
50 Hip-Hop Facts Every '90s Baby Should Know
Sure, you know every Jay-Z album word for word, cover to cover. You're jokingly called the "hip-hop encyclopedia" in your circle of friends. You feel like you can decode any rap lyric without consulting Rap Genius. But when it comes to hip-hop, it's impossible to know it all. Even the most esteemed rap purist is missing out on a fact or two. For those born and raised in the '90s (and 2000s), especially, it's easy to gloss over the details of hip-hop's evolution. Consider this a much-needed history lesson for the next time that rap OG tries to son you.
Compiled by Stacy-Ann Ellis, Camille Augustin, Desire Thompson and Sharifa Daniels

1
51

2
51
1. Nas was 21 when he released his first album, Illmatic, and just 17 when he started recording it.
Photo Credit: rapgenius.com
3
51
2. The acronym for hip-hop group EPMD stands for "Erick and Parrish Making Dollars."
Photo Credit: last.fm
4
51
3. Biz Markie produced most of EPMD's first album.
Photo Credit: brooklynbullshit.com
5
51
4. The original four elements of hip-hop are emceeing, B-boying (breaking), DJing and graffiti.
Photo Credit: Beat Street
6
51
5. The Mercedes Ladies were the first all-female rap group.
Photo Credit: biton.rssing.com
7
51
6. Although he's currently considered a member of the rap elite, Eminem only sold 1,000 copies of his 1996 debut album, Infinite.
Photo Credit: eminemlab.com
8
51
7. Da Brat was the first female solo rapper to have a platinum-selling album.
Photo Credit: thewomenofhiphop.com
9
51
8. Dr. Dre's "Nuthin' But a G Thang" (from his 1992 debut, The Chronic) sampled Leon Haywood's 1975 hit, "I Want to Do Something Freaky to You."
Photo Credit: last.fm
10
51
9. Before the Diddy Bop became a dance all its own, Mr. Combs was once a back-up dancer for Big Daddy Kane and Heavy D.
Photo Credit: newsone.com
11
51
10. Chubb Rock dropped out of medical school (at Brown University!) to pursue a rap career.
Photo Credit: hashmoder.com
12
51
11. At the time N.W.A.'s Straight Outta Compton was released in 1988, Eazy-E was the only member of the unapologetically violent rap group with a criminal record and a drug-dealing past.
Photo Credit: respectthenext.com
13
51
12. Nas used to open up on tour for Super Cat when they were both signed to Columbia Records.
Photo Credit: yardhype.com
14
51
13. Nas co-wrote Will Smith's "Gettin' Jiggy Wit It," and it was the only Grammy Award-winning project of his career.
Photo Credit: YouTube
15
51
14. Pharrell Williams wrote Teddy Riley's rap in Wreckx-N-Effect's 1992 single, "Rump Shaker."
Photo Credit: Tumblr
16
51
15. As they sat in a movie theatre for the opening clip of "Killing Me Softly," The Fugees are watching the original (and decidedly rejected) version of the song's video.
Photo Credit: YouTube
17
51
16. Diddy's 1997 debut album, No Way Out, was originally titled Hell Up in Harlem.
Photo Credit: Amazon.com
18
51
17. Eazy-E signed a pre-Fergie Black Eyed Peas to his own Ruthless Records in 1992.
Photo Credit: arc-records.com
19
51
18. Before her mainstream success, Queen Latifah started out beatboxing for the female rap group, Ladies Fresh.
Photo Credit: Tumblr
20
51
19. Grandwizard Theodore is credited as the "creator of scratching."
Photo Credit: last.fm
21
51
20. The late '80s and early '90s are referred to as hip-hop's "golden era."
Photo Credit: hiphopsince81.com
22
51
21. The first project released by Bad Boy Records was Craig Mack's single "Flava In Ya Ear."
Photo Credit: BET.com
23
51
22. Nate Dogg, Snoop Dogg and Warren G were once in a local rap group named 213, which was L.A.'s original telephone area code.
Photo Credit: Tumblr
24
51
23. Clive "Kool Herc" Campbell was the first hip-hop DJ. He's credited with originating the modern hip-hop genre in the early 1970s at a party in the Bronx.
Photo Credit: LA Weekly
25
51
24. Rap pioneer Afrika Bambaataa quit the Black Spades street gang to form the music-oriented "youth organization" Zulu Nation in the mid 1970s.
