Here I offer you “‘95-99” A 100 hundred song 7 hour playlist of what we commonly call ‘Underground’ West Hip-Hop as to be listened to in my sequence if possible. Inspired, I chose this period as the music as it exists in an incredible space: post-NWA / post-Bush America / Early 90’s major label AND *pre The Year Underground Broke (imo) 2000. Cassettes dubs and 12”s, when the crowd had all dreads and smoked bidis and cigarettes during shows, where you bought or traded for someones tap in the middle of Telegraph Ave in Berkeley. I first moved out West in 1998, and while already deeply versed, became fully immersed in the scene. This playlist / mix hopes to represent that cross-section, even though it’s largely artists from LA & The Bay – Vancouver, Phoenix, San Jose, Vallejo, Sac, and more are in there (wish there was more NW).
It’s important for me to acknowledge how most of the artists from this era are NOT on DSP’s – subsequently the mix reflects that. even at 7 hours this felt incomplete to me without the inclusion of jawns like: Ellay Khule’s original “Telecommunications”, The Almighty Arrogant, Medusa’s first releases,
Spontaneous, early Elusive, Voodu!, Kemetic Suns/Fundamentals, 99th Dimension, Extra Prolific ‘2 for 15’ or Casual’s ‘Meanwhile’, Log Cabin, Puzoozoowatt/Onomatopoeia, Supherb, S.I.N., Source of Labor, Various Blends, Tony Da Skitzo, loads of Afterlife/Good Life artists, those singles from Conception Records in Seattle, PEACE’s first solo LP, or the song he did with Jizzm, Orko (one specific song), etc etc anyway you get it. (Although I consider this playlist complete)While there is a definite nod to it, I could have done 6 hours of regional / Bay Area G-Funk but there is plenty of that elsewhere. Yet it shared the same spaces and places these songs did. Shout out to Cool Nutz.
Cover art by: @shing02gram
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Dedicated to the memories of Brendan Alias Whitney, DJ Stef, Mike Double K Turner, Meen Green, Ganjah K, Gift of Gab, Zion, Chino XL, Pam The Funkstress, Mac Dre.
