10 Rap Cult Classics You Need to Hear (Part 1)

In the 1990s and early 2000s, when rap fans first started writing and reading about hip-hop online, there was a sense among us that we were looking for something different.

Sure, we rocked with what was on the charts, too. But there was an excitement about the possibilities that the Internet had opened up. You could talk to fans from different regions and areas, trade music, find out about what tapes were hot in Texas, in the Bay, and which classics existed in Atlanta that hadn't received wider exposure. You could hear how the music changed from region to region.

We found out about cult classics, obscurities, and everything in between. Sure, some could fall down the rabbit hole and forget that whichever MC they'd found out about online was a fairly marginal figure, or a 6th-degree knockoff of a much more popular (and better) rapper. But as long as you kept perspective, the Internet let you see how much more was really out there.

In recent years, though, as tastes diversified and the number of channels providing music multiplied, it seemed like the music that was discussed became narrower in scope.

Instead, fans seek that sense of communal approval, of consensus. Without a single TRL/BET "mainstream" to react to, human nature seems to guide most hip-hop fans, whether through nostalgia or some lonely imperative, to a singular view of what's worth talking about (whether in favor or against).

Reading about rap is different now. Not better or worse, per se. But when this writer first had access to the Internet, the availability of cult classics, like the albums on this list, was eye-opening. Many of them don't have much of a profile outside of their region, or amongst a certain group of hardcore fans. But they're definitely worth hearing.

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Label: Young Black Brotha
Killer Cuts: "Sic Wit Tis," "Illegal Business," "Ghetto Theme"
See Also: Young Lay Black 'N Dangerous

Mac Mall was one of the standout stars on the Young Black Brotha record label, and his debut Illegal Business? remains one of hip-hop's most underrated LPs, at least on a national level. Young Black Brotha revolved around a small group of artists who, alongside E-40's Sic Wit It crew, would help define the popular sound of the Vallejo region in the mid-1990s. Producer Khayree did the bulk of the production. Amazingly, he cut his teeth making beats for the diamond-selling Vanilla Ice LP To The Extreme, producing songs like "Hooked" and "It's a Party." But he built his career working with the Young Black Brotha crew, included Ray Luv, whose Forever Hustlin' featured smooth summertime gem "Last Nite," and Young Lay, who released the excellent Black 'N Dangerous. Oh yeah, and future legend Mac Dre was also in the fold.

In the mid-1990s, though, it seemed like Mac Mall was the breakout star. Illegal Business? sold 200k independently, got MM a gig with Relativity Records for his sophomore effort, and was a favorite of Tupac, who offered to shoot the video for the album's second single, "Ghetto Theme." That song's mournful cry was less typical of the record than lead single "Sic WIt Tis." Dexterous party raps over Khayree's searing synthesizer-funk beats perfectly capture the platonic ideal of the era's sound. Meanwhile, the album's title track closed out the record with harrowing and dramatic narrative on par with any east coast classic.

Label: Ichiban
Killer Cuts: "Life of a Sniper," "Everyday Thang In Da Hood," "Downtown Glory"
See Also: Kilo Ali Organized Bass

OutKast were emerging as national artists at the same time that Ghetto Mafia released their debut LP Draw the Line. OutKast's eccentricities made them stand out on a national scale. But as Ghetto Mafia built up their fanbase throughout the 1990s, they became one of Atlanta's definitive regional acts, never breaking through on a commercial level, but becoming hometown favorites. By the time of "Straight from the DEC," they proved that Decatur had its own place in the city's hip-hop scene.

The record's sound is close to the generalized street rap of the mid-1990s, when g-funk and hood cautionary tales became a dominant template throughout the South, the West Coast and the Midwest. In fact, Detroit MC Breed—who could easily claim a spot on this list himself for his 1993 LP The New Breed—showed up on Draw the Line for album highlight and single "Everyday Thang in the Hood." Nino and Wicked may have epitomized the mid-'90s "regional rap" style, but they also excelled at it; check Wicked's flawless double-time delivery on "A-Town." They hit the street rap template of early-mid '90s hard, railing against self-interested political figures ("Mr. President") while spitting the kind of cinematic street narratives that made hip-hop the best action movie that never was ("Downtown Glory," arguably a better flip of that sample than "I'm Kurious").

Label: Sugar Hill Records
Killer Cuts: "Street Wise," "What's Going On Black?," "Another Contract"
See Also: MobStyle The Good, The Bad, The Ugly

If you've seen Paid in Full, you know Azie Faison's story. Ditto if you've read his interview with F.E.D.S. Magazine. It bears mentioning, because at a time when New York City had little in the way of gangster rap to speak of, these guys were pioneers. Not only did they diss N.W.A. (on "Don't Dis Nobody"), but they became an inspiration to hundreds of rappers, from AZ (who used A.Z.'s name) to Raekwon (the remix of "Rainy Dayz" actually uses the same Harold Melvin sample as A.Z.'s "What's Goin' On Black") to Roc-A-Fella (Paid In Full). You may have heard that old canard about how not very many people bought Velvet Underground albums, but everyone who did ran out and started a band. Consider A.Z. and his group MobStyle New York's gangster rap Velvet Underground.

