The Best Hip-Hop Songs & Albums: 1994

1994 was a monster year for hip-hop. Two of the best rappers to ever grace a mic released their debut albums in ’94, while arguably the greatest duo in hip-hop history also debuted out of Atlanta. There were a few classic remixes that dropped in ’94, as well as some dream team collaborations. Oh, and my favorite song ever dropped in 1994. If you don't know how this works by now, go back and read the first few graphs for 1991. Alright, time's up.

Best of 1994

Best Songs

20. “The Most Beautifullest Thing In The World” – Keith Murray
Murray has always been on the lyrical tip and he flexes his vocabulary on his debut single. Erick Sermon offers the perfect backdrop for Murray to bend the English language on.

19. “I Seen A Man Die” – Scarface
This is a great story from ‘Face. The song’s about a man who is finally released from prison and hopes to live a better life. Instead, he reverts back to a world of crime and ends up getting murdered. The beat is sinister on this and Scarface’s vocals are chilling.

18. “Crooklyn” – Crooklyn Dodgers
Consisting of Buckshot, Special Ed & Masta Ace, this supergroup dropped the theme song to Spike Lee’s Crooklyn. Loved all three on this song, but Ace steals it with his final verse about ‘70’s TV icons running the streets.

17. “I Used To Love H.E.R.” – Common
Perhaps the greatest ode to hip-hop itself, Common portrays hip-hop as his girlfriend and takes you on a journey through hip-hop’s history. From underground, to conscience, to gangsta rap, hip-hop has evolved and been represented in so many forms and Common touches on all of it here.

16. “Back In The Day” – Ahmad
I was a huge fan of Ahmad back in ’94. He brought a different sound out of the West Coast and was more of any everyday rapper. This is his only hit record and it is a great throwback to the wonder years. I can relate to the hook even more in 2011, “Back in the days when I was young, I’m not a kid anymore/But some days I sit and wish I was a kid again.”

15. “Without A Doubt” – Black Sheep
The Sheep brought a much different sound on their second album, Non-Fiction. A lot of soulful joints on the album and it never got the credit it deserved. This was the lead single and Dres is fantastic on this one. I can listen to this track any day at any time and nod my head along and smile.

14. “Wrong Side Of The Tracks” – Artifacts
How could I forget two of Jersey's finest? This song was about bombing, which was a nice throwback to the origins of hip-hop culture. The horns on this song are ridiculous. Tame and El are incredibly dope and I'm hoping the reunion rumors are true.

13. “Regulate” – Warren G. & Nate Dogg
What really needs to be said about this song? It’s a hip-hop classic. Non hip-hop fans can recite this word for word. And sampling Michael McDonald? Not exactly what I would expect for the G-Funk era, but damn did Nate kill it with his silky smooth vocals.

12. “DWYCK” – Gang Starr feat. Nice & Smooth
A freestyle from Guru, Greg Nice and Smooth B over a classic Primo beat. So many memorable lines from this song. “Lemonade was a popular drink and it still is/I get more props and stunts than Bruce Willis.” It’s hip-hop in its rawest, barebones form and it is one of the finest representations of what true hip-hop is.

11. “How Long Will They Mourn Me?” – Thug Life feat. Nate Dogg
Nate Dogg is back, this time along with 2Pac and his Thug Life gang. Pac is terrific on this track as he talks about his fallen friend over some organs. Definitely one of my favorite Pac songs and Nate Dogg was the perfect choice for the hook.

10. “Claimin’ I’m A Criminal” – Brand Nubian
Dope, dope, dope, dope, dope shit right here. Lord Jamar starts the song with a verse about the police kicking in his mother’s door to arrest him for educating the black youth through his music. Sadat X follows with a tale of being behind bars and losing everything, including his wife, children and his “casual freedom.” X goes on with, “A million inmates but your still alone/You’re not crying, but inside you’re dying/You might cry in the night/When you’re safe and outta sight.” How cold is that?

9. “1-800-Suicide” – The Gravediggaz
From a production standpoint, this is one of the best songs of ’94. Prince Paul absolutely killed it with this beat. Lyrically Frukwan and Too Poetic deliver, but it’s RZA on the final verse that is the true show stealer as he offers up ways for six “apprentices” to off themselves. He then ends the verse with,“More graves to dig, goodbye/There’s no need to cry/Because we all die,” which leads into some Vincent Price-esque laughter.

8. “Flava In Ya Ear (Remix)” – Craig Mack feat. Notorious B.I.G., Rampage, LL Cool J & Busta Rhymes
Not surprisingly another one of the best posse cuts ever made involved Busta Rhymes. From the opening with Puff saying “Bad Boys, come out and play” to Biggie ripping up the first verse this song grabbed your attention immediately and never let go. The original is worthy of this list as well, but Mack got murdered on his own shit by both Biggie and Busta.

