Most Iconic Music Artists Of The 90s

Biggie Smalls — New York Daily Archive, The Guardian

There is one thing that rivals the unique blast from the past the top fashion and makeup trends of the 90s offer: hip hop music.

This homage is dedicated to all 90s musicians who shaped that decade with their memorable songs. Arguably, the 90s was a decade filled with immensely talented singers and songwriters with one common characteristic. They were all absolutely unafraid of expressing their thoughts, feelings, and occasional anger through memorable lyrics that still get blasted on repeat.

Best 90’s Songs, Albums and Artists

The 80s might have been the era when hip-hop managed to establish itself as a dominant force in black music, the 90s artists took the underground hip hop scene and turned it into the popular genre that it is to this day. Even though hip hop has always been focused on detailing the lives of people in the most violent districts, with artists rapping about severe real-life hardships like injustice and police violence in their neighborhoods and across the country, many 90’s hip hop artists manage to become mainstream superstars. During this era, hip hop stepped out of the suburbs and conquered the whole entire world.

N.W.A. -1986

However, the road to the top was not in any way easy. During the first years of the 90’s decade, NWA’s 1988 Straight Outta Compton album which presented details of street violence in a very explicit and forward way, resulted in radio stations’ attempt to start boycotting the hip-hop scene’s most vocal and aggressive artists. “Fuck Tha Police” and its message serve as an indication of what is to come with the following LA. Riots that occurred in 1992 after the trial of Rodney King. The group’s personal experiences with police brutality turned into powerful lyrics such as “not the other color so police think, they have the authority to kill a minority.”

Despite the previous controversies, NWA’s 1991 release Efil4zaggin painted a rather different scene. The album was widely successful beyond the urban neighborhoods with thousands of new fans enjoying NWA’s music. As a result, this was the first…