3 Classic but Slept-On Rap Songs From the 1990s

Some believe the 1990s was the golden era of rap music. Though the genre was created in the late 1970s in the parks of New York City and later honed in the 1980s thanks to groups like Run-DMC and the Beastie Boys, it was the 1990s that the sounds cemented. From Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg to A Tribe Called Quest and later Eminem, the decade was rich with talent.

But amongst those big names, there were some equally amazing songs that maybe didn’t always make the marquee. Here below, we wanted to explore three slept-on songs from the decade from three then-underground groups that have since stood the test of time. Indeed, these are three classic rap tracks from the decade you should hear here and now.

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“Definition” by Black Star from Mos Def & Talib Kweli Are Black Star (1998)

In 1998, two of the most important and cerebral rappers of all time came out with their self-titled album together. Indeed, the Mos Def and Talib Kweli-led group Black Star created a classic New York City album that featured exceptional wordplay, back-and-forth verse-sharing, and songs that remain fan favorites of the era. The debut single from their LP, “Definition,” well defines the “backpack” rap style, which is signified by city-born artists cruising around places like New York with books, CDs, and maybe a graffiti can or two in their backpacks. And on the signature tune, Talib raps,

Yo, from the first to the last of it, delivery is passionate
The whole and not the half of it, vocab and not the math of it
Projectile that them blasted with, accurate assassin s–t
Me and Kweli close like, Bethlehem and Nazareth

“I Used to Love H.E.R.” by Common Sense from Resurrection (1994)

Speaking of wordplay, the conceit of this song is it sounds like a love song the Chicago rapper Common Sense is creating about a woman. But really the song is about hip-hop itself, and how Common loves the style but also sees it falling to degradation. (He also put Puff Daddy in a lyric way ahead of its time, given all of Diddy’s issues today.) And on the tune, Common raps smartly and affectionately,

But she was there for me, and I was there for her
Pull out a chair for her, turn on the air for her
And just cool out, cool out, and listen to her
Sittin’ on a bone, wishin’ that I could do her
Eventually if it was meant to be, then it would be
‘Cause we related, physically and mentally
And she was fun then, I’d be geeked when she’d come around
Slim was fresh, yo, when she was underground
Original, pure, untampered, a down sister
Boy, I tell you, I miss her

“God’s Bathroom Floor” by Atmosphere from Overcast! (1997)

Speaking of Midwest rappers, the Minnesota-born duo known as Atmosphere earned breakout success thanks to their 1997 EP Overcast! And the reason for that was their clever song “God’s Bathroom Floor.” The rapper in the group, Slug, was both a smart-witted lyricist and someone who liked carnal pleasures like sex and drinking. So, this song encapsulated his style—you can picture him hung over on the bathroom floor musing about the essence of life and beauty. Indeed, on the song, Slug raps,

From a head full of pressure
Rests the senses that I clutch
Made a date with divinity but she wouldn’t let me f–k
I got touched by a hazy shade of God, help me change
Caught a rush on the floor from the life in my veins

It goes, one for the cannabis and two for your Dianetics
Three for your reasoning and four for those that try and get it
Five for your love and six for the stress
And seven for the day that I climbed into this mess

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