7. “Maintain” – Organized Konfusion
To this day I probably listen to this song at least once every few months. I own over 1,000 CDs. My iPod has well over 10,000 songs on it. And yet, I find myself putting this song on that frequently. Prince Po’s opening verse is solid, but it’s Pharoahe Monch that takes this song to another level. Starting the second verse in song and then following that with a description of what should be an everyday task turning sour due to the color of his skin is some dope, introspective shit.

6. “Player’s Ball” – Outkast
The song that brought the best duo in hip-hop to us all. There is no better Southern rap act and I can’t think of a better 1-2 punch in hip-hop than Andre 3000 and Big Boi. They were in their late teens when this song was made. A couple of Southern players riding around in caddy’s with a smokeout in the back seat. This was originally a Christmas song, which still cracks me up to this day.

5. “Nappy Heads (Remix)” – The Fugees
The song that was No. 1 on my 30 greatest remix list, Wyclef, Lauryn and Pras find the right formula on this track. The rest of their debut album was mostly a miss, but this song helped save their career and set them up for superstardom with 1996’s The Score.

4. “N.Y. State of Mind” – Nas
Illmatic had no flaws. None. You could pick any song off that album and put it on this list and it would be justified. I can understand why someone would pick “The World Is Yours,” “One Love” or “Represent.” Or maybe the lead single, “Ain’t Hard To Tell.” But this song is my favorite Nas song of all time. Lyrically, it is one of the best songs in hip-hop history. And from a production standpoint, DJ Premier delivers one of his finest beats. This is hip-hop perfection.

3. “Time’s Up” – O.C.
Perhaps the illest beat I’ve ever heard. It’s unbelievable. There’s nothing fancy or flashy about it. It’s raw, bare bones production and it’s perfection. Not surprising it’s Buckwild on the beat. What’s more incredible is O.C. isn’t shown up by the beat. He absolutely rips it on this. I wouldn’t want to hear this beat with anyone but O.C. Just like Nas & Primo on “N.Y. State of Mind,” O.C. & Buckwild made the perfect hip-hop song in “Time’s Up.”

2. “Warning” – The Notorious B.I.G.
I understand the significance of “Juicy.” I also understand how unbelievably dope “Juicy” is. I wanted to include “Juicy” on this list. But “Warning” is my favorite Biggie song and I had to stay true to myself and not go with the popular pick. “Who the fuck is this?/Pagin’ me at 5:46…” The concept of this song is truly original as Biggie receives a call from his man Pop from the Barbershop and the two discuss a rumored plan about Biggie’s murder. It’s hard hitting, head noddin’ and the story is as good as they come. This song made me a Biggie fan and there’s nothing more that needs to be said.

1. “Bring The Pain” – Method Man
This is my favorite song of all time. I love the production. I love the lyrics. I loved the video. I love the song title. I love Booster’s appearance for the hook. I love that Meth incorporated the torture skit from 36 Chambers for the end of the song. I love the opening line. I love everything about this song. Some people sing in the shower. I recite the lyrics to “Bring The Pain” in the shower. True story. I have listened to this song for 17 years now and I’ve never grown tired of it. I’ve never skipped it when my iPod’s on shuffle and I doubt I ever will.

Best Albums

10. Dare Iz A Darkside – Redman
Originally had “Rockafella” on the top 20 song list, but had to bump it from the list. Just too many great songs in '94. Redman’s first three albums were all fantastic and this one definitely lived up to his debut. “Noorotic,” “Cosmic Slop,” “Green Island,” and “Wuditlooklike” were all crazy good. And “Can’t Wait” is one of Redman’s finest. The video was terrific with Red dressed up as a grown baby and his last verse is sensational.

9. Resurrection – Common
This is underground hip-hop at it’s finest. And it’s been a long time since Common and underground were uttered in the same sentence. I’m happy Common made it big. He deserved it. And he still hasn’t sold out despite his fame. Not only did this album contain “I Used To Love H.E.R.,” it had other standouts like the title track, “Thisisme,” and “Chapter 13 (Rich Man vs. Poor Man).” And the track that I will always remember is “Sum Shit I Wrote” which was the name of the column written by the late Dave Ellis, who wrote weekly features about hip-hop that were as personal and genuine as you could find on his site, Hip-Hop-Reviewz.

8. Hard To Earn – Gang Starr
My second favorite Gang Starr album. This album is chock full of great songs. I am seriously debating switching “DWYCK” for “Code of the Streets” on the top 20 song list as we speak. I may change it before I finish writing this section. That’s how damn good those two songs both were. I’ll leave it as is, but “DWYCK” is 1a and “Code of the Streets” is 1b. It’s that close. And I’d have “Mass Appeal,” “Speak Ya Clout,” and “Suckas Need Bodyguards” as 2a, 2b and 2c. Damn, I love “F.A.L.A.” with Big Shug as well. This album was ridiculously dope. Some of Premo’s best beats and Lord knows he’s had a Hall of Fame career.

