Hip-Hop & Soul N°109 – Vintage 90s Music Videos
Brandy, Cleopatra, Busta Rhymes, Deskee, Shara Nelson, Luniz, Byron Stingily, Jody Watley, JAY~Z, Freestylers, Nuttin’ Nyce, TQ
They are the performers of twelve vintage hip-hop, soul, etc. tracks that were ranked in various charts, this week (07/52) BUT … in the Nineties 90s.
Here, they are reunited in one glorious playlist. Enjoy!
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For TWELVE more Hip-Hop & Soul – Vintage 90s Music Videos – week 07/52 – click here
AUDIO ONLY
Tracklist
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![]() 1 . Brandy – Sittin’ Up In My Room“Sittin’ Up in My Room” underscores a moment in mid-’90s R&B where introspection met commercial gloss. Written and produced by Babyface, its foundation is polished and precise, weaving Brandy’s youthful vocal sincerity into a groove that doesn’t quite stray far enough from formula to surprise but remains undeniably catchy. Brandy, just 16 at the time, captures both the jittery sweetness and muted frustration of romantic yearning, though the song’s emotional depth is tempered by the sheen of its production. The notable bassline intro nod to Larry Graham’s iconic riff on “Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin)” feels almost like a bait-and-switch; the track promises funkier terrain but settles, instead, into tightly choreographed pop-R&B. Babyface’s hallmark restraint is evident, as every sonic element is professionally poised yet slightly too polished to feel fully lived-in. The accompanying music video, directed by Hype Williams, maintains a saturated aesthetic typical of the era, with Brandy moodily performing in her room while clips from “Waiting to Exhale” play like a reminder of how closely the song is tied to the film’s narrative. The choreography is crisp but subdued, serving more as an accessory than a driving force. A remix featuring LL Cool J with a sample of Patrice Rushen’s “Haven’t You Heard” injects marginal freshness but highlights the original’s conservative approach to its sonic ambitions. Chart-wise, “Sittin’ Up in My Room” was a moment for Brandy, peaking at number two on the US Billboard Hot 100 and notching a more modest number 30 on the UK Singles Chart. As a standout from a soundtrack as star-packed as “Waiting to Exhale,” it operates as an effective but overly safe vessel for Brandy’s emerging star power. Featured on the 1995 album “Waiting to Exhale: Original Soundtrack Album i”.
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![]() 2 . Cleopatra – Cleopatra’s Theme“Cleopatra’s Theme,” the debut single from British sister trio Cleopatra, is a time capsule of late-1990s pop/R&B exuberance. Released in 1998 as part of the album “Comin’ Atcha!,” the track propelled Cleo, Yonah, and Zainam Higgins from Manchester into the international spotlight momentarily, charting at number three in the UK and peaking at number 26 on the US Billboard Hot 100. The song opens with a cheeky self-referential hook that carries a confidence bordering on theatrical, as if the group knew their entry into the music scene required immediate flair. Cleopatra indeed comes “comin’ atcha,” weaving a playful boast with vibrant harmonies that highlight their vocal chemistry. Lyrically, the song doesn’t stray far from its jaunty self-introduction, written by the Higgins sisters alongside Tim Scrafton and Kenny Hayes. The words border on superficial, leaning heavily on the group’s charisma to elevate its bounce. That charm translates effectively, aided by a melody that sticks like bubblegum, though arguably lacks the layering or depth to carry the longevity its initial chart impact suggested. Stateside listeners might remember Cleopatra as a fleeting player on late-’90s radio—a one-hit wonder in a marketplace already saturated with polished pop acts. Yet, for its saccharine brevity, “Cleopatra’s Theme” embodies a certain boldness, even arrogance, that suits the era’s high-energy optimism. The group’s follow-up singles, like “Life Ain’t Easy” and “I Want You Back,” struggled to maintain their momentum outside the UK, sealing their fate as nostalgia bait for American audiences. But perhaps that fleetingness is part of the song’s appeal: a sugar rush of harmonized bravado that, like so much of late-’90s pop, vanishes just as you start to crave more. Featured on the 1998 album “Comin’ Atcha! “.
