3 Classic ’90s Debut Rap Albums That Will Make You Pine for the Golden Era of Hip-Hop

While rap music was born in the 1970s with groups like The Sugarhill Gang, it was codified in the 1980s with outfits like Run-DMC. But it was the 1990s when everything fell into place and the genre was both popular and here to stay. Not only was the public ready for the new art form but the 1990s provided some of the greatest artists to ever do it.

Here below, we wanted to explore three albums that prove that point. A trio of records that display both what rap music can be and some of the best to perform it. Indeed, these are three classic ’90s rap albums that will make music fans pine for the golden era of hip-hop.

[RELATED: 3 Career-Changing Albums Produced by Dr. Dre]

The Chronic by Dr. Dre (1992)

One of the greatest rap records of all time and certainly one of the best to display West Coast rap in the 1990s, this album was the culmination of so much that Dr. Dre had achieved with his prior group N.W.A. But it was also a step out in a new direction with the super producer going solo and leaving behind the likes of Ice Cube and Eazy-E. But on The Chronic, Dre was still with some big names. On the LP, he introduced the world to the smooth-talking rapper Snoop Dogg (and produced Snoop’s debut solo album a year later). But The Chronic is packed with sticky beats, imposing rhymes, and a style that helped define the decade.

Reasonable Doubt by Jay-Z (1996)

Released in the summer of 1996, this album was the world’s formal introduction to a man who would embody rap music for the next several decades. The debut solo LP from Jay-Z, this album showcased his catchy lyrics, charming style, and inventive songs. It also includes guests like The Notorious B.I.G., Mary J. Blige, DJ Premier, and others. On the album, Jay-Z demonstrated he is both an artist and a master of street business. But more than that, he became a central figure in pop culture thanks to this debut work. In a way, it was like seeing Picasso’s first painting.

Illmatic by Nas (1994)

Line for line, lyric for lyric, Nas might be the greatest rapper to do it. So many artists choose flash and pop culture draw but for 30 years now, Nas has gone the route of consistency and distilled greatness. With his raspy, cutting voice, the rapper introduced himself to the world with this debut LP, which truly featured classic song after classic song. If The Chronic was the defining LP of the West Coast rap of the 1990s, then Illmatic may easily have been that for the East Coast. Illmatic is also known for perhaps including the greatest guest feature: AZ’s verse on “Life’s a B—h.”

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