Back To 89...

"1989 the number another summer, (get down) sound of the funky drummer..."


Although 1988 is still the pinnacle year in Hip Hop for me, 1989 was also a stellar year, with lots of dope debut albums and new artists galore. It is hard to believe that the albums listed below will hit the released 20 years ago mark at various times in the year, in 1989, I was collecting rap tapes, in 5th form at High School, wearing hoodies underneath my school uniform and adidas or puma shoes (even though it wasn't allowed...lol) and in all honestly loving rap and having fun, getting down with my pretend rap radio station (KJAZ FM...ha ha) and loved listening to the Wednesday Nite Jam with the MVC Posse (big shout to Big Daddy Cam, Mikey and Vicious, Rhys-B and whoever else rocked the Wellington airwaves in 89.)

My favourite album from 1989 was De La's timeless 3 Feet High and Rising, but I probably played LL Cool J's Walking With A Panther more (fat shout to LL Short V aka AL) along with Unfinished Business, Road To The Riches, The Cactus Album, Done By The Forces Of Nature, Word Power, Original Stylin', Stezo's Crazy Noise (which had the ill "It's My Turn" on it, the first rap record to loop up the infamous Skull Snaps "It's A New Day" drums) Low Pro's We're In This Together, The DOC's No One Can Do It Better, King Sun's debut album XL (especially "Fat Tape" and"Snakes" and Schoolly D's great Am I Black Enough For Ya?...

I want to send a super duper shout out to Cool Tone from the sadly gone The Soul Mine the gem of a record store that was the dopest in the 80's and where I got so many great albums and singles from and speaking of singles, Public Enemy's timeless "Fight The Power" would have been the 1989 anthem.

The producers in 1989 were, Dr Dre, The Dust Brothers, Prince Paul, Howie Tee, Marley Marl, Sam Sever, DJ Mark The 45 King, Paul C,

The DOC dropped his classic No One Can Do It Better album
De La Soul dropped their classic 3 Feet High and Rising album
The Beastie Boys dropped their classic Paul's Boutique album
EPMD dropped their classic 2nd album Unfinished Business album
Jungle Brothers dropped their second classic album, Done By The Forces Of Nature
Kool G Rap and DJ Polo dropped their classic debut album, Road To The Riches
Low Profile dropped their classic debut album, We're in This Together
Special Ed released his classic debut album, Youngest In Charge

other good/great albums that dropped 20 years ago
2 Live Crew-As Nasty as They Wanna Be
3rd Bass-The Cactus Album
III Most Wanted-III Most Wanted
Arabian Prince-Brother Arab
Awesome Dre & The Hardcore Committee-You Can't Hold Me Back
Big Daddy Kane-It's A Big Daddy Thing
Biz Markie-The Biz Never Sleeps
Black Rock & Ron-Stop the World
Boogie Down Productions-Ghetto Music: The Blueprint of Hip-Hop
Breeze-The Young Son Of No One
Cash Money & Marvelous-Where The Party At?
Chill Rob G-Ride The Rhythm
Chubb Rock-And the Winner Is...
Cool C-I Gotta Habit
Craig G-The Kingpin
Def Jef-Just a Poet With Soul
Divine Styler-Word Power
DJ Chuck Chillout & Kool Chip-Masters of the Rhythm
Donald D-Notorious
Gang Starr-No More Mr. Nice Guy
Geto Boys-Grip It! On That Other Level
Hot Day-It's My Turn
Heavy D & The Boyz-Big Tyme
Ice Cream Tee-Can't Hold Back
Ice-T-The Iceberg
Jazzy Jay-Cold Chillin in the Studio Live
Just-Ice-The Desolate One
King Sun-XL
Kings Of Pressure-Slang Teacher
Kool Moe Dee-Knowledge Is King
Kwame-The Boy Genius
LL Cool J-Walking With a Panther
Maestro Fresh Wes-Symphony In Effect
MC Lyte-Eyes on This
Mellow Man Ace-Escape From Havana
Nice & Smooth-Nice & Smooth
Nu Sounds-Mackin
Queen Latifah-All Hail the Queen
Roxanne Shante-Bad Sister
Schoolly D-Am I Black Enough for You?
Steady B-Going Steady
Stezo-Crazy Noise
The 45 King & Louie Louie-Rhythmical Madness
The Jaz-Word To The Jaz
Three Times Dope-Original Stylin'
Together Brothers-Strictly For Framing
Tone-Lōc-Loc-Ed After Dark
Tuff Crew-Back to Wreck Shop
Twin Hype-Twin Hype
Unique & Dashan-Black To The Future
Young MC-Stone Cold Rhymin'



