Week Seventeen: Nineties/Alternative

Nirvana exploded onto the music scene with the release of its sec­ond album, Nevermind, in 1991. Childhood friends from Aberdeen, Washington, guitarist Kurt Cobain and bass player Chris Novoselic had been playing together in noisy hard-core bands since the early 1980s. They eventually settled on the name, Nirvana, and a thrashing but melodic sound that would soon make them famous. By the end of the decade, they had also found a permanent drum­mer, David Grohl, after going through four separate percussionists in the previous four years.

The band had enjoyed popularity for several years through­out the Northwest, but it was only when MTV began to air the video for the band's single "Smells Like Teen Spirit" in the fall of 1991 that Nirvana really began to gain a huge following.

With Cobain's predictable pattern of soft, restrained verses and anguished, explosive bursts on the chorus, Nirvana's music sounded surprisingly like mid-1970s alternative bands such as Husker Dii and the Replacements. But Nirvana's mix of fury and despair was much more suited to the mood of the early 1990s than the mid-1970s. There was also something special about Cobain's voice. At the same time raspingly hoarse and sweetly plaintive, Cobain's singing communicated both the anger and the fear behind his blank expression. On songs like "Lithium," "Drain You," and "Teen Spirit," the band presented, according to rock critic Gina Arnold, "a pristine picture of a frenzied search for meaning among kids who have been given no tools for contemplation whatever— except, of course, electric guitars."54

Nevermind quickly became the biggest-selling record of 1992, with more than six million copies sold worldwide. "Grunge," the new name for Nirvana's harsh, jangling style of music, became a national phenomenon. By the end of the year, the recordings of a number of other Seattle-based grunge bands—such as Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, and Mudhoney—had found their way onto the charts.

A lifelong victim of depression, Cobain was never comfort­able with rock-and-roll stardom. For the band's next release, In Utero (1993), he composed a dark, unrelentingly pessimistic batch of songs that bewildered many of the band's new fans. On In Utero, there were few of the instrumental hooks and friendly melodies that had drawn many listeners to Nevermind. To no one's surprise, the recording failed to duplicate the success of its prede­cessor.

Cobain grew increasingly withdrawn and despondent in the months after the album's release. The following year, after a severe bout of depression, Cobain committed suicide at his home in Wash­ington. The young singer's sudden death stunned his listeners in the same way that Buddy Holly's death had shocked a generation of rock-and-roll fans more than 35 years earlier. In the wake of Cobain's death, another Seattle band, Pearl Jam, became the unof­ficial leader of the grunge movement.

Probably the most significant musical trend to follow Nirvana was the surprising number of female rock-and-roll performers to attract attention during the period. Throughout the early 1990s, female-led bands like the Breeders, Belly, Throwing Muses, and Bikini Kill began to rival the success of alternative mainstays like Pavement, Beck, and Fugazi. Hole, formed by lead singer Courtney Love, the widow of Kurt Cobain, was one of the best and most controversial of the new bands. Other standouts were Bjork, Liz Phair, and P. J. Harvey.

The former lead singer of the Sugarcubes, Icelander Bjork used her jazz-inspired squeal to produce two of the most accom­plished solo albums of the period, Debut and Post. For Exile in Guyville, Chicago-based rock and roller Liz Phair composed a stunning 14-song response to the Rolling Stones classic Exile on Main Street. Phair's album gained attention for both its hard, catchy melodies and the singer's fondness for four-letter words. Best of all the new women rock and rollers was Britain's Polly Jo Harvey. Her third release, To Send You My Love (1995), was a hard, bluesy, organ-driven masterpiece. Behind Harvey's rough, throaty lead vocals, the album delivered the most riveting rock-and-roll performance since Nevermind.

As usual, the recording industry sought to profit from the lat­est musical trends, and new artists were quickly signed to give the public a more accessible version of both grunge and women's alter­native rock. In 1995, singer Alanis Morissette released Jagged Lit­tle Pill, a friendlier, more cleanly produced version of Phair and Harvey's angry, feminist rock and roll that sold more than six mil­lion copies. Hootie and the Blowfish, a talented, good-natured South Carolina foursome who performed a cheerful, watered-down version of Pearl Jam's arena rock, became the most popular band in the world. By the end of the year, the band's debut album, Cracked Rear View, had sold more than 12 million copies worldwide.

