Is 1995 the Best Year of 90s Rap and Hip Hop?

Let’s go back to 1995. Where were you in ‘95? For me, I was in the 9th grade getting ready to go to high school here in San Diego. I had officially caught the rap and hip hop bug through episodes of Yo! and Rap City, going to record stores like Tower Records, The Wherehouse, Music Trader, and Sam Goodies, and then let’s not forget the word of mouth in between classes and lunch at school. I didn’t have much money other than a few bucks from my parents and maybe some cash from Christmas, my birthday, or from visiting my grandparents the previous summer. But when that calendar flipped to 1995, rap music stepped up in a way I had never seen before. Sure the early 90s were big with Dr. Dre, Snoop Doggy Dogg, Tribe, Wu-Tang, Pharcyde, Souls of Mischief and more taking over rap in 1992 and 1993 and then 1994 hit which was crazy… Nas, Biggie, Gang Starr, OutKast, Jeru, Redman… So much fire dropping… But 1995… Right at the top of ‘95 we had Smif-N-Wessun Dah Shinin dropping on January 10, 1995.

I always looked at the Boot Camp Clik as the underground version of Wu Tang and artists like Smif-N-Wessun with their back and forth rhymes were so dope. Shout out Black Moon, OGC, and Heltah Skeltah as well. I didn’t have enough cash to buy all of these great releases but I would see the music videos and stash the projects in the back of my mind to buy one day on cassette or CD. A trip to the record store presented so many options on those cassette and compact disc shelves… One week after Smif-N-Wessun dropped, The Roots hit us with Do You Want More ?!!!??! on 1/17/1995.

These were 2 great east coast boom bap hip hop albums from the 90s but let’s not get it twisted… Just when you had your headphones in on some hip hop lyricism type ish, Too $hort decides to hit us with Cocktails which is the polar opposite of the first 2 big releases of 1995. Too Short was coming off of Get In Where You Fit In which was an absolute smash but Cocktales led with the title track “Cocktales” was so fire. The music video was on some 90s cinemax soft-core porn type ish as the girls dancing had titties hanging out all over the place, girls in the bathtub, girls suckin lollipops… Too $hort dropped his album on 1/24/95 to put his stamp on 1995 and close out January with a bang.

The calendar flips to February of 1995 and the rap and hip hop releases start to pick up some steam… When I tell you all the albums that dropped in February of ‘95 you are gonna trip… Let’s get right to it… Master P 99 Ways to Die was a solid album but if we stay on the west coast, DJ Quik dropping Safe & Sound was massive. He had just come off of dropping “Dollaz & Sense” on the Murder Was the Case soundtrack a year prior so the buzz was legit. The melodic way he starts “Safe & Sound” and the storytelling on the track was so good. Quik’s production had leveled up as well keeping up with his Los Angeles counterparts building on the G-Funk sound. Quik dropped on 2/21/95.

Rap didn’t give you a chance to breathe in 1995 and one week after Quik dropped, we got 3 dope options on 2/28/95 to select from at the record stores… This was one day before my birthday when I actually had some cash to spend. First and foremost, Brotha Lynch Hung was back with his 2nd album, Season of the Da Siccness which was a 90’s Gangsta Rap classic which EVERYBODY knew the words to. I don’t think you understand… Everybody knew “Rest in Piss” and Brotha Lynch was getting bumped in every car around that time.

But if that ripcut cannibal type ish wasn’t your vibe, Cali hip hop had you covered on that same day in February with The Nonce dropping World Ultimate and then The Alkaholiks dropping Coast II Coast. The Nonce gets slept on and “Mix Tapes” is an all-timer and The Liks with “Daaam!” was a heater.

The calendar flips to March and we get 2 crazy releases that came out on 3/14/95. 2 rappers that were close friends and I don’t know if they planned it but 2Pac and E-40 dropping on the same day? Pac’s Me Against the World crossed over to the mainstream with “Dear Mama” which showed the world how special of a talent Tupac Shakur was.

And then 40 Water hit us with In a Major Way which was… well… Major? That In a Major Way album took over our Discmans in ‘95 and now we had Brotha Lynch and E-40 as automatics in that 5 disc CD changer. And E-40 hits us with the video of “Dusted N Disgusted” with him, Pac, Mac Mall, Celly Cell, and Spice 1?!?!?!?

