Radio LBB: Influences In Music - ‘90s Hip Hop

Coming from a large family my music taste has always been pretty broad and majorly influenced by a range of people, most notably my parents, my uncle and my mates.

This playlist is a reflection of just one of those genres that has become a huge part of my music collection, ‘90s hip hop. 

I’ve listened to hip hop ever since my uncle introduced me to De La Soul’s 1989 album 3 Feet High and Rising, the character-like personas of Posdnuos, Pasemaster Mase and Trugoy the Dove, the clever rhyming patterns and storytelling style would shape hip hop throughout the ‘90s and needing to hunt down where the samples came from made it about more than just the music you were listening to.  

This led to me searching out more and more artists, from Brand Nubian to Gang Starr, A Tribe Called Quest to The Fugees, my interest had truly been sparked and I’d listen to tracks on repeat for hours trying to work out a sample or obsessing over a clever bar.

From then on it became about the grittier sound of Mobb Deep, Wu Tang Clan, Dre & Nas, a more aggressive style, reflecting on an upbringing of police brutality, poverty and gang violence whilst still managing to provide a message to the youth.    

This playlist is a homage to some of those well-known ‘90s hip hop artists and some more obscure ones, that have shaped my musical taste ever since. Check it out!