The biggest news of the year, however, was reserved for the biggest rock-and-roll band of all time. After 25 years, the remain­ing members of the Beatles staged a brief but highly profitable reunion. Early in 1995, they released a double album full of rare outtakes and new versions of two previously unreleased songs. As if the Beatles reunion had not been strange enough news, the year ended with rumors that, after more than 18 years, John Lydon was planning to reunite the Sex Pistols for a tour in the summer of 1996. More than 40 years after it first exploded on the music scene, rock and roll was still full of surprises.

Alternative

Nirvana: Prior to Nirvana, alternative music was consigned to specialty sections of record stores and major labels considered it to be, at the very most, a tax write-off. After the band's second album, 1991's Nevermind, nothing was ever quite the same, for better and for worse. Nirvana popularized punk, post-punk, and indie rock, unintentionally bringing it into the American mainstream like no other band before it. While its sound was equal parts Black Sabbath (as learned by fellow Washington underground rockers the Melvins) and Cheap Trick, Nirvana's aesthetics were strictly indie rock.

They covered Vaselines songs, they revived new wave cuts by Devo, and leader Kurt Cobain relentlessly pushed his favorite bands -- whether it was the art punk of the Raincoats or the country-fried hardcore of the Meat Puppets -- as if his favorite records were always more important than his own music. While Nirvana's ideology was indie rock and melodies were pop, the sonic rush of their records and live shows merged the post-industrial black noise with heavy metal grind. And that's what made the group an unprecedented multi-platinum sensation. Jane's Addiction and Soundgarden may have proven to the vast American heavy metal audience that alternative could rock, and the Pixies may have merged pop sensibilities with indie rock black noise, but Nirvana pulled at all together, creating a sound that was both fiery and melodic.

Since Nirvana was rooted in the indie aesthetic, but loved pop music, they fought their stardom while courting it, becoming some of the most notorious anti-rock stars in history. The result was a conscious attempt to shed their audience with the abrasive In Utero, which only partially fulfilled the band's goal. But by that point, the fate of the band and Kurt Cobain had been sealed. Suffering from drug addiction and manic depression, Cobain had become destructive and suicidal, though his management and label were able to hide the extent of his problems from the public until April 8, 1994, when he was found dead of a self-inflicted shotgun wound. Cobain may not have been able to weather Nirvana's success, but the band's legacy stands as one of the most influential in rock & roll history.

Kurt Cobain (vocals, guitar) met Chris Novoselic (born Krist Novoselic) (bass) in 1985 in Aberdeen, WA, a small logging town 100 miles away from Seattle. While Novoselic came from a relatively stable background, Cobain's childhood had been thrown into turmoil when his parents divorced when he was eight. Following the divorce, he lived at the homes of various relatives, developing a love for the Beatles and then heavy metal in the process. Eventually, American hardcore punk worked its way into dominating his listening habits and he met the Melvins, an Olympia-based underground heavy punk band. Cobain began playing in punk bands like Fecal Matter, often with the Melvins' bassist Dale Crover. Through the Melvins' leader Buzz Osborne, Cobain met Novoselic, who also had an intense interest in punk, which meant that he, like Cobain, felt alienated from the macho, redneck population of Aberdeen. The duo decided to form a band called the Stiff Woodies, with Cobain on drums, Novoselic on bass, and a rotating cast of guitarists and vocalists. The group went through name changes as quickly as guitarists, before deciding that Cobain would play guitar and sing. Renamed Skid Row, the new trio featured drummer Aaron Burkhart, who left the band by the end of 1986 and was replaced by Chad Channing. By 1987, the band was called Nirvana.

Nirvana began playing parties in Olympia, gaining a cult following. During 1987, the band made ten demos with producer Jack Endino, who played the recordings to Jonathan Poneman, one of the founders of the Seattle-based indie label Sub Pop. Poneman signed Nirvana, and in December of 1988, the band released their first single, a cover of Shocking Blue's "Love Buzz." Sub Pop orchestrated an effective marketing scheme, which painted the band as backwoods, logging-town hicks, which irritated Cobain and Novoselic. While "Love Buzz" was fairly well-received, the band's debut album, Bleach, was what began the ball rolling. Recorded for just over 600 dollars and released in the spring of 1989, Bleach slowly became a hit on college radio, due to the group's consistent touring. Though Jason Everman was credited as a second guitarist on the sleeve of Bleach, he didn't appear on the record; he only toured in support of the album before leaving the band at the end of the year to join Soundgarden and then Mindfunk. Bleach sold 35,000 copies and Nirvana became favorites of college radio, the British weekly music press, and Sonic Youth, Mudhoney, and Dinosaur Jr., which was enough to attract the attention of major labels.