But March 1995 wasn’t over yet because if 3/14/95 wasn’t crazy enough, 3/28 swung the power back to the east coast with Big L and Ol Dirty Bastard having something to say. Big L was taken from us way too soon and while I feel he gets overlooked by the masses, the real heads know. Lifestyles Ov Da Poor & Dangerous is really good. And so is “Put It On” which you probably need to just go and press play on right now.

But then on that same date as Big L dropping we get ODB’s debut? I’m telling you… 1995 was crazy…. 1995 is crazy. Ol Dirty Bastard dropped his debut album on 3/28/1995. Return to the 36 Chambers: The Dirty Version is special on so many levels. ODB was the 2nd of the solo albums to drop from the crew after Method Man dropped the year prior and any fan of Wu was super hyped for that ODB album. There was no father to ODB’s style and he was innovating, original, unique, and rawwwwwwww… Any promo you saw of ODB made you stop and look. His album cover? The stuff of legends… Him rolling in the stretch limo to get his food stamps? Legendary. But “Shimmy Shimmy Ya” dropping was so crazy. Sooooooooooooooooooooo crazy. That beat… ODB’s flow and cadence. The video… All of it. And I can’t stop at the radio hit because “Brooklyn Zoo” was the street cut. ODB with mad styles back in ‘95.

Then we had the rap soundtracks stepping in with something to say as the calendar flipped to April of 1995. Rap soundtracks back in the 90s always gave you cuts you had never heard from artists you loved. They brought attention to the movies they were promoting. You would often watch a movie, hear a song you had never heard, then go buy the original soundtrack, and the tracks you listened to in your Walkman made you think of the movie. It was 360 degree promotion in full effect and on 4/11/95, the Friday soundtrack dropped. It was also very special in the rap world because gangster rap’s very own Ice Cube was the star. Rappers like Cube, Pac, and LL Cool J showed that they weren’t one dimensional talents. They opened the doors to many more rappers to get opportunities on the big screen. What up Saafir? What up MC Eiht? Here’s the title track “Friday” which you literally can’t listen to and not nod your head a bit.

Alright… time to get down to business… 1995 catching your attention yet? Noooo??? On April 25, 1995, rap and hip fans got laced with one of the best albums of all time. It’s an album that you listen to from front to back and it instantly takes you back to an era. On 4/25/95, Mobb Deep dropped, The Infamous. While Nas’ Illmatic will forever get the mention for best rap album ever, The Infamous can’t be far behind. The production, the rhymes, and just the overall feel of the album are unmatched. It’s hard to even pick one song to include but I’ll keep the theme or rolling with the hit singles of each of these releases. “Shook Ones, Pt II” right here fam… And you can have Illmatic as your top album of all time but “Shook Ones, Pt. II” is a better beat than anything on Illmatic. Bold statement? I don’t think so… Am I wrong?

And then 1 week later we don’t get a chance to breathe because Masta Ace Incorporated dropped Sittin on Chrome. Masta Ace is another emcee who is an OG but stays slept on. Masta Ace was an east coast emcee but with this album he had some definite west coast rap feels which gave his crossover appeal as the east coast and west coast sounds we’re so different. But tracks like “Sittin on Chrome” had that west coast bounce and that Eazy-E sample made you feel like you were listening to a Cali smash wherever you were listening to the track.

Rap let is breathe a bit after The Infamous dropped and every other album I’ve already mentioned but then in late May of 1995, we get one of the best summer hip hop songs of all time. Again, it’s from a group that I feel doesn’t get talked about today like they should. Treach is one of the better emcees from the 90s and "Feel Me Flow” off of Naughty by Nature’s Poverty’s Paradise is a track that must be on every summer playlist. I hear that song and I think of a busted fire hydrant with kids playing underneath the water shooting into the sky… I think of water balloon fights… I think of Super Soaker battles in the streets without a worry in the world. “Feel Me Flow” made me want to get the thickest gold rope chain and peel the tee and flex on the world…

Following Naughty we had a lot of good albums dropping from Three 6 Mafia with Mystic Stylez, The B.U.M.S. with Lyfe ‘N’ Tyme, C-Bo with Tales from the Crypt, and Mack 10’s debut album, Mack 10. But we gotta pay homage to Grand Puba and his album, 2000 which is a jazz rap classic that is straight up mellow boom bap lofi feels. Brand Nubian don’t get the love that ATCQ and De La get but their group had solid release after solid release and this album from Grand Puba has aged really well. It’s an album you could hear in a coffee shop and the vibe won’t skip one beat. Here’s “I Like It (I Wanna Be Where You Are)” from 1995.

