Hmm yes, 1994. Often mentioned as the greatest year in hip-hop history. The years that saw debut albums from Common, Warren G, Outkast, Gravediggaz and Digable Planets. The year that saw the return of Scarface, Redman, OC, and Organized Konfusion. ..But this was also the year four monumental artists also appeared on the scene with MUCH ANTICIPATED debut albums…
The wordy, articulate mastermind Keith Murray appeared on the scene with a fresh new style, an amazing single “The Most Beautifullest Thing in This World” and his album of the same title. The
DJ Premier-backed Jeru Da Damaja also dropped on the scene like Nuclear Bomb with the gritty classic single “Come Clean” and quickly had cats in the street hailing him as one on the top five in the city and perhaps the “next up” due to his hardcore yet cerebral style and image. His album, “The Sun Rises In East” spawned the well respected street hits “D. Original”, “Mental Stamina”, and “You Can’t Stop The Prophet”, and is near top of every list of the best albums of 1994.
Wu-Tang Swordsman Method Man released his long awaited “Tical” album in ’94 to a swarm of eager heads. He had warned us that he was going to “Bring the Pain” with the leading single and he didn’t disappoint. Dark and grimy, this album was a trip inside inside the recesses of Meth’s mind that many Qu fans still havent forgotten. “Release Yo Delf”, Meth vs Chef”, and the undeniable all time classic “You’re All I Need” were products of this album.
“Live from Bedford Stuyvesant” Brooklyn came another artist that would go onto to mark on rap music that still hasnt been washed off. Popping up on the scene with a booming voice, abstract flow and a mix of street thuggery and humor, Biggie Smalls, a.k.a. the Notorious B.I.G. quickly let us know that he was the “the illest” with his 1994 debut “Ready To Die”. Jam packed with legendary tracks like “Unbelievable”, “Machine Gun Funk”, “The What” and One More Chance, Biggie proved himself to himself to be a hip-hop force of nature as he jostled for the reigns as Best MC with the reigning champion..
Comin’ outta Queensbridge was a 19 yr old lyrical prodigy that was first heard 2 years prior on Main Sources’s “Back To The Grill Again” with bold lines like “When I was twelve, I went to Hell for snuffin Jesus”. This time around the kid had a polished style, smooth untouchable flow, and writing skills surpassing many novelists. On his debut album “Illmatic”, Nas’ never before heard rhyme schemes contained never before heard levels of lyrical detail about everything from life growing up and surviving on the streets of crack era NYC (“Memory Lane”) to letters to incarcerated homies (“One Love”), to inspirational insights (“The World Is Yours” / “Life’s a Bitch”) . The album itself is widely regarded often argued as THE best album in hip hop history, and quickly cemented Nas as the best MC of the era and perhaps all time…
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