-Also in 1989, KRS One put together the Stop The Violence Movement and released the "Self Destruction" single, the artists that appeared on this were, Daddy-O, Wise, Fruit Kwan and MC Delight (Stetsasonic), Chuck D and Flava Flav (Public Enemy), Ms Melodie, Kool Moe Dee, Just Ice, Heavy D, MC Lyte, D-Nice and KRS One

-2 Live Crew's As Nasty As They Wanna Be album is banned in Flordia

-Gang Starr released their debut album, No More Mr Nice Guy

-The UK's Hip Hop Connection magazine was first published in 1989

-The UK's Black Radical MkII made some noise with his dope "Monsoon" single as did Blade with his "Lyrical Maniac" single and Silver Bullet with his Robocop sampling "20 Seconds To Comply"

-Overlord X dropped his debut album Weapon Is My Lyric

-Stereo MC's released their debut album, 33 45 78

-Tone Loc had a massive hit with "Wild Thing" and Young MC had a big hit with "Bust A Move"

-A lot of rap albums included Hip-House type joints and/or a love ballad (thanks LL...lol), Twin Hype were probably the best example of Hip-House done well with their "Do It To The Crowd" hit single.



-The 1989 DMC champion DJ was Cutmaster Swift (UK)



-In 1989 DMC and global sponsor Technics introduced the golden SL1200 Turntables, a unique and priceless prize given to the newly crowned DMC champion.

-The first New Zealand hip hop DJ Competition was held in Auckland in 1989, with DJ Ned Roy winning.

-Wellington Hip Hop outfit Noise In Effect were playing gigs at Wellington clubs and around the country

-Auckland radio station BFM compiled and released a rap compilation album titled AK-89-In Love With These Rhymes

-EPMD introduced the World to K-Solo on the "Knick Knack Patty Wack" track.

-Brand Nubian released their debut single "Brand Nubian"

-X-Clan released their debut single "Raise The Flag"

-Boo Ya Tribe released their debut single "R.A.I.D."

-Paris released his debut single "Break The Grip Of Shame"

-Main Source released their debut single "Think"

-TDS Mob released their 2nd dope single "What's The World Coming Too" b/w "Scratch reaction"

-Freddie Foxxx released his debut album "Freddie Foxxx Is Here"

NB: If I think of more important events and music from 1989, I will add them on...

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Here's a little compilation I put together of various cuts from 1989, I hope you enjoy it and if you do I will upload another one.

CRDS Presents-Back To 89' Vol 1

http://sharebee.com/0dcd0354

1-Ministers of Black-Step Into My Office
2-MC Lyte-Cappucino
3-7A3-Goes Like Dis (7" Mix)
4-Cash Money & Marvelous-Ugly People Be Quiet
5-2 Live Crew-Coolin
6-Heavy D & The Boyz-You Aint Heard Nuttin Yet
7-Low Profile-Funky Song (Remix)
8-Too Nice-Every Inch
9-Lakim Shabazz-Your Arms Too Short To Box With God
10-Cool C-I Gotta Habit (Remix)
11-Chubb Rock-Ya Bad Chubbs
12-Seville-Keep Ya Movin
13-Twin Hype-Do It To The Crowd
14-Mellow Man Ace-Mas Pingon
15-Rhamel-Power