1999 brought everything you could want from hip-hop. Back packer music? Check. Party anthems? Check. Club bangers? Check. Street shit? Check. Lyricism? Oh, hell yeah. Some fresh new faces that would go on to be legends, the return of a legend, a posthumous release from one of the greatest of all time and four classic albums all in one year. That’s some good hip-hop right there.
So let’s cut to the chase.
Best Songs
20. “Bitch Please” – Snoop Dogg feat. Xzibit & Nate Dogg
Snoop rhyming over a Dre beat again. YES!!! Why these two didn’t continue to make music together from start to finish is beyond me. Snoop has gone on to be a larger than life figure, more so than his music, but no one ever brought out the best in Snoop like the mighty D.R.E. And we’ll hear from them again in ’99. Nate Dogg (R.I.P.) brought more timeless vocals and Xzibit brings the heat.
19. “WWIII” – Pharoahe Monch & Shabaam Sahdeeq
From Rawkus Records’ Soundbombing II, Pharoahe and Shabaam deliver verbal darts over an absolute head nodder. Big year for Monch in 1999, as he delivered his solo debut, the underground favorite “Simon Says” and made appearances on plenty of albums. I’ve always wondered what happened to Sahdeeq’s career as he definitely had the skills to be a force in the game. It’s a shame he didn’t blow up.
18. “What’s My Name?” – DMX
This was DMX’s third album in a two-year span. That’s crazy. Not that he needed to remind anyone of his presence, but DMX made it known that he wasn’t going anywhere with this banger. X was in your face with this track and still brought some hard shit despite his success. “Party Up” was the bigger commercial success, but this is what DMX is really about as an artist: Crazy energy and an “I’ma smack the shit out you” attitude.
17. “Watch For The Hook” – Cool Breeze feat. The Dungeon Family
I still can’t understand why Cool Breeze’s debut album was edited. Just doesn’t make any sense. Does an album have to have curses to be good? No, of course not. But if you’re gonna use the language then leave it in. No need to edit it. Regardless, this was a really dope track as Outkast, Witchdoctor and Goodie Mob join Cool Breeze for a lyrical onslaught. And guess who the show stealer is? (Hint: His name rhymes with Smandre Keythousand). Nice homage to Reservoir Dogs for the video as well.
16. “Whatcha Gonna Do?” – Terror Squad
While it’s on the Terror Squad album, this track is a solo cut from Big Punisher. The beat on this is an absolute banger and Pun rips it apart. What else is new? This was more representative of Capital Punishment than the Terror Squad album.
15. “Quiet Storm (Remix)” – Mobb Deep feat. Lil’ Kim
This beat is just flat out ridiculous. Havoc has put out so many great beats, it’s hard to rank them, but this is definitely up there. The original was terrific, but Kim’s addition was the right touch for the remix. While I don’t hate Lil’ Kim at all, I certainly wouldn’t have picked her for the remix, but she brought it on this and made the track even more memorable.
14. “The Smackdown” – Apathy feat. Rise, Celph Titled & C-Rayz Walz
I had heard other Apathy songs and was a fan, but couldn’t get my hands on this one anywhere. I tried downloading, buying the single online, anything I could and I just couldn’t find it at all. Then he released It’s the Bootleg, Muthafuckas! Vol. I and I finally got to hear this. It didn’t disappoint. Such a ridiculous track, with the Willie Mitchell sample of “Groovin’” (also found on GZA’s “Liquid Swordz”) and C-Rayz Walz’s verse to end the song delivers punchline after punchline. Real lyricism right here.
13. “Concrete Schoolyard” – Jurassic 5
What crew did a better job than J5 of bringing back that old school feel, while making it still sound fresh? None. There are a few that have done it well, but no one is close to these guys. Unbelievably dope track here and my 2nd favorite J5 song (behind “What’s Golden”). The lyrics, the beat and the four MCs rhyming in perfect sync, it’s the goodness.
