3 Forgotten Rap Songs From the 1990s Golden Age

When you think of the 1990s, rap music almost immediately comes to mind. And when you think of that era’s rap songs, tracks by Biggie, Tupac, Jay-Z, the Fugees, Missy Elliott, and others likely leap to mind. But if you are of a certain age, you remember the 1990s—you were there. You can recall some classic songs of the era that have since slipped through the proverbial cracks.

That’s what we wanted to highlight here. We wanted to go off the beaten path a bit and put aside “Juicy” and “Nuthin’ but a ‘G’ Thang” for a moment to remember a trio of tracks from back then that may even hit harder than the ones we remember so fondly today. Indeed, these are three forgotten rap songs from the 90s golden age.

“Passin’ Me By” by The Pharcyde from Bizarre Ride II the Pharcyde (1993)

Some songs exist outside of time. They are entities dropped into our laps seemingly from some outside consciousness. And that is exactly what happened when The Pharcyde released their vivid masterpiece, “Passin’ Me By,” on their 1993 LP, Bizarre Ride II the Pharcyde. Listening to it, i’s like you’ve dropped into some eternal circle of mystics as they chant their clever lyrical spells. This song is one to remember now and forever and is a true gem from the 90s rap era.

“Respiration” by Black Star from Mos Def & Talib Kweli Are Black Star (1998)

While names like Jay-Z, Tupac and Biggie dominated the limelight in the 1990s when it came to the rap scene, there were a plethora of other lyricists making music worthy of such attention. At the top of that list is the duo Black Star, featuring rappers Mos Def (now Yasiin Bey) and Talib Kweli. The cerebral, learned lyricists knew how to entertain and get the gears of your mind turning. It was like you were thumbing through the coolest encyclopedia when you listened to their music. They, along with their peers like Common and The Roots, are as relevant today as ever.

“Infinite” by Eminem from Infinite (1996)

While the world got to know Detroit rapper Eminem from his second album, the 1999 offering known as The Slim Shady LP, it was his debut album Infinite released three years later, that foretold what would become of the artist. While Eminem has maybe become the most famous rapper of all time now, you can see his pure, distilled talent on the titular song from the 1996 LP in spades before that all happened. He’s light, swift, but still mind-blowing when it comes to wordplay and rhyme scheme.