1995 had the crossover main stream appeal type joints too. The ones that brought gave non-hip hop fans a glimpse into the genre that they might not have tapped into before. Sure there were other tracks that caught their attention before but certain tracks like “I Wish” from Skee-Lo had everybody singing that chorus. You couldn’t hang with friends and not have somebody rapping that one. ‘95 had the radio hits, the street cuts, the party tracks… 1995 had it all.

Around the same time of “I Wish” hitting the airwaves we also had one of the most popular tracks out of the Bay Area lacing us. If the chorus from “I Wish” was being sung by fans all over the world, the Cali anthem of the Mid90s was without a doubt, “I Got 5 On It” from the Luniz. Summer ‘95 with “I Got 5 On It” playing everywhere. That beat… The Club Nouveau sample… Yuk and Num’s verses… All legit… But then the remix with damn near everybody on it? That Bay Ballas Remix is everything… Lunize featuring: Dru Down, Richie Rich, E-40, Shock G and Humpty Hump, and then maybe the best rap closer of all time aka Spice 1 finishing the track. PERFECTION. Luniz dropped their full length on the 4th of July just to remind folks out here celebrating that “I Got 5 On It” should be the first track on every mix being played that day.

Then a few weeks later we were hit with another all-time classic in 90s rap history. Old school rap heads probably have this album in their top 5 and if they don’t, you can guarantee that they can recite some double-time lyrics to some of the tracks from this album. On 7/25/95, Bone Thugs-n-Harmony were back with their new album, E. 1999 Eternal. This album was the true inspiration behind this article since it’s the 30th anniversary of it coming out this week. I’ve been listening to E. 1999 Eternal in its entirety without skipping tracks or shuffling. From the intro through song 5 I don’t know if there’s a better start to a classic album than this. “East 1999” just hits you on track 2 and gets you ready for the heist. I was ready to damn near rob a bank listening to this in my headphones when it dropped. I was harmonizing and working on my rap flows trying to keep up with Bone. Go listen to the album… It doesn’t miss… It had everything outside of a track dedicated to the ladies but “Crossroads” gave the females something to bump. And every “1st of Tha Month” you know what I’m bumping… Gotta cash those checks and come up ya feel me.

Wait….. hold up…. it was literally one week later that we got hit with Only Built 4 Cuban Linx??? Summer of ‘95 was wild. Wu was riding the ODB wave from his debut and then “Ice Cream” was hitting airwaves and had me pulling up one pant leg wanting to spit game to any fly honey I could. Only in my headphones though… Let’s be real! Raekwon hit us with his masterpiece OB4CL on 8/1/95. The album featured Ghostface Killah getting his shine along with features from various members of The Wu and RZA on the beats. All recorded in RZA’s basement. Too many song options to include here… “Verbal Intercourse” with Nas is probably my favorite but the singles were all fire too. Here we go with “Incarcerated Scarfaces” fam….

Late in August of ‘95, we had so many tracks and albums in rotation but we still had some juice to squeeze for the summer. School was ready to kick off but the last few weeks needed to be memorable if we’re talking about the best year in rap history. In mid-August, The Show Soundtrack hits us with featured damn near every rapper who was somebody back then. When you were reading through The Source back in ‘95, you couldn’t miss those ads showing you who all was featured on the OST. There were hits you probably forgot about from Bone and Pac along with heat from Red and Meth and then let’s not forget how much of a smash “Summertime in the LBC” from The Dove Shack was…. and is… You can’t be in your 40s and have a summertime BBQ without “Summertime in the LBC” playing on that Spotify or Apple Music playlist.

