The 1995 Source System – The Best Albums Of The Year

Posted on by Robbie Ettelson

This old November 1994 to October 1995 bullshit really makes this more difficult than it should be. GZA’s album might be on the border who cares at this stage. The Meth, Redman and Keith Murray albums were all enjoyable enough back then but I’d rather revisit these fifteen long players if I had the choice.

Special mention to ‘Sooo Much Style’ off the Dogg Pound album just because I haven’t heard this song in two decades.

01) Raekwon – Only Built 4 Cuban Linx…
02) Big L – Lifestylez ov da Poor & Dangerous
03) Mobb Deep – The Infamous
04) GZA/Genius – Liquid Swords
05) Show & AG – Goodfellas
06) Pete Rock & CL Smooth – The Main Ingredient
07) Kool G Rap – 4,5,6
08) Fat Joe – Jealous One’s Envy
09) Ol’ Dirty Bastard – Return to the 36 Chambers: The Dirty Version
10) AZ – Doe or Die
11) Tha Alkaholiks – Coast II Coast
12) Smif-n-Wessun – Dah Shinin
13) Mic Geronimo – The Natural
14) Cypress Hill – Cypress Hill III: Temples of Boom
15) Odd Squad – Fadanuf Fa Erybody!!

35 thoughts on “The 1995 Source System – The Best Albums Of The Year”

  1. …good list, Robbie! But for me, besides GZA, Raekwon and Mobb Deep, Redman’s 2nd album has the most replay value of these “95” albums … even G Rap’s album suffers from the 2 singles, although there’s some of that year’s best tracks on it (“Take Em To War”, “Executioner Style” and “Blowin’ Up In The World”)…

  2. Off the top, my 95 top 10 would be:

    10) Count Bass D – pre life crisis
    9) Aceyalone – All balls don’t bounce
    8) VA – Pump ya fist
    7) RBX – The RBX files
    6) Cypress Hill – temples of boom
    5) Group home – livin proof
    4) Mobb Deep – The infamous
    3) 2pac – me against the world
    2) Gza – Liquid swords
    1) Raekwon – only built

  3. Aceyalone? Come on Dino. That was part of that whole West Coast soft hop movement, started by Freestyle Faggotship. Never got into any of that crap.

  5. Agreed, that stuff plagued unsuspecting ears in the late 90’s. It looked like it might be decent, great covers, parental advisory stickers, then the albums would put you in a coma and you’d wake up $15 poorer. Criminal.

  6. Well I like Big L and Mic G’s albums I’d personally switch those out for Redman and yes don’t shoot me E-40.

  8. I find that particular album hard to listen to, for various reasons. The second Ace1 solo album with Mumbles was brilliant though, beautiful music instrumentally too…

  9. Good choices Robbie.
    Alternative releases, pushing top 15 status for moi:
    The B.U.M.S. – Lyfe N Time
    Blackalicious – Melodica EP
    Company Flow – Funcrusher
    Goodie Mob – Soul Food
    Jemini The Gifted One – Scars & Pain EP
    The Pharcyde – Labcabincalifornia
    The Cenobites LP
    Double X – Ruff, Rugged & Raw
    K-Rino – Danger Zone
    The Nonce – World Ultimate
    Tony D – Central J Parlay
    The Dangerous Crew – Don’t Try This At Home
    Omniscience – The Raw Factor
    Red Hot Lover Tone – #1 Player
    Mannish – Audio Sedative

    Twas a good year for my Walkman…

  10. Mannish was a great duo, they disappeared after that.

    I just bought that Double XX record a few weeks ago. Poorly pressed and not as good as thier debut, I think they lost the leader on that one.

  11. Damn what a great year in Hip hop! So many great albums! Month of the Man was the shit! Most of these are still on play in my Ipod today. We will never see another time like this…..

  12. Sugar Ray was present, BK just stepped up his presence

  13. Both the E-40 and Luniz albums are excellent. No joke.

    Anybody pointed out how aside from “How High,” a Pac/Moe Bee joint, and the Tribe song, The Show soundtrack really isn’t that great? You can find that Onyx joint on All We Got Iz Us too.

