One - Me Phi Me (1992)

In the early 90s there were a number of ways rap music could have gone. There were still old school NYC rap crews, as well as the more radio friendly Native Tongues style of conscious rap. It wasn’t uncommon to hear samples of jazz and traditional African music along side funk and soul samples.

Me Phi Me had even more eclectic tastes, putting folk and rock front and center in their beats. Lyrically, it’s a slightly vague message of self-improvement through self-reliance. Positive messages, for the most part.

I’m not here to critique a guy’s worldview, but getting a roomful of dudes to all say “individuality” in unison is some unintentional self-parody, imo.

Anyway, it’s a solid record that fit in well with the moment but also had some new things to offer.

Then, at the end of the year, Dr. Dre dropped The Chronic and the gangsta style of rap choked out the more eclectic and open-minded threads of rap from the mainstream. Sometimes things change in an instant, and any other outcome seems weird in retrospect.

Tracks I Liked

Black Sunshine charted as a single, I think. Sad New Day and Dream of You probably could have.