12. “Scary Movies” – Bad Meets Evil
I’m pretty excited for the Bad Meets Evil EP that’s going to drop on June 14th. But I wish they would’ve released an album in ’99 when Em and Royce were still fresh new faces to the game. Eminem has gone on to superstardom since this track came out and Royce has continued to hone his skills and is one of the best in the game, but the original shock value of hearing these two spit was unlike anything else. Super dope beat on this one and Royce and Em take turns ripping it to shreds.
11. “The Truth” – Handsome Boy Modeling School featuring J-Live & Roisin
The music on this track is so damn good. You may’ve heard the instrumental of this on the promo for AMC’s Mad Men. Roisin delivers with beautiful vocals before J-Live joins and kicks an outstanding verse. This ain’t some boom bap hip-hop by any means, it’s actually a mix of blues, R&B and hip-hop, but I couldn’t leave it off the list because it’s just too dope.
10. “Ms. Fat Booty” – Mos Def
Mos Def’s solo album is terrific. There are so many songs that could’ve made this list, but for my money nothing tops “Ms. Fat Booty.” Mos shows off his skills as a story teller as he creates a story about a honey dip he meets at the club and falls in love with, only to find that she’s not the commitment type. Damn. Ayatollah comes correct with the beat and the sample of Aretha Franklin’s “One Step Ahead” works perfectly.
9. “So Ghetto” – Jay-Z
Jay rhyming over a Primo beat just sounds right. DJ Premier brings one that’s hard as hell and Hov opens up shop letting people know that his celebrity has not taken the streets out of him. Lots of memorable lines here and it was really refreshing to hear this after Jay went the commercial route with “Can I Get A...,” “It’s Alright” and “Money Ain’t A Thang,” all of which I pretty much hated. Shout out to “Big Pimpin’” here as well, as it may’ve become a commercial smash, but that shit was just incredible. Gotta give Jay props for turning U.G.K. on to a larger audience as well. That exposure was much deserved for Bun B and Pimp C.
8. “Nas Is Like” – Nas
Speaking of MCs who sound great over Primo beats, Nas is No. 2 on that list (after Guru of course). Premier is responsible for my favorite Nas song of all time (“N.Y. State of Mind”) and the two reconnected for this banger. Primo brings a great beat, Nas spits amazing lyrics, what more is there to say?
7. “Alphabet Aerobics” – Blackalicious
No one delivered a bigger “WOW” factor in terms of a single performance by an MC in 1999 than Gift of Gab did on this track. He rhymes the entire alphabet picking up speed with his rhymes as he moves from A-to-Z. Seriously, words can’t do it justice so go find this song online and listen to it. You won’t be sorry.
6. “Da Rockwilder” – Method Man & Redman
Only 2 minutes long, but undoubtedly great. Rockwilder on the beat, hence the name, as this was a club banger in 1999 and remains a great party starter to this day. Saw Red & Meth perform together a few years back and when they did this song the whole place went ape shit. Love the use of Cypress Hill’s “Hand On The Pump” to finish off the song.
5. “Watch Out Now” – The Beatnuts
One of the biggest hip-hop injustices was J-Lo charting a top 10 hit for “Jenny From The Block” after the ‘Nuts had one of their best tracks completely hijacked and bastardized. And I like Jadakiss and Styles P., and there’s no doubt they did it for the paycheck, but shame on them for jumping on the track with Jennifer Lopez. JuJu discussed this further on “Confused Rappers,” and takes shots at J-Lo for not being able to sing and for being “no Salma Hayek.” As for “Watch Out Now,” it’s my favorite Beatnuts song and is pure hip-hop gold.
4. “Dead Wrong” – The Notorious B.I.G. feat. Eminem
Born Again was a tough album to judge as it was great to get some more music from Biggie, but at the same time you knew some of the collaborations were all wrong. Taking old Biggie verses and putting them with the hottest new artist in 1999 produce mixed results. But this was so right. Em’s verse is terrific and further cemented his place as one of the best in the game, but Big’s first verse is the best on the track.
3. “Just Don’t Give A Fuck” – Eminem
Although this was released as a single in 1998, I’m putting it on my Best of ’99 list because it was included on Em’s debut album which dropped in 1999 and because this is my list, I get to make the rules. I actually had this song on cassette single with “Brain Damage” as the b-side. I bought it without ever hearing Em’s voice, but knew him from The Source’s Unsigned Hype column and was intrigued by the description they gave of him. Little did I know this would serve as the first single on one of the biggest debut albums in hip-hop history. Em made me a fan right off the bat and he remains one of my favorites.
