1989

  • The Fat Boys — On and On
    Tone Lōc — Lōced After Dark
    Kwamé — Kwamé the Boy Genius: Featuring a New Beginning
    2 Live Crew — As Nasty as They Wanna Be
    De La Soul — 3 Feet High and Rising
    Geto Boys — Grip It! On That Other Level
    Kool G Rap & D.J. Polo — Road to the Riches
    Oaktown’s 357 — Wild & Loose
    S.F.C. — Listen Up
    Nice & Smooth — Nice & Smooth
    Special Ed — Youngest In Charge
    Chill Rob G — Ride the Rhythm
    Kool Moe Dee — Knowledge Is King
    Gang Starr — No More Mr. Nice Guy
    L.L. Cool J — Walking With a Panther
    Heavy D. & The Boyz — Big Time
    Antoinette — Who’s the Boss?
    Boogie Down Productions — Ghetto Music: The Blueprint of Hip-Hop
    Beastie Boys — Paul’s Boutique
    The D.O.C. — No One Can Do It Better
    EPMD — Unfinished Business
    Schoolly D. — Am I Black Enough For You?
    Cool C — I Gotta Habit
    Tuff Crew — Back to the Wreck Shop
    Mellow Man Ace — Escape From Havana
    Young M.C. — Stone Cold Rhymin’
    Big Daddy Kane — It’s a Big Daddy Thing
    Donald D — Notorious
    M.C. Lyte — Eyes on This
    Biz Markie — The Biz Never Sleeps
    Ice-T — The Iceberg/Freedom of Speech…Just Watch What You Say
    Sir Mix-a-Lot — Seminar
    Craig G — The Kingpin
    D.J. Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince — And In This Corner…
    Roxanne Shanté — Bad Sister
    Freddie Foxxx — Freddie Foxxx Is Here
    Jungle Brothers — Done By the Forces of Nature
    Queen Latifah — All Hail the Queen
    3rd Bass — The Cactus Album
    Def Jef — Just a Poet With Soul
    Rob Base & D.J. E-Z Rock — The Incredible Base
    The New Style — Independent Leaders
    Willie Dee — Controversy
    Awesome Dre – You Can’t Hold Me Back
    Three Times Dope – Original Stylin’
    The Jaz ( Jaz O) – Word To The Jaz
    Black Rock & Ron – Stop The World

  • Public Enemy – “Fight The Power”
    Stop The Violence Movement – “Self Destruction”
    De La Soul – “Buddy”
    The D.O.C. – “It’s Funky Enough”
    Big Daddy Kane “Smooth Operator”
    Special Ed – “I Got It Made”
    Gang Starr – “Manifest”
    Queen Latifah, Monie Love – “Ladies First”
    Biz Markie – “Just A Friend”
    BDP – “You Must Learn”
    Digital Underground – “Doowutchyalike”
    Beastie Boys – “Hey Ladies”
    De La Soul – “Me, Myself & I”
    Nice & Smooth – “Funky For You”
    3rd Bass – “The Gas Face”

1989 NEWS

In January, the Arsenio Hall Show premiers, making more space for black artists on late night TV.

Spike Lee’s Do The Right Thing releases in July

In October, the FBI sent a letter to Ruthless Records, admonishing N.W.A.’s “Straight Outta Compton” – this led to widespread protests of NWA’s music, and backlash against rap, in general.

Rappers boycotted the 1989 Grammy awards, led by Def Jam Records

Galileo Spacecraft Launches in October, sent off to study Jupiter 

The Cold War ends, and the Berlin Wall comes down

The Nintendo Game Boy is released in July

George Bush Sr. Becomes president

Source Magazine launches