Mixtape Madness #12 - 90's Revue Part II

According to the novel High Fidelity the making of a good mix tape, like breaking up, is hard to do. Furthermore, a good mix is never finished. You never know when you will come across a song that changes the dynamic of the mix you just completed. There is a litany of intricacies to crafting the ideal mix no matter what the mix’s intended purpose should be. This feature is merely a guide on the cosmic highway of mix making, and while experienced, the writer does not claim to be an expert.

90's Revue Part II - Hip Hop

We have been riding the wave of 1980's nostalgia for awhile now. Don't get me wrong, it's been fun, but I think it is time we moved on to the 1990's. Some of the best music of the past thirty years was created in the decade between the Exxon Valdez and Y2K. Because of that, we here at the What will take a three-part look at the music of the 1990's.
PART I - Rock
PART III - Pop - Coming Soon!

1. "Can I Kick It?" by A Tribe Called Quest (1991) -  What better way to kick off the 90's hip-hop mix than with this Lou Reed-sampling jam from Tribe? I had forgotten about this song for along time until, as is the case with several songs on this mix, I saw the film The Wackness.


2. "Flava In Ya Ear" by Craig Mack (1994) - Much like the rock mix, I will be discussing the greatness that was the music scene in 1994. This track, with verses from Biggie, Busta, LL Cool J, and Rampage, is a classic.


3. "Not Tonight (Remix)" by Lil Kim (1997) - Though we'll address the Spice Girls in Part III of the 90's Revue, this is the true girl power anthem of the 1990's. Kim is joined by Da Brat, Angie Martinez, Missy Elliott, and Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes on the track, and in the video by everyone from Queen Latifah to TLC to Mary J. Blige.