2. “You Got Me” – The Roots feat. Erkyah Badu & Eve
This joint won the Roots a Grammy and rightfully so. Co-written by Jill Scott, who was replaced by Badu thanks to MCA demanding a more high-profile artist, this is a beautiful love song as Black Thought and Eve share the mic and describe the maturation of a relationship. While it’s tremendous from a lyrical standpoint, my favorite part of the song is ?uestlove’s drums along with Badu’s vocals following the third verse. It stopped me dead in my tracks the first time I saw the video for the song.
1. “Still D.R.E.” – Dr. Dre feat. Snoop Dogg
The anticipation for 2001 was off the charts and Dre delivered once again. This was the perfect first single for the album as it brought Dre and Snoop back together and delivered another classic. I remember Snoop talking about Jay-Z ghost writing the track and being blown away that Hov put Lolo’s in the hook. This is an absolute banger and it sounds as good today as it did 12 years ago. “Haters say Dre fell off/How n-gga? My last album was The Chronic.”
Best Albums
10. Internal Affairs – Pharoahe Monch
Thought about including “Simon Says” on the Best Songs list, but I had to go with “WWIII” instead (and yes, I know that track wasn’t on this album.) Pharoahe’s debut had a lot of great material on it as he’s always been an incredible MC. My favorite tracks are “Hell” featuring a hungry Canibus, “No Mercy” featuring a rowdy M.O.P. and “The Next Shit” with Pharoahe sharing the mic with Busta Rhymes. “Behind Closed Doors,” “The Light” and “The Truth” are all excellent tracks as well.
9. And Then There Was X – DMX
Three albums in two years from DMX was a little much, as Flesh Of My Flesh, Blood Of My Blood didn’t live up to his classic debut. This offering in 1999 was closer to It’s Dark And Hell Is Hot, as X was able to bring all the elements that made his debut so great. “Party Up” and “What These Bitches Want” brought great commercial success to this album, but my favorites are “One More Road To Cross,” “Here We Go Again,” and “What’s My Name?”
8. Blackout! – Method Man and Redman
After “How High?” was released as the lead single to The Show soundtrack, hip-hop fans worldwide were eager to hear more from Red and Meth. They did two more songs together for each other’s solo albums, but it wasn’t enough. This was a great collaboration album with so many memorable tracks and great production from RZA, Rockwilder and Erick Sermon.
7. I Am… – Nas
By 1999 it was pretty clear that we weren’t going to get another Illmatic. But we still demanded greatness from Nas and he didn’t let us down here. Although that changed in the same year as he also released the worst album of his career with Nastradamus. But I Am was what we wanted from Nas as it included more great street tales like “N.Y. State of Mind Pt. II,” “Small World” and the incredible “Undying Love”. The album also delivered the aforementioned Primo banger “Nas Is Like” and the great collaboration with Scarface on “Favor For A Favor.”
6. A Prince Among Thieves – Prince Paul
This concept album was absolutely incredible. The album followed the story of an up-and-coming MC named Tariq (played by Breezly Brewin’) who needed to get some quick cash to finish a demo before meeting with the RZA. Tariq’s best friend True, played by Big Sha, turns him on to the drug game as a way to make quick cash. The journey takes Tariq on a stop to a weapons dealer (played by Kool Keith) to get a gun, an encounter with a pimp (Big Daddy Kane), a run in with the cops (Everlast) and trip to jail with inmates Sadat X, Xzibit and Kid Creole, and then a showdown with his once friend who turned on him to steal his spotlight in the rap game. It’s crazy good.
5. Musical Massacre – The Beatnuts
I played the shit outta this album in 1999. Not only did it have “Watch Out Now” which was certainly one of the best songs of the year, it was terrific from start to finish. Of course the ‘Nuts came correct from a production standpoint and the guest spots were excellent as well. I’m a big Beatnuts fan and this is my favorite of their albums. I was supposed to see them open for Jurassic 5 once and they cancelled due to illness. Everyone in the place didn’t seem to care, but I was seriously bummed out.
