1994: The Year that Five Debut Hip Hop Albums Dominated the Music Industry
Can you believe that it has been twenty years since some of the most pivotal hip hop albums transcended this art of music?
Out of all of the albums that were released in that year, there were FIVE notable projects that made their debut. These releases defined an era in hip hop. Let’s take a trip down memory lane!
Nas - Illmatic (Released April 19, 1994): With critical acclaim, the album is defined as the epitome of East Coast hip hop. Initial low sales and no radio hits almost plagued Illmatic, but good word of mouth kept it alive. Over the course of 15 years since its release, it has been certified platinum. Along with the music, the album cover proved to be iconic as well. The famous photo is a picture of the young Nas at age 7 (taken by his father, a famous musician in his own right) superimposed on a background of his neighborhood.
Click here to watch the video to “The World is Yours."
Outkast - Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik (Released April 26, 1994): Where most of the hip hop at that time came from the West and East Coast, it took a couple of young men from the South (by the way of Atlanta) to prove that there is talent and good music everywhere. The album infused funk and soul groove while the duo spoke about different things about living in Atlanta. Initially, there was some resistance to the album despite the good reviews. The bulk of the resistance was because people weren’t familiar with their music. After the group got through to the listening audience, the album ended up reaching platinum status.
To watch Outkast’s debut video, "Player’s Ball”, click here.
Warren G - G Funk Era (Released June 7, 1994):Before the ABC TV show Scandal made the word popular in lexicon of entertainment, the word “Gladiators” were uttered in the lead single of the debut of Warren G (who happens to be super producer Dr. Dre’s cousin). The album debuted strongly of the Billboard album charts and received good reviews all around. The lead single, “Regulate”, tells a story of gang life on the West Coast.
Click here to watch the classic video to “Regulate.”
The Notorious B.I.G. - Ready to Die (Released September 13, 1994):What can be said about this album? The first release from Sean “Puffy” Combs’ Bad Boy label shook the hip hop community to its core. It revitalized East Coast hip hop as the album tells a story of a somewhat autobiographical tale of Biggie’s earlier life as a street hustle. It became a huge success critically and commercially. Like the cover for Nas' Illmatic, this album’s cover proved to be as iconic where it showcased a toddler (supposedly resembling Biggie) against a white background.
Click here to watch the video to the Notorious B.I.G’s “Juicy.”
Method Man - Tical (Released November 15, 1994):Wu-Tang member Method Man took a break from the seminal hip-hop group to record his debut album. Produced by fellow Wu-Tang member RZA, Tical provided a dark sound and proved that Method Man could make it on his own. The album was a commercial success and was certified platinum a year later. The standout track was a collaboration with R&B superstar Mary J. Blige titled, “I’ll Be There for You/You’re All I Need to Get By” which was remixed by Puff Daddy. The duo earned a Grammy Award for the record.
To see the video to the Grammy-winning record with Mary J. Blige, click here.