The Best Hip-Hop Songs & Albums: 1995

After a monster year in ’94, how will 1995 stack up? One thing is for sure, the Wu definitely dominated the year and continued their industry takeover. Another legend made his debut in ’95 and hip-hop music had a little darker feel in ’95. The rules are simple: 20 songs (one per album) and 10 albums make up the Best of lists. Here we go….

Best of 1995

Best Songs

20. “Player’s Anthem” – Junior M.A.F.I.A.
Biggie brought his crew along introducing us to Lil’Cease and Lil’ Kim on this track. The hook is certainly the must memorable part of the track, but Biggie does kill it on this one as well. Like this track a lot more than “Get Money.” (But not more than 1996’s remix, “Gettin Money.”)

19. “Neva Go Back” – Special Ed
At one point in 1995, this was my favorite song. I loved the beat to this track. And Special Ed was riding high from his spot as one of the Crooklyn Dodgers for 1994’s “Crooklyn.” I can recite every word to this song and I haven’t really heard it much in the last few years, so it was a nice reminder of my love for hip-hop in my teen years.

18. “1,2 Pass It” – D&D All-Stars
Amazing collaboration here. Truly an all-star team assembled to rhyme over this Premo banger. Track starts with Mad Lion who passes the mic off to Doug E. Fresh, then KRS-One, Fat Joe, Smif-N-Wessun and finally Jeru the Damaja. Fat Joe opens his verse with, “Muthafuckas know who’s the best/If it ain’t Fat Joe then it must be Lord Finesse.” Jeru finishes with one of my favorite ad-libs, “We about to make like a bad check and bounce.”

17. “Proceed” – The Roots
Although the Roots debuted with Organix in 1993, I first heard their music with 1995’s “Distortion To Static.” While I love that song, this track is my favorite from Do You Want More?!!!??! and is one of my favorite Roots songs of all time. This track is timeless.

16. “Keep Their Heads Ringin’” – Dr. Dre
Three years removed from The Chronic, Dre dropped this banger on us for the Friday soundtrack. Head snapping beat and some more G-Funk to go along with Dre’s executive producer credit for Tha Dogg Pound’s 1995 debut, Dogg Food.

15. “Runnin’” – The Pharcyde
Pharcyde came back with another dope album with ‘95’s Labcabincalifornia. This was the lead single, produced by the late, great Dilla. Fat Lip opens the track with a terrific verse recalling his younger days getting picked on at school. And Imani’s verse to close the song out is my favorite. This sounds as fresh today as it did when it dropped.

14. “Whutcha Want?” – Nine
Certainly one of the most unique voices in hip-hop history, Nine commands your attention. This was his debut single and it enjoyed some commercial success, hitting No. 50 on the U.S. Hot 100 charts. The beat on this track is sick. What ever happened to Nine?

13. “Elevation” – The B.U.M.S.
Now this is some classic hip-hop. And what the hell ever happened to the B.U.M.S.? Their debut album, Lyfe N Tyme, would’ve been one of my favorites, but they decided to put a skit in between each track, stretching 10 tracks of dope music into 20 tracks of music and skits. I can’t stress this enough, I HATE skits on hip-hop albums. This track is fantastic. The B.U.M.S. were fantastic. Wish they would’ve had a longer career.

12. “Put It On” – Big L
Here’s that legendary debut I was talking about in the intro. Big L didn’t knock on the door in ’95, he kicked that shit down. L dropped a classic album in ’95 and this was the lead single. L’s verses are all hip-hop quotables. And Kid Capri was a nice touch for the hook.

11. “Mad Izm” – Channel Live feat. KRS-One
What better way to make a name for yourself than to grab the Blastmaster? Only problem with that is, you’re sharing the mic with KRS. Not that Channel Live doesn’t hold their own, but KRS just flat out owns this track. A weed anthem over one of my favorite beats.

10. “How High?” – Method Man & Redman
Did someone say weed anthem? This is the track that began the Red & Meth partnership. Which brought us Blackout!, How High? the movie and of course the Red & Meth show on FOX. Okay, so almost all good things came from this collabo. Lyrically, I’m not sure who takes the cake here, as Red & Meth seem to one up each other throughout the track.

9. “I Got 5 On It” – Luniz
Well if we’re talking about weed anthems, how about we up the ante? This one is a true classic. The Luniz made multiple remixes/reprises of this song, including the great West Coast Ballas Remix with E-40, Digital Underground, Dru Down, Spice-1 & Richie Rich, but I’ll take the original any day.

