A Tribe Called Quest — The Low End Theory

The second album by A Tribe Called Quest sees the departure of Jarobi White, who leaves the group during the recording of the album. The disk soon became a kind of solo album by Phife Dawg, who asked for and obtained more space on this album than Q-Tip, who had dominated the debut and here he's basically relegated to acting only on the hooks.

GZA — Beneath the Surface

Four years after releasing one of the best hip-hop albums ever, GZA releases his third solo album. For about a year, his cousin RZA has stopped producing the Wu-Tang albums, and the production is left to his lieutenants. Bobby Digital, Inspectah Deck and affiliate John the Baptist make a rhythm each, while the rest of the production is equally split between GZA (which deals exclusively with the skits), Mathematics and Arabian Knight, with five cuts each: the latter and John the Baptist both come from Killah Priest's debut album and have never produced a Wu-Tang record. GZA almost completely renounces the Wu-Tang Clan and calls several affiliates in the role of guests: in addition to Ol' Dirty Bastard, Masta Killa, RZA and Method Man from the supergroup, there are Killah Priest, Hell Raizah and Prodical Sun of Sunz of Man, Dreddy Kruger and Timbo King of Royal Fam, Trigga of Coney Island Gankstas, affiliate LA the Darkman, Njeri and RES.

Three-6 Mafia — Mystic Stylez

Debut of Three 6 Mafia, Memphis hip-hop group consisting of Paul "DJ Paul" Beauregard, Jordan "Juicy J" Houston, Ricky "Lord Infamous" Dunigan, Robert "Koopsta Knicca" Phillips, Lola "Gangsta Boo" Mitchell and Darnell "Crunchy Black" Carlton. The latter two rappers joined the group in 1995. DJ Paul and Juicy J produce the album entirely. The guests are Ann Hines, Kingpin Skinny Pimp, Playa Fly, Lil Gin, MC Mack and La Chat.

Pete Rock — PeteStrumentals

Pete Rock releases the second album in the "Beat Generation" series, conceived by the British label BBE Records, a few months after the first chapter, signed by J Dilla. At the top left of the cover, under the title and the author's name, there's a clear logo that is incredibly similar to that of the English team Grimsby Town FC, which is inserted for whatever reason.

Jay-Z — In My Lifetime, Vol. 1

The great critical and commercial success of his debut album convinces Jay-Z to put aside his retirement plans and continue his career as a rapper in the music industry. After signing with Def Jam, an EP was supposed to be released in the spring of 1997, however, after the death of his friend The Notorious B.I.G., he abandoned the idea and focused on his second LP.

U-God — Dopium

In 2009, U-God released his third solo studio album, participating in the Wu-Tang Clan's third wave of solo releases, the one at the turn of the late 2000s and early 2010s. In the summer of 2004, over a year before releasing his sophomore jinx, he made peace with The RZA and went in concert with the supergroup, however, five years later, the producer and creator of Wu-Tang has decided not to produce any tracks on his third album, nor to send any affiliated producers to help U-God. The production is entrusted to unknown guys, they aren't the same as on his second album released four years earlier, luckily, and here, they try to copy the sound of RZA. While in the rapping section, the least-regarded MC of the Clan can take whatever he wants, and receives full assistance from the other Wu-members.

Anoyd & Statik Selektah — Yuck!

Collaborative album between Massachusetts producer Statik Selektah and Connecticut rapper Anoyd. Nick Grant, UFO Fev and Termanology are the external rappers, the disc lasts half an hour divided into ten tracks. It starts off pretty well with the title track: jazzy boom bap rhythm, melodic sample, regular delivery by Anoyd who has competent style and there's a soul-rnb hook. In subsequent songs, the album fails to maintain the same level of quality as the first track, the rap is still there, while the sound of the production is quite flat and generic: Statik isn't putting in its best beats in the effort and soul hooks / rnb add little flavor to it. "Already" boasts a pompous, triumphant rhythm, with fat drum and good samples, the rapper could give value to the music with a concentrated delivery, but he doesn't. If you arrive without expectations, it's a good listening.

Benny the Butcher — The Plugs I Met EP

EP by Benny the Butcher. The production is handled by DJ Shay, Daringer, Beat Butcha and Alchemist. Guests are Black Thought, 38 Spesh, Jadakiss, RJ Payne, Conway the Machine, Pusha T, and India. The title is taken from a line of "Broken Bottles", a track from "Tana Talk 3" (2018). The cover represents an image taken from "Scarface" (1983), in which Tony Montana meets Alejandro Sosa in his villa in Bolivia. The back cover boasts another image from Brian De Palma's masterpiece, in which Omar Suárez, chief of Montana under Frank Lopez, is hanged from a helicopter because he's deemed a police informant by Sosa. They're both covers appropriate to the context of the album, because they are plugs that Tony meets first entering the drug trade (Suárez) and then expanding its distribution to become independent (Sosa).