J-Zone, is his essential Ego Trip MobStyle appreciation post, discusses how they also pioneered the independent model at a time when every New York rapper seemed to know a major label A&R. So not only were they musical pioneers, but they were business pioneers as well. But even more importantly, the group made great music; A.Z. might not have been the most skilled technician, but he was clearly a craftsman who cared about the art he was creating. In true gangster rap tradition, he transformed his own reality into an artistic cautionary tale on "What's Goin' On, Black," the video for which is essential viewing. Other tracks on this release—which came out only on cassette, and features some tape hiss like you ain't never heard—are also worthy of attention, particularly the sleek scene-setter "Street Wise," and the bass-driven noir of "Another Contract."

Label: Island Black Music
Killer Cuts: "Why U Bullshittin'?," "If U Stay Ready," "Dip Da"
See Also: 2nd II None Classic 220

Suga Free is one of hip-hop's most original, most distinctive stylists. He's also a rapper who embodies contradictions, which makes him quintessentially hip-hop. He's a technically-dexterous rapper, with well-written lines precisely delivered. At the same time, he makes big, personality-filled gestures, a true character with a unique, exaggerated persona. He wasn't a pimp-rapper, he played a pimp, and did so with humor, insight and talent.

And as ever with hip-hop, the question of glorification vs. "portraying reality" is a major question. Again, Suga Free manages to have his cake and eat it too, at least for those willing to engage with his work in the first place. As much as pimp rap can glorify or trivialize some very real societal problems, Suga Free, particularly on his debut, manages to humanize the characters in his stories, even if those characters are only intermittently women. This is never more true than on the emotional tour de fore of "Dip Da" that closes the album, a story about abuse and family that strikes directly at the heart without sounding like a mea culpa.

Label: Street Knowledge/East West America/Atlantic Records
Killer Cuts: "Peace Treaty," "Still Got Love 4 'Um," "Watts Riot"
See Also: W.C. and the Maad Circle Ain't a Damn Thang Changed

If you think Kendrick Lamar invented conscientious rap about the streets, you don't know gangster rap. Kam never received the level of accolades directed at his cousin Ice Cube, but he did become a critical favorite for those in the know, sitting halfway between street rapper and political activist. Kam's best songs, like "Still Got Love 4 'Um," are powerful because of how effectively they communicate empathy. But Kam retains a righteous political aggression for the forces larger than him. In other words, he recognizes the difference between disease and symptom.

"Peace Treaty" was a song about the 1992 gang truce that had been four years in the making. It was that treaty that paved the way for L.A. hip-hop's cultural takeover, as areas of violent bloodshed were transformed into the spaces, at least temporarily, for barbecues (as in the "Nuthin' but a G Thang" video), parties, and music to flourish. In some kind of cosmic coincidence, the day after the treaty was signed, the Los Angeles riots broke out; Kam's record begins with "Peace Treaty" and ends with "Watts Riot," a document of an artist who dove into the political fray because of the tenor of his time. But his art was never overshadowed by ideology or agitprop. It is an album with an undeniable musical and creative heart energized by its politics.

Label: Perrion Entertainment, Priority Records
Killer Cuts: "Crooked Streets," "Swangin' and Bangin'," "Baller of the Year"
See Also: Fat Pat Ghetto Dreams

In the mid 2000s, just as hip-hop was starting to stumble a bit after its Billboard domination in the early '00s, Houston had a moment. What exactly this meant is arguable, but that city's scene did undeniably capture the media's attention. Suddenly, hip-hop fans across the country became fascinated by the funny punchlines of Lil Flip, Paul Wall, and Chamillionaire, the gives-no-fucks guerrilla marketing tactics and anti-rap style of Mike Jones, the beats by Salih Williams, and of course the growing legacy of DJ Screw. This moment had a major impact down the road, as the Internet played the telephone game with these regional sounds for future stars from A$AP Rocky to Drake.

E.S.G. was one of Houston's older, more established stars, and despite his prominent placing on Screw tapes, the vet duo from Port Arthur managed to grab onto more of that mainstream respectability than he did. E.S.G.'s first LP, Ocean of Funk, had some jams, but his follow-up, Sailin' Da South, has a higher hit rate. There was, of course, the unforgettable hook-y anthem "Swangin' and Bangin'," a true classic single. But there was also the seething "Baller of the Year," which had a lethargic swag even before Screw put his slowed spin on the record. There was "Crooked Streets," a song of paranoia and distrust that strikes a note melancholy resignation, rather than fear. And there was the record's one moment of relaxed warmth, a stoner's redux of "Float On," naturally titled "Smoke On."