Photo Credit: AllHipHop.com
26
51
25. Bambaataa was the first rap artist to record a song with James Brown--"Unity" in 1984.
Photo Credit: AllHipHop
27
51
26. After his cameo on Soul Train, Kurtis Blow became the first rapper to appear on national television.
Photo Credit: last.fm
28
51
27. Nas' intro to "NY State of Mind" ("I don't know how to start this shit") was a mistake, and he spat the entire first verse in just one take.
Photo Credit: MissInfo.tv
29
51
28. In 1984, Russell Simmons and Rick Rubin joined forces to launch Def Jam Records.
Photo Credit: Barnes And Noble
30
51
29. The original members of Public Enemy were Chuck D, Flavor Flav, Professor Griff and DJ Terminator X.
Photo Credit: Newsday
31
51
30. Yo! MTV Raps hits the TV airwaves in 1988.
Photo Credit: AllHipHop
32
51
31. Tupac launched his career as a roadie and dancer for Digital Underground.
Photo Credit: StraightfromtheA.com
33
51
32. Jazzy Jay first introduced Rick Rubin to Russell Simmons.
Photo Credit: djsunited.com.au
34
51
33. Kanye West produced songs on Jermaine Dupri's Life in 1472.
Photo Credit: amazon.com
35
51
34. Celeb stylist June Ambrose convinced Diddy to wear the trademark shiny suit in "Mo Money Mo Problems."
Photo Credit: YouTube
36
51
35. Sean Combs went through (at least) four stage names in the '90s and early 2000s: Puff Daddy, Puffy, P. Diddy and Diddy.
Photo Credit: urbanislandz.com
37
51
vibe-aaliyah-biggie-left-eye-tupac
36. A significant amount of hip-hop heavyweights died in their 20s: Aaliyah (22), Left Eye (25), Tupac (25), Biggie Smalls (24), Big L (24) and Big Pun (28).
Photo Credit: Flickr.com
38
51
37. Run-D.M.C was signed to Profile Records.
Photo Credit: last.fm
39
51
38. Jay-Z's "99 Problems" was originally Ice-T's single. The song appears on Ice's 1993 album Home Invasion.
Photo Credit: volleyballmag.com
40
51
39. Brooklyn duo Smif-N-Wessun changed their name to Cocoa Brovaz in 1996 to avoid a cease and desist lawsuit from firearms company Smith & Wesson.
Photo Credit: grandgood.com
41
51
40. Dr. Dre was in a group called the World Class Wreckin Cru before he was in N.W.A.
Photo Credit: westcoastpioneers.com
42
51
41. Will Smith was the first rapper with a fictional sitcom based on his life.
Photo Credit: amazon.com
43
51
42. Producer Large Professor showed DJ Premier how to use the SP-1200 drum machine.
Photo Credit: cocaineblunts.com
44
51
43. Lauryn Hill was the the only female rapper to take home five Grammys.
Photo Credit: ginavivinetto.wordpress.com
45
51
44. Rock Steady Crew is considered the biggest known B-boy crew in hip-hop.
Photo Credit: last.fm
46
51
45. The chorus of Jay-Z's "Hard Knock Life (Ghetto Anthem)" samples the Broadway play Annie.
Photo Credit: YouTube
47
51
46. Bushwick Bill, one-third of the Houston group The Geto Boys, lost an eye in a shooting incident prior to the release of We Can't Be Stopped. The album's graphic cover art is a picture of him in the emergency room with a clear view of his eye and his group mates Scarface and Willie D by his side.
Photo Credit: grandgood.com
48
51
47. The members of A Tribe Called Quest were first a part of a high school afrocentric group called the Native Tongues.
Photo Credit: cultureclimax.com
49
51
48. Cypress Hill initiated a campaign to legalize hemp during the time they released their self-titled debut album.
Photo Credit: fanart.tv
50
51
49. Interscope Records severed their ties with Death Row back in 1997.
Photo Credit: westlord.com
51
51
50. Jay-Z and Nas had a nasty rap battle where Jay details his sexual relationship with Nas' baby mama. The two have since made up.
Photo Credit: roc4life.comThe Vibe Mix Newsletter
All things VIBE.
Daily - Straight to your inbox.
Whoops!