Blurb from Wax Poetics:
In celebration of Hip Hop’s 50th year, we’ve teamed up with London based ‘Classic Material’ to present a chronologically themed series of mixtapes celebrating the history of recorded rap music, mixed by Chris Read. Edition #4 in this year by year series pays tribute to the Hip Hop of 1990, a year when the genre really spread its wings with a diverse range of new sounds breaking in all corners of the US and overseas. 1990 is probably most celebrated as signalling the birth of the ‘afro-centric’ era, with debut albums from X-Clan, Professor X, Poor Righteous Teachers, A Tribe Called Quest and many others hitting stores. But 1990 was also an important year for the artists elsewhere on the Hip Hop spectrum: Compton’s Most Wanted, Capital Punishment Organisation and Above The Law all released debut albums proving LA had much to offer outside the mainstream popularity of NWA. Aside from new developments, established artists including LL Cool J, Big Daddy Kane, Public Enemy and EPMD all dropped classic long players.
Track list:
1. Classic Material Intro
2. Professor X – Definition of a Sissy
3. Chris Read – Theme #1 (Scratchapella)
4. Big Daddy Kane – Taste of Chocolate Intro
5. Mantronix – King of the Beats
6. Boogie Down Productions – Exhibit E
7. King Tee feat Ice Cube and Breeze – Played Like a Piano
8. K Solo – Fugitive
9. A Tribe Called Quest – Bonita Applebum (Why Remix)
10. Lord Finesse & DJ Mike Smooth – Baby You Nasty (DJ Premier Remix)
11. Lord Finesse & DJ Mike Smooth – Strictly for the Ladies
12. Compton’s Most Wanted – I Mean Biznez
13. Compton’s Most Wanted – This Is Compton
14. LL Cool J – Boomin System (Extended Remix)
15. Lord Finesse & DJ Mike Smooth – Bad Mutha
16. Poor Righteous Teachers – Word for the Wise
17. Poor Righteous Teachers – Rock Dis Funky Joint (Extended Mix)
18. Poor Righteous Teachers – Self Styled Wisdom
19. Special Ed – Livin Like A Star
20. EPMD – Give the People
21. EPMD – Brothers on my Jock
22. Above the Law – Wat Cha Can Prove (Mega Mix)
23. LL Cool J – Mama Said Knock You Out
24. Masta Ace- I Gotta (Instrumental)
25. Masta Ace- I Gotta (Brixton Bass Remix)
26. A Tribe Called Quest – Luck of Lucien
27. A Tribe Called Quest – Description of a Fool
28. Isis feat Professor X – The Power of Myself is Moving
29. X-Clan – Verbs of Power