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![]() 3 . Busta Rhymes – Gimme Some More“Gimme Some More,” released on October 26, 1998, emerges as an audacious showcase of Busta Rhymes’ dexterity and DJ Scratch’s surgical production. Borrowing from Alfred Hitchcock’s *Psycho* with Bernard Herrmann’s unmistakable violin stabs, the track lays its foundation on suspense and tension, effectively cranking up the manic energy Busta thrives on. Cleverly slotted as the second single from *Extinction Level Event: The Final World Front*, the song thrives in controlled chaos, with Busta’s quickfire delivery slicing through layers of frenetic beats like precision-guided artillery. Chart performance suggests its broader appeal, hitting #14 in New Zealand, climbing to #5 in the UK Singles Chart, and landing at #29 on the US Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, validating its position as a global foot-tapper, albeit with varying degrees of resonance across audiences. While undeniably kinetic in its appeal, the relentlessness of Busta’s delivery might polarize listeners, making pacing feel like an afterthought in the pursuit of bravado. Its live performances, such as the 1999 *Saturday Night Live* gig with The Roots or appearances at venues like the Knitting Factory and Brooklyn Hip-Hop Festival, underline its enduring currency in his repertoire. “Gimme Some More” even rubbed shoulders with Eminem’s “My Name Is” at the 2000 Grammy Awards, underscoring an era of competition between luminaries pushing the boundaries of rap. Yet the track’s high-energy bravura teeters on the edge of indulgence, oscillating between brilliance and overkill. Featured on the 1998 album “Extinction Level Event: The Final World Front”.
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![]() 4 . Deskee – Kid Get Hyped“Kid Get Hyped” by Deskee is a brash, rhythm-heavy snapshot of early 1990s house and hip-house culture, marrying thumping beats with a raw energy that feels both calculated and chaotic. Released in 1991, the track propelled itself to number 11 on the US Billboard Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart, a respectable position that underscores its resonance in the club circuit without fully breaking into mainstream ubiquity. The production, helmed by H. Felber and engineered by M. Rodiger, leans into a soundscape rich in repetitive loops and drum-heavy arrangements, while contributions from Maximillian Lenz (WestBam) and Klaus Jankuhn inject additional precision to the track’s layered chaos. The lyrical collaboration between Deskee and Tony Walton, known as True, gives the track its punch, although the lyricism itself veers toward functional rather than truly inventive. Deskee, who transitioned from a nightclub DJ in Germany following his 1984 relocation with his Armed Forces-employed mother, channels his experiences on the dancefloor into this track, though the results occasionally risk feeling derivative when compared to earlier hits like “Let There Be House” and “Dance, Dance.” As a standalone entry in Deskee’s discography, “Kid Get Hyped” achieves a kinetic momentum, but it lacks memorability in the way it constructs its hooks—a surprising shortfall when considered alongside his more successful chart performances. The track’s position in house music history reflects the era’s collaborative, boundary-pushing ethos, but it can also feel like it’s following a well-worn blueprint rather than chiseling its own path through the genre’s evolving landscape.
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![]() 5 . Shara Nelson – Uptight“Uptight,” a standout track from Shara Nelson’s debut solo album “What Silence Knows,” captures the tension between emotional restraint and the inevitable unraveling of control, a theme artfully mirrored in its sonic composition. The track’s origins, co-written by Shara Nelson and Prince Be of P.M. Dawn, suggest an intriguing blend of their respective sensibilities, though the song ultimately leans more toward Nelson’s dramatic intensity than P.M. Dawn’s dreamy introspection. Anchored by a minimalist yet driving arrangement, “Uptight” thrives in its use of space, allowing Nelson’s voice to dominate—a voice that feels equal parts command and confession. This is the same voice that elevated Massive Attack’s “Unfinished Sympathy” into a timeless masterpiece, though here it veers between vulnerability and a simmering, barely contained frustration. On the UK Singles Chart, the song peaked at a respectable number 19 in February 1994, though its resonance seemed notably dimmer in Australia, where it charted at an almost invisible number 217 two months later. Such a disparity suggests that “Uptight,” for all its emotional gravity, perhaps struggles to transcend its local context in places where Nelson’s reputation was less firmly established. As part of an album that earned a Mercury Music Prize nomination and Gold certification from the British Phonographic Industry, “Uptight” holds its own, but it doesn’t necessarily leap out as the album’s defining moment. The critical acclaim surrounding “What Silence Knows” owes as much to its cohesive presentation as to its individual tracks—a balance that “Uptight” dutifully maintains but never exceeds. The broader context of Nelson’s career, with her impactful collaborations on Massive Attack’s “Blue Lines” and her subsequent work with artists like Saint Etienne and Guru, casts “Uptight” in an interesting light. It feels both like an assertion of independence and a reflection of past artistic partnerships, an intersection that, while intriguing, might lack the immediacy of her more iconic contributions to ’90s music. “Uptight” might not redefine Nelson’s career, but it reinforces her as an artist capable of walking the tightrope between polished pop sensibilities and raw emotional depth, even if the balance occasionally falters. Featured on the 1993 album “What Silence Knows”.