7. The Diary – Scarface
I straight up loved this album. Great southern hip-hop. Great gangsta rap. ‘Face is one of the greatest to ever do it. This is my favorite Scarface album by far. “Jesse James,” “I Seen A Man Die,” “Goin Down,” and “Mind Playin’ Tricks ‘94” are all terrific. The Ice Cube assisted “Hand of the Dead Body” breaks down censorship and politicians against violence in hip-hop music, to which ‘Face says, “Gangsta Nip, Spice 1 or 2Pac never gave a gun to me/So gangsta rap ain’t done shit for that/I’ve seen white folks from River Oaks go get the gat.” Dope.

6. Stress: Extinction Agenda – Organized Konfusion
I’ve already mentioned how much I love “Maintain,” but the whole album is tremendous. The title track introduced me to Prince Po & Pharoahe Monch, while the b-side to that single, “Keep It Koming,” was also solid. “Stray Bullet” is one of the most original concept songs ever made and Pharoahe’s verse from the perspective of the bullet is mind blowing. No pun intended.

5. 6 Feet Deep – The Gravediggaz
The idea of “horror-core” as it was known was a unique twist on gangsta rap. The Flatlinerz, Half Pit Half Dead and others brought satanic verses over haunting production. And it was kind of dope. But no one did it better than the Gravediggaz. Putting two geniuses like Prince Paul and RZA together for a concept album could only lead to greatness and the 6 Feet Deep didn’t disappoint. On “Nowhere To Run, Nowhere To Hide,” RZA includes a Wu-Tang tease, while Wu affiliates Killah Priest and Shabazz The Disciple join the fun on “Diary of the Madman,” in which RZA chews his own arm off to escape from certain death. This album was unique in every way and still stands out on its own today.

4. Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik – Outkast
Outkast has evolved so much since their debut, but this was about 2 dope boys in a Cadillac, making Southern playa music. Okay, so I just wrote that and realized I pretty much just rewrote the name of the album. I guess they got their point across. So many memorable songs from this album including the title track, “Player’s Ball,” “Claimin’ True,” “Ain’t No Thang” and “Hootie Hoo.” Outkast also introduced us to Cee-Lo and Big Gip on “Git Up, Git Out.” Organized Noize provided the production for all the early Dugeon Family releases and are credited with dozens of classics. Their sound fit Andre & Big Boi perfectly as this was a glimpse of more greatness that would come from Outkast.

3. Tical – Method Man
It not only contains my favorite song of all time, it’s a classic hip-hop album. With Only Built For Cuban Linx and Liquid Swords both dropping to critical acclaim in 1995, I feel Tical became the forgotten Wu classic of that era. It was mostly just Meth rhyming over RZA production, with the exception of a few collaborations, including the fantastic “Meth vs. Chef,” with Raekwon. The first eight tracks on the album are as good as any you’ll find on any Wu-Tang album, and “Mr. Sandman” and “Method Man (Remix)” help to close the album out on a high note. Seriously, if you haven’t heard this album in a while, go give it a listen and you’ll be reminded how unbelievably dope Meth was back in ’94.

2. Illmatic – Nas
How can this be No. 2? It’s the definition of hip-hop. A flawless debut. Nas has never been better and he’s one of the greatest of all time. What does that tell you? There are only 4 albums that could beat this one out for No. 1 and one of them just so happened to drop in 1994. It’s my No. 5 album of all time. Great production, unbelievable lyrics and no filler. How can you skip any track on this album? You simply can’t.

1. Ready To Die – The Notorious B.I.G.
My No. 4 album of all time, that’s why it edges out Illmatic for the No. 1 spot in 1994. And while some would argue that Illmatic is better, Ready To Die is really deserving of the top spot for this year. Not only did Biggie take over hip-hop in ’94 with this album and his appearance on the “Flava N Ya Ear (Remix),” this is the masterpiece of one of music’s biggest icons. This had something for everyone and showed how versatile Biggie was. He could make songs for the radio without selling out (“Juicy,” “Big Poppa”), deliver gutter, hardcore East Coast shit (“Gimme The Loot,” “The What”), drop something for true hip-hop heads (“Unbelievable”) and bring conceptual gems (“Warning,” “Suicidal Thoughts”). Lyrically, every song has quotables and the production team of Easy Mo Bee, The Hitmen, DJ Premier and Lord Finesse brought some unforgettable beats to match the unbelievable gifts of Biggie.

’94’s a wrap. So much incredible music. My favorite song ever, as well as my No. 4 & 5 albums of all time. I’m not sure there will be a year with better songs. We’ll see what ’95 has to offer though. See ya in a few days. (On a side note, I had iTunes on shuffle while I was writing this and as I was finishing “Warning” came on. No lie. It must be a sign.)