Capone-n-Noreaga — The War Report

Kiam Holley and Victor Santiago Jr. meet in Greenhaven Prison, New York. Almost peers, both from Queens, both with a criminal background, both hip-hop fans, decide to start their own group. Holley chooses that of the American mafia and gangster Al Capone as his moniker, while Santiago chooses that of the Panamanian dictator and drug trafficker Manuel Noriega. The Capone-N-Noreaga duo, C-N-N, is born, destined to write new pages in the history of New York rap, and beyond. Backed by Queens veteran Juice Crew member Tragedy Khadafi and up-and-coming Queens artist and Mobb Deep member Havoc, the two record a demo and end up in The Source magazine's "Unsigned Hype" column in the fall of 95. From here, they manage to get a contract with Penalty Recordings. The following year their first official single is released, produced by Havoc and Tragedy Khadafi, which gets a good response from the public and allows the two to continue working on the construction of the debut studio album.

Jay-Z — Reasonable Doubt

Shawn "Jay-Z" Carter was born in Brooklyn, New York and his mother raised him alone in the Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood. The boy attended the same school as AZ and after the school closed, he was enrolled in a school where, among others, rappers The Notorious B.I.G. and Busta Rhymes would emerge, and finally he was also in an institution in Trenton, New Jersey. The young man ended up in the vortex of crime by selling drugs and risking both being killed several times and ending up in prison.

Pete Rock — Soul Survivor

Debut studio album by Peter "Pete Rock" Phillips, producer and rapper son of Jamaican immigrants, Bronx-born, raised in Mount Vernon, New York. At school he meets C.L. Smooth, with whom he forms one of the best duos of the nineties, and undoubtedly also in the history of hip-hop: three albums, three classics. In 1995, the duo disbanded and Pete Rock continued his career as a solo artist: he planned a collaborative album with his group InI, but Elektra Records did not release it, because the producer wants to stay true to his style and refuses to copy the new sound of the music industry, which follows the one established by Puff Daddy's Bad Boy Records.

Inspectah Deck — The Movement

Four years after debuting, Inspectah Deck releases his second LP, during the third wave of Wu-Tang releases. The production is mainly made by Phantom of the Beats and Ayatollah, authors of seven and six beats respectively, while Falling Down and Arabian Knight of Royal Fam each provide a rhythm. Guests are essential, Mojehan, the affiliate Street Life, Killarmy rapper Killa Sin and crime rap Legend, His Majesty the Untouchable Kool G Rap. The early 2000s are tough seasons for hip-hop, and even the best rap group ever suffers. The pole, for all of them, is now "Supreme Clientele", three years away.

MC Lyte — Lyte as a Rock

Lana "MC Lyte" Moorer was born in Queens and raised in East Flatbush, Brooklyn, alongside Milk Dee and DJ Giz of Audio Two. In 1987, Audio Two's father founded his own label, First Priority Records, and secured a distribution deal with Atlantic on the condition that MC Lyte secure a record deal with the same label. In the same year, the girl released her debut single, "I Cram to Understand U (Sam)", one of the first songs written about the crack era, written at the age of 12. In April 1988, she released her debut studio album, one of the first by a female rap artist and her first ever as a solo artist.

Pete Rock & CL Smooth — The Main Ingredient

Second and last album for the renowned duo Pete Rock & CL Smooth, before their dissolution. The MC from New Rochelle is the main protagonist on the mic with several solos, Pete Rock performs some hooks, a single solo track and few verses, while the guests are Crystal Johnson, Vinja Mojica, Rob-O, Deda and Grap Luva.

Triple Six Mafia — Smoked Out Loced Out [mixtape]

The review was corrected thanks to RYM user sandandr2.

First Triple Six Mafia tape that anticipates the debut studio album by six months. The group consists of Paul "DJ Paul" Beauregard, Jordan "Juicy J" Houston and Ricky "Lord Infamous" Dunigan, features several guests including subsequent members Koopsta Knicca and Lil Fly, as well as Lil Glock, SOG, Kingpin Skinny Pimp, Project Pat, Gangsta Blac, 211 and K-9.

Wu-Tang Clan — Wu-Tang Forever

After the release of "Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)", RZA's plan goes ahead and the Wu-Tang Clan expands into industry. The supergroup's heavily sought-after contract, and found with Loud/RCA, allows any artist to sign with any label as a solo member: Method Man joins Def Jam, Ol' Dirty Bastard signs with Elektra, GZA goes with Geffen, Raekwon and Inspectah Deck stay at Loud, Ghostface Killah signs with Epic. Each album is half co-owned by the group's label, and a portion of the revenue from each solo album goes to a common fund for all group members.

Common Sense — Resurrection

The year before, New York alternative hip-hop group A Tribe Called Quest, came out with one of the best albums of the decade with covers featuring some of the best and most well-known hip-hop artists to emerge up to that point, especially legends of the eighties.

Masta Killa — No Said Date

Debut album by Brooklyn rapper Elgin "Masta Killa" Turner, ninth official member of the Wu-Tang Clan. Production is mainly done by «Wu-Elements», and is equally split between RZA, Mathematics and True Master, along with individual contributions from non-Wu beatmakers such as Brock, Dave West, Hakim Shabazz, Choco and Baby Dooks. All Wu-Tang Clan members participate in the project, along with Streetlife affiliates, Allah Real (uncredited), Prodigal Sunn & Killah Priest of Sunz of Man.