good, very good, and great music is released each year and how many albums get lost in the sands of time. Some of it gets re-discovered and reissued, but a lot of music languishes in obscurity.
In recent days and weeks, I’ve explored rap music from a given year in the late-‘80s or early-‘90s and posted select album covers on Twitter. I’ve noticed that a lot of strong material from this time is out of print, not on streaming, and only available through YouTube uploads. So I decided to compile a few key finds from 1990 and share them with you. In sharing them I’ll also provide a bit of context/information about each release.
Enjoy - and feel free to let me know what you think in the comments.
“King Of The Beats” by Dan The Automator featuring MC Twan - Before Deltron 3030, Gorillaz, Handsome Boy Modeling School, Dr. Octogon, and many other celebrated solo and collaborative efforts, esteemed veteran producer Dan the Automator came onto the scene with underground releases like Music To Be Murdered By (1989) and King Of The Beats (1990). The title track from King Of The Beats evokes a time when sample clearance laws were less suffocating and producers like Automator could showcase their full range of sample stacking skills.
“Move To Something Funky” by Blvd. Mosse - Like many talented and influential producers in rap music’s long and complicated history, late Trenton, New Jersey production pioneer Tony D never seems to get his due. His resume is lengthy and impressive - boasting work with Poor Righteous Teachers, King Sun, YZ, and several other notable MCs and groups. He also produced two 1990 singles for Blvd. Mosse, including “All Praises Due To Outstanding” / “Move To Something Funky.” While the a-side provides a nice, smooth flip of The Gap Band’s enduring classic “Outstanding,” the b-side combines elements of Earth, Wind & Fire, James Brown, and a subtle bit of Biz Markie vocals for a satisfying final product.
Penny by Buffalo Soldiers - I love the learning process that goes hand-in-hand with digging through older music. There are all sorts of surprising connections between artists, labels, producers, etc. that I would have never guessed existed. For example, Cameo frontman Larry Blackmon and 2 Live Crew leader/Miami bass pioneer Luther “Luke” Campbell had a short-lived label with the unfortunate name Crew La Poo. It was under the umbrella of Effect Records, a subsidiary of Campbell’s Luke Records. As you can see all three label logos appear on some of the cover art for Crew La Poo’s lone act Buffalo Soldiers. The group dropped their album Penny as well as three singles in 1990 before Crew La Poo shuttered. Other then appearances on Cameo’s Emotional Violence (1992) and In The Face Of Funk (1994) their careers appear to have fizzled out.
In any event, Larry Blackmon produced the entire album with Luke serving as executive producer. There are some very strong moments on this record with impressive DJ cuts, production, and lyricism. I’m fascinated by the Blackmon/Campbell linkup and can’t help but wonder what they could have accomplishes if their joint effort had made it past its infancy.
(Part 3) Let's Make It Happen by Kool DJ Red Alert - In the process of discovering and re-discovering music from decades ago, I’ve been drawn to licensed DJ mixes and compilations like this one by DJ Red Alert. They’re an interesting snapshot of the their year of release and were essential references for listeners when checking out music from a large pool of artists was much more difficult than it is today. It’s interesting seeing music by acts who had fans but never quite broke through at a national level with sustained success like The Bizzie Boyz and Total Control alongside Big Daddy Kane, Queen Latifah, De La Soul, and A Tribe Called Quest, who all maintain name recognition and popularity today. It’s also just a really nice mix, with quality song selection, vocal drops and Red Alert shout outs from various people, and nicely executed turntable skills. DJ Premier’s ultra funky DJ track “Red Alert Chant” alone makes this worth your time and there are tons of other great cuts on here as well. Let’s make sure to give DJ Red Alert his flowers in 2024 and beyond.