90s West Coast G-Funk had something to say to close out the summer as well when The Twinz and their classic single “Round & Round” dropped off of their Conversation album that stays slept on. Why did the Twinz only drop one album? Fully produced by Warren G who was riding the high from his classic album and one would think that the The Twinz would stay in rotation for years. Warren G doesn’t get the flowers he deserves with the production. Too damn clean…

The east coast and west coast battle for your attention was real in ‘95 and hip hop fans benefitted to all of the gems dropping all over the place. Let’s not forget that Biggie was on top of the game and was trying to put on his Junior M.A.F.I.A. homies with the hit single “Get Money” that also dropped the summer of ‘95 with their debut album closing out the summer on 8/29/95. Lil Kim tho??? Feel like she was the first female emcee to truly blow right? No diss to Latifah or MC Lyte or another others from the time but Lil Kim just grabbed your attention.

September of 1995 was fairly quiet for rap releases and it’s like the hip hop gods knew that so much heat had already dropped that they had to give fans a breather before the 4th quarter hit. And when it did…. it hit… October of 1995… let’s get into it with the first notable release from WC & The Maad Circle with Curb Servin’. While WC will forever be tied to Westside Connection, we can’t sleep on the fact of how ill of a rapper he was and the slept on hits that he had. Yeah we all know the WC c-walk but “The One” and “West Up” are all-time 90s west coast rap classics.

On October 10, 1995, the real rap heads had a decision. For my west coast rap fans, you gotta admit that it was hard to deny when Kausion dropped their first single, “What You Wanna Do Off” of their debut album, South Central Las Skanless. One of the emcees says that he was 13… Was he only 13? If somebody asked you the question, what does 90s west coast rap sound like, just play this instrumental. Then press play on that VCR to show them the video… This was released on Ice Cube’s record label, Lench Mob Records. You can hear his heavy influence when you listen to this whole project.

Let’s stay on October 10 though… Now if you were on the East Coast, you just buy that AZ on sight right? You saw the singles and the videos and I mean cmon… That “Life’s a Bitch” verse cemented him in the hall of fame. Never before had I heard a debut verse from somebody and just drop what I’m doing to put all attention on what was being said. AZ has been living rent free in all of our heads for decades. And when a rapper of this caliber drops his first album, you had that $12 in hand. And if you didn’t, I’m guessing you just couldn’t scrounge up those ends. But you wanted that tape…. you needed that tape. You needed “Sugar Hill” on repeat.

While I really want to keep the calendar moving I can’t… KRS-ONE dropped his album, KRS One that same day. I swear KRS is slept on. I mean, I’m a fan of BDP and then over to KRS’ solo material but I don’t know any album front to back… Now I gotta get listen to those solo albums again… but don’t get it twisted for one sec… “MC’s Act Like They Don’t Know” is a 10/10 90s hip hop track without a doubt. DJ Premier laced us all with this beat. And KRS just flexes over the whole track.

I think October 10th of ‘95 was probably one of the first time Mystikal first yelled at me. Did Mystikal have an album before Mind of Mystikal? I have no idea… Probably not gonna go back on that one… I will go forward though and Mystikal lined up with Master P was unfair. Getting Mystikal on those No Limit posse cuts was a cheat code. Here’s “Here I Go” for ya…

If October 10, 1995 was a doozy, October 24 didn’t take its foot off our neck. Q4 1995 was building and a 15 year old like myself back then was trying to make a dolla out of fifteen cents just so I could get my hands on all of this music. And even being hip to the rap game through the rap videos I watched, some snuck under your radar and then years later you’d hear it and go whoa… how did I not listen to this when it dropped? Why didn’t this write ups in The Source or more push from anybody? Fam… Aceyalone is one of the best emcess you will ever hear. Point blank period. Just listen to this track and tell me it doesn’t give you the chills. “Arhythmaticulas” off of Aceyalone’s debut album, All Balls Don’t Bounce is amazing. The 2nd verse is phenomenal and so ahead of its time.