8. “Dear Mama” – 2Pac
Has there ever been a more heartfelt song in hip-hop? I always thought this was the perfect Mother’s Day song, until Pac says, “And even as a crack fiend, Mama/You always was a black queen, Mama.” Still heartfelt and sincere, regardless. Nobody could pull this song off like 2Pac. Nobody.

7. “Tha Crossroads” – Bone Thugs-N-Harmony
I still love this song even though I’ve heard it 1,000,000 times. Perhaps not as much as when it came out, but I still think it’s a great song. “1st of the Month” was also worthy of this list, but I got excited every time “Tha Crossroads” came on the radio and loved the video with Eazy-E leading the angels up to Heaven.

6. “Shadowboxin’” – GZA feat. Method Man
I’ll talk more about Liquid Swords in detail below, but this shit was ridiculous. This track probably belonged on Tical because it’s more Meth than GZA. This is one of the hardest, rawest Wu tracks ever made. Meth’s first verse is as good as they come.

5. “Ice Cream” – Raekwon feat. Ghostface Killah, Cappadonna & Method Man
Meth is fantastic on this and the perfect choice for the hook. The Eddie Murphy line from Delirious is also a great touch. Ghostface steals the show on this one with his Adina Howard line. From a production standpoint, RZA couldn’t be touched between 1993-95. This track is so ill.

4. “Brooklyn Zoo” – Ol’ Dirty Bastard
That’s right, three Wu tracks in a row. I know I said “Shadowboxin’” was one of the rawest Wu tracks ever made, but this track IS the rawest Wu track ever made. Ol’ Dirty goes crazy over some distorted keys and horns. RZA hit another home run and Ol’ Dirty also knocked it out of the park. And yes, I love “Shimmy Shimmy Ya,” but this is just too dope!

3. “Last Dayz” – Onyx
Onyx has always been in your face and nasty, but this track is more sinister than anything they ever dropped. You may remember this beat from 8 Mile. And as dope as that battle scene is, it’s nothing compared to the original version. Sticky Fingaz drops a gem, “Thought about taking my own life, might as well/Except they might not sell weed in Hell/And that’s where I’m going because the Devil’s inside of me/They make me rob from own nationality/That’s kind of ignorant/But yo, I gotta pay the rent/So yeah, I’ll stick a n-gga most definite.” That’s some real shit.

2. “Let’s Git It On” – Smif-N-Wessun
I wanted to put “Bucktown” on this list. “Bucktown” deserves to be on the Best of 1995 list. But “Let’s Git It On” is my favorite track off Smif-N-Wessun’s classic Dah Shinin’. Anytime two MC’s go back-and-forth like Tek & Steele do on this banger, it will win me over. The beat is a banger and Tek and Steele flow seamlessly over it, trading the mic back and forth perfectly. One of my favorite Boot Camp songs ever made.

1.“Shook Ones Part II” – Mobb Deep
Where do I start? The beat is one of the greatest ever made. The lyrics have been reused/sampled 100 times over on other songs. Prodigy opens the song with a classic verse, Havoc follows with more of the same. I could listen to this song every day for the rest of my life and never get tired of it. I just put it on while writing this and had to stop to listen because I love it that much. Hip-Hop couldn’t be more perfect than this track.

Best Albums

10. All We Got Iz Us - Onyx
This album dropped a day before my birthday, so I have a special connection to the record. I loved “Live Niguz” off The Show soundtrack and was glad to find it here as well. And then of course it contained “Last Dayz,” which I already discussed above. Other standouts included the title track, “Betta Off Dead,” and one of my personal favorites, “Two Wrongs.”

9. Do You Want More?!!!??! – The Roots
Again, I didn’t have Organix, nor did I hear it, so this album was my introduction to The Roots. Since this album dropped, The Roots have become one of my favorite hip-hop acts ever. I’ve seen them live at least half a dozen times and I’ve never seen a better show than their Halloween show circa 2001. So many great tracks on this disc, “Proceed,” “Distortion To Static,” “Mellow My Man,” “Datskat,” “Essaywhuman?!!!??!,” “Silent Treatment,” and “The Lesson Pt. 1” just to name a few.

8. Me Against The World – 2Pac
As I’ve said before, Pac got better with every album. This was his third disc and it’s definitely a great one. 2Pac recorded this in the weeks leading up to his prison sentence and it’s definitely personal and reflective. “If I Die 2Nite” is a great way to open the album and “So Many Tears,” “Dear Mama,” “Can U Get Away,” and “Death Around The Corner” are all highlights.