  14. It’s a grower, but I feel like Goodfellas would’ve been even better had some of the tracks from the initial promo stayed on (e.g. “Under Pressure”).

    And let’s not forget how The Source gave Dah Shinin’ only 3 mics. :S

  17. Big L edged out almost everybody and landed at #2? Fucking A! That album is nothing but perfect punchlines and brutal battle-raps over top-tier DITC production. Good call, Robbie.

  18. Miilkbone- Da Miilkcrate
    Dougie Fresh – Play
    Masta Ace – Sittin on Chrome
    Guru – Jazzmatazz Vol. 2
    Special Ed – Revelations
    Channel Live – Station Identification
    Rottin Razkals – Rottin ta da Core

  20. The Lunitunz, yeah, E-40, nah, for disappointing cheesy beats!

  21. Dissapointing year for Houston, Atlanta and Chicago, albeit for K-Rino, Goodie Mob and Tha Chamba EP…

  22. can you tell me you’ve bumped lifestylez… more than The Infamous with a straight face? While I do love Big L, as an album I don’t think it holds a candle to the mobbs debut. Thought you was a Queens Bridge connesiour! Good list. I’m just sayin

  23. before anybody start: I know that’s not technically their debut.

  24. @sunn delicious: I’ve bumped Lifestylez way more than The Infamous. And I love The Infamous. But I honestly enjoy L’s album more.

    And if you think The Infamous was Mobb Deep’s debut album, then you’re not in a position to question anybody’s credentials.

  25. Although released much later, these gems were recorded in ’95:

    InI – Life I Live
    Deda – The Original Baby Pa

  26. @ab I dont think the albums those songs came from were technically mindblowing. but I like that prime pete rock decided he wanted to make music with his friends instead of trying to be in “supergroups”. like jimi hendrix when he quit the experience and went back to play with buddy miles and his army buddies.

  28. “Freestyle Faggotship” lmao

    Freestyle Fellowship and Three 6 Mafia influenced and changed rap, way more the east coast and their toxic pathetic try hard bullshit, rapping about how they be flexing and stunting with their homoerotic lyrics about nothing lol. Try again, busta.

  29. Hey Robbie, Bol called and he wants his everything you bit from him. Fucking snake.

  30. NS2 YOURE A COWARD WITH WACK FUCKING TASTE IN MUSIC!
    3 SIX MAFIA??????? YOURE SUCH A FUCKING HERB! NOBODY LISTENED TO THAT WACK COUNTRY BULLSHIT!
    Dissing Robbie on his site shows what a Bitch ass Snake you are!
    Pussy ass Coward! And FREESTYLE FELLOWSHIP were CORNY!
    “Busta” take your Geri curl ass having faggot self to St.ELSEWHERE!
    COWARD!

  31. [Oh, I meant: InI – Center of Attention]

    For me, PR/Deda would have been in my line up behind Mobb, Tek & Steele, Rae, and L–somewhere in mix with Miilk and Fat Joe.

    I love ’95 for a lot of the dirty, heavy, hard-hitting beats by Premier, Beatminerz, Havoc, Show, Buck,…but to me, Pete came off so fresh and clean on the InI and Deda records–new loops (ones used before Camp Lo and PUTS–except the ones Q-Tip used on Bonita and Gangsta Bitch), and crisp hi-hats and snares.

    As far as InI, the emcees weren’t the greatest, but I’ll take Grap, Rob, and the other guy over Lil Dap and the Nutcracker in the same year–and I love the Group Home record.

  32. I hope Robbie follows through with this series. I’m really interested to see what his picks would be for the late-90’s, when the line between CRC approved hip-hop and shiny suit/backpacker rap gets a little cloudy.

  34. N-2 YOURE A COWARD ASS BITCH! Dissing a man on his page and using a FAKE NAME??? Youre a coward ass faggot! And you actually Bigging up 3 six mafia? Have you lost your goddamn mind?
    3 six mafia???? Really??? The most ignorant Uncle Tom cooning group of all time?
    Fuck you and Donald Trump!

  35. Take your time with the Big L album and you’ll understand why it’s ranked #2. DITC forever.

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