4. Black On Both Sides – Mos Def
I said there were 4 classics released in 1999 and here’s the first of those four. Mos Def had a great 1998, and an even better 1999 as he released his timeless debut album. The album has no weak tracks or throwaways. Great production from Ayatollah (“Ms. Fat Booty” and “Know That” featuring Talib Kweli), 88-Keys (“Love,” and “Speed Law”) and of course a DJ Premier banger in “Mathematics”. Mos also showed off his vocal talents on the terrific “Umi Says” which is one of his finest songs.
3. 2001 – Dr. Dre
Suge Knight stole Dre’s Chronic 2000 title right from under him so Dre decided to skip the year completely and call his album 2001. The anticipation and expectations for this album couldn’t have been any higher. And Dre answered the call with another classic. The production was of course ridiculous and Dre got some help from Snoop, Xzibit and Eminem among others. Not surprisingly it was Em who stole the show on “What’s The Difference” and “Forgot About Dre,” but the entire album was great from start to finish. Unfortunately, from what I’ve heard off Detox, Dre may be about to serve up a clunker instead of a third classic. Makes me appreciate The Chronic and 2001 so much more.
2. The Slim Shady LP – Eminem
Some still regard this as Em’s best album. I rank it third among his CDs. And it’s still a classic so what does that tell you about how his career unfolded. While my anticipation for 2001 was super high, nothing released in 1999 could match my excitement for this album. I circled February 23rd on my calendar as the day and I couldn’t wait to get to Best Buy to purchase this. I listened to it over and over and over again, while the other CD I bought that day sat and waited. His shock value rhymes were phenomenal and the Bass Brothers delivered great beat after great beat for Em to spit over. “My Name Is” was the monster single off this album, but the true gems are “Guilty Conscience” feat. Dr. Dre, “If I Had,” “Rock Bottom,” “Just Don’t Give A Fuck,” “As The World Turns” and “Still Don’t Give A Fuck.” The album also gave us “’97 Bonnie & Clyde” which was a brilliant, although twisted, concept song.
1. Things Fall Apart – The Roots
So while I was listening to The Slim Shady LP over and over again, the CD that sat and waited to be opened was Things Fall Apart. Little did I know that I purchased two hip-hop classics on the same day. I love the Roots. I believe them to be one of the greatest groups in music history. They have delivered time and time again and have never put out a dud of an album. Seriously, how many groups in the history of music have released 10 studio albums and never put out a bad offering among them? I don’t know the number off hand, but I bet the number is pretty small and the Roots belong on that list. That being said, this IS their greatest offering. This album served as the breakthrough album for the Roots on a global scale and earned them a Grammy nomination (which they lost to Eminem’s debut, but this isn’t the Grammy’s list of the Best Hip-Hop Albums of 1999, it’s Krypton Don’s list, so on The Writer’s Block, Things Fall Apart takes the nod for Best Album.) “The Next Movement,” “Step Into The Realm,” “Dyanmite!” “Double Trouble,” “Act Too,” “100% Dundee,” “Adrenaline!” “You Got Me,” shit I might as well list the entire album. It’s an amazing album from a truly gifted band and it deserves the No. 1 spot for 1999.
So there you have it. Four classics in on year. Bet you didn’t see Things Fall Apart in the No. 1 spot though, did ya? But that’s what makes this so fun to do. I get to give my opinion and you get to tell me I’m right or wrong, which won’t swing my opinion one way or the other. 1999 was a really great year for hip-hop as Em’s career launched, the Roots finally got their due, Dre returned with another classic, Mos Def and Pharoahe Monch released their solo debuts and Prince Paul graced us with two great projects (I would’ve put Handsome Boy Modeling School’s So…How’s Your Girl? on the Best Albums list, but like Lauryn Hill’s debut, I don’t think you can just categorize it as a hip-hop album.)
2000 will contain a lot of familiar and reliable faces and certainly has its’ fair share of great music. Stay tuned.
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