The Best Hip-Hop Songs & Albums: 1992

Now that you know how this is going to work, I’m ready to tackle 1992. But for those that are new to the site, this is my list of the 20 best hip-hop songs from 1992 and the 10 best hip-hop albums. Limit 1 song per album for the top 20 list. So while I wanted to include “F-ck With Dre Day,” “Otha Fish” and “Wicked,” I had to stay true to my formula and leave those tracks off the list. If you still don’t understand, go back and read The Best Hip-Hop Songs and Albums: 1991 for a more detailed explanation.

Alright, enough of the formalities, on to the list.

The Best of ‘92

Best Songs

20. “360 (What Goes Around)” – Grand Puba
Puba went solo in 1992, after breaking away from Brand Nubian. Puba’s biggest solo splash would come on Mary J. Blige’s “What’s The 4-1-1?” (which then got remixed with Biggie), but “360” allowed Puba to show he could stand on his own without Lord Jamar, Sadat X and DJ Alamo.

19. “N 2 Deep” – Compton’s Most Wanted feat. Scarface
You don’t get more gangsta than MC Eiht. Just not possible. Unless you add Scarface to the track. Compton’s Most Wanted was as important to gangsta rap in the ‘90’s as any other act.

18. “Back To The Grill” – MC Serch feat. Chubb Rock, Red Hot Lover Tone & Nas
I debated putting 3rd Base’s Derelicts of Dialect on my Best of ’91 album list because it was certainly one of my favorite albums when it came out. But I haven’t heard the album in over 15 years, so that answered the question on whether it would stand the test of time. Anyway, I was a big Serch fan back in the early ‘90’s and enjoyed his solo effort. This was the standout thanks once again thanks to a certain up and coming MC who stole the show.

17. “Ex Girl To The Next Girl” – Gang Starr
Love the horns on this track. And of course Premo’s scratches for the hook. Guru had a knack for breaking down the rules of relationships as evidenced by this song.

16. “Soul Clap” – Showbiz & A.G.
What hasn’t been used, sampled or stolen from this track to this point? Showbiz and A.G. bring a party anthem that’s a little different from what D.I.T.C. fans of today are used to hearing.

15. “Ill Street Blues” – Kool G. Rap
Seriously, who’s doper than Kool G. Rap on the mic? He earned his spot alongside Rakim and Kane during the early years and remains one of the most respected MCs in the game today. This track is the perfect example of a G. Rap street tale.

14. “Tennessee” – Arrested Development
I loved this song when it came out. It was just so dope. And it still is. I challenge you to a game of horseshoes. A game of HORSESHOES.

13. “Jump Around” – House of Pain
I couldn’t believe there were Irish rappers when this song came out. It was different than anything I had ever heard. 19 years later it remains one of the most recognizable hip-hop songs ever made. It also served as one of our warm up songs for my high school basketball team so it will always have significant meaning to me.

12. “So What’cha Want” – Beastie Boys
Guess what else was on our warm up tape? You guessed it. The Beasties brought a raw sound on this track with distorted mics, feedback and electric guitars. It was different than any other hip-hop song during that era as it crossed over into rock radio as well.

11. “La Schmoove” – Fu-Schnickens feat. Phife Dawg
The Fu-Schnickens may be most famous for their collaboration with then-NBA rookie Shaquille O’Neal on “What’s Up Doc?” but people shouldn’t sleep on their debut album. This track introduced me to the Fu-Schnicks and I was immediately drawn to Chip Fu. Glad to see him make an appearance on Apathy’s 2009 album Wanna Snuggle? Nice cameo from Phife on this as well.

10. “Head Banger” – EPMD feat. Redman & K-Solo
EPMD brought so many great songs over the years, must of which have been sampled, covered, replicated or borrowed from in some way. This is one of the best posse cuts in hip-hop history as Erick and Parrish share the mic with K-Solo and Redman. Redman in typical fashion steals the show.

9. “They Want EFX” – Das EFX
Now this was something completely different. Das EFX brought the “iggity” to hip-hop which would be copied by dozens of artists to follow. “Mic Checka” is deserving of this list as well, but “They Want EFX” conjures up great memories from my younger years and still makes me smile and nod my head to this day.

8. “Damn It Feels Good To Be A Gangsta” – Geto Boys
Thank you Office Space. Mike Judge used this song for his hilarious take on life in a cubicle and while the Geto Boys are the complete opposite of the characters in the movie, it somehow fit. I love cranking the volume on this song and putting my windows down on a sunny day and driving around. I know that I’m way too old to be doing this. And I know I’m the furthest thing from being gangsta. But I can’t help it.

7. “Deep Cover” – Dr. Dre & Snoop Doggy Dogg
This song introduced the world to Snoop, and launched Dr. Dre’s solo career. This song could easily be the No. 1 song of the year (No. 6-No. 1 are just that damn good), but I held it back for one reason and that is The Chronic came out in ’92 as well and there is a better Dre song for me to pick. (On a side note, I know I’m only picking one song per album, but this was on the Deep Cover soundtrack, not on The Chronic, and it had too damn big of an impact to be left off.)

6. “It Was A Good Day” – Ice Cube
My favorite Ice Cube song of all time and it’s by a landslide. People who don’t really care for hip-hop music love this song. And it isn’t watered down at all. Now that’s saying something. The Isley Brothers sample was the perfect choice for the backdrop as Cube recounts one helluva day. The song ended up hitting No. 1 on the Billboard Hot Rap Singles in 1993.