During the summer, Nirvana released "Sliver"/"Dive," which was recorded with Mudhoney's Dan Peters on drums and produced by Butch Vig. The band also made a six-song demo with Vig, which was shopped to major labels, who soon began competing to sign the group. By the end of the summer, Dave Grohl, formerly of the D.C.-based hardcore band Scream, had become Nirvana's drummer and the band signed with DGC for $287,000. Nirvana recorded their second album with Vig, completing the record in the summer. Following a European tour supporting Sonic Youth in the late summer, Nevermind was released in September, supported by a quick American tour. While DGC was expecting a moderately successful release, in the neighborhood of 100,000 copies, Nevermind immediately became a smash hit, quickly selling out its initial shipment of 50,000 copies and creating a shortage across America. What helped the record become a success was "Smells Like Teen Spirit," a blistering four-chord rocker that was accompanied by a video that shot into heavy MTV rotation. By the beginning of 1992, "Smells Like Teen Spirit" had climbed into the American Top Ten and Nevermind bumped Michael Jackson's much-touted comeback album Dangerous off the top of the album charts; it reached the British Top Ten shortly afterward. By February, the album had been certified triple platinum.

Nirvana's success took the music industry by surprise, Nirvana included. It soon become apparent that the band wasn't quite sure how to handle their success. Around the time of Nevermind's release, the band was into baiting their audience -- Cobain appeared on MTV's Headbanger's Ball in drag, the group mocked the tradition of miming on the BBC's Top of the Pops by Novoselic constantly throwing his bass into the air and Cobain singing his live vocals in the style of Ian Curtis, and their traditional live destruction of instruments was immortalized on a Saturday Night Live performance that ended with Novoselic and Grohl sharing a kiss -- but by the spring, questions had begun to arise about the band's stability. Cobain married Courtney Love, the leader of the indie rock/foxcore band Hole, in February of 1992, announcing that the couple was expecting a child in the fall. Shortly after the marriage, rumors that the couple were heavy heroin users began to circulate and the strength of the rumors only increased when Nirvana canceled several summer concerts and refused to mount a full-scale American tour during the summer. Cobain complained that he was suffering from chronic stomach troubles, which seemed to be confirmed when he was admitted to a Belfast hospital after a June concert. But, heroin rumors continued to surface, especially in the form of a late-summer Vanity Fair article which implied that Love was using during her pregnancy. Both Love and Cobain denied the article's allegations, and publicly harassed and threatened the article's author. Love delivered Frances Bean Cobain, a healthy baby girl, on August 18, 1992, but the couple soon battled with Los Angeles' children's services, who claimed they were unfit parents on the basis of the Vanity Fair article. The couple was granted custody of their child by the beginning of 1993.

Since Cobain was going through such well-documented personal problems, Nirvana was unable to record a follow-up to Nevermind until the spring of 1993. In the meantime, DGC released the odds-and-ends compilation Incesticide late in 1992; the album reached number 39 in the U.S. and number 14 U.K. As the group prepared to make their third album, they released "Oh, the Guilt" as a split-single with the Jesus Lizard on Touch & Go Records. Choosing Steve Albini (Pixies, the Breeders, Big Black, the Jesus Lizard) as their producer, Nirvana recorded their third album, In Utero, in two weeks during the spring of 1993. Following its completion, controversy began to surround Nirvana again. Cobain suffered a heroin overdose on May 2, but the event was hidden from the press. The following month, Love called police to their Seattle home after Cobain locked himself in the bathroom, threatening suicide. Prior to debuting In Utero material during the New Music Seminar at New York's Roseland Ballroom in July, Cobain had another covered-up overdose. By that time, reports began to circulate, including an article in Newsweek, that DGC was unhappy with the forthcoming album, accusing that the band deliberately made an uncommercial record. Both the band and the label denied such allegations. Deciding that Albini's production was too flat, Nirvana decided to remaster the album with R.E.M.'s producer, Scott Litt.

In Utero was released in September of 1993 to positive reviews and strong initial sales, debuting at the top of the U.S. and U.K. charts. Nirvana supported it with a fall American tour, hiring former Germs member Pat Smear as an auxiliary guitarist. While the album and the tour were both successful, sales weren't quite as strong as expected, with several shows not selling out until the week of the concert. As a result, the group agreed to play MTV's acoustic Unplugged show at the end of the year, and sales of In Utero picked up after its December airing. After wrapping up the U.S. tour on January 8, 1994, with a show at Center Arena in Seattle, Nirvana embarked on a European tour in February. Following a concert in Munich on February 29, Cobain stayed in Rome to vacation with Love. On March 4, she awakened to find that Cobain had attempted suicide by overdosing on the tranquilizer Rohypnol and drinking champagne. While the attempt was initially reported as an accidental overdose, it was known within the Nirvana camp that the vocalist had left behind a suicide note.

