Hip-Hop & Soul N°357 – Vintage 90s Music Videos

1 . Tricky – Aftermath

Released independently before Tricky signed with 4th & B’way, “Aftermath” delivers a haunting preview of his enigmatic artistry, blending genres with an almost anarchic disregard for boundaries.

The track’s swirling fusion of styles—hip-hop, ambient techno, and reggae-inflected dub—abandons clarity in favor of atmosphere, creating a sonic haze that feels both alluring and disorienting.

Martina Topley-Bird’s breathy, half-sung, half-spoken delivery adds an eerie delicacy, her presence belying her age as a mere teenager at the time of recording.

Lyrically, the song peers into the fractures of human relationships and cultural decay, all while carrying the spectral weight of Tricky’s personal grief tied to his late mother’s memory.

Rejection by Massive Attack might have planted this gem firmly in his hands, where its brooding textures could properly flourish instead of being sanded down for mainstream accessibility.

As raw and uncompromising as its production feels, the song’s vulnerability threads a quiet but unmistakable sense of rebellion against convention.

“Aftermath” unfolds not as a debut single in the usual sense but as an avant-garde manifesto, daring listeners to lose themselves in its shadowy corridors.

If the track feels alien to traditional structure, it’s only fitting, given its ambition to shatter expectations from the first note to the last murmur.

Featured on the 1995 album “Maxinquaye“.

Lyrics >> Review >> More by the same : Official Site

2 . Urban Species – Spiritual Love

Released in 1994, “Spiritual Love” by Urban Species combines the rhythmic sensibilities of hip-hop with an improvisational jazz influence, crafting a sound that’s both grounded and expansive.

The track reflects the band’s knack for weaving genres into a single cohesive message, its lyrics treading the line between romance and introspection, all while avoiding the clichés of its era.

The instrumentation leans heavily on live elements, merging organic grooves with programmed beats—a hallmark of their debut album “Listen,” which carries the same textured aesthetic throughout.

Critically, the song struck a chord not as a chart-topping anthem but as an understated exploration of emotional connectivity, peaking at a modest number 35 on the UK charts.

This subtlety is perhaps why it resonated enough to be reimagined by S Club 7 years later, transforming the conscious musings of Urban Species into something shinier and more pop-oriented.

Yet, the original recording remains a snapshot of a time when genre-blending was less about market strategy and more about creative curiosity.

Featured on the 1994 album “Listen”.

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3 . Wendy Moten – Come In Out Of The Rain Song

“Come In Out of the Rain” steps into the arena of early ’90s ballads armed with emotional heft and an unapologetically classic arrangement.

The song’s foundation leans on a sweeping melody paired with Wendy Moten’s clarion vocals, effortlessly delivering a narrative of heartbreak and tentative reconciliation.

Penned by Ernest Williamson, Curtiss Boone, and Nikos Lyras, the track feels engineered to echo the blueprint of Whitney Houston’s power ballads, though its subtle restraint gives it a quieter, melancholic edge.

The production, while polished, stays firmly grounded in its time: think lush instrumentation, just the right amount of reverb, and a sentimental undercurrent that borders on overkill but stops just short of cliché.

Chart-wise, the song’s journey illustrates its slow-burning appeal—it hovered mid-tier in its North American release but gained late blooming popularity in the UK, even brushing the top ten in 1994.

Wendy’s delivery is pristine and technically flawless, though some listeners might find it veers toward playing it too safe vocally, avoiding any rawness that could elevate the track further.

Performing as the opener for Michael Bolton’s stadium extravaganzas and David Foster’s curated showcases added credibility, though it fell shy of breaking into mainstream canon stateside.

In retrospect, the song serves as a time capsule of the adult contemporary flirtation with soulful spectacle, holding its own yet never quite pushing boundaries.

Perhaps its greatest peculiarity lies in its dual existence: a largely forgotten stateside gem, and a crowd-pleaser on the other side of the Atlantic, illustrating the unpredictable geography of pop ballad success.

Featured on the 1992 album “Wendy Moten”.

Lyrics >> Review >> More by the same : Official Site

4 . P.O.V. – All Through The Night (w/ Jade)

“All Through The Night” performed by Cyndi Lauper showcases her ability to take a Jules Shear-penned song and imbue it with her unmistakable warmth and theatrical flair.

Originally released as a studio track in the 1980s, the live rendition from Lauper’s 2004 “Live… At Last” album magnifies its gentle, nocturnal mood, highlighting Lauper’s distinctive voice, which walks the fine line between raw emotion and technical precision.

Set against subtle instrumentation, her vocal delivery alternates between restraint and soaring crescendos, adding layers of vulnerability and strength to the piece that other versions often lack.

The track’s history, spanning multiple interpretations, solidifies its versatility, but Lauper’s live take presents it as something uniquely hers—organic, intimate, and tenderly dramatic.

While her catalog contains more bombastic hits like “Girls Just Want to Have Fun,” this performance reminds us that Lauper thrives in delicate moments, offering a reprieve from her more energetic anthems.

This might not be her most famous number, but it distinctively reflects an artist at peace with the quieter facets of her craft, creating a connection with her audience that feels personal and unfiltered.

