The 90s produced what seemed to be another Black Renaissance in every form of art, music especially. In the 90s we see R&B begin to take on a never before heard sound, becoming grittier, taking queue from the blossoming Hip Hop/ Rap genre that would soon be the most influential music genre in America, and arguably the world. Naturally, during a time when nostalgia is trendy and we see an influx in resurrecting the past, Black millennials gravitate towards 90s-themed… everything. From 90s themed parties, brunches, paint parties and even yoga, the decade becomes more and more romanticized, and it’s a great decade to lament on!
The only problem is, a lot of yall’s 90s playlist suck! I hear the same few songs and many of them are questionable (as in they really came out in the 80s, 2000 or ‘01), or just plain repetitive. DJs please, I beg! Switch your “old school” mixes up! There are soooo many songs and I’ve heard Poison, Candy Rain and Back That Azz Up (okay y’all can keep playing Juvie) so many times, I need about a good five year period of not hearing these songs to get that nostalgic feeling back. So, here’s a not-so-basic, yet still familiar, list of 30 (hip hop) songs of the 90s to keep your motif parties fresh:
1990
Around the Way Girl- LL Cool J
The Humpty Dance- Digital Underground (the official release date, not the leak release date)
Ain’t My Type of Hype- Full Force—I am TIED of seeing y’all doing the Kid n Play dance to literally every song, but the actual one from the movie. Even though it was originally released in 1989 (I know hypocrite), “Ain’t My Type of Hype” also appears on the 1990 House Party soundtrack (thanks to Full Force appearing in the movie as the bullies), so it technically counts
1991
O.P.P- Naughty By Nature
Same Song- Digital Underground ft. 2Pac
Is It Good To You- Heavy D & The Boyz (for the slow grind)
1992
Rump Shaker- Wreckx-N-Effect (a personal favorite of mine)
I Wanna Rock (Doo Doo Brown)- Uncle Luke: This song is vulgar (it’s Uncle Luke what do you expect), but let us remember it’s vulgarity in an encouraging way and Uncle Luke understands the concept of consent: “we glorify the vagina, we don’t take it.”
Jump- Kris Kross
1993
I Get Around- 2Pac ft. Digital Underground
Slam- Onyx (another personal favorite)
Shoop- Salt N Peppa
1994
Flava In Ya Ear- Craig Mack
Pumps and a Bump- MC Hammer
Big Poppa- Biggie
1995
Shimmy Shimmy Ya- Ol’ Dirty Bastard
I Got 5 On It- Luniz (this may need to be retired soon. Thanks, Jordan Peele)
Get Money- Junior Mafia
1996
How Do U Want It- 2Pac ft. KC & JoJo
Let Me Clear My Throat- Dj Kool
Doin It- LL Cool J
1997
Crush on You Remix- Lil Kim ft. Lil Cease
Put Your Hands Where My Eyes Could See- Busta Rhymes
It’s All About the Benjamins- Puffy and The Family
1998
Still Not A Player- Big Pun ft. Joe
Ruff Ryder’s Anthem- DMX
Ghetto Superstar- Pras ft Maya and Ol Dirty Bastard
1999
Hot Boyz- Missy Elliot
What’s It Gonna Be?!- Busta Rhymes ft Janet Jackson
Who Dat- JT Money ft. Solè (I LOVE THIS SONG, Sole’s verse was flames and she’s from KC!)
Of course 10 years worth of music can’t be covered in a list of 30 songs. There’s so many other songs that could easily be on this list, this is just to get you thinking. What songs would you add or replace? Let me know in the comments!
My honorable mentions may give you some additional ideas, and because I’m such a queen, links to the Apple and Spotify playlists to get you started are below, enjoy!
Honorable mentions:
– Can I Kick It?- A Tribe Called Quest (’90)
– I’ll Do 4 You- Father MC (’90)
– Ain’t Nuthin but a G Thang- Snoop Dogg (’92)
– *Hip Hop Hooray- Naughty By Nature (’92)
– Let Me Ride- Dr. Dre (’92)
– C.R.E.A.M.- Wu-Tang Clan (not necessarily a dance track, but it’s a classic and I felt dirty not even mentioning it ’93)
– Whoop, There it Is- 95 South (L O L, white folks got ahold of this and it became a HUGE commercial success, but it’s just too cringe for me persoanlly ’93)
– Regulate- Warren G feat Nate Dogg (’94)
– Front, Front, Back & Side to Side- UGK (’94)
– Juicy- Biggie (’94)
– Whatta Man- Salt N Peppa (’94)
– Funkdafied- Da Brat (’94)
– Tootsee Roll- 69 Boyz (’94)
– Fantastic Voyage- Coolio (’94)
– **Hoochie Mama- 2 Live Crew (I would personally play this at a party L O L, but it’s not for the faint of heart or prudes, and it’s a bit problematic these days ’95)
– Sprinkle Me- E-40 (’95)
– Players Anthem- Junior Mafia (’95)
– Keep Their Heads Ringin- Dr. Dre (’95)
– California Love- 2Pac (this was released in ’95, but it’s more of a ’96 song)
– Elevators- OutKast (’96)
– Woo Ha!! Got You All in Check- Busta Rhymes (’96)
– Ambitionz Of a Ridah- 2Pac (’96)
– **Feel So Good- Ma$e (this was originally in the top 3, but because it features a sample from a song in the previous year, Let Me Clear My Throat, it was moved to honorable mentions ’97)
– Da Dip- Freak Nasty (for dancing purposes, I might actually swap this one with one of the top 3 ’97)
– Sock It 2 Me- Missy Elliott (’97)
– Hypnotize- Biggie (’97)
– Imaginary Players- Jay-Z (cause this makes me feel fancy, I need a glass of Cristaalll, but not really cause they’re racist; ’97)
– **Déjà vu (Uptown Baby)- Lord Tariq & Peter Gunz (before Love & Hip-Hop Mr. Gunz had a hit, ’98)
– Rosa Parks- OutKast (’98)
– Can I Get A… Jay-Z ft. Ja Rule (’98)
– Make Em Say Uhh!- Master P (’98)
– It Ain’t My Fault- Silkk The Shocker (’98)
– Got Your Money- Ol Dirty Bastard ft. Kelis (’99)
Blackgirl Candidly 
OMG!!! The 90’s. Public enemy-don’t believe the hype.
Man/method man-you’re all I need was a smash. Let’s not forget The Fugees- killing me softly. What!!! Da Brat-funkdafied bangerrrr. Arrested Development-Tennessee. I can go on, but at work. Great memories.
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I really went back and forth on the Method and Mary joint, but wanted to stick to dance tracks, but a banger indeed! Great time for music!
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Ahhh, the 90’s. . . Nickelodeon, the Bulls and cheap gas! What more could you want? Definitely one of the greatest decades of all time.
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