Cobain returned to Seattle within a week of his hospitalization and his mental illness began to grow. On March 18, the police had to again talk the singer out of suicide after he locked himself in a room threatening to kill himself. Love and Nirvana's management organized an intervention program that resulted in Cobain's admission to the Exodus Recovery Center in L.A. on March 30, but he escaped from the clinic on April 1, returning to Seattle. His mother filed a missing persons report on April 4. The following day, Cobain shot himself in the head at his Seattle home. His body wasn't discovered until April 8, when an electrician contracted to install an alarm system at the Cobain house stumbled upon the body. After his death, Kurt Cobain was quickly anointed as a spokesman for Generation X, as well as a symbol of its tortured angst.

Novoselic and Grohl planned to release a double-disc live album at the end of 1994, but sorting through the tapes proved to be too painful, so MTV Unplugged in New York appeared in its place. The album debuted at the top of the British and American charts, as a home video comprised of live performances and interviews from the band's Nevermind-era, titled Live! Tonight! Sold Out!, was issued at the same time (the project began prior to Cobain's passing and was completed by surviving bandmembers).

In 1996, its electric counterpart, From the Muddy Banks of the Wishkah, was released, debuting at the top of the U.S. charts. Following Cobain's death, Grohl formed the Foo Fighters (early rumors that Novoselic would also be a member of the band ultimately proved to be false) -- releasing their self-titled debut album in 1995, followed by The Colour and the Shape in 1997 and There Is Nothing Left to Lose in 1999. Novoselic formed the trio Sweet 75, releasing their debut in the spring of 1997, and also appeared along with former Dead Kennedys' frontman Jello Biafra and former Soundgarden guitarist Kim Thayil on the 2000 live set Live From the Battle in Seattle under the name the No W.T.O. Combo.

By the late '90s, research began by Novoselic for a proposed box set of previously unreleased songs from throughout Nirvana's career. The project was supposed to surface in the fall of 2001 (to coincide with the tenth anniversary release of Nevermind), but legal problems began to surface. In 1997, Grohl and Novoselic formed the Nirvana L.L.C. partnership with Courtney Love (who manages Cobain's estate) -- a company that required a unanimous vote by all three regarding future albums, photos, and anything else Nirvana-related. When all three couldn't agree on the songs to be included on the box set, the matter was taken to court as Love attempted to dissolve the partnership. The project was ultimately shelved indefinitely as any legal decision was tied up in court.

Green Day: Childhood friends Billie Joe Armstrong (guitar, vocals) and Mike Dirnt (bass; born Michael Pritchard) formed their first band 'Sweet Children' when they were 14 years old in Rodeo, California. By 1989, the group had added drummer John Kiftmeyer (aka: Al Sobrante) and changed their name to Green Day after one of their songs. That year, the band independently released their first EP, 1,000 Hours, which was well received in the punk scene. The band soon signed to local independent label, Lookout! Records (run by Larry Livermore) and their debut album "39/Smooth" was also released that year. Shortly after its release, Kiftmeyer announced that he was going to college and suggested his former drum tutor Tre Cool (born Frank Edwin Wright, III) to take over as the band's permanent drummer. Throughout the early '90s, Green Day continued to cultivate a cult following, which only gained strength with the release of their sophomore album, 1992's 'Kerplunk'.

The underground success of 'Kerplunk' led to a wave of interest from the major record labels. Eventually the band decided to sign with Reprise Records and their major label debut 'Dookie' was released in the spring of 1994. Thanks to relentless touring and somewhat surprising MTV support for initial single "Longview," Dookie became a mainstream hit. The album continued to gain momentum throughout the summer, with the second single "Basket Case" spending five weeks on the top of the American modern rock charts. At the end of the summer, the band stole the show at Woodstock '94, which helped the sales of Dookie increase. By the time the fourth single "When I Come Around" began its seven-week stay at number one in the modern rock charts in early 1995, Dookie had sold over five million copies in the US alone. Eventually this figure would top eight million records sold in America, and selling over eleven million copies internationally. Along with Dookie's commercial success, the band also received critical acclaim when they won the 1994 Grammy for Best Alternative Music Performance.