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![]() 6 . Luniz – I Got 5 On It“I Got 5 On It,” the debut single from Luniz’s 1995 album “Operation Stackola,” threads a needle between casual nostalgia and cutting social commentary, even if unintentionally so. Produced by Tone Capone and anchored by a sample of Club Nouveau’s “Why You Treat Me So Bad,” the track has a smooth R&B-rap hybrid quality that wraps its marijuana-centric premise in a deceptive layer of accessibility. Yukmouth and Numskull trade verses with a conversational ease that makes their depiction of pooling cash for a $10 bag of weed seem almost ritualistic, a slice of economic camaraderie within an otherwise grim fiscal reality. Michael Marshall’s hook, soulful but tinged with the melancholy of financial limitations, elevates the track without drowning it in sentimentality. Commercially, the track’s success extended far beyond its Bay Area roots, reaching number eight on the Billboard Hot 100 and peaking at number three in the UK while holding the top spot on the UK Official Hip-Hop and R&B Singles Chart for weeks on end. The 1995 Platinum certification from the RIAA underscores its mass appeal, yet the song’s true triumph lies in its cultural endurance, bolstered in part by high-profile moments like its eerie reuse in Jordan Peele’s 2019 film “Us.” The track’s remix, featuring Bay Area stalwarts like E-40 and Shock G, further solidifies its status as a regional anthem with universal resonance. Still, one could argue that its laid-back vibe risks glossing over the economic disparities and subdued desperation lurking beneath its odes to recreational escapism. While Pitchfork’s inclusion of “I Got 5 On It” in its list of “The 250 Best Songs of the 1990s” ensures its preserved status as a cultural relic, the track itself exists in a curious tension—a party anthem embroidered with undertones of shared struggle. Featured on the 1995 album “Operation Stackola”.
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![]() 7 . Byron Stingily – Get Up [Everybody]“Get Up (Everybody)” is Byron Stingily delivering a disco-house revival on an unapologetically flamboyant platter. Borrowing heavily from the effervescent sweat of Sylvester’s 1978 classic, “Dance (Disco Heat),” it struts boldly into the ’90s club scene without shedding its ’70s roots. The groove is undeniable—thanks to producers Paul Simpson and Zack Toms, who stitch vintage disco flair with house music’s looping precision. Stingily’s falsetto, often described as “honey-coated,” somehow feels both immaculate and raw. Unlike the grit-heavy vocals that saturate much of house, Stingily channels a Sylvesterian purity, leaving any sense of irony at the door and letting the decadence waft freely across the track. The results are earnest but border on self-indulgence—an excess clearly intended to match the song’s hedonistic premise. Released in 1996 under Nervous Records and Manifesto Records, “Get Up” quickly rose to prominence. Topping the US Billboard Hot Dance Club Play chart in 1997 and sitting proud at number 14 on the UK Singles Chart, the track registered cultural relevance within and beyond its generational timeline. The ensuing music video, set in a nightclub-styled urban landscape, forgoes complexity for directness: Stingily and two female singers essentially bask in their own glossy, shimmering reflections. The song garnered high praise, with *DJ Magazine* slapping it with five stars, though their words—”fantastic” and “festive vibe”—feel more apt for flyer copy than rigorous critique. Simplicity, after all, is “Get Up”‘s double-edged sword. It’s no lyrical odyssey, and yet, buried within the cyclical “get up and dance” mantra lies its point: movement, energy, and insistence without rest. As a standout on Stingily’s debut album, *The Purist* (1998), it anchors his solo career within a narrow but brilliant niche of house revivalism. New remixes in 2007 extended its life in clubland, as evidenced by Ministry of Sound’s 2018 acknowledgment of its lasting legacy. Still, it’s more nostalgic ritual than groundbreaking territory—relying on a thrumming bassline and Stingily’s voice doing nearly all the heavy lifting. If anything, “Get Up” proves revivalism works best when it winks but never apologizes. Byron Stingily doesn’t wink, though. He beams—a bright falsetto glow atop a groove that gets points for sheer conviction.
