Twelve 90s 12"s That Belong In Your Crate Right Now! | DJ A-L
1. Soul II Soul "Back to Life (LP Version)" If you want to start the night off as dramatic as the opening scene in the 1998 Hype Williams film "Belly" then flip to the B side of this 12'' and drop the needle on the 1/2 acapella, 1/2 impeach the president laced classic!
2. Zhane "Hey Mr. D.J."
It seems like every R&B song from this era had a rapper stopping by for 8 bars to give the song more "street cred". Although this duo carries the song without a problem this jam is no exception to the formula.
3. Ini Kamoze "Here Comes the Hot Stepper"
A few years ago I discovered the discography of Ini Kamoze and found out that Ini had been putting records out years before this 1993 crossover dropped. Not only does Ini's legacy reach back to the 1980s but it also carries well into the 2000s. As popular as this track was at the time, Kamoze's cadence might be even more recognizable to the world as the hook from Damian Marley's "Welcome to Jamrock".
4. Naughty by Nature "Hip Hop Hooray"
As a DJ, I personally prefer this cut to Naughty's '91 anthem "O.P.P.". based on the idea that this track can get the audience a little more involved. Hip Hop Hooray is a 2-for-1 special. You get a call and response record as well as a call to action that could result in the whole party putting their hands in the air while chanting.
5. Dee-lite "Groove is in the Heart" This funky cut is laced with a Ray Barretto loop, a Bootsy Collins bassline and an abstact vese from Q-tip. It almost resembles a 90s version of Chaka Khan's line up on "I Feel For You", which was written by Prince and featured a verse from Melle Mel and a solo from Stevie.
6. Heavy D "Now that We Found Love" At the time there was something a little more authentic about this song than a lot of other Hip-House cuts out there. If you're DJ'ing a 90s dance party this track sounds unquestionably like 1991.
7. SWV "Right Here" This R&B classic is so damn 90s it's straight off of the Free Willy soundtrack. This R&B song's random rap moment is brought to you by a young Pharrell Williams (see #2 for reference).
8. Wrekx-N-Effect "Rumpshaker"
A young Pharrell also finds his way onto this 90s booty shaking anthem by lending production skills to the Teddy Riley credited classic cut.
9. Boyz II Men "Motown Philly" This song comes with the running man all the Philly cheese steaks you can eat!
10. Mary J Blige ft. Big E. Smalls (aka Notorious B.I.G.) "Real Love (Remix)"
Every aspect of this remix of Mary J Blige's breakout hit "Real Love" still sounds incredible. It even features a verse from Notorious B.I.G. credited at the time as "Big E. Smalls" before he was forced to change his name and became a bad boy.
11. The Pharcyde "Passin me by" As a DJ you can never please everyone but play this self-loathing anthem from 1993 and you are guaranteed to connect with someone. The laid back Quincy Jone's groove that starts off the track and loops throughout it is a perfect way to set the mood for the night.
12. Bell Biv DeVoe "Poison"
If I was forced to only bring one record to a 90s dance party this might the one. This iconic 90s cut provides accessibility to the masses while still sounding raw.