Green Day quickly followed Dookie with 'Insomniac' in the fall of 1995. Prior to the album's release they again hit number one again on the U.S. modern rock charts with "J.A.R.," (a tribute to their friend Jason Andrew Relva, which appears on the soundtrack to the film 'Angus'). 'Insomniac' performed well initially, entering the US charts at number two and selling over two million copies by the spring of 1996. However, none of the subsequent singles -- including the radio favourite 'Brain Stew/Jaded' -- were as popular as those from Dookie. In the spring of 1996, Green Day abruptly cancelled a European tour, claiming exhaustion. Following the cancellation, the band spent the rest of the year resting and writing new material. The end result is what many call the best album of their career: 'Nimrod'.

'Nimrod' was well received by fans and critics alike, managing to land at #10 on the Billboard charts having sold 80,000 copies in it's first week. However, Green Day's comeback single "Hitchin' A Ride" only made it to #5 on the modern rock charts despite being placed in heavy rotation on MuchMusic and MTV. In response to this the band released what is arguably their most successful single ever. Although it would not make it to number one in the mainstream charts (it's highest position was #2), "Time of Your Life" is now probably the most well known song Green Day have ever written. Featuring Billie Joe on acoustic guitar & vocals, and Petra Hayden (of That Dog) on violin, "Time Of Your Life" became the song to play in any remotely sad situation. The song was even used on the last ever episode of the hit TV show Seinfeld (the most watched finale in the history of TV). Along with Seinfeld, the song was also played during two different episodes of hit drama E.R, making it possibly the most heard song that year on television. Despite gaining the band more critical respect than they would have received with another Dookie or Insomniac, 'Nimrod' only sold about two million copies, and was seen as a commercial flop in comparison. During the 'Nimrod' era the band also vastly improved their live show and even one "Best Live Performance" at the Kerrang awards.

After nearly two years out of the media spotlight Green Day returned in late 1999 to play Neil Young's "Bridge School Benefit Concert", their first live acoustic performance. Green Day began recording their follow-up to "Nimrod" shortly after, which would eventually become "Warning:". Early in the recording process, the band decided to fire producer Scott Litt, and produce the album themselves. This would be the first time since "Kerplunk" that anyone other than Rob Cavallo had produced the band. After they finished recording, Green Day decided to do something else they hadn't done before and headlined the 2000 Vans Warped Tour. Green Day played an amazing set and brought more fans to the tour than any other year in Warped's history (their Toronto performance alone attracted 7,000 more fans than they had any other year).

Released in the fall of 2000, "Warning:" was by far Green Day's most ambitious album to date and first single "Minority" sat at the top of the Billboard Modern Rock Chart after just four weeks. Although "Warning:" contained some of the band's best songs to date (in particular the excellent third single "Waiting"), many fans didn't take too well to the band's new punk-folk sound. Although it has since been certified platinum sales status, "Warning" is arguably Green Day's least successful album. After "Warning:" the band released a greatest hits album entitled 'International Super Hits' and a b-sides compilation called "Shenanigans" as well as their first DVD 'International Supervideos" which chronicles the band's music videos thus far. The band subsequently embarked on a huge 'Greatest Hits' world tour which lead to many people believing the end was nigh for Green Day seeing as most bands only release a "Greatest Hits" albums near the end of their career.

However, these rumors soon died down when after another long hiatus the band announced that a new album was in the works. "What's It Going To Sound Like?" people wondered from all over the Green Day community. "Is it going to be another 'Warning' or are they going to go back to their Punk Rock roots?". Those questions have recently been answered with the explosive new single "American Idiot" which incidentally is also the title track to the new album. For the first time in Green Day's history, Billie Joe has let loose some great politically motivated lyrics and from what we have heard of this album already it looks like Green Day might have made the best album of their career!

Blink 182: Blink-182 consists of Mark Hoppus, Tom Delonge and Travis Barker.

Mark was born on March 15, 1972, in California. When he was 14. his parents divorced and he went to live with his dad in Washington. His dad gave him his first bass and amp when he was 15, in return for helping to paint his house. He originally wanted to be a high school english teacher. Mark has the least number of tatoos/piercings in the band, with just a nipple ring and his left ear pierced. He used to smoke, but doesn't anymore.

Tom was born on December 13, 1975, in San Diego. Ever since he was young, he has believed that aliens exist. He got a computer solely for the purpose of looking up internet sites about aliens. While he was growing up, Tom was used to hard work. He spent time working on a construction site, and also at Gary's Chicken and Ribbs in his hometown, Poway. He appeared in the movie Idle Hngs as a fast food employee, and got to say 1 line.