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![]() 8 . Jody Watley – Everything“Everything,” from Jody Watley’s 1989 album “Larger Than Life,” represents a deliberate synthesis of pop, R&B, and dance elements that typified her late-’80s output. A slow jam by design, the track eschews overtly complex arrangements for a polished sheen befitting its Billboard-friendly ambitions. It peaked at number 4 on the US Billboard Hot 100, affirming its commercial viability, while climbing to number 3 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart—a nod to its genre-straddling appeal. Victor Ginzburg’s direction for the accompanying music video complements the track’s sentimentality without overshadowing it. There’s restraint here, visualized through clean storytelling rather than indulgent excess. Yet, for a song that seemingly aims to embody universality, the emotional stakes occasionally feel more implied than vivid. Charting at number 11 in Canada and a comparatively lukewarm 74 in the UK, the song’s broader reception underscores the regional variability of its resonance. As part of Watley’s storied discography—including six Hot 100 Top Ten singles and 13 number one Dance hits—it holds its place but doesn’t necessarily redefine boundaries. Jody Watley, lauded as one of Billboard’s Top 60 Hot 100 Female Artists of All Time and a 2022 Women Songwriters Hall of Fame inductee, brings undeniable refinement and vocal precision to the track. Still, “Everything” feels less an artistic risk and more a well-measured addition to her legacy. It’s a song that knows exactly what it wants to be, but in nailing its formula, it never quite ventures beyond its comfort zone. Featured on the 1989 album “Larger than Life”.
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![]() 9 . JAY~Z – Wishing on a Star (w/ Gwen Dickey)“Wishing on a Star” finds JAY-Z stepping into uncharted territory, trading his usual gritty urban narratives for a smoother, almost dreamy collaboration with Gwen Dickey of Rose Royce. Originally a 1977 ballad, this 1998 cover appears on the UK edition of JAY-Z’s “In My Lifetime, Vol. 1,” produced by the ever-polished Trackmasters. With its 5:54 runtime, the song injects a ’90s sheen into the nostalgic glow of Dickey’s iconic vocals. The production leans heavily on lush, glimmering textures, attempting to modernize the classic while still paying homage. Dickey, the voice behind the original, returns to reclaim her spotlight, her vocal brilliance standing firm amidst the layered instrumentation. Her performance straddles reverence and reinvention. JAY-Z’s verses, meanwhile, weave in and out of the arrangement, less bombastic than his usual offerings, yet calculated in their placement, adding a contemporary edge without overpowering the heart of the song. Critically, the track earns points for its ambition. Music Week awarded it a respectable four out of five stars, citing its ability to blend eras. The chemistry between Dickey’s soul-soaked delivery and JAY-Z’s introspective rap lends the track a duality that can’t be ignored, even if it doesn’t entirely elevate the original. Commercially, the reception underscores its unique appeal. Climbing to number 13 on the UK Singles Chart and performing even stronger on the UK R&B Chart at number 5, it tapped into a crossover sensibility. Yet it’s in the video where things get intriguingly off-brand—JAY-Z doesn’t appear at all. Instead, a young actor embodies his formative years in the Marcy Houses, offering viewers a cinematic reflection on his origins, albeit at a notable emotional remove. For all its polish, “Wishing on a Star” walks a fine line between reinterpretation and regression. The Trackmasters’ production occasionally veers a bit too close to overly safe territory, risking redundancy. And while JAY-Z’s parts function as a contemporary bookend, they rarely reach the lyrical peaks one might expect from him, feeling like an accessory rather than a centerpiece. In sum, “Wishing on a Star” is a calculated experiment with mixed results. It’s equal parts nostalgic and forward-looking, neither fully stealing the spotlight nor quite fading from it. It doesn’t rewrite the legacy of the original but refracts it through a ‘90s lens, proving that even stars can sometimes shine just a little dimmer in translation.