7. Return To The 36 Chambers: The Dirty Version – Ol’ Dirty Bastard
Ol’ Dirty just happened to release his debut the same year as two classic Wu solo albums, which brings this down a few notches. Then again, this album didn’t sound like anything else that dropped in 1995. True it still had that raw Wu sound that RZA made famous, but Dirty was absolutely crazy on this album. “Shimmy Shimmy Ya” and “Brooklyn Zoo” are the two big singles from the album, but other great tracks include “Rawhide,” “Damage,” “The Stomp,” “Goin’ Down,” “Snakes” and “Cuttin’ Headz.”

6. Lifestyles Ov Da Rich And Dangerous – Big L
L was a lyrical giant and this was the first real look at how dope he was. The whole album is brilliant as Big L spits over some of D.I.T.C.’s finest beats. “Put It On,” “MVP,” “Danger Zone,” “Da Graveyard” and “Let ‘Em Have It ‘L’” are among my favorite cuts on the album. Also featured a young Jay-Z and an unknown Cam’ron. R.I.P. Big L.

5. Dah Shinin’ – Smif-N-Wessun
This is another classic Boot Camp album, as the Beatminerz cook up some of their best beats for Tek and Steele to let loose on. It’s loaded with great songs, including all-time greats “Bucktown” and “Let’s Git It On.” This first 8 songs on this album are among the strongest you’ll find on any hip-hop album. This record was pure hip-hop.

4. E. 1999 Eternal – Bone Thugs-N-Harmony
I used to play this album every night before bed. I’d pop the CD in my discman and lay in bed and zone out to some of the illest shit I’d ever heard. Bone proved to be more than just a gimmick or one-trick pony as they composed songs that covered everything from welfare to death to weed anthems and then some straight up gangsta shit. The production on this was perfect and this album, as well as the remix to “Crossroad” (which became “Tha Crossroads”), launched Bone into superstardom.

3. The Infamous – Mobb Deep
The fact that this album is No. 3 tells you it was a good year for hip-hop. “Shook Ones Part II” was the song of the year, but it was far from being the only standout. With help from Raekwon, Ghostface, Nas, Big Noyd and Q-Tip, Mobb delivered one of the finest albums of the 90’s. “Survival Of The Fittest,” “Eye For An Eye,” “Right Back At You,” and “Drink Away The Pain” are all worthy of being top 20 songs for ’95.

2. Liquid Swords – GZA
The No.1 album has to be damn good for this to be No. 2. And it is. But if you prefer this one over it, I couldn’t really blame you. Of all the unbelievable MCs in the Wu-Tang Clan, Genius is the best lyricist and he shows that off here. Rhyme for rhyme, no one can mess with him. RZA brings some of his finest production on this one as this album delivers classic after classic. There isn’t a weak spot on the entire album. The title track, “4th Chamber” and “Shadowboxin’” remain three of my favorite Wu tracks ever made.

1.Only Built 4 Cuban Linx – Raekwon
I told you the No. 1 album was a classic. Raekwon, with help from Ghostface Killah, brings the finest Wu solo album ever. If you read my Modern Day Classic story you’ll know how I feel about this album. There’s no way in hell Only Built 4 Cuban Linx II is as good as this album. “Knuckleheadz,” “Criminology,” “Incarcerated Scarfaces,” “Glaciers of Ice,” “Verbal Intercourse,” “Ice Cream,” “Wu-Gambinos,” “Heaven & Hell,” where do I begin? RZA’s production is unbelievable. The guest spots are all phenomenal (my personal favorites are U-God on “Knuckleheadz,” Nas on “Verbal Intercourse” (which is a no-brainer) and Meth and RZA on “Wu-Gambinos.”) This album also brought the Wu aliases to us as the Clan became a mob family. Often imitated, but never duplicated, it’s flawless, timeless, classic hip-hop.

That’s it for 9-5. It was a very Wu year, that’s for certain. Also wanted to give special recognition to Goodie Mob who made their debut in ’95. I had Soul Food on my top 10 album list and “Cell Therapy” on my top 20 song list, but I bumped them both at the last second. Not that Goodie doesn’t deserve to make the list, but I will confess that I was a little late to the party with that album and never really appreciated it in ’95. It’s true that as you get older, you get wiser. But I stand by my list either way. Lots of great hip-hop there.

Up next, 1996, which has 2 more of my favorite albums of all time. Lots of great songs and albums to come. Check back soon.