Travis was born on November 14, 1975. He has been playing the drums ever since he was young, and got his first drum set as a young boy. He is a highly skilled drummer, and has played in a wide variety of bands before joining blink. He was previously with the ska band, 'the aquabats', where he played under the name 'Travis Baron von Tito'. He has tattoos and piecing all over his body, which have a lot of meaning to him. He also runs his own shop called 'Famous Stars and Straps'.

The legend that is blink-182 started way back in 1992, by Mark Hoppus (bass, vocals), Tom Delonge (guitar, vocals) and Scott Raynor (drums). Origionally just called blink, they were forced to change their name when an Irish techno band also called blink threatened to sue them. Although there are countless rumours of what the 182 stands for, ranging from the number of times certain words are said in movies to numbers that relate to where they live to the number of times that they have performed various sexual acts, the truth is that it is really just a number that they choose pretty much at random and thought sounded good.

Mixing fast, melodic punk with brutally honest, from the heart lyrics, they convert almost everyone who hears their music to fans. In 1995, they released their first full album, Cheshire Cat. Dude Ranch followed in 1997, and this was the first album to gain widespread commercial success. Scott left the band this year to go back to college, and he was replaced by Travis Barker, previously of the Aquabats. The change from Scott to Travis was made easier by the fact that they had been friends with Travis for a while already and he already knew most of their songs. They have always spent a lot of time touring in the surf/skate/punk scene, with bands such as NOFX, Pennywise, Less than Jake and the Vans Warped Tour.

Around the end of 98, blink decided to stop touring and started work on their next album, Enema of the State. This gained even more commercial exposure than Dude Ranch, and helped expose the band to whole new groups of listeners. And the reasoning behind the title? According to Mark Hoppus, "In order to maintain good health, your body must be able to eliminate food and bodily waste. Your colon, together with your lungs, skin and kidneys are designed to accomplish this essential task by elimination of toxins in the intestines, blood and lymph systems." Continues Tom Delonge, "the process of digestion from ingestion of food to defecation, normally takes between 12 to 24 hours assuming that the colon is fully functional and non-toxic. Irregular or infrequent bowel movements can allow toxic residues to remain in the colon". Travis Barker concludes, "it is very rare in this society, to find normal function of a healthy colon. For abnormal function, colon hydrotherapy or enemas - as they are commonly known - are recommended. And this is what we need to tell the kids take care of your colon and your colon will take care of you".

Enema... has gone platinum and with the increased interest in the band, Dude Ranch has as well.

Rap

1991: Ice-T took his name from Iceberg Slim, a pimp who wrote novels and poetry. He would memorize lines and recite them for friends and classmates. He recorded several undistinguished 12-inch singles and appeared in low-budget hip-hop films Rappin', Breakin', and Breakin' II: Electric Boogaloo while he was trying to establish a career. It wasn't until the release of "O.G. Orginial Gangsta" he achieved considerable commercial success. Viewed by many as the original gangsta rapper, Ice-T based his lyrics on real life experiences on the streets of LA. Rapping about prostitutes, drugs and violence angered many official organisations in America and as a result records were censored and Parental Advisory stickers were introduced.

Born and raised in South Central LA, Yo-Yo was the first female rapper to break through the west coast. A mutual friend introduced her to Ice Cube who was about to leave NWA to go solo and immediately they developed a business relationship. Yo-Yo's lyric's were often promoting ideals of independency, confidence and self-respecting black women, "Making the way for the Motherload" sold 400,000 copies and had frequent injections from Ice Cube's Lench Mob Posse. She went on to set up "Intelligent Black Women's Coalition" a support group which organizes meetings and benefit concerts.

Tupac Amaru Shakur was born and raised in the Bronx, New York before moving to California where he continued to write and record. His Debut Album "2Pacalypse Now" introduced him as a significant explosive new voice on the scene. The Album went gold and his single "Trapped" reached number 3 in the US charts. 2 years later he released his second album "Strictly 4 my N.I.G.G.A.Z" which took him to the top of the ranks of rap, selling over a million copies world wide.

1992: Dr Dre's debut album "The Chronic" set the agenda for today's west coast gangsta rap, like many of his predecessors Dre's music heavily sampled the 70's sounds of George Clinton and Funkadelic, but his lyrics bought a new subject to rap - marijuana. Encouraging the use of marijuana sparred off a whole new trend in hip-hop.