Label: High Powered Entertainment
Killer Cuts: "Hennessy," "Dungeon," "Superbad"
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You've heard one of the members of this group before, and U.O.E.N.O. it. Remember Baby Bash? That's right, the guy behind certified pop-rap classics "Suga Suga" and "Baby, I'm Back" with Akon. Well, before he was the smooth slick super-saucy pop rapper, Baby Bash was Baby Beesh, and he was one-half of Potna Deuce, a Vallejo-based rap group that dropped some incredibly dope, and incredibly-90s-sounding West Coast hip-hop. Their first record, Welcome 2 da Tilt, is worth the price of admission for shout-rap banger "That's My Potna," as well as a smooth little number about having a really cool girlfriend called "Cool Thang."

The duo's second record, Heron Soup, fully embraced the Bay Area's mob sound, with its bass-heavy post-g-funk beats. It's a more consistent record than the group's debut (although beware its chopped-up rerelease with the repulsive date rape anthem "X-Ta-C"). Full of bass-heavy funk tracks and strong interplay between the two rappers, it is a party record nonpareil, and offers exactly zero hints of Baby Beesh's musical future.

Label: Scarred 4 Life Entertainment
Killer Cuts: "Time to Be a Man," "Game of Life," "Remember Me"
See Also: One Gud Cide Contradictions

The duo of Twisted Black and Evil Seed made up the duo One Gud Cide, and their debut record, Look What the Streets Made Me, is a reminder of a time when hip-hop was more regularly drawing attention to the horrors of street life. Realism was shocking, and never more so than when Twisted Black put a photo of his face after his jaw had been shot off in the cover art of his debut. They went on to record one more album, Contradictions, for Suave House in 1999; then, in 2006, as Twisted Black was preparing for a solo career, he was caught with a bunch of coke and, as a four-time offender, sentenced to 30 years in prison.

Contradictions was the name of their sophomore record, but it couldn't be a more apt title for the way Twisted Black's raps explained his experiences more broadly; He survived the streets, dodging real and metaphorical bullets. The group's debut is all about the internal moral conflicts of making certain life choices. Yet he still ended up in prison. One album highlight, "Game of Life," even relies on an eerie game show conceit that underlines the gamble inherent in Twisted Black's lifestyle at the time.

One of the most interesting things about this record, though is how placid it is. The cover is in-your-face confrontational, and the subject matter is unquestionably charged, controversial stuff. And sure, by 1995, when this record was released, street rap was really starting to broaden from initial descriptions of gangsters as proponents of one-dimensional underclass 'rage.' But even by the standards of the time, One Gud Cide's songs have a calm resignation that suggests some kind of internal peace, or perhaps, an attempt to cultivate it.

Label: C-Loc Records/Priority Records
Killer Cuts: "Sickness," "Comin' Down," "A Fool"
See Also: Lil Boosie Youngest Of Da Camp

Baton Rouge, Louisiana has to be one of the most important smaller cities in rap music history, which is perhaps a subject for another Complex project. A release with a title that ensured it would remain in rap marginalia for an eternity—Concentration Camp was bad enough, but pairing that with Da Halocaust album title was probably not in the best interests of anyone striving for popular success—the compilation was the creative nexus of New Orleans' more-countrified cousins. Young Bleed, of course, was the big pick-up here; his song "A Fool" would get snatched by Master P and re-released as "How You Do That," which became the lead single for Young Bleed's classic My Balls and My Word. And although he didn't appear on this album, Lil Boosie's career also began as Da Youngest of Da Camp, before blowing up to become a national star.

While Young Bleed and Boosie would be the biggest artists from the Camp, thanks in part to the marketing muscle of the No Limit empire in nearby New Orleans, rappers like Max Minelli, C-Loc (who had a Scarface-lite-like gravitas) and the duo Lay-Lo would continued to produce quality material into the next decade, packing each line with slick, detailed lyrics. The production from Happy Perez was like a backwoods funk to No Limit's more martial, cosmopolitan swamp rap, and Da Halocaust is one of the group's most consistent projects.

Label: Interscope/Atlantic
Killer Cuts: "Outta State," "Exercise," "No Exit"
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Despite being released on Interscope records and featuring the production talents of then-celebrated beatmaker Large Professor (only one year before Illmatic), Vagina Diner received neither commercial success of Akinyele's future work nor the critical success of Large Pro's group Main Source. Which is a pity, because this record is arguably better than either. Sure, he had the gimmicky delivery and a goonish sense of humor, but Ak to the Inyel to the E managed to hit on a wide range of subjects with a particularly distinctive flair.

This wasn't the most mainstream-palatable record in large part because of a strong misogynist streak (see: the album title, the domineering and insecure boyfriend of "No Exit," whose girlfriend is scared to leave him because he might shoot her, or his prehistoric abortion methods of "I Luh Her"). But on the other hand, "Put it In Your Mouth" had similarly uncouth subject matter, and that became the rapper's biggest smash. Vagina Diner is all the stuff you weren't allowed to listen to as a kid packed onto one album with some incredible production from one of early '90s New York's best beatmakers at the height of his creative powers. When Large Pro flipped "Psychedelic Shack" for Ak's cross-country drug transportation anthem "Outta State," it made for mind-shattering rap music. Akinyele strong personality made his hard-headed raps a perfect complement for LP's incredible production.