If I say the words Fat Joe I think everybody feels a certain way about him… Or maybe I’m trippin? I just watched part of his show with Jadakiss and I was intrigued… they kept me listening… and Fat Joe with that catalog… there are some cuts. And while his debut album won’t be one that I stamp, the way DJ Premier jolted this album back to life with his remixes was what a remix could do for your album and career if played right. I first noted Fat Joe’s kills on this one right here… you can’t deny it… you can’t! All-time 90s hip hop right here. “The Shit is Real” DJ Premier mix… go press play…

Now let’s get to Jayo Felony. Aka the Jayo Felony that was signed to Def Jam which was crazy as San Diego had never had a rapper to ascend to the heights that Jayo did. And Jayo Felony’s debut album is really dope. Nah…. It is really really dope. Take the San Diego out of Jayo Felony and let this album ride and it’s a vibe. Did the title of “Sherm Stick” make it hard to push? Did radio stations touch it much? “Sherm Stick” should be in your rotation as well as the whole album, Take a Ride.

Are you an Onyx fan? I never was but they’ve forever been a group that I know I would come back to one day to truly appreciate their work. But one track I don’t sleep on was included on Onyx’s album, All We Got Iz Us is “Last Dayz”. Just let this one ride one time…

Sup with some Kid Frost though? Latino/Chicano hip hop was picking up buzz back in the mid/late 90s and Kid Frost was at the forefront of this where he brought a whole new feel to the rap game. Kid Frost absolutely gets slept on. It’s funny too because some of his music ages quite well where you can play old tracks now and have people perk up and just recognize how dope the track is regardless of year dropped. “East Side Rendezvous” right here… Man this slumps… so good.

Halloween of 1995…. Get your trick-or-treat bags ready because you’re gonna need more than 2 hands to hold the heat that dropped on October 31, 1995. Right out the gate we gotta hit em… Tha Dogg Pound dropped Dogg Food on Halloween ‘95. DO YOU KNOW HOW HYPED UP THIS ALBUM WAS? DO YOU REALIZE IT COMPLETELY DELIVERED? Death Row Records presents to you Dat N*gga Daz and Kurupt the Kingpin… Please go listen to this album today. Definitely don’t let your kids hear it but throw it in the headphones (airpods? earbuds? what u got?) and make sure the bass boost is on your Sony Walkman. THESE DUDES WERE REALLY OUT HERE TALKING MAD SHIT ABOUT NYC AND THEN FILMING THEIR VIDEO DISSING NEW YORK IN NEW YORK?!?!!?!? yo… Daz and Kurupt… DGPC with all the features and all the beats and all the vibes. and the video??? THEY WERE GIANTS AMONG NY SKYSCRAPERS?!?!?!?

Halloween we didn’t just have the west coast poppin, Memphis had something to say with Eightball & MJG dropping On Top of the World with when you were sprinkled with a little “Space Age Pimpin” you gotta just soak game… New regions of rap brought new energy and styles to the culture and young listeners got to learn about more regions in the US. Sure I knew the capitals of every state but emcees like 8Ball & MJG showed me that Memphis had that space age pimpin for your ear drums… go listen to those strings at the end of the track and tell me you didn’t heart this track. The video tho??? Pimp type shit from the future. They will be studying this album forever trying to find out what pimpin will evolve to.

Then the rap gods see what all is happening in this year of 1995 and are like, here is Cypress Hill III: Temples of Boom on Halloween as well. Those 3 albums were timed well. A rap fan in 1995 without a lot of money was in a tough spot. You have become a fiend for all of the good music out yet you don’t have the cash to get what you want… you hope one of your friends has it… nope… you hope you catch a track on the radio… possible… but at the end of the day, you had to go buy. Then play it for your crew and have them go, I need some new music in my life and then boom… The Wherehouse, Tower Records, Sam Goody’s, and other record stores were ringing in sales… how many albums you think sold in 1995? I tried it with GPT and they didn’t have an answer… I’ll help you… a ton. Here’s Cypress Hill with “Illusions”.

The calendar flips to November and on the 7th, the rap brinks truck dropped off Liquid Swords to every record store. Everybody knows that GZA album cover. Everybody knows that intro… Everybody knows that track with Meth… Everybody knows. GZA’s Liquid Swords is an artistic masterpiece on every level. 10/10 rap album right here folks. “Liquid Swords” video for yall to help you go down a Liquid Swords rabbit hole here 30 years later. When that GZA dropped in late 1995, every rap head knew it. Wu did a fantastic job and bringing the coasts together on some neutral dope hip hop. This album had crazy crossover appear with those RZA beats matched with GZA’s voice, flow, and lyricism.