Cypress Hill, like Dr Dre advocated the use of marijuana as a cultural replacement for alcohol. They even went as far as campaigning for 'NORMAL' - The National Organisation For The Reform Of Marijuana Laws. Cypress Hill's music mixed gangsta lyrics about dope and guns with a blend of funky R&B samples and mixes. Comprising of DJ Muggs, B-Real (Mexican descent) and Sen Dogg (Cuban descent), Cypress Hill reflected the successful integration of Latin American artists into rap music. The west coast became a breeding ground of yet another variety of rap - Latino hip-hop. The integration of Spanish and English style of rapping gave rise to artists such as Mello Man Ace (brother of Sen Dogg) and Kid Frost.

Hardcore Irish American rappers House of Pain from LA scored a top 10 with "Jump Around" which soon became a club athem. In 1994, Group member Everlast, was arrest in an airport for the illegal possession of a hand gun. As a result he was put under house arrest for 3 months.

The Roots began their musical career jammin' in the streets of Philladelephia. They paid tribute to old school hip-hop culture by enlisting well known DJ's, rappers and graffiti artists to preform with them on stage while preforming cover versions of RUN D.M.C and Eric B and Rakim's hits. The Roots have a unique and innovative style by recording live with musicians and real musical instruments. They avoided sterotypical macho style of rapping describing their music as "the thinking man's rap music". Their influence is present among many current hip-hop artists.

An alternative to gangsta rap, 4 member LA Crew Pharacyde, released their debut album "Bizarre Ride II Pharacyde". One Nut Magazine said "They paved the way for an LA hip hop renaissance that helped hoist the city out of its bullets and bitches pigeon hole". Well known for their fast thinking and witty lyrics, they sampled Beastie Boys and featured Mike D in their video "Drop", a single from their second album "Labcabincalifornia" which took 2 years to produce.

1993: Rapping since the young age of 12, MC Lyte released "Ruffneck" as a response to fellow rapper Apache's "Gangsta Bitch" which was a chauvanistic attack on women. She accused male rappers of having out of control ego's and the single went gold within a few weeks.

In an industry that was dominated by gangsta rap came the Wu-Tang Clan. Wu Tang Clan is a Chinese martial art which means "sword family" - it is also a team of nine New York MC's. The group drew heavily on marital arts for their music and their image often sampling Kung-Fu movies. Their album "Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)" was a reference to 36 points, 10 degree apart on the human body according to marital arts theory are the most vulnerable to attack. With their combat like style of rapping, their debut album sold over 4 million copies. RZA the groups mastermind and producer encouraged Wu-Tang members Methodman and Ghostface Killah to release solo projects. Meanwhile Wu-Tang Clan's Ol' Dirty Bastard worked with other artists such as Busta Rhymes and Mariah Carey.

Snoop began his rap career at a young age collaborating with Dr Dre. "Snoop Doggy Dogg" debuted in the top 20 on the UK and eventually reached gold status. Produced by Dr Dre, "DoggyStyle" reached number 1 in the US album charts and was the first rap album to top the charts within its first week of release. After presenting an award to En Vogue at the 1993 MTV music awards, Snoop voluntarily surrended himself to police custody on murder charges. He was later acquitted and his alleged involvement in a drive-by shooting help boost his popularity. Doggystyle sold over 4 million copies worldwide increasing gangsta raps appeal into the mainstream.

1994: Nas (aka Nassir Jones) reached gold sales with his first album "Illmatic" but it was "If I Ruled the World" with the voice of Lauryn Hill that pushed him into the world of mainstream hip-hop. Nas showed a skill for rapping about violence without glorifying it and literally crossed the divide between fueding east and west coast rivals by moving from New York to LA where Dr Dre helped produce his second album "It Was Written".

Warren Griffen half brother of Dr Dre prefected a calmer story telling style of rap that encouraged younger people to stay away from drugs and guns. He grew up in Long Beach listening to his parents' extensive collection of jazz, soul, and funk records. "Regulate" appeared on the Above the Rim soundtrack and was released as a single. It quickly became a massive hit, number 2 on the charts and pushing the album up to the same position. "Regulate - G-Funk Era" sold over 4 million copies world wide and established him as a major figure in the rap industry. Motivated by black on black violence Warren G used his status as a respected musician to negotiate a truce between rival groups in an LA neighborhood.