The fact that her version exists alongside the song’s other adaptations speaks to its enduring potential for reinterpretation, yet Lauper’s presentation remains rooted in her idiosyncratic style, a trait that elevates her live works.

Featured on the 1993 album “Handin’ Out Beatdowns”.

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5 . 4 Hero – Escape That

“Escape That” by 4 Hero lands in the realm of drum and bass with a purpose that feels both familiar and restless.

This 1997 track charts an ambient pathway, laced with jittery rhythms and cascading textures that suggest a yearning for liberation, aligning with the evocative title.

It occupies a lesser-celebrated corner of the group’s expansive career, managing to graze the UK Singles Chart at spot 79 for a fleeting week, a humbling reminder of how some tracks vanish as swiftly as they arrive.

At its core, the song embodies the intricate production style that 4 Hero honed in albums like *Two Pages* and *Creating Patterns*, textural layers offsetting crisp train-track beats in what feels like a microcosm of their sound.

The irony here is hard to ignore: despite its title and themes of freedom, it gets locked into an atmospheric formula that doesn’t quite escape itself.

For listeners hungry for exacting detail, it’s a momentary blip in a catalog known more for pushing boundaries than treading water.

Featured on the 1998 album “Two Pages”.

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6 . Dog Eat Dog – No Fronts

“No Fronts” by Dog Eat Dog hits like an adrenaline surge from the apex of ’90s rap-metal culture.

The track, lifted from their 1994 album “All Boro Kings,” revels in its rebellious ethos, rejecting pretense with razor-edged confidence.

What instantly sets it apart is the brass-heavy arrangement—saxophone riffs snake their way through the distorted guitars, a nod to ska-punk pioneers like Fishbone without losing the grit of hardcore.

The production carries its quirks; the snare drum, borrowed from Soundgarden’s recording arsenal, cracks through the mix like a boxer’s jab, adding a layer of punch to an already volatile energy.

Its UK Rock and Metal chart dominance—claiming the top position for three weeks—underscores its infectious grip, though radio airplay and MTV traction felt more like side effects than intentional plays for mainstream approval.

The music video, racking up heavy rotation on Germany’s Viva, doubles as a visual manifesto, balancing grimy urban aesthetics with a sense of controlled chaos.

At its core, “No Fronts” feels engineered for sweaty, cathartic live shows—a sort of anthem for outsiders that thrives in unity, yet doesn’t pander to conformity.

Featured on the 1994 album “All Boro Kings”.

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7 . Blaggers ITA – Abandon Ship

Released in 1993 under EMI, “Abandon Ship” by Blaggers ITA reflects the chaos and rebellion tied to its punk roots.

The track was issued in multiple formats, including vibrant turquoise and orange 7-inch vinyls, each paired with distinct live B-sides like “Josephine Baker” and “Here’s Johnny.”

This isn’t just raw punk energy on wax—it’s also a strategic promotional move for the “Bad Karma” album, albeit with a twist: the single version added female backing vocals, setting it apart from its album counterpart.

Fittingly, this anthem of unrest often found itself on various compilations and even a 2001 video collection featuring live renditions, strengthening its place in the punk ether while showcasing the band’s untamed stage presence.

A quick glance at the accompanying promo video—accessible today via YouTube—brings back the unmistakable grit of the era, now upscaled yet no less defiant.

Blaggers ITA, active from 1988 to 1996, channel their trademark amalgam of punk fury and politically charged message into this anthem, which remains a cult hit among loyal fans decades later.

Featured on the 1994 album “Bad Karma”.

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8 . Rockers Hi Fi – What A Life

“What a Life!” by Rockers Hi-Fi carries the smoky haze of ’90s European dub, a genre born from the marriage of bass-heavy reggae and electronic experimentation.

This track, released in 1995, serves as a sonic postcard from Birmingham’s gritty urban landscape, a city not typically synonymous with the island vibes it conjures.

The rhythm feels unhurried, its pulsing undercurrents insisting on reflection rather than frenzy, making it a feature on chillout compilations of its era.

Its inclusion in *The Basketball Diaries* soundtrack juxtaposed dub’s meditative sprawl with the chaotic energy of a film drenched in youthful angst—a decision as peculiar as it was inspired.

Trivia aside, the true charm of “What a Life!” lies in its contradictions; the track effortlessly layers urban grit with a laissez-faire coolness, encapsulating the ethos of ’90s electronic fusion.

Richard “DJ Dick” Whittingham and Glyn “Bigga” Bush sculpted a sound here that’s as much about space as it is about substance, where every reverberation feels intentional, and every pause speaks as loudly as the beat.

It flirts with minimalism but avoids veering into monotony, and while it’s not likely to flood dance floors, it dominates introspective nights and hazy days.

Decades later, it stands more as an artifact than a revolution, a snapshot of a time when dub found its way into dimly lit clubs and European lounges.

Featured on the 1993 album “Rockers To Rockers”.

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9 . Apache Indian – Make Way For The Indian (w/ Tim Dog)

Apache Indian’s “Make Way for the Indian,” featuring Tim Dog, is a 1995 melting pot of hip-hop and ragga with a decidedly confrontational edge.

