People's Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm (Jive, 1990) by A Tribe Called Quest

Tribe put out a fantastic debut album.  The production on "Bonita Applebaum" is ridiculously good.  And "I Left My Wallet in El Segundo" is really great too.  The album is certainly a classic piece of work, but it didn't see Phife reach his full potential as an emcee.  Fortunately, the group realized this too and made the necessary adjustments for their sophomore masterpiece.  

The Geto Boys (Def American, 1990) by Geto Boys

The Geto Boys is some of the hardest and most aggressive material ever committed to wax.  It's raw, explicit, and powerful.  However, it extends beyond just shock value.  The sequencing is wonderful and these guys have great skills as rappers.  So much so, in fact, that this entire album is the result of super producer Rick Rubin remaking lots of their '89 release, Grip It! On That Other Level.

Life Is… Too Short (Jive, 1990) by Too Short

In my opinion, this is Too Short's best album.  Everything about it is cool.  The album cover, the lyrics, the production.  It is also very well-rounded in terms of content.  It has his trademark pimp talk as well as his social commentary.  I really dig the way the title track was paid homage to as well on UGK's album from just a couple years ago when it was covered and updated with Short Dog himself.  Although Short was not the most talented rapper in the late 80s/early 90s, he was certainly one of the most charismatic.

Let the Rhythm Hit 'Em (MCA, 1990) by Eric B. & Rakim

Lyrically, of course, Rakim delivers.  And as far as the beats, Eric B. brings the goods.  However, i don't feel that this album is quite as good as the previous two albums from the duo.  It doesn't show much growth from the earlier work.  The title track, "In the Ghetto," and "Mahogany" are all classics, but the bragging about mic skills throughout most of the LP have been heard before.  In Rakim's case, it's pretty much true.  Yet, it does seemingly limit the album's potential.  Fortunately, it was all made up for on Eric B. and Rakim's next and final release, Don't Sweat the Technique.

Short Dog's in the House (Jive, 1990) by Too $hort

This is a classic album in Short Dog's catalog.  It has his signature X-rated rhymes over funk inspired tracks. And "Hard on the Boulevard" and  "Ain't Nothin' But a Word to Me" with Ice Cube are the best ones on this release.  However, the album's highlights are "The Ghetto" and "It's Your Life" where Mr. Shaw gets socially-conscious (which he has done before as well) and addresses the plight of people in tough areas and encourages them to make positive choices.  Short Dog's in the House has thought-provoking content and music to ride to.  Over twenty years since its release, it still holds up and that's not surprising to me at all.

Parental Advisory: Explicit Lyrics (Atlantic, 1990) by George Carlin

The highlight of this album is Mr. Carlin's ability to dissect and analyze language.  "Offensive Language," Rape Can Be Funny," "They're Only Words" and "Euphemisms" are all just as thought-provoking as they are humorous.  The latter especially investigates changes in American words and jargon then correlates it to changing sensibilities in people and culture.  Although not as much abut social commentary or even jokes, Parental Advisory still proves that George Carlin is one of the smartest and most well-spoken motherfuckers ever.

Kill at Will EP (Priority, 1990) by Ice Cube

"I was told, cause I didn't witness the whole act/In and out was the movement of the bozack/It was hot and sweaty and lots of pushin'/Then the nut came gushin'/And it was hell tryin to bail to the ovary,with nuttin' but the Lord lookin' over me/I was white with a tail/But when I reached the finish line, young black male!/One cell made two, and two cells made fo'/and so on, so now I'm a embryo/Then I got a hunch/That I'ma be on lockdown, for nine months/Chillin, with my mother to guide me And nuttin' but a stomach to hide me/From all that worry and bullshit/Nine months later, I elbow, pull and kick/Cause my time is up, and I don't care/With one big push, I'm outta there/June 15th, it's just my luck/In 1969, a nigga is the product"

-Ice Cube, "The Product"

Mama Said Knock You Out (Def Jam, 1990) by LL Cool J

"Bring on the mo's, and hoes/Don't snooze or doze, cause I'm rippin' up shows/Hold your nose, dead bodies are around/I leave scratch marks under the tears of a clown/I write rhymes that shine like lipstick/So much material, but not materialistic/Imperial styles I use, when the mic is lifted the crowd is amused/Come with it, if you feel you're full-fledged/Or yell "Geronimo!" and jump off the edge/Your e-n-d is near when I appear/The stage is yours, but wait until the smoke clears/Rhyme sayer, and I'm here to lay a load/So watch a player when he's playin' in player mode/Uncle L's bad, and you're soon to say/Cause I rip the mic until the tune decay"

-LL Cool J, "Eat 'Em Up, L Chill"

Fear of a Black Planet (Def Jam, 1990) by Public Enemy

"As I walk the streets of Hollywood Boulevard/Thinkin' how hard it was to those that starred/ In the movies portrayin' the roles, of butlers and maids, slaves and hoes/Many intelligent Black men seemed, to look uncivilized when on the screen/Like a guess, I figure you to play some jigaboo/On the plantation, what else can a nigger do?/And Black women in this profession/As for playin' a lawyer, out of the question/For what they play, Aunt Jemima is the perfect term/Even if now she got a perm/So let's make our own movies like Spike Lee, cause the roles being offered don't strike me/There's nothing that the Black man could use to earn/Burn Hollywood burn"

-Big Daddy Kane, "Burn Hollywood Burn"

AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted (Priority, 1990) by Ice Cube

Death Certificate is a classic too, but this album inspires me in ways that go further than music.  The Bomb Squad’s frantic production style provides Cube the perfect platform to rail against racial discord.  As a person of color, the material speaks volumes to me.  The closing lyrics of the title track say it best: “I said it before and I’ll still taunt it/Every motherfucker with a color is most wanted."