5. “Time 4 Sum Aksion” – Redman
This song gets me amped every time I hear it. Redman lyrically murders this track. The beat is terrific, the B-Real sample for the hook works perfectly, it’s just a hip-hop masterpiece. Redman’s best song by far.

4. “Juice (Know The Ledge)” – Eric B. & Rakim
The sample of Nat Adderley’s “Rise, Sally Rise” created one of the greatest beats ever made. And then you put the God MC on it? Hip-hop at it’s finest. Also featured in one of my favorite movies of the time, Juice.

3. “Passin’ Me By” – The Pharcyde
The Pharcyde’s debut album was phenomenal and this was the stand out. Imani grabs the listener immediately to kick off the song, but Fat Lip delivers the best verse of all with his failed love letter to close out the song.

2. “They Reminisce Over You” – Pete Rock & C.L. Smooth
From a production stand point, I’m not sure you’ll ever find a better hip-hop song. It’s just a beautiful blend that any rapper would kill to rhyme over. C.L. Smooth takes the amazing beat to another level with his lyrics. Vivid descriptions of his childhood that make the song an ode to the days of yesteryear, which now serves as the best window to the early ‘90’s.

1. “Nuthin’ But A ‘G’ Thang” – Dr. Dre feat. Snoop Doggy Dogg
The greatest song from my No. 2 hip-hop album of all time, this IS 1992. Songs 2-7 could all be No. 1 on other years. But not in ’92. Not with “’G Thang” in the mix. “1, 2, 3 and to the 4…” Go ahead. Recite the rest. The best summertime song ever made. One of the best songs ever made. Period.

Best Albums

10. F.U. Don’t Take It Personal – Fu-Schnickens
There were some unique hip-hop acts in the early ‘90’s and the Fu-Schnickens were certainly among them. Chip-Fu could rhyme faster than anyone I had ever heard at the time and even rhymed backwards on “Movie Scene,” which is still incredible to listen to now. “La Schmoove” is my No. 11 song on the above list and “Ring The Alarm” is also deserving of the top 20 songs of 1992.

9. Music To Driveby – Compton’s Most Wanted
This album was genuine gangsta rap. MC Eiht seemed legitimately scary. When I saw Menace II Society, I believed Eiht to be the most realistic character and I don’t think it was any stretch for him to act that part. “Hood Took Me Under,” “N 2 Deep” and “Def Wish II” are as hard as they come.

8. Check Your Head – Beastie Boys
The Beasties had come a long way from their Licensed To Ill days on this one. The trio showed off their musical chops, mixing rock and rap on tracks like “So What’Cha Want” while bringing some of their old style on “Jimmy James” and reppin’ straight hip-hop on “Pass The Mic.”

7. Mecca And The Soul Brother – Pete Rock & C.L. Smooth
The album that contains “They Reminisce Over You” is one of the most well-rounded albums of ’92. An album full of Pete Rock beats is always a good thing. And though he’s worked alongside just about every MC out there, no one sounds better or brings more life to a Pete Rock beat than C.L. Smooth.

6. Business Never Personal – EPMD
EPMD was a staple in the late 80’s and early 90’s. This was their darkest outing at the time. “Head Banger,” “Can’t Hear Nothing But The Music,” and “It’s Going Down” are all hard hitting, head nodders. “Crossover” was fantastic as well, as EPMD discussed artists selling their souls for commercial success. (Ironically, the song was one of the group’s more commercially successful songs.)

5. Dead Serious – Das EFX
The first five songs on the album are all fantastic. “Mic Checka” kicks things off and grabs your attention immediately. The Slick Rick sampled “Jussummen” comes next followed by the Diggity-Das’ greatest song “They Want EFX.” The album also contained one of my favorite Das tracks in “Dum Dums” which cleverly samples Otis Redding’s “The Happy Song.”

4. Whut? Thee Album – Redman
The album that brought Reggie Noble to the hip-hop world. “Time 4 Sum Aksion” is an all-time classic, but that wasn’t the lone standout on the album. “Watch Yo Nuggets,” “Blow Your Mind,” “Tonight’s Da Night” and the first installment of the “Sooperman Lover” series round out the album.

3. The Predator – Ice Cube
Critics will pick AmeriKKKa’s Most Wanted as Cube’s best record. I pick The Predator. “It Was A Good Day” is Cube’s most popular song, while “Check Yo Self” and “Wicked” are both among my favorite songs of the ‘90’s. I don’t care for intros or skits. But the intro to this album which leads into “When Will They Shoot?” is a tremendous opener.

2. Bizarre Ride II The Pharcyde – The Pharcyde
“Ya Mama,” “Passin’ Me By” and “Otha Fish” is an absolutely tremendous three-song stretch. During a time when West Coast hip-hop was synonymous with gangsta rap, the Pharcyde offered something different out of California. It was sort of like a West Coast Native Tongues offering with a humorous twist.

1. The Chronic – Dr. Dre
No surprise here. This is my No. 2 album of all time. G-Funk was born. Snoop was introduced to the world on “Deep Cover,” but became a star because of The Chronic. The Chronic also brought us The Dogg Pound, Nate Dogg, The Lady of Rage, and RBX. The intro hits you in the face and is followed by some of the finest songs ever put on record, including “Fuck Wit Dre Day,” “Let Me Ride,” “Nuthin’ But A ‘G’ Thang,” “Deeez Nuuuts,” and “Lil’ Ghetto Boy.” The skits are still enjoyable to this day, the outro is fantastic and the album closes with “Bitches Ain’t Shit.” What more can you ask for?

That’ll wrap up 1992. The Best of 1993 will be along shortly.