Jeru the Damja asked old school DJ Premier to produce his album "Wrath of the Math". Much like his contempories, Jeru's main aim was to bring back the old school style of rhyming and avoid glamorizing guns and drugs. He defends hip-hop from greedy materialists and attacks artists such as Junior M.A.F.I.A by praising the virtues of honesty and clean living. "Ya Playin' Yaself" spoke out against macho and agressive lyrics. He was also fascinated by eastern philosophy and was an avid lover of Kung-Fu movies so Kong Kong became the back drop to many of his video's.

1995: Notorious B.I.G first review was a brief mention in THE SOURCE, a column that highlights MC's, or group's that are yet to sign a record contract. "... this shit in The Source called Unsigned Hype. I said, Fuck it, send it in. And [former Source editor] Matty C loved it. He played it for Puffy". Like many rappers Christopher Wallace made a transition from a life of crime to writing rhymes. His debut album "Ready To Die" was inspired by his early childhood selling drugs to make a living hence the title of his second album "Life After Death". "One More Chance" went straight to number 1 in the US and the album went multi-platinum.

1996: Lil' Kim was discovered by Notorious B.I.G doing freestyles. At just 17 years of age she had a massive hit with "Crush on You". Her style was deliberately raunchy and lyrics provocative, so much so she was criticized by conservative members of the hip-hop scene for being too dirty. She refused to be repressed by negative comments and feminists. "I'm the Big Momma. I represent all the females and keep all the boys in check! We are all from the street and have all been through the struggle. I want all the ladies to relate to what I'm talking about" (hmmm).

The Fugees's comprises of University graduate Wyclef, his cousin, Pras and high school friend, Lauryn Hill. Their songs often deal with issues such as America's negative perception of Haitian immigrants and their own experience's growing up in New York, hence "fugee" which comes from the term refugee.

Being of mixed race, their lyrics promote positive non violent ideals fusing hip-hop with soul, raggae and jazz. They developed a clever style of word play, adding a rap which gave an anti-drugs message to Roberta Flack's old hit "Killing Me Softly" was the biggest hit single of the year selling over 9 million copies. The score won a Grammy for Best Rap Album in 1997 and is the biggest selling rap album of all time.

Busta Rhymes earned his name from his individual and unique style rapping. He began his career in the group Leaders of the New School who were noted for their old school vibe. After the group spilt up he was approached by Chuck D of Public Enemy who produced his debut album "The Coming". Noted for his vertigo style clips "Woo-Hah!!" and "Put Your Hands Where My Eyes Could See" and his stratchy charcoal voice Busta Rhymes has become one of the heavy weights in hip-hop. Unlike other rappers who replicate the same lyrical flow, Busta Rhymes switches his rhyme style and mimics a transform scratch with his voice. "That's just growth, the nature of life. Life never stays at one level. There's no limit to things. I like to go where I haven't gone before. It's the best way to manifest my growth, to manifest it through music".

2pac and Notorious B.I.G became embroiled in a feuding war between east and west coast rappers. While the east was "keeping it real" and in the west "it's all good" both their lives ended tragically. 2pac was shot in a drive-by shooting only to die a week later. 6 months later, leaving the Soul Train Awards, Notorious B.I.G was shot in a similar drive-by incident. Ironically both artists records sales have since doubled overnight. The deaths are unrelated and remain unsolved.

1997:

While violent feuds escalated between east and west coast rappers leading to the deaths of Tupac and Biggie, Wu-Tang Clan a crossed the divide when they played in LA.

Interscope Records, parent company of Death Row Records, after months of rumours confirms severing ties with Death Row. Dr Dre, founder, president and producer left months before the announcement. Suge Knight, producer, is in jail for nine years, which under Californian law prohibits him from day-to-day company operations.

It was the lawsuit of Tupac's mother, Afeni Shakur, accusing the company for cheating her son out of millions of dollars which opened the eyes of other Death Row members.

All artists are seeking release from their contacts and demanding unpaid royalties.

Daz Dillinger (Da Dogg Pound) is the only member who wants to stay. Danny Boy is rumoured to be back in Chicago, while Lady of Rage, frustrated because she couldn't get answers to her questions - or even an appointment to ask them - has been barred from Death Row headquarters. Kurupt has filled for bankruptcy and Nate Dogg, who has started his own label, the Dogg Foundation, is trying to get ownership of the album he recorded for Death Row, which has been sitting on the shelf for three years. Snoop Doggy Dogg who is still under legal contract to release six albums, is renouncing his for-life allegiance to the label with uncharacteristic public tirades. "I'm going to a place where it's all business and no violence, where it's all about creativity instead of head games. To tell you the truth, I fear for my life on Death Row Records".

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