Say what yall want about Coolio but he sold 3 MILLION copies of Gangsta’s Paradise with the title track, “Gangsta’s Paradise” which btw… on Spotify? 2 BILLION streams. Like Larry June says, numbers. And Coolio was such a pivotal piece of hip hop history in the way that he brought millionssssss of new fans into the genre. Just think… you hear “Fantastic Voyage”, you start listening to more hip hop… then you hear GZA and Mobb Deep and Brotha Lynch Hung and Dogg Pound and…. you get it. Coolio hooked with them with a catchy track that was also super dope. I’m not giving you “Gangsta’s Paradise” here and not giving you a Coolio track from 1995… But I’m giving you a Coolio track since you hear Coolio and you think, Coolio. Coolio was an OG in the California rap scene though… Coolio was a part of the Maad Circle with WC… Let’s not forget this… here is Coolio with “County Line” from 1994.

Let’s not let the album from The Click, Game Related slip by… Let’s not let “Hurricane” get missed… “HURRICANE” is such a vibe. You can’t listen to this track and not think of the good times. The more innocent times of you riding around with your crew and listening to a song you all loved and knew the words to… That’s what E-40, B-Legit, Suga-T and D-Shot could make you do… never realized they all had hyphens… that is dope! And so is “Hurricane” so press play….

You realize we still haven’t left November 7th right? What a crazy day of rap and hip releases. GOODIE MOB TOO!?!??!?!?!?! “Cell Therapy” was easily one of the best videos and singles to drop in 1995. And just think… Andre 3000 was at The Source Awards a couple of months earlier letting rap fans worldwide know that the south had something to say… then we get this out of ATL?? HARD. That beat?????? The different styles from each emcee… the trippy visuals at times on the video was on some Beastie Boys type ish… Goodie Mob seemed like dudes I could kick it with… Their album Soul Food dropped on 11/7/95 and it is an amazing album.

Flip it to 11/14 and we had some more heat out of Cali with The Pharcyde dropping their 2nd album, Labcabincalifornia. I don’t think you realize how amazing their video for “Drop” was when it was making rotation on MTV and BET. I don’t recall visuals ever being so stunning where it stopped me in my tracks. I would watch The Pharcyde walking down the alley and then down the street with Mike D riding backwards on a bike through them???? What??? They’re just doing this content out on the street and going down some stairs looking like the coolest dudes of all time. 90s hip hop music videos made me feel something. They helped a young listener like myself listen to this cassette in a Walkman and remember the video and want to watch it again… and again… and again… go watch the video for old time’s sake…

November 21, 1995…. Yes, more fire. Mr. Doctor dropped… Do I even need to say more? It’s a 90s west coast rap masterpiece. Brotha Lynch Hung on the beats… Mr. Doctor on the rhymes… Features all over the place… Black Market Records behind the project. It’s perfection. I’ll say it again… This album is perfection. Listen to those beats… Nah… really… go listen to those beats… then listen how Mr. Doc comes in on some cool shit with the hardest voice in rap history? Lynch on those features… Whoa… Whole album… Like whoa… Mr. Doctor, Setripn Bloccstyle and yes, this shit is onnnnnnnnnnnnn. That Sacramento rap scene from 92 - 97 was insane. Mr. Doctor is on that Sacramento Mt. Rushmore without a doubt…

Then DJ Premier must have just been in D&D Studios cooking up heat for Gang Starr… for Jeru…. for Group Home. You can’t listen to these tracks and not feel a certain way… and yes I know Group Home isn’t Guru or Jeru but the overall feel just works. Group Home with “Livin’ Proof” produced by Premier. This is off of their debut full-length, Livin’ Proof.

1995 brought us so many amazing rap albums that it made it hard for us to know what to buy… you didn’t have endless funds to buy all the good shit… you had a 20 here or a 20 there and maybe some blank tapes to try to see what your friends had in their Case Logic music holders… The cassingles were a fire way to get a favorite track and mayyyybe a b-side, the clean version of the track, and instrumental, or an acapella… but there were also really good tracks that never had hit singles… never got the love they deserved… and not many get lost in the databases of streaming services where they sit with dust on them… but it’s never too late to resurrect heat… These are the rap tracks from 1995 that didn’t make this list… I know I’ll miss a bunch too so please drop fire in the comments… 1995… the best rap year in history.