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![]() 10 . Freestylers – B-Boy Stance (w/ Tenor Fly)“B-Boy Stance,” a track from the Freestylers’ 1998 debut album “We Rock Hard,” is an unabashed nod to old-school hip-hop, electro, and ragga, filtered through the distinctly late-’90s lens of British breakbeat. Produced by Aston Harvey and Matt Cantor, who had each spent the early ’90s navigating the electronic music trenches with projects like Blapps Posse and Cut & Paste, the song is less a reinvention than a cleverly constructed homage. Its beats snap with precision, rooted in the duo’s reverence for classic rhythmic architecture, while Tenor Fly’s vocal delivery adds a layer of ragga swagger that’s undeniably charismatic but never overstays its welcome. The song’s peak at number 23 on the UK Singles Chart and its subsequent *Top of the Pops* slot emphasize its broader cultural resonance at a moment when breakbeat was creeping toward mainstream sensibility. Yet, its success feels almost ironic: the track’s retro stylings could come off as a greatest-hits collage of its influences rather than something inherently groundbreaking. “B-Boy Stance” also led to an invitation for the Freestylers to rework tracks by artists like Afrika Bambaataa and the Jungle Brothers, a fitting turn for a duo whose aesthetic leans so heavily on the history of the genres they operate within. Their skill in threading those influences together is undeniable, but the track occasionally feels burdened by its own reverence, leaving just enough room for one to wonder what might have happened if they’d taken a few more risks. Featured on the 1998 album “We Rock Hard”.
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![]() 11 . Nuttin’ Nyce – In My Nature“In My Nature,” the 1993 title track from Nuttin’ Nyce’s album, operates within the well-marked parameters of R&B and Funk while attempting to carve its own identity. Released on September 6, 1993, the song reflects the group’s Sacramento roots, which seep into their unique blend of groove and vocal interplay, though not always with the sharpest execution. As part of an era when R&B was a testing ground for kaleidoscopic mixes of funk, soul, and smooth crooning, Nuttin’ Nyce’s approach feels rhythmically secure but occasionally stumbles over its ambitions. The tension between their raw funk sensibility and R&B polish is intriguing but isn’t entirely resolved, leaving moments of the track compelling but others a bit unresolved. What stands out in “In My Nature” is the insistence on infusing personality into a sound that could have risked leaning into generic territory. The funk elements bubble up sporadically, teasing the listener with hints of deeper grooves yet pulling back into a safer, smoother R&B format more in line with early ’90s radio trends. While the effort to extract something distinct from this fusion is apparent, the results falter in stitching all their parts seamlessly. Still, the track is a capsule of its time, capturing the restless creative spirit of early-’90s R&B while highlighting Nuttin’ Nyce’s collaborative ambitions within the funk lineage. With potential peeking through its uneven edges, it’s more intriguing for what it nearly achieves than what it definitively delivers. |
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![]() 12 . TQ – Westside“Westside,” the inaugural single from TQ’s 1998 debut album *They Never Saw Me Coming*, plays like a love letter to the cultural heartbeat of California’s West Coast. Backed by the glossy production of Femi Ojetunde and Mike Mosley—with TQ himself co-producing—the track captures a silky yet robust R&B aesthetic, tethered to the roots of G-funk without succumbing fully to its clichés. The homage feels deliberate, with shoutouts to legends such as Ice Cube, Eazy-E, Ice-T, Too Short, and DJ Quik. This is less a hip-hop swagger fest than it is an R&B croon with historical reverence baked in, dedicating its existence to the departed icons Eazy-E and Tupac Shakur. Charting as high as No. 12 on the *Billboard* Hot 100 and snagging No. 4 on the UK Singles Chart and No. 3 in the Netherlands, “Westside” didn’t just resonate—it lingered, racking up a 20-week run on the Hot 100. Certified gold by the RIAA by October 1998, the song’s commercial success offers proof of its appeal, even if the midtempo rhythm risks becoming too comfortable within the boundaries of its genre. The single’s versatility reveals itself in its variations. Alongside the album and radio versions, “Westside Part II (My Melody)” ropes in collaborators like DJ Quik and Suga Free, while an additional remix, “Westside Part III (Bud’da Remix),” keeps things regional with features from Jayo Felony and Kam. These alternate takes try to expand the song’s range but feel more like supplements rather than significant reinterpretations. TQ’s voice is undeniably the core of the track, conveying a soulful earnestness that lends weight to its intended tribute. Nonetheless, *They Never Saw Me Coming* may benefit from “Westside” anchoring it, but the track alone doesn’t fully transcend the stylistic boundaries it operates within. Dubbed his most successful single, its 1999 peak on the Hot 100 feels like an acknowledgment of its place more than a crowning moment of innovation. Featured on the 1998 album “They Never Saw Me Coming”.
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