Released during Apache Indian’s peak creative period, the song reflects his signature cross-cultural fusion, bridging his Birmingham roots with broader global influences.

Tim Dog’s presence injects a raw, New York flavor into the track, a stark contrast to Apache’s patois-heavy delivery that celebrates his South Asian heritage and reggae sensibilities.

The production leans heavily on mid-’90s hip-hop tropes—hard beats, layered samples, and an aggressive rhythm—but spices things up with ragga breaks and a dub-adjacent commitment to repetition.

Though it shares an album with breakout tracks like “Boomshackalak,” which landed on everything from blockbuster soundtracks to deodorant commercials, this particular song showcases sharper edges that feel intentionally less polished.

On paper, the collaboration between Apache Indian and Tim Dog shouldn’t work—Tim Dog’s brash persona feels like an odd foil to Apache’s more fluid delivery—but the tension surprisingly forms the song’s backbone.

The lyrics, alternating between cultural reclamation and street-smart bravado, tread an uneven line; at times, the message risks getting muddled in the track’s layered production.

Still, its bold fusion speaks to Apache Indian’s willingness to experiment within—and push against—the genre confines of both his influences and collaborators.

Even nearly three decades later, “Make Way for the Indian” seems less interested in consensus-building than starting conversations, making it both a product of its time and oddly forward-looking.

Featured on the 1995 album “Make Way for the Indian”.

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10 . EMF – I Believe

“I Believe” by EMF crackles with a frenetic energy that encapsulates the early ’90s indie dance-rock zeitgeist.

The track opens with an odd and captivating burst of percussive chaos—apparently the sound of Derry Brownson smashing a wall—followed by the band’s laughter, a chaotic gesture that feels both anarchic and absurdly human.

What follows is a charged concoction of punchy guitar riffs, buoyant synths, and James Atkin’s vocals, which veer between defiance and raw earnestness.

The production by Pascal Gabriel gives it a polished edge, but it never loses its garage-band vitality.

Chart traction came swiftly for this single, placing it in the Top 10 in both the UK and US, though its international reach varied—soaring in places like Switzerland and Ireland while fumbling in Australia.

Its upbeat rhythms and anthemic momentum set it apart as a track designed for both introspective headphone sessions and communal, sticky-floor dancefloors.

The music video, with its heavy rotation on MTV Europe, added to its quirky allure, stamping it as a cultural moment for those who gravitated towards hook-laden optimism with a jagged edge.

Equal measures of chaos and craft make “I Believe” a fascinating artifact from an era caught between grunge despair and rave euphoria, though its definitive charm lies in its refusal to take itself too seriously.

Featured on the 1991 album “Schubert Dip”.

Lyrics >> Review >> More by the same : Official Site

11 . Q-Tee – Gimme That Body

Released in 1993, “Gimme That Body” by Q-Tee is a high-energy hip-hop track that exudes unapologetic swagger, wrapped in a backdrop of infectious beats tailored for the dance floor.

The song thrives on its sense of immediacy, with Q-Tee delivering sharp, rhythmic verses that mirror the era’s love for bold self-assurance and a pulsating groove.

Its production leans heavily on a head-nodding bassline and layered percussion, complemented by intermittent vocal samples that punctuate the flow without overwhelming it.

While the lyrics may not break thematic ground—they’re rooted in the confident assertion of bodily autonomy and charisma—they serve their purpose by aligning perfectly with the track’s kinetic momentum.

In the broader cultural backdrop, “Gimme That Body” reflects the 90s’ obsession with blending hip-hop’s attitude with club-ready hooks, making it a staple in both dance clubs and mixtapes of the time.

While its influences are easy to trace, the track avoids sounding derivative by amplifying its raw energy, allowing Q-Tee to carve out a small but memorable niche in a crowded genre field.

Its legacy, though fleeting, resides in its ability to encapsulate a particular moment in hip-hop’s evolution, where craft collided with commercial accessibility.

Lyrics >> More by the same : Wikipedia

12 . Kiss AMC – My Docs

“My Docs” by Kiss AMC brings a playful and unexpected twist to hip-hop, sampling Slade’s raucous “Get Down and Get with It”—a song already steeped in early rock and R&B influences courtesy of its writer, Bobby Marchan.

Released in 1989 and later climbing modestly to 66 on the UK Singles Chart, the track stands as a quirky homage to past musical eras while embedding its own brand of wry humor and brash lyricism.

The inclusion of Noddy Holder in the video feels more like a cheeky nod than a serious artistic collaboration, accentuating the song’s irreverent edge rather than grounding it in nostalgia.

Musically, it leans heavily on its sample, using Slade’s infectious energy as a springboard while layering in distinctly late-’80s hip-hop grooves.

The lyrical content, though hardly profound, compensates with a confident swagger that matches its DIY aesthetic.

“My Docs” may not scream perennial classic, but it occupies a curious niche where vintage rock and nascent hip-hop collide, wrapped in an aura of mischief and cheeky self-